Note from Reviewer: There is no specific blurb for the individual stories so I’ve included a small summary paragraph in the verdict. This is the blurb of the Anthology:

THESE HEROES ARE 100 PERCENT RAW, DANGEROUS, AND... UNDENIABLY SEXY.
New York Times bestselling authors Sherrilyn Kenyon, Dianna Love and Cindy Gerard and rising romance star Laura Griffin mix seduction and suspense in three irresistible romantic adventures.

From sultry international jungles to the rugged terrain of the American southwest, join the larger-than-life, scorching-hot alpha heroes of the Bureau of American Defense, Black Ops Inc., and the U.S. Navy SEALs for the pulse-pounding, heart-racing, toe-curling excitement. They’re cool under pressure, steamy under the sheets, and when the enemy strikes, there’s not a lethal mission these gorgeous men can’t handle...

Title: LEAVE NO TRACE (found in Anthology DEADLY PROMISES)
Author: Cindy Gerard
Series: Black Ops Inc, book 5.5
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Pocket Books
Year of release: 2010, September 28
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought via The BookDepository

First line:
It had become too much about the scotch, Cav admitted with brutal honesty.



QuickScore-Verdict:
This story opens with David 'Cav' Cavanaugh on the verge of leaving the CIA, literally on the night before he's going to give notice. His former partner Wyatt Savage calls in his help to find Wyatt's family friend Carrie Granger who's gone missing in Myanmar. The novella tells the story of this rescue mission

LEAVE NO TRACE is a nice addition to the series with two earlier minor secondary characters as the main couple. Cindy Gerard's trade-mark action-packed and fast-paced writing style shines through on every page. Though the characterization, romance and emotional intensity had to give way to the plot/suspense it was a good read.

Favorite Quotes:
“Why is it that every time the phone rings and I hear your voice, I feel a knee-jerk reaction to say ‘wrong number’ and hang the hell up?”
“I need your help.”
“Ah. That would be the reason.” (David and Wyatt)

“Sorry,” he gritted out again and tried to shift some of his weight off her while reaching between them and making a careful adjustment to his package.
Bad move.
Very bad move.
The warm naked flesh of her belly pressed against the back of his forearm. The heat of her mons and the sweet cleft between her parted thighs cradled the back of his hand. With only the most minor of adjustment he could be there. Right there. Inside her. And his stupid dick was totally on board with the idea.

“So be warned, Carrie Granger. The next time I kiss you, you’re going to end up naked and flat on your back, and it’s going to take an army to keep me from making certain you never feel the need to say sorry again.”

UNSTOPPABLE
Forensic anthropologist Kelsey Quinn goes to a remote Texas border region to dig up ancient bones, but ends up unearthing a deadly secret. When Kelsey’s discovery jeopardizes not just her dig, but her life, she turns to US Navy SEAL Gage Brewer, who may be the only person brave enough—and lethal enough—to help.

Title: UNSTOPPABLE (found in Anthology DEADLY PROMISES)
Author: Laura Griffin
Series: Tracers, book 2.5
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Pocket Books
Year of release: 2010, September 28
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Bought via The BookDepository

First line:
Sometimes they went in with a flash and crash, but Lieutenant Gage Brewer always preferred stealth.



QuickScore-Verdict:
UNSTOPPABLE reminded me of the TV show Bones, with Kelsey being a forensic anthropologist and big hunky Gage sent to protect her. I loved Kelsey and Gage and their romance. The suspense plot was perfect for the length of the story and though it only partially wrapped up, I am sure it will be completely wrapped up in Mia's story (UNFORGIVABLE) who had a small but crucial part in this one.

As usual Griffin writes awesome suspense with subtle romance and the short length of this novella didn't bother me at all. It was well-rounded and well-written and I can't wait to read the next installment in the Tracers series.

Favorite Quotes:
Her pulse skipped as the feel of him, the smell of him permeated her brain. A jolt of raw sexual awareness zinged through her, and she scrambled away.

Gage needed a woman. Soon. Didn’t it figure that the one woman to stir his interest after months and months of celibacy would be the niece of his CO, a woman completely off-limits for some quick-and-dirty fun?

Ready, Set, Jett by Lori Foster
A vacation from her no-strings romance with her sexy next-door neighbor. That's what Natalie Alexander needs to get her head—and heart—together. But her solo trip south turns into a disaster when gorgeous Jett Sutter turns up with another challenge.

Gail's Gone Wild by Susan Donovan
Single mom Gail Chapman insists on chaperoning her teenage daughter's spring-break trip to Key West. But she never expects to face temptation—in the hunky form of Jesse Batista, the mysterious man in the cottage next door.

Just One Taste by Victoria Dahl
All-work-and-no-play businessman Eric Donovan won't be distracted by a "businesswoman" who's all wrong for him. Beth Cantrell owns a women's erotica shop! And she has a juicy little secret. Can she tempt him to put pleasure before business for once?

Title: THE GUY NEXT DOOR
Author: Lori Foster, Susan Donovan, Victoria Dahl
Series: Lori Foster’s story is the prequel to her new series “Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor”. Susan Donovan’s story is standalone and Victoria Dahl’s story is a prequel too, to her “Donovan Brothers Brewery” series.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Books
Year of release: 2011, February 15
Format: Mass Market Paperback, Anthology
Source: Requested from the publisher via NetGalley


READY, SET, JETT by Lori Foster

Neighbors Natalie Alexander and Jett Sutter have been seeing each other for a while but where Natalie only wants the sex, for Jett it’s turned into wanting more than that and taking the next step to make it an official relationship.

Natalie has her reasons for keeping the relationship strictly physical, even though she’s slowly but surely falling for Jett. Her past bad experiences with men and love hold her back from giving into those feelings and develop a more intimate emotional relationship with Jett.

I enjoyed reading this story, especially reading about the contrast in the people surrounding Natalie and Jett. Natalie’s dysfunctional family was the complete opposite of Jett’s loving and caring family. I’d take his nosy and meddling sisters over her cold and distant father and stepmother any day.

The end of this novella felt a bit rushed as after Natalie’s doubts and hesitation her declaration of love and agreement to marry Jett came a bit quick and out of nowhere. Still, it was a nice and entertaining anthology story that made me curious about the first full-length book, in this new series, which features Natalie’s sister Molly.

READY, SET, JETT was a very nice introduction to a new series that promises to be both hot and action-packed. I do hope to see a little more depth in the characterization and story-development but I really can’t hold those things against this story as it was a short one and I had a nice time reading it.

Rating:
7.3 out of 10 - GOOD READ!

