Tag: #gargoyles

Feature Post and Book Review: Mated to the Gargoyle: Mated to the Monster by Lisa Carlisle

Book Description

When the statue awakens…

I love working in a private university library with its special collection of antiquarian books and works of art. My favorite sculpture is one of the massive gargoyle statues, one that’s perched near my desk. Visitors often remark how lifelike it is, and I’ll tease, “Maybe it is.”

A frantic woman asks me to hide a book, one that’s fascinating with intricate details on the cover and spells inside. When I shelve it after hours, I hear movement in the library.

Has someone broken in?

What I discover is far more shocking…

Mated to the Gargoyle is a fated mates, protector romance.

This book is part of the Mated to the Monster multi-author monster romance series. All books can be read as standalones.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205447013-mated-to-the-gargoyle?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=Gfk1xQlI9D&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

MATED TO THE GARGOYLE: Mated to the Monster by Lisa Carlisle is a steamy and fast paced gargoyle paranormal romance in the Mated to the Monster series. All the books in this series can be read as standalones, but this book will be followed by a book featuring two secondary characters from this story.

Anya is a librarian in a university library in Montreal. What she does not know is that it holds many magical secrets. She enjoys reading in the library after hours and talking to the stone gargoyle by her desk. While getting ready to close for the night, Anya finds a woman trying to unlock the door to the special collections room. When confronted she shoves an old book into Anya hands, tells her not to give it to him, and runs from the library.

When two men break in and attack Anya, demanding the book, she is rescued by the stone gargoyle when it comes to life. Hugo has been infatuated with Anya even though he and the other gargoyles have been tasked with watching over the library. She is terrified and runs towards her apartment, but Hugo must still follow her even if she does not accept him, which he is afraid may never happen.

Anya becomes more curious than afraid and learns about Hugo and the gargoyles and uncovers secrets in the ancient book and enchanted room Hugo shows her. They will need everything Anya can learn to fight the evil that has been trying to find her for years.

I enjoy all of Ms. Carlisle’s gargoyle stories and was happy to read this new one. Like the others, this is a quick read with protective gargoyles and a heroine who discovers they exist and is a destined mate for one. The romance plotline between Anya and Hugo was quick and very steamy with explicit sex in this story, but it is not gratuitous or forced. All these paranormal romances end with a HEA, but this one also has a surprise twist at the end that has me anxiously waiting for the next book, Fated to the Gargoyle, due out in October.

I enjoy reading these steamy paranormal romances for a fun change of pace and Ms. Carlisle always delivers.

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About the Author

Lisa Carlisle is a USA Today Bestselling author of paranormal romance and suspense. She loves to write about wounded, cursed, or misunderstood heroes finding their happily ever afters. They may be shifters, vampires, witches, gargoyles, or even military, first responders, and rockstars! She especially loves stories with fated mates and forbidden love, second chances, and enemies-to-lovers romance.

Her travels have provided her with inspiration for various settings in her novels. She deployed to Okinawa, Japan, while in the Marines, backpacked alone through Europe, lived in Paris, and now lives in New England with her husband, two kids, two crazy cats, and too many fish.

Become a VIP reader and receive free bonus reads! >> http://www.lisacarlislebooks.com/subscribe/

Social Media Links

Website: https://lisacarlislebooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisacarlisleauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisacarlislebooks/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lisa-carlisle

Purchase Links

Universal link

https://books2read.com/matedgargoyle

BookBub

https://www.bookbub.com/books/mated-to-the-gargoyle-mated-to-the-monster-by-lisa-carlisle

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/205447013-mated-to-the-gargoyle

Feature Post and Book Review: Protected by the Gargoyle by Lisa Carlisle

Book Description

Demons are out there.

Don’t ask Janie how she knows. She wants to forget what they did to her and move on.

But when her witch friend has a premonition about a demon in Boston, Janie is forced to confront her fears. She seeks the help of her gorgeous friend and gargoyle shifter, Arto.

Little does she know that Arto considers her his fated mate. He’ll do anything to protect her, even if it means keeping his love a secret.

Janie wants to learn more about demons, so he shows her some books in the library. She reads an ancient script in a powerful old book and unwittingly summons an incubus.

The very tool Arto provided to help her instead brings her nightmares to life.

Now they must work together to stop a predator on the hunt while their relationship is tested by a growing attraction.

Demons have captured Janie before. Can she avoid their clutches this time?

