Amy Lee Burgess

#BookReview – “Christmas Kisses: A Zodiac Shifters” box set

“Under the Mistletoe” by Amy Lee Burgess

Emily and Orlando used to be best friends as children, but since they come from rival dragon clans, they’ve come to hate one another. At the annual Christmas party with all the dragon clans on Zodiac Mountain in attendance, Emily and Orlando find themselves trapped together in a witch’s magic box and finally talk about their problems.
The H/h argued and insulted each other a lot. I haven’t read any other stories in this series, but I got a fairly good idea of what the world is like, and I find it intriguing. I liked and appreciated the overall message of the story—do not hate or show prejudice to someone—but the arguing was a bit much.
3 Stars

“Through the Blizzard” by Dominique Eastwick

Framed for a crime he didn’t commit, Oakley was banished from his snow leopard leap, and his beloved mate, Nova, shunned him. Five years later, he’s angry and shocked to find Nova on his doorstep. Though he wanted to turn her away, he couldn’t do so with a blizzard on its way. As they talk and get to know one another again, they both soon realized their love never died.
I liked both characters, especially gruff Oakley. Though Nova was young and immature at the time she had shunned him, she owned up to her mistakes and turned out to be respectable.
The plot is good, but punctuation typos were distracting. As a new reader to the series, I was a little lost with the world building and how all the shifter clans worked within Zodiac signs, but I followed along well enough to enjoy the story.
3 Stars

“What a Scottish Shifter Wants” by Jennifer Hilt

Angus is a wolf shifter, banished from his pack because he refused to pick a mate. Throughout his travels, he meets Bree, an Amazon warrior, and has hard, wonderful, no-strings-attached sex with her. After he leaves her, he meets a witch and loses years of his life to a curse.
Angus is a stubborn, foolhardy man, and Bree is levelheaded and patient. I liked both characters, but I connected better with Angus since the story is told only in his POV.
3 Stars

“Blizzard Bound” by Rosalie Redd

In this Warriors of Lemuria series short story, the winter solstice is only a day away, and panther shifter Aramand needs to find the perfect gift for his new mate. Danae only wants Aramand to remain safe, but their life isn’t an easy one. As part of the Panthera race, they and their Stiyaha allies are at war with the Gossum, and each night could be their last.
Aramand and Danae’s love story begins in the Marked by Love novella, but I haven’t read their main story and very little of it was mentioned in this one. As such, I didn’t feel like I got to know the characters well. I still like this story, however, and I’ve read other books in this series, which I’ve enjoyed and can definitely recommend.
3.5 Stars

“All I Want for Christmas” by Bethany Shaw

Cassidy is struggling to raise her two young nieces and is often late to work. Luckily for her, her gorgeous boss is very lenient and understanding. Santiago is a phoenix shape-shifter working undercover as a human private investigator while in search of maniacal lycanthrope plaguing the city. After Cassidy is targeted, Santiago will do everything he can to protect the woman he’s fallen for.
Cassidy and Santiago fit well together. There are lots of side characters from previous books in this series, which I haven’t read, and I’d liked to know more about them. This is my second favorite story in the set, but the typos were surprising. If not for that, I could’ve rated this story higher.
3.5 Stars

“A Very Foxy Christmas” by Melissa Snark

Silver is a coyote shifter getting ready to head to Las Vegas with his rock band for a performance when he overhears his fox shifter wife Hannah and their family/friends talking about him. Now he’s on edge since he thinks Hannah doesn’t believe he would be a good father. Hannah owns a security company and is doing a job in which she needs her husband’s help. They’re both highly skilled thieves, so they plan to rob her client as part of the job. Only things don’t go according to plan, and their baby argument could cost them their lives.
Silver and Hannah are well-rounded, three dimensional characters. I would love to read their main book, Out Foxed, but this short story gave enough info for me to understood and connect with the H/h. I enjoyed the world building and all the different sorts of shifters, but the climax could’ve used more detail. (I just had a hard time picturing the air duct systems and the H/h being stuck between the fan blades.) Anyway, this story is the longest one in the anthology. It’s also my favorite.
4 Stars

Book Overall – 3 Stars… (plus d'informations)

**Review written for an originally posted on my blog, Book Bliss. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased and honest review**

Review: 4.5 stars

General: I love that this book didn’t hold back. The writing was wonderful and the world building solid from the get go. From the beginning we are launched straight into the tragic event that fuels most heros/heroine’s. We even get to see a little of it and I thought that was a step up, to experience with the lead and not in flashback or storytelling mode. I enjoyed the little things that made this different from other wolf stories – the actual presence of a pack, the idea that we don’t have just once mate.