GAIL’S GONE WILD by Susan Donovan

Gail Chapman accompanies her 17 year-old daughter and daughter’s best friend on their Spring Break to Key West and they end up neighbors to a local celebrity, the well-known author J.D Batista (Jesse Dominic Batista). Jesse’s been burned by money-grabbing, fame-seeking women before and is very cautious even though he’s very attracted to the fascinating woman next door.

Gail is an English professor. I loved her character. She’s soft-hearted, protective of her daughter and a little insecure. But she’s also honest, quick-witted, direct and a little geeky. Jesse was sweet, big-hearted and self-assured despite his trust issues with women.

I loved this story! It was fast-paced, well-rounded and I liked how the story was set up and wrapped up. It also was a little steamier and more erotic than the first story and that always works for me.

GAIL’S GONE WILD was an easy and quick read and I was fascinated by the vacation (spring) fling storyline and Susan Donovan’s humorous writing style. I’ve read a book by Donovan before and it made me buy up her entire backlist so I should’ve known I was going to love this story as much as I actually did.

Favorite Quote:
It was the small hoop earring that sent her over the edge. It caught the sunlight and zapped her like a laser. Later she would convince herself that the bright flash had short-circuited her brain.
“I haven’t had sex in two years,” she blurted out, breathing hard. “I’m a wreck. I came here hoping to meet a man of dubious character who could make my knees weak. I’m sorry but it’s the truth. I’m unstable and very, very deprived. You should probably stay away from me.” (Gail to Jesse)

Rating:
8.5 out of 10 - GREAT READ!

JUST ONE TASTE by Victoria Dahl

For the record: JUST ONE TASTE is the first and foremost reason I pre-ordered the print paperback of this book and requested the galley at NetGalley. I’m addicted to Victoria Dahl’s writing and any book she writes or any anthology she contributes to must be added to my bookshelves. That being said…I do have a bone to pick with Ms Dahl but I’ll get to that later, in the actual review of this story.

Eric Donovan is at a local business convention trying to strike some (distribution) deals for his brewery. Beth Cantrell is at the same convention for her sex shop. A case of mistaken identity (Beth thinks Eric is his ladies’ man brother Jamie), a sinfully delicious torte and instant chemistry leads to an explosive encounter they both want to keep private. Unfortunately they’re small-town people and in small towns nothing stays private for long.

In this novella, the prequel to Victoria Dahl’s new series centered on a family-owned brewery, we’re introduced to the Donovan siblings. The hero of the story is Eric: the eldest Donovan brother and “behind the scenes” business manager at Donovan Brothers Brewery. He’s smart, dependable, cautious and staid. From these adjectives you’d think Eric is a little boring but nothing is further from the truth. You know what they say about the quiet and staid ones *wink* and hey, this is a Victoria Dahl story… boring is NOT in her vocabulary.

Beth may seem the total opposite of Eric as she’s the manager of a boutique erotique (doesn’t that sounds so much more sophisticated than a sex shop? LOL), but she’s a levelheaded, composed and analytical woman who’s not so very different from Eric. Beth is the typical Victoria Dahl heroine I love so much: unapologetic, independent, wicked and not afraid of expressing her sexuality! I loved her. I loved Eric too, despite him not telling Beth he wasn’t Jamie right away.

JUST ONE TASTE is the steamiest, hottest of the three stories in this anthology (want to guess which one is my favorite?). Victoria Dahl doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the heat in her contemporaries. The scene in the winebar was scorching!

As steamy and fun as this read was, I wasn’t completely satisfied when I finished it. At the end I realized this was a prologue to Beth and Eric’s story and not the full story. So there was no resolution/closure to their story and in the end Beth still doesn’t know Eric isn’t Jamie.

After finishing JUST ONE TASTE I immediately went to Victoria Dahl’s website to see which of the Donovan Brothers Brewery books continues to tell Eric and Beth’s story and damn, crap and other expletives I cannot use as this is a civilized blog. It’s the effing last book of the first three coming out this Fall. It’s not that I’ll mind reading Tessa’s and Jamie’s stories but still, Ms Dahl, the strain this puts on my patience is not welcome and waiting for this until November is going to be the death of me! Thank you very much for that!

Favorite Quote:
Eric had a sudden fear that this night would turn him into a pervert who got off on fondling used underwear in his darkened living room.

Rating:
8.5 out of 10 - GREAT READ!

Overall rating for entire anthology:

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WOLF HUNT BY JENNIFER ASHLEY

Back Cover Copy:
Werewolf Logan defies his entire pack and everything he’s ever known to protect a demon woman. He must race to save the beautiful demon Nadia from his own pack.

Logan Wright's former Pack Leader, Matt Lewis, has a score to settle with him and blackmails Nadia into setting a trap for Logan. Matt and Logan have a history together and Matt is the reason Logan left his Pack, even though he was a respected and feared Pack Master. Now Nadia is put in the middle because of her connection to Logan, she doesn't want to betray Logan but the life of a loved one is at stake.

Logan was one of the secondary characters I hoped would get his own story, after reading THE REDEEMING. He is loyal, gentlemanlike but a true werewolf at the core.
Nadia also was a secondary character in Tain's book but a minor one. I was nicely surprised to see her paired up with Logan. She is brave and has a snappy sense of humor.

I loved the chemistry and dialogues between Logan and Nadia. They were representing the humor I like so much in Ashley's books. Along the way there was lots of information on werewolves, their pack law and rules. Of course Tain and Samantha made a small appearance but the story is focused mainly on Nadia and Logan and the plot, which was well executed. I did miss Amber and Adrian though.

This was a great novella and has the quality that's to be expected from Jennifer Ashley. It was complete, well rounded, a short but very satisfying nonetheless. The plot is excellent, it's mysterious, suspenseful, humorous and filled with different little storylines and angles that ultimately all link together. Not being too short but not too long either, it was enough to tell the story of Logan and Nadia and a perfect closure to the Jennifer Ashley installments in the Immortals series.

Quote:
Except now she'd kissed that mouth, felt his lips respond to hers, tasted his life essence. The magic of him has singed her primal core, tightening her body and making her crave more.

4 stars
1,5 flames

BLOOD DEBT BY JOY NASH

Back Cover Copy:
Jackson Cabot's bright future went dark in 1896 Paris, when he died and was turned vampire. After three decades of slavery in the service of Europe's brutal vampire master, Jackson discovered a secret that has allowed him to hoard power. Now, at last, his strength approaches that of his rival, and he exists solely to take vengeance on the two beings responsible for his eternal nightmare: the monster that turned him vampire -- and the beautiful Sidhe muse who killed him.

