Hot Blooded Anthology: Christine Feehan, Maggie Shayne, Emma Holly, Angela Knight

***This book contains the first part to Angela Knight’s Mageverse Series, Book Fourteen in Christine Feehan’s Dark Series, and number Six in Emma Holly’s reading order!***

“ “Dark Hunger” by New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan

“In a dark jungle, a beautiful activist liberates animals from a secret laboratory—and stumbles across an unexpected prisoner. She releases the Carpathian from his bonds—only to unleash his voracious appetite on herself…”

This was the first work by Christine Feehan that I’ve read. I’ve been meaning to read her—I have a list of her books all set to go—and it just worked out that I was reading Angela Knight once more and this short story by Feehan just happened to get caught up in the mix.

Overall, it was good. Her writing style is different and I liked it. The story itself was a little bit difficult to understand—though I am fairly certain that has to do with the fact that this is actually the fourteenth installment in a series… My fault for not having read the other thirteen… Anyhow, the characters were nice and I loved the descriptions of the environment.

I must admit, however, that this was fairly similar to one of Sherrilyn Kenyon’s short stories: “Winter Born” in the Stroke of Midnight anthology. I’m not implying that one author copied the other; I’m just saying that if you liked one, you’ll probably like the other.

This story was interesting and I’ll be reading more of Feehan in the future!

“ “Awaiting Moonrise” by New York Times bestselling author Maggie Shayne

“A science professor enters the steamy bayou to find a new species of animal, convinced that its presence is behind the stories of lycanthropy in the region, but finds herself tempted by a legendary creature straight out of her most sensual nightmare…”

I’ve only read Maggie Shayne once before, but the more I read her, the more I find that I like her. The first one I read by her was good—it wasn’t my favorite, but parts of it were really good. This one, however, was VERY good! I loved the plot and the story behind it all. It was so interesting and I really devoured it! Again, there was that element of gruesomeness, but it really ended up enhancing the story. Her characters have this mystery about them that only seems to work with Shayne’s writing. I have seen other writers attempt creating characters in this manner, but none seem to pull it off nearly as well as this one.

Of course, I will be reading more of Maggie Shayne in the future: especially after this short story!

“ “The Night Owl” by Emma Holly

“Little ever seems to stir in the sleepy woods of a small Vermont town, until a new owner takes over the exclusive local inn. He is centuries old and has traveled far and wide to find his queen—and now nothing will stop him from claiming her…”

As with Christine Feehan’s short story, this was a later installment in a series. I have been meaning to read Emma Holly’s works and was excited to see her name on the cover of the anthology.

I will admit that I have discovered another author whom I would be thrilled to read again! Her writing was unique, yet it maintained the style that captivates me. The characters were extremely likable and the plot remained interesting throughout. Even though this is book six in a series, I felt as if I was able to understand a good enough amount where this short story could stand alone. It was really impressive. I loved the new twist that Holly has thrown in to the mix and—I really don’t want to give it away—but it may either thrill or completely turn off the vampire-lover.

You’ll be sure to read more reviews of Holly’s works in the future!

“ “Seduction’s Gift” by Angela Knight

“All’s fair in the war between desire and resistance when a lady cop pulls over a speeder—and finds an immortal lover who is determined to seduce her into accepting her own passionate destiny…”

I’ve read Angela Knight before and this book definitely lived up to my expectations. The writing was captivating and it flowed very well. I had a bit of a hard time following the plot in the beginning, but it was quickly clarified. It was so cool to see a different side to one of the Knights of the Round Table! (Actually, part of the story actually rang of the research paper that I wrote for my Honors English Comp. I class… Pretty neat if you ask me.)

Of course, I will be reading more of Knight’s works in the future!

“When the sun goes down, each woman will discover the man she desires—within the beast that drives her wild…”

Midnight Peasures (Conatins Dark-Hunter Series, Book Six): Amanda Ashley, Maggie Shayne, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Ronda Thompson

“Handsome and sensual, surrounded by an aura of danger, mystery, and the forbidden, a lover steps from the shadows. But is he mortal? Or is he an ancient god, a sorcerer, or a mythical beast who can possess a woman’s heart…and her very soul?

