""Dark" romantic urban fantasy"

In the bayou swamps near New Orleans, the Katagaria werewolf pack are punishing siblings Fang and Vane Kattalakis for the latter's actions that led to the death of their sister. The soulless Daimons attacked their brood and killed the she-wolf in revenge for Vane's protecting the woman of their enemy a Dark Hunter. Their father, who detests the brothers, took advantage of the killing and arranged for the Daimons to murder his sons. Vane defeats them and takes his unconscious brother away.

Eight months later Fang remains in a coma while he and Vane hide amongst the "Bears". Vane wanders the New Orleans French Quarter when he notices Bride McTierney inside a store. She is his soulmate though he knows humans and wolves do not mix. He buys a necklace from her, but leaves it with her because he wants her to have it. Vane realizes he has to persuade Bride that they belong together; not easy with her current anti-male philosophy following her ex-boyfriend Taylor's dumping of her via her Fed-Ex account and the difficulty of cross breeding. Worse he knows his father will come after him and anyone he cherishes once he realizes that he and Fang live.

The latest "Dark" romantic urban fantasy is a fantastic blending of horror with romantic intrigue. The exhilarating story line moves forward on two fronts: romantic and survival (though Vane might say they are the same) with incredible twists that will surprise readers yet feel right. With a strong cast, the Kenyon mythos where the supernatural and the romance converge is at its fabulous best.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted August 9, 2004

Summary

Bride McTierney has had it with men. They're cheap, self- centered, and never love her for who she is. But though she prides herself on being independent, deep down she still yearns for a knight in shining armor. She just never expected her knight in shining armor to have a shiny coat of fur... Deadly and tortured, Vane Kattalakis isn't what he seems. Most women lament that their boyfriends are dogs. In Bride's case, hers is a wolf. A Were-Hunter wolf. Wanted dead by his enemies, Vane isn't looking for a mate. But the Fates have marked Bride as his. Now he has three weeks to either convince Bride that the supernatural is real or he will spend the rest of his life neutered--something no self- respecting wolf can accept... But how does a wolf convince a human to trust him with her life when his enemies are out to end his? In the world of the Were-Hunters, it really is dog-eat-dog. And only one alpha male can win.