The Subtitle for this story anthology is "Four stories of Feral attraction", but that title is more than a bit misleading, as I didn't find some of the attractions in the stories "feral" at all.
The first story is Maggie Shayne's "Animal Magnetism". Veterinarian Dr. Macy MacNamara treats a dog brought into her by cop Jay Harris for a gunshot wound, and from the first, he's entranced by her beauty. The trouble is that Macy has a reputation as being cold as ice to humans, and only is friendly and approachable by animals. But she's hiding a secret: that she knows what animals know, and she can see their memories as if through their eyes. The Dog's owner was raped, but it got a good look at the rapist's face earlier. Can Macy trust Jay with her secret and help him track down the rapist, before she herself comes into his sights?
In "Paradise" by Meljean Brooke, Vampire Lucas Marsden needs the help of Angelic Guardian Selah to track down the demon in his city who is killing vampire females and sacrificing them to open a portal to Hell, the gates to which have been closed for 500 years by Satan himself. Selah offers to give blood to Lucas as they track down the demon. But little does she know that she will end up giving him more than just her blood before the menace is over. Can she stand giving him her heart and body as well?
"Hunter Kiss" by Marjorie M. Liu details how a demon-hunter named Maxine Kiss finds both a lover and aide in former priest Grant Cooperon. When Maxine is attacked by demons on a city street, she assumes that they are after her, but soon finds out that it is Grant that the demons were sent to kill. But why? What interest could the demons have in a flute-playing ex-priest who sees auras? And when she finds out, can she keep him safe from Blood Mama, the Demon Queen who wants him dead?
The last story, "Wild Hearts in Atlantis" links into Alyssa Day's "Warriors of Poseidon" stories. King's Guard Bastien is sent to the Weres of Florida as the Ambassador of Atlantis, and there he encounters Kat Fiero, a half-breed Were of the feline persuasion. But she has a serious inferiority complex because her own gifts prevent her from shifting into animal form. But as Bastien draws closer to her, body and heart, he finds out that she is part Atlantean. Can Kat and Bastien prevent the Weres from making a disastrous alliance with the Vampires that will lead to betrayal for both the Atlanteans and the Weres?
Some of the stories in this book I found wonderful and fascinating, while others were much less so. My favorite story would have to be the "Wild Hearts in Atlantis" story, as it best fit the "feral passion" promised on the cover. Not so much the other stories. They had passion, yes. But feral? Well, not really.
My least favorite was the "Hunter Kiss" story, as I was bored while reading it. I didn't feel any of the passion that was supposed to be there between Maxine and Grant. I wasn't feeling it at all. The other two stories were good at making me feel there was something between the two leads, but Marjorie M. Liu's story was more about what seemed to be an intellectual connection and something of comfort, not so much love and passion. To me, anyway.
This is a very good collecion of stories, but I'd take the "feral passion" statement on the cover with a grain of salt for most of the stories. It's definitely worth the cover price, and I do recommend it.
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