Fantasy

When the hero discovered the female bloody and beaten and left for dead behind a dumpster, he knew that courting her would take serious time and patience. When the heroine first laid eyes on the man who saved her, she knew he was truly kind and obviously a good man. But her fear of that bond and her insecurities make her deny her feelings and as such they have been at arms length for so long, only stealing a few kisses at a time. Now the heroine is a badass enforcer for the lupine council and on her first official assignment down in New Orleans with the hero are her side. But as luck would have it her first mission is turning out to be the most painful assignment she could have ever faced. Pregnant shifter females have been going missing and it's up to the heroine to track them down. Tormented by the loss of her own child, the heroine is immensely glad to have the hero right there by her side. He is a quiet force for good, patient and possessing the miraculous ability to make her feel safe and protected. And he is protective and possessive but he knows that she needed time and healing for her ordeal so he gave it to her and didn't push too hard with his courtship. But he knows now that she is ready and that she needs him more than she's ever needed him before. The heroine was always scared to be too close to him else she succumb to her own desires and in turns out her fears were justified because their first sexual encounter sees the heroine marking him as her own. From that time one the hero truly lets the beast out. All the protective and possessive instincts he had been suppressing all this time come out in full force. But the heroine isn't too sure about her plan to fight anymore and with each passing day, she becomes more and more wrapped around his finger. I loved the dynamic of their relationship. Mainly the fact that the hero is alpha and protective of his mate but also man enough to let her take the reins and be the dominate in their working relationship. He really had no desire to be the big cheese on the case they were working on and honestly only showed his he-man tendencies when it came to her safety. I loved the fact that the heroine took her time and slowly began to open up to the hero even though she knew she could always trust him to be on her side. And once she marked him and began to see that more aggressive side of his character, she was woman enough to realize that she wanted him just as badly. And plus she was a freaking bad ass with her twin swords and all black attire. I loved the idea that such a simple not sexy wardrobe would drive the hero crazy. ( )

With AVENGER'S HEAT we get kinda a two for one deal in regards to couples. There is the main story that involves Erin and Noah then the smaller secondary story that involves Brianna and Angelo. Erin and Noah take the spotlight but I enjoyed learning a little more about Brianna and the start of her relationship with Angelo.

I would be lying if I said I was never interested in hearing what happened to Erin. I never imagined her story was as much as it ended up being and my heart absolutely broke for her as I learned the extent of her past. Noah comes off as pretty carefree and trouble-free but he is anything but. I absolutely loved meeting his family and home pack and learning his family dynamics. The crimes that Erin and Noah were sent to investigate gets pretty heated and intense. Erin in action is something to behold and the two working together was even better. I can say that I am truly happy that Erin and Noah found each other.

The world of the Moon Shifters continues to grow with each book. I enjoyed the setting being apart from the rest of the pack but I missed them all the same. I was originally really sad after book 1 when I found out each book would feature a new couple but it has worked out nicely and I have fallen in love with each and every one of them. Bring on couple # 5..

* This book was provided free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Reviewed by: Rabid Reads

AVENGER’S HEAT breathed new life into Katie Reus’ MOON SHIFTER series and was, in my opinion, the best installment so far! Erin Flynn’s story was a long time coming which made the reward feel all the more sweeter when it finally showed-up in my mailbox. I loved learning more about this beloved character, and the change in local and main story arc, were welcome developments. This book also delivers powerful sexual tension and a plot line that’ll keep you enthralled until the very last page.

Reus’ enforcer werewolves are long-time favourites of mine; they are a rare breed of badasses among their kind and Erin has just joined their ranks. Alpha couples are fairly common in paranormal romance but, that being said, as a general rule the males are always slightly stronger. I loved that that wasn’t the case in this book. Flynn is Noah’s equal in all things and her powers are only going to grow in time. I also liked that Campbell wasn’t turned off by that fact; if anything, Erin’s strength only made him want her more. Flynn’s secrets are horrible and heartbreaking but they also helped add dimension to her character and made her HEA immensely satisfying.

Vampires play a large role in this novel’s plot line and I enjoyed learning more about these supernaturals who’ve only played minor parts in this series up until this point. The differences between bitten and bloodborn vamps was interesting and one of their ancient banned practices becomes the driving force behind this book’s plot. I liked that this story took place in New Orleans—it was a nice change of pace from life on the Cordona-Armstrong ranch. You can’t go wrong with non-stop action and this novel starts off running with a paranormal bar fight and ends on a different, yet equally (or perhaps more) satisfying high.

I was happy to see Brianna in this installment; she’s a secondary character that’s popped in and out of this series over the last few books. Her story has been begging to be told and I was worried that Reus was going to pass her by because she’s fae and didn’t really fit into the MOON SHIFTER universe. I suspect that the next novel might revolve around her and Angelo’s story because the lucky girl went and fell in love with a werewolf. They haven’t “officially” mated yet which I hope means that their real HEA is still to come.

Reus’ werewolf series is in no danger of slowing down now that vampires and the fae have joined the mix. AVENGER’S HEAT is a tightly wound package of furry revenge and sexual sizzle that’s sure to make ice melt, even in February! ( )