Publisher: Samhain
Publish Date: Out today
How we got this book: From the author
Ophelia retired from life as a prostitute, but her new position is even more complicated. Managing the bloodhound manor in Iron Creek is difficult and time-consuming, a job she enjoys less with each passing day. Then there’s her inconvenient attraction to Hunter. The newly turned hound seems eager to enjoy her company, but wary of anything more intimate.
Having survived the violence of his first full moon out of a cage, Hunter isn’t looking forward to his first new moon. Ophelia offers to be the woman who sates his needs during the three long days of sexual fury, but he can’t abide the thought of hurting her in a state of mindless lust. Especially since she longs to settle into a respectable life, and his needs are anything but respectable.
Their mutual goal is simple: avoid entanglements. It’s a solid plan, at least until a vampire drug lord and a couple of nosy Guild representatives force them to work together to defend their friends and everything they hold dear–including each other.
Warning: Contains a mostly feral, vampire-hunting hero and a tough survivor of a heroine whose retired-hooker heart is more steel than gold. Also included: dangerous frontier intrigue, fancy brothels, mad-scientist weapons and a good dose of wicked loving in an alternate Wild West.
This blurb came from the author’s website here.
MinnChica: I’ve been a huge fan of Moira Rogers for as long as I can remember, and one of the things I love most is the unique worlds they create. The Bloodhounds series is one of those worlds that is so different and special and I gobble up each new release. After reading about Hunter’s struggles in the first book, I couldn’t wait to see where Rogers’ would take his character. I absolutely loved the way Hunter still struggled with his new Bloodhound ways, but acclimated to everything.
E: Poor Hunter! My heart goes out to him. Unlike the other Bloodhounds who somewhat volunteered for the transformation even if they didn’t know what they were really getting into he was not given the option to volunteer. Nor was he transformed by the scientists with their established program to include mentorship but by a definite criminal and another person whose motives are questionable at best. Like MinnChica I have been sucked into this world from the first page. I really wanted to see how Hunter was going to survive now that he isn’t kept in a cage and what was going to happen to Ophelia. At the end of Wilder’s Mate there was a line about how Ophelia had changed which implied something happened to her that caused her emotional distress. Two wounded distrusting people paired up trying to find themselves and each other. That to me is a recipe for a very enjoyable read and Moira Rogers did not disappoint.
MinnChica: I couldn’t wait to see what would happen with Ophelia, the former whore turned house-mistress and Hunter the caged wild-thing who was turned against his will. These two had so much angst between the two of them, and yet their relationship was somewhat calm and soothing to them both. I wanted to smack Hunter on the head every time he turned his back on Ophelia, especially in the beginning of the story. I understood his reluctance, his fear of hurting her. Yet I wanted him to suck it up and trust in his new instincts.
E: Hunter’s refusal to trust himself was annoying but when you think about where he came from he was dealing with some extremely unfamiliar territory. He also never spent any of the crucial moon times with another person but locked in his cage going violently crazy. I think if I didn’t know that the violent crazy would change focus I wouldn’t want to be around anyone either. Especially not someone that I had come to care for. Ophelia’s former occupation was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because she knew how to handle Bloodhounds and what they were like but a curse because it meant Hunter would have a hard time believing that Ophelia meant what she said. I was amazed at how many times she continued reaching out to Hunter despite his rejections. I think at first it was she didn’t want him to suffer because it wasn’t his fault and then as she started to care for him…
MinnChica: I agree that at times I wanted Ophelia to just throw in the towel and walk away, but I loved how it all ended up for them. Once the two got over themselves and came together, they were great together. I was also glad that Hunter was able to let himself go and get the chance to kick some ass. 🙂 I loved the “final showdown” and how that all played out. Rogers’ does such a wonderful job telling a story, and there wasn’t much I didn’t love about this one.
E: Besides the overall relationship between Hunter and Ophelia we also got to see some of what goes into “policing” a town in these very different days. It was very fascinating to catch some glimpses of the internal politics with the Bloodhounds, their creators and the territorial war against the vampires. I will admit I had my concerns when two strange visitors showed up in town and had undue interest in Hunter, Archer and Nathanial. I was worried about what they would do and if they would push any of the characters I have come to enjoy to do the unforgivable. Like always Moira Rogers built up the tension and then fixed the issues with a very believable solution that required all concerned parties to make some decisions and take certain actions :).
MinnChica: All in all, I really enjoyed the second installment of The Bloodhounds series. Hunter and Ophelia were both amazing characters, and I loved the way their relationship played out. I was glad to see them both rely on the other for support and assistance in dealing with their new lives. I also liked the introduction of two new characters in the Bloodhound world, and was excited to see the series get a more definitive direction to take. I’m excited to see where Rogers’ takes this series, how it will all play out. I can’t wait for the next one!
I give Hunter’s Prey a B+
E: Hunter’s Prey was a wonderful addition to the Bloodhounds series. Not only did we get the almost star crossed lovers between Hunter and Ophelia we could also watch the rest of the characters we met in Wilder’s Mate continue to grow and settle into their new lives. Things are anything but safe and comfortable out on the border so to see these hardened people find something soft and caring is just great. Between the twisting politics, the hinted at but not quite said I think we are in for a rare treat as this series continues.
I give Hunter’s Prey an A-/B+
Links to purchase
Pingback: Review: Hunter’s Prey by Moira Rogers | Smexy Books