Tag: Eve Langlais

Review: C791 by Eve Langlais

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews
C791 by Eve LanglaisFormat read: ebook purchased from Amazon
Formats available: ebook, paperback
Genre: science fiction romance
Series: Cyborgs: More than Machines, #1
Length: 146 pages
Publisher: Self-published
Date Released: January 20, 2014
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Book Depository

Machines aren’t supposed to feel, but this cyborg can’t help falling in love.

Assigned as a specimen collector for a captured cyborg, Chloe is intrigued by the machine disguised as a man. Kidnapped during his daring escape, he shows her that despite the chip in his brain, his humanity is not completely lost.

Formerly known as unit X109GI, Joe is on a quest to discover his origin. While he doesn’t find the answers he’s looking for, he does discover that affection and lust aren’t just for humans. But when it comes to a battle between logic and love, which side will the cybernetic organism–once a man–choose?

Evaluating his feelings will have to wait though because the military isn’t done with Joe. But their threats against him pale in comparison before the shocking discovery of project C791, the revelation of which stuns the rebel cyborgs–and ignites a fury for vengeance.

It takes the touch of the right woman to remind this cyborg of his humanity.

My Review:

Two of the things I love about Eve Langlais’ books are her snarkier than snark dialog (which usually makes me laugh) and that her heroines are not cookie-cutter Barbie size 2’s. Even in a science fictional type story like C791, her heroines always feel more real because they aren’t supposedly perfect, just perfect for the hero.

C791 is the first book in her Cyborgs series, so it needs to both introduce the world she has created and fulfill Langlais’ trademark of being one hot love story. It works on both counts.

There have been lots of ways for futuristic stories to develop cyborgs, but it’s usually done by either converting a human with the addition of a few cybernetic parts (think Six Million Dollar Man) or by bringing an injured person back from the brink of death (or after) by taking away their previous identity when they are completely reprogrammed (think Robocop). In the latter situation, the military is almost always involved in some skullduggery.

The cyborgs in this series were created by the military, and they seem to have started with unwilling participants and then reprogrammed and brainwashed them. They know that they were once men, but not who they were.

However, like the Cylons in BSG, the cyborgs rebel. Not for any mysterious motives, but simply because the military decides to exterminate them all. A few of them have broken their programming, and don’t merely refuse to walk out the airlock, but reprogram their brethren to turn on their former “masters”.

I keep using words like “men” and “brethren” not because I’m using “men” as the universal word for “people”, but because as far as anyone knows, there are no female cyborgs. Of course, not everything that “everyone knows” is always the truth. The military has lied about absolutely everything involved with the cyborgs.

The cyborgs are hunting the galaxy for those involved with the program. Not just for revenge, but primarily for information. They don’t know how they were created, and they can’t reproduce biologically. (Like Data, they are fully functional, but they’re all shooting blanks)

Just as the cyborgs are creating their own culture, their leadership is all too aware that they are a dying race. And that’s where Joe’s story begins. He’s on a mission to find some of that information, and has allowed himself to be captured so that he can infiltrate the systems in this one particular lab while the military thinks they are torturing him. (How this works is very cool).

But as part of their testing, the military bring in a lab technician to take “samples”. Chloe is slightly clumsy and not the willowy type that is considered beautiful, but she is one of very few women on the military base. Her compassion for the cyborg as well as her own sweet nature break through the impassive shell that Joe has formed around himself.
So even though his wooing redefines rough (the cyborgs are not all that socially ept) his desire to protect Chloe, and simply his unrelenting desire for him, wins Chloe’s heart. Chloe lets herself be swept along, even though she doesn’t believe that Joe can return all of her feelings.

Then her secret is revealed, and she’s not sure she can survive all the negative feelings that she has engendered among the entire cyborg colony. Or if she is worth loving at all.

Escape Rating B+: If you are looking for a short and very sexy sci-fi romance to sweep you away, then C791 just might fill the bill. Or any other craving that happens to be in need of filling.

Just like all of Eve Langlais’ books, this one is absolutely fry your circuits hot. But there is also a very cool sci-fi story mingled with the sex.

The story of the cyborg rebellion, how it started and where they are in the development of their own society, would make for good SF with or without the romance. There have been other series where the military has been overcome or outwitted by people they have made other than human and enslaved (Lora Leigh’s Breeds series comes to mind), but the worldbuilding that creates these more than humans is off to a great start.

Chloe, the heroine, often seems like a bit too much of a victim, but when all is revealed, her reasoning, and her courage in the face of overwhelming circumstances, shines through. Joe, as the leader of the cyborgs, makes a terrific hero. He’s not just brave and self-sacrificing, but he’s also endearingly awkward as he falls in love. He’s the ultimate geek hero.

