Savage

Review of Loved by the Dragon by Vivienne Savage

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Loved by the Dragon: A Dragon Shifter Paranormal Romance
Dawn of the Dragons Book 1
By Vivienne Savage

Star Rating: 
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling, Romance
Number of Pages: 335
Winter 2018

Synopsis: (From Amazon) 
Two complete stories/No cliffhanger/120,000 words/Adult content/PROFANITY
Author’s Note: Be prepared for kinky sex and bad language. Originally published as Saved by the Dragon, Mated by the Dragon, and Taming the Dragon.

Chloe’s weekend getaway doesn’t go according to plan when she’s trapped in a cave with a gorgeous, golden-eyed rescuer named Saul. His fiery secret and a hot, one-night stand will set in motion events able to change her life forever — but all dragons aren’t ready to accept mortalkind. As shadowy forces in the draconic world object to their new union, Chloe must find the strength to fight for a future with the man she holds dear.

When Marceline Vargas agrees to join her friend Chloe for an island vacation in Mexico, she’s ready for fun in the sun and an escape from her hectic career. After crossing paths with the resort’s owner, she soon discovers the billionaire dragon shifter is a charismatic enigma — sexist but kind-hearted, intimidating yet generous. Can his chauvinistic patterns be tamed? Marcy intends to find out.

Review:
Chloe and Saul’s story is so sweet and nice. You can’t help but hope that Chloe will come around. While I understand that part of the big climax was to introduce other characters for the following books, I thought it was a bit annoying/unrealistic. The language used in this book is very different from Savage’s usual language when writing romance, and I don’t particularly care for the word choice.

Marceline and her billionaire shifter friend I didn’t find as endearing because it seemed a bit too contrived and forced. Could he not have pushed forward during the time they were apart to try to explain, or is it just because time is so different for dragons?

I did like these stories, but I prefer Savage’s fairy tale romances personally.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
Sign up at http://www.viviennesavage.com/newsletter to receive an exclusive, free novel.

Vivienne Savage is the pen name of two best friends who write everything together. One works as a nurse in a rural healthcare home in Texas, and the other is a U.S. Navy veteran. Both are mothers to two darling boys and two amazing girls. When they aren’t raising children, writing fantasy, or concocting ways for shapeshifters and humans to find their match, they play online RPG games to pass the time.

All works by Vivienne range from urban fantasy and sweet adult romance to spicy shifter fiction with an erotic kick. Visit her site to determine which series is best for you!

Official Site: viviennesavage.com
Facebook: facebook.com/savage.books
Twitter: twitter.com/msvsavage
Instagram: instagram.com/msvsavage
Email: vivi@viviennesavage.com

Review of Goldilocks and the Bear by Vivienne Savage

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Goldilocks and the Bear: An Adult Fairytale Romance
Once Upon a Spell book 3
By Vivienne Savage

Star Rating: 
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling/Fantasy/Romance
Number of Pages: 272

Date Started: December 13, 2017
Date Finished: December 15, 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
Lady Victoria hungers for excitement, but how can she find it while cloistered in her cousin’s castle? Encouraged to journey north to pursue an adventure of her own, an abandoned lodge seems as fine a place as any to stop for rest.

Ramsay is a shifter without a mate. Overwhelmed by the responsibilities of becoming his clan’s new Father Bear–and the female attention that comes with that title–he leaves on holiday to enjoy the peaceful, northern hunting lodge. Finding his bed occupied by a golden-haired beauty wasn’t part of the plan, but claiming her may be.

Review:
I was so disappointed in this novel. Not only are we jumped from Victoria’s status as untrained to suddenly capable, but the romance doesn’t build at all, and it’s almost as if it’s supposed to be desire at first sight.  While I didn’t think they were a poor fit, there was almost no time spent on a connection developing between them, unlike the previous two books in the series.

