Tag: The Hunters

Lightning Review: Hunters: Heart and Soul by Shiloh Walker

Posted September 24, 2011 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Genres: Paranormal Romance

Holly‘s review of Hunters: Heart and Soul (The Hunters, Books 9 and 10) by Shiloh Walker

In the shades of night, when the evil are free to seduce the weak and indulge their desires, there are still those who will fight to the death for the innocent. They are The Hunters. They are at the heart of a sensuous and strange new world…

Two men. Two women. Paranormal warriors and eternal lovers who keep the undead in line by destroying those who have gone rogue. They serve as Judge, Jury, and Executioner. They are as merciless as their prey. And they are its soul.

But in this strange enclave of midnight retribution, some discover a hunger they’d never imagined, a love that crosses unnatural boundaries, and a blood reckoning with a damnable past that could save the Hunters or destroy them.

This is two long awaited novellas in one. Mike and Leandra and Malachi and Kelsey. I recently read the short story, Malachi, and was dying to finally get his HEA. I’d recommend you read that short story before this one.

 Mike and Leandra – I’ve been excited for their story for awhile, though I confess I picked this up because I wanted to read about Malachi. I wasn’t disappointed. Mike was just what I expected him to be..strong, caring and everything Leandra needed. Leandra I became frustrated with at times, simply because I wanted her to wake up and realize what she had (both figuratively and literally). I do love how strong she was and that Walker made her journey one worth reading.

3.75 out of 5

Malachi and Kelsey – The way Mal kept running away pissed me off. He was a grown man, yet he kept storming off in a huff. Otherwise I really enjoyed this. The romance was well done, though I think it would have benefited from a longer page count. More focus should have been on the couple. I really liked the storyline.

3.5 out of 5

Strong characters and interesting plots made for a great read.

This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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Guest Review: Hunter’s Need by Shiloh Walker

Posted August 9, 2010 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 1 Comment

Publisher: Berkley, PenguinGenres: Paranormal Romance

His Challenge: Duke is bitter. A shapeshifter betrayed by the psychic powers of Analise Morell, he cannot forgive her for putting him in the clutches of a feral vampire, but he also can’t shake his desire for her. And when she needs a Hunter, Duke must face his demons–and hers.

Her Mission: Desperate voices are battering Ana’s psychic shields. A serial killer with extraordinary powers is about to strike again, and the tormented souls of his previous victims are screaming for her help. But Ana cannot understand why they want her.

Their Insatiable Desire: After what she did to him, Ana is sure Duke must be using her, but so be it. Ana can’t fight her longing for him or the disire that’s haunted her for years. Every fiber of Duke’s soul–both the man and the cougar within–yearns to protect and possess her.

This riveting suspense thriller from the pen of Shiloh Walker is built on the premise that the world is a not-nice place. As people go about their daily routines, few if any are aware that they are in close proximity to or even living in the same house with a serial killer. But Walker’s serial killer is different–a person with extraordinary psychic powers who can cloud the minds of law enforcement humans and gifted Hunters like Duke and Ana alike.

As is so often the case, Walker populates her stories with rare and unusual individuals–vampires, shapeshifters, psychics, were-creatures, etc. Living side by side with humans, these unusual individuals can be evil and self-serving, or they can be committed to the undoing of evil as in the case of these two main characters. Given their history, it is no wonder that they were uneasy and long-distance from each other. Taking into account the part she played in betraying Duke, Ana has yet to overcome her deep and unrelenting sense of failure and weakness. Apart from being convinced that Duke hates her, she feels completely unworthy of his kindness or love. Duke, on the other hand, can’t seem to get past the questions of “Why” Ana would become the pawn in the hands of a crazy vampire like Cat. It is only when he is sent to Alaska that their being forced to work together begins to overcome the distance they have intentionally placed between each other and the sparks fly.

This is a very well crafted tale of suspense. Finding the serial killer is made even more frustrating by the interaction with Duke and Ana of the ghosts of the killer’s victims. A homeless guy who was in love with the first victim is also a person that begins to have a place on Ana’s “radar screen.” There are some twists and turns in the investigation, frustration and just plain good old detective work; but in the end the reader will be surprised because the identity of the killer seems to come out of nowhere.

Underneath the crime solving, this is a story that embraces two individuals who were initially drawn together and attracted to one another. That attraction has never waned. But there are the issues of poor personal regard, a sense of betrayal, self-loathing, fear of being vulnerable to one another, and fear of abandonment that keep these two “dancing” around each other and often ill at ease with one another. How they resolve some of these issues also plays heavily in the flow of the love story that is at the core of this novel.

