REVIEW: Blood Guard (Mission, Bk 1) by Megan Erickson

Blood Guard

Series: Mission, #1

Megan Erickson

Amazon || Kobo || B&N || iBooks

Synopsis

Enter a world of immortal danger and desire—and discover an incredible fate borne of blood.

Tendra: One minute, I’m a bartender in gritty Mission City; the next, I’m whisked away by a vampire named Athan who tells me that I’m the lifeblood of his clan. It sounds unbelievable, but he’s got evidence I can’t deny. Turns out, Athan belongs to an underground society of vampires who feed only on humans with their consent. Their enemies have no such qualms, and they want me dead. The only thing standing in their way is strong, sexy Athan. And the closer we get, the more tempted I am to let Athan feed. . . .

Athan: How could I have known when I snatched this snarky, beautiful human off the streets that she would change mydestiny? As a loyal soldier, I must deliver Tendra to our future king—my brother. Empowered with the blood of ten generations of the Gregorie breed, she is fated to rule as our queen. But there’s something between us that’s so intoxicating, so carnal, I can’t help wanting Tendra for myself . . . even if it’s treason.

Review

RATING:

I’m really glad that Megan has decided to expand her repertoire and dip her toes some more in the PNR world. Not long ago, she gave her readers shifter-rom. Now, she’s giving her readers vampire-rom. And no complaints here at all, no ma’am!

What a delish start to a new series! In this world, Tendra (or Ten as she prefers) learns really quickly of another world that exists and what role she plays in it. Athan was the one sent to guard her so he can deliver her safely to his family and so she can do what she was born to do.

To put it succinctly, there are lots of things I love about this book. First, love the palpable tension between these 2, sexual or otherwise. It’s sharp and stimulating all at once. Second, love the suspense and action that drove the story. I’m grinning as I’m typing this. Just imagine a kickass action movie that you enjoyed. I’m a total sucker for those things. Megan’s words had me right smack in the middle of the action so that I was anxious when they were anxious and just as exhilarated when they were exhilarated. Third, the alternating POVs that just provided such an insight to these 2. Fourth, the side characters who didn’t just fade in the background. You sense who will be getting their stories told in the future. Fifth, the world building that I bought right from the start. Fifth, the smexy times!!!! Need I say more?

And this now brings me to the sixth and seventh reason why I love this book. Athan and Ten.

Athan is your quiet brooding guy with lotsa layers that you just want to unpeel. He’s bound by honor and duty, which is sexy AF on its own merit when done right. LOVE how protective he was of Ten. LOVE how unsettled he was by her. LOVE how he kicked a$$ right til the end. Squeeee!!!!

And Ten!! A woman after my own heart! LOVE how feisty she is. LOVE her humor and how she can make fun of herself. LOVE how protective she was of Athan. LOVE her ‘tude. LOVE how she owned every aspect of herself, from her insecurities to her strength. Even in moments of weakness, she had control, no doubt about it. LOVE how she kicked a$$ right til the end. Squeeee!!!!

And there you have it, folks, my reasons why I love this book, why I’m continuing to fangirl over Megan, and why I recommend this one, even if you’re not a PNR reader. Well she sold it to me, so I’m pretty sure she can sell it to you too.

About the Author

Megan Erickson is a USA Today bestselling author of romance that sizzles. Her books have a touch of nerd, a dash of humor, and always have a happily ever after. A former journalist, she switched to fiction when she decided she likes writing her own endings better.

She lives in Pennsylvania with her very own nerdy husband and two kids. Although rather fun-sized, she's been told she has a full-sized personality. When Megan isn't writing, she's either lounging with her two cats named after John Hughes characters or... thinking about writing.

Website: www.meganerickson.org

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qHcnD2

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeganErickson_

IG: https://www.instagram.com/meggiejoknows/

FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1440306062901719/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/authormeganerickson/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mrsmeggiejo/

Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie

SPOTLIGHT: Chasing Destiny (Silver Tip Pack, Book 2) by Megan Erickson

Chasing Destiny

Silver Tip Pack, #2

by Megan Erickson

AMAZON

Blurb

Some live on memories…

Almost dying during a pack uprising has a way of shaking things up. I’m no longer Mr. Laid Back now that there’s an itch under my skin I can’t scratch.

