Customer Reviews

Chosen Prey

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Cheyenne McCray tackles and conquers the suspense/thriller genre. A gifted mistress with a pen, McCray brings her readers Chosen Prey, a suspenseful thriller that I predict will be one of the top stories of this genre in 2007.

Lyra Collins has been on the run for five years. Not one to trust easily, she found a kinship Ms. Yosko, an elderly woman that she takes care of, a few friends, but keeps her past to herself. When she opens the door to a strange man on her porch, Lyra is certain that the Temple of the Light, a cult, has found her. Neal Barker, the leader (The Prophet) of the cult, will do whatever it takes to make Lyra his. The Prophecy states that Lyra is the Chosen one, the woman to carry the next Messiah - his child - and secure the future for the Temple of the Light.

But thanks to the stranger on her porch, P.I. Dare Lancaster, Lyra finds someone that she can trust, though it's not easy for her to do so. As she and Dare try to stay one step ahead of Neal and his henchmen, their hearts and souls become one, finding a love that can withstand anything that comes their way. But will Lyra have to stay on the run forever? Could, with Dare's help and that of his most trusted friends, the Temple of the Light finally crumble?

Cheyenne McCray's latest release is a spine-tingling, dramatic suspense that grips a reader. A one-sitting read, Chosen Prey captivates and leaves a reader breathing hard as danger lurks nearby and a few twists are thrown in to keep them off-balance. Dare and Lyra are memorable characters with so many dreams they wish to have come true and painful pasts that have to be conquered. Chosen Prey is an erotic and edgy story chalk full of danger, crisp and entertaining dialogue and a chilling villain that a reader will love to hate. This is already my favourite romantic suspense of 2007!!!

This latest from McCray--while the sensual eroticisms are wonderfully present--is in a different genre than her previous releases (Magic Series - Forbidden Magic & Seduced by Magic, plus her Ellora's Cave goodies). But one thing that is familiar and a reader can always count on from this author is that she delivers a story that is impossible to put down and not be swept away by.

Chosen Prey is thrilling suspense at its best and one that readers won't want to miss. I have yet to meet a Cheyenne McCray title that didn't rock my world!! Bravo!

I love the author and her "Magic" series. I normally read the paranormal romances and was nervous picking up this book. Honestly I didn't buy this book at first, after seeing that the male character was named Dare I was worried. I was like his name is, Dare? But I'am so glad that I bought this book. This book was fast paced and sexy. The story line was great! It had me turning the pages so fast I finished the book in a day. Crazy huh!

I felt for Lyra and her mom. The cult in this book is scarey and believable. Lyra being a 23 year old virgin was even believable, oddly enough. Dare was such a hunk and what a sweetie!! I thought this was a great read!!!

This is a hot sensual romantic suspense and it stands up to all those words. I enjoyed the book and will eagerly look forward to more of this type by Ms. McCray.

Lyra Collins escaped from a cult when she was 18 and has been hiding ever since. She is a talented artist and has survived the last five yrs by selling her art. Life has not been easy but just when she at last thinks she is safe Dare Lancaster finds her.

Dare Lancaster is a Private Investigator hired by a member of the cult to find the artist who is producing a certain type of art. Dare has been a police officer before he turned rancher and sometime PI. He and his partner run a security agency.

Unknown to him he is followed to Lyra's house and she meets him with pepper spray and a firmly slammed door. When he is leaving he sees several men with peculiar hair and clothes who pull up to her door. They rush out surrounding the house and Dare realizes something is definitely not right. Wiping pepper spray out of his eyes he jumps into the fray and manages to rescue Lyra, quickly taking her to a safe place.

When time allows Lyra tells him about the cult and it's leader Neal Barker who has made a prophecy that Lyra will bare the new Messiah. She is to become his No. 1 wife and concieve the next leader of the cult.

The romance is hot, the action is non-stop and the story is fasinating. I loved it. If you like alot of heat in your romances this one is for you.

I purchased this book on a whim having never read this writer before..... I was wonderfully surprised at the fact that this books was action packed,well written, had steamy romantic scenes and was very enjoyable from beginning to end. I will be looking for this writers next romantic suspense as well as picking up some of her paronormal romances. A+++

Lyra Collins disappeared once before, and now it's time to run again. The crazed cult, the Temple of Light, finally found her, only this time they sent a drop-dead gorgeous western hunk to drag her back to the fold. She's not going quietly. Lyra can take care of herself--even if it means macing a handsome cowboy right in the face.

Dare Lancaster knows he made a mistake the minute he meets this unusual woman. He shouldn't have taken the PI case that led the cult to Lyra's door, and now he needs to make it right. He knows he must help her escape, must help her leave behind the danger that's stalked her since she was a small child. In short order, he almost loses his life, and he definitely loses his heart.

These two characters definitely burn up the page. Likable, believable. And the villains--those are some twisted nutcases, for sure. I liked this book because the plot hasn't been "done to death." It felt fresh, new, and exciting. The action and heat were just non-stop. Definitely worth the read.

