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Phoenix Inc. #1
Phoenix Rising
Ten years ago Miles Rousseau and Kelsey Daeger met in Paris, what passed between them there has haunted both of them ever since.
When Miles starts looking into a series of gruesome vamp murders that strike close to his heart, his only option is to reach out to Phoenix, Inc.—a foundation for gifted paras—and Kelsey, a pysch-para with the rare ability to track and spy on vampires undetected. He has first-hand knowledge of her skill—because he was her first target.
Kelsey doesn't know what to think when Miles shows up in her office. Suddenly, the redemption she had long given up on seems tantalizingly within reach....
But Miles isn't all that is reaching out from the ashes of Kelsey's past, what their investigation reveals may destroy them both....
If they don't destroy each other first....
This novella contains sensuality, violence and mild language.
When Miles starts looking into a series of gruesome vamp murders that strike close to his heart, his only option is to reach out to Phoenix, Inc.—a foundation for gifted paras—and Kelsey, a pysch-para with the rare ability to track and spy on vampires undetected. He has first-hand knowledge of her skill—because he was her first target.
Kelsey doesn't know what to think when Miles shows up in her office. Suddenly, the redemption she had long given up on seems tantalizingly within reach....
But Miles isn't all that is reaching out from the ashes of Kelsey's past, what their investigation reveals may destroy them both....
If they don't destroy each other first....
This novella contains sensuality, violence and mild language.
83 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 21, 2014
3 people are currently reading
131 people want to read
About the author
Heather R. Blair
22 books219 followersHeather R. Blair wrote her first book in the first grade and hasn't stopped since. Back then it was all about horses, now it's pretty much the dark, sexy and shivery.
She lives in the frozen north of Minnesota, near that big gorgeous lake called Superior and enjoys hiking when the snow melts. She also does murals, rides herd on four monsters(otherwise known as children), is slightly obsessed with Martin Freeman, British television and things that go bump in the night.
She loves reading,(duh!)and interacting with other bibliophiles and authors. Feel free to bug her at will and sign up for her newsletter to get shiny new promos, free stuff and MORE!
https://linktr.ee/heatherrblairauthor
Check out works in progress and upcoming releases on pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/heatherr4300/
She lives in the frozen north of Minnesota, near that big gorgeous lake called Superior and enjoys hiking when the snow melts. She also does murals, rides herd on four monsters(otherwise known as children), is slightly obsessed with Martin Freeman, British television and things that go bump in the night.
She loves reading,(duh!)and interacting with other bibliophiles and authors. Feel free to bug her at will and sign up for her newsletter to get shiny new promos, free stuff and MORE!
https://linktr.ee/heatherrblairauthor
Check out works in progress and upcoming releases on pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/heatherr4300/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
January 6, 2025
① Note to self: always quadruple check the genre for the story you are about to read. Duh.
② Note to self: paranormal romance. As in paranormal ROMANCE. Duh. Ugh. Ew.
③ Note to self: the fact that one of your favourite authors loves a story doesn't necessarily mean you will, too. Duh.
Yeah well it sure doesn't look like it.
④ Note to the author: if you are going for a foreign character, do your homework. Get the foreign language right. Make sure your sentences in said foreign language make some kind of sense. And please don't give your foreign character an English sounding name. ← I think this definitely calls for some in-depth analysis. Yes it does.
• • • Sorry if some of this doesn't make much sense to those of you who don't speak French! • • •
↪ A FRENCH aristocrat named MILES? Sure. If you say so. I would have gone for Pierre-Louis or Jean-Edouard or Charles-Henri or Jacques-Antoine or Pierre-Mathieu. But hey, if you think MILES is a FRENCH name then, by all means, go for it.
↪ Spelling mistakes:
✘ Deja vu vs. déjà vu, je m'en fou vs. je m'en fous… ← ugh.
↪ Nonsensical interjections R Us:
✘ " […] his knees buckled at the fierceness of her heartbeat. Quoi! So strong and rich" ← huh?
↪ Plain gibberish:
✘ "A quoi bon mean." ← squeeze me?
✘ "Justin was ever être d'un calme à toute épreuve."← baking powder?
↪ Nonsensical use of curse words:
✘ "Pute!" is an insult, and using it the way you would say "merde!" doesn't make any sense. And it's completely ridiculous. "Putain" is probably what you meant to say here ← I won't be charging you for this simultaneous translation. You're welcome.
✘ You don't say "baise" the way you would say "oh, fuck" in English. No you don't ← that's pretty hilarious actually. I think I'll try that next time I want to curse in French. Can't wait to see how people react to that one. HAHAHAHA.
↪ Most ridiculous curse word ever: so here we have a vampire that's been around since Joan of Arc. Nothing less. He's supposed to be a real badass, obviously. The baddest vampire to ever roam this planet. So what does he say when he wants to curse? Zut alors. You have no idea how ridiculous this sounds coming from this supposedly awe-inspiring vampire . Imagine him saying "shucks" or "shoot" and you'll get a pretty good idea of just how silly this is .
➽ Let me finish with some friendly advice: French people do not say "mon dieu" every two seconds. No they don't. Well maybe they did in the 19th century but they don't anymore. Now they just say "merde alors." Alternatively, they might also say "putain" or (my personal favourite) "putain de merde." ← feel free to PM me for French curse words 101 classes.
Yeah I know this has nothing to do with anything but I thought it was moderately funny and stuff.
French class dismissed!
⑤ The Paranormal ROMANCE silliness:
↪ Manufactured relationship drama! Yay! Fun!
↪ Mushiness factor to the maxxxxxxx: "Mon amour pour toi est éternel" = "my love for you is eternal." → Me: "je vomis un peu dans ma bouche" = "I throw up in my mouth a little."
