WILD THING

Author: Maggie Shayne, Meljean Brook, Marjorie M. Liu & Alyssa Day ISBN: 0425215164 5/2007 PARANORMAL Publisher: BERKLEY SENSATION

Animal Magnetism by Maggiew Shayne A hot cop trying to solve a string of rapes in his hometown; a lady vet who can talk to animals—including the dog who can identify the rapist; a desperate man who needs to silence them both. Hunter Kiss by Marjorie M. Liu Introduction to a brand new urban fantasy series about a woman whose body is covered in living tattoos—her own personal demons to call on when the sun goes down, who both protect her life, and are destined to end it. Wild Hearts in Atlantis "The Warriors of Poseidon #2" by Alyssa Day Bastien can't believe Prince Conlan sent him to be the liaison to the Florida panther shape-shifter coalition. He's a warrior, not a politician. To make matters worse, the only woman who has ever seen behind the mask of calm he presents to the world is a half-breed shape-shifter—sworn enemies to the Atlantean defenders of humanity. But old alliances may be changing . . . Paradise by Meljean Brook Lucas Marsden has faced nosferatu before and survived, but he doesn't know how to defeat the demon who hunts the vampires in his community... But he knows exactly what he wants from the beautiful Guardian sent to protect them.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

When given the opportunity to read the paranormal anthology, WILD THING, by these talented authors—Maggie Shayne, Marjorie M. Liu, Alyssa Day and Meljean Brook—there was no way I was going to turn it down. After having read books by Meljean Brook and Alyssa Day, I was looking forward to reading Maggie Shayne and Marjorie M. Liu, since I've never read any books by them. I'm happy to say that I loved their novellas, as well as those written by Alyssa Day and Meljean Brook.

Maggie Shayne kicks off this anthology with the very sexy and somewhat unique novella, Animal Magnetism. Veterinarian Macy McNamara has a special talent—she can "communicate" with animals. Her whole world is going to change when sexy detective Jay Harris barges into her practice with a shot dog who's later going to be a key witness in helping track down a serial rapist. Macy has to convince Jay of her talent (without making him think that she's a nut case) and work very hard in suppressing the attraction she has for him. Neither is as easy to accomplish as it sounds.

Animal Magnetism is sexy, the banter between Macy and Jay is amusing, and the case that Jay is trying to solve with Macy's help becomes extremely dangerous before it is solved. An all around great story to kick off this anthology!

Meljean Brook's Paradise is next in line. Having read her previous books, all I can say is, be ready to return to her mythological world of vampires and guardians. Although Paradise stands alone, I really think that being familiar with her other books would increase your understanding and enjoyment of this story.

Paradise is the story of vampire Lucas and guardian Selah. Selah is sent to find Lucas and convince him to help her find a demon. First, though, Lucas is in dire need of blood and Selah can quench his thirst—if only he will oblige! Lucas and Selah need to work together to bring their worlds together, and not only do they work together well, their attraction for each other makes this paranormal not only a gripping page turner, but also a hot romance!

Marjorie M. Liu's Hunter Kiss is my favorite novella in WILD THING. You won't want to put the book down until you finish reading it! This is the first time I had read anything by this author, but I know it won't be my last.

Maxine is a demon hunter, just like her mother and grandmother. She has five "tattoos" on her body that are really demons that help shield her from all the parasites that are invading human bodies. One night, she ends up saving a once-priest named Grant, which afterward the story really begins.

Grant has his own unique powers which aren't fully developed yet. A loner himself, he teams up with Max to fight this battle with the nasty parasites. Each not realizing their potential and destiny, their journey in Hunter Kiss is just the beginning.

Alyssa Day wraps up WILD THING with another story from the underwater world of Atlantis called Wild Hearts in Atlantis. Another great addition to her Warriors of Poseidon series, Wild Hearts in Atlantis doesn't exactly stand too well on its own, since a lot of the back story was told in the full length paranormal, ATLANTIS RISING. Don't let that turn you off, though. Day is a talented writer and she pulls you into this sexy novella with ease.

Wild Hearts in Atlantis is the story of warrior Bastian and shape-shifter Kat. Bastian is a tortured soul who is dealing with demons of his own, and Kat is a half-breed in a community that considers her an outcast. Bastian and Kat are a super sexy couple who not only form a strong bond together, but end up helping each other out in ways they never dreamed of.

WILD THING is just a fantastic anthology that will appeal to both the romance and paranormal reader. A definite recommend read; however, it is not a Top Pick because Day's and Brook's stories don't totally stand alone, and in my opinion a reader shouldn't have to be familiar with previous books to enjoy a novella.

Julie Kornhausl