Once Upon A Romance's Review Of...
Wild Thing--An Anthology by Alyssa Day and...

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Reviewer: Robyn Roberts
Title: Wild Thing--an Anthology
Author: Maggie Shayne, Meljean Brook, Alyssa Day and Marjorie Liu
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
ISBN: 0-4252-1516-4
Release Date: May 2007
Genre/Sub-genre: Paranormal Romance
Year/Setting: Present Day
Overall Rating: 3.5
Featured Review Overall Rating: 4.5
Sexual Content Rating: Sensual/Sexual
Language (Profanity/Slang) Rating: Moderate
Violent Content Rating: Minimal
Alyssa's Website: www.alyssaday.com


Animal Magnetism by Maggie Shayne
Macy McNamara has a gift. Not only is she a respected veterinarian, but she understands what animals are thinking and can see and feel their memories and thoughts. So Macy has earned a rep as a witch of a woman, but one heck of a vet. When Detective Jay Harris brings a dog into the clinic who had been shot by a serial rapist stalking their town, she is able to communicate with the dog and see the killer. How can she let Jay know what the killer looks like without sharing her secret and destroying her own life?? And how is she going to keep Jay and his desire at bay? More importantly—should she try to stop the animal magnetism that flares between them?

A fast paced book that was fascinating. Macy is such a kind-hearted softie with a mean and gruff exterior. Watching Jay break down her walls was fun. I enjoyed the suspense with trying to solve the serial rapist case and watching the sparks fly between Jay and Macy.

Paradise by Meljean Brook
Lucas Marsden is a vampire whose partner was killed by some sort of vampire slayer. Now he is trying to live on animal blood and is getting pretty shaky. He’s working at the theater when Selah appears and tells him she’s a Guardian. She’s come to stop the demon who started killing vampires. She believes this demon is trying to help open a "back door" to hell so Lucifer can get out early. Selah and Lucas have to find and stop this demon before it keeps picking off the vampires one by one and opening a portal for Lucifer.

Vampire readers will really enjoy this story. It’s an interesting twist on vampires where they take no human blood. They have a partner to feed from. The innuendo and byplay between Lucas and Selah is wonderful and the suspense will keep you hanging until the last page. See how Selah gets Lucas to feed from her—and what happens during is hot and steamy! Trying to work through each of their pasts was a little confusing, but became clearer as the story progressed.

Hunter Kiss by Marjorie M. Liu Maxine Kiss is a hunter. She and her "boys" find the demons, she removes the demon and the boys kill it. Her "boys" are the tattoos that cover her body—and they come to life at night. Without knowing why, she saves a man named Grant Cooperon when a swarm of zombies are trying to kill him. They are each hiding things from each other and fighting their attraction. Perhaps they will learn to share their gifts with each other—and maybe their beds as well.

This story was the hardest one for me to read. I found it confusing for quite a while. Eventually it began to click in my mind and then it moved along quickly to the end. There’s a lot of plot that gets revealed as we go along that puts some wild and wacky twists into the story. It was these twists that really held my attention and made the story work. Maxine and Grant seem like an unlikely pair, but when sexual sparks fly…who can tell what will happen next?

Wild Hearts in Atlantis by Alyssa Day (Featured Review)
Bastien of Atlantis is a warrior through and through. When Prince Conlan decides to appoint Bastien as the official liaison to the shape shifters in southern Florida. Unfortunately, his contact will be Kat Fiero—the only woman who had ever gotten under his skin. He helped save her from some vampires and she blew him off. She still affects him every time he thinks of her---but she’s forbidden to him as an Atlantian.

As Kat and Bastien try to work together, they are ready to alternately kill each other or rip each other’s clothes off. Both of them are fighting the sexual attraction and it’s getting to them. At the same time, a vampire is preying on Kat’s pack and killed her best friend. With his cryptic warning as he dies, she doesn’t know who to trust anymore.

This is the second book in the Warriors of Poseidon series. For those who haven’t read the first book, you’ll be able to read this without a hitch. For those who have read the first book, you’ll love revisiting characters and watching Bastien try to keep his cool. This book is fast paced and one you won’t be able to put down. I zipped through it in no time and was so sad when it was over. I’m looking forward to October when the next installment comes.

I found this one much easier to understand from the beginning. The Atlantians are presented as such from the opening page. I thought Ms. Day did a better job of explaining what is going on with the shifters and vampires in this book. I think new readers will have an easy transition into this present day earth that’s not quite what we have today.

My favorite parts were the points where the sexual tension is crackling between Bastien and Kat. When they do get together, it’s better than the fireworks on the 4th of July. The sex is as hot and raw as it would be in the wild. As the plot twists and turns to the end, you’ll never find a dull moment. An excellent addition to bookshelves everywhere!

Robyn

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