↪ Physical description overdrive: "his lithe, muscular torso, the golden skin dusted with darker gold hairs that darted down the chiseled V of his stomach." Arrrrggggghhhhh!!!! Noooooo!!!!!!!!! Please stoooooooppppp!!!!!! I'd rather be reading The Way of Kings!!!! Hahaha. Just kidding.
↪ Required HEA. Obviously. Duh. This is Paranormal ROMANCE. Next thing you know the badass vampire will probably be pulling fluffy bunnies out of his hat.
➽ In all fairness (because yes, I can be fair. Of course I can. Why would you doubt that?), all you creeps who like Paranormal ROMANCE will probably LOVE this. And to be honest the premise of the series is pretty good. Which is why I'm giving this story a glorious 2-star rating instead of the 1-star rating I would have given it otherwise.
SO.
Polish the French gibberish + cut the romantic crap + turn this into a UF story = I might give it a 4-star rating. Maybe.
August 24, 2016
I'm not a big fan of short stories, but I am a fan of this author and her "Toil and Trouble" series...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1734015953
If you love para... ^ That's your mofo ticket!
So, I decided to give this one a go while I wait for book three in that series. The torture~
What's What
Miles, a powerful French vampire, and Kelsey, a powerful American psychic, have a heated history. One year of love and happiness in Paris that was ripped from them by betrayal. Now, 10 years later, they reunite because Kelsey has a skill that Miles needs. Basically, it's a matter of what urge is stronger for him...
For her, it's what fear is greater - living with the unknown, but salvaging hope or emptying her conscious, but possibly destroying hope.
Choices then. Choices now.
Meanwhile, someone is killing vamps. This was streamlined (time.. short-s). Bam. Bam. Over. Given that, the plot was done well. Believable. And I think short-s readers will enjoy it.
I loved the chapter heading quotes; All were very apt for the storyline:
I don't speak French and had no idea WTF Miles was saying when he spoke French, which he did multiple times. I can gather the overall - that's a pissed off word or that sounds like a lovey-dove word.... but I would have liked to have known WTF he was saying. It annoyed me & affected my enjoyment; thus, a star is deducted.
Characters
One of the main reasons I avoid short-s's is that I need to connect to the characters; I want an author to take me and drill me into the story and characters. Short-s's just don't have enough time to do that to my satisfaction and I'm left...
I knew that about myself and what this story was going in. I read this anyway. So no deductions. And, if you like short-s, you shouldn't have any problems here because these characters are actually developed well considering it's less than 100 pages of work
I'd have preferred a little more edge to the MMC. I never really feel his "monster" or dark side. Now, don't get me wrong, I do like that the author went outside the vamp box and made an altruistic, romantic kinda vamp dude. But, he also had another side, and I just never feel like he is a threat to the FMC or has any kind of "monster" dwelling. I am deducting a star for this because I feel it was essential to the storyline.
Bottom Line
3 stars.
All in all, likable characters; solid, practical, but short suspense plot; and sweet second chance romance. Deductions for MMC lacking follow through on having a dark side and the French not being clear to this reader.
... And book two continues with a secondary character taking over as MMC.
Author note:
"Were you afraid of that- of mecoming for you." 17%
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1734015953
If you love para... ^ That's your mofo ticket!
So, I decided to give this one a go while I wait for book three in that series. The torture~
What's What
Miles, a powerful French vampire, and Kelsey, a powerful American psychic, have a heated history. One year of love and happiness in Paris that was ripped from them by betrayal. Now, 10 years later, they reunite because Kelsey has a skill that Miles needs. Basically, it's a matter of what urge is stronger for him...
For her, it's what fear is greater - living with the unknown, but salvaging hope or emptying her conscious, but possibly destroying hope.
Choices then. Choices now.
Meanwhile, someone is killing vamps. This was streamlined (time.. short-s). Bam. Bam. Over. Given that, the plot was done well. Believable. And I think short-s readers will enjoy it.
I loved the chapter heading quotes; All were very apt for the storyline:
"The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. - Oscar Wilde
I don't speak French and had no idea WTF Miles was saying when he spoke French, which he did multiple times. I can gather the overall - that's a pissed off word or that sounds like a lovey-dove word.... but I would have liked to have known WTF he was saying. It annoyed me & affected my enjoyment; thus, a star is deducted.
Characters
One of the main reasons I avoid short-s's is that I need to connect to the characters; I want an author to take me and drill me into the story and characters. Short-s's just don't have enough time to do that to my satisfaction and I'm left...
I knew that about myself and what this story was going in. I read this anyway. So no deductions. And, if you like short-s, you shouldn't have any problems here because these characters are actually developed well considering it's less than 100 pages of work
I'd have preferred a little more edge to the MMC. I never really feel his "monster" or dark side. Now, don't get me wrong, I do like that the author went outside the vamp box and made an altruistic, romantic kinda vamp dude. But, he also had another side, and I just never feel like he is a threat to the FMC or has any kind of "monster" dwelling. I am deducting a star for this because I feel it was essential to the storyline.
Bottom Line
3 stars.
All in all, likable characters; solid, practical, but short suspense plot; and sweet second chance romance. Deductions for MMC lacking follow through on having a dark side and the French not being clear to this reader.
... And book two continues with a secondary character taking over as MMC.
Author note:
"Were you afraid of that- of mecoming for you." 17%
January 25, 2015
Copy received via author in exchange for an honest review
★Book Basics★
Genre : - Paranormal Romance
Series : - 1st in the series
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Yes
Rating - 5
★Review★
I was offered this to review as I love a "lovers reunited" story.
At only 83 pages or so, I expected to enjoy it, but expected it to be lacking a depth or connection to the characters a shorter read can often have.