Because of Leanna's unreasonable and unjust fear of love Jackson Cabot was turned vampire and enslaved by Europe's vampire master, Armande Legrand. Jackson manages to escape Legrand and ever since he's has been plotting and planning revenge on Legrand. When by chance Jackson finds out Leanna is in the vicinity he decides to kill two birds with one stone and use Leanna to vanquish Legrand. But we all know what happens with the best-laid plans...

Leanna has come a long way since she was the evil love muse in THE AWAKENING. She has really grown up by suffering and has learned to be compassionate instead of self-absorbed. Her life has not been easy and everything has taken a toll on her: the abandonment by her Sidhe mother, the abuse by her human father and her imprisonment in Hell.
Jackson used to be a lighthearted and caring man. He was truly in love with Leanna when she used her powers on him and left him for dead, giving Legrand the opportunity to enslave him. Now more than a century later he has become a bitter and vengeful vampire with one goal and one goal only in his non-life: vengeance.
For a short story it had quite some secondary characters but they all fit in perfectly with the main characters and the plot. I enjoyed the glimpses of the two former main couples Kalen, Christine, Mac and Artemis.

This was an amazing story. The best of this anthology, one of the top stories in this whole series and by far the best by Joy Nash in this series. I never would have thought it after THE AWAKENING but this was truly a well written, compelling, intriguing and perfectly plotted story with the right amount of emotions, actions and hot love scenes. I loved the way the story between Leanna and Jackson was set up in the limited amount of pages Joy Nash had to work with. I really wonder what she could have done if she had a full-length book for this story. She mixed everything in the right way and delivered an excellent novella that is undoubtedly keeper material.

Quotes:
His mind blanked on a rush of white-hot lust. And red-hot anger. One hundred years might have passed but it would take much longer than a mere century to erase this particular redhead from his mind and his soul.

Seven decades of ruthless self-control, obliterated in one groan of ecstasy. Seven decades of hoarded power seeped through the rapidly widening cracks in the shield of death magic he’d constructed around his soul.

The wanting cut like a knife. It sliced at her soul, carving it into thousands upon thousands of yearning pieces. And more. It was as if Jackson had released every atom from her body, allowing them to float free, into the atmosphere. And then had recaptured and enslaved every particle of her being.

4,5 stars
2 flames

BEYOND THE MIST BY ROBIN T. POPP

Back Cover Copy:
Haunted by her past and reeling from her sister's murder, Jenna Renfield takes a cruise hoping to have a little fun – and escape the company of sexy, but obnoxious spirit walker, Dave Runningbear. Almost from the start, the cruise turns out not to be what she expected – prickles of death magic, ghostly wailing in the night and a creepy albino stalker. When Jenna realizes her life might be in danger, she’s more than happy that Dave followed her on board the cruise ship and turns to him for help, hoping they can both escape with their lives when the ship carries them "Beyond the Mist."

A deal struck between the goddess Sekhmet (Immortal Darius' mother) and the sea god Poseidon has now come back to bite Sekhmet in the behind. She thought to sacrifice her firstborn grandchild in order to keep Darius on Ravenscroft safe from earth's temptation (for more about this revert to THE DARKENING) because she never thought Darius would find love and have children. But he has and now Poseidon has come to collect on the deal. Out of desperation Sekhmet offers Poseidon a trade: Jenna Renfield, whom she knows through Mai and Nick, instead of her grandson.
Jenna Renfield has been going through the motions ever since she lost her sister to an evil genie (see THE HAUNTING) and lives with Nick, Mai and their roommate Dave. She's attracted to Dave but the parade of ladies passing through his bedroom is the reason she doesn't want anything to do with him. When an offer for a free cruise arrives, she grabs the opportunity to get away from Dave with both hands. But on this cruise nothing is as it seems and soon she's very glad Dave decided to come after her on it.

Jenna is a quiet young woman who has suffered many adversities in her life and every time she uses her magic it seems to get worse. So she has decided to go through life not using her magic ever again. She is intelligent and responsible. But after the loss of her sister she's also guilt-ridden and depressed. The only bright spots in her life at this moment are her roommates Mai, Nick and Dave. Even if Dave has a different woman in his room every night.
Dave is charming and flirtatious. He's what you would call a rake if this were a historical romance. He is interested in Jenna but since he thinks she won't give him the time of day, he continues with his amorous adventures. When Jenna received an invitation to a cruise he doesn't trust it and follows her on the cruise to protect her. His shape-shifting chameleon and spirit walker abilities sure come in handy when they end up in trouble.
Again an elaborate secondary cast fills the pages and like in Nash's story the two former main couples played their small part.

Since THE HAUNTING I was looking forward to Dave's story and I must say I'm glad it was included in this anthology but it kind of paled before the other two stories. This novella was kind of THE LITTLE MERMAID meets the LOVE BOAT, which on it's own wasn't a bad thing but compared to the other two novellas for me this was the lesser one. I missed intensity and where in the other novellas the stories were well rounded and compelling with this one it felt a bit rushed despite the great premise it held. Towards the end of the story it picked up a bit in intensity and plot so overall it ended on a satisfying note.

3,5 stars
1 flame

THE RECKONING

Sometimes there are books you read and you wish the secondary characters would get their own HEA too next to the main couples. The Immortals series consisted of these kind of books and I am very happy that the authors decides to team up an give the readers an anthology that provided to be both a delightful ending to the series as well as a great opportunity to give some beloved secondary characters their own stories.

Overall it was an anthology of solid quality, one with two excellent novellas and one that was good. They were three totally different paranormal stories with a bit less of the magical feeling the first four books in this series gave me but even so each story was unique and well-written and THE IMMORTALS is a series of which the books will stay on my keepers' shelf until they fall apart from old age.

Matthias Slaughter is an assassin for the Breeds; he is a Wolf Breeds who's working with the Felines and Jonas Wyatt. His assignments involve killing high profile Council Members who are still performing horrific experiments on Breeds, despite the discovery of the Breeds and the condemning of the Genetics council.
During one of his assignments he recognizes his mate, Grace Anderson and she turns out to be a witness to one of his assassinations. He kidnaps her in order to convince her of keeping quiet about the killing and to tell her she is his mate.

Matthias is rugged, scarred and dominant, both physical and in his behavior. Still at the same time there's this air of vulnerability and desperate longing over him. He has a gentle and patient side when dealing with Grace. I really felt for him. He touched my heart in a very intense way and so did Grace.

Grace is gutsy, smart, stubborn and loyal. She is also a woman of principals.
Because Matthias came into Grace's life under false pretences and has lied to her, Grace has a hard time trusting him and what he says after she has witnessed him execute someone in cold blood, even if she is in love with him. She has trouble reconciling herself to the idea that he is capable of such a thing and that she could have feelings for someone like that. She makes Matthias look differently at what he's been doing and makes him think about and question his actions in the past. For her he's willing to give it up.

