Three stories in one (including the beginning of Kresley Cole's 'Immortals After Dark' series).

(1) "Turning up the Heat" by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

4 stars.
An enjoyable romance story of an average woman winning a romance readers competition that leads her to meeting a bad-boy, ex-mafia hit man that is in hiding. I have only just recently started reading some of Kenyon's work and I truly love her writing style. i find her stories flow incredibly well and sucks you in straight away (no matter how far-fetched the story can be! hehe).

(2) "Hunter's Oath" by Jaid Black

2 stars.
I haven't read anything by Black before, and unfortunately I wasn't that impressed by this short story. I found that it just took too much effort to get into the story and to follow the characters on a truly unusual romance story of two very different worlds crossing over. I did enjoy the Viking society that Black constructed but felt that the story was lacking and just a bit too unbelievable. I would not completely cross Black off my 'Authors-to-follow' list, however I don't see myself chasing up any further books for a while.

(3) "The Warlord Wants Forever" by Kresley Cole

4 stars.
An very interesting and promising start to Cole's 'Immortals After Dark' series. Cole's creation of the Valkyrie coven in amongst the hidden and extensive Lore society has some series potential for the rest of the series. Each of the women are intriguing in their own way and you just know that they each have a fascinating history that the reader can just submerge themselves in. Cole has managed to create an entertaining and in-depth story that maintains a fine balance between drama/romance/humour/action/suspense... Worth a read (especially if you are wanting to read the rest of the series).

Three authors each with a spicy story to tell. I enjoyed all three. They were very creative. If you like these then you will love their novels.

Find this review and more on my blog The Rest Is Still Unwritten!

I feel that I must point out the only reason I bought this book was to read Kresley Cole's story within, The Warlord Wants Forever, although I am a massive Sherrilyn Kenyon fan, so I may one day finally read her story as well, perhaps even the story from Jaid Black that features in the book.

However, until then, this review is for The Warlord Wants Forever only and I have to say it was a really nice introduction into Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series, even though I have read other books in the series already. Perfectly paced and sensual, it may have been a novella, but it wasn't that short; meaning there was plenty of time to enjoy getting to know Myst and Nikolai Wroth as they got to know one another.

Myst was a really quirky female lead. She was ah...kinda crazy at times, but in a good way and I quite liked her. Nikolai was sexy as hell; a real warlord and together these two just oozed sex. The romance between them was swift, but not too much as to take away the entertainment factor as they struggled with thier differences.

Cole wrote the sex scenes incredibly hot--like fan yourself hot and I loved seeing Myst and Wroth lose themselves to each other. It was tantalizing. They're another great couple who compliment each other wonderfully.

All in all, a great little start to The Immortals After Dark series that I'm already halfway through and loving. Immortals After Dark fans will want to pick this book up to read about the first Valkayrie to fall for an enemy and begin the tradition!

I imagine that most readers, like me, pick up Playing Easy to Get for the purpose of reading The Warlord Wants Forever - the first story in Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series.

Well, do yourself a favour, and skip straight to that story, because the first two in this anthology, Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Turn up the Heat and Jaid Black’s Hunter’s Oath, probably aren’t worth your time – at least that was the case for me.


Turn up the Heat - Sherrilyn Kenyon
1.5 stars

Thankfully, I’ve read Sherrilyn Kenyon writing as Kinley MacGregor, so I know she can write stories that I enjoy. But I’ve got to say, this one would not inspire me to pick up any more of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s books. I understand the limitations and challenges of telling a satisfying short story, but I have seen it done soooo much better than this.

The writing itself was OK to a point, and I actually kind of liked the premise – a Hideaway Heroine Sweepstakes where you win the chance to become the heroine of your favourite romance novel. Cheesy, yes, but it had potential. Unfortunately, the execution bypassed mere cheesiness and headed straight to utter ridiculousness.

The heroine covered the stereotypes at both ends of the spectrum, starting off as a meek plain Jane, then out of nowhere, morphing into a kick-ass Lara Croft type. And the romance (and I use that term loosely), which also came completely out of nowhere, was completely unbelievable and unsatisfying. This one left me thinking WTF? Enough said.


Hunter’s Oath - Jaid Black
2 stars

This was my second book by Jaid Black, and I must give credit where credit is due – she has a fascinating imagination.

