UNDISCOVERED (Amoveo Rising #1) by Sara Humphreys-Review, Excerpt & Giveaway
UNDISCOVERED
Amoveo Rising #1
by Sara Humphreys
Release Date: March 7, 2017
Genre: adult, contemporary, paranormal romance
Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / BAM /ibooks
ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 7, 2017
He’s the man of her dreams
A long time ago, Zander Lorens was cursed to walk the earth stripped of his Dragon Clan powers. Every night, trapped in a recurring nightmare, Zander relives his darkest moment. He can hardly believe it when the dream changes and a beautiful young woman appears. Zander believes she’s the key to ending his torment. Finding her in the real world is one thing, but how will he convince her of who-and what-she really is?
She’s the end to his nightmare
Rena McHale uses her unique sensitivity as a private investigator, touting herself as a “human divining rod” and finder of the lost. By day she struggles with sensory overload, and by night her sleep is haunted by a fiery dragon shifter. Nothing in her life makes sense, until the man from her dreams shows up at her door with a proposition..
••••••••••
REVIEW: UNDISCOVERED is the first installment in Sara Humphreys’ contemporary AMOVEO RISING paranormal romance series-a spin of from her AMOVEO LEGEND series. This is dragon shifter Zander Lorens, and private investigator Rena McHale’s story line. You do not have to have read the previous series to understand the story line premise. Any important information is revealed where necessary.
SOME BACKGROUND: The Amoveo are an ancient race of telepathic, dream walking shape shifters who hide their identity behind a human façade. If a male Amoveo has not found his mate by the time he has turned thirty, he will begin to lose his ‘animal other’ and live out the rest of his life as human; if an Amoveo loses his or her mate, they will slowly lose the ability to shift and die a lonely death. The Amoveo’s continued war with the Purists finds the Amoveo and the newly discovered ‘hybrids’ seeking refuge at the Royal compound where shifters and their mates are protected from the outside world. Not all shape-shifters are considered Amoveo, some are ancient cousins thought to no longer exist.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Zander and Rena) using present day, dream walking and memories from the past, UNDISCOVERED is the story of family, brotherhood, betrayal and love. For close to 500 years Zander Lorens and his twin brother Zed have been living a nightmare. Cursed to walk the earth without the ability to shift Zander struggles with the reality that his twin is caught between life and death. Hoping to release his brother from a prison not of his making Zander approaches the woman who has starred in his dreams-the dreams he believes will answer his brother’s cries. What ensues is the building relationship between Zander and Rena, and Rena’s struggle to convince Zander that she is his mate.
Rena is somewhat of an anomaly in the human world. With the ability to ‘see’ the past through touch our heroine uses her abilities to as a private investigator. Orphaned at an early age Rena never found the love of a family until a ‘grifter’ from the street taught Rena how to survive. Zander and his brother Zed are the last of their kind but a 500 year old curse threatens to keep the brothers apart for all of eternity and Zander hopes that Rena McHale is the key to solving their problem.
The relationship between Zander and Rena begins as a business arrangement. Zander believes Rena is his brother’s mate, and her presence will bring back the brother with whom he battles in their nightly dreams. There is plenty of sexual tension and frustration, back and forth as Zander struggles with his attraction to the woman he believes is his brother’s mate. The $ex scenes are intimate but limited.
For fans and readers of Sara’s THE AMOVEO LEGEND series you will be happy to know that several characters cross over for familiarity and cohesion including Dante and Kerry, Prince Dominic and his mate Tatiana, William and Layla.
UNDISCOVERED is a story of heartbreak and loss; one family’s struggle to move forward from the past, and one brother’s mistaken belief that he is to blame for his brother’s trauma. The premise is imaginative and intriguing; the characters are colorful, confident and intelligent; the romance is passionate but struggles with our hero’s inability to see the truth. UNDISCOVERED is an engaging tale of destined mates.
Copy supplied by the publisher through Netgalley
Reviewed by Sandy
“I know you’re out there! I heard you coming up the stairs.” Her voice was muffled but welcoming. “Come on in. We have paperwork to deal with.”
Zander balanced the coffee tray carefully and opened the door before quickly stepping inside. His secret hope that she would somehow be less attractive than yesterday was swiftly squelched when he got an eyeful of her. Wearing a well-fitted brown leather jacket, a clingy black blouse, jeans that seemed to be painted onto her rounded derriere, and a pair of tall, black boots, she looked even more desirable than the day before.
