She thought she had the perfect love and the perfect life. With the loss of her husband – her Dom – Calliope lost a part of herself. When she’s asked to photograph the new B&B building for Silas, a friend from the past, the two seem to hit off. He had always felt something for the little sub, but she was married and completely off limits… until now. But just when things start to look up, a … just when things start to look up, a presence from three hundred years ago makes herself known in a dramatic way.
This is a greatly expanded and revised version of the author’s bestselling ‘Master of the Sun’.
Publisher’s Note: This emotionally powerful, steamy paranormal romance contains themes of mystery, suspense, and power exchange.
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The diversity of this author can only be described one way, brilliant.
A Taste of Shine is a period piece that throws the reader back into the Chicago prohibition/bootlegging era and it’s a delight to behold. That infamous era of Al Capone and the Chicago mobs comes to life.
The characters are layered and believable and the plot line is engaging. Who knew criminals could be so ‘polite’.
I love the Emerson boys and Charlie certainly knows how to take care of herself, I can hardly wait for part two!
A taste of shine is a revamped and renamed A trick of the light. This book was also turned into a duet. If you read the previously released book don’t sleep on this revamp!!! Charlie is not what he appears to be, Charlie is tuff, has impeccable aim, and is not scared to be Charlie. This is a sweet Addison Cain book but still has the amazing writing that we’ve come to expect from AC. What do you get when you mix a badass heroine, the prohibition, small town life, a brooding alpha male and gunslingers…… A taste of Shine!!!
While this story was different from the other books I’ve read of Addison’s, I loved it just as much. The story is lighter but just as captivating. Charlie is my new favorite female character. She is so freakin’ strong and independent. She doesn’t need anyone in her life, or so she thinks, and she can be just as hard and dangerous as any man. She won’t take anyone telling her what to do and she won’t let anyone stop her from doing what she thinks needs to be done. Her horrible upbringing didn’t break her as much as it honed her. Mathew is the typical alpha male, though, and he thinks it’s his duty to protect and shelter her. The chemistry between them is explosive and it was so much fun to watch them fight for dominance! This isn’t the entire story, though, and I’m left wondering what surprises are in store. I’m going to try to be patient for the next book, but it isn’t going to be easy.
A great historical read. Charlie is a handful and the men in her life have trouble keeping up with her. Luckily, she knows how to handle herself and the rough crowd she hangs with. Matthew is a moonshiner and does his best to keep Charlie safe. At first, they are just friends but could more be on the horizon for these two? Great group of characters and a fun and entertaining story. I was hooked from beginning to end am looking forward to what Charlie has in store for us next. A great read.
Watching love bloom between rough-and-tumble Matthew and Charlie is like flowers on a cactus: beautiful and stabby. Charlie is exactly my type of leading lady; she is far from a helpless damsel, resourceful, tough, and with a heart made of something much better than gold. I have every confidence that take-charge Matthew will figure it out. I loved this story, set in the tail end of the Prohibition with all its problems. Gangsters, bounty hunters, and moonshine abound!
This has got to be the lightest work to date that I have read by this talented author: no matter this just proves that light or dark this lady could produce hallmark greeting cards and I’m gonna be right there praising up a storm about her ninja scribbling skills.
I Adored A Taste Of Shine: like so so much: set during Prohibition time this story is unlike anything I’ve read before and I devoured every morsel offered obsessively.
More of a slow burn than Addison’s usual style: this author proves here that she can do that gradual reeling in just as fabulously as her darker stories and without losing any of her trademark flair and finesse.
The characters here were such a fascinating varied bunch and each one was as multi-faceted as the next and by the time this drew to an end I so wasn’t anywhere ready yet to depart Monroe County and leave Charlie, Matthew, Nathaniel and Eli.
I really can’t wait to rejoin the whole gang in that final anticipated instalment.
A Taste of Shine is a re-release of A Trick of the Light it has been given a spit and polish and split into two parts: it’s a fabulous historical read of Gangsters, Prohibition, moonshine and romance and this story packed such a potent powerful punch.
I voluntary reviewed an Arc of A Taste of Shine (A Trick of the Light, #1).
All opinions expressed here are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/9460945-bex-beckie-bookworm
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Omg that ending..