On a volunteer mission that goes beyond the walls of our compound, we enter the territory of a pack long thought dead, and find ourselves on the business end of their spears.

What I’m not prepared for is what I find within their walls—The one shifter I never thought I’d see alive, the one I’d mourned twice, the one I’d always loved. He is alive, and if I have anything to do with it, he’ll stay that way. But he’s got secrets, and exposing them could lead us to an enemy worse than the bloodthirsty undead shifters wanting to kill us all…

Excerpt

Megan Erickson ©

I walked toward him, not stopping until I stood right in front of him. I reached up, wrapping my arms around his painfully thin shoulders, and tugged him to me.

His face immediately dropped to my neck, and his entire body slumped into me. He nuzzled into my skin, huffing against it, while I ran my hands down his back, fingers catching on the many scars and wounds, old and new.

He clutched at my waist, pressing himself against me. He’d been needing this, starving for it, and while I wasn’t his alpha—hell I wasn’t even an alpha—I was the closest thing he had to a pack right now.

While this was helping him, it was creating all kinds of problems for me. Namely, in my pants, because my d!ck was thickening with every soft whiff of his moist breath, with every desperate press of his fingers into my skin. My teenage memories of Nash were always present in my mind, no matter how much I tried to erase them over the years, cover them up with dirt and new memories. They always rose to the surface. He’d been my first kiss, a frantic clashing of teeth and tongues along the wall near the Farm back at the Silver Tip compound. At the time I couldn’t believe he’d wanted me back, that those blue eyes of his were clouded with desire over me. Me.

In seconds, from that moment when his lips had touched mine to when he’d pulled back and gazed at me in wonder, I’d planned our whole lives. We’d be mates. He’d work on fortifying our infrastructure—he’d always been good with his hands—and I’d be my brother’s second in command. We’d live happily ever after, or as much as anyone could while surrounded by Nowere hordes.

But we hadn’t had that future. One day outside the walls, my sister was turned into a Nowere, and we’d believed Nash had been killed. Twice now—f*cking twice—I’d thought Nash was dead, only to find out he’d managed to stay alive.

He wasn’t letting me go now, my scent fogging his brain like a drug. His tongue slowly swirled along my shoulder, and I wanted to bend over that bed, let him grab my hips and take from me what he needed. This was what had drawn me away from my home, away from my pack. Like I had known in my bones that Nash was alive, and that he needed me.

Nash had always owned me, from that first kiss, and I’d be whatever he wanted me to be. If I had to f*ck him to health, I would. Of course, with Nash, I’d never be able to separate sex from feelings like I could with anyone else. But I’d choose him over my own intact heart. Maybe this was why I’d never quite felt like I had a purpose. I’d been waiting for Nash.

Review

RATING:

I’m telling you, I’m completely sucked in to this dystopian world that Megan created for her hot shifters. This is now the second book, and it’s about Bay and Nash. You’d have met them briefly from Daring Fate (my review here). Bay is Dare’s brother and Nash is Bay’s childhood friend who was ripped away from the pack. Don’t worry; it’s a standalone, although I don’t know why you’d wanna skip the first one. It’s a def top fave, just saying…

While this didn’t give me the same high as Daring Fate, this has all the right feels in all the right places. Unlike Dare and Reese from the first book who came from two different packs, you’ll learn that Bay and Nash has quite a history that was snuffed way too quickly due to circumstances. When their paths cross again, Nash is a changed man. Bay, on the other hand, just felt restless. When they met again, they can’t deny what’s always been there between them, just simmering. But the road back to each other wasn’t gonna be quite that easy.