However, I got so much more than that. It draws you in from the start, and the characters just jump off the page. You can almost taste their pain at what had happened in the past between them.
Neither of them had been the "villain" in what had happened before, but outside forces had separated them, and they both had tried to move on, with their own version of what had happened, but carrying the pain around with them.
I have not been reading as much PNR as I used to, it can get all a bit samey, or feels like the author has jumped on a bandwagon.
But here, it was perfection. Given the shortness, the world building was excellent, and given to the reader in a way that felt natural and not overwhelming, which is where so many of this genre can fall down, and you feel like you are getting a lecture or an over abundance of information and "facts" to build the world, detracting from the story itself - not so here.
Miles is a 600 year old vampire, and it shows, he is scary and there are descriptions of him at certain points in the book, scenes that are almost chilling and sent a shiver down my spine. Yet, he loved Kelsey, and feels the pain of that loss every day, his pain is just not that of a normal man, he feels rage along with the pain and is almost fighting his own nature to not lash out with all that pain and rage.
Kelsey I also loved, her history and back story is explained very naturally and, she has fought her way back and built a life for herself.
All in, an excellent read, I finished it feeling like I had read a full length novel, getting so much more than should be possible in a relatively small number of pages - an interesting world I want to read more of, and main characters that I fell in love with, feeling their rage and pain, and then their joy.
I will definitely be continuing the series.
★Book Basics★
Genre : - Paranormal Romance
Series : - 1st in the series
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Would I read more by this author/or in this series? - Yes
Rating - 5
★Review★
I was offered this to review as I love a "lovers reunited" story.
At only 83 pages or so, I expected to enjoy it, but expected it to be lacking a depth or connection to the characters a shorter read can often have.
However, I got so much more than that. It draws you in from the start, and the characters just jump off the page. You can almost taste their pain at what had happened in the past between them.
Neither of them had been the "villain" in what had happened before, but outside forces had separated them, and they both had tried to move on, with their own version of what had happened, but carrying the pain around with them.
I have not been reading as much PNR as I used to, it can get all a bit samey, or feels like the author has jumped on a bandwagon.
But here, it was perfection. Given the shortness, the world building was excellent, and given to the reader in a way that felt natural and not overwhelming, which is where so many of this genre can fall down, and you feel like you are getting a lecture or an over abundance of information and "facts" to build the world, detracting from the story itself - not so here.
Miles is a 600 year old vampire, and it shows, he is scary and there are descriptions of him at certain points in the book, scenes that are almost chilling and sent a shiver down my spine. Yet, he loved Kelsey, and feels the pain of that loss every day, his pain is just not that of a normal man, he feels rage along with the pain and is almost fighting his own nature to not lash out with all that pain and rage.
Kelsey I also loved, her history and back story is explained very naturally and, she has fought her way back and built a life for herself.
All in, an excellent read, I finished it feeling like I had read a full length novel, getting so much more than should be possible in a relatively small number of pages - an interesting world I want to read more of, and main characters that I fell in love with, feeling their rage and pain, and then their joy.
I will definitely be continuing the series.
June 20, 2017
(3.75 Stars)
Heather Blair peppers her writing with bits of beautiful, lyrical prose and I just LURVE that. Love it, love it, love it. Of course, a certain Irish vampire from a different series of hers (Celtic Elementals) currently has my heart and is in my favorite read of Ms. Blair's to date. Now, I haven't started her Toil & Trouble series yet (bad me, I KNOW!) and I understand I may enjoy that even more...
ANYHOO, back to this review! Phoenix Rising is one of Blair's earlier works, and is a decent-sized novella whereas #2 and #3 of the Phoenix, Inc series are both full-length novels. I love it when "gender tropes" are flipped, and quite liked how it was the heroine who did a bad, bad thing and was more the "tortured hero character". That's not to say the hero wasn't a hot af alpha male, because he was. Sexy French vamp? Yes please.
Now, second chance romances aren't my fave, and that's just a personal thing. But these two def had chemistry. If you're looking for a quickie PNR that's also the introduction of a world steeped in magic and supernatural creatures (or shades as they're known in this series) then this one's for you.
Heather Blair peppers her writing with bits of beautiful, lyrical prose and I just LURVE that. Love it, love it, love it. Of course, a certain Irish vampire from a different series of hers (Celtic Elementals) currently has my heart and is in my favorite read of Ms. Blair's to date. Now, I haven't started her Toil & Trouble series yet (bad me, I KNOW!) and I understand I may enjoy that even more...
ANYHOO, back to this review! Phoenix Rising is one of Blair's earlier works, and is a decent-sized novella whereas #2 and #3 of the Phoenix, Inc series are both full-length novels. I love it when "gender tropes" are flipped, and quite liked how it was the heroine who did a bad, bad thing and was more the "tortured hero character". That's not to say the hero wasn't a hot af alpha male, because he was. Sexy French vamp? Yes please.
Now, second chance romances aren't my fave, and that's just a personal thing. But these two def had chemistry. If you're looking for a quickie PNR that's also the introduction of a world steeped in magic and supernatural creatures (or shades as they're known in this series) then this one's for you.
December 26, 2015
I finally got around to reading one of Sarah's favorite books. She has talked about how it truly portrayed an accurate picture of a Medieval Frenchman. Not to mention the sprinklings of very grammatically correct French. Here's her great review of it explaining all that's wrong.
My thoughts:
Yeah. It just wasn't happening for me. To start off with, the main male character is a French vampire who has been swilling blood since Joan of Arc times and his name is Miles....:::crickets::: That really doesn't invoke thoughts of chevaliers and medieval French noblemen. Something like Chrétien, Julien, Philippe, Guillaume, or Étienne would've been a much better choice.This bugged me the whole book why he was named Miles. It was the biggest mystery of the book and it's not yet solved!
