When you buy an 8 book anthology for 99 cents, if you find one story you liked, I consider that a win. I wanted this anthology for the Alyssa Day story alone. Everything else was just bonus at that point. But I’ve been waiting for Alejandro’s Sorceress for years.

Now I did DNF 1 story in this antho, but with 7 others, you really can’t go wrong! There is something for everybody here.

Quick ratings:

Bodyguard by Jennifer Ashley- 5 stars

I loved this story about a girl who works at a convenience store and the bear who saves her.  Hot shifters, a fight club, drug lords, and romance. This story has it all. Full Review here
Alejandro’s Sorceress by Alyssa Day- 4 stars

This is the start of a new cross-over series with Alyssa Day’s Warriors of Poseidon called the Cardinal Witch series. It’s a lighter in tone and more of a  PNR lite. Alyssa Day’s trademark sense of humor shines through as we see one of her warriors dealing with a witch and her kooky family.

Bewitch by Felicity Heaton- DNF

This was a mess. All over the place writing and While I don’t mind a broody, angsty hero,too much self-loathing makes for an emo character I don’t enjoy reading. onto the next story.
Darkness Falls Erin Kellison- 4 stars

That was a 5 star story til the end. It literally ended mid-action. The next book does pick up where it left off, but it’s the sister and not the same action/plot. I feel like I have half a book and the end is missing. Other than that, I think the world is so interesting and really different.
Rogue’s passion by Laurie London- 3 stars

From Iron portal series, this is the only full-length novel in the antho. We’re taken back to the alternate universe of a slightly different Seattle, and another world that coincides.
The Forbidden Life of Alex Moore by Erin Quinn- 3 stars

This story definitely has potential, but really, it was missing something. Either it needed more world-building, or more clarity on the hero. Basically, he comes from his world to hunt hellhounds, but he knows it’s a suicide mission, as his people rarely come back? <–I guess, this is where it was a little confusing. Plus it was his first time hunting hellhounds, and I don’t know. It just needed more.
Mating Heat by Bonnie Vanak- 2 stars

This sounded good, but it really didn’t work for me. The heroine is being kept by the leader of her old pack. She calls her brother to prevent all out war, but instead of reassuring him, she basically ramps up the fear, and doesn’t tell him anything helpful. She makes it worse. I had to wonder what the purpose of that phone call was. The hero then calls her brother to demand 1 night with the heroine, and he’ll trade half of their father’s gold for it. But when he makes the call, the brother doesn’t know she’s there…she already called him! He should have known, I still don’t get that.

Trapped by Caris Roane- 3 stars

This is part of an established series and I wonder if I would have enjoyed it more if I’d read the previous books. I still enjoyed it, and I think the series looks interesting, though, especially since I still love vampire PNR.

 

***Review copy courtesy of the authors