Search - Playing Easy to Get: Turn Up the Heat / Hunter's Oath / The Warlord Wants Forever

Sherrilyn Kenyon's "Turn Up The Heat" is every woman's fantasy. Unlike most of Sherrilyn Kenyon's other novels, this story is about a young woman from a poor background working at walmart. Allison is not your everyday type of girl that she thinks she is. Meeting an old friend brings her an opportunity of a lifetime with the encouragement to go for it. Little does Allison know what is about to take place. Sherrilyn Kenyon brings to life the raw male masterpieces, tropical paradise and enough action to make even the sainted of us envy. The author has really Turned Up The Heat in this novella.

Jaid Black's "Hunter's Oath" is a nice concept of the Viking race. The idea of bride hunters was a little barbaric but actually fits with the overall theme here. Jaid Black has brought us a slice of heaven with this novella. Kidnapped, held captive, sold like the common slave to these Barbarians is enough to make the strongest of women weep. Sofia brings us a character going through the turmoil of everyday life and thrown into situtation that no one would ever consider happening. Drugged to the point of extreme discomfort, Sofia's Barbarian turns out to be a angel in disquise. The amount of changing emotions in this story keeps the reader from putting the book down. It's a story that must be read from beginning to end without interuption.

Kresley Cole's "The Warlord Wants Forever" took me by surprise compared to the other novella's in this book. Two immortal races, immortal enemies are caught in a web of fate that baffles all involved. The main characters are strong, erotic, spiteful and demanding. The sexual attraction is raw while the actual acts are pure carnel hunger. I must say that the story line didn't really make itself visable until two thirds through the novella. Once the actual plot was discovered it was quite enjoyable and explained the beginning of the story.

Overall the book was quite enjoyable but like most anthologies, you read, weep, laugh, drool and then go onto the next.

Sherrilyn Kenyon's "Turn up the Heat" is one fun read. Allison spends her days cleaning up aisle "whatever" in her local Wal-Mart. When her friend suggests that she should enter a contest where the winner can live out her favorite romance novel she at first scoffs...ya like she's ever going to win anything. But, she does and the second she sets eyes on Vince...she knows her life will never be the same. Vince is on the run from "the family" they want him dead, and he's rather attached to the concept of living to see another day. So when his best friend from childhood saves his bacon and finds him a safe place to hide out he's all for it...that is until he sees Allison getting off the plane. Now staying one step ahead of the bad guys is not his only priority. Now he has to keep a lid on his lust. Will he be able to do this or will this bad boy finally give in?

Jaid Black's "Hunter's Oath" is the story of Sofia. She's just been bride napped by one scary looking cabbie. She's alone in life now since her brother was recently killed in active duty. She's wondering what life has to hold for her now. Well she should have been careful what she questioned. Because now she is going to live underground in a lost Viking world as the bought bride of Johen Stefsson for the rest of her life. But, will this be as bad as she thinks it will or has she just found her hearts desire?

Kresley Cole's debut paranormal read "The Warlord Wants Forever" Myst is a Valkyrie with a problem...she's the forever bride of a vampire. Now lets just forget the fact Valkyrie's and Vampires don't mix...ever...she happens to be attracted to him. Wroth is everything she's been taught to hate. Will she be able to put a lifetime's teaching behind her and accept her fate as this handsome vampires bride or will she let pride and family get in the way?

The first story, by Sherrilyn Kenyon, was "meh". It had one steamy scene, and the rest was pretty much just silliness.

The second story, by Jaid Black, was mercifully short. It was dreck. I don't say that very often, but ick.

The third, by Kresley Cole, was awesome. This was the prequel to her IAD series, which tells the vampire Nickolai Wroth and the Valkyrie Myst's story, which is alluded to in A Hunger Like No Other, Bk. 1 in the IAD series. It was nice to go back and read their story. I have yet to read a book by this author that I haven't liked. Her stories are fun, steamy, and different. This story is what makes this book worthwhile.

This is a keeper anthology for me because of Kresley Cole's "The Warlord Wants Forever". It is one of the first parnormal romances I ever read and it got me hooked on Cole's Immortals After Dark series. The story has a complex world building that is handled expertly by Cole. I was able to understand the roles and care about the characters. Jaid Black's Hunter's Oath was another of her underworld viking tales; I enjoyed it but not as much as her full length viking novel. Black's stories are not for the faint hearted. She pens extreme situations with extreme language coupled with humor.
I was not able to finish Sherrily Kenyon's "Turn up the Heat". Just did not hold my interest, maybe because I had not read any other stories in her series.

Boring. Waste of time.

Three short stories together in this anthology of sexy heroines who are not particularly coy in the bedroom.

Kresley Cole's story, The Warlord Wants Forever is by far the best of the trio and, thankfully, the longest. She uses this short story to introduce us to her Immortals After Dark series and if you haven't read any yet, this is a fine, although condensed, introduction to these great books. If you've already read any books in the IAD series, this one is a can't miss and gives the backstory of Myst and Nickolai. True this isn't as deep as her other works, but she doesn't disappoint.

Usually these anthologies are pretty bad, and this one isn't great, but any anthology with Kresley Cole is worth the cover price.

The other two stories are fairly typical of their authors. Surprising that Kenyon gets top billing in this book as her story is so weak compared to Cole's. Jaid Black's story is almost an outline it is so brief and undeveloped. However it is representative of her other work which even in full book format is still underdeveloped and under-researched.

Warlord Wants Forever - B+
Hunter's Oath - F
Turn Up the Heat - C+