The book's plot is slow and doesn't give you information that everyone already knows and keeps referring to until close to the end. Seriously annoying that I was reading all these "inside jokes" and couldn't get any of them due to the plotting of the plot. It negated my interest in the story.
The story is told from both Miles & Kelsey's POV's. It's all about their hate/love/longing/pining/lusting for each other, but they can't give into their emotions due to the pink elephant of betrayal that sits between them.
I think the author tried to make the betrayal the main mystery of the book until it changed to the mystery of whodunit on the vampire killings. Gave the story a Days of Our Lives feel and I do not enjoy soap operas on tv or in my reading material. If I wanted that kind of silly drama, I'd watch reality tv where I can laugh at their suffering.
In conclusion: This book's plot style annoyed me. The Frenchie's name annoyed me. The rest wasn't too bad, but I doubt I'd read anything else by this author if this is her usual style. It made as much sense as this...
My thoughts:
Yeah. It just wasn't happening for me. To start off with, the main male character is a French vampire who has been swilling blood since Joan of Arc times and his name is Miles....:::crickets::: That really doesn't invoke thoughts of chevaliers and medieval French noblemen. Something like Chrétien, Julien, Philippe, Guillaume, or Étienne would've been a much better choice.This bugged me the whole book why he was named Miles. It was the biggest mystery of the book and it's not yet solved!
The book's plot is slow and doesn't give you information that everyone already knows and keeps referring to until close to the end. Seriously annoying that I was reading all these "inside jokes" and couldn't get any of them due to the plotting of the plot. It negated my interest in the story.
The story is told from both Miles & Kelsey's POV's. It's all about their hate/love/longing/pining/lusting for each other, but they can't give into their emotions due to the pink elephant of betrayal that sits between them.
I think the author tried to make the betrayal the main mystery of the book until it changed to the mystery of whodunit on the vampire killings. Gave the story a Days of Our Lives feel and I do not enjoy soap operas on tv or in my reading material. If I wanted that kind of silly drama, I'd watch reality tv where I can laugh at their suffering.
In conclusion: This book's plot style annoyed me. The Frenchie's name annoyed me. The rest wasn't too bad, but I doubt I'd read anything else by this author if this is her usual style. It made as much sense as this...
April 9, 2015
Miles Rousseau and Kelsey Daeger reunite after a bitter betrayal from ten years ago. While the emotional complexity of the past looms large, Miles -- a 600-year-old vampire -- must enlist the help of a powerful psychic, following a series of murders that rock the vampire community.
Kelsey was such a strong, badass character -- a perfect leading lady for an alpha vampire! And I loved reading her backstory. Miles definitely stole the show, though, with his smooth and sophisticated (yet chilling and dangerous) demeanor. There were scenes that left me feeling a bit fearful, because underneath the calm exterior was a hidden rage that always hinted at his predatory nature.
A fast-paced novella, this first installment in the series offers up a thrilling and vivid paranormal tale, full of intrigue. Such a big story for a novella! I was impressed with the characters, depth, and how such an engaging and dynamic tale could be packed into 83 pages.
All in all, a terrific page-turner. Although it is a quick read, I was left both satisfied and looking forward to the next book in the series.
To read more, visit www.moonrisebookblog.com
Kelsey was such a strong, badass character -- a perfect leading lady for an alpha vampire! And I loved reading her backstory. Miles definitely stole the show, though, with his smooth and sophisticated (yet chilling and dangerous) demeanor. There were scenes that left me feeling a bit fearful, because underneath the calm exterior was a hidden rage that always hinted at his predatory nature.
A fast-paced novella, this first installment in the series offers up a thrilling and vivid paranormal tale, full of intrigue. Such a big story for a novella! I was impressed with the characters, depth, and how such an engaging and dynamic tale could be packed into 83 pages.
All in all, a terrific page-turner. Although it is a quick read, I was left both satisfied and looking forward to the next book in the series.
To read more, visit www.moonrisebookblog.com
February 28, 2015
4.5 Stars! After reading the Celtics Elemental Series by Heather R. Blair, I thought I knew what to expect from this author. But I feel like Phoenix Rising had a very different and distinct feel to it, which I really enjoyed! While the story was a little short, I would have loved to read more about Kelsey and Miles, it was sexy and action packed. I can't wait to read the next book in this series and see what Ms. Blair has in store for Kelsey's sidekick Jules.
January 31, 2015
4.5 Sexy Mon-Dieu Stars
Heather Blair is an author to watch. She has a delicious way with words and a knack for creating layered characters; that’s not easy to do in 80 pages. She’s condensed a novels worth of ideas/plots into this novella, and done it in such a way, that it doesn’t feel forced. I adore Miles (but then I have a thing for alpha males), and Kelsey was just the right side of snark and intelligence.
A great read from an emerging talent.
Heather Blair is an author to watch. She has a delicious way with words and a knack for creating layered characters; that’s not easy to do in 80 pages. She’s condensed a novels worth of ideas/plots into this novella, and done it in such a way, that it doesn’t feel forced. I adore Miles (but then I have a thing for alpha males), and Kelsey was just the right side of snark and intelligence.
A great read from an emerging talent.
September 3, 2015
Quick, intriguing, fast-paced read! The story got to me from the very first page. The writing has an almost somber mood that makes you take the book seriously. Although the unveiling and confrontation towards the end of the book was a bit anticlimactic, the raw emotions from the characters made up for it. I just wish it was longer - I would LOVE to read more about Miles and Kelsey.
* * * * *
* * * * *
August 7, 2017
Second Chance
Vampire Hero
Psychic Heroine
Mystery
Action
February 18, 2015
Review: Pheonix Rising by Heather Blair
I got this novella free in exchange for an honest review.
