Fire and Frost by Carolyn Crane, Jessica Sims, Jill Myles, Meljean Brook Series: iron seas, code of shadows
Published by Self Pub on May 25, 2013
Genres: PNR, Steampunk, Victorian Romance
Format: eBook
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From the authors who brought you Wild & Steamy come three all-new tales of lovers who create their own heat, even when they’re surrounded by ice…
Speed Mating by Jessica Sims – Estrella may be going into heat, but she’s determined to remain in control. Just because she’s ovulating doesn’t mean she has to settle for just any man (or his beast). Her sexy alpha’s determined to find her a tiger to take care of her heat and father her child…but no one seems to look quite as good as the man in charge. Will giving in to her need for her alpha ruin her tenuous relationship with her clan or be a match made in heaven?
Conjuring Max by Carolyn Crane – The witches of the world ridiculed and rejected nerdy Veronica for trying to use newfangled computers to enhance old world spellcasting. Well, it’s 1984 now, and she’s perfected her spellcasting computer program. Hey, who needs friends when you can conjure virtually anything…or anybody? So when Veronica makes powerful new enemies, she conjures Max, a pitbull of a cop, to deal with the pesky hitmen who keep coming around. Maybe Veronica can finally get some peace and quiet so she can work on her computer. But tough-guy Max is in no mood to play lapdog to a gorgeous witch.
Wrecked by Meljean Brook – Elizabeth has spent the past five years running from her father; her father’s huntsman, Caius, has spent the past five years pursuing her. But when he finally catches up to her on an airship flying above Europe’s zombie-infested cities, Elizabeth discovers that Caius isn’t the only danger she has to fear—and now that he’s found her, Caius doesn’t intend to let her go…
Fire & Frost
I’m starting to really like anthologies, but I’m not liking when the stories in anthologies aren’t similar. Like, if I were to judge this anthology by the first story, I’d expect this would be a paranormal romance/shifter antho. But it’s not. It does have something for everyone which may appeal to some readers, though. The first story is shifters, the second is a contemporary witch story that is set in the ‘80s, and the third story is a fabulous Steampunk. I will say, that at the $2.99 price point, it’s absolutely worth it for just the Meljean Brook story.
Speed Mating by Jessica Sims-3 stars
This story was good, and I liked the hero. Estrella is a liger, and the lions don’t want her, so she’s been sticking with the tigers since they don’t seem to mind. But she has always felt like an outsider, so when she begins to ovulate, she is put in a tough situation. She has to find a mate, a potential father to her children, or risk never having kids.
The main problem is that the only tiger she wants to mate with is her alpha, who has never shown the slightest inkling of interest in her. Oh, and he keeps shoving available tiger males at her. One drunken night, she tells him what she really wants. And she finds out that he might want the same thing. . .
This was a quick and steamy story with a couple of funny scenes at the speed dating table.
Conjuring Max by Carolyn Crane-1.5 stars
I really didn’t care for the second story, but it seems I’m in the minority. In fact, many of my friends are really looking forward to (Mr. Real) the next in the series. I really didn’t care for the heroine, or her methods, the 80s bits were fun, but there was so much going on, it was hard to enjoy. There were several times I almost didn’t finish it.
Basically, Veronica is a super powerful witch, but she mainly uses computers, which in the ‘80s weren’t used the way they are today. Well, no one uses them like Veronica. She uses them to enhance her magic. And she can conjure anything from a picture with them.
She needs a bodyguard, so she conjures dead cop Max. I liked Max, and I liked how he could see through Veronica’s shell into the person she could be, but it was a weird story. I think if it had been purely romantic suspense, or paranormal romance minus the computers I would have liked it more? I don’t know. I just couldn’t get into it.
Wrecked by Meljean Brook-5 stars
I loved the Meljean Brook story. 5 brilliant stars. Elizabeth is on the run from her father, and her father has sent out his huntsmen to bring her back. Repeatedly. Only once before did he send out Caius, though, and Caius actually caught her! But 2 years ago, while chained to his bed so she wouldn’t escape the train ride, she got him to open up to her. Unfortunately she realized that he would turn her in no matter what.
Caius never wanted to like Elizabeth. She’s the spoiled privileged daughter of the man who’s enslaved him. But he starts to find out she’s nothing like he thought. He wanted her to be spoiled so he could justify hating her. But the truth is, he’s lusted after her, he’s been in love with her, and then on a retrieval gone wrong, he’s watched her plunge to her death from a moving train rather than go back to her father.
Only she isn’t dead.
She survived. And he’s found her. And this time? He won’t be returning her to her father.
This action-packed novella is not only a great addition to the Iron Seas series, but it’s also a fabulous romance. With zombies, Steampunkery, romance and adventure, it’s jam-packed with something for everyone!
***ARC courtesy of the authors