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/122494858-protected-by-the-gargoyle?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=m4cLCq4W0z&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

PROTECTED BY THE GARGOYLE (Boston Stone Sentries Book $4) by Lisa Carlisle is another exciting trip into the paranormal romance world of gargoyles, witches and demons set in present-day Boston. Even though we met Janie and Arto in previous stories, this is their HEA romance story. While people and paranormal creatures in the series are explained so that this book can be read as a standalone, I feel you would enjoy it more if you read the entire series in order.

Janie is still working to heal her leg injuries from the Boston Marathon bombing and working to restore her sense of safety after being abducted and marked by a demon. Her best friend, Larissa has a premonition about a demon loose in Boston and Janie is terrified. She reaches out to her gargoyle friend, Arto to assist her in protecting herself.

 Arto is more than willing to help Janie because he believes she is his fated mate. As they go through old magical tomes, Janie accidentally summons a demon. Now a demon is in Boston trying to abduct Janie once again. Janie and Arto work together to get rid of the demon and as they do their friendship ignites into much more.

Will Arto be able to protect Janie, banish the demon, and prove to her they are truly mates?

I enjoyed this addition to the Boston Stone Sentries series. I have been waiting for Janie and Arto’s romance and this story did not disappoint. There is plenty of sexual frustration and amusing internal dialogue on both sides as they move from the friend zone into a relationship. It is fun for me when I return to a paranormal world and the characters are evolving and growing. Besides the steamy romance, this story also has action and suspense woven throughout. All the books in this series are entertaining and fast paranormal reads with captivating characters.

I recommend this addition to the Boston Stone Sentries series.

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About the Author

Lisa Carlisle is a USA Today Bestselling author of paranormal romance and suspense. She loves to write about wounded, cursed, or misunderstood heroes finding their happily ever afters. They may be shifters, vampires, witches, gargoyles, or even military, first responders, and rockstars! She especially loves stories with fated mates and forbidden love, second chances, and enemies-to-lovers romance.

Her travels have provided her with inspiration for various settings in her novels. She deployed to Okinawa, Japan, while in the Marines, backpacked alone through Europe, lived in Paris, and now lives in New England with her husband, two kids, two crazy cats, and too many fish.

Become a VIP reader and receive free bonus reads! >> http://www.lisacarlislebooks.com/subscribe/

Social Media Links

Website: https://lisacarlislebooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisacarlisleauthor

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lisa-carlisle

Book Review: Captivated by a Gargoyle by Lisa Carlisle

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

CAPTIVATED BY THE GARGOYLE (Boston Stone Sentries Book #3) by Lisa Carlisle is the next in a series of paranormal romances following Larissa and Roman. Although this is the third book, I believe you receive enough backstory and can pick-up the storyline and romance quickly enough to read this as a standalone.

Larissa Riley is still on suspension from the Boston P.D. at the start of this book. She discovered that she is a witch and she is the best hope to save her friend from an incubus demon king. She has not been trained and her belief in her power is spotty, but Roman believes in her and her power.

Roman is a gargoyle shifter and Commander of the Boston Stone Sentries. He knows Larissa is a powerful witch, even though she still has doubts and he knows she is his life-mate. When Larissa’s best- friend, Janie is kidnapped by the demon, Roman will follow Larissa through the portal into the demon realm to save her.

I enjoyed this addition to the series. Roman and Larissa are put through their paces in this action packed plot and their romance gets back on track. The sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous. I enjoyed how Larissa matured and grew into her powers and emotions in this finale. I also enjoyed the other gargoyle sentries becoming more three dimensional and integrated into the plot as characters and not just placeholders. This novella wraps up Roman and Larissa’s story well and hopefully Ms. Carlisle will follow more of the gargoyle shifters into the future.

Book Review: Enticed by the Gargoyle by Lisa Carlisle

RATING: 3 out of 5 Stars

ENTICED BY THE GARGOYLE (Boston Stone Sentries #2) by Lisa Carlisle is a paranormal romance/urban fantasy. This is the second book in the trilogy and has more worldbuilding and action and less romance than the first novella.

Larissa Riley has been placed on leave from the Boston police force after the demon attack. Larissa and the police are trying to understand what happened, especially when Larissa had light beams coming from her hands to chase the demons back into the portal.

Roman, a gargoyle shifter, is Larissa’s lover and her mate. Roman believes Larissa is a witch, but Larissa is having a hard time understanding how that is possible. When she confronts her father and then her grandmother, the truth of her heritage is revealed. Larissa has had her life beliefs turned upside down and now must start to work to bring her powers under control.