Pheonix Rising is a paranormal romance that reads like Urban Fantasy. For anyone looking for a short PNR, this would be a good pick.
I thought that the whole story was a bit rushed because it was short, however, Heather Blair used a short space to bring together two distinct characters that her readers will want to see in their happily-ever-after. Miles is a classy vampire that I definitely wanted to spend more time with and Kelsey is a badass mystery I wanted to get to know.
Heather's use of classic literature quotes really made this story stand out. I enjoyed the breadth of her quotes, using Shakespeare, T.S. Eliot, and Voltaire. Loved how she worked them into her chapters with such ease.
I am looking forward to her upcoming titles.
I got this novella free in exchange for an honest review.
Pheonix Rising is a paranormal romance that reads like Urban Fantasy. For anyone looking for a short PNR, this would be a good pick.
I thought that the whole story was a bit rushed because it was short, however, Heather Blair used a short space to bring together two distinct characters that her readers will want to see in their happily-ever-after. Miles is a classy vampire that I definitely wanted to spend more time with and Kelsey is a badass mystery I wanted to get to know.
Heather's use of classic literature quotes really made this story stand out. I enjoyed the breadth of her quotes, using Shakespeare, T.S. Eliot, and Voltaire. Loved how she worked them into her chapters with such ease.
I am looking forward to her upcoming titles.
August 19, 2018
Love could never really be conquered; not by death, not by distance, and not by time. Love would always rise again, just like the myth of the Phoenix that Kelsey believed in so much she named her company after it.
There was always a second chance, you just had to reach out and grab it before it was too late.
I really liked this book. It was pretty short, but it covered everything so I don't feel short changed. Plus it was exactly what I was in the mood for. I can't stand it when stories are dragged out and repetitive just to make them longer so I appreciate it when that isn't the case. This was just as long as it needed to be to tell the story.
I liked Kelsey and Miles more than I thought I was going to, especially considering how they started out in the beginning of the book. At first I really couldn't see how Miles would be able to come around and I'm a little surprised he did so that easily. The one thing that bugged me about that though was, towards the beginning, he says he knows the Cleaners are sketchy and they kidnap kids with para abilities and groom them to do what they want. I mean the guy has been around for a long time, so why does it never cross his mind that the Cleaners could be using something to leverage Kelsey into doing what they want?
Also, I noticed some reviews saying the French phrases and words didn't make much sense. But I don't speak French and I'm too lazy to even bother throwing them into the translator on Google, so this didn't bother me.
Finally, bonus points for making sure the cover model matched Kelsey's physical description. That shit is a huge pet peeve of mine, and it happens more often than not.
So to make a short story long… good story, I'll be continuing with the series, and the more I read the more I really love Heather R. Blair.
There was always a second chance, you just had to reach out and grab it before it was too late.
I really liked this book. It was pretty short, but it covered everything so I don't feel short changed. Plus it was exactly what I was in the mood for. I can't stand it when stories are dragged out and repetitive just to make them longer so I appreciate it when that isn't the case. This was just as long as it needed to be to tell the story.
I liked Kelsey and Miles more than I thought I was going to, especially considering how they started out in the beginning of the book. At first I really couldn't see how Miles would be able to come around and I'm a little surprised he did so that easily. The one thing that bugged me about that though was, towards the beginning, he says he knows the Cleaners are sketchy and they kidnap kids with para abilities and groom them to do what they want. I mean the guy has been around for a long time, so why does it never cross his mind that the Cleaners could be using something to leverage Kelsey into doing what they want?
Also, I noticed some reviews saying the French phrases and words didn't make much sense. But I don't speak French and I'm too lazy to even bother throwing them into the translator on Google, so this didn't bother me.
Finally, bonus points for making sure the cover model matched Kelsey's physical description. That shit is a huge pet peeve of mine, and it happens more often than not.
So to make a short story long… good story, I'll be continuing with the series, and the more I read the more I really love Heather R. Blair.
November 10, 2014
In Phoenix Rising we meet Kelsey, a human with psychic powers, and Miles, her vampire ex, ten years after a bitter breakup. When the pair reunite to solve a series of mysterious murders, we’re treated to both smoking hot sparks and a fair bit of bloodshed.
This may be a novella but it reads exactly like a full length novel. The level of emotion that Heather R. Blair fits into 83 pages is astounding. Love, hate, fear, jealously—it leaps off the pages, demanding to be felt by the reader. Kelsey is interesting and likeable, but the conflict warring inside Miles steals the show! We see good men straddling the line of darkness in many books in this genre, but Blair executes it so realistically that I couldn’t tell which side he’d fall on from one chapter to the next. My only complaint was that it ended. I could have easily spent days wrapped up in this story.
This may be a novella but it reads exactly like a full length novel. The level of emotion that Heather R. Blair fits into 83 pages is astounding. Love, hate, fear, jealously—it leaps off the pages, demanding to be felt by the reader. Kelsey is interesting and likeable, but the conflict warring inside Miles steals the show! We see good men straddling the line of darkness in many books in this genre, but Blair executes it so realistically that I couldn’t tell which side he’d fall on from one chapter to the next. My only complaint was that it ended. I could have easily spent days wrapped up in this story.
April 24, 2015
***I received this novella in exchange for an honest review from the goodreads group LOP, or Lovers of Paranormal.***
Phoenix rising was a quick and enjoyable read. I thought there was exactly enough in back story to understand who the characters were as well as their histories with each other. I particularly liked Jules, and I'm excited that the next book centers on him. I did wish Kelsey had more fight in her throughout the story, but she made up for it big time by the end. I will definitely continue reading this series.
Phoenix rising was a quick and enjoyable read. I thought there was exactly enough in back story to understand who the characters were as well as their histories with each other. I particularly liked Jules, and I'm excited that the next book centers on him. I did wish Kelsey had more fight in her throughout the story, but she made up for it big time by the end. I will definitely continue reading this series.