I believe this one is part of her Vikings Underground series, in which clans of Vikings live underground (natch) due to some crazy prophecy, and obtain (read: abduct) their wives from the surface before auctioning them off, naked, to the highest bidder.

Because the kidnapped heroine was not likely to be in the mood after such a traumatic experience, she was unknowingly given erotisk, otherwise known as Spanish Fly (an aphrodisiac), so that the author had an explanation and opportunity to include some hot and plentiful sex scenes.

Again, although the premise won’t be to everyone’s taste, the writing itself was OK. But then, with no warning whatsoever, the story just stopped, and an epilogue was provided with a HEA that came out of nowhere. Again, limitations in length should not be an excuse to stop writing and fast-forward unexpectedly to the end. This one also left me thinking WTF?


The Warlord Wants Forever - Kresley Cole
3.5 – 4 stars

My reason for getting this book was to start the much lauded Immortals After Dark series, with this novella being the first installment. Thankfully, it was longer than the two preceding stories in this anthology, and it showed.

We start with an explanation of the origin of the Valkyrie, one of the many paranormal beings in Cole’s world, which also includes vampires and ghouls. It was an interesting take on the paranormal, with different vampire lore than I have read before. Valkyries are also a first for me, and they made for quite entertaining, if at times conflicting, reading.

The Warlord Wants Forever is quite an interesting, almost brave start to a series, in that Nikolai Wroth, the hero, (a Forebearer, or turned vampire), and Myst, the heroine, (a valkyrie), were not initially particularly likeable characters, who both behaved quite abominably at times.

Myst, in particular, I found difficult to like until we learned more about her. To be fair to Myst, it seems that most, if not all Valkyries in Cole’s world have the potential to be irritating, but Myst in particular ran very hot and cold. That said, she was a fairly well-developed character given the length of the story.

I didn’t quite get the sense of knowing enough about Wroth, because he was so fixated on Myst (for reasons which are very well explained), and this was essentially the driving force behind his almost every action in the story. I must say, though, Wroth and Myst had some very hot scenes together in this enemies to lovers story.

I’ll definitely be continuing with the series. I think Cole has created an interesting world, and I’m looking forward to seeing what she will do with a full-length novel.

In the first story, Turn Up the Heat, I thought the plot was ridiculously far-fetched and the relationship was pretty cheesy. I realize in short stories there isn't a lot of time to build up either, but this stretched believability beyond the breaking point for me. That said, I still enjoyed it. I thought it was pretty humourous and the heroine, although annoying in the beginning, grew on me as the story went on.
The one thing that really bothered me about this story was that it started with a super hot love scene that turned out to be from the book Allison was reading but when it came time for Allison and Vince to have sex, I found it boring and anti-climactic. I was expecting something a little more exciting after that teaser. Oh well, at least Allison seemed to enjoy it! :D
I'd give this story 3 stars.

I had a hard time with almost all of Hunter's Oath, the setting, the characters, and their interactions; I don't think I liked anything about the story. I really don't like heroine's who fall for their captor - I know the hero wasn't directly responsible for her captivity, but it was still a turn off. Add to that the fact that he was 7 feet tall, girls being shaved, oiled, and paraded around naked to be sold like cattle was seen as an "honour" by their culture, and the heroine was slipped a drug (not by the hero at least) to get her after him like a cat in heat and I was more than a little disgusted. I just found it far too weird. This one was 1.5 stars and that generosity is due to the fact that at least it was unique.

As for the final story, The Warlord Wants Forever, I was pleasantly surprised by this. It wasn't a fantastic story but it was pretty good and was far better than A Hunger Like No Other, a book I really didn't like and that turned me off the series. As I said before, I hate kidnapped heroines and the whole Stockholm syndrome storyline but I also really didn't like the main characters. Although Emma grew a backbone as the story progressed, she was too annoying and whiny for me to like until the end of the book and Lachlain was just an ass. Although Myst and Wroth also annoyed me at times, overall I liked them and I thought their relationship and interactions were a huge improvement over Emma and Lachlain. I won't rush to read the next book in the series, but based on this one, I'll give it another chance. 3 stars.

