Everwinter

by R.J. Lloyd

Falling in love with a Vampire King was not part of my plan.

Typically, my daily routine is to get up, enjoy my hot chocolate, go to work at my book store, go home, cook, clean, read a book and go to bed.

Simple. Relaxing. Calm.

But not all days go as planned.

Nope. Some days, you get up, have your morning hot chocolate, go to work, head home only to be portalled to another world. I’ve done my best to try to fit in. But while changing my clothes seemed reasonable, sharing a bed with their king put an entirely new level of complication on things.

Try to sort out your day when that happens. Especially when nobody in your new surroundings knows how you got there, let alone how to get you home.

467 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 20, 2020

About the author

R.J. Lloyd started off as a romance writer under another pen name. However, R.J. is the side of this award winning, best selling author that delves into fantasy, sci-fi, supernatural, paranormal and all things action and spooky that she loves so much.

A Detroit area based author, R.J. writes both novels and short stories, always looking for the next interesting and slightly off kilter character to follow on an adventure with.

Reviews

[Christine Rains · Rating 4 out of 5]

Auriena is mysteriously transported to another world and realizes fast she isn't welcome. She meets a gorgeous stranger named Kanedraven who turns out to be the Vampire King of the realm. She finds herself drawn to him, and when she learns of a prophecy, Kane scoffs at it. He doesn't believe in such things, but the two of them cannot keep away from each other. There are those who would keep Auri from Kane's bed and kill her to make certain the prophecy won't happen, but she isn't without power herself. Will she live to love the land of her new home as much as she loves the Vampire King?

This gorgeous cover drew me to the book. Auri is a living grimoire, something from her past that I would love to learn more about. She's a witch with a powerful heritage and a woman with a compassionate heart. I'm jealous of her power to hold a book and instantly have read it. The Vampire King is strong, smart, and sexy as sin. I also very much liked his personal mercenary raider in Wulfgar. The world of Naelyra is huge and fascinating. The world building is fantastic! This story is immensely fast-paced. Prepare yourself for a thrilling fantasy and sizzling romance!

[Debbie Mathis PA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everwinter is the story of Auri and Kane. Auri Is a young woman who works in her mother's bookstore and just happens to be a practicing witch. One afternoon she goes home and decides to cleanse her crystals when suddenly a portal appears that pulls her through it's through to Naelyra. A planet where The inhabitants appear to be human however however Auri discovered discovers that there are vampires who coincide with the people of the planet.

When Auri arrives she meets Kane who appears to be a Warrior who agrees to help her find a way to get back to Earth. Kane tells her that he will take her back to his castle because it just so happens he is the king of the vampires.

This is a story of how they fall in love and we find that there's a prophecy that she is meant to fulfill and Kane will do anything to get her to stay by his side.

The author does a wonderful job of world and character building and reading this was like watching a movie for me. I guarantee you will not be disappointed if you give Everwinter a try!

[Courtney Delgado · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story in need of additional editing

I enjoyed this story and world as a whole. There is potential here for an epic romantic fantasy. The characters are unique and interesting. The main characters are fleshed out well and there is potential for several side characters to grow. I was invested enough to finish the book and I want to know what happens next (not a cliffhanger, but set-up to be a series).

However, the book could use additional editing for several reasons (consistency/flow, world-building, and grammar). I enjoyed the story enough to continue, but these editing issues could be distracting and frustrating for many readers. I also felt that the romance was sometimes distracting from the story (I acknowledge that as a preference issue).

Overall, if you are able to ignore the need for additional editing, this is an enjoyable read with potential to become a great series.

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the premise of the story is riveting the execution requires lots of patience. If you are a reader that can tolerate being told then this will work. The author does do well with the world building and intermediate action the story itself is one that is a slow burn. That's not always bad and in this case there is a compelling story hidden in the pages. A good editor would help smooth out the grammar and plot and easily make this a 5 star read. The thing is this is a new author and with it being her debut we see she has a lot to offer the literary world of adventure and by the end of this series have found the footing hopefully getting better with each release. I look forward to seeing what happens to these two and where they will end up. Although vampire's aren't my favorite I do love the combo of witch and vamp, along with the other characters that by the end are part of the family of people she now considers friends.

[M.R. Polish · Rating 5 out of 5]

A vampire king like no other

I love this world and the people in it. The characters are unique with great diversity. The world building though... huge!

If I can act like a spoiled fan girl for just one moment: Kane is mine. I saw him first lol.
He is the glue that wraps this world around his fingers and holds you to the page.

For those who need or like to know, this book is very adult. Full scenes and no closed doors.

[tburbr · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
The story line and character work were good. The book had a fairly smooth flow to it. This was a great start to a new series and I look forward to seeing what happens next.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[P. Enge · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely fun read!

Fantasy, adventure, romance, and a raunchy good time! This was not at all what I expected. If you are in the mood for escapism, this book is for you, you will not be disappointed. I look forward to reading more of the series.

[Bex_on_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was told I was gonna end up loving Kane and I didn't believe them. Well now I've finished it, i can firmly say I'm in the Kane fan club!
I found the insta love a little bit to much for me in the beginning, but I got past it pretty fast and fell in love with the story and characters. Wulfgar is just amazing... he is the best character for me and I hope he appears lots in the next book.
Would highly recommend to anyone that's asks. Can't wait for the next book.

[Cindy Fong · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read for me. There were times that I was fully sucked into the story and other times, I was just distracted and felt it dragged. As this is the first book there is a lot of detail of the World of Naelyra. Auriena an earthly human with magical abilities stumbles into a new world and of course hooks up with the powerful vampire king, Kane. I enjoyed how Auriena made Kane humble and we readers watch his transformation into a better man. I enjoyed a bunch of the side characters and I hope to get more of their stories in a future book. The ending battle had me with OMG. I am invested to see what happens to the characters next. This is a story of a couple insanely attracted to one another, of breaking bias and working for the greater good of their world.

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well this was a book of two halves for me. I wasn’t sucked into this alternative universe straight away. I think the adventure begins before the characters have time to be introduced and I found myself struggling to relate to Auriena or Kane. There wasn’t a lack of plot development, I simply felt detached from it. I was tempted to stop, but I’m truly glad I didn’t because slowly but surely the characters come to life and the plot becomes evermore intriguing.

This was a fascinating story with an abundance of diverse and interesting characters, and in spite of my initial reservations in the end I was completely hooked and the final scenes are epic...I received a copy of this book from the author via Quirky Blind Date with a Book

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world building is brilliant
The story flows well and sometimes it is not as obvious as you would think
The characters are hot AF
I will absolutely be reading the series as it unfolds.

Nice job!!!