Kate SteeleReseñas

I liked the first half more than the second since there was more conflict. Good read though.

An interesting twist on physic abilities in this five story book. The Maleris serve as ambassadors, lawyers, etc. The catch is that every Maleri will go insne because of their powers unless they take a same-sex mate. The book was a good read.

2.5*

I really liked the first half of the book. The writing was surprisingly good and I loved the way the hero was developing. Then the story kind of lost focus. There didn't seem to be a strong plot. It was more along the lines of here's what happened when Bryn fell in love with a werewolf. Then we switch POV and there was a bit about Lillian a bitchy werewolf getting subdued by her man and then we'll throw in a bit in the POV of Bryn's sister Haley as she wanders in the woods and comes to the attention of another alpha wolf. There was no real conflict in the book. Thus there was little action and no real climax.

Thanks to melissaB for loaning it to me.

I really enjoyed this book. The building relationship between Dean and Scott is lovely to be a part of. They have some issues to overcome, but in the end it all works out.

Maybe it all worked out a little too smoothly and quite fast to be honest, but because of the way it was presented it wasn't really an problem. Things don't just get pushed aside and ignored, magically solved, but they also don't get stressed and 'angsted' over forever either. And as an additional bonus; the sex scenes are hot!

I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel.

The writing seemed awkward to me. The book felt like an early work in an authors career. I would try a later work by this author.

This is a slight variation on the werewolf theme. Set in a world of otherwordly beings, we don't get to really see any of them, but knowing they exist makes a difference. It made the story more 'real' for me, more consistent. The characters being werewolves wasn't an 'add-on', like it is in some stories, they were somehow more fundamentally different.

I liked Rio a lot. He has been through absolute hell, but his inner strength has helped him to survive. While it isn't surprising that he falls for his rescuer, his thoughts about what was going on convinced me that it was more than an 'automatic' reaction. That would have made everything just too convenient.

Mick is the typical growly loner in one sense, but he is also a very caring being who has suffered a lot himself. While he tries to do the right thing (stay away from Rio because he sees him as too young), that actually made me angry at him in this case. I guess it was because Rio's need for him was so clear and convincing.

Overall, this is a great love story about two characters who look very different from the outside, but are both wounded and need each other to be happy. Oh, and the fact that, while they were mates, this wasn't overemphasized, was a nice difference versus some other werewolf stories as well. I really liked this book.

What begins as a rescue in space and quickly adds some elements of a starlit romance, soon charges into an emotion-driven action/adventure. A daring starship captain and an abused ex-slave who thinks of himself as worthless are at the center of some exciting turmoil that enables one to fullfil a long-term promise to himself and the other to find his courage. Their story had me cheering them along as I was enjoying the world, far in the future, these guys live in.

Shanrem wasn’t raised to make his own choices, and he never expected to be loved by the mate his family chose for him, but getting kidnapped by the brutal Dukati is far worse. The warrior who keeps him as his pet brutally abuses him at every opportunity, and when his jealous wife has Shanrem beaten half to death, then abandoned in space, he actually hopes to die. Imagine his surprise when he finds himself rescued and treated kindly – suddenly he has a say in his own future. What now?

Zen knows how brutal the Dukati are, two of his younger siblings are still in their hands and the third has never been the same since Zen rescued him. When he finds Shanrem and is immediately attracted to him, he is determined not to let the Dukati have him back. It isn’t as easy as he hopes for, and Zen has to risk it all if he wants to keep the man he is quickly falling for. Luckily he has a secret that might just help him do that…

If you like space opera with heroes who risk everything to make things right, if rescued captives who learn to enjoy life again are your thing, and if you’re looking for a read that is as suspenseful as it is sweet, then you will probably like this novella.


NOTE: This book was provided by Changeling Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.

Cute story. A little anti-climactic, but Rio was adorable. Would love to see what happens with Jed and James (Rio's dad).

Cute story. A little anti-climactic, but Rio was adorable. Would love to see what happens with Jed and James (Rio's dad).

Nothing really here that is special.. Typical erotica shifter plot lines and lots of sex.


One of the "shifter DNA" features mean guys don't need lube. Really?

After that I pretty much rolled my eyes through the rest of the book.

