Guest Review: Undercover Heat by Judy Mays

Melody and Nick turn to his aunt, a powerful Vodun priestess, for help figuring out what happens when human, werewolf and voodoo are mixed with an overwhelming urge to claim each other in every way possible.

This novel is not a simple piece of writing. Judy May has brought in the themes of prejudice—social, personal, and all the stuff that goes along with both. First, there is the prejudice of law enforcement against private investigators and this is true on both the local and national level. Nick and Melody clash immediately because of that long-standing animosity. Then there is the racial issues and while Melody has never felt that skin color was an issue and she proves it repeatedly in this story, there are many others who do not match her open acceptance of Nick as an African-American and a member of a high-powered national law enforcement agency. Even Nick sometimes manifests resentment in such a way that it is almost a reverse discrimination toward Melody. Of course, at that point, he is not anywhere close to realizing that she is his life-mate. How can he when he doesn’t even believe in werewolves? Then there is the prejudice within the Were community itself. This is focused at one point in the story on Melody as a werewolf whose mother was a full-blooded wolf. Melody’s father claimed a full wolf as his mate and together they had three cubs, all born in the wild and on their way to being raised as wolves. When Melody’s mother died, her father—Artemis Gray—shifted back to his human form and taught his three children to do the same. However, a vast portion of the Were community saw Melody and her two brothers as “abominations” and would at some point refuse to allow her to be a part of their pack, under pack protection, and to mate with any of their pack members.

So there are some strong themes in this story. Melody and Nick are strongly attracted to one another in spite of the biting and spiting (metaphorically) that goes on during their initial meeting. It was only at their second encounter that Melody’s inner wolf nearly throws her to the ground trying to get to its mate. She really doesn’t know what to do – she knows he is aroused in her presence and so she seeks a way to bring him to an awareness to what she really is and how he is now destined to be a part of her future. But he is injured, actually mortally wounded and the only way to save him is to give him an emergency transfusion, a part of which comes from two public workers who have type O blood, and a pint of Melody’s blood which effectively introduces Were DNA into Nick. This new ingredient in his body, unbeknownst to Nick on many levels, merges with his Vodun heritage and magic (which he didn’t know he had), and he is now able to shift successfully. His response to all this and to Melody is great anger and he leaves her town and heads for New Orleans and his priestess aunt. She can change all this, right? She can put him back to the way he was, right?

Oh my, the story does get complicated and before it is all over we are introduced to the Were community in New Orleans, a very large pack that has lived in the paranormal “dark ages” for a very long time and to whom Melody is an abomination because of her wolf blood. We are also introduced to the Vodun community, both legitimate and illegitimate, along with blackmail and political manipulation, greed, and power games. But we also see how the power of love and friendship, of authentic acceptance can overcome the dark side that rules so many.

Judy May has written a very complex novel with a fine and well thought-out plot, well-developed main characters and background characters that give the story depth and context. Melody’s family are warm and accepting, even when one of their number has had to run for his life for two years. Nick’s aunt is a wise and powerful woman who believes in her magic and the goodness of the land and its protectors. And the wonderful “magic” of The Big Easy comes through loud and clear. This is a novel worth reading and one that will engage the interest and imagination of all paranormal romance fans. I liked this story a lot. I liked the characters, especially Melody who was willing to do what was needed to help Nick accept her and their future together, even though Nick was about as up-tight as it is possible to be. The cloud of racial prejudice under which he had lived so far in his life did not prepare him for a woman/werewolf female who was willing to accept him into her life and her bed without any strings attached—just willing to love him for who he was. Isn’t that the greatest thing about true love? I happen to think so.

I give this story a rating of 4.25 out of 5.

This book is available from Ellora’s Cave. You can buy it here in e-format.

You can read more from Judith at Dr J’s Book Place