I love romance novels, and yet there are so many where the sexual encounters are hanging on a very poor plot framework. Such is not the case here. Walker has a plot and sub-plots, questions without easy answers, hitches galore in the personal relationships, pain and hurt on the part of the victims and their families–not lightweight by any means. It is a book that will engage the imagination and emotions as it satisfies the desire to read a romance that is substantive as well as entertaining. Walker is also one of those authors who seem to be able to write books as part of series with a sure hand, keeping the tension and excitement alive even after the 12th book.

Romance fans will have a very good time with this novel as will mystery fans. Don’t count out the lovers of the paranormal. This will be great for their literary “diet.” I can’t imagine that anyone who reads will find this book a disappointment.

I give this book a rating of 5 out of 5.

The series:
The Hunters: The BeginningThe Hunters: Interlude (Books 3 & 4)Ben and Shadoe (The Hunters, Book 5)The Hunters: Rafe and Sheila (Book 6)The Hunters: I'll Be Hunting You (book 7)Hunting the Hunter (The Hunters, Book 9)Heart and Soul (The Hunters, Book 8)Hunter's Salvation (The Hunters, Book 10)Private PlacesHunter's Need (The Hunters)

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

This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.


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Review: Hunter’s Need by Shiloh Walker

Posted December 1, 2009 by Casee in Reviews | 2 Comments

Genres: Paranormal Romance

Casee‘s review of Hunter’s Need (Hunter Series, book 11) by Shiloh Walker.

Duke is bitter. A shapeshifter betrayed by the psychic powers of Analise Morell, he cannot forgive her for putting him in the clutches of a feral vampire, but he also can’t shake his desire for her. And when she needs a Hunter, Duke must face his demons—and hers.

The first book I ever read by Shiloh Walker was Hunting the Hunter. I was instantly intrigued and glommed her Hunters backlist. In Hunting the Hunter, I was first introduced to Duke. Duke was a shapeshifter, living a human life as a cop. That changed when he was lured by Analise Morell and subsequently tortured.

Though it has been over four years since then, Duke hasn’t forgiven Ana. Nor can he forget her. He was drawn to her since he first laid eyes on her and has never been able to forgive her for her part in his torture. He’s seen her a few times throughout the years, but tries to avoid her as best he can.

Ana has been at Excelsior, the Hunter’s school since then. She knows it’s time to go. Though she hates leaving her brother, Excelsior is not the place for her. Ana packs up and heads to Alaska, a place where paranormal activity is low. As a psychic, Ana is happy to quiet the noise that is often inside her head.

After being in Alaska for a year, Ana has finally found peace. Though she still deeply regrets her part in Duke’s torture, she’s not faced with it day in and day out.

With very little psychic activity happening, Ana is surprised when she is drawn to a homeless man. She’s more surprised when she actually sees a ghost. After that, Ana is drawn into a mystery that has haunted the area for thirty years. Not knowing what to do, Ana calls Excelsior to request that a Hunter come and check it out. The last person she expects to talk to is Duke. He basically tells her to deal with it herself, which is exactly what he decides to do.

When Duke finds himself heading to Alaska and coming face-to-face with Ana after a year, he finally admits to himself that he can’t stay away from her. His forgiveness isn’t the only roadblock. Ana hasn’t forgiven herself and doesn’t think she ever will. Duke is the only person aside from her brother that Ana has ever loved. The fact that she did something so despicable to him is something that she’ll never forget.

When Duke and Ana start looking into the unsolved murders that have haunted the area for over thirty years, they start realizing that they might be looking for someone that has the same sort of abilities Ana has. Adding that into the little they already do know doesn’t do much to help them. Still, Ana won’t give up.

I loved this book. I think what made it so good was that Duke was able to acknowledge that Ana was a victim herself. She was so young when she was forced to take part in what was done to him. All she was doing was trying to protect her younger brother in the only way she knew how. Duke’s willingness to not only know that, but help Ana forgive herself is something that most wouldn’t be able to do.

Ana was also a great heroine. She never tried to make excuses, she just tried to live her life as best she could. Both she and Duke deserved to be happy and they finally got it right in the end.

4.25 out of 5.

This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Other books in the series:

Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover Book Cover


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Anthology Review: Private Places by Robin Schone, Claudia Dane, Allyson James and Shiloh Walker

Posted September 12, 2008 by Holly in Reviews | 6 Comments

Anthology Review: Private Places by Robin Schone, Claudia Dane, Allyson James and Shiloh WalkerReviewer: Holly
Private Places by Robin Schone, Allyson James, Shiloh Walker
Series: The Men and Women's Club #2, The Courtesan Chronicles #3.5, The Hunters
Also in this series: Rafe and Sheila
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: August 5th 2008
Genres: Fiction
Pages: 368
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars

Four all-new hot tales of yore, by the queens of erotic fiction.
USA Today bestselling author Robin Schone shares a tale of a man and a woman in a notorious club, who learn how very dangerous desires of the flesh can be. Claudia Dain heats up this collection with the story of two voyeuristic young courtesans who might just take part in a very public seduction at the theatre. Allyson James has a card-playing, cunning widower and a desperate young widow learn that passion is the ultimate wild card. And finally, Shiloh Walker introduces a short story of a woman saved by a shapeshifter. Now, if only she could think of a way to repay him?
Rarely does such blush-worthy, heated erotica exist?and almost never all in one book.