“Four of romance’s most popular authors have created this spellbinding collection of stories filled with dark passion and desire. Under the cover of darkness, their heroes inhabit worlds haunted by ageless hungers and deadly forces stronger than any seen by day…and vanquished only by the power of love.

“Now travel into realms where dazzling wonders roam the night, where magic replaces reason, and where a kiss unleashes a raging fire in the blood. And here, if you dare, discover the seduction that begins at the bewitching hour when a man and woman partake in…Midnight Pleasures”

“DARKFEST BY AMANDA ASHLEY

“The price of saving her dying mother is Channa’s promise to spend a year at the castle of tormented nobleman, Lord Darkfest…to obey him as his servant or, as his secrets are revealed, to become his salvation. And her own.”

This was different from what I’ve read of Amanda Ashley in the past. Though this had a completely different plot, it stayed true to her unique style of writing. I enjoyed the storyline a lot and the characters were well-written. I tend not to read stories with magic in them, but this kept me captivated. Darkfest was an interesting character and I would have even maybe liked to see him in a full-length book. He had so much depth and mystery to his character that I found myself wanting to read more to find out what made him so special.

There was mention of a tapestry in the story and it was described in such detail that I thought it was some sort of foreshadowing (you’re going to have to read the story to find out what happens!) I really liked how Darkfest was able to shape-shift and had seemingly boundless powers. It was really creative and it made me want to read more. The descriptions were beautiful and they had the power to transport me that only really good writing can—though it was less than 100 pages. I’ll be sure to read more of Ashley’s work in the future!

“PHANTOM LOVER BY SHERRILYN KENYON

“Haunted by recurring nightmares of terrifying beasts, Erin McDaniels is afraid to sleep—until a hero arrives in her dreams to save her…and makes erotic, incredible love to her. But can she find him again when she is awake?”

Again, Sherrilyn Kenyon has worked her magic! She has a knack for making the readers fall in love with her characters in only a few pages. That takes some serious talent and I’m thoroughly impressed. This plot was a change-up from the other books of hers that I have read and I liked it. The characters were real and I really loved V’Aidan. He was a fun character to watch as he developed. I don’t want to give too much away, but as the plot takes a HUGE turn the readers just can’t hate V’Aidan—Kenyon did such a fantastic job at making him seem so touching and real that you can’t help but feel for him. As always, I will most definitely be reading more of Kenyon’s work as I go on to read the rest of the Dark-Hunter series.

“UNDER HER SPELL BY MAGGIE SHAYNE

“A consultant for a TV series about one gorgeous witch, “white witch” Melissa St. Cloud plans to make the show authentic. But once on the set she is pulled into the arms of a man who opens up a doorway to the dark side and chilling peril.”

Maggie Shayne was an author that I’ve never read before and it was refreshing. I liked the general plot behind this story a lot. Again, this was filled with magic, but it kept me captivated. I liked the characters and the background behind the story was interesting. I learned a lot about witchcraft that I didn’t know before and that was fascinating. There was some gruesome violence, but it really enhanced the climax of the story. Overall, I liked it and will probably read more of Shayne’s work in the future.

“A WULF’S CURSE BY RONDA THOMPSON

“Running away from an arranged marriage, Elise steals aboard a wagon in a traveling circus and finds herself in the bed of the Beast Tamer, Sterling Wulf, who is something other than he seems…and suddenly all Elise desires.”

I’ve never read Ronda Thompson before and this was a really good start for me. The characters were real and the situations were enthralling. I loved how the emotions of the characters were so well-written that it kept the story moving without becoming boring or too sappy. Sterling was very interesting to watch as he grew and changed because of his time with Elise. There was a new twist on an old tale—which I am NOT going to give away, so you’re just going to have to read it!—and that made it all the more fun to read. The only difficulty I had was with some of the dialogue/inner-dialogue. Sometimes it was difficult to comprehend what the characters meant or what was going on inside of their heads without reading and rereading the lines a few times. Other than that, it was a fun read. I liked Thompson’s work a lot and will most likely read more.