Grace goes into the whole mating thing knowing exactly who and what Matthias is and she is familiar with the rumors surrounding the mating heat too. So she's not completely unknowing but that doesn't mean she gives into it easily. Matthias has to work hard to convince her not only of accepting what he did and why but also of his love for her and hers for him.

There wasn't much room for secondary characters as the story concentrates on Matthias and Grace but of course the ones that were there had intriguing names like Lawe Justice and Rule Breaker and they left a nice impression, not enough to envision there own books but still I wouldn't mind seeing them browse along in other books as secondary characters.
And the mysterious Jonas Wyatt made another brief appearance. His story is in the making and I am eagerly waiting for it.

I really loved this story, it was short and sweet but set up well and Lora Leigh provided some background to the story that, together with the characters, made it better than some of the other short stories in this series. The balance between emotions, plot and love scenes was very good considering the 120 pages it counted.

Lora Leigh brought me to tears with an anthology story, a Wolf Breed anthology story! Me! And I’m really not that fond of both short stories and Wolf Breeds. She proved me wrong with this one. It was so very touching, the way Matthias loves Grace and the way Grace accepted Matthias and his past. Even if you leave out Lora Leigh's signature hot love scenes there was a wonderful and emotional love story that touched me at a very deep level.
What truly did me in was a scene at the end with Matthias and Grace's parents. I had held up quite all right up until that scene, but had to grab the tissues then!

Quotes:
"Stop asking me questions, Grace. We'll talk when we get to the cabin."
"Stop touching me then. And I swear to God, if your fingers go any higher, the first chance I get I'm cutting off your hand."

"Tell your body it can't happen. Tell your heart you don't care. By God, Grace, fix it and then tell me how you've done it, and I'll let you go. Until then, I can't walk away, because it would rip my soul from my body to do so."

This story is part of the anthology HOT SPELL.







Lyra’s neighbor can’t be for real. A man that stares at home baked bread like he’s never tasted it. Who chops his lawn up with the powerful weed eater and lawn mower he has. A man that makes her hormones stand up and scream every time she sees him. He cut down her rosebush, and he’s breaking through her reserve to invade her dreams at night.

But Tarek Jordan is much more than he seems. A Breed Enforcer with a plan. First, find the Council Trainer he’s tracked to Fayetteville, Arkansas, and second, claim the woman he knows belongs to him alone. Until the danger that shadows his life begins to shadow hers as well, and then Tarek knows, he can’t wait to claim the woman his heart and soul burns for. His next-door neighbor will have to accept him as he is, and now on his terms, rather than hers.

Lyra is the perfect Breed heroine. She's feisty, headstrong, passionate and doesn't take any crap from Tarek. She's used to handling arrogant and dominant men like Tarek, having three brothers who meddle in her life constantly.
Tarek is a Lion Breed on assignment for the Feline Pride. He's a bounty hunter and assassin on the hunt for a Trainer who used to work in the Council's Labs. He is scarred both physically and emotionally, almost broken by his upbringing in the labs, but that doesn't prevent him from wanting and longing for "human" things like love, affection and happiness. Tarek is unpolished and not the social type but still he possesses the code of honor all the Breed males have naturally.

As with most of the anthology-stories there is no real room for many secondary characters. In this one Jonas (head of Feline Enforcer Affairs) makes a brief appearance and Braden is just mentioned but I know he is the hero of the next Breed book (MEGAN'S MARK). Lyra's father and brothers also make a brief but impressive appearance.

This story gripped me emotionally from the prologue down to the last chapter. The opening sentence was enough to launch me into the emotional world of Breeds and their mates I have come to know and love. After the prologue it starts right away with fireworks between the neighbors Lyra Mason and Tarek Jordan arguing over landscaping skills. Their bantering is fast, fun and hot, laced with sexual undertones you know will be explored before half of the story is reached.

This installment in the Breeds takes us a bit further in time, taking place seven years after the end the first book. But Lora Leigh also takes it a step further plot wise with a Breed World that's getting more self-sufficient and powerful with rules, leaders, enforcers and political power to go after the scientists and trainers who tormented them in their labs. There is a first real confrontation, be it a very small one, between Breed and Council in the form of Tarek and the Trainer he's after. It was very intriguing and left me wanting more of these scenes, more insight into the conflict between them.

Even if I hadn’t known I could have guessed the change in publishers for this story. In comparison with the Ellora's Cave installments (which all the previous books were), the sex is subtler. Don't get me wrong because it's still explicit but the focus is a bit more on the emotions and the more intricate plot developments. Next to the intense emotional and sexual moments there were plenty of dialogues that put a smile on my face. Lora Leigh mixes humor effortlessly with intensity and sexuality, creating a nice vibe to the whole story.

Within the Breeds Series I really have a strong preference for the Felines over the Wolves, with the exception of ELIZABETH'S WOLF (that was the best one in the whole series so far for me). The character and plot developement of the Feline-books are immensely appealing to me, at least until this 6th part. I still have some Wolf Breeds to read further along in the series.

For me this story was just too short. I would have loved a full-length book on Lyra and Tarek but I had to make due with the about 90 pages it had. I can say Lora Leigh made the pages count, delivering another great installment of the Breeds. I can't wait to start with the full-length books that I have ahead of me in the Series. I suspect these short stories were just the appetizers and I'm in for a meal fit for kings!

The following two quotes show exactly the perfect blend of eroticism and emotion Lora Leigh masters like few other authors can.

Quotes:
"Now is not the time to be nice, Tarek," she snapped, infuriated at him. "But I want to be nice to you." (...)"I want to be very nice to you, Lyra. I want to lay you down on that couch, spread your pretty legs, and show you just how nice I can be to you. Wouldn't you like that, baby?"

Velvet darkness enclosed her as the words whispered free, her heart expanding as her soul seemed to lift, shudder and open to accept a part of him that she knew not even death could steal.

FOUR WITCHES ON A MAN HUNT
From broomsticks to black magic, leather-clad warriors to love potions gone wrong, here you’ll find four stories of supernatural sex and suspense from some of today’s hottest bestselling authors.

MaryJanice Davidson - The Majicka
Life’s a bit crowded for Ireland and her roommates—a fairy, a werewolf, a vampire, and now a zombie…especially when a mysterious man walks through the door. Will there be any room left for love?