October 2, 2014
What a great story. It sucked me right in. I felt so bad for Kelsey and yet I empathized with Miles. Both had such a raw deal. Hard to believe this was a short story. The author did a great job at packing in so much emotion. Vivid descriptions and imagery made me feel like I was physically with them. I want a sequel with these two. :)
May 20, 2017
I got this book free of charge in exchange of an honest review (Lovers of Paranormal). The following review contains spoilers.
Rating 6 of 10
Obviously I expected more. The summary sounded absolutely captivating and I couldn't wait to get my hands on the story. But... even if the plot was interesting, it wasn't really developed. The potential was there for sure, but got lost in meaningless sex scenes. The book is 86 pages long only and in 50 of them the main characters are either remembering how they have had sex, have sex or imagine to have sex. The romance got lost too. For the same reason. We barely saw the characters have other interaction but sex. The only thing that came to mind to them when thinking of each other was sex and hurt. Nothing bad with that, it's just not love, it's pure lust. Or maybe it's just me, because I do not necessary connect sex with love. Love for me is in the time spent together - talking, joking, little things you remember about the other like how they like their coffee or tea, how they prefer to sleep and so on. Things that weren't there.
Now enough of what I didn't like in the story. What I did like? First, the plot(as much as it was there) was actually good. Would have appreciated if they haven't figured out who the killer is so fast but the idea was good. Second, I loved Kelsey. Mostly because she didn't play the damsel in distress and waited for someone to save her. She is strong, she is smart and she knows it. She doesn't let herself be brainwashed and manipulated. I would love to see more of her and also more of Jules. Really hope next installments concentrate more on the plot than on the sex and will surely read them. Best part of the book - Miles' "No, I thought I will give her time to save herself."
Rating 6 of 10
Obviously I expected more. The summary sounded absolutely captivating and I couldn't wait to get my hands on the story. But... even if the plot was interesting, it wasn't really developed. The potential was there for sure, but got lost in meaningless sex scenes. The book is 86 pages long only and in 50 of them the main characters are either remembering how they have had sex, have sex or imagine to have sex. The romance got lost too. For the same reason. We barely saw the characters have other interaction but sex. The only thing that came to mind to them when thinking of each other was sex and hurt. Nothing bad with that, it's just not love, it's pure lust. Or maybe it's just me, because I do not necessary connect sex with love. Love for me is in the time spent together - talking, joking, little things you remember about the other like how they like their coffee or tea, how they prefer to sleep and so on. Things that weren't there.
Now enough of what I didn't like in the story. What I did like? First, the plot(as much as it was there) was actually good. Would have appreciated if they haven't figured out who the killer is so fast but the idea was good. Second, I loved Kelsey. Mostly because she didn't play the damsel in distress and waited for someone to save her. She is strong, she is smart and she knows it. She doesn't let herself be brainwashed and manipulated. I would love to see more of her and also more of Jules. Really hope next installments concentrate more on the plot than on the sex and will surely read them. Best part of the book - Miles' "No, I thought I will give her time to save herself."
April 23, 2015
I was given this title by Lovers of Paranormal for an honest review.
In only 88 pages Ms. Blair has created a full story where nothing feels overly rushed, the characters are developed, and the plot is complex. In a world filled with supernatural creatures, Blair's flowing prose gives insight into the tortured souls of her two main characters. They both suffer from broken hearts. He tries to understand how he can still love the woman who betrayed him. Her life has become one filled with regret and penance. She lost more than her lover that day and is crushed under the weight of those losses. If only he'd given her a chance to explain...but would it have made any difference? When she hears he's back in town, she can only wonder if he's come to kill her. Instead he needs her help in the form of her unusual para-tracking abilities. To team up they must put aside the past, but can they?
This is a great though short read and I will be looking for more of Ms. Blair's works.
In only 88 pages Ms. Blair has created a full story where nothing feels overly rushed, the characters are developed, and the plot is complex. In a world filled with supernatural creatures, Blair's flowing prose gives insight into the tortured souls of her two main characters. They both suffer from broken hearts. He tries to understand how he can still love the woman who betrayed him. Her life has become one filled with regret and penance. She lost more than her lover that day and is crushed under the weight of those losses. If only he'd given her a chance to explain...but would it have made any difference? When she hears he's back in town, she can only wonder if he's come to kill her. Instead he needs her help in the form of her unusual para-tracking abilities. To team up they must put aside the past, but can they?
This is a great though short read and I will be looking for more of Ms. Blair's works.
April 20, 2015
** I received this book in exchange for an honest review. Lovers of Paranormal, LoP**
'Phoenix Rising' pulled me is from the start and didn't let go. This is a quick read, but full of action, adventure and romance. The storyline was well written. I enjoyed the way it played out. There are some erotic hot and steamy scenes. The characters were great. Kelsey was a good lead. She is a strong willed woman with a deep pain that pushes her to thrive. Miles is headstrong and forgiving isn't exactly in his nature. I look forward to reading more in this series. A great add to your tbr list.
'Phoenix Rising' pulled me is from the start and didn't let go. This is a quick read, but full of action, adventure and romance. The storyline was well written. I enjoyed the way it played out. There are some erotic hot and steamy scenes. The characters were great. Kelsey was a good lead. She is a strong willed woman with a deep pain that pushes her to thrive. Miles is headstrong and forgiving isn't exactly in his nature. I look forward to reading more in this series. A great add to your tbr list.
May 6, 2015
I was torn between giving this book four and five stars, but the main reason I was leaning toward four stars was because I wanted more, I wanted the story to be longer. That's not to say that the story isn't complete, well-written, and intriguing, because it's all those things. I'm just saying that I really loved the characters and the story, and I wanted more. So five stars is the only fair rating for this fast-paced, fun read.