So far, there are four more books in this series, and I can’t wait to scoop up each and every yummy bite.

SFRQ-button-150x100This review originally appeared in Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly.

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money or borrowed from a public library and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

The Sunday Post AKA What’s On My (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand? 8-19-12

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

It’s so hard to believe that we’re sliding down towards the end of summer, isn’t it? But we really are.

High temperatures in Atlanta seemed to have finally dropped out of the 90s. Only down into the high 80s, mind you, but out of the 90s. It’s some kind of progress. Less beastly. I love winters in the South, but the summers are probably a foretaste of Hell. (I reviewed one of Eve Langlais‘ Hell books this week, I loved it, but her Hell sounds like the U.S. Deep South for climate)

It’s good to be home. The cats missed us. They’ve mostly forgiven us for leaving them. (If you are owned by cats, you know exactly what I mean!)

 

So what’s happening at Reading Reality this week? Let’s get out the old calendar (actually Google calendar) and take a look…

 

After Monday’s Ebook Review Central feature, which is the June multi-publisher post, this week we have…drumroll please…

Tuesday I’ll be reviewing Only Scandal Will Do by Jenna Jaxon as part of a tour from Sizzling PR. Only Scandal Will Do is a terrific historical romance romp which starts with the absolutely opposite of a “meet cute”. The heroine gets sold to the hero at an auction in a whorehouse! This shouldn’t end well, and it doesn’t in the beginning, but of course it does in the end!

 

Wednesday is for The Memory of Roses. That’s not a commemorative, it’s a book by Blaire McDowell. Ms. McDowell also wrote Delighting In Your Company, a ghost/historical romance that I found, well, absolutely delightful when I reviewed it in June. So I couldn’t resist The Memory of Roses when it popped up on this Bewitching Books Tour.

 

Thursday I’ll be interviewing Gwyn Cready, the author of Timeless Desire. Since I’ve already reviewed Timeless Desire, I’ll be very interested to see what she has to say. The book was very good, a kind of Outlander-lite. And that feels right to me, after all, the subtitle is “An Outlander Love Story”.

 

Speaking of cats (well, we were a few paragraphs ago)…on Friday, I’ll have a guest post from Jacqueline M. Battisti, the author of The Guardian of Bastet as part of a tour from Bewitching. I’ll also be reviewing the book. I couldn’t resist. Bastet is the cat goddess.

And that all makes for one busy week!

But looking ahead to the next week, there’s one big event already on the calendar. Susan Wiggs’ will be here for an interview on Thursday, August 30 to celebrate her new book, Return to Willow Lake. And I’ll be doing a review. Naturally.

And then, and then, and then…it will be Labor Day. And Dragon*Con. Where did the summer go again?

Interview with Eve Langlais on Demonically Tempting Heroes

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Author Interviews> Author Q&A> blog tours

Today’s guest at Reading Reality, Eve Langlais,  is here to tempt you to read, not just her latest book, A Demon and His Witch, but all of her her previous forays into the lighter and sexier side of the Underworld, alien abductions, cyborg sex, and every other this or other-worldly variation her mind can think of.

A Demon and His Witch was my first trip to one of Eve Langlais’ laugh-out-loud, good time rides, and I’m already hooked. Take a look at my review and see if you’re not demonically tempted by this demon. (Just look at that cover picture. He’s temptation enough) Me, I’ve already started on another one of Eve’s books, The Geek Job.

Now let’s hear a few worlds from the temptress herself…

Marlene: Eve, can you please tell us a bit about yourself? What happens to Eve in her non-writing life?

Eve: In my non writing life I’m usually reading or wrangling kids lol. My ‘mom’ duties take up most of my free time, but I love it!

Marlene: In your bio you manage to use the words “Walmart”, “werewolves” and “aliens” in pretty close proximity. Help us all understand how that even works?

Eve: I love Walmart, even if my credit card doesn’t. For a family of five, it’s the place to shop for everything from clothes, to toys at Christmas, to just about everything. My heroines are often normal, just like me . They have to shop on a budget. They’re not quite perfect, maybe a little chunkier than society deems acceptable. My heroines might have differing self confidence levels and ways of dealing with the world, but they all have that special something about them that makes aliens and werewolves fall head over heels in love. Is there anything sexier than a male realizing that despite the fact a woman has a few extra pounds and maybe a prickly exterior, she’s his soulmate – whether she agrees or not? LOL.

Marlene: Describe a typical day of writing for us. Are you a planner, or do you just let the story flow?