It feels like this has more angst than the first book, and it made complete sense. Nash is a broken man who thought there was no trace of his old self in him anymore. It’s up to Bay to show Nash that his old self has always been there and that he deserved every ounce of love. What Nash went through, it squished my heart over and over. I love how Bay totally got Nash and gave him exactly what he needed which in turn got Nash giving back exactly what Bay needed. Not just that, They’re smokin’ hot together! Just saying…

And just like the first book, this got my heart pumping as the story unfolded until you reach the climax of the story. Quite a ride!

I’ve said this before about the first book and I’ll say it again. If you’re not typically a fan of PNR like I am, you have to give this series a shot at least. Megan’s always able to infuse her story with just the right amount of humor, heat and heart. She’s been doing that with her contemporary romances, and she’s doing exactly that with this PNR series.

About the Author

Megan Erickson is a USA Today bestselling author of romance that sizzles. Her books have a touch of nerd, a dash of humor, and always have a happily ever after. A former journalist, she switched to fiction when she decided she likes writing her own endings better.

She lives in Pennsylvania with her very own nerdy husband and two kids. Although rather fun-sized, she's been told she has a full-sized personality. When Megan isn't writing, she's either lounging with her two cats named after John Hughes characters or... thinking about writing.

Website: www.meganerickson.org

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qHcnD2

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeganErickson_

IG: https://www.instagram.com/meggiejoknows/

FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1440306062901719/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/authormeganerickson/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mrsmeggiejo/

GIVEAWAY

*Daring Fate was a top fave so I wanna share the love and hope that you end up loving it as much as I did. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie

RELEASE DAY: Chasing Destiny by Megan Erickson

Chasing Destiny

Silver Tip Pack, #2

by Megan Erickson

AMAZON

Blurb

Some live on memories…

Almost dying during a pack uprising has a way of shaking things up. I’m no longer Mr. Laid Back now that there’s an itch under my skin I can’t scratch.

On a volunteer mission that goes beyond the walls of our compound, we enter the territory of a pack long thought dead, and find ourselves on the business end of their spears.

What I’m not prepared for is what I find within their walls—The one shifter I never thought I’d see alive, the one I’d mourned twice, the one I’d always loved. He is alive, and if I have anything to do with it, he’ll stay that way. But he’s got secrets, and exposing them could lead us to an enemy worse than the bloodthirsty undead shifters wanting to kill us all…

Excerpt

Megan Erickson ©

I’d never really been good at following the rules. That was Dare’s job. If something was supposed to be off-limits, then I wanted it that much more. Of course, that got me into all kinds of sh!t that Dare bailed me out of, but you only live once, right?

I had one window in my room, which was boarded and locked. I picked the lock with a sharp claw and eased open the boards in time to see Pace walking across the grounds four stories below, a bundle in his arms. A quick sniff told me it was food. I watched him, eager to see where he was going, but he disappeared around the corner of the building. “F*ck,” I muttered, glancing around my room, then out the window again.

A small stone ledge, maybe a foot wide, was visible below, and it seemed to go around the building. I hated heights—f*cking hated them—but face your fears and all of that. With a deep breath, I sat on the window frame, my legs dangling outside. The ledge was far enough that I’d have to drop to reach it. This could go well or very, very badly—I’d either land on it or plummet to the hard dirt.

I inhaled and exhaled slowly, kicking my legs a bit, feeling the breeze on my face. I could do this. I wanted to know what Pace was hiding. With a lick across my dry lips, I counted off. “One, two, three.” I turned my body so I was facing the wall, and, with my hands on the ledge, slid down slowly until the edges of my boots touched the ledge. Next step—letting go of the windowsill. I released one hand, placing the ball of one foot on the ledge. I braced myself and dropped my other hand.

The world tilted as I nearly lost my balance and scrabbled at the stone, looking for a handhold that wasn’t there. With a yelp, I plastered myself to the wall, taking deep breaths until I was sure I wasn’t going to fall. Dare would have been able to leap down no problem, the alpha bastard. But I wasn’t quite that strong or agile.

I took a minute to get my breath, because I’d wasted enough time already, then I began to shuffle along the ledge. The sun had dropped, and I was grateful my room was on the building’s darkened east side. The last thing I needed was some nosy werewolf raising the alarm that I’d escaped.

