4 stars – Romantic Suspense/Paranormal Romance/Erotica Anthology

I tried to read the Black story, but it couldn't hold my interest and I had a hard time buying into the premise.

Then I moved on to the Cole story and it was the same thing.

In the end this one just wasn't for me.

Playing Easy To Get is an erotic romance anthology that I wanted to read for the story by Kresley Cole which is part of her Immortals After Dark series. I've heard a lot of good things about Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series for so was also looking forward to trying her B.A.D series. I've not read anything by Jaid Black before either so this was a good way to try a couple of new to me authors. Overall I'd say this book is worth reading for the stories by Kresley Cole and Sherrilyn Kenyon but I wasn't that keen on Jaid Black story. I'd recommend this if you're a fan of any of the authors included in the anthology or if you'd like to try out any of these series or authors. I'm giving this 4 stars based on the Cole & Kenyon stories.

Turn Up the Heat - Sherrilyn Kenyon 4/5 Stars
This is the first story I've read in Sherrilyn Kenyon's BAD series and I thought it was an enjoyable story. When Vince and Allison meet the attraction is instant and things build very quickly between them but you have to expect that in a romance novella when there isn't much time to build a relationship slowly. I liked both of the main characters and thought they complimented each other well. I will definitely be checking out more books in this series as I'm very curious to find out more about the Bureau of American Defense and the men and women who work for them.

Hunter's Oath - Jaid Black 2/5 Stars
This was my least favorite story in the anthology - I just didn't like the way the heroine Sofia is kidnapped and then sold as a Bride in a a secret underground Viking world she was taken to. The "Brides" are basically given no choice in the matter and might as well be being sold into slavery. Force fed an aphrodisiac before the auction she has no choice but to consumate her new marriage unless she wants to be in unbearable pain. I found the whole thing completely unbelievable and it just wasn't my kind of story. I don't think I'll be reading any more of this series.

The Warlord Wants Forever - Kresley Cole 4/5 Stars
This story was the main reason I wanted to read the anthology as I've already read the next 3 books in the Immortals After Dark series and it was my favorite story in the book. I have to confess that I wasn't that keen on Myst at the start of the story but she did grow on me as I got to know her better and I really liked Wroth from the beginning. This is a great introduction to the series if you haven't started reading it yet and it's a series I would definitely recommend to paranormal romance fans.

I expected a little more from this anthology since the blurbs promised a bang that the stories just didn't deliver.
Sherrilyn Kenyon's contribution was typical SK. A goody-two-shoes heroine with no life whatsoever that needs just the right guy to unleash the temptress that's lurking just beneath her holier-than-thou facade. A tall, dark, and dangerous hero with a shady past and a murderous "family" bossman on his tight ass, that just happens to have a penchant for the Dairy Maid thing the heroine has going on.
The premise was promising, but the acting-out-a-book scenario and the slowness of the pace ruined it for me. Luckily Joe Public, BAD leader, made a small appearance in the end, bringing a much needed ray of sunshine in this rather boring story.

I'm growing rather tired of  Jaid Black's Viking stories. There's nothing interesting about a bunch of Vikings buried underground because of a crazy prophecy. They might appear interesting for a while, though the softness-of-heart could be toned down a bit - getting old and boring, but whenever I start enjoying the story, bam, there goes the mention of them living underground because of a crazy prophecy, and my interest withers and dies a slow and agonizing death.
This one was no exception...And it was too short to even make it believable (despite the living underground because of a crazy prophecy).

I'm not sure about  Kresley Cole's novella. One moment I liked it, than something the hero or heroine (or both) did got me disliking it with a passion. I just couldn't relate to neither of them, not fully. They were quite perfect fiction characters, both with major flaws, both with huge chips on their shoulders, so reading about them and their journey should've been quite a ride, yet I just couldn't go past the fact she was a psychotic nutcase and him a jealousy-prone, possessive jerk. But that's just me.
The sneak peek for Ms. Cole's next novel, the first full installment in the Immortals After Dark series was quite promising, so I'm truly hoping for the best.