Eve: I write Monday to Friday from about 9am until about 2 pm. The only outline is in my mind, although I do have notes about my characters and the world scattered all over my desk. My writing space is not neat by any means.

Marlene: Your books could be described as erotica with plot. What made you choose to focus on the erotic side of the romance equation in your writing?

Eve: Sex is a big part of romance. When I read a story where the characters are connecting on several levels, I don’t just want to read about the emotional changes they undergo, I want to see the sexual seduction. I want to recapture that first moment you fall in love with someone. I want to feel  the awareness, the hot connection that comes from a budding relationship where everything from how he looks at you, to how he touches you makes you feel so alive – and aroused. That to me is one of the best parts of falling love which is why I like my sex scenes to be explicit, hot, and squirm-in-your-chair worthy.

Marlene: On the other hand, the lovers in your trysts are not shy about breaking any of the rules or boundaries. Not just shapeshifters, but aliens, demons, cyborgs, (and any number or combination of any of the above) everything floats someone’s boat in your worlds. What’s your inspiration? Or who? 😉

Eve: My inspiration? LOL. I write what I think is hot. Alien abduction? Awesome (and possible!) Demons with attitude? Wicked – and who doesn’t love the idea of reforming a bad boy like that. Do some of my hot males share some of my hubby’s characteristics? Absolutely, which is why they’re not perfect and often drive my heroines batty.

Marlene: Could you tell us a little bit about A Demon and His Witch? Tempt everyone to read the book!

Eve: A Demon and His Witch is a humorous romp into my version of Hell. You’ve got Remy, a panty dropper of a male, who is paired with a witch who’d rather see all men die. But she’s got good reasons. Her ex boyfriend watched her burn at the stake and she never got over it. When Lucifer pairs her up with Remy to find some missing souls, when she doesn’t want to kill him, she remembers what it’s like to feel like a woman. She doesn’t have a choice because Remy is the king of sexual innuendo, and he throws corny pickup lines, one after another at Ysabel. She wants to hate him, she really does, but in the end, he chips away the armor around her heart and in the end, she can’t help but fall in love.

Marlene: Since I have a demonic feeling you love all the characters in A Demon and His Witch (or possibly just love tormenting them), what’s your favorite scene?

Eve: I can’t tell my favorite scene, because it’s a pivotal turning point in their relationship, but my second actually is between the heroine and Remy’s mother. Poor Ysabel gets caught in Remy’s bedroom, wearing next to nothing by Remy’s mom. Most people would find that awkward, but add in a mother who’s lost a few marbles and rips off her undies so she’s in style and you’ve got snort out loud hilarious.

Marlene: What was the first moment you knew you wanted to write?

Eve: When I was a kid, I loved to scribble down stories. I excelled in my creative writing class and had dreams of writing something epic. Then real life interfered for 20 years lol. But, I think that break gave me the life experiences I needed to make my stories believable –  and hot.

Marlene: What book do you recommend everyone should read and why?

Eve: Depends on what you like. If I’m looking for great urban fantasy, I go to Jim Butcher. Horror, early Stephen King. Mystery is Tess Gerritsen. Hot hunks written by someone else, Laurann Dohner. A giggle with your romance, ME! LOL

Marlene: You’ve already said that there will be more books in this series. So can you give us a hint or are you just going to torment us more? What is next on your schedule??

Eve: Book three for Welcome To Hell is currently stewing in my brain, but it’s got to wait as I’m finishing up work on Already Freakn’ Mated, third in my Freakn’ Shifter series. Then, I might just tackle Freakn 4 because I’ve already got a great storyline in mind LOL. Then, I have to do an alien story! I’m feeling sci-fi withdrawal. But after that, we’ll probably see Welcome to Hell 3 (with a Scottish demon lol) and a third Cyborg book.

Marlene: Now can you tell us 3 reasons why people should read your books?

Eve: Funny. Hot. And most of all, romantic.

Marlene: Morning person or night owl?

Eve: Morning! I’m lucky if I  can sleep in until 6 am lol.

Eve, it is so completely appropriate that your name is Eve! You absolutely are a temptress–tempting everyone to read your wonderfully sexy, naughty, and funny (very funny) stories. (Yes, the scene with Ysabel and Remy’s mother was both hilarious and cute at the same time.) Lots of people think they have the in-laws from Hell, but in Hell, everyone does! 

For a good time, read Eve!

Review: A Demon and His Witch by Eve Langlais

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | A Reviews> blog tours> book reviews

There are absolutely no great literary themes or deeper meanings to be found in A Demon and His Witch by Eve Langlais. And frankly, if all the demons look like the one on the cover of the book, who the hell cares? Seriously, that man has got something, and if Hell can just bottle it, they’ll have a fortune in souls. Yum. Make that YUM!

