Kissed From Beyond - An Erotic Paranormal Romance Anthology

Kissed From Beyond
Keta Diablo, Amber Scott, Elise Hepner and Stacey Kennedy
Erotic Paranormal Romance

CRADLE OF DREAMS
Keta Diablo

With visions of battle still fresh in his mind, Roane Bradfield returns home to find the woman he loves betrothed to another. He corners Kendrick Moreland at Dowager Huggins’ Grand Ball and whisks her into the secluded library. One way or the other, he will know the reason the duplicitous beauty cut him from her life when she promised to wait forever. Kendrick can’t believe her eyes when Roane suddenly appears at the ball. Has he truly risen from the dead? Amid wagging tongues and hushed murmurs, the fantasy of her every dream whisks her from the ballroom. And the expression on his face is anything but loving. Revenge, danger and powerful love collide in the Cradle of Dreams.

A LOVE SOUL DEEP
Amber Scott

If only Sara had known no man would ever make her feel like Crew did, she would have let him love her. A regret that can never be undone. His death haunts her dreams, and her wishful thinking only reminds her of everything she has lost. Years later, a visit to an antique store in sultry Savannah changes everything and makes her deepest wish come true. Her beloved returns to her. Her every fantasy gets the chance to be fulfilled. But she wants more than one night. She wants a lifetime and wonders what magic will let her keep A Love Soul Deep.

ONE RUB MORE
Elise Hepner

Flynn has been cursed for over a century for a social slight he never committed. A voodoo priestess hexed him and forced him into a teapot where he could be summoned by the rub of a woman’s palm. Once free, he grants these women three sexual favors—and cuts off his own emotions in the process. Unable to break free from an invisible cage of lust and sex to fall in love again he’s resigned to being a sex object and nothing more. Helena has been house sitting far, far away from her complicated past in England— including her former childhood sweetheart, who wasn’t satisfied when Helena didn’t want to be barefoot and pregnant. She’s resigned to leave behind the complications of men and sex. She hopes logic will win out over her unreliable emotions—but she’s put to the test when she accidentally summons Flynn from his teapot prison.

‘TILL WE MEET AGAIN
Stacey Kennedy

Ethan Thomas has spent years alone―forever trapped between worlds. Once a soldier in the Civil War, he’s now a ghost bound to a chaise lounge that once belonged to him. He’s spent centuries lingering in Savannah, Georgia, waiting to be saved. Cassandra Cole is an interior designer hired to restore an old Victorian home. As she begins to furnish the house, strange happenings erupt around her. She suspects the house is haunted. Determined to find out, Cassie sets out to discover who the ghost is, why she feels a connection to him, and what she has to do to free him. The answers will surprise her in ways she never imagined.



My Review

Well I don't think I've ever reviewed an anthology before so I'm not sure how to do this. Do I do just a blanket "OMGSH this was the best book ever"? Or should I look at each book? Hmmm.. I think I might do a bit of both *laughs*

This was SUCH a pleasure to read!  I love the whole concept of an anthology - different authors you may not be familiar with give you, the reader, a taste of their work. When I've bought a collection of books like this, it's generally because a favorite author is part of it and I just have to have her story for my library. Sometimes I like the other authors and sometimes.. *meh* not so  much. So going into KISSED FROM BEYOND, I was dying to see what Stacey Kennedy wrote, knowing that it would rock my socks off, make me cry and make me want to swoon all over the place. As always, she MORE than delivered! Keta Diablo, Amber Scott and Elise Hepner were relatively new to me and seeing as I'm always on the lookout for new romance with delicious Alpha males, I started reading with a hopeful heart. Holy heck! When I finally came to the end, I thought I'd been hit by a runaway train - these stories had strong story lines that grabbed me and beat me over the head with a romance stick! Honestly, if you read only one anthology... this would be the one I recommend and here's why.

Cradle of Dreams by Keta Diablo
My gosh this author KNOWS how to write smoldering bad boy. She knows her tortured alphas because Roane had me BEGGING from the moment I met him. Roane had been presumed dead and returning home was angered to see that the woman he'd given his heart and soul to, had become engaged to another. Unaware that Kendrick mourned deeply over his death, to the point where she no longer wanted to live, he makes his powerful entrance at a social gala and drags her off to another room. Locking the door, he gives in to his anger and betrayal, determined to claim her. I will never forget him commanding her to strip or telling her that it wasn't that he "thinks" what he's doing - he knows.  He unleashes all his passion and it was HOT. I mean I will NEVER look at another sofa the same again! Kendrick, that lucky, lucky girl - is she scared by the crazed man with lust in his eyes? Oh heck no! Like a woman after my own heart, she loves the roughness she hears in his voice and I'm surprised the house didn't set on fire! Lots of great emotion in this story, lots of phrases that had me either in a swoon or goosebumps and I was left speechless. I seriously thought "Man that was an amazing read" and then BAM! Keta throws in one more thing and I was speechless. She's now an author I will most definitely read and the next book I'm waiting to devour of hers is Where The Rain Is Made. This is an author to hunt down everyone because she knows her stuff!
Rating - COMPLETELY SEDUCED