When I eased around the corner, I spotted Pace right away. He was exiting a small hut that lay secluded along the back wall near the farms. Every other home-like structure in the compound had open windows, but this one was all boarded up. Something was in there. Something alive that he was feeding. What if they were hiding a Nowere? Some packs kept Noweres to study. And if one was in there, I wasn’t staying here another minute. F*ck this pack, I wasn’t about to be Nowere bait.

I had to see what was in that hut. I didn’t care if I got caught, either. What were these werewolves going to do to me? Kick me out? Fine, then.

Pace didn’t notice me, passing below at a fast clip. Once he was out of sight, I gauged the best way to get down. My gaze landed on a drain spout, brackets holding it to the building’s side. I eased over to it, and then, quick as I could, I shimmied down the spout, cringing when my weight threatened to rip it from the building. When I was about fifteen feet from the ground, I jumped down the rest of the way, landing as softly as I could.

In a crouch, I ran to the front door of the hut. It was locked, something barring entry from inside, so I found a window along the side with a loose board. Prying off the nails, I managed to create a space large enough for me to peek through. I wasn’t barging in there to get bitten by some pet Nowere.

Nothing was moving inside—all I saw was a dirt floor—and I pulled the wood back more to get a better view. Toward the back of the space, an oil lamp illuminated the foot of a bed with two feet hanging over the edge.

They weren’t moving.

 

About the Author

Megan Erickson is a USA Today bestselling author of romance that sizzles. Her books have a touch of nerd, a dash of humor, and always have a happily ever after. A former journalist, she switched to fiction when she decided she likes writing her own endings better.

She lives in Pennsylvania with her very own nerdy husband and two kids. Although rather fun-sized, she's been told she has a full-sized personality. When Megan isn't writing, she's either lounging with her two cats named after John Hughes characters or... thinking about writing.

Website: www.meganerickson.org

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qHcnD2

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeganErickson_

IG: https://www.instagram.com/meggiejoknows/

FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1440306062901719/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/authormeganerickson/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mrsmeggiejo/

Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie

SPOTLIGHT: Mature Content (Cyberlove Series, Book 4) by Megan Erickson & Santino Hassell

***NOTE: (Updated Mar 2018) Leaving the review not because of Santino but because of Megan. Also, I received an ARC for this so I am holding up my end of the bargain. This is no way a denial of those hurt by Santino and and I actually do want to give a shout out to all the brave souls who bared themselves and told their stories. May they find the healing they deserve.)

Mature Content

By Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell

Cyberlove Series

Book 4

My life plan is to be brutally honest all the way to the bank. Don't believe me? I run a popular YouTube channel called TrashyZane, and my claim to fame is oversharing about every aspect of my personal life. Sometimes while tipsy. Not everyone loves my style, but I have a long history of icing out people who can't handle me. I have no time for judgmental foolishness.

Except, apparently, when it comes to Beau Starr. His channel is the polar opposite of mine, and so is he. Wholesome, inspirational, and clean-cut. Everything about him should turn me off, but when we hook up following a confrontation at a convention, my world flips upside down. Not only does Beau Starr turn me on, he uses the exact combination of dirty talk and roughness needed to turn me out.

But we still hate each other. I think.

Amazon  | BN | kobo | iBooks | Indigo | Angus & Robertson Book World | Mandadori Store

REVIEW

RATING:

Not to make light of a medical condition, but I’m seriously experiencing word salad as far as my feelings are concerned for this one. While I love all the previous books, especially Luke and Dom's, there is something with this one that hit all the right buttons for me. Once I started this, my eyes just stayed glued to the pages so no matter how much I wanted to slow my reading down, I just couldn’t.