Lyra Collins has been on the run since she was a teenager. Having found what she thought was a safe haven in Bisbee, Arizona, she lets her guard down one too many times. The relentless people of the Temple of Light have found her and its time to run again. An unwilling participant in a sordid prophecy, Lyra refuses to bow to the cult prophet's delusional desires. The cult members bring determined to all an all-new, dangerous level though and they will do anything to recapture her.

Former cop turned private investigator Dare Lancaster never meant for the alluring young woman to come to harm. When he leads to bad guys straight to her door though, he vows to set his mistakes to rights. The fact that he can't resist her sweet body and devilish charm sweetens the desire to help her as well. He's better at protecting than he is at detecting in this instance and he sets out to take down the cult that wants to harm Lyra. Using his previous skills as a cop, he forms a rigid defense around the unconventional little beauty and an even hotter, sensual one around her heart. When the cult comes calling again though, he'll have to pull out all the stops in order to keep the cult's leader from seeing his evil plans through.

Chosen Prey is rife with bold, desperate sensuality, fueled by the precarious situation Lyra and Dare find themselves in. Though neither has met before, each knows there is something primal between them. McCray writes their story with a passion fueled suspense that starts with action and ends with even more heart tripping action by the end. It's a fast paced read that is suspenseful and hits the mark wonderfully with regards to Lyra's characterization. My one regret is that Dare is not as equally fleshed out, but what we do get of him is hot and certainly left me admiring his bold pursuit of Lyra as well as his determination to see her rid of the Temple's shadow. The details of their environments, from Bisbee to the stark conditions of the Temple's compound, are wonderful enough to give the reader a clear impression from beginning to end. As an intro for me to what MCCray can do with romantic suspense, I came away pretty pleased and look forward to reading more such romance from her.

I have always loved the author's fantasy "Magic" series. This departure from the series is quite refreshing. When comparing with other suspense novels, it is quite interesting, fast paced and both hero/heroine are likeable. As usual, expect fireworks when the two meet as the author's signature sensual scenes are aplenty. My only quibble is that the bad guy here is not as villanoues as one would have expected.This book reminds me of my all time favourite "Ritual Sins" by Anne Stuart. The storyline about a "messiah" etc is eerily similar. It would have been 5 stars if I hated the villain more. Can't wait for the author's next suspense book though.

Farfetched fiction. The cult storyline was a bit over the top for me. I found myself rather bored. I usually like books by Cheyenne McCray but this one I just didn't overly enjoy.

Lyra was successfully on the run and in hiding from the bad guys for five years. She impressed me by supporting herself making art pieces. Because a bad guy recognizes her style of art, she is found. She escapes them but they get her cell phone number. All of a sudden it becomes hopeless because they can leave messages on her cell phone that if she doesn't come back they will kill people she loves. First they kidnap Mrs. Yosko, her friend. Then, they use Lyra's mother as a hostage. I love suspense with hunters and prey, great skills, great plans, one group outsmarting the other. This book had a good plot, but for some reason I didn't feel the exhilaration I expected. I felt too much hopelessness and frustration because Lyra became the loser and was willing to do whatever they said, simply because of the hostage threats. It kept me within the terrible question of what to do in hostage situations. Although I enjoyed much of the story, it was a little more frustrating than escaping for me, so I didn't rate it higher.

Story brief: Neal Barker is the leader of a religious cult. He rapes and abuses women in his cult. He brings Lyra and her mother into his group when Lyra was 15. His followers are prisoners in a compound surrounded by barbed wire and armed guards. Neal plans to marry Lyra when she turns 18, with their child being the next Messiah. Lyra escapes at age 18. She is homeless but survives on the run for five years. A private detective Dare is hired to find her. Neal's men follow Dare. They try to grab her, but Dare helps her get away. She and Dare are on the run together.

DATA:
Sexual language: strong. Number of sex scenes: nine. Setting: current day Arizona and Oregon. Copyright: 2007. Genre: romantic suspense.

OTHER BOOKS:
To date, I've read one other story by Cheyenne McCray. I gave 4.5 stars to "Wolf's Law," copyright 2004, which appears I the anthology "Ellora's Cavemen Tales From The Temple III." My 4 star review for the anthology was posted on 12/13/08.


CAUTION SPOILER:
I did not care for one scene that showed Dare and Lyra making a dumb decision. They had been smart up until this point. After Dare rescued Mrs. Yosko, Lyra insisted upon getting Mrs. Yosko's medicine. Lyra calls her friend Becca, asking Becca to pick up the medicine and meet Lyra in a school parking lot. The bad guys bribe Becca to set a trap for Lyra. Lyra and Dare walk into it. They should have been suspicious that the bad guys would at least have followed Becca. The bad guys then shot Lyra and Dare with tranquilizer darts. It was a stupid way to get caught.

Just wasn't feeling it with this book--although the snappy pace and adventure component was well done. The cult members were creepy, if you like your heroes tall, dark and cowboy that's all here too. Even the lead female character has the smarts to effectively fight back and try to lead her own rescue. Oddly, the book felt dry and almost half-finished as if there were more to the story left on the "cutting room floor". The pieces are here for a worthwhile read but for me it was no fun.