January 23, 2016
I really enjoyed this novella - Kelsey and Miles were great characters - and this was one hot second chance romance. However, I will say that I really, really wish the author would have written their love story when they initially met. Wow. That would have been awesome. Even still, I was entertained throughout and was happy they got their HEA.
November 14, 2014
It’s exactly what you are picturing: the mythical firebird rises from the ashes of its death. It sounds like a likely metaphor for a vampire, but the burning bird represents a woman with special “psych-para” talents. These skills have gotten her into a lot of trouble.
Kelsey Daeger didn’t ask to be brainwashed and forced to work undercover, uncovering monsters that live among us. She didn’t ask to fall in love with a Parisian vampire. But if she could ask for one thing, it would be forgiveness. Oh Miles. Oh Kelsey. You two made magic a decade ago, but now, the duo makes a dangerous combination.
“You only get one chance at sharing a soul…”
Heather Blair can write a heart-wrenching, neck-biting story of death, desire and denial. Not necessarily in that order! Halfway between horror and hot, the action plays between the past plot and the frightening relationship between the two main characters.
Since I was an art history major I loves me some Van Gogh and Degas. Throw in Paris, and I’m in love. Mon amie. This book is filled with lots French phrases and flashbacks. I read this on Kindle: there were some formatting and editing mistakes but they did not interfere with the perfect plot.
Don’t forget to read the epilogue! It’s brilliant!
Technically, this is one of the first paranormal romances I have ever read, but it felt like an urban fantasy, especially since there is another novel in this series – Phoenix Fallen -- soon to be released. This author also has two other books published in 2014: Shivers: 9 Dark & Twisted Tales and Smoke in Moonlight, Celtic Elementals Book 1.
Kelsey Daeger didn’t ask to be brainwashed and forced to work undercover, uncovering monsters that live among us. She didn’t ask to fall in love with a Parisian vampire. But if she could ask for one thing, it would be forgiveness. Oh Miles. Oh Kelsey. You two made magic a decade ago, but now, the duo makes a dangerous combination.
“You only get one chance at sharing a soul…”
Heather Blair can write a heart-wrenching, neck-biting story of death, desire and denial. Not necessarily in that order! Halfway between horror and hot, the action plays between the past plot and the frightening relationship between the two main characters.
Since I was an art history major I loves me some Van Gogh and Degas. Throw in Paris, and I’m in love. Mon amie. This book is filled with lots French phrases and flashbacks. I read this on Kindle: there were some formatting and editing mistakes but they did not interfere with the perfect plot.
Don’t forget to read the epilogue! It’s brilliant!
Technically, this is one of the first paranormal romances I have ever read, but it felt like an urban fantasy, especially since there is another novel in this series – Phoenix Fallen -- soon to be released. This author also has two other books published in 2014: Shivers: 9 Dark & Twisted Tales and Smoke in Moonlight, Celtic Elementals Book 1.
July 27, 2014
I was absolutely blown away by Phoenix Rising. The first thing I did when I finished it was head over to Amazon to see if there are any more books about Kelsey & Miles and their world, because I NEED MORE.
Heather's writing is beautiful; it's assured, evocative, poetic, and professional, and just a joy to read. I'd almost given up on vampire fiction, because I've read so many titles I haven't enjoyed lately, but THIS is how it should be done! Tense, sexy, dangerous, dark and damaged. Heather somehow manages to wrap a fast-paced plot in beautiful language and control a layered plot within a narrow wordcount that leaves the reader satisfied on one level, and aching for more on another. Hats off!
So many exciting ideas and so much history were packed into this novella that it could easily have been worked into a novel. In such a concentrated form though it packs a really powerful punch; it's like being teased with a glimpse of a world that you want to spend all your time in, and then when it ends, you let out a little whisper of disappointment. Or in my case, you yell and sob and wake up your other half.
A wonderful read :)
Heather's writing is beautiful; it's assured, evocative, poetic, and professional, and just a joy to read. I'd almost given up on vampire fiction, because I've read so many titles I haven't enjoyed lately, but THIS is how it should be done! Tense, sexy, dangerous, dark and damaged. Heather somehow manages to wrap a fast-paced plot in beautiful language and control a layered plot within a narrow wordcount that leaves the reader satisfied on one level, and aching for more on another. Hats off!
So many exciting ideas and so much history were packed into this novella that it could easily have been worked into a novel. In such a concentrated form though it packs a really powerful punch; it's like being teased with a glimpse of a world that you want to spend all your time in, and then when it ends, you let out a little whisper of disappointment. Or in my case, you yell and sob and wake up your other half.
A wonderful read :)
July 26, 2014
The title in this book first drew me to it then I read what it was about, that cinched it had to read it. From the moment I opened it up and started reading I was levitated along to be quickly immersed. Miles comes to Kelsey seeking her aide even though it is the hardest thing I would say he has ever done. A love from the past for them both that had happened quickly and deeply. Now though there is great danger and there are those who have met gruesome deaths that he feels she can help locate who with her abilities. The flow of this novel is quick paced and intense with a dark and deep passion you experience from them both. The story is told quite fashionably for a novel such as this that you root continuously for them to get past the hurt and the pain to rekindle their relationship. Of course being he is a alpha male he does have huge amounts of pride. Danger is intense and action is quick with the loving being the kind that could burn. This is also a quick one that when you are at the end you go hum already I would of been able to read more even about these two. Received a arc for a honest review.
October 26, 2018
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review by Lop (Lovers of Paranormal)
Miles Rousseau and Kelsey Daeger fell in love 10 years ago. Kelsey’s betrayal caused a rift between them. Miles dumps her out on the street refusing to even hear her reasons.
