Friday, August 08, 2014

Review: Shadow Hunter by Kait Ballenger


Shadow Hunter
The Execution Underground 0.5
Harlequin HQN, August 4, 2014
eNovella, 141 pages
Review Copy: Previously provided by the Publisher

See where it all began in this exciting prequel to The Execution Underground, Kait Ballenger’s sexy paranormal series about the men who hunt evil and the women who love them.

Vampire hunter Damon Brock’s first assignment with the Execution Underground is Rochester, New York. But he isn’t the only hunter in town gunning for vamp blood. Tiffany Solow is ruthless when it comes to slaying the monsters that destroyed her family—and she works solo. But when she meets the mysterious hunter who wants more than just her turf, the line between good and evil blurs as they must decide between their lifelong beliefs…and their newfound desires.



Qwill's Thought (originally posted May 27, 2013)

Shadow Hunter is the prequel novella to Kait Ballenger's Execution Underground series, which starts with Twilight Hunter in August. According to the 'Dear Reader' note that precedes the novella, the prequel was written after the first novel in the series and deals with the main character who will be featured in the last novel of the series novels (as it stands right now).

There is just enough background about the Execution Underground itself in Shadow Hunter to make the organization understandable, but not so much that there isn't more to learn. We very briefly meet the hunters who will appear in the upcoming novels.

This story focuses on Damon Brock, who is a vampire hunter for the Execution Underground. He's the epitome of the tortured hero. I liked him a lot. There is so much going on behind his cool exterior, you can't help but feel for him. Tiffany Solow is a young woman on a dangerous path, which crosses Damon's. They are both hunting vampires. Damon and Tiffany have a lot to overcome if they are ever going to be a couple. Old wounds are opened and new wounds are created.

Shadow Hunter flows nicely from action to calm and back again. There are, of course, the sex scenes, which are well done. There is deep emotion infusing this story, which ends in a cliffhanger.

Shadow Hunter
is like the appetizer before the main course - satisfying in its own right, but leaving you wanting the full meal (the first and subsequent novels).  This is a fine start to the series. I'm looking forward to reading Twilight Hunter, Ms. Ballenger's debut novel.



NoteShadow Hunter was originally published as part of After Dark, which also includes a novella by Gena Showalter.





Twilight Hunter
The Execution Underground 1
Harelquin HQN, August 27, 2013
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 384 pages

Hunters of the supernatural, the Execution Underground are an elite group tasked with protecting humanity...but what happens when danger collides with desire?

Jace McCannon has one loyalty: the Execution Underground. Despite his mixed blood, his hatred for the werewolves he hunts is legendary. But in his search for a sadistic killer, Jace finds himself face to face with a stunningly seductive packmaster…and longing for a night with his mortal enemy.

Nothing can stop Frankie Amato from defending her kind--or catching the rogue responsible for killing women in her territory. For that, this alpha female needs Jace’s skills more than she wants to admit. But as their investigation exposes evil truths, need burns into a passion that dare not be fulfilled. For to do so will have deadly consequences for them both…



Immortal Hunter
The Execution Underground 2
Harlequin HQN, April 1, 2014
eBook, 384 pages

Hunters of the supernatural, the Execution Underground are an elite group tasked with protecting humanity...but at what price?

As an exorcist, David Aronowitz grew up the target of demonic assassins. Now he's a member of the Execution Underground and hellspawn everywhere fear his name. But when a demon slips into the seductive body of the only woman he's ever loved, David must confront the heartbreak of their past to save her.

The piece of her heart AllsĂșn O'Hare gave to David so long ago left her trapped between two worlds: the Fae and the human. And when David comes to her rescue, fate reunites her with her
greatest temptation--and her biggest mistake.

Now, as they're swept together into a wicked game with the demon who controls her, David must decide if saving AllsĂșn's life is worth sacrificing his own--and the future of humanity itself.





About Kait

Kait Ballenger is a full-time romance author, wife, a former professional bellydancer, and soon-to-be-professor. She is the multi-published author of the Execution Underground paranormal romance series about an international network of supernatural hunters who fight to protect humanity.

With a B.A in English from Stetson University (2011), Kait is graduate of Spalding University’s M.F.A in Writing for Children and Young Adults program (2013), where she studied dual-genre in screenwriting.

When Kait’s not preoccupied with paranormal creepy-crawlies, she can be found spending time with her family or with her nose buried in a book. She lives in Florida with her husband, their doggie-daughter Sookie (yes, like the heroine in Charlaine Harris’ books), and two mischievous cats Elliot and Olivia (yes, like the Law and Order characters), near the love and care of her supportive family. Kait believes anything is possible with hard work and dedication. One day, she will be a bestseller and have people name their pets after her characters too.

Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter @kait_ballenger  ~  Google+





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