Tag: #lisacarlisle

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.

Book Review: Burn by Lisa Carlisle

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

BURN (Underground Encounters Book 4) by Lisa Carlisle is another sizzling addition to the VAMPS paranormal romance series. When you sit down to read about Devon and Layla, clear your schedule because you are going to want read this one from start to finish.

Layla flees London for her immortal life. She has been framed for a theft from a master vampire, who does not believe in her innocence. She returns to America and reinvents herself as “Angelica”, the new lead singer for an 80’s heavy metal cover band.

Devon St. Clair has a reputation as one of the best bounty hunters for hire. Ruthless and relentless, he always gets his man or woman. Aided by his years in Royal Special Forces, he is also a shifter. He can shift into any animal form and every one of them hates vampires. When he catches up to Layla at VAMPS, he is entranced by her and her voice, but he cannot let that get in the way of his job, can he?

This series just keeps pulling me in and I have to say that I especially loved Layla and Devon! Layla is petite and yet mighty, in character and physical strength. Devon is all hot, tough shifter and yet has softer, vulnerable moments that appear for Layla. The sex scenes are smokin’ hot and steaming. The plot is not unique, but Ms. Carlisle puts some interesting twists into this world of paranormal creatures that makes them unique. This book can easily be read as a standalone in this series, but I bet if you love paranormal romances as I do, you will want to read them all.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.

Book Review: Ignite by Lisa Carlisle

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

IGNITE (Underground Encounters Book 3) by Lisa Carlisle is now my favorite of this series!

Vamps underground nightclub is the epicenter of each book in this paranormal romance series that are all easily read as standalone stories. Ms. Carlisle’s world of vampires, shifters, witches and gargoyles just keeps getting better and better.

Book 3 has Lily Everett celebrating a promotion with her friend at Vamps. Lily works hard at her job, works out hard at the gym and is an avid reader who has occasional sex with no commitments. Lily’s night out is interrupted by The Velvet Cocks lead singer and she is not thrilled until she hears him sing. He has a sensual voice that captivates her. Lily is interested, but very guarded and a loner because she has a furry secret that she never shares.

Nico Bedrosian aka Leggy Bones is a rock star by night and a computer geek by day. He is intrigued by the golden eyed beauty who does not seemed interested in him. He gets Lily to let him in enough to be a friend with benefits and those benefits are extremely hot!

Real feelings begin to grow on both sides, but Lily refuses to share why they can never be together. Nico wants to break down Lily’s walls and find out why she is so afraid to commit, but can he really handle the truth?

Lily and Nico are both well fleshed out characters that have many layers to their personalities that make them unique. You can feel for Lily having to grow up with her secret and being too afraid to share. Nico is just perfect with his rock star looks and voice, literary knowledge, geekiness and English accent. These two have explicit, steamy, smokin’ hot sex scenes throughout the story, but they are well placed and realistic to the building relationship.

Ms. Carlisle has built an intriguing paranormal world around Vamps and each book has increased my interest and love of the series. I cannot wait to see who will be introduced next!

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.

Book Review: Fire by Lisa Carlisle

RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars

FIRE (Underground Encounters Book 2) by Lisa Carlisle is HOT!

I am very glad I continued on in this paranormal romance series, even though the first novella in the series had a few problems for me. This story begins a year after the fire at Vamps and follows Maya. It can easily be read as a standalone, even though it does bring characters from the first novella back.

Maya Winters is missing her best friend and decides Halloween is the perfect time to return to Vamps and blow off some steam dancing after a long shift working as a firefighter. As she is dancing away to her favorite tunes, she suddenly feels eyes on her. When she sees the tall, dark and brooding bad boy staring at her she feels an instant attraction.

Tristan Stone is the new, mysterious owner of the rebuilt Vamps. Tristan is from a long line of Salem witches. He stays away from people due to what he considers his curse, because he has only ever been able to see darkness around people and it drains him. When he comes up from his underground lab beneath the club one day to check on things, he immediately spots a woman dancing because of the brilliant light surrounding her. This has never happened before and he has to find out why she is different.

Maya and Tristan combust when they are together. The two opposites are light to dark and outgoing to cautious. Tristan thinks Maya may be the answer to his curse, but he has never told anyone about it outside of his family. Maya is harboring a secret of her own that she has never shared. The sex is hot, but can a relationship with secrets last?

Maya and Tristan are main characters that are perfect together. Ms. Carlisle has given these characters depth that is as fun and entertaining as it is serious. The sex scenes bring the fire and heat. With the return of Nike and Michel, I cannot wait to see what happens next in this series!

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.com.

Book Review: Smolder by Lisa Carlisle

RATING: 3 out of 5 Stars

SMOLDER by Lisa Carlisle is the revised novella start to her Underground Encounters paranormal romance series which was originally released in 2012 as Smoldering Nights. I love Ms. Carlisle’s various series, but this novella still lacks the depth of character and originality I look for in her books.

Nike is a firefighter who loves to let off steam with her best friend, Maya on the dance floor of Vamps, the local goth night club. On one of their nights at the club, she sees the man she has a crush on from her rock climbing gym. He has a French accent, a gorgeous body and beautiful eyes. She cannot believe her luck when Michel asks her up to accompany him to a private room upstairs, but she is about to get an education in other creatures that coexist with mortals.

Michel is a nightwalker. He does not know what draws him to Nike at the club or the gym and he knows he should not get involved with a mortal, but he finds her irresistible. When he gets Nike to agree to accompany up to the private rooms, they are attacked by an old enemy right when things begin to get interesting.

Michel and Nike go on the run. The attraction is too much to resist and they begin to explore their sexual attraction and also begin to wonder if it could become more. Can they have a future or will Michel’s enemy find them once again and destroy them both?

This novella was a very quick read and a good introduction to the Underground Encounters series. Nike is a strong heroine who can stand on her own which I loved. Michel is sexy and a dream, even with the fangs. There just was not enough depth to the characters due to the shortness of the story, it was very predictable and it ended abruptly. If you have not started this series, it is a fun intro and the sex scenes are steamy, hot and well written.

Written for and posted first on The Romance Reviews.com.