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15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
bad boys to drool over who are tall, dark and Alpha who just happen to have an animalistic side, June 1, 2008
MISS CONGENIALITY by Shelly Laurenston
Professor Irene Conridge had been a childhood prodigy who excelled academically but never learned any people skills. She's brutally honest and has absolutely no interest in making friends or entering a romantic relationship. The one little glitch in her workaholic life is Van. He doesn't seem to understand that she has no interest in him.
Niles Van Holtz is extremely sought after by the females of the Seattle area. However, he's set his sights on Professor Conridge who obviously wants nothing to do with him. She's so button down serious and unemotional that he wants nothing more than to break down her barriers and unleash the passionate woman he's sure is lurking just beneath the surface.
Van doesn't believe that marking a woman makes you mated to her for life so when Irene accidentally comes to the attention of other shifters in the area, the only option he has to save her is marking her as `his.' Irene has no intention of becoming Van's anything and no way does she have any intention of engaging in intercourse with him. All that sweaty exchanging of body fluids - GROSS! So why is she suddenly consumed with thoughts of him and all the sinfully wicked things they can do together.
Shelly Laurenston had me laughing out loud at the deadpan reactions and comments Irene has throughout this story. She's so deadly serious that I absolutely adored her! Van's self confidence is challenged by the simple fact that she really doesn't want him. Hisis vulnerability makes him absolutely lovable. MISS CONGENIALITY fit my mood perfectly when I read it and really brightened my day - especially when we discover exactly when the concoction she created that leads to her downfall is revealed.
WICKED WAYS by Cynthia Eden
Miranda Shaw isn't having any luck finding a man through the normal channels so she's resorted to the internet to help her find Mr. Right. Unfortunately the man she chooses turns out to be very wrong - in fact, he's a vampire, far more interested in draining her than dating her. Too bad she didn't consider her new neighbor Cain as potential dating material.
Cain Lawson moved in next door to Miranda five days ago. He has every intention of making her `his' but he was trying to be gentlemanly and give her a chance to get to know him. After rescuing her from an undead bloodsucker he's decided to step up his plan a little bit. If Miranda's looking to take a walk on the wild side then he's just the guy for her.
After having been attacked by the vampire, Miranda is force to admit that there are paranormal beings walking amongst the living. Cain has a feral side that she's positive isn't simply human possessiveness. Amanda caves into her craving for Cain but soon finds herself immersed in putting a stop to the bloodthirsty vampire who's apparently been using the internet to pick up vulnerable women. She's determined to stop a killer and Cain's going to do everything in his power to protect her. Cain's afraid to fully unleash his wild side because he thinks that Miranda won't love him if she sees him in all his furry glory - he may just be surprised at her reaction.
Cynthia Eden grabs your attention from the very first page and keeps you immersed in the storyline until the very end. Miranda and Cain have vulnerabilities and personalities that really endear them to the reader. I loved how perfectly they seem to `fit' together and the unique relationship they form that transcends their differences - especially since they need each other if there's any hope of them stopping a killer. WICKED WAYS brings out the sexiness in the truly Alpha male while still presenting the evilness that lurks in the hearts of others.
Shelly Laurenston and Cynthia Eden team up to give readers two intensely satisfying paranormal tales with the anthology WHEN HE WAS BAD. There's nothing more satisfying than an Alpha male who wins your heart and both authors successfully present heroes well worth drooling over. If you enjoy your paranormal stories a little off the norm then this is definitely a book you'll really enjoy!
Chrissy Dionne (courtesy of Romance Junkies)
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
LOL, September 17, 2008
As with all multi-author books, a good one is joined with a so-so one. This book introduced me to Ms Laurenston and I love her. Cynthia Eden is not so bad but it was the Laurenston book that I re-read over and over again. It is the kind of story that I regularly use before bed to insure a nightmareless sleep. She always leaves me in a good mood because her stories are full of funny characters.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Two shapeshifter stories, June 3, 2008
'When He Was Bad' consists of two novellas featuring shapeshifters - a werewolf in the first story and a werejaguar in the second.
'Miss Congeniality' is another of Laurenston's stories about the shapeshifter groups, this time wolves of the Van Holtz pack. The Van Holtzes are rich and important people and are consequently much in demand at fundraisers for the local University. Dr Irene Conridge is a child prodigy Professor at the university, a lady who feels little emotion and whose relationships with men have been mostly pointless. When she bumps into Niles Van Holtz, Van, as he's known, she assumes he's nothing special, just another handsome womaniser from a rich family. However when Irene gets herself in trouble, being attacked by a pack of hyenas, Van wades in to rescue her - in his wolf form. Irene actually already knew about shapeshifters because her flatmate Jackie is a jackal, and this means that when Van realises he has to mark Irene for her own safety she's reluctant. However Van gets his way and they assume their lives will continue as normal - separately - after this.
But Van begins to discover the truth of his family's claims about marking and Irene also finds that despite Van being completely different to her, he can bring out the best in her and they can laugh together. When Irene is threatened by people who want to make use of some of her exceptional knowledge, she needs the assistance of the Van Holtzes and the other shapeshifters to keep her safe.
This was a reasonable story although the plot felt rather thin at times and most of the action consisted of sex scenes between Van and Irene, rather more than strictly necessary. It was difficult to warm to Irene because of her cold nature and this reader wondered, along with her, what Van saw in her. It was a passable read but nothing special at all.
The second story in this book, 'Wicked Ways' by Cynthia Eden, was notably better. What struck me, after finishing this story, was that it didn't feel like a novella or short story but had enough going on to feel like a full-length book. The characters also felt rounded and well portrayed and the plot had a fair amount of depth.
When Miranda Shaw finds herself under attack from a man she's met over the Internet she's rescued by her new neighbour, Cain Lawson. Her date was decidedly odd, mainly because he tried to drink her blood from her neck, but her rescuer didn't seem entirely human either. Miranda soon discovers that Cain is something different and that he's a former FBI agent - and that the man who attacked her has killed other women and might well try for her again. Miranda is pleasantly feisty and decides to help Cain and her cousin Sam, the local deputy, to catch the vampire. But Miranda doesn't know everything about supernatural creatures and it might be harder to keep herself safe than she thought.
The relationship between Miranda and Cain is one of instant attraction/lust but Cain has to overcome his reticence about human women disliking his animal state. Miranda seems fairly self-confident and centred in this story, she is just slightly prone to doing her own thing at the wrong times. The story was overall very enjoyable and Cynthia Eden's writing style is good with excellent pacing and some varied characters.
In conclusion the best story by far is the second story but 'Miss Congeniality' also makes for a reasonable read and this book is worthwhile for whiling away a rainy afternoon.
Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008
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