Annie Nicholas

Different and cute! I wish the other dragons got their own books later in the series, but it doesn't look like it. Same for the alpha were in the area, Ryordan. Has a humorous start that slowly dwindles as the two get to know each other, but their relationships worked well and stayed hard to put down. She sounds like an adorable, feathered dragon (trying to picture that)

I was given a copy of this ARC for an honest review.

So far I have read Tangled Web, by Crista McHugh. I will post new reviews as I read more.

There may be some spoilers, but I'll try not to. Really.

I wasn't sure how much I would like this one, but it was more fantasy oriented than sci-fi (which I don't mind, but sometimes have a harder time getting into). I liked the story, although I do tend to get frustrated with heroines who don't just tell the truth, which leads to further show more problems--although I know that spoils all the fun in the end and would make life far too easy. Does that count as a spoiler? I liked Titus and Azhura, as well as the other friends Titus has at the palace; Marcus, Galerius, and Vallo. I loved the airships! I liked that Titus' mother liked Azhura right from the start, so there was no catty in-law stuff.

One thing I really did like was despite the fact that the truth wasn't revealed, the men really did actually think about the circumstances regarding her presence, the reputation of the Rabbit, and the fact that no harm had come to Titus in two weeks (the opposite, in fact), and they used their brains instead of jumping to conclusions--you can't blame them for doing that right away, but it didn't drag out forever, and I think that was really well done.

There's definitely a lot of romance--fans won't be disappointed, and I liked their mutual seductions, and Titus' restraint. All in all an enjoyable and exciting read! show less

[b:Ravenous|23200152|Ravenous (Lake City Stories, #0.5)|Annie Nicholas|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1410388215s/23200152.jpg|42206950] (Lake City Stories, #0.5) by [a:Annie Nicholas|3132972|Annie Nicholas|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1350243606p2/3132972.jpg] is an Adult Paranormal Romance and 115 pages long.
Let's get the negatives out of the way right now. There were 3 editing errors. There are no other negatives! The story flows smoothly and leaves you thirsting for more. show more The storyline is so well represented you can easily visualize the scenes and the other characters.
I never thought I would LOVE a story about a succubus. I was so wrong! Pia is a great character. She is a very young succubus and things are not going well for her in the 'Love' department. She doesn't want one night stands. She wants real love. This leads her to make some very disastrous choices. Those choices lead to some very humorous situations for us to read about, though Pia is not laughing!
Now the nitty gritty. There are 3 stories in this series so far. This one is a .5, which means it was written after the 2nd story. It's free at the time of this review on Amazon. Amazon it says 125 pages. The 2nd story (which is actually the 1st story) is 'Starved For Love'. It is listed on Amazon for 2.99 at 168 pages. The 3rd story is 'Sinful Cravings'. Priced at 2.99 on Amazon and 192 pages. Since the 1st page count for 'Ravenous' is 10 pages less than what's listed, deduct 10 pages per book. That makes it 5.98 for about 455 pages. A very good bargain. Especially when you take into account how fantastic this story is.
If this was the first time I read one of her books I would be more leery. But, I read her 1st book in the 'Vanguard Elite' series. It impressed me too. I don't think I am easy to impress. Her style of writing, her implementation of humor, all the elements she puts into these stories has got me convinced to make her one of my new favorite authors.
I am so getting the next book in this series! :) show less

My Lady Danu has bid me thank thee for the honor done her when thou didst submit thy novel, Koishi, for her review. In this new endeavor of hers, she is learning much about this plane, but feels she will never fully understand parts of it. However, she finds this new technology of e-books fascinating, providing an immediacy she wishes to share with her offspring. They, though, seem determined to remain hidebound – no pun intended.

She wishes me to convey to thee, firstly, that she has long show more been a reader of thy works and in this story she reaped a rare and very unexpected reward – she sees in the writing thy growth and development into authorial maturity. Please accept her metaphorical accolades. She regrets that the laws governing the separation between thy plane and hers make it impossible to provide a more tangible demonstration of her pleasure in thy growth.

My Lady Danu acknowledges her openness to a charge of hubris in her assessment of thy growth but she refuses to allow that to concern her. My Lady has read much of thy work – beginning in 2009 with the publication of The Omegas, the first in the Vanguard series. Between then and now she noted a growing depth and deftness of not just thy prose and use of language, but also in the complexity of thy characters and smooth glide of thy plotting. The unevenness of skill present in thy early work is not encountered in this novella.

The Goddess Danu was surprised by the risks taken in this story, though they may be seen as small risks. To pen a main character – Koishi – who in the first page openly acknowledges he eats small dogs whilst still alive and loves them, is somewhat unusual. Yet, in the development of Kioshi’s character arc he is clearly likeable and assured. He is a mix of the whimsical and sardonic, the Other and the humanly sympathetic. In My Lady Danu’s opinion the wit and humor, as much self-deprecating as it is teasing, is what carries Kioshi beyond and above – untying him from the potential accusation of an evil, heartless dragon shifter who abuses small animals by sending them to other dragons as a gift and eating them as a preferred snack – and still alive when munched.

The heroine interested My Lady Danu as well. It would be easy to see her as weak and timid, on top of being a poor sailor whose first appearance on the stage is her heaving her guts up, and a somewhat naïve American traveling to Japan – the first time she left not just her country but also her small town. Intrepid and determined, she is as much a charming heroine as she is a chick emerging from her shell (and isn’t it well that Koishi believes eating winged animals, even if flightless, is unethical. Does he see them as kin?) By the end of the story, Sandra is a fierce and intrepid warrior; both in fighting for her happily ever after with Koishi and in helping him defend his gate.

This story is light, humorous and a very quick read. It is entertainment. In passing it seemed, according to the Goddess Danu, Koishi's demand for Sandra's trust, even as he views her as a toy, became more repetitive and made up than a true hurdle to be overcome. My Lady would have enjoyed seeing more development of the moving past their prejudices and preconceptions. A picayune point and one that speaks to individual authorial decisions. My Lady picked up on it because she is considered to be hobnobbing with the hoi poloi by her offspring at times given her involvement with those upon this plain.

My Lady also noted the denouement focusing more of Koishi evolving from only a warrior, self-sufficient as the gatekeeper to daring to become someone defined by something other than his ability with a sword is nicely mirrored against his growing understanding of his mother, who he originally percived, it seemed, as a spawn of the dark gods.

In considering this review and how to convey her view, The Goddess Danu did some research into thy backlist and pondered how it’s evolved since the publication of thy first book, The Omegas. My Lady Danu hopes to soon hear of the publication of thy first full length novel, and, meaning no prejudice, thy emergence into genres beyond the erotic.

She bids me also relay to you her favorite line in the story was uttered by Koishi's mother after she confounds his understanding of her - "I have wars to start and battles to fight." My Lady wonders if Koishi's mother would be interested in assisting her in bringing her own offspring into line. It is My Lady Danu's belief that nothing says I'm serious like bladed weapons and fire-whips. She would also be interested to see just how Koishi'mother starts wars. It is the Goddewss Danu's belief one can never have too much knowledge. show less