Just re-read this one after a year and loved, loved, loved it all over again! Fabulous shifter story about Rio, a young drifter who is turned into a werewolf against his will and Mick, the big, strong Committee for Supernatural Behavioral Enforcement Agent who helps ease him into his new life as a shifter. Yum!

If you like sexual tension, this one has it is spades! Melt your kindle, baby! Also, smokin' hot sex, lost of angst and comfort and a spectacular HEA. If you've already read it, it is SO worth a re-read.

I love this premise and, after reading several stories in a row where the story didn't live up to the blurb, I was thrilled that this one worked.

The MCs are sweet, even Mitch who is an utter prick to Ben when they first meet. He comes back and apologises and heat happens! The sex is steaming in this, and the boys make a real connection, both emotionally and physically.

This was a funny, sweet, sexy story. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a fun, light read.

Way too much sex - I ended up skimming all of the sex scenes in the second half of the book - and not enough plot development. While the romance aspect was sweet, the stalker thread and the evil father plotline were very thin.

Lots of great chemistry between the MCs and their romance was sweet and sexy, although the angst for the sake of make-up sex in a book already chock full of smut was unnecessary.

I love this premise and, after reading several stories in a row where the story didn't live up to the blurb, I was thrilled that this one worked.

The MCs are sweet, even Mitch who is an utter prick to Ben when they first meet. He comes back and apologises and heat happens! The sex is steaming in this, and the boys make a real connection, both emotionally and physically.

This was a funny, sweet, sexy story. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a fun, light read.

Way too much sex - I ended up skimming all of the sex scenes in the second half of the book - and not enough plot development. While the romance aspect was sweet, the stalker thread and the evil father plotline were very thin.

Lots of great chemistry between the MCs and their romance was sweet and sexy, although the angst for the sake of make-up sex in a book already chock full of smut was unnecessary.

I really enjoyed this book it was the first gay erotica that I read. I liked the characters I thought that they were believeable and liked the bits of mystery that came up it made the story more exciting. I would recommend this to a first time reader of the genere.

As often when I read a novella by Kate Steele, the story, and the development of the characters, is way better than expectations. I shouldn’t be surprised, I think I have never found a story by Kate Steele that I didn’t like, and she is also one of the first gay paranormal authors I read, it’s probably that I don’t weight so much the novellas in general, and sometime that is a big mistake.

In a futuristic, post-apocalypse future, Gen is an amplimentor, something a little more than an in-house manservant, but not so much. Other than taking care for the home, and all the related chores, Gen is also a “facilitator” for his masters sexual activities; in a world where only the strongest has survived, most of the men are dominant Alpha males, and they don’t like to bottom, not even for a partner they love. And so Marin and Cail hired Gen, and they treat him well, during sex they of course are searching for their own satisfaction, but they don’t forget that also Gen is a man, and like that, he needs his own release. But after sex, Gen feels his masters retreat in their own relationship, where they love each other and Gen is nothing else than an expensive sex toy, they need to take care of him, but they don’t love him.

Gen has conflicting feelings; he knows that in his profession love is not mandatory, but he knows of others amplimentor who found it in the relationship with their masters, and he would like the same. Probably if they had time, this evolution of the relationship would have come naturally, but an unluckily accident force all of them to re-think and re-build the interactions in their family. I’m not hiding that this part of the story moved me, it was simple but well planned, and the author did a lot to convey the sci-fiction feeling of the story without intruding too much in the romance. Even if this is for sure a futuristic setting, the romance is old fashioned, maybe a proof for the author that everything can change, but not love.

http://elisa-rolle.livejournal.com/1203433.html

One of Kate Steele's better offerings. Three short stories around 70 pages each make up one tale about a special type of humanoid familiar and the wizard to whom he bonds. In the first part, ("Lucky Dog") fledgling wizard Tyler ineptly calls for help and his familiar, Alex, answers the call. In the second part, ("Unexpected") an enemy wizard blackmails a magical nuisance into making Tyler's burgeoning wizard abilities misfire- just in time for a magical duel. In the final part, ("Fated") Tyler and Alex have the fight of their lives- a magical duel to prove their right to bond.

The stories are smutty, humorous, fast-paced and fun. It's light snack reading that doesn't require much from the reader and still entertains.½

Mate Hunt (Bond of the Maleri 1) by Kate Steele: A short enjoyable reading. Mate Hunt is the first enstallment of the Bond of the Maleri series and in effect is very short (56 pages) and full of hints for the continuing books of the series.

