Helpful Score: 4
The title is obviously intended to hook the 'Dates from Hell' fans - but frankly most of the stories work too hard at the 'Hotter Than' part and very few of them contained anything 'hellish'. All contained some paranormal aspects but most were the 'usual' vampires and shifters. I think my favorite was the Sizemore/Little story which managed to mix time travel/psychic power/dark ages history/Druidism/emerging Christianity/and the King Arthur legends into one successful little story...
Helpful Score: 2
Some very good short stories. It's all about heat... attraction, sex. Love Kim Harrison's contribution - book worth it just for that one. :)
Helpful Score: 1
The one thing that gets me with this book is how different it seems from the rest of the "In Hell" anthologies that came before it. It really strikes me that Hotter than Hell is more paranormal romance than it is urban fantasy, because the premise in all the stories is sex with a paranormal twist. Pretty much all of these stories have a relationship with sex included, which makes it more romance than not, which isn't the case as much in the other books (which makes them more "urban fantasy"). I feel somewhat disappointed in a lot of the stories in this anthology. In most of them I found too much of the sexual attraction, not enough to make me believe in the relationship. I think that to some extent choosing to make the stories require sex and then making them short was shooting everyone in the foot - there simply is very little space to have a story, have crazy sex, and also make me see a believable relationship developing, a relationship where I can buy into a HEA. Not enough room for it all, and something lost out. All the stories that managed to keep the three things balanced (plot, sex, believable relationship) - those where the stronger stories in the anthology. I think that most of the ones that had sex but didn't try to make the story have a fully formed romantic relationship occur within the short story were stronger - Tanya Huff's "Music Hath Charms", Lilith Saintcrow's "Brother's Keeper" (which still has a flaw - it threw the reader in without much information about the world. I recognized characters in her Dante Valentine series though), and "Dirty Magic" by Kim Harrison (also shares a world with her Hollows series, but this one didn't feel confusing). The best romantic one I think was "Moonlight Becomes You" by Linda Winstead Jones because the heroine was funny in a cute way, though I didn't see much from the hero's personality. "Minotaur In Stone" by Marjorie M. Liu was also good because of the lyrical writing, but there is something a bit off with the relationship there, I guess I found it hard to believe the heroine would go so far for someone she just met, but then she's isolated and so is he. That could be their bond, but I felt it could have been more cemented than it was.
Helpful Score: 1
Why do I bother buying books that have like 20 authors?!? I feel shortchanged because there's no development in the story. As soon as it gets good, they story ends. Especially "Brothers Keeper". I felt some of these tales had the potential to be really good books on their own. Death in these short stories didn't work for me, especially the last one, but I won't say why as it will give away the story. The last story was by far the worst of them. Death is not sexy.
Helpful Score: 1
This book contained stories that were either good or so-so. The problem I have with books of this type is that the stories usually are so short that there is not much emphasis on a storyline or character development. Here's my view on each author/story:
Tanya Huff - I had no idea what this story was supposed to be, it was a mess. 2 brothers who were sirens & the 2 record execs fighting over signing them. Flat characters & a story that went no where.
Marjorie M Liu - I've stopped reading her books because her writing style doesn't draw me into her books anymore. This story was about a Minotaur. It was an ok story.
Cheyenne McCray - Love her books, & this story was pretty good. Lots of sex with 2 lovers who have to overcome a major problem in order to be together. He's a demon - she's human
LA Banks - I like her new were series but I am not a fan of her vamp series & this took place in that area so I skipped it.
Susan Krinard - not a fan of her's either, skipped this too.
Keri Arthur - Another fav of mine. This story didn't disappoint. Grace & Ethan are were's & work for a Paranormal Organization. The story had a good plot & strong characters. I really enjoyed this story. All her other books are great too!
Heidi Betts - I never heard of her before I read this book. A cursed sexy Scotsman & the great, great grandaughter of the woman who cursed him work together to save him. Lots of sexy scenes & a fun read.
Lilith Saintcrow - another fav of mine. If you read her Danny Valentine series then you'll recognize the setting in this story. I liked the characters & storyline but the ending leaves you wanting more......
Susan Sizemore & Denise Little - I like Sizemore but I couldn't get into this story at all, I ending up skipping most of it.
Carrie Vaughn - story didn't interest me so I didn't finish it
Linda Winestead Jones - I enjoyed her 2 sets of trilogy books but this story was so-so.
Kim Harrison - I love her series but this was blah. I expected better from her. Maybe she was tired from editing all the other authors stories.
So IMO only a few were keepers the rest were not. I'm glad I got it here instead of buying it.
Tanya Huff - I had no idea what this story was supposed to be, it was a mess. 2 brothers who were sirens & the 2 record execs fighting over signing them. Flat characters & a story that went no where.
Marjorie M Liu - I've stopped reading her books because her writing style doesn't draw me into her books anymore. This story was about a Minotaur. It was an ok story.
Cheyenne McCray - Love her books, & this story was pretty good. Lots of sex with 2 lovers who have to overcome a major problem in order to be together. He's a demon - she's human
LA Banks - I like her new were series but I am not a fan of her vamp series & this took place in that area so I skipped it.
Susan Krinard - not a fan of her's either, skipped this too.
Keri Arthur - Another fav of mine. This story didn't disappoint. Grace & Ethan are were's & work for a Paranormal Organization. The story had a good plot & strong characters. I really enjoyed this story. All her other books are great too!
Heidi Betts - I never heard of her before I read this book. A cursed sexy Scotsman & the great, great grandaughter of the woman who cursed him work together to save him. Lots of sexy scenes & a fun read.
Lilith Saintcrow - another fav of mine. If you read her Danny Valentine series then you'll recognize the setting in this story. I liked the characters & storyline but the ending leaves you wanting more......
Susan Sizemore & Denise Little - I like Sizemore but I couldn't get into this story at all, I ending up skipping most of it.
Carrie Vaughn - story didn't interest me so I didn't finish it
Linda Winestead Jones - I enjoyed her 2 sets of trilogy books but this story was so-so.
Kim Harrison - I love her series but this was blah. I expected better from her. Maybe she was tired from editing all the other authors stories.
So IMO only a few were keepers the rest were not. I'm glad I got it here instead of buying it.