10 yrs later whilst Kelsey has started her own company to help paranormals.
Following a spate of murders, Miles is forced to contact Kelsey for help.
At one point I was wondering if they would be able to solve the murders before killing each other.
This was a short story and I felt it focused more on the romance than it did the murders. I would have liked a more balanced story. But I did still enjoy this read.
The French or slight editing errors didn’t bother me. What did bother me was the text background. I read on a colored page on my device so the white background text on the copy I was given was difficult to read. This may have been intentional mind. But it did spoil the reading experience a little for me.
I am looking forward to reading book 2.
Miles Rousseau and Kelsey Daeger fell in love 10 years ago. Kelsey’s betrayal caused a rift between them. Miles dumps her out on the street refusing to even hear her reasons.
10 yrs later whilst Kelsey has started her own company to help paranormals.
Following a spate of murders, Miles is forced to contact Kelsey for help.
At one point I was wondering if they would be able to solve the murders before killing each other.
This was a short story and I felt it focused more on the romance than it did the murders. I would have liked a more balanced story. But I did still enjoy this read.
The French or slight editing errors didn’t bother me. What did bother me was the text background. I read on a colored page on my device so the white background text on the copy I was given was difficult to read. This may have been intentional mind. But it did spoil the reading experience a little for me.
I am looking forward to reading book 2.
April 29, 2015
I received a copy of the ePub from the Goodreads group Lovers of Paranormal (LoP) in exchange for an honest review.
Phoenix Rising by Heather R. Blair is a paranormal romance novella. Kelsey and Miles are forced to reunite due to unforeseen circumstances after a crushing breakup ten hears ago. Kelsey has paranormal abilities and Miles is a charming vampire from France—a most unlikely pair. From the start their chemistry is undeniable. Kelsey is part of an organization called the ‘Cleaners’ and this group adds an unusual layer to Phoenix Rising.
This is an entertaining and original read. The pace moves quickly and is filled with intense action packed scenes. The author cleverly goes back in time to clarify Kelsey and Miles relationship and important events. The insightful quotes at the beginning of each chapter are insightful as well. Kelsey and Miles’ journey is far from over. Looking forward to the next instalment.
Phoenix Rising by Heather R. Blair is a paranormal romance novella. Kelsey and Miles are forced to reunite due to unforeseen circumstances after a crushing breakup ten hears ago. Kelsey has paranormal abilities and Miles is a charming vampire from France—a most unlikely pair. From the start their chemistry is undeniable. Kelsey is part of an organization called the ‘Cleaners’ and this group adds an unusual layer to Phoenix Rising.
This is an entertaining and original read. The pace moves quickly and is filled with intense action packed scenes. The author cleverly goes back in time to clarify Kelsey and Miles relationship and important events. The insightful quotes at the beginning of each chapter are insightful as well. Kelsey and Miles’ journey is far from over. Looking forward to the next instalment.
April 29, 2015
Heather is a great writer and knows how to captivate her audience in her writing. Her story of Kelsey and Miles is very well written and both characters are nicely developed. With that being said, this is somewhat in between of a regular book and a shorter story, so managing to bring the main characters to the audience is not an easy task. I never felt rushed nor did it drag on too much. The only suggestion I have is to elaborate more on the climax of the story. This part was the most of the paranormal in this entire book and I thought would have deserved more attention.
Overall this is more of a love story with the underlying currents of paranormal than anything else, which I don't mind at all.
I look forward to see what this author will do with this series.
I have received this book from the author for an honest review. (LoP, Lovers of Paranormal)
Overall this is more of a love story with the underlying currents of paranormal than anything else, which I don't mind at all.
I look forward to see what this author will do with this series.
I have received this book from the author for an honest review. (LoP, Lovers of Paranormal)
April 28, 2015
This is a great short story. Miles is an old aristocratic French vampire. Kelsey is a human with paranormal abilities. We never learn too much about those abilities beyond her being able to track paranormals/supernaturals by their aura or magic and she can read intent to some extent. At a young age she is hijacked into “The Cleaners”, a radical group that hates and exterminates supernaturals (except their own). Her handler for some unknown reason hates her and wants her and Miles eliminated. The plot is fresh, the writing and editing are good. It’s a quick, enjoyable read with a fast moving pace and plenty of action. I’ll be looking for more from this author.
I received this book from LOP in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book from LOP in exchange for an honest review.
April 25, 2015
Oh man... This was AWESOME!!! From beginning to end, I was hooked! I did not want it to end. I liked how the back story was interwoven with the main plot so nothing was lost, and the French! Ooh la la! Loved it! Even though I had to look up the translations lol
The quotes at the beginning of each chapter was a nice touch. I found myself nodding in agreement to quite a few of them.
Overall, a great read. I'm glad they have forever with each other now :)
The quotes at the beginning of each chapter was a nice touch. I found myself nodding in agreement to quite a few of them.
Overall, a great read. I'm glad they have forever with each other now :)
March 18, 2016
**SPOILER FREE**
Was really surprised I liked this book as much as I did because this is really out of my area of reading. But am glad that I took it on as a review. The suspense alone sucks you in... Then.. Well, I don't do spoilers so you'll have to get a copy and read what we have all enjoyed!
*Received for an honest review*
Was really surprised I liked this book as much as I did because this is really out of my area of reading. But am glad that I took it on as a review. The suspense alone sucks you in... Then.. Well, I don't do spoilers so you'll have to get a copy and read what we have all enjoyed!
*Received for an honest review*
April 20, 2015
The story line ran choppy. It didn't run along at a smooth pace for me. There wasn't enough time for a good build up between the characters. The scene where he saved her from Reegan could have been prolonged and more in depth. I won't be read anymore from this series.
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