Of all the books I’ve read from this author.. This is almost by far my favorite! I love dark romances and the whole omega/alpha storylines but my goodness gracious, this old school mobster yet purely innocent and light feeling romance is just.. Amazing. Perfection in historical romance
Talks of Al Capone and Scarface. Those back in the day gangsters. I’m so blown away by this book. The age they lived in and this heroine and her back story. I swallowed this book up, it was just fantastic. The ups and down, the reason for her nickname, her childhood and insecurities, the author could not make a more perfect character for that era. And the Emerson brothers, Charlie’s old gang, everything in the plot was just so darn perfect. I’m blown away at this author’s range and dynamics when it come to her writing. Wow
Omg I cannot wait for book two. This leaves you at a good spot to stop although its obviously not the end so I’m not sure if its called a cliffhanger or not haha but I will torturously wait for it.
I loved this book. To me, it was so different from all of Addison’s other books. It’s set in a time that you don’t find in many stories. Charlie is so strong and independent and everything she’s not supposed to be and I loved it all. Tough guy,Mathew, really grew on me and I connected with so many of these characters. Really looking forward to the next one.
Formerly the first part of A Trick of the Light. It has been polished up but the overall plot is still the same. This book shows how diverse a writer Addison Cain is, as she can write an amazing and captivating story set in a different genre than what she usually writes.
This book is much lighter and fun than what we usually get from Addison Cain, this does not make it any less fantastic. We meet Charlie the bounty hunter, who is actually just Charlotte, dressed up as a man. On the way to the Sing Sing she travels though Monroe, where she falls in love with place and a little with bootlegging Emerson family. When she returns as Charlotte, she really stirs the hornets nest, with her less than domestic ways. And it doesn’t make it any easier when her past in the mobster world comes knocking. Especially for Matthew Emerson, that against his steely stare is starting to like Charlotte despite or maybe because of all her flaws. This is really an amazing read, so even if it isn’t your usually type of thing, try it!
Ok, so I’m fairly new to Addison Cain, but I’ve devoured every black and twisted tale I’ve read from her. I love the dark!! So I was a bit apprehensive about this book as it is so much lighter than her usual fare. But, I needn’t have worried. The flawless writing and incredible storytelling that are present in her darker books are all present here. Making this upbeat HEA story just as absorbing and fulfilling as her dark, twisted tales!
Matt is just the kind of hero I like. Tough, grumpy and very sexy! Charlotte is kick ass!! I also love that it’s a historical romance, but not so far in the past that I cant relate to it. This would be a great book even without the romance. I loved this story and cant wait for the next one!
This was one of the best books I’ve read by Cain…and I absolutely love her writing!! There’s still a few alpha males and strong women but it’s one sweet story that pulls on your heartstrings and leaves you wanting more. Stunning story that needs to be read and shared.
I very much enjoyed this book, which was a surprise for me. 🙂
I’ve enjoyed reading the authors work online in the past, and own her other published books currently, which I enjoyed. I like my fiction science fiction or fantasy based, including my romances. A period piece from the Prohibition was not so much my thing, but the author’s a good writer so I was curious.
This book was very entertaining, with a nice blend of sexual tension and characters which were likable but still carried flaws which gave them more depth and realism. At times you wanted to shake your head and smack sense into them, and then smiled when they still managed to make things right. The time period lent an interesting sort of intrigue to things which kept me enraptured.
I like Charlie’s fire and independence. I liked all the Emerson boys and the way they played off each other so well. The change up from Chicago to Monroe kept things interesting as well, and let us see other points in history and setting while still keeping the flow and feel of the story.
This is a good read for most anyone, and I would recommend it.
What a surprise!
This book is a world away from Ms Cain’s sci-fi series. But a gem in it’s own right!
She transports the reader back to the prohibition era, when Al Capone, Bugs Moran and others ruled the underground in Chicago.
Charlie/Charlotte is a living, breathing contradiction. Raised under the tutelage of a Mafia boss she is a dangerously skilled bounty hunter and an exceptionally strong woman. While transporting a prisoner she accidentally ends up in a small town and is grudgingly helped by three brothers in her predicament.
Liking the small town and needing a break she comes back to stay for a while. Getting to know the brothers, Roadhouse owners by day, moonshiners the rest of the time, is a rare treat.