Ireland Shea is an unknowing guardian of the Magick (a Magicka). She lives with a vampire, a werewolf, a faerie and a mage spelled into a car. Micah is new Magicks tutor. He teaches them the ropes. When he goes to Ireland to tutor her, he finds her in the middle of saving a Dryad from being killed. Micah tags along, they save the Dryad, fall in love and live happily ever after.
This story was really not for me but I think MaryJanice Davidson fans will like it. It just was not my thing despite being a pleasant and funny story. There's a lot of funny bantering and sarcastic dialogues but there was just too much going on and to little pages to explain it all, which left me with a rushed and dissatisfied feeling. For example I still don't know what a Magicka does exactly or what Micah role exactly entails other than that he is the tutor. There is a lot of humor in the story but just not my kind of humor and I missed the balance between humor and romance a bit. I like humor in books and the wittier, the more I like but there also has to be some kind of balance and in my opinion this story lacked that balance. I had the feeling the author was trying to outdo herself in the funny department, trying to see if she could make every sentence funnier than the previous one. Because of this the focus is too much on the funny part and less on the storyline/plot and that combined with the lack of explanation and background on certain things and characters hasn't won me over for MaryJanice Davidson. I was never really attracted to her books and unfortunately this story hasn't changed that.







Lori Handeland - Voodoo Moon
For Devil’s Fork–based FBI Agent Dana Duran, the only way to fight a supernatural serial killer just may be to embrace life. But little did she know that voodoo could be so viciously sexy…

FBI Agent Dana Duran is sent to Devil's Fork to investigate a string of unexplainable murders. When she arrives there it turns out that voodoo is involved in the killings. Subsequently the voodoo-shop owner Julian Portier is the main suspect and Dana finds herself in an investigation that will change her life forever!
This was a story in first person narrative from Dana's perspective and as I've mentioned before in reviews this is not my favorite narrative. There are very few authors who can enthrall me with it and I must say that Lori Handeland turned out to be one of them.
In this short story Lori Handeland delivered well-rounded and believable characters, a strong and sensual romance and a very original plot and the outcome of whom and why and how they dealt with him was fascinating to say the least. Despite the fact that it was short I didn't have the feeling I was missing something or the usual dissatisfied feeling I have when reading anthology-story.
The story was utterly captivating, exploring the voodoo scene with well-researched accuracy. The story was able to keep my attention and I kept on reading breathlessly, anxious for how it all was going to unfold, sad when I finished it because I didn't want it to end.







Cheyenne McCray - Breath of Magic (part 4 in Magic Series)
San Francisco’s witches are in an epic battle. But even if Sydney can use her sultry ways and ancient Druid powers to save the world, can she risk losing her heart to handsome warrior Conlan?

Sydney Aline, one of the gray witches of the San Francisco D'Anu Coven has stayed behind with a handful of D'Danann warriors to find the warlock Darkwolf and his Fomorii companion Junga. The rest of the Coven and warriors have gone to Otherworld to round up allies to fight the evil goddess and god who threaten to destroy San Francisco. One of the D'Danann warriors who has stayed behind is Conlan. He is a proverbial playboy; he enjoys the pleasure of women but never commits to them. Sydney finds herself attracted to this warrior but doesn't want to give in to those feelings because of his playboy ways. But in the middle of the search for Darkwolf and Junga the attraction between them grows into something more. Conlan discovers that Sydney is not just another pleasure partner for him and Sydney has to admit to deeper feelings for Conlan.
This was the story I was most anticipating in the anthology and to be honest I was a little bit disappointed. The full-length books in the series were amazing and captivating but despite the fact that the story was pleasant and fitting in the series there was something lacking for me that I did find in the books. I can't pinpoint it exactly but I didn't feel the chemistry between the hero and the heroine. This can be because of the limited page-count which forces the romance plot, not giving them time to build up the sensual tension and a relationship in which they can grow. I would incline to think that because in the books this was present and that's what made me like the books so much. So I'm going to blame it on the fact that it's an anthology-novella.
Again, and even in this short story, the plot thickens. McCray brings answers to some questions from the previous books but she also raises more new questions.
The storyline from the books continues. This time concentrating more on Darkwolf though. He does some remarkable things that make you wonder what his true goals ultimately will be. I hope to get answers to this in the two future books that will conclude the series.
I like this series and this short story, despite the weaker main couple, is another addition to the continuing plot, setting up the next full-length novel. All the elements were there, just with a bit less depth and intensity.







Christine Warren - Any Witch Way She Can
A desperately lonely witch decides to take matters of love into her own hands when she casts a cosmic personal ad…only to find that the perfect formula for love is a strange brew indeed.

Miranda Berry (Randy) has had it with her single life and the lowlife men that pass through it. She wants a worthy mate and what better way to get one than to use a little magic to help things along. But little does she know that this little magic is going to bring her not only her the man of her dreams in the form of male witch Michael Devon but also a whole lot of trouble.
This story certainly took me by surprise. I wasn't familiar with Christine Warren's writing so I didn't know what to expect. But what I got was a well-written, delightful story with witty characters, a lovely romance and even a little villain-plot worked into it.
I really loved everything about this story. This one had the perfect balance between humor and romance I mentioned in my review of another story in this anthology.
The fluent and easy writing style and the extremely witty characters, especially Randy, and the magical elements pulled me into the story deep and fast.
Randy is adorable and chaotic, trouble has no problems finding her and many times this is her own fault. Michael is one hot witch, very capable and calm. He’s the perfect match for Randy. The plot involving Randy's grandmother and someone trying to sabotage her was a nice touch to the story, giving it that little bit extra to make it a well-rounded story with lots of laugh-out-loud moments.
This taste of Christine Warren's writing certainly has intrigued me so I'm going to look into finding more of her writing and see if I enjoy that as much as I did this story.







This was an anthology with for me different level of stories. I liked the Handeland and Warren stories best because these were the stories with the best-written mix and balance between humor, characters and story. The McCray story was not bad but just didn't live up to my expectations, proving once again that writing amazing books doesn't automatically mean writing great novella's and the Davidson story just wasn't my cup of tea, proving that my gut-feeling when choosing books/authors is something I really can rely on and in this aspect I'm glad that these kind of anthologies exist. They are the perfect way to find out if an author's writing style agrees with you or not.

Something happens when the beast within is teased and tempted. Something dangerous. Something inescapable. Something so irresistible no woman would want to run from it.
Whether transforming beneath a cool blue moon, prowling the streets with feline grace and bloodred talons, or panting with pleasure, the shifters come alive to fulfill your wildest fantasies...

Angela Knight - Mad Dog Love
Interstellar empress Zarifa Lorezo desperately needs protection against the royal assassins who are out for her blood. She decides to buy a bodyguard -- a powerful werewolf slave named Rance "Mad Dog" Conlan.
She soon realizes that despite his slave collar, Rance is a very dangerous man -- and not just because he can turn into a seven-foot wolf.

