Review: Savage Hunger by Terry Spear

Posted October 1, 2012 by B. in 3.5 stars, Paranormal Romance, Rating B, Reviews Tags: , , ,

Savage Hunger
Author: Terry Spear 
Release Date: Oct. 2, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Jaguar Series Book 1
ISBN: #978-1402266928
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (352 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher/NetGalley 

About the book:
     He saved her once…
     When Kathleen McKnight was caught in the crossfire during a mission deep in the Amazon rain forest, a mysterious man saved her life then disappeared. Kathleen returns a year later in the hopes of finding her mysterious savior…
     Now he wants to claim her…
     Jaguar shape-shifter Connor Anderson is instantly intrigued by Kathleen’s beauty and courage and thinks about her constantly. When she comes back to the Amazon to seek him out, he knows he has to act fast if he’s to keep her for his own…

What B is talking about:
     Still traumatized after the other members of her team were killed while on a mission gone wrong a year ago, Kathleen McKnight has returned to the Amazon looking for the man who once saved her. Encouraged by her doctor to face the past, she’s determined to thank the man, achieve some closure, and move on with her life. But, when she finds herself lost and in danger again, she discovers she has, not only unexpected allies, but a chance at a life she never dreamed possible.
     Connor Anderson has never been able to forget the woman he saved while vacationing with his sister in the jungle. A year after finding her dying in a tent, the woman who so quickly captured his fascination is back, and this time, the beast within him won’t rest until it has claimed her as his own.
     Though it begins with the main characters in the middle of a grave and horrific situation, Savage Hunger is a lighthearted read. Ms. Spear takes her time introducing us to Connor, his sister Maya, and Kathleen, as well as the world they live in, which does slow the action down a little in places, but the pacing starts moving along nicely about halfway through the story. Naturally, a lot of attention is given to the details of the jungle and its inhabitants, along with Connor and Maya’s past and the need they feel to return to the place where their jaguar halves can roam free.
     Kathleen and Connor are a wonderfully sexy couple, though they both initially do everything in their power to resist their mutual attraction. Kathleen isn’t a born shifter, and while Connor accepts that he wants a mate and family of his own, he’s not willing to turn Kat against her will in order to have them. Kat, on the other hand, isn’t the tough Army officer she once was, and is convinced that she’s a burden Connor and his sister don’t need. Thank goodness for Maya, though, because she’s got no compunction whatsoever about turning Kat herself and making her one of the family, whether Kat or Connor consent to her methods or not. While Maya isn’t a pillar of responsibility and forethought, she’s incredibly loving and loyal, and provides much of the humor running through the story, most notably when she and Kat gang up on Connor.
     The book really picks up when the trio are on the run from a drug lord and his heavily armed men. Kat’s greatest weakness is that she can’t control her shifts, but as she begins to reconcile the shifter she’s becoming with the soldier she was, her self-confidence returns, making her a much more interesting character overall. Her ready acceptance of what Maya has done to her feels a bit too easy, but as Kat and the siblings begin to operate as a unit, the near misses and battles with the bad guys end up being some of the best parts of the story.
     Savage Hunger is a solid beginning to a new series by a very talented author. Having had the opportunity to read several of Ms. Spear’s Werewolf tales, I believe that this new series will be just as enjoyable. Kat and Connor were a pleasure to read about, as was Maya, and while there were a few instances earlier on I had some trouble connecting with, by the end of the story I was having a wonderful time tagging along on their adventures. I’m excited to see where Ms. Spears takes her jaguars in future novels, and cannot wait to find out what sort of trouble Maya will get into in her own story!

B’s Rating:
Liked it – recommend (B+)
 
 
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