Immortally Embraced (Monster M*A*S*H #2) by Angie Fox

• Title: Immortally Embraced
• Classification: Adult Fiction
• Genre: Paranormal Romance/Romantic Comedy
• Format: Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (February 26, 2013)
• ISBN-10: 031254667X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312546670
• Author's Website: http://www.angiefox.com/

     "When do you leave?"
     "In an hour."
     My eyes flew open. "What?"

Petra and Galen knew their days together were numbered, however, neither would have imagined to have so few. The saying, "Here today, Gone tomorrow." was never more true than when there's a war underfoot.

     "We can't see each other anymore.(...) Don't hold back your life the way you did before I met you. You were only existing." His fingers skimmed my cheek. "More than anything I want you to live, even if I can't be there with you."
     I didn't know what to say.
     He brushed his lips against my forehead, "Good-bye . Petra." he said before he walked out of my life. 

Upon the heels of his declaration and departure the first part of a new prophecy was revealed by the oracles...

'The peacekeeper will find love as a hideous new weapon is born.'

And then the seemingly unbelievable happened. She received a note:

'Meet me by the burned out officers' showers.'

But the note wasn't from Galen. Marc, Petra's first love, the man she'd helped bury years ago, stood before her asking for her help.

     "Why are you here?"
     "I need someone I can trust."

A colleague of Marc's had been working on a big project off the books. Marc had covered for him until one night when he'd been called away by work. Dr. Keller disappeared that night and a ghost had begun haunting the lab soon after. Marc needed Petra's help to find out what the good doctor had secretly been working on and if it had gotten into the wrong hands. Could it be the weapon foretold by the prophecy?

This is the second book to the Monster M*A*S*H series. If you didn't read the first, you may get a little lost at the very beginning. A war has been raging for centuries. The younger gods had declared war on the older ones and the two had been battling for control ever since. Both are stubborn and determined to win. Everyone else is caught in the crossfire. There is one ray of hope, however. A prophecy handed down by the Oracles says a healer whose hand can touch the dead will put an end to the war. Petra recently found out she is the healer, aka "peacekeeper", of prophecy. She can see ghosts but needs to hide the fact because the army has a tendency to torture and kill people with her unique skill set.

I have to admit finding out that Petra would end up with a new love interest, or rather an old one, made me curious how Ms. Fox would pull this off without making me dislike Petra. I'm happy to say she did it with flying colors. In the first chapter of the book Galen breaks up with her to go on a classified mission of which he'll tell her nothing except that he may not be back for many years. She's absolutely devastated and starts to wonder if he truly ever had any lasting feelings for her. Right when she's at her most vulnerable, the man she once hoped to marry, Marc, shows up alive and well. She's hurt, furious, confused...you name it and she was feeling it. She goes through a roller coaster ride of emotions as he explains what happened.

In deciding to help Marc, Petra needs to infiltrate the enemies camp, and we get our first real look at how the other half lives. The old army is much different from the new. Petra realizes instantly how lucky she is to have been recruited by the new gods. As they attempt to solve the mystery of what Dr. Keller was working on, the old feelings Petra had for Marc come rushing back and sooner rather than later she finds herself giving into temptation. He's like her version of comfort food.

Marc is a fun character. He's a shape shifter who can change into a dragon. In all the years he and Petra have been apart, he never stopped loving her and hopes to rekindle what they had, if only for the short while they can be together and he can be very persuasive. *smirk* He's handsome, charming, smart and all Petra ever wanted. It's no wonder things heat up between the two of them so quickly. But although initially he seems like the Marc of old, Petra soon realizes he's been slightly broken by the war, and Petra can feel he's holding back. 

Overall, I gave this book 4 out of 5 roses. This was another fun and highly entertaining read.While each of the three parts of the prophecies seem to have a clear cut meaning, I tend to find what I think they're implying is totally or slightly wrong. I love the little twists involved with them. The heat between Marc and Petra scorched the pages, but I read the synopsis of her next book, Immortally Ever After, and I'm going to try to not get too attached to Marc. I can't wait to see what happens next. This could be the beginning of a triangle that could rival Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum's with Morelli and Ranger. We'll have to wait and see. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one scored a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

Order of the series:

Coming August 27th: 

Early Review of Immortally Yours (Monster M*A*S*H #1) by Angie Fox

• Title: Immortally Yours
• Classification: Adult Fiction
• Genre: Paranormal Romance
• Format: Paperback, 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; First Edition edition (August 28, 2012)
• ISBN-10: 0312546661
• ISBN-13: 978-0312546663
• Author's Website:  http://www.angiefox.com/

"How about a real case next time, Horace?"..."Just give me something interesting." Or at least the chance to save somebody. We'd lost three patients today. Maybe they'd have died on my table, too, but I owed it to these soldiers--and myself--to try to make a difference.