A Love Soul Deep by Amber Scott
Still reeling from Keta's story, I began reading A Love Soul Deep and it wasn't long before I started getting those goosebumps again. I had a hitch in my breath as I felt with Sara her heartache at losing her beloved Crew. To love someone so completely and have him taken suddenly, I can't imagine the torture and with Sara, she felt she needed to keep her secret longings to herself because people felt it was time to move on. But she couldn't - they were in love and there were things that she wished she'd have done with him. On a trip with friends, they go into a store where Sara comes in contact with a locket destined to be hers. Sure the locket is beautiful but it's the photos inside that catch her attention - the man looks like Crew. Buying it, things take a change for the better because somehow, through some kind of magic, Crew has returned but his time is limited. They're able to spend an unforgetable time - sharing both a emotional connection and some HOT lovin'. Wouldn't you let go and give into every fantasy if you were given one more chance to be with your soulmate? This story touched my heart. I could feel Sara's sadness and feel her joy as she was able to touch Crew again. I loved the sweet touch at the end, that although the story didn't have THE type of ending I wanted, Amber gave me something just as good. This was the perfect blend of heat and romance and I have to say - I'm reading her latest release, Fierce Dawn, and my gosh! I want my husband to have wings like Elijah. *realizes I'm about to go into full on gush about another book and stops* LOL That's for another review. I'm excited to have discovered Amber as a new favorite.
Rating - COMPLETELY SEDUCED

One Rub More by Elise Hepner
Okay. Is it ok to say that I'm still not sure about this one? I really loved the concept for the story and there was so much potential. Helena finds herself the new owner of an antique teapot that she just  had to have. When she gets home to use it, she notices that there's an inscription that tells the person to rub it. Helena's feeling pretty strange and fights the urge to do it but no surprises, the pot is eventually rubbed and out comes glorious Flynn who inflicts on her the most intense orgasmic pleasure she has ever experienced. This man is sexy and I'm happy to say snarky, but who wouldn't be? He's been treated horribly and has spent a very long time cooped up, allowed out only to sexually pleasure the person with the pot. Truthfully, this is where I got a little lost.There was so much potential because I could see the tension building between Flynn and Helena - there was great sparkage. But I felt that Helena spent more time in her head, thinking it out and being logical about it and there wasn't enough of the heat and interaction that I love. I know that it was part of who she was, I just found it too much and *whispers* I skimmed some of it. I just wasn't able to make the connection and I'm not sure why. It may have been coming off the rollercoaster gushfest from the first two books... I don't know. I just couldn't get into the story. I'll definitely give it another try later on and if I feel differently, I'll post an update. I've just spent so much time in my head that although I love to know the thought process of my heroines, there comes a point where it's too much. Maybe the author has another book that might catch my heart better... we'll see.
Rating - SLIGHTLY GIDDY

'Till We Meet Again by Stacey Kennedy
*GGGGGGUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHH* Seriously, what did you expect? LOL I think that pretty much sums it up to! This was the PERFECT story to end the book - P.E.R.F.E.C.T! I'd been scorched, I'd been swooned and Stacey's Ethan... that man laid me down and SMOLDERED all over me. My gosh, I remember saying once that reading Kyden was like being dipped in chocolate and having it licked slowly off your body. This whole story had that same feel *checks arm and holds it up to the screen* See? Goosebumps. This story had this real intense feeling to it, an amazing heat and the sweetest, softest, swoonworthy ending EVER! We start by meeting Ethan, he is a Civil War soldier who had died and for some reason his spirit bonded with a chaise chair. Staying in an antique dealers store, he's kinda passing by his afterlife when in walks Cassie, an interior designer there to refurbish a home. She feels this vibe from the chair (hello.. sexy ghost attached) and takes it with her. This is were the sweet love and fun begin. Even though they're not visible to each other, there's a definite connection and Cassie soon realizes that she'd dealing with a very curious ghost (LOL he likes to watch!) She finds a way to bring him back so she can help send him on and ladies, this is where you will need a fan and a HUGE box of heavy duty tissues. When Ethan is able to come, the emotion and sizzle between them??? I was sitting there begging for them to be together forever because they were just so beautiful. Great story (like there was ever any doubt) and Stacey once again captured my heart. This story had it all but honestly, I loved the ending... after great build up.. an explosive coming together... I loved the gentle hush when it was over. To Stacey I say... NEXT!
Rating - COMPLETELY SEDUCED

So overall, this book was amazing and a MUST READ! I went into this book expecting at least one thrilling story and I walked away with two extra and a truck load of new books to devour as I start to buy the authors other work. This anthology is the perfect blend of magic - you not only have strong women, sexy as heck men, SMOKIN' HOT chemistry but also swoonworthy, heart pounding, "my gosh I'm going to cry" romance. I'd recommend this to ALL romance readers - Happy reading!

Overall Rating 

*Some may wonder why I gave the book my highest rating. I'm not a review to give a low rating based on one story especially when I completely gushed and fell in love with the others. I walked in with one auto buy author and walked out with three. My head was spinning I was so excited! LOL Just wanted to share!*