Sydney Somers

Review provided by Black Lagoon Reviews:

Primal Hunger, the first installment in The Pendragon Gargoyles series by Sydney Somers, packs a great punch despite its size! Filled with action, romance, and a wonderful lore, the premise of this novella will have you addicted and hungry for more!

First off, let me say that I loved the originality of this story. Gargoyle shifters are definitely something I hadn't seen before and I was engrossed by their mythical origins dating back to the days of King show more Arthur. Also, the other little additions that tie back into the Arthurian lore were excellent. From the Wraiths who are former Knights of the Round Table to dragons who battle to keep Morgana from entering their territory and the Pendragon Gargoyles themselves who eagerly await Arthur's return and the reclamation of Excalibur. All of this is nicely tied in and enacted within a modern day setting, making this tale even more enjoyable.

The characters themselves are quite interesting and wonderfully entertaining as they come to grips with the situation fate has dropped them in. From the first sentence of the novel I was endeared to Kennedy, from her strong will to her snarky demeanor. She's tough, independent and a wonderful heroine to follow as she is thrust, by no fault of her own, into a centuries old battle. Tristan is also quite the interesting alpha male. He quickly comes to grips with the idea of Kennedy being his intended mate, though he has tried desperately to keep his distance from her. The simmering attraction he feels soon becomes a dominate need to protect her and fight the assassin sent to kill her. His gruff alluring nature is then split between warrior and lover as he tries not only to keep Kennedy safe, but to convince her to accept that she is connected to him for better or for worse. Briana, Tristan's sister is also rather interesting. I would have liked to have gotten to know more about her, but the fierce loyalty she displays in trying to protect her family made her quite likable. Her desire to use any tools at her disposal, in this case Kennedy in her ignorance of the bond she shares with Tristan, while harsh was done repentantly showing the softer side of her nature. So, while she can be construed as being bitchy, an assumption I made when she first appeared, I came to like her forth right nature and that need to keep her brother safe. It just had the ring of truth to it that came with all the characters, an aspect that marvelously showcased both Somers's writing ability and her wonderful character development.

The world created was truly intense despite the small time frame in which is was developed. There is still quite a visceral touch of reality to it, as if the reader, like Kennedy is coming to find the world is so much more fantastical then we could imagine. I think a lot of that is due to the fact that it is built upon lore in which our culture has been immersed in for centuries. Who didn't grow up knowing the stories about King Arthur and Avalon? That familiar basis built atop a somewhat familiar atmosphere, the Pendragon bar, douses it in the here and now.

The downside of this novel? It's a novella. But, despite that, this snippet at only just over a hundred pages shows that size doesn't necessarily matter. In fact, it's got all you would expect from a full length novel-action, romance, suspense and drama. Not to mention that it doesn't leave you feeling like the world was lacking like a lot of novellas, but to the contrary was wonderfully developed and brought to life. In fact, it left me quite satisfied, but I can't deny that I want more! Would a longer novel make me happy? Hell yes. Am I disappointed it wasn't? Not even a little.

In the end, the action is fast paced and the romance is scorching making The Pendragon Gargoyles an utterly addictive series for any fan of Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance. I definitely can't wait to get my hands on book 2, Primal Attraction. show less

Recommended by Lady Rhyleigh at ARe Cafe.

Firth, the Ninth Duke of Earl, was literally thrown into the river because of his uncle’s nonchalant method of parenting his ward. Found by a highway man, the young Duke’s life was about to change forever with the decision that he too would become a highwayman like his saviour. A new name, Westley, and if he is good at learning his new skill, a ferret instead of the ratty parrot they left by the river, and the young man was ready for adventure. show more Even though he thought he might be better suited to being a pirate, his new life was set…and so was that of his twin brother.

Colin was an identical match to Firth, and would suffice as his replacement. Colin Darcy, Duke of Earl, had to deal with a penniless estate the way most Dukes dealt with matters of the like. He had to marry a rich heiress, and his uncle had already laid that out for him with the announcement of an engagement arrangement with Lady Chastity. He didn’t want to marry a stranger, so…he would become a pirate instead.