I felt the plot was strong and I was eager to follow but I felt there was a bit of a red herring in it and while I know people aren’t supposed to love them, it did annoy me more than it should have because it felt a little forced. Overall this book was a great kickstart to the series and I know that the world will continue to draw me in.

Characters: Stanzie- Stanzie is a heroine that you can immediately identify with because of the way the story starts. It’s so easy to sympathize with her and want for her to find hope. I wish she had a little more stand out of a personality but with what she had endured, I can understand why she was a bit of a blend into the crowd type of lead.

Liam- Liam got me from the get go just with his name. There’s something about it that draws me to him and picture someone super sexy. His alpha male ranked high – being an alpha himself. I found him entertaining and a good match for Stanzie.… (plus d'informations)

Constance Newcastle bond mates died two years ago in a car crash. Even though the Great Council found her innocent of the accident, her pack no longer wanted her. Now she is in Paris at the Great Pack Gathering hoping to get another opportunity at pack life.

Liam Murphy is the former Alpha of his pack. After his pregnant wife died in an unfortunate accident, he left his friends and family not wanting anyone but his beloved wife. Councilor Jason Allerton seems to be match making between the two. However, that is not the only reason he wants Constance and Liam to get together. There have been a number of tragic deaths throughout the groups. Is it a coincidence?

Amy Lee Burgess does a wonderful job making you feel for Constance and Liam. The trials and tribulations they had to go through are heartbreaking. As a reader, you feel for them and want them to find the happiness they deserve.

I’m glad I discovered Beneath The Skin and look forward to continuing reading the Wolf Within Series.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.… (plus d'informations)

Inside Out by Amy Lee Burgess (The Wolf Within Book 4)

Inside Out is book four in the Wolf Within series, and I have to say it was also the first book that I’ve read written by Amy Lee Burgess. Her writing is great; I was swept into the story right from the beginning. The words flowed easily, the character descriptions are well written and I loved the entire story.

We meet Stanzie as you find out her past you see she has gone through so much already in her life that your hearts goes out to her, I knew immediately I loved this character and her personality. As you read you find out that Stanzie is alone and heartbroken, her bond mate has left her and she clearly is missing him more then she lets on.

During the story you find out a bit how and why he left and my god you want them back together. Even though Liam is not in this story, reading about what happened makes you pray they end up together it really heartbreaking that she lets him go.

So Stanzie who is now alone is sent out to investigate what is going on in her home pack, she knows this is going to be hard as she was kicked out of her pack many years ago. But she does what she needs to do and heads home. While she is there she is reunited with a few close friends, but she see’s and deep down knows something is definitely wrong. The more she digs the more danger she puts herself in. Inside Out is full of suspense and mystery I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel. This book is one of those stories you stay up half the night reading as you really need to know what is going on.

Now I have to admit this was the first book in this series that I read, so I knew probably after the first chapter that I needed to go purchase the other three books right away. I will say that I was not disappointed at all and it was money well spent. The Wolf Within series is now one of my favorite series. Amy Lee Burgess is one great author and her writing is top of the line. I would read anything she writes.

I really think everyone should go out and buy Beneath The Skin, Scratch the Surface, Hidden In Plain Sight and Inside Out. I cannot wait to read the next book in this series and on that note I also hope that Stanzie and Liam are reunited as it would break my heart if they don’t end up together.

So I have rated Inside Out a 4.5 star rating and my followers please add this series to your to be read list as it is so worth it. Fantastic, Amazing, Suspenseful, and truly one of the best paranormal series I’ve read.
… (plus d'informations)