This is the story of Rance Conlan, a genetically engineered werewolf from the Freeworld and Zarifa Lorezo, the empress of Throneworld. The story is in a futuristic setting (year 2450). Slavers have captured Rance and Zarifa, in need of protection, buys him to escort her on a mission for her freedom.

According to Angela Knight this is a werewolf story, but in an entirely different universe from the Mageverse series. Since I have not read anything in that series yet and Angela Knight is a new author for me I was able to make my review without comparing both worlds.
As said this was my first encounter with Angela Knight's writing and I must say that although at times it was a bit too Star Trek/Star Wars for my taste, I still enjoyed this lovely tale of passion and betrayal.
The main characters were good together, having more to them than met the eye and even if it was short I did get a good picture of their personalities. There were some intriguing secondary characters, adding to the futuristic feel of the story and the plot was surprising.

I think I'm going to have to make time for the Mageverse series soon because this little taste of Angela Knight's writing certainly does ask for more.

Quote
She might own him, but just now, he owned her. Her body danced to his tune, her breathless voice begged for the pleasure only he could give.







Lora Leigh - A Jaguar's Kiss (part of the Breeds Series)
I could not find a back cover/synopsis for this story but in the book itself was a little explanation about the origin of the Breeds. A small summary:
They were created, not born. Trained, not raised. Humans genetically altered with the DNA of the predators of the earth: wolf, lion, tiger, cougar, jaguar.
Now they are banding together, creating their own society fighting to hide the only secret that can destroy them. The secret of mating heat, the chemical, biological and emotional reaction of one Breed to the man or woman meant to be his or hers forever. It's their Achilles' heel, their strength but also their weakness.

This is the story of Natalie Ricci, a non-Breed teacher and Saban Broussard, a Jaguar Breed; he's Cajun and a Breed Enforcer.
When Natalie is given a position as the first non-Breed teaching Breed children in a public school, Saban is assigned as her bodyguard to escort her to her new job just outside Breed headquarters. When Saban lays his eyes on Natalie he knows she is his mate. Saban binds her to him in a way that takes away her freedom of choice.
Natalie, who is not familiar with the ways of the Breeds and is just coming from an ugly divorce from a controlling husband, doesn't give in with out a fight.
The outcome is inevitable, even when her ex-husband, instigated by the Breeds enemies, comes to cause trouble.
Natalie and Saban are great together and perfect for each other. Saban is alpha, protective, possessive and determined. Natalie is fierce, intelligent and independent. She has a dry sense of humor and despite the strong, initially physical, attraction between them she gives Saban a hard time in convincing her she is his mate.

Lora Leigh describes Natalie's struggle and Saban's determination in a very emotional and captivating way. She gives this short story an unexpected and fascinating depth. Same goes for the love scenes; they are spine tingling.

In the anthology this story had the biggest page count and though the story was masterfully set up and worked out at the end I was really craving more.
The concept of the Breeds, their abilities and everything that surrounds them is truly appealing to me in this novella.
This story is part 15 in the Breeds series and although I have read other Lora Leigh books, it is my first encounter with this series. It made me want to go for the full-length books immediately to get acquainted some more with this -to say the least- fascinating world.

Quote
Natalie, after Saban has bound her to him against her will: " I don't care if Coyote's are swarming Sanctuary with grenade launchers. Get some of those badass Breeds you prize so highly out here to collect him, or I'm going to kill him. And after I kill him, I'll hang his mangy, worthless hide in my front yard to show everyone else exactly how it's done.








Alyssa Day - Shifter's Lady (part 4 of the Warriors of Poseidon)
Alpha were panther Ethan is finally starting to make an edgy peace with the first Atlantean to encroach upon his territory. But will he need to make room in an even rockier terrain -- his heart -- when the Atlantean's beautiful sister Marie arrives and disrupts every facet of Ethan's well-ordered existence?

Marie has decided to visit her brother (Bastien from part 2) on the surface and meet his new life mate, Kat. She travels to the preserve where they live but when she arrives Bastien is summoned to join the search for Justice (if you want to know what happened to Justice you have to read Atlantis Awakening or this novella). So Marie is left alone with Kat and a very intriguing were panther, Ethan, a shape shifter who ignites something inside her she never has experienced before.

Marie is the First Maiden of the Temple of Nereids of Atlantis. That’s a mouthful but it comes down to being the head midwife of Atlantis. She has always led a bit of a passive life. Devoting her life to the Temple. Even though it's a dangerous time on the surface, outside Atlantis she decides to visit her brother and not even Alaric can persuade her not to go.
Ethan is the Alpha Male of the Big Cypress panther pride. Once he had his eyes set on Kat Fiero and thought she would be his mate but that was before Bastien came along. He is searching for the person or creature that is attacking and killing panthers in his pride. The discovery of who and why is surprising and the issue is solved in a thrilling climax. Marie makes his world turn on its axis the moment he first sees her.

The chemistry between Ethan and Marie is instant, explosive and very sensual. I was afraid at first that Marie wouldn't be the fierce, brave heroine that Riley, Kat and Erin were but I was wrong. She really stood her ground with Ethan, giving him a run for his money. Still as much as I loved Marie it was Ethan who stole the show for me in this novella. All male, all panther, all alpha and of course he possesses the signature quirky, dry sense of humor all Alyssa Day's heroes have.

It was great to see Bastien and Kat again, their story was also a short one in an anthology so to see how they were doing after their story was very welcome.

I have but one complaint about this novella. It was TOO darn short!
In the mere 67 pages there were smile-inducing moments, inner thoughts and dialogues. Sensual love scenes, a breathtaking fight scene and the humor were once again trademark Alyssa Day: exquisite. I can't but praise Alyssa Day's witty writing style.
Both the wit and the chemistry provided some many quotes I wanted to share but if I used them all it would be half of the story. I found it very difficult to chose just two when normally in novella-reviews I have trouble even finding one. For me this says a lot for Alyssa's writing.
I absolutely adored this newest installment in the Warriors of Poseidon series. I love the world, I love the characters, and I love the action. I'm not favorable to short stories but I loved this one. Alyssa Day is one of the very few authors who manages to pull that of.
And even if this story had a different feel to it because it was more about the shape shifters than the Atlanteans, it still fits right in the series. The ongoing plot from the full-length books doesn't return in this story but to be honest I didn't really miss it.

Quotes:
Marie smiled up at him, and the bottom dropped out of his world.

