Fire Maidens: London Billionaires & Bodyguards, Book 2
Interracial/Multicultural, Paranormal Shifter Romance
Twin Moon Press
October 14, 2019
248
“Rebel with a cause” Gemma Archer flees Boston one step ahead of a creepy stalker. Now she’s in London, trying to build a new normal — and absolutely, positively not getting involved with any men. That is, until an irresistible stranger prowls into her life. Liam is a sweet, sexy modern-day knight who sparks her sizzling desires. The problem? He’s as loony as some of her relatives. Dragons? Lion shifters? Werewolves? The poor man really seems to believe the tales he spins.
Liam Bennett is fresh out of the military and doing his best to adjust to civilian life. But fitting in was never his forte as a shifter of mixed blood. He’s part lion — a member of London’s most noble family — and part rogue, with “undesirable” dragon blood. When the Guardians of London hire him to help maintain law and order, Liam jumps at the chance to prove himself. Soon, he discovers nothing is as it seems — not among his allies, enemies, or even his own family. The only thing he can be sure of is the danger Gemma is in.
A deadly foe has stalked Gemma for thousands of miles, and Liam has no choice but to spirit away his destined mate to his ancestral dragon home — the remote castle in Wales he’s been avoiding for years. But hiding out is not enough. Can Liam and Gemma survive cunning enemies and the deceptions of the past?
Available at Amazon.
Reviewed by Douglas Meeks
Member of the Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
I was not sure what I had when I got this to read, but it was one of those pleasant surprises you get every now and then. The story captures you shortly after it starts and does not let up a lot. The basic story is not that original in the PNR world (bad guys after the fated maiden), but the telling of this one was done very well (makes me wonder if the other books in this series are done as well). Liam and Gemma were the fated lovers only nobody had told her about it or much of anything else. Except her Dad, who she thought was getting older and delusional (mistake), and she pretty much lumped Liam into that same basket for the first few chapters.
When a few nasty paranormal surprises brought a harsh reality to her doorstep, and of course, Liam was there to protect her (not so crazy now). The story rolls on with a lot of action and an adequate amount of romance, and thankfully, not totally overdone sex. I am getting tired of books that pose themselves as PNR when they are just erotica with the bare bones of a story. That is not to say this does not deserve the PG17 I gave it, as it might have been closer to R. They spend a good bit of time fighting or running from the bad guys. Other than a poorly done scene where our heroine reacts to a bit of important information towards the latter parts of the book, I found the book exceptionally entertaining.
Bottom Line: I had not read the first book. Thankfully, the author had the talent to make it unnecessary to enjoy this novel. It does have a bit of a unique world and she pretty much gives you all the rules you need to understand which are slipped into the story subtly. At no place did you get pages of boring world building, it just kind of becomes part of the story as you go along. So, I am giving this one 4 Stars which might be a bit generous, but if it is it is not by much, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and so 4 it is.