One universe, three stories, linked by blood and a place called Sanctuary, a bar, a restaurant, a sex club and probably so much more, a safe place for magical beings. In Sanguine Faith by Brenda Murphy, Laurel lets herself be charmed by a seductive spirit and learns the hard way that her closest family member isn’t as protective as he claims to be. In We Choose to Be by Megan Hart, hemomancer Hadassah falls for a mysterious stranger who turns out to be a lot more than just a pretty face. In Promises Made by Starlight by Fiona Zedde, Izzy finds out that the wife she thought had abandoned her hadn’t, not really, but she’s not exactly who – or rather what – Izzy thought she was either, and her family gives new meaning to dysfunctional.
If you’re into paranormal and aren’t scared of a little blood and a lot of steam, this collection of novellas is for you. All three stories are well-written and each author’s style is recognizable. Brenda Murphy tells of intense love with a hint of domination. Megan Hart writes of romance and new life. Fiona Zedde injects sensuality in every sentence.
Blood plays a big part in each story, which was something of a challenge for me. I don’t do blood. I can’t see blood (watching Grey’s Anatomy or any other medical TV show means my eyes are closed or my head turned away from the screen half the time) and I absolutely can’t stand the smell of blood. Yet here, blood is life, it’s magic and it’s also sexy. The latter required some suspension of disbelief on my part but I think Zedde could make me believe anything.
Seeing each author make the shared universe theirs is interesting and surprising, and it works really well. The three stories complement one another, Sanctuary and everything around it becoming more and more familiar. The order in which the stories appear is perfect too. And all three are so sexy! Each in its own way but all are hot.
Jude in the Stars 