Series: The Josie Hawk Chronicles #0.5
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Published by: Black Poppy Books on January 3, 2014
Format: eARC
Pages: 69
Source: Author
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*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Sexy Irish vampire meets his match in a smart-mouthed supernatural huntress!
ALABASTER NIGHTS is a short but fantastic introduction to Ms. Rossi’s characters Josie and Keller of The Josie Hawk Chronicles and tells the story of how they initially met. Told by alternate POVs, we get a feel for the hero and heroine’s distinct personalities through Ms. Rossi’s great character development. I’m not always a fan of dual narratives (this book includes third and first person), but in this instance it worked for me. Elle’s down to earth writing style captured my attention from beginning to end.
When Vampire Keller O’Leary travels to Nashville Tennessee to visit his sister Sage, he never expected to encounter Josie Hawk, his mate. To complicate things, Josie is his sister’s best friend who also happens to be a huntress. When she’s not singing at Sage’s bar, Josie protects the inhabitants of Nashville from the dangers of rogue supernaturals. She’s independent, kick ass and not looking for a relationship. If he wants to woo this feisty huntress, Keller must suppress his predatory urges and take things slow which proves to be a challenge, even for an immortal who has nothing but time.
“Everything about her intrigued him. So much so, he wanted to crawl inside her body and introduce himself to her soul.”
I adore a heroine that can hold her own next to an alpha hero and Josie is that girl! She’s strong, outspoken and guarded, but not in a jaded sort of way. I love her confidence and quick comebacks, especially when it comes to Keller…she had me in stitches when she nicknamed him Irish! Keller is used to having women fall at his feet but in Josie he finds a challenge and ultimately an equal, it was great to see his frustrations when she didn’t throw herself at him, even when he played up the charm. Although he knows Josie is his mate, Keller decides to keep his distance and gain her trust before she can accept their destiny. Their attraction is evident from their first encounter, but I love that even though they have great chemistry Josie has some reservations about Keller creating some extra tension when they team up against some dangerous warlocks and demons. I really enjoyed their witty banter and watching them slowly come together in this novella. Keller’s sister and Josie’s BFF, Sage is just a supporting character in this story but she’s one character I’d like to see more of in future books.
“You can call bullshite all you want, Irish. I’m the sole rule maker in Nashville. And don’t call me Josephine.”
Overall I found ALABASTER NIGHTS an engaging read with edgy characters, action, humor and a few plot twists that bring the story to life. It’s the perfect prequel for new readers and an excellent companion novella for fans of the series. Now that I’ve met Josie and Keller there’s no going back, I’ve got to go and read the rest of their adventures. Rossi’s paranormal world will delight and leave you wanting more!
The Josie Hawk Chronicles:
About Elle J Rossi
Elle J Rossi grew up in rural Indiana surrounded by great people, a huge family and more animals than she could count. But the sites and sounds of the world beckoned, so she left her small town to escape into a creative world full of music. As a full time singer she was able to lose herself in a thousand different songs in a hundred different places. After meeting the love of her life and settling down, she yearned to find a new and fulfilling creative outlet. Overly fond of the happily ever after, she wondered what it would be like to have her own characters lead her down dark and twisted paths. The very first word on the very first page sealed her fate. She’d found a new love. She’d found her escape. Now along with weaving haunting tales about the journey to love, she’s creating cover art for authors around the world and loving every second of it. For fun, she cranks country music to take her back to her roots, and sings karaoke anytime she gets a chance. Her husband, two children, and a cat that rules the roost keep her company along the way and guarantee she doesn’t get lost in the enchanted forest. She wouldn’t have it any other way.
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Oh my! What a cover 🙂 I’m definitely interested. I’ve been shying away from vampire stories lately, but this short read might bring me back in 😉
Thank you girl!
My last few books have been filled with vampires…LOL I think you’ll enjoy Josie and Keller Loupe! 😉
I just ADORED Keller. I’m not a huge fan of UF, but if they started like this from the hero’s POV, that might change.
Me too! I tend to gravitate to PNR but have recently been on an UF kick. I like strong heroines but it was refreshing to get the hero’s POV in this book. 🙂
This sounds absolutely perfect for me. Vampires and snark and NASHVILLE, and YES, please. Thanks for bringing yet another excellent prospect to my attention 😉
Most of the books I’ve read lately have all been set in the South…LOL Guess the vamps like the warmer weather! This was a great intro to Elle’s paranormal world. Josie is a hoot! I hope you enjoy Josie and Keller 😉