This is an three story book, which I've overall enjoyed reading. I will tell what I think about each:

B.A.D Series 1.5 by Sherrilyn Kenyon
This is another story where a woman found an opportunity to live her life as a favorite heroine, and eventually gets it in reality. The guy is an assassin who wants to start a new life, but eventually hunted by his previous employees.

One thing I will comment is that somehow the story is inconsistent in some of the details. I don't know if it's just me or the story lacks editing. Anyway, it is a refreshing story that remains hot without it being oversexed in some way. The action scenes are nice. And this story entices me to read the other story of the characters that are mentioned.

Vikings Underground 3 by Jaid Black
It is a same plot as the other, where Vikings kidnap women to be auctioned. Anyway, this is a sweet story that focuses on Sophia's adjustment to the viking society. The scenes describes Johen as only human who have emotions and can be vulnerable at times. Overall, this is a nice, somehow light read for me.

Immortals After Dark 1 by Kresley Cole
This is about Myst,a Valkyrie who is "captured" by the enemy and "saved" by Nikolai, a vampire.

Valkyries are a new thing for me, which is refreshing. Myst is too crazy for me to consider a typical heroine. Nikolai's heroic deed at the end is too sweet. The story is interesting, opens up a bunch of characters worth reading about. Overall, this is an appetizer for the whole series, which I will start reading.

I swear I've read this, and I can't find anything to show for it! How frustrating!
I even remember the Jaid Black story. This is why I write reviews, it's so I can remember later on what I liked/disliked about a story, and I'm so mad at myself I didn't write one for this.

argh!

FWIW, I loved The Warlord Wants Forever, and didn't care for the other 2 stories.

My ratings for the three separate stories are:
☆☆☆ for Turn Up the Heat by Sherrilyn Kenyon
☆☆☆☆ for Hunter's Oath by Jaid Black
☆☆☆☆☆ for The Warlord Wants Forever by Kresley Cole

I bought this book specifically for the Cole story, as it is technically #1 in the series and I've already read #2 & 3 - and god it was good! Very hot and steamy, and very well written, it's obvious she wrote it at the same time as book #2 because at the end there they overlap.

Hunter's Oath was really good too, and sweet. I really liked Joren - he was such a perfect balance of strong and powerful masculinity and gentle tender caring lover. Not as easy to pull off as you'd think.

Kenyon's story was the weakest. It started off well but quickly turned into a gun fight - literally. The characterisation was good but it was very short and simple. Not a bad thing, because I was so keen to just skip ahead to get to Cole's story.

The first story is the shortest, the last one the longest. The first story is the weakest, the last the strongest. And if you're not eager to read more of the Immortals After Dark series after reading The Warlord Wants Forever, I'd be very surprised.

[Edit: my cute little stars won't show up unless you're on a Mac, sorry! but you get the idea...]

Absolutely loved the Kresley Cole - Immortals After Dark story in this book, wasnt overly fussed on the other 2 stories.

Different ideas and characters to follow in interesting adventures.

Some of the stories are okay, but the vampire one took some getting used to. Vampires are such a bore.

The first two stories were really just 2 stars. The last one was closer to 4. So I settled on 3 stars!

I loved this book it has three wonderful stories by different talented authors. I must admit I primarily bought this book for the warlord wants forever the beginning novella of the amazing immortals after dark series by the talented storyteller Kresley Cole. (Book 0.5 the immortals after dark series) the story focuses on Myst one of the beautiful but deadly Valkyries and Nikolai Wroth a vampire. I loved this book dark sexy supernatural series a definite must read . The story focuses on Myst one of the beautiful but deadly Valkyries and Nikolai Wroth a vampire.






