“Dark Hunger” by Christine Feehan

In book 11.5 of the Dark/Carpathian series, activist Juliette Sangria breaks into a secret South American laboratory to rescue captured exotic animals and finds a bleeding man chained in a room. As she’s attempting to free him, he bites her and changes her life forever.
Captured and tortured, Riordan de la Cruz expected death, not his lifemate to come and free him. Taking Juliette away to protect her from the vampires after him, their attraction is instant even though she doesn’t trust him.
I’m not crazy about the de la Cruz brothers due to their extreme arrogance and highhandedness, but Riordan isn’t as bad as the others. He’s able to see the error in his judgment and able to apologize without much difficulty. He’s understanding and accepting of Juliette’s need to fight for those she loves.
I really liked Juliette. She’s sharp, mouthy, and a Jaguar shifter, and like any cat, she sometimes goes into heat. Thank goodness! This series is full of virgin heroines, so Juliette was a breath of fresh air.
It’s no wonder why Jasmine and Solange (Juliette’s sister and cousin) don’t like or trust Riordan, but they do grudgingly come around. Some of the Jaguar men are vile kidnappers, rapists, and murderers, so Juliette and her family have taken it upon themselves to protect their fellow Jaguar women. Despite their need for men when they go into heat, they hate and distrust men in general. Jasmine, especially, has been hurt. What she went through was absolutely terrible.
The plot is strong, despite several sex scenes, and I liked the story.
4 Stars

“Awaiting Moonrise” by Maggie Shayne

Professor Jenny Rose is searching for a previously unknown species of animal living in the Louisiana bayou, but never expects that animal to be a werewolf. After the creature attacks her during the full moon, she goes to the local clinic and meets a man with similar eyes to that of the wolf.
Living under a family curse, Doctor Samuel La Roque has long embraced his wolf side and does his best to keep a low profile. Then a sexy professor, her nosy colleague, and some students move in next door to his cabin. He can’t deny the attraction between him and Jenny, and soon controlling his wolf isn’t the only thing that’s endangering their newfound relationship.
The first scene where the H/h met is probably one of the hottest opening scenes I’ve read in a while. Samuel is definitely direct and goes after what he wants. At times, he moved way too fast, but Jenny matched his sexual needs with hers, even though she was somewhat more reserved.
I loved all the scenes with Momma Louisa. She’s a great secondary character.
Anyway, I really enjoyed the story, but I’m not sure how Samuel, Jenny, and Momma Louisa is going to keep Jenny’s students in the dark about werewolves.
4 Stars

“The Night Owl” by Emma Holly

Mariann O’Faolain has always loved to bake, but after divorcing her cheating husband and now fighting with her ex-bakery partner over stolen recipes, she only finds solace when working in her family-owned bakery and in her deliciously dirty dreams she can’t stop having.
Bastien Luce and his friend Emile are renovating the Night Owl Inn and have earned a reputation as wealthy eccentrics in the small Vermont town. They’re so eccentric that they only come out at night, never by day. Both are uypr—shape-shifting vampires—and Bastien needs to be in control of his own pack. Then he meets Mariann and knows she’ll be perfect as his queen.
Mariann and Bastien have raw chemistry, even though he was pretty tongue-tied around her at first. The uypr history and Bastien’s back-story was interesting. Though I liked the story and the characters, I don’t understand why Mariann and Bastien didn’t care to find and punish the woman who ran Mariann off the road and nearly killed her. Luckily, Emile took care of that for them.
3.5 Stars

“Seduction’s Gift” by Angela Knight

In this Mageverse novella, police officer Grace Morgan doesn’t want anything to do with her cold, manipulative grandmother or the seductive man trying to woo Grace out of her pants. She knows all about magic, witches, and vampires, but has shunned that part of her life.
As a Magi—a vampire—and a Knight of the Round Table, Lancelot du Lac is also known as the Seducer of Avalon and will sleep with any woman the High Council deems necessary. For several centuries, the mystical council has been protecting humankind from destroying themselves and Gifting humans of the right bloodline with the power of the Magus (vampires) and the Majae (witches). Lancelot, Arthur, Morgana le Fey, and the other knights lead the council, and since Grace refuses the Gift, Morgana sends Lancelot after her wayward granddaughter, determined that he seduces Grace and gives her the Gift.
I really liked this story and the twists on the Arthurian legends. Lancelot and Grace are fun, strong-willed characters. Romance bloomed quickly between them, but it felt natural since they have known each other for years.
4 Stars

Book Overall – 4 Stars

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Re-reading for Mageverse.

There are things to like about Anthologies. One it's a great way to start a series, or an interesting fill in between major books of a series. Down fall of anthologies, they are short, rushed, and don't exactly explain a whole lot. I enjoyed all four stories and can't wait to read more from these authors. ( )

Dark Hunger by Christine Feehan - 4
Juliette saves Riordan from a laboratory. He recognizes her as his lifemate and flees with her through the forest, not realizing she's a jaguar shifter. Her and her kind have been hunted by jaguar males, raped and tortured. A lot of hot sex scenes with the usual Carpathian conversion. Nice read, great introduction to the jaguar shifters and seeing strong powerful woman.

Awaiting Moonrise by Maggie Shayne - 4
Jenny is a Professor searching for an undiscovered animal, but finds a werewolf. She wants to study, and provide proof of her findings. Samuel's family has been cursed but his attraction to Jenny and her accidental discovery of what he was means he has to put his faith in her not to ruin his life. With all of that someone is destroying the evidence she has gathered and she has a creepy, snoopy Professor on her team. Okay read, I think I would have liked more development, but that's not always easy to do with a short story.

The Night Owl by Emma Holly - 4
Some small editing issues. She's a pastry chef, he's an upyr. He and his friend purchased the inn next to Mariann's bakery. He's been attracted to her for a long time but is portrayed as shy and unsure of approaching her. That portrayal of Bastien didn't really fit, when later he's described as being a candidate to lead and run a pack, and his ruthless behavior in trying to save his friend. I did like this couple, and their chemistry was very steamy.

Seduction's Gift by Angela Knight - 4
A different take on Arthur, his knights and Merlin. Merlin and Nemue are aliens/fae who came to earth, selecting Arhur and his nights to drink from Merlin's Cup to change them. Either the original or descendants of those who've drank from Merlin's cup, changing men into vampire Champions of the earth and women into Majae. Those descendants who are deemed worthy of the gift, have their powers unleashed through sex. Grace has turned her back on them all not wanting the Gift after they refused her mother. She's now a police officer in the realworld Earth plane. Lancelot is a seducer and assassin, sent to awaken Grace's gift. She's had a crush on Lancelot since she first met him as a young girl. Those descendants not chosen are often neglected, however when necessary they are placed in a Sanctuary to protect and care for them. There's a ton of information and world building/explanation packed into this short, while still delivering Lancelot and Grace's story. Grace is needed to fight the upcoming evil, Lancelot must not fail or her grandmother might order her gang raped to trigger her gift. Their heat ensures it's going to happen, a fun reading, but ending was a bit too quick wrapped.
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Re-reading for Mageverse.