Publication Date: February 7, 2012
Publisher: Penguin Group USA
Genre: Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Pages: Paperback, 373pp
ISBN-13: 978-0425245378
ISBN: 0425245373
(Received for an honest review from Berkley Heat)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound
Jory Strong on the WEB: website, twitter
Excerpt from Inked Magic
Synopsis:
Skin didn't lie to her. It was her gift, sometimes her curse. To feel what others felt. To see the things held in their memories...
With the touch of her palms to the skin of a crime victim, San Francisco tattoo artist Etain can see the faces of the guilty and draw them. She's a changeling elf but unaware of it, at odds with her police captain father and FBI agent brother. Magic and her gift have put her in the path of two compelling men.
Cathal Dunne, the son of an Irish mob boss, needs Etain's help finding the rapists who left his cousin for dead. Eamon, a powerful Elven lord, is determined to make her his consort - wife.
Her gift once made permanence impossible when it came to having a lover. Now, as Etain approaches the transition to fully Elven, her survival depends on keeping two. One of the men is willing to her her. The other isn't - until the search for a sexual predator turns deadly, and only by paying magic's price will there be any future at all.
Thoughts:
Jory Strong's latest novel, Inked Magic is an erotic pleaser. Inked Magic is a cross between an erotic romance and a police procedural. The blend works well for Strong and shows off her character development skills and her smooth style. The menage storyline isn't a new one, but Strong puts her own spin on it by making her two alpha males a mobster's son and an Elven lord and her heroine an tattoo artist with a very special gift.
This was my first foray into Jory Strong's writing and I was excited to see how her style fit with what appeals to me as far as erotica goes. It appears that we are one the same wave-length. Menage stories are among my favorites when it comes to fantasies and I thought Strong did an exceptional job of showing the pro's and con's of this sort of relationship and sheer amount of hard work it takes to make it work. It's a very erotic idea to have two men vying for your affections, but the day to day workings aren't easy.
I loved Etain, she was a wonderful character. Strong gives readers a heroine that is independent, driven and not afraid to take what she wants. Etain has no idea that her "gift" is a part of her Elven heritage. She lives among humans and tries to fit in, but every time she touches someone, she can see their memories. A blessing or a curse? I liked the fact that Etain realizes that she needs both Cathal and Eamon. She is strong, but in being strong she see's her faults, her desires, and her needs clearly. A really strong woman knows what she needs and how to get it.
Both of the men in Etain's life are very much alpha male. They have their own strengths and their own faults. Cathal is a mobster's son and he needs Etain's help to find a rapist who nearly destroyed his family. Eamon, an Elven lord knows exactly what he wants... Etain, but he's willing to share if need be. Both men are handsome, sexy and very sexually dominant. I loved the fact that Etain could handle herself well with these two. She held her own and even took a bit of control. A very sexy situation to be sure.
Given that this book is an erotic romance, there is a lot of it here. For some that might be a good thing, for others it might be a bit much. Personally, I thought it was just the right balance between sex and story. The language is very frank and the sexual situations are described in graphic detail. Both of which, I tend to enjoy, but you should use a little caution if you don't. I recommend this book to erotic romance and paranormal readers. It will probably hit the spot for both types of readers.
The ending was a bit of a surprise. One could call it a cliffhanger or it could be the build up to a second book. I guess we'll have to wait and see, but I hope we get to explore Jory Strong's new world further. It was interesting and full of potential as a series starter. One can hope!
Inked Magic is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
Jory Strong has been writing since childhood and has never outgrown being a daydreamer. When she's not hunched over her computer, lost in the muse and conjuring up new heroes and heroines, she can usually be found reading, riding horses, or walking dogs.
She has won numerous awards for her writing. She lives in California with her husband and a menagerie of pets.
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