5 stars because Kresley Cole knows how to write a story!
Minus 1 star because Kenyons story was so boring I couldn't keep reading
Minus 2 stars because Black wrote a story insulting to both women and Vikings

I have had this book since 2009. I hadn't had the chance to read it because I had so many other books I wanted to read plus I was in the midst of getting my blog off the ground. Recently I have been so consumed with trying to read all the books I had been given by some amazing authors that I haven't had time to stop and smell the roses so to speak. I had just finished reading an e-book for review on my PC, when out of the corner of my eye I spied Playing Easy To Get. I was tired of having to read e-books on my PC (my awesome e-reader is broken so I am stuck reading my e-books on my PC) and I just wanted to be able to hold a book in my hand and leave my room at the same time. That's when I thought I would take a teeny tiny break from my author requested reads and just read for the pure pleasure of it. Don't get me wrong I love the books I am asked to review but sometimes you just need a "for me" book. I am so glad I did because this book was AWESOME. I was able to sample three authors in one book. I have like 2 books from Sherrilyn Kenyon but haven't read them and I have never read anything by Jaid Black or Kresley Cole. This book, in my opinion, was a great introduction to their writing styles. Each novella gives you a glimpse into 3 amazing series, which I have in turn add to my to be read pile. You have Kresley Cole's Immortal's After Dark Series #1, Sherrilyn Kenyon's B.A.D. Series #1.5, and Jaid Black's Vikings Underground Series #3.

Sherrilyn Kenyon has her heroine into a particular romance novel and debating on whether to enter a dream of a lifetime sweepstakes while her hero is on the run from some shady guys hiding out and trying to maintain a low profile.

Jaid Black has her heroine grieving the loss of her brother and bemoaning her lonely life while her hero is an old school Viking who lives underground and follows some very ancient teachings of his people.

Kresley Cole has her heroine as a very scheming Valkyrie who will stop at nothing to punish any man who is deserving while her hero is a 300 or so year old Vampire who was made because he was a warrior but not really accepted because he was not born into the supernatural world.

Each story has something for everyone and the hot hook-ups are a nice added touch. The work with the story and are not just added to fill up space. On a scale from 1-10 I give Playing Hard To Get a great BIG 10. If you enjoy a good with characters you can enjoy and possible relate to then Playing Easy To Get is the book for you. Everyone 18+ should pick up a copy and enjoy where the stories take them.

Turn Up the Heat- Sherrilyn Kenyon
Vince Cappelleti and Allison George in B.A.D. but not part of the bureau when they meet. Vince is a super spicy hot hero that is trying to turn his life around and running from the bad guys to stay alive. Allison is living an everyday life and yearning for some excitement and adventure. Well she gets what she she wished for- a hot, steamy, ride of her life. Oh and the adventure too.

Hunter's Oath- Jaid Black
Lord Johen Stefsson is a viking that lives in New Sweden deep in the ground of the earths belly. Sofia lived on the earth's surface until she is kidnapped by the bride hunters to be a bride to one of the vikings. This is a very quick read, gets to the point quick, and does not have too much of a storyline. It is steamy and sweet.

The Warlord Wants Forever- Kresley Cole
Nickolai Wroth general of the forbearer vampire army finds Myst the Coveted locked up at Mt. Oblak Castle, Russia by Ivo the Cruel. Myst is a spicy, witty, unpredictable vixen that drives Nickolai crazy with need. She escapes his "mean" plans at the castle and is able to run from him for 5 long years. Nickolai is one hot, hot, sweet heart that will not rest until his bride is back in his arms. I will say he really tried to make it work with Myst but he kept misunderstanding and making assumptions about her that were not true. oh well, I would still like to eat him up- he is adorable.

So, this book has 3 novellas. even though I will rate each of them individually, overall, I think this was an excellent read which also gives a hint of what each of the writers write about.

Overall book: 5 stars. Super quick read, love the authors (one I didn’t know), you get quickly to the plot and the love and sex scenes are really engaging.

Turn up the heat: 4.5 stars. This is one of my favorite authors. The plot was super original and in fact I’m sure many of us have already dreamed about something like this. The only regret is that there were few intense love scenes. If this had been a little bit longer, it would be a perfect 10!

Hunter’s oath: 3 stars. I didn’t know this author. I am not quite convinced about the world this book describes, and also I didn’t like how the female protagonist was introduced in the story. Also, the plot developed very quickly without so much as interesting conflict. I would give the author a chance by reading some Of her books. I am very into Vikings so it may be worth the effort.