In the warlord wants forever tells the tale of the origin of the Valkyrie a female warrior lay dying her screams awaken two sleeping gods Freya and Woden who bestow her powers of lightening and make her immortal she gives birth to a daughter years later and a furie too is saved by the gods and gifted the power and became the Valkyrie. Myst a Valkyrie a prisoner of a vampire lord Ivo. In his castle dungeon through her cell window watches as he fights off an attack with other vampires including the warlord Nikolai Wroth. Ivo flees after destroying the documents the other vampires are seeking on the lore. Myst and Nikolai meet they’re attracted to each other but he knows shes forbidden to him because she not his bride only his bride can make him blooded making him powerful as the other blooded vamps only his bride can make his undead body and heart react despite in his mind being attracted to her. Kristoff his vampire king who found him and his brother dying in the battlefield gave him his blood and when he died three days risen as a vampire. Kristoff orders him to get information out of her through interrogation, but after her lying trustingly up against him while she slept in his arms struggles to follow that order. After being returned to the cell tries to question her, he sees the real her and realises she’s his bride, they start to get hot and heavy but is interrupted by two sisters of Myst Lucia and Regan. Myst punished him by leaving him in an aroused state knowing only she can give him the reprieve he seeks. He vows he will find her, five years later and thanks to the tiny drop of blood through the kiss they shared he learns all about her, she’s a Valkyrie, her sisters all the men she’s seduced which haunts him, he sees her blood memories which is why alot of vampires that feed on the living go insane because all the blood memories, he sees Annika bringing a hybrid child half vampire and half Valkyrie named Emmaline, they take her to New Orleans to keep her safe. He goes hunting for his bride with the help of his brother Murdoch because he’s become weak and gaunt in the last five years. He finds her in Louisiana despite his anger at her won’t rape her instead rubs himself up against to get off and release. He embraces her afterwards, but she tries to escape and he breaks the golden chain around her waist and learns it has absolute Control over her, still he won’t rape her, but he does have some fun with her, he locks it away in a safe and learns that her family gave it to her as punishment. He takes her to get her things, before finally claiming her completely including biting her which she enjoyed. They agree to make a vow that they will each other two weeks to get to know each other and to win her affections freely and give back the chain to her. They grow a lot closer and fall in love with each other however thanks to the blood memories he doesn’t talk to her about her memories of her seducing mates and killing them, after the two weeks unknown to him she’s chosen to stay with him but breaks her heart by breaking his promise to return the chain, telling her he’s going to change her to be better by making her forget everything about her but before he can he’s interrupted by his brother Murdoch being wounded going to see him. Myst takes the opportunity to begin clawing through the safe to get the chain and escape, Murdoch gives Nikolai a lecture on how wrong it is to take her Will away and try to change her, allowing his fears to hurt her like that, he heads back and sleeps allowing all the memories to come forth and realises she and her sisters only targeted evil men hurting women and goes to apologise to her and beg for forgiveness For how badly he’s wronged her by threatening to torture her, kept her against her will and then threaten to make her forget everything about herself by Myst is already gone leaving a bloody trail where the safe was once. He feels terrible for what he’s done, he watches and waits to get a moment to talk to her, but for days she’s in her protected home. Until she goes hunting with her sisters, he tries to explain and apologise while they’re in battle but she tells him too late, but things change when Ivo turns up with humans turned demons and is held hostage while Nikolai is given a choice his life for her freedom or her death he chooses to sacrifice himself to protect her, he tells her he loves her while burning in the sun, Myst furious that she’s going to lose the only man she loves falls on her power of lightening and destroys them all except Ivo who escapes, her sisters help her get him safely back to their place. He wakes up five days later and he and Myst make up while listening to the chaos going on in the house a male howling a lykae who has kidnapped Emmaline, taken her too Scotland and saying she’s his werewolf queen, so they had kidnapped his brother as leverage he learns that Ivo has been after her. They’ve sent out a part to go bring her back to their safe home. Myst and Nikolai promise each other eternity.