This story also had quite a bit more Aladdin in it (though with a twist) than Goldilocks. It was a good tale, but not as great as the other three I’ve previously read. I did enjoy learning more about Safiyya since I had previously read Savage’s version of Rumpelstiltskin before the beginning of this series.

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
Vivienne Savage is a resident of a small town in rural Texas. While she isn’t writing fantasy or concocting ways for shapeshifters and humans to find their match, she raises two children and works as a nurse in a rural retirement home.

All works by Vivienne range from urban fantasy and sweet adult romance to spicy shifter fiction with an erotic kick. Visit her site to determine which series is best for you!

Official Site: viviennesavage.com
Facebook: facebook.com/savage.books
Twitter: twitter.com/msvsavage
Instagram: instagram.com/msvsavage
Email: vivi@viviennesavage.com

Review of Red and the Wolf: An Adult Fairytale Romance by Vivienne Savage

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Red and the Wolf: An Adult Fairytale Romance
Once Upon a Spell book 2
By Vivienne Savage

Star Rating:  
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling/Fantasy/Romance
Number of Pages: 284

Date Started: December 13, 2017
Date Finished: December 13, 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
Sorcha knows every inch of the forest, but a spontaneous visit to her grandmother thrusts her into the middle of a brutal conflict between shifters and an unknown force in the woodlands.

As the alpha of Clan TalWolthe, Conall is obligated to protect his fellow wolves at all costs–even if it means his life. After the pack lands in the crosshairs of a huntsman with a grudge, Conall encounters a red-cloaked beauty who may hold the key to defeating an ancient evil menacing their land.

Red and the Wolf is a fairy tale retold for an adult audience and improper for anyone below the age of 18. Readers who enjoy strong heroines, caring alphas, detailed world building, and out-of-this-world adventure will be hooked.

Perfect for readers of Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Action and Adventure, Sword and Sorcery, and Shifter Romance.

Review:
Oh my goodness, this book draws the reader in from the beginning and leaves you enthralled until the end. This isn’t your typical Red Riding Hood tale, but one with lots of twists and turns, and some very nice romance.

Red is a capable heroine who isn’t going to step back and let others do a job for her, which is admirable. While she is a bit more naive than the typical capable heroine, the explanation of her being coddled made sense, and it made some exchanges between she and Conall even more enjoyable.

While it is a romance novel, the romance adds to the story, and the plot is solid even without it.

This one was hard to set down. I definitely recommend it! Can’t wait to read book 3 in the series!

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
Vivienne Savage is a resident of a small town in rural Texas. While she isn’t writing fantasy or concocting ways for shapeshifters and humans to find their match, she raises two children and works as a nurse in a rural retirement home.

All works by Vivienne range from urban fantasy and sweet adult romance to spicy shifter fiction with an erotic kick. Visit her site to determine which series is best for you!

Official Site: viviennesavage.com
Facebook: facebook.com/savage.books
Twitter: twitter.com/msvsavage
Instagram: instagram.com/msvsavage
Email: vivi@viviennesavage.com

Review of Twisted: Flipped Fairy Tales

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Twisted: Flipped Fairy Tales
By Various Authors

Star Rating: 
Genre: Fairy Tale Retellings

Synopsis: A compilation of fairy tales that end differently than we’re used to.

Review:
Turns out this book is no longer available on Amazon. I debated whether or not that means I should leave as detailed a review, but decided that I should at least give every story in the compilation some sort of mention, as originally intended.

Little Red- May Sage
This was a rather hard story to get into. The landscape was constantly changing between the fairy tale type world we know and modern day. There were carriages, yet cell phones. While there was definitely sex appeal, the story bared little resemblance to the original it was based upon. The “red” tie in was nice, and I didn’t necessarily mind the ending. Overall I’d say this ranked 3/5.

Rumpelstiltskin- Vivenne Savage
I love this book. I’ve been finding more and more that while my love for Beauty and the Beast has always shone bright, my love for Rumpelstiltskin (well, retellings, anyway) is a close second. This story has everything: retribution, love, sacrifice, and learning to be a better person. I definitely recommend seeking this story out, as I think it’s work buying and reading on its own.  5/5, easily.