This is Beau and Zane’s, or Bane’s, story. If you’d read Hard Wired, you’d have met them. Beau is Jessie’s cousin who was really a good support for Jessie. Zane is another vlogger like Beau. They move in the same circle but approach their vlog very differently. Beau is all about positivity and Zane is all about playing it real. They don’t like each other, plain and simple. But underneath that dislike, there is a strong simmering attraction that neither one can explain. As the saying goes, love and hate are just 2 sides of the same coin.

One act to change the tide of things to come, one challenge to confirm what they already know, one move to amplify up the heat between them, one event to move their relationship forward, one wrong decision to unravel them all, and one epic grovel for a grand gesture. Love, love, love, love!!

Beau is full of surprises, I must say. I didn’t expect that side of him when I had my first glimpse of him. I love the subtlety in which Megtino reveals a different side to Beau. Zane, on the other hand, has a larger than life personality so to give that kind of contrast to his private life in a nuanced manner is quite absorbing to see. Goes without saying, Beau and Zane are like yin and yang; a nice balance to each other’s personality and complements to each other’s strength.

If you’re ambivalent about enemies-to-lovers trope, then I believe this will convert you. There is such a bite to their relationship, the banter is on point.  I thought it was clever to show the relationship evolving thru their texts. The humor opens up and the feels build up.

This online world that Megtino creates for us captures the time we're in now when people can become internet famous, when people can have more followers than the Hollywood types, when their lives are just on display as the A-list celebrities. It's insane on the one hand, but makes sense on the other given how technology has managed to equalize and shift power to those who know how to use it.

Anyhoot, getting off my soapbox, let me just say that Beau and Zane together just sizzled!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 This may be the hottest one so far, just sayin... It also has just the right amount of feels, from their moments of doubts to their resolve. I dare you not to be moved by Beau's words near the end, I just dare you!

And in similar fashion as its predecessors, you meet old characters who've become near and dear to the series' fans' hearts and new ones who definitely will pique your curiosity. 

Ok, Megtino, next, please!!!!!!!!!!

EXCERPT

My door burst open, and I sat up from my two-week-old couch divot. Had I locked the door after the pizza man had left days ago? When I heard Jesse’s and Ian’s voices, I thought I was hallucinating. Why were they in L.A.?

“You can’t just barge in,” Jesse said. “Knock.”

“He’s probably just in the bathroom looking at himself in the mirror and taking selfies.” That was Ian.

What was the date? I picked up my phone and swiped to my calendar. Oh f*ck, Jesse and Ian were in town scouting apartments. They said they’d drop by to see me and I was….

Jesse stopped so abruptly that Ian crashed into his back. They both stared down at me in horror.

“Beau has facial hair?” Ian clutched his boyfriend’s shoulders. “I honestly thought he had laser hair removal.”

“Seriously?” I said, at the same time Jesse rolled his eyes. “I can grow a beard if I want to. I just never want to, okay? It comes in patchy and it itches.”

“Huh.” Ian watched me suspiciously, like I was going to turn into a werewolf.

“I’m just having a bit of a lie-in,” I said.

Ian’s eyes got bigger. “A lie-in? What are you, British?”

Jesse, my dear cousin, looked downright concerned. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Nothing is wrong. Can’t a guy have some downtime?”

Jesse sat down next to me, wrinkling his nose and glancing down at my body. “Beau, downtime for you is like…drinks at the beach. This is—” He gestured at me. “I don’t know what this is. Did you remember we were stopping by?”

I picked up my phone and pretended to look at it. “I might have put it in my calendar wrong. Sorry about that. So, how is apartment hunting for you two lovebirds? Are you two okay in separate chairs here? Any separation anxiety?”

Jesse poked me with his elbow. “Apartment hunting is expensive.” He eyed Ian who’d curled himself up on a chair across from us, gaze on his phone. “But we can talk about that later. Do you want to shower? Change your pants?”

“Are you my mom?”

“Well, no, but I’m concerned!”

“And I’m fine,” I said through gritted teeth, annoyed with his questioning.

“Did you pre-record the last two weeks’ videos?” Ian asked bluntly.

“Yeah, I do that a lot when I travel.”

Ian raised his eyebrows, but I stared back at him in a challenge. Usually I lived for our banter, but today was not the day.