A war has been raging for centuries. The younger gods had declared war on the older ones and the two had been  battling for control ever since. Both are stubborn and determined to win. Everyone else is caught in the crossfire. There is one ray of hope, however. A prophecy handed down by the Oracles says a healer will put an end to the war. The first of three prophecies states, "A healer whose hand can touch the dead will receive a bronze dagger."

Little did Petra know her innocent request for a more interesting case would bring about the beginning of the end. Prophecies come in three and this was only the beginning. The first prophecy had just been set in motion when a new patient was set before her. Sometimes you need to be careful what you wish for because you just might get it...

_________________

I loved the world Ms. Fox created and the humor she infused within her story. There are minor gods in need of appreciation, a Kraken set loose in the bathroom, and sea serpents multiplying like rabbits. If you're looking for a serious read this is not it. This is a crazy, zany, lovable read that had me laughing, grinning, and shaking my head from start to finish.

Petra, a mortal who is half Fae, is a doctor working in a MASH unit for the new gods. She'd been drafted to work for them just as she was getting her paranormal clinic off the ground. She'd only been given one hour to sort out her affairs and close up shop before she found herself transported to the wastelands of Limbo where she'd been for the last seven years and would probably spend the rest of her life. Once drafted, you were pretty much theirs for the keeping because the commitment lasted until the end of the war and there was no end in sight.

Petra's is a fun character. She's got a good sense of humor, loves  books (she has a collection which includes books by Lora Leigh, Charlaine Harris, and Sherrilyn Kenyon ), and is very loyal. Despite the hopelessness of her situation she has a positive attitude and makes the most of the hand fate has dealt her. She's cool under pressure, which makes her a good doctor and able to handle crazy situations. The main thing about Petra, however, is she's been hiding a secret. She can see and talk to the dead. That is something she could be killed for so she guards that secret well. When she saves a handsome commander using her forbidden talent, she worries she's just signed her own death warrant and hopes he won't remember.

Galen of Delphi is a lovable character. He's Petra's deepest fantasy and darkest fear come to life. He's a demi-god described as being like a "Greek statue come to life. Only he was more. Much more." He's fiercely loyal to those he loves and a natural born hero. He's also a commander in the army and when he literally dies on her operating table she uses her ghostly ability to pull his soul back into his body. At first Petra fears he'll tell her secret and she'll lose her life, but it quickly becomes clear it might just be one particular part of her she might lose--her heart.

I love the relationship that develops between Galen and Petra. While Petra tries not to fall for the seductively handsome demi-god, it is fun to see his attempts to persuade her to take a chance and trust him in more ways then one. In this relationship Petra is the one who surprised me most. I didn't expect her to end up being quite as bold as she was with Galen when she finally gave in to his charm.

Some of my favorite quotes/moments:
- 'Both armies liked to poison their weapons. They usually used the blood of Medusa, or spittle from Cerberus, the three headed dog of the underworld. I'd even seen them use Britney Spears perfume. We actually preferred the last one. It smelled nice and it wouldn't kill any mortals on staff.'
- 'Galen moved toward me with all the grace of a predator. He knew I'd be back. His manner said it all."..."Blueberry?" he asked, lifting the bowl to me like he was offering the apple from the forbidden tree.' 
-  "Of all the immortals in limbo, you had to show up on my table."

Overall, I gave this one 4 out of 5 roses. This was a flirtatiously fun read that had a fast pace and a comical edge to it. It definitely contained my kind of humor and I truly enjoyed it. I loved the atmosphere Ms. Fox created amongst the MASH personnel which was reminiscent of the camaraderie and spirit I recall seeing while watching the TV series M*A*S*H years ago. I liked Petra's werewolf roommate who missed his wife and kids, and her vampire roommate who could never get enough privacy. Additionally, I think the series name, Monster M*A*S*H, is cute, clever and befitting. Petra encounters a number of monsters which she needs to escape from. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one scored a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.