Col is a young and hunk man of the Maleri: 6 feet and 9 inches of male eager to find is mate. But when he finds Matt, Matt runs away with fear... Why? With gentleness and patient Col succeeds to gain the trust of Matt and to convince him that he is his destined mate.

Double or Nothing (Bond of the Maleri 2) by Kate Steele: Eric has lost is human partner and when his brother finds his Maleri alien mate, he decides to follow in Belthola, the home planet of the Maleri.

When their ship is harboring Erin feel a sudden sexual urgency: a feeling he shares not with one but two Maleri men, Greyan and Sethian, twins.

Unlike his brother Matt, Eric is not new to male lovers, and Greyan and Sethian are young eager men, who appreciate very much a willing and experienced mate.

The agreement is made, but on Belthola planet, not everyone believes in the honesty of the Maleri...

This story in comparison with the first enstallment is more complete. Eric is a strong character who succeedes to take control of two out of hand twins.

Between Love and Law (Bond of the Maleri 3) by Kate Steele: Chase is a lawman, Caz is a thief... The perfect pair, aren't they?

By everyone, also his Maleri brothers, Chase is considered a quite and controlled man. But when he senses his mate, every control loosened. But Caz arrives to him with troubles and feelings of guilty, and only the unjudgemental behaviour of Chase could heal his soul.

Chase is strong and thoughtful, not an impressive character, but you feels a peaceful sensation around him, like an healing one. Caz is a trobled soul who ids hungry to melt in the warm embrace of Chase.

Ride 'em Cowboy (Bond of the Maleri 4) by Kate Steele: Zeb is a man of the Maleri who remained orphan at 12 years old and went to live with his mentors. The needs to love his so hight that he decide to not share sex with them, fearing to loss them and thinking that sex is a much too strong link.

When he is 24 years old his Maleri mentor decide to send him on earth to study the human life. He is host of Jace, a real modern cowboy of 37 years old. From the first moment the two are drawning by each other. And when Jace kiss Zeb, the Maleri bond is made. But nor Zeb or Jace could think to leave their homes.

But the Maleri bond is strong...

Zeb is young and innocent, an IT geek who never shares his feelings with the other. Jace is content with his ranch's life, but sometimes he is alone, and wants someone who waits him when he return home after an hard work day.

Redemption (Bond of the Maleri 5) by Kate Steele: Jor his a Maleri man banished from Belthola cause an error he committed years ago. But now Jor his 38 years old and the faith of a Maleri man without mate is near: dead.

During a visit to an another planet Jor is injured and Dane, a doctor, help me: during a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation the Maleri bond between Jor and Dane is made. But Dane knows well what this is, he is an ex Maleri mate who lost his mate and doesn't want to risk his heart again.

And also Jor doesn't want a mate: he has chosen to dead instead. But Dane sees in him a kind heart and...

In this book the sex is not the main thing: the feeling, of love and guilty, are protegonists. Nor Jor or Dane are impressive characters, but both are quite and tender. A peaceful reading.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1595964819/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

Kate Steele has written a sweet, humorous and yet at the same time angsty novella. By the time I got to the end of the story, I wanted more. Ben and Mitch were men who both had been hurt by love, but after meeting each other are willing to give love another chance. "To the Highest Bidder" is a great way to spend a quiet afternoon. I will be looking for more of Kate Steele's works in the future.

4.5 of 5 starsI really liked this story and look forward to reading more from this author. Dean and Scott were great, three-dimensional characters, and the story was well-written with a lot of details that enriched the plot. That said, the stalker element of the story is pretty predictable, but it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment of the book. I sometimes forgot all about there even being a stalker - I was that engrossed in Dean and Scott's growing relationship.http://iheartpaperbacks.com

I really enjoyed Steel’s novel “Male of the Species,” so I was excited when I saw she had another gay werewolf romance out. This story was a bit darker though, and consequently more reserved. In Species, the alpha male protagonist starts forming his own pack and the hot sex gets going almost immediately and never really stops. Altered Hearts opens with a sex scene, but it is far from romantic and ends with terror – Rio is a hustler who picks up the wrong man one night. A sadistic alpha werewolf viciously turns him. There is no other sex until near the end when the romance is consummated. However, I found the waiting enhanced the romance.