Larissa has another vision of a demon threat. Roman and his gargoyle sentries have spotted demons on this side of the portal. The demon threat continues and they are coming for Larissa and those she loves. Can Roman protect the woman who is his mate and the world against demons as Larissa learns her magical powers and what being a gargoyle’s mate entails?

This second book in the trilogy has more emphasis on Larissa discovering her witch heritage and action with Roman and his fellow gargoyles finding demons on this side of the portal who escaped the closing. The action plot and worldbuilding continue on at a good pace. My problem with this book in the trilogy was Larrisa and Roman’s romance. This went from a hot gargoyle meets mate with great sex in book one to emotions and actions that were very immature on Larissa’s part in this book. I really had a hard time believing these two were “mates” in this book. I am a big fan of Ms. Carlisle’s smoking hot relationships, but I feel this book did not live up to the promise of the first in the romance story line.

That said, I am looking forward to the last book in this trilogy to see how the author reconciles the demon threat and hopefully gets Larissa and Roman’s romance back to the level I expect from this author.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.

Book Review: Blaze by Lisa Carlisle

RATING 5 out of 5 Stars

BLAZE: A GARGOYLE SHIFTER ROCKSTAR ROMANCE (Underground Encounters #6) by Lisa Carlisle is another great addition to the paranormal romance series based around VAMPS nightclub. These books are all romances, all have paranormal creatures and can be read as standalones, but they are also intertwined and building a unique world with crossover characters.

Mike is the lead guitarist of the Velvet Cocks. Outrageous rock star by night and computer geek by day, Mike has taken full advantage of the girls who want to sleep with him for one night stands, never more. One night in VAMPS, he runs across a scene that has the head gargoyle/bouncer telling him to take a pretty blonde out of there and protect her. When he takes the girl out of there, she seems familiar, but he cannot remember her name.

Allana “Ally” is humiliated and mad. Mike was her fantasy one night stand several months ago and here she is with him again and he does not even remember her name. Mike’s personal quirk though is he does not remember any names, but he remembers everything else about Allana. They both feel an attraction and agree to see each other again, but to keep it casual.

Allana has a past that no one knows about and she is not willing to risk her heart on a man who does not know how to be in a relationship. Mike cannot seem to stop thinking about only Allana and wants to spend every minute with her. He has an overwhelming urge to protect her, which leads to a discovery of his heritage that he knows nothing about.

This series is one of my guilty pleasures. I always know I am going to get an entertaining paranormal story with great characters and plenty of steaming hot sex scenes. Allana and Mike, even with the paranormal twists are portrayed with emotions that anyone can relate to. The romance, plot and paranormal and/or human characters all pull you right into the story. Ms. Carlisle’s worldbuilding has witches, vampires, gargoyles and shifters that make me want to meet them all at VAMPS.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.

Book Review: Heat by Lisa Carlisle

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

HEAT (Underground Encounters Book 5) by Lisa Carlisle is a fast paced novella that returns the reader to the hot and steamy paranormal romance world of VAMPS. All types of paranormal creatures are drawn to VAMPS and this novella features a gorgeous gargoyle shifter.

Tracy is a bartender at VAMPS who has overcome an abusive relationship. She has taken out an order of protection, taken self-defense classes and now focuses her personal life on attending college and spending time with her little brother when not working at VAMPS. Through all her troubles, Tracy has confided everything to the gargoyle statue by the bar. She does not know why she is drawn to the statue, but she considers it an old friend.

Danton is a powerful gargoyle shifter who transforms into human form to protect people in danger, but especially Tracy. He anxiously awaits her shifts at the club and yearns for her as a man. When Tracy’s ex shows up drunk and attacks her, Danton comes to life. Due to a curse, he only has twenty four hours in his human form to convince Tracy to spend the time with him and possibly more?

This novella has Tracy and Danton instantly attracted and having sex. There is a twenty four hour time limit and it is a novella, so it calls for a quick hook-up, but based on Tracy’s past with abuse, I felt very uncomfortable with her decision. The author does take you through Tracy’s thought process and explains her feelings, but I feel it would have made a better novel length story with the topic of abuse. Tracy and Danton are well written for the shortness of the story and I really did like them. As always in this series, Ms. Carlisle’s sex scenes are smokin’ hot and steamy and a new paranormal lover appears in each with interesting world-building and backstory.

I will be looking forward to more stories coming out of VAMPS and the Underground Encounter series.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.