Charlotte learns to live more of her mostly neglected feminine side. And the slow, sometimes funny, wrought with misunderstandings, but undeniable relationship with one of the three brothers takes it’s inevitable course.
This is probably the happiest Addison Cain book I have read. I don’t usually read historical romance since they always seem to follow the same formula with little to no story, but I was pleasantly surprised with this book. The characters had a purpose, and Charlie was a strong woman that could take care of herself. She wasn’t out looking for a man to take care of her. I was able to really get into this book and care what happens. I did appreciate the build up between Matthew and Charlie. Their story was more realistic with misunderstandings, and a few awkward moments, instead of love at first sight. I can’t wait for book two!
I loved this book! Cain is an amazing storyteller. After her last novel left me scarred emotionally reading this book was absolutely refreshing.
Honestly, I really liked the era that this book was set in (prohibition) and it made such a nice backdrop. I am hoping she’ll do more books in this time frame because while the descriptions aren’t vast they still permeate the story and underlying story arch. I have read this book before but a few things have changed but still the novel and characters are amazing.
Charlie is hard and capable but I love that she still has a feminine aspect (when she feels like it) Mathew is bullheaded and strong. They honestly compliment each other so well! Mathew like all of Addison’s MC’s needs a strong swift kick the head but Charlie is more than capable of doing that then providing an unexpected guilt trip to the mix.
Not as dark as her other books for sure but still delightfully steamy and brutal in the right parts.
Addison Cain is a master at her craft and no matter what genre, what spin, what era she writes in she totally dominates it.
This a very different story from what we generally read from Addison Cain, no paranormal, no alphas,…..no sex! A Taste of Shine happens during prohibition era, between the boonies of Virginia and Chicago. Our hero is a taciturn bootlegger from Virginia who has two irresponsible family members and a grill. He takes his responsibility to his family seriously and he makes Shepherd seem verbose. The best part of the book is not our mysterious hero but our spunky heroine. Charlie, our heroine, there are not enough words to describe how amazing she is. She’s the love child of Baby Face Nelson and Gamora. He can shoot, ride pillion on illegal alcohol deliveries, beat grown men, and knows all the mafia big men. Charlie lives a dangerous and independent life, going as she pleases, catching her marks. There is no stopping Charlie, she’s a force to be reckon with, but under all that fire she’s still a lonely girl with low self-esteem.
This is an amazing story of a growing love between two quite different people. If you like complicated characters and slow developing romances with a touch of illegal activities you should give this book a try!
Genuinely very surprising story. I knew Cain was a gifted writer, and love how she can write different genres. This was extraordinary. Charlotte, Charlie, was a character that I don’t think I could forget. Matthew was quite frustrating, but redeemable. The setting was was amazing, being in the early years of the gangster era. Where prohibition was still around.
Fantastic story
Absolutely incredible! Addison Cain’s diversity is astounding. Definitely not the harsh grittiness that gets under your skin as with some of her other works. This story pours over you like a fine wine, completely enrapturing you before you even know you’re drunk.
Spellbindingly heart warming with a heroine that you can not only fall for but cheer as she showcases so many facets of what it means to be strength in a time where women were expected to be meek. incredible job Ms. Cain. Hats off to you. Now where’s the rest!?! I need more!
Bounty hunter Charlotte Elliot moves to Monroe where she can relax and doesn’t need to constantly look over her shoulder. Charlotte enjoys spending time with the Emerson boys at the Devil’s Hollow Roadhouse, which is where her past catches up to her. Moonshiner and roadhouse owner Matthew Emerson can’t stop thinking about the beautiful Charlotte but all he does is stare all doe eyed at her and do nothing. That is, until the day Matthew can’t help himself and kisses Charlotte, and she kisses him right back. When Charlotte goes to Chicago to have dinner with Chicago kingpin Beaumont Radcliffe, her former mentor, the handsome Matthew follows. Matthew doesn’t want Beaumont to convince Charlotte to stay nor does he want the extremely handsome Tommy Kennedy, her former crush, to court her. But just when Matthew thinks he has Charlotte where he wants her, Charlotte’s feeling are hurt and she runs away. Is this the end for Charlotte and Matthew?
A Taste of Shine is a funny, action-packed and steamy story that will have you hooked from start to end. I can’t wait to read Book 2 of the A Trick of the Light Duet.