It seems this one is going to be out for individual purchase December first, under a different title. You can get to it by the link here.

Stepbrother- Erin Bedford
This one confused me. It took me quite a while into the story to figure out which fairy tale this was supposed to represent. The connection is minuscule at best between this story and a fairy tale. While the world was decent, and the connection between the main characters was spot on, I think it would be better marketed as its own story, instead of claiming fairy tale retelling status. I did like the ending, but overall the world and what was going on in it seemed quite different than anything fairytale-esque. If you’re looking for vampires, here’s one you might like. 3/5.

Of Bones and Ashes- Nicole Zoltack
A story from a villain’s point of view. This story… was quite different from anything I’ve ever read about the fairy tale it takes place in. I wasn’t sure I would like it, because at the beginning it seems so certain that the narrator is actually the one in the wrong, though we quickly learn how untrue that may be. A back story unlike any other, if you like things a bit dark and peculiar, this is definitely one for you. 4/5.

Hunger in the Woods- Carma Haley Shoemaker
This was a brilliant take on the fairy tale it borrows from. A very different story than the original, and brought into the modern world seamlessly. Part horror story mixed with learning not to treat people who are differently poorly (they may be your only salvation), this was a story I really wasn’t sure how it would end. Definitely recommend. 4/5

Rumpelstiltskin- May Sage
This story was quite different from that which we are used to.  While I quite enjoyed it, it was so very different from the original that it may have done better to be slapped with a different character altogether, so that it could stand on its own merit. I did enjoy the ending, and the banter between the main characters was entertaining. 3.5/5

Review of Beauty and the Beast: An Adult Fairytale Romance by Vivienne Savage

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Beauty and the Beast: An Adult Fairytale Romance
Once Upon a Spell book 1
By Vivienne Savage

Star Rating:  
Genre: Fairy Tale Retelling/Fantasy
Number of Pages: 270
Summer 2017

Synopsis: (From Amazon)
Princess Anastasia Rose dreams of attending school, but her plans are put on hold when war begins between her father and the beastly lord of a nearby castle in the mountains.

Prince Alistair isn’t an ordinary dragon. He’s a shifter afflicted by a curse, unable to become human again until he finds his true love. When a mortal king’s adventurers trespass in Alistair’s territory to steal a rare flower, the prince decides to steal a valuable prize of his own.

Undertake a magical journey in Vivienne Savage’s new romantic fantasy series loosely based on the lore of multiple fairy tales. Meet strong heroines supported by a cast of sexy heroes, intriguing friends, and devious villains.

Author’s Note: This is a magical retelling of the beloved tale written for an adult audience. Reader discretion is advised.

Review:
Finally, a princess who has desires beyond living in a castle, finding love and becoming a queen. Savage does an amazing job of personifying Anastasia, giving her reasons for loving books so much beyond enjoying stories. There is so much more to this novel than the Beauty and the Beast story we all know and love.

I greatly enjoy how all of the characters have an important role and how they come together in the end, revealing truths only hinted at. Alistair is such a relatable, wonderful character– great for those who are hot headed and perhaps needing to learn to control their temper.

While this book specifically states it’s listed as an adult novel, there are really only two “steamy” scenes, and while decent, no where near as heavy as might be suggested.

Splendid book. I absolutely loved it!

Author Biography: (From Amazon)
Vivienne Savage is a resident of a small town in rural Texas. While she isn’t writing fantasy or concocting ways for shapeshifters and humans to find their match, she raises two children and works as a nurse in a rural retirement home.

All works by Vivienne range from urban fantasy and sweet adult romance to spicy shifter fiction with an erotic kick. Visit her site to determine which series is best for you!

Official Site: viviennesavage.com
Facebook: facebook.com/savage.books
Twitter: twitter.com/msvsavage
Instagram: instagram.com/msvsavage
Email: vivi@viviennesavage.com