He must have stood there staring for longer than was socially acceptable because the look on her face quickly shifted to one of concern.
“What?” She brushed at her blouse and closed the file cabinet drawer. “Did I get something on my shirt?”
“No.” He looked away quickly and adjusted the tray of coffee in his hands.
“You look fine.”
“Gee, thanks,” Rena said with a sigh. “Just the level of awesome I was going for.”
He had insulted her. Perfect. Sure. This was exactly how he wanted to start their journey. Could he be a bigger asshat? Rena must have been asking herself the same question because she gave him the side eye before opening the folder in her hands.
“Please, sit down.” She slipped into the chair behind her desk and gestured to the seat across from her. “I have the forms you need to fill out a—”
“Black, right?” Zander placed the cardboard cup on the desk along with the bag and sat in the chair across from her. “I wasn’t sure what you wanted for breakfast, so I got a couple of options. There’s a chocolate doughnut, a bagel, and in case you’re one of those non-carb eaters, I threw in some beef jerky and a cheese stick.”
“Thank you,” Rena said slowly.
She stared at the coffee for a few seconds before finally picking it up. Her energy signature rippled as her fingers curled around the cup and those big, brown eyes widened slightly. He had obviously surprised her. Good. He liked knowing he could ruffle her tough exterior. This was a woman who tried to act like she had it all together, and for the most part, she probably did.
Zander blew on the steaming cup in his hands and tried to hide a satisfied smirk. Rena studied him warily and opened the lid, peeking at the liquid inside before closing it up again.
“You did say you take your coffee black, didn’t you?”
“Yes.” The word fell from her lips slowly. “Thank you.”
She glanced in the bag and, to his great delight, pulled out the chocolate doughnut and proceeded to take a big bite.
“That’s really flipping delicious,” she said around a mouthful the pastry.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it. It’s refreshing to meet a woman who isn’t afraid to indulge in something sweet or worried about getting fat.”
He liked women with curves. It gave a man something to hold on to, and Rena McHale certainly had a body he would—
What the hell was he thinking?
Zander cleared his throat and sat up straighter in the chair. Rena was about to take another bite, but the doughnut hovered in midair and she gave him yet another look that told him he was an idiot.
“I’m not saying you need to watch your weight. I just meant that—”
“Don’t worry about it,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“I’m sorry if I offended you. I’m not great with people and I put my foot in my mouth a lot.”
Why was he bringing her coffee and breakfast anyway? He should stick to business and keep the pleasantries to a minimum. Trying to be nice was only making it awkward between them.
“Then you and I should get along great,” she said with a laugh. “I’m not one to beat around the bush. I prefer being direct.”
“Yeah, I noticed.”
Rena’s intelligent eyes peered at him above the rim of her cup and she took another sip. Zander stilled as she studied him wordlessly. A surge of heat flashed in his chest as he held her gaze, and even though he wanted to blame it on the hot coffee, he knew that would have been a lie. There was no denying that she stirred something inside him, a deep, primal urge to claim her and mark her as his, but he also knew it was not to be.
Not if he wanted to free his brother.
FOLLOW: Website /Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads/
Sara is a graduate of Marist College, with a B.A. Degree in English Literature & Theater. Her initial career path after college was as a professional actress. Some of her television credits include, A&E Biography, Guiding Light, Another World, As the World Turns and Rescue Me.
In 2013 Sara’s novel UNTAMED won two PRISM awards–Dark Paranormal and Best of the Best. Sara has been a lover of both the paranormal and romance novels for years. Her sci-fi/fantasy/romance obsession began years ago with the TV Series STAR TREK and an enormous crush on Captain Kirk. That sci-fi obsession soon evolved into the love of all types of fantasy/paranormal; vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and of course shape shifters.
Sara is married to her college sweetheart, Will. They live in New York with their 4 boys. For a full list of Sara’s books and reading order, please visit her Website.
NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the tour provider:
Excellent review, thanks Sandy. Congrats to Sara on the new release.
Thanks for the wonderful review Sandy. I read a number of the books from the original Amoveo Legend series and enjoyed it very much.
Wonderful review, Sandy. Sounds great. Do you need to read the first series to read this one.
Terrific review, Sandy. I know I will like this series. Thanks.
Gret review have followed this series will pick this up.
Wonderful review, thanks Sandy. Congrats to Sara!
Another great review, thanks Sandy. Always finding new reads at The Reading Cafe.
Looks like a great new series, thanks Sandy. Congrats to Sara on the new release.