Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Bayou Heat (Raphael/Parish) by Laura Wright/Alexandra Ivy



RAPHAEL
The brilliant and dangerous diplomat of the Pantera shapeshifters, Raphael has devoted his life to discovering the key to the infertility that is threatening the extinction of his puma race. Creating a vast network of spies worldwide, he never expected to discover that the answer might be beneath his very nose. But when Ashe, a beautiful human female, crosses his path, his most primitive instincts are stirred. Unable to resist, he takes her to his bed, and is shocked when she becomes pregnant with his child. It’s a miracle that might prove to be the salvation of his people, but only if he can keep her safe from the mercenaries determined to kill her.
PARISH
Untamed and undeniably sexy, Parish, leader of the Pantera hunters, rarely leaves the magic of the Wildlands to deal with the humans he despises. But with the prized and risky Pantera birth on the way, puma shifter, Parish must travel to New Orleans to find and bring back a human doctor. The moment he sees the lovely, talented and all too human Dr. Julia Cabot he cannot resist the wild, potent drive to make her his. Betrayed and destroyed by love, Julia will not let her heart choose her path again. But as she and Parish fight to save the life of an unborn child, a fierce and overwhelming bond develops between them, threatening her frozen heart with the secret hope and ultimate temptation of love and family.

I stumbled upon this series on Amazon.com as I searched for some new books to read. To be honest, I purchased it for Raphael’s story, but fell in love with both. The Pantera world is steeped in lore and magic. I, personally, love a good shifter romance. The one thing I can say about this book is that it is entirely too short. Each book was just enough to whet the appetite. At the exact moment the book got good and I was completely invested I felt like the rug was pulled out from under me. Where’s more? I enjoyed both books and felt that as soon as I was fully invested in each story it was over. The instant chemistry between the shifter males and their mates is hotter than July. I am already anticipating the stories of specific secondary characters.