The Men and Women’s Club
Robin Schone shares a tale of a man and a woman in a notorious club, who learn how very dangerous desires of the flesh can be.

You know how you feel when you walk into a conversation and realize you have no idea what’s going on? That’s how I felt reading Robin Schone’s contribution to this antho. While the sexual tension and situations were done extremely well, I mostly just felt like I was missing a major part of the story.

I think fans who’ve read her other novels would probably enjoy this a lot more than I did.

2 out of 5

A Night at the Theater
Claudia Dain heats up this collection with the story of two voyeuristic young courtesans who might just take part in a very public seduction at the theatre.

This is two stories in one. The first centers around a young courtesan looking for a new protector and the other around an experienced courtesan looking for a husband. Of the two, I enjoyed the story of the young girl and the Duke she sets her sights on most. I think the character development was a bit better (they had better backstories, I guess) and they were the more sympathetic of the two.

The story was alright, but once again I felt like perhaps I was missing something. I felt like there was an inside joke I wasn’t privy to and with all the background characters and subplots going on I was somewhat confused..

Not a bad story, but not the best in the collection, either.

3 out of 5

The Decidedly Devilish Duke
Allyson James has a card-playing, cunning widower and a desperate young widow learn that passion is the ultimate wild card.

Of all the stories, this was my favorite. I really liked both characters and felt they were great together. Their sexual chemistry was very well done and I was completely entertained. The perfect blend of humor, emotion and sexual heat.

I’ll definitely be on the lookout for more novels by James in the future.

4.5 out of 5

Hunters Mercy
And finally, Shiloh Walker introduces a short story of a woman saved by a shapeshifter. Now, if only she could think of a way to repay him…

I’ve heard a lot about The Hunters series and I can see why so many enjoy it. I thought the characters were well written and the story was well fleshed out. I was slightly annoyed by the heroine at times (especially towards the end) but I was able to move past my annoyance and really enjoy the story.

I’ll be looking for the rest of the books in this series.

4.25 out of 5

Overall the anthology was alright – a good blend of different styles and classes from the regency era. Two were outstanding and two were average. I’d give the collection as a whole a:

3.5 out of 5

This book is available from Berkley Sensation. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

three-half-stars


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TBR Day Review: The Hunters: Rafe and Sheila by Shiloh Walker

Posted April 16, 2008 by Tracy in Reviews | 5 Comments

TBR Day Review: The Hunters: Rafe and Sheila by Shiloh WalkerReviewer: Tracy
Rafe and Sheila by Shiloh Walker
Series: The Hunters #6
Also in this series: Private Places

Publication Date: May 4th 2005
Genres: Fiction, Erotica
Pages: 125
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

The Hunters: Rafe and Sheila Shiloh Walker
"Book 6 in The Hunters series."

Sheila is tired of it. Tired of him. She adores the sexy Hunter she works and lives with, loves him madly, but all he will give her is a good time in bed. And what a time that is. But she wants-needs-more. When Rafe makes it clear that sex is all he will offer, she leaves.

Rafe can't believe that Sheila walked away-he'll be damned if he just lets her go. Throwing caution to the wind, he sets out to track her down and bring her home. But when he finds her, she's lying in the arms of another man. Rage and jealously overwhelm Rafe.and a whole mess of trouble ensues.

An enemy of the Hunters has set up a playground in this land that seems to call to Rafe. He and Sheila, and the motley crew they assemble, must defend and cleanse this land of the evil that dwells there. And Rafe must lead them through horror and sacrifice as he comes into his own-a Master, defending his land, who must bring his woman home. But, to his home, his heart.

 

This is book 6 in the Hunters series and one of my favorites. I think that Rafe & Sheila’s relationship was well done. I appreciated the fact that Ms. Walker didn’t overdo the “I can’t want you” scenario that we see in so many romances nowadays.
I very much enjoyed the two characters that she brought into the book: Ella and Robbie. They had been through so much heartache and terror at the hands of the evil Pierre but were still so pure at heart. I don’t want to give away any plot details but let’s just say when things came to a head I was crying like a baby. Yes, I’m a big softy at heart!
Rating: B+/4.25 out of 5
four-stars


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