The warlord wants forever: 5 stars. Oh my. This is it. I knew this author and in fact was surprised to give this story 5 stars because there is usually something I find lacking in her books, but this novella was amazing! Spunky, the protagonists are awesome, I like how the introduce other characters which we will read in other books. Super sexy/sex scenes.

I got this book because I recently read book #1 of Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole ("A Hunger Like No Other") and I discovered that this book has the prequel to the series. Since I know that IAD is a PNR series, I expected all the stories in this collection to be paranormal, more so because I know Sherrilyn Kenyon is known for another famous PNR series, the Dark-Hunters. But! Kenyon's story wasn't paranormal!

It was contemporary -- but what is worse is, it was campy and silly and utterly lacking in romance. Kenyon's Dark-Hunters books have been in my TBR for awhile, but with this sample of her writing, I am contemplating whether to give all of the books away. I frequently rely on novellas in anthologies like this to give me an idea of the author's writing style and to get a feel of how they write dialogue and develop their plot & characters. That's how I discovered Larissa Ione and Lora Leigh. I was extremely disappointed with this lacklustre showing from Kenyon.

The story by Jaid Black was paranormal and slightly better... but just slightly. This tale of a woman snatched off the street to be auctioned in a secret world of Vikings held so much promise. But there's little connection between the two main characters except sex (she gets dosed with an aphrodisiac and is in a sexual frenzy for DAYS, which he of course is very happy to assist with). They never talk about anything important. He cherishes her because apparently Viking men are all predisposed to love the woman they buy as a wife. Uh-huh, you read that right. She decides to stay because he treats her so well and she has no family left in her world. Pffffft. Romance? What romance?

Then we come to Kresley Cole's story, which was the one I really wanted to read. Omg NON-CONSENT #@$*&! I didn't like what the two main characters did to each other. She leaves him to suffer for five years, so when he finds her again, he is determined to make her suffer, too. And then he discovers a way to magically control her actions. I HATED him for that. Granted, he has reasons but still--! That is not the kind of man I'd call a hero! And the first time they are intimate he takes her in anger, HURTING her and ... this is so not okay. She was not ready for him. Sure, Cole tries to make it okay by saying that Myst is such a warrior that she would never respect a man who could not best her, and that she *wanted* him to prove his dominance and defeat her. So apparently, to her it's practically necessary that the man be able to take what he wants even though she might not want to give it to him. But it still left a bad taste in my mouth. And he is so freaking insecure for a badass warrior. He doesn't share his thoughts with her. He assumes the worst about her and judges her. He is such a HORRIBLE hero. It made me sad

So the Sherrilyn Kenyon story Turn up the Heat? Not bad, Allison George wins a competition to live out a fantasy on an island and finds herself attracted to a man who on paper is the wrong man for her but makes her heart beat a bit faster. I loved Allison, determined, strong, but willing to concede when she needs help. I laughed a few times during it, I'd probably score this one 3.5 stars.

However I'm not sure why it is bundled in with the other two. And the other two are forced seduction stories. The Jaid Black story, Hunter's Oath, made me think of John Norman's Gor stories. Woman kidnapped and sold on a block, naked, and also add in some sort of drug that makes her crave sex? That's sexy? That she comes to terms with her incarceration and "love" her owner? That's not love that's plain survival stuff. Not pushing my erotic buttons here, out of the framing story the sex would probably be erotic, inside it, no. It scores 2/5

And then Kresley Cole adds The Warlord wants forever. Now what Myst did to Wroth wasn't good. Leaving him with a boner for five years, ouch. However, what he did was, in my book, unforgivable. Using her necklace to make her like sex with him? Overriding her wants? Threatening her with making her forget her family, her impulses, her own self in order to make her over to be the pliant sex toy he wants? I'm sorry, no, not sexy, not titilating, not attractive in the slightest. I've read a few of the stories in this series and this is making me want to stop. I have things that I really don't like in books and forced seduction is a no-no. To resolve this story he would need to do a lot more grovelling for me, honestly, I would have let him burn up in the sun, if I had been Myst. 1/5

This anthology features 3 authors whom I've previously really enjoyed. Unfortunately only one of the stories really stands out for me. Fortunately that story is so good that it was ABSOLUTELY worth the purchase price!! I loved Kresley Cole's The Warlord Wants Forever. Makes me immediately want to re-read other novels by her that I own and shop for more. Definately keeping this book on my shelf for that story!!