Steel walked a fine line with this story. It would have been very easy for the sadness and depression to overwhelm the romance. The story opens with the attack and then (thankfully) jumps immediately to the rescue. So, readers are spared too many details of Rio’s torment. And while Rio was badly abused, he wasn’t broken. After Mick saves him, Rio flatly refuses to go with him! In addition to revealing Rio’s resilience, this also sets the stage for the angst that keeps the couple at odds. Mick sees Rio as a victim that should not be taken advantage of, and Rio sees Mick as the mate he truly is. The scene with Mick’s brother, where Mick finally understands this, is particularly touching. The sex between Mick and Rio wasn’t as frequent as other romances, but it was very well done. Rio has been abused, and he must work through repressed fears with Mick. The subplot with Rio’s father and running away was excellent, and really added a lot to the novel.

I did enjoy this novel a great deal and would have given it five stars, but for one thing. The world-building was lacking somewhat. When Rio transforms before his father, he's shocked but not in a "OMG that's not real" way. The scene led me to believe that werewolves are "out" in the world, but Steele never really says for certain. Also, Mick is part of a paranormal law enforcement-type agency but we never learn anything more. If this were clearly the first in a series, then this would not be a problem. But, there is no indication there will be a sequel, though I would certainly buy it and hope there will be. However, I will add that Steele hasn't simply written a normal romance and thrown some paranormal in it to ride the craze. Though the world-building could be richer, the werewolf aspect is developed. Shapeshifting is integral to the plot, and presents additional issues for Rio and Mick to resolve.

Overall, this was a very good romance and well worth reading - especially if you enjoy paranormal romance/werewolves. Highly recommended.½

This is a very nice novella, it's a bit sexy and naughty but mostly it's romantic and sweet. Ben is a bookstore owner (and also for this chosen career I would have found him nice), but he is not the classical library mouse; he is young, 26 years old, pretty and gay. Apparently he has also no problem to find companionship when he wants, but Ben is now looking only for true love. Even if he has had a bad experience in the past, he still believe in love. Ben's lover left him since Ben wasn't willing to have an open relationship; in reaction to the dumping, or maybe to prove to himself that his idea of committed love was stupid, Ben spent months sleeping around, only to awake one day realizing that it wasn't what he wanted. Now Ben prefers to be alone if the man he has in front is nothing serious. But don't get me wrong, Ben is not some hermit, it's less than one year that he took that decision, so maybe, if fate didn't help him, it wouldn't have been long that he maybe reconsider.

Anyway Ben's best friend, Becca, decides to give him a special birthday present, a lunch date with Ben's favorite television star, Mitch. Mitch is really gorgeous and on screen he seems also very nice and with a deep personality. But the day of the appointment, Mitch is sullen and rude, and Ben leaves thinking that it's only true what they say of the stardom. This is probably the best part of the novella: it would have been simple to write a Cinderfella like story, where mousy Ben falls in love, with the big star Mitch, and he is reciprocated. And obviously, being Mitch famous and wealthy, it would have been simple to make him also the strong partner in the relationship.

Instead Mitch is, like often actors are, a man with a lot of complex, with a poor childhood and youth (poor of feelings not of money) and who, like Ben, was burned by love. Mitch is probably acting in life like he is acting on screen: he is trying to avoid some inner questions since he doesn't like the answer. His only long term relationship was with a man, and it was also his only same sex relationship, and it didn't go well. So now Mitch is having only female partners (and few up to all), telling himself that he is bisexual and that he is not attracted to men. For me instead, Mitch's conscience knows that he can fall in love only with a man, and so it avoids to be involved with one so it's not possible to break his heart again.

So there is nice contraposition between Ben and Mitch: Ben is the one with the low profile job, but he is also the one with a better self-esteem and comfortable with his sexuality; Ben has also a supportive family and circle of friends, where Mitch is practically alone. On the other hand, when they are in bed, it's always Mitch who plays the top; more, when it's the moment to be serious and real with their relationship, despite his sexuality issues, it's Mitch who faces the situation with more steadiness and certainty.

To the Highest Bidder is a story that gives more than expected, with two nice characters, very well developed; it has also the type of closing scene I love, where the author gives a glimpse on the couple after their happily ever after.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002D9ZLZ0/?tag=elimyrevandra-20