“Okay,” he said slowly. “Just curious, because you look like that. And Zane has been posting weird videos. And there’s some rumors you had some kind of intense convo at the bar at NerdCon.”

I froze. My mom mentioning our videos was no big deal. But actual rumors that we were talking? Shit. I wasn’t ready to explain my actions at the bar, or in the hotel room, with anyone. Not even Jesse. Especially considering how much shit I talked about Zane to him on a regular basis.

“We talked for a minute about the panel, but that was it.” I rolled my eyes and flopped back down on the couch, resting my feet on Jesse, who made a face. “People always want to make drama where there isn’t any. And is Zane posting weird videos out of the norm? He’s Zane.”

Ian eyeballed me suspiciously. “I guess,” he muttered before refocusing on his phone.

“Ian’s been worried about Zane,” Jesse said.

“Oh?” I was so good at pretending everything was okay.

“Yeah, his videos have been off for the last two weeks.”

“Huh. I’m sure he’ll let everyone know why soon or snap back in a little bit.”

“Maybe I’ll reach out to him,” Ian said.

“I’ll see him at Rainbow Ball next week,” I said, not knowing why I was speaking at all. “I’ll check in with him, tell him you asked about him.”

Ian gave me another of his analyzing stares. “Yeah, I’d like that. Tell him I’m thinking of him.”

“Sure,” I said.

It looked like he wanted to say more, but his phone rang. A smile spread over his face, and he jumped up. “Hey, I need to take this. This author wants to hire me for a big commission piece.”

I gestured down the hallway. “You can go into my bedroom if you want.”

“Cool, thanks.”

When Ian was out of the room, I glanced at Jesse and found him still studying me.

“You want to talk now that Ian is gone?” he asked knowingly.

I flicked the seam of my pillow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re being weird, and I’m not sure if it’s because of Zane or something else.”

“It’s not because of Zane. Well, some of it is, I guess.”

“Ah.” He grinned. “Does that mean there is a thing with Zane?”

I stood up and ran my hands through my hair, which had a life of its own due to the amount of grease in it. “Fine, yes. Okay? We f*cked at NerdCon. It was amazing, but we still hate each other, so it’s not happening again.”

Jesse’s eyes were huge. “I’m…not sure what to say right now?”

I wasn’t either. All our lives, I’d been the bossy one, the leader, and Jesse had been the follower. I was the ambitious one, the person with answers and advice. And now the shoe was on the other foot. Jesse had a career and a happy life, and I was a goddamn mess. But maybe I’d always been a mess. I was just excellent at covering it up with a smile.  

ABOUT SANTINO HASSELL:

 

 Santino Hassell was raised by a conservative family, but he was anything but traditional. He grew up to be a smart-mouthed, school cutting grunge kid, then a transient twenty-something, and eventually transformed into an unlikely romance author.

Santino writes queer romance that is heavily influenced by the gritty, urban landscape of New York City, his belief that human relationships are complex and flawed, and his own life experiences.

www.santinohassell.com

Santino@santinohassell.com

https://twitter.com/SantinoHassell

https://www.facebook.com/santinohassellbooks

https://www.goodreads.com/santino_hassell

amazon.com/author/santinohassell

ABOUT MEGAN ERICKSON

 

 Megan Erickson is a USA Today bestselling author of romance that sizzles. Her books have a touch of nerd, a dash of humor, and always have a happily ever after. A former journalist, she switched to fiction when she decided she likes writing her own endings better.

She lives in Pennsylvania with her very own nerdy husband and two kids. Although rather fun-sized, she's been told she has a full-sized personality. When Megan isn't writing, she's either lounging with her two cats named after John Hughes characters or... thinking about writing.
For more, visit meganerickson.org

Website: www.meganerickson.org

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2qHcnD2

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MeganErickson_

IG: https://www.instagram.com/meggiejoknows/
FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1440306062901719/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/authormeganerickson/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mrsmeggiejo/

Thanks for dropping by!

~Leftie