Marie: "Must I have the same talk with you that I have had with my brothers so many times over the centuries? The one about individual responsibility? Where I explain in very simple words that I am no fragile Atlantean flower to be cared for and coddled in a hothouse?"
Ethan: "Simple words might be a really good idea, beautiful, because I'm having a hell of a fight with my inner cat right now, who wants to carry you off, strip you bare and lick all of that deliciously creamy skin of yours."







Virginia Kantra - Sea Crossing (first part of the Children of the Sea series)
Emma March, seduced and left with her reputation ruined by the Governor of the girls' school where she is a teacher, decides to leave England, go to Canada and try to build a new life there. But then the ship wrecks in a storm and she falls overboard.
A seal saves her and from then on her life takes a whole other direction than she had in mind.
Griff(ith) is a Selkie (seal shape shifter) and the warden of "the Sanctuary", where the adolescent selkies are taken for their "change". He is sent off by the prince of the sea to find a teacher for these unruly young seals. He finds Emma and brings her to the Sanctuary.
Both Emma and Griff feel the powerful attraction between them, but Emma is reluctant to act on it because of her previous experience with men.
She decides to stay on the island and teach the children but she keeps Griff at a distance.

For me this was the least appealing story in the anthology. My connection with the characters wasn't really there although Virginia Kantra has a lovely writing style and this novella really holds potential for the full-length novels that will follow in this series. But I really don't know what to make of the whole of it. The story didn't have a real plot. It's mostly about the feelings between Griff and Emma and normally I don't have anything against that because I love a character-drive story as much as action-driven stories but the chemistry just wasn't there for me. This can be because the concept of a seal shape shifter being new to me. I'm used to wolves, dragons and felines. These are a very different kind of shape shifters. I couldn't conceal the alpha behavior with a seal, but that can be just me.
This being said I must say that the story was nicely paced, the chemistry between Emma and Griff and the love scenes were great. The characters could have been fleshed out a bit more but since it's a novella that is to be expected.

Still I am curious as to how the full-length books in this series will turn out. Maybe I will give the first one a go just to make sure that the feeling I had with this story is because it's a story in anthology.







In conclusion I have to say that with the exception of the last novella this was an anthology that surpassed my expectations and one of exceptional quality compared to other anthologies I have read. The novellas had potential and focused my attention on authors I didn't know yet and a series I'm dying to get into. And the novella in the series I did already know didn't disappoint either.
It is most definitely an anthology worth having on your bookshelves if you have a thing for shifters!

School for Scandal – Susan Johnson
James Bell, Viscount Ormond, is a shameless rake, infamous for his skills in seduction--and Claire Russell doesn't intend for her sister to become his latest conquest. That is why she's come to the viscount's private masked ball. The flagrant sensuality and unabashed decadence on display there are shocking, but they are nothing compared to the scandalous fire Claire feels when James makes a wholly improper suggestion...improper, indecent, and very, very tempting...

Clair Russell wants to prevent her younger sister becoming James Bell’s latest prey and James promises to leave Harriet alone and even introduce her into the “ton” to find an suitable husband, but he wants Claire’s friendship in return. Friendship becomes lust and lust eventually lust turns into love.
This was not an emotion stirring story but very entertaining. James is utterly confused by his feelings for Clair but other than that there is very little depth to the story or the characters. The erotic scenes come across a bit rushed.







Mischief and the Marquess – Sylvia Day
Justin, the Marquess of Fontaine, and Lady Sophie Milton-Riley have no desire to marry. To satisfy their mothers’ insistence that they would be quite right together, they set out to demonstrate how completely ill-suited they are for one another. Justin is allergic to her perfume. Sophie dislikes his dogs. He prefers blondes; she, brunette men. But the more they seek to prove how wrong their union would be, the more right things feel. And when opposites attract, there’s no denying the sparks or the heat…

As a young man Justin was in love with Sophie but he was afraid of rejection and kept his feelings to himself. Another man did propose to her and they had a child before they could get married, creating a big scandal for Sophie and making her an outcast after her fiancé’s death. Justin’s mother and Sophie’s grandmother try to get them back together again and this succeeds. After a night of passion Justin proposes to Sophie but she refuses afraid to rub her scandal of on him. Justin doesn’t take no for an answer and makes a plan to make her acceptable to society again and thus leaving her no room for refusing to marry him
A beautiful story of a childhood love and affection lost because of uncertainty and misunderstanding. Rekindled by a matchmaking mother and grandmother.
The erotic scenes were steaming hot and beautifully written. This is the first anthology-story (especially an erotic anthology-story) I ever really liked. Well-written characters with depth to them and a beautiful well rounded love-story. Within the small amount of pages Sylvia Day still manages to create a history and background for the characters, so it’s very easy to relate to them and their dilemma’s and at the same time the pages sizzle with the sensual attraction between them.
This is the first work by Sylvia Day I have read and I’m positive I want to read more by her hand!

Quote:
How the devil could she have thought he was a prince?
Princes were mortal. Fountaine was a golden god, with a body built for carnal sin, wrapped in the chilly infamous English hauteur she had never forgotten.







The Ruby Kiss – Noelle Mack
Susannah Fowler is in possession of many temptations–an independent nature, a quick wit, and lush curves. She is also in possession of a fortune in stolen jewels hidden within her favorite corset. If rakehell Carlyle Jameson wants it, he will have to remove it himself. From her boudoir…or from her body. One kiss ought to distract her, but one kiss leads to another and another, till there’s no turning back…and no desire to try…

Susannah Fowler leaves India where she grew up, after her father’s death, with Carlyle. He’s appointed her guardian and promises her father he’ll see to it she’s introduced in London Society to find a proper husband. What follows is a blurry story about stolen rubies, sapphires and diamonds sown in a corset. The story never really caught my attention or emotions. Cold and aloof. No depth to the characters with a lot of emphasis on the stolen jewels and practically none on the relationship between Susannah and Carlyle. Even the erotic scenes didn’t tip the scale to the positive side. Actually I found them boring and they didn’t do much for me.








In short: The first and last story were real anthology stories with no depth or emotion stirring to be found. The second story makes it worth while to by this book and for that one I’m glad I did.

They come in the night , without warning. With one thing on their minds – mortal flesh. Sexy, sensual, and hungry for pleasure, they are the men who bring out the animal in every woman. Let them!

Camille’s Dawn – Kate Douglas
A restless, sensual spirit, held captive by one who binds her with both love and hate, Camille yearns for freedom beyond the earthly plane. Her only hope lies in the supernatural powers of an extraordinary shapshifter, the unquenchable desire of her one true love and a magical night of impossible passion...