Changing and interchanging lives lead these young men on a merry escapade as they search for a new life and find love along the way. Meeting ninja pirates, highwaymen and falling in love while they deal with betrayal, mayhem and chaos…and ticking crocodiles and 6 fingered men. I wasn’t sure what to expect from a book penned together by Nine Naughty Novelists but it indeed intrigued me. I can’t say that when I was finished I could put a finger on what it was that I read. A historical novel? Yes. A comedy? Yes. Tongue in cheek double entendres? Yes. A tale with a smart mouthed parrot? Yes. Your typical romance? Absolutely not. This book might not be for everyone, but I loved it. This comical parody is quirky, snarky and at times a little hard to follow, but it is laugh out loud fun from cover to cover. show less

*Book source ~ Picked up for free on Amazon.

Rock Fangsworthy is a vampire, a zillionaire and a cowboy who owns The Double Fang ranch in Bloodsuck Texas. He’s also a daddy to twins though that’s something he doesn’t know. Yet.

Buffy Van Pelt is Rock’s neighbor and has inherited The Best Little Winery in Bloodsuck. She’s also a werewolf and broke. If she can’t pull the winery up by it’s grape vines she and her twins will starve or be forced to sell to Rock. Neither option is show more pleasant.

Rock and Buffy once shared some hot times together. Will they be able to put the past behind them and come together as a family? Or will an inept vampire slayer nip any happiness they may create in the bud before it gets a chance to bloom?

The title alone drew me in and I picked it up for free awhile ago. Then I needed the ‘Z’ for an alphabet challenge, so I figured it was high time I cracked this bad boy open. Oh.My.Lawd. Bless the authors’ hearts for creating an entertaining read. Nine authors took turns writing a parody about the book community’s current infatuation with cowboys, vampires, werewolves and billionaires. Though they made Rock a zillionaire which is even funnier. The writing is hilarious because it’s so exaggerated. They put everything a writer shouldn’t do in this and made it highly amusing. I had many moments of snorts, giggles, snickers and outright guffaws. If you need a pickmeup I suggest picking this one up. show less

After finishing PRIMAL HUNGER (my thoughts here), I decided to dive straight into PRIMAL ATTRACTION. Cale doesn’t have a lot of page time in PRIMAL HUNGER since he disappears part way through — and now we know why! I don’t often find books that take place simultaneously (at least for part) with other novels in the series so it’s an interesting development. In fact, the only other series with something similar is Kris DeLake’s Assassins In Love series, which I’ve talked about show more before (here and here). It’s a neat device and I enjoyed having the missing information filled in, while watching Cale and Sorcha fall for each other (again).

Side note: I feel like the name Sorcha keeps coming up in books I’ve been reading lately. There’s this one, plus Philippa Ballantine’s Order of the Geist series and P. J. Schnyder’s SING FOR THE DEAD. I realize three characters don’t make it a common name but it feels like they’re coming out of the woodwork for me these days. :)

I found Cale and Sorcha’s relationship really interesting because it’s not your typically meet-cute-and-fall-in-love story. Cale’s already in love with her, and Sorcha used to be in love with him but doesn’t remember it because of her deal with Rhiannon, which involves having her memories erased once a century. Cale spends PRIMAL ATTRACTION trying to help Sorcha remember/convince her that their love was real and Sorcha spends the novel conflicted between her duty and her attraction to Cale. According to her information, Cale has stolen a dagger that Rhiannon wants but she doesn’t have the full picture — that he needs the dagger to free his brother from a curse. It’s a genuine conflict that places Sorcha in an awful position, which makes for an engaging read. Plus the two of them have some insane chemistry so the sexy scenes are super sexy! And Cale and Sorcha do end up together, it’s not the tidiest ribbon. It’s a tidy solution but it’s not so pat that it’s ridiculous.

With PRIMAL ATTRACTION, I’m sure that Somers’ Pendragon Gargoyles series is definitely one to keep up with. There are two more books available now and I plan to dive into them in the near future.

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