When I said there were no deeper themes, I lied. Just a little. (What can you expect in a story where Lucifer, Prince of Lies, is the big boss?)

Ysabel is Lucifer’s assistant. When I say assistant, I mean his administrative assistant. Because Hell mostly works like the worst bureaucracy you’ve ever seen. (What did you expect?) Lucifer really, really needs an Admin to deal with the paperwork!

Why is Ysabel in Hell? Because she’s a witch. A spellcasting witch. One who was burned at the stake in ye olde Dark Ages. These things happened. But the folks who burned her at the stake, well, let’s say they really honked Ysabel off. Her lover’s mother didn’t want to let go of her not-so-little boy, so she led the torch-wielding brigade. The boyfriend didn’t just let it happen, he stood around and watched. With her last breath, Ysabel sold her soul to damn the whole lot of them to Hell.

She didn’t read the fine print in the contract. No one ever does. Five of the a**hats escaped, and Ysabel’s true torments began. It turns out that working in Lucifer’s office isn’t all that bad compared to re-experiencing your own personal burning-at-the-stake every single day.

Of course, if she recaptures her tribe of escaped miscreants, her little fire-show will go away again. But Ysabel is a witch, not a tracker. Lucifer has just the tracker in mind. Of course he does.

Ysabel doesn’t trust men. Not after her first and only lover let his mother burn her at the stake. Would you? So who does Lucifer send her? Hell’s best-known stealer-of-hearts and female panties, the name and number on every female restroom wall in Hell, “For a good f*** call Remy”.

Remy is one of Lucifer’s best trackers. A half-human, half-demon warrior with a string of commendations and a sweet but totally insane demon mother.

And a man who spouts some of the worst and funniest pick-up lines in history. But they work. Even on Ysabel. And isn’t she one surprised witch.

Especially when he brings her home to meet his mother.

Escape Rating A-: This is sweeter than you might expect from the story premise. Which doesn’t mean that it isn’t every bit as snarky, funny and sexy as you do expect from the blurb, because it absolutely is all of those things. But the love story between Ysabel and Remy has it’s surprisingly touching moments.

In order for love to work, even a demon and a witch in Hell need to trust each other for true love to blossom. They have to work pretty hard to get to their happily ever after. Even writing that seems strange–a happily ever after in Hell? But it happens for Ysabel and Remy. Since this is Hell, there’s a miserably ever after for others.

But the twisted way that Lucifer justifies his matchmaking is screamingly funny. After all, he can’t be good without explaining why his good time is going to be bad for someone else…eventually.

Pick this one up expecting a Hell of a good time. And a sequel, because Lucifer has matchmaking plans. Now that he’s been such a terrific success out-cupiding Cupid, he’s got another couple in mind. Look out for A Demon and his Psycho. I know I will.

The Sunday Post AKA What’s On My (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand? 8-12-12

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | blog tours> The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

Have blog, will travel. I’m in Pittsburgh, PA, and the HP Notebook Smart Power Adapter turns out to be both smart and pretty darn adaptable.

We’re in Pittsburgh for a family re-union (part of me wants to type family “re-onion”–layers, tears–and it’s not even my family) and I only packed half the power adapter for the laptop. These things happen in the best families.

Best Buy is everywhere. Us geeks really have taken over the world. Spare power adapters don’t actually SAY they cover a two-year old laptop. But the HP turns out to be universal. Here we are.

And is there ever a ton of stuff going on at Reading Reality! After the usual Monday Madness that is Ebook Review Central, there will be three author interviews this week. What was I thinking?

Tuesday my guest will be Jane Kindred, the author of The Fallen Queen and The Midnight Court, the first two parts of her House of Arkhangel’sk trilogy. Jane’s going to talk about angels and demons, politics and history, love and kink, and the Snow Queen. Intrigued? Stop by on Tuesday.

 

While this isn’t quite Russia week, my guest on Wednesday will be Irina Lopatina, who doesn’t just write about Russian folklore, she actually lives in Siberia. Really, truly. As part of a tour from TLC Books, I had the opportunity to interview her as well as review her debut fantasy, White Raven: The Sword of Northern Ancestors.

 

Things should warm up a bit (a lot!) on Thursday, when my guest will be Eve Langlais, for an interview and a review of her latest book, A Demon and His Witch. All of Eve’s stories are on the steamy side, but Demon is the start of Eve’s new series, Welcome to Hell, so, I expect things to be nice and toasty heading into the weekend.

As if Atlanta hasn’t been hot enough this summer!