With this story I caught a glimpse of the Chanku World, a world of shape-shifting wolves, created by Kate Douglas.
It is part of a series, Wolf Tales, but even without reading the previous books you get a good view of this fascinating world.
If you don’t mind the graphic and numerous erotic scenes, including a threesome, in the merely 74 pages you encounter a enthralling story of undying love between alpha-males and their mates. It’s a beautiful story about Camille, a spirit trapped on the earthly plane, unable to move on to the peace of the spiritual realm. In order for her to move on a Chanku wizard perform a ritual involving Camille’s husband Ulrich, her daughter Tia and Luc(ien), the Chanku who killed her in the line of duty.
Camille is kept on the earthly plane by her daughter’s grief and feelings of abandonment, her husband’s anger and resentment and Luc’s feelings of guilt over killing her.
A story of love, redemption, forgiving, grief and sensuality.
As known with antologies, it’s too short for depth but it came very close and I expect the full-length books to have lots more potential with both the characters and the storylines.







Midnight Man – Sharon Page
He’s a six-foot four inches of maile perfection. Glorious, gorgeous, and blessed with a body and sensuous lips promising wave after wave of ecstasy, Michael Rourke is a Varkyre – the most damned species of vampire. When he wants a woman, she is his. And the woman he wants is Erin Kennedy, a mortal who does not yet know the real meaning of pleasure...

This story holds a promise, a promise of more to come. Sharon Page has a style of writing that pulls you in and fascinates, despite – or maybe because – of the very explicit erotic scenes. If you’re in the mood for some hot and very explicit stuff, Page will deliver. This is the story of a vampire with superhuman strength and his feisty human soul mate who is his only way to regain his soul and live as a mortal. She can free his soul with her unconditional love but she’s is also the one who can condemn him to a torturous and horrible death.
It’s really too bad this was an anthology because some parts were just plain incredible but that was because the story was too short to get into the explaining of things. For example you don’t get the whole story on how the two of them meet and start their relationship. With depth and more characterisation it would have made an nice full-length with many possibilities.
It contains lots of s.e.x but along the story it is not the s.e.x but the developement of their relationship, his salvation and her trust that become the focus of it.







Night Pleasures – Kathleen Dante
Alana MacArdy possesses a magical and rare power – and a sizzling s.e.xuality. She comes to Pleasure Quarter to escape from an evil necromancer, but what she finds is Colin Sheridan, a former soldier with fire magic. Together they’ll succumb to immortal desire...and reach heights they never would have imagined...

A story with possibilities but for me Kathleen Dante didn’t quite manage to keep me into the story. It wasn’t until the end that I started to like it and the erotic scenes were bothersome interruptions in stead of being additions to it. The story never reaches it’s intended potential because there are to many things that bothered me. For example in the middle of a fighting scene with “zombies” the heroin starts to masturbate to give the hero strength to fight. This was a bit too much for me. Too incredible and farfetched. The characters were just flat, you don’t really get to know what drives them, they just have a lot of s.e.x. on moments where I think: stop fooling around and go kick some ass!
Of the three stories it was the one that lacked the most depth and it could not hold my attention.
This was too bad because the plot itself was quite original and could have been worked out so much better.







====

My overall judgement is that where “normal” anthologies aren’t a big hit in my book due to lack of depth, this erotic anthology (and maybe others too) is even worse because there you also have the numerous erotic scenes that, when not a functional addition to the story, are just really annoying and a waist of pages. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind erotic scenes and I like my books to be steamy but when you only have between 74 and 120 pages for a story, it leaves very little room for an intriguing story that touches your emotions. In my opinion the author that did this best in this anthology was Sharon Page. Her story stirred my emotions and that’s what I need from a book or a story.

Animal Magnetism – Maggie Shayne
Listen to the secrets of a beautiful animal whisperer who’s drawn intimately closer to danger, and t the most suspect of all male animals: man...

I liked this story very much. As known in Anthologies, the stories are too short for full indepth charactarization but Maggie Shayne did a good job nonetheless. The story is about Macy MacNamara, a vet who can “talk” to animals, and Jay Harris, a hot detective who brings a dog in that was shot by a serial rapist and the rest you can fill in yourself: vet and detective fall in love, have sex and in the meantime also solve the case of the serial rapist.
This sounds very shallow but the story absolutely wasn’t! Ms Shayne has a fast-paced and appealing writing style and I would love to read more of her work.







Paradise - Meljean Brook
Follow the dark shadows that stalk both the living and the undead in a world of restless vampires and guardian angels...

I don’t know what to think of this story, There were lots of interesting elements: Selah: a female Guardian Angel and Lucas Marsden: a male vampire, a very nasty Demon, a pact with Lucifer. But the mix of it into a story didn’t quite do it for me.
It was well written but no heavy emotions were stirred while reading it. Whereas the previous story (by Shayne) left me wanting more and full length work, with this one I dare say I’ll not be buying something by Meljean Brook soon.







Hunter Kiss – Marjorie M. Liu
Enter the forbidden and recklessly exciting world of the demon horde and their willing victims...

Great story despite being written in I-form (first person). I don’t particularly like this form of writing but the story fascinated me so much that it didn’t bother me at all and the characters, both main and secondary more than made up for it.
The story is about Maxine Kiss, a Demon Huntress and Grant Cooperon, an ex-priest who can read aura’s and change them with the music he makes. Maxine has 5 demons tattooed all over her body; “The Boys”. Leaving her body at sunset and returning at sunrise,they are her guarantee for immortality. They remind me of Kenyon’s Simi (Acheron’s demon).
It’s an enticing, well written story that left me wanting more, full length work by Ms Liu
Quote:
...mouth curving into a smile that is more intimate than any touch; unspoken, secret, a riddle between my heart and his, where the truth is simple and profound: I belong with him. And he belongs with me.







Wild Hearts in Atlantis – Alyssa Day
Get swept away by the passions that rise out of the unfathomable depths of the lost city of Atlantis...

The fourth and last story brings me to known territory, since Alyssa Day’s first Warriors of Poseidon full length novel (Atlantis Rising) is already on my bookshelf.
The story starts with the wit and banter between the Warriors I loved so much in Atlantis Rising so I started with a big smile.
And the only disappointment was the fact that this was an Anthology-length story: too short to make it really, really good.
When you have a limited amount of pages you must cram everything in that small amount and that takes away the intensity the full length books can create.
But that said it was nice to read Bastiens story, the Atlantean Warrior of Poseidon who finds his lifemate in Kat(herine) Fiero, half shapeshifter (panther)/half human.
Quote:
Bastien: Oh damn. Poseidon, please help your humble warrior here. Because I’m falling down a black pit of lust-induced stupidity.