Helpful Score: 6
This book is erotica, m/f, with a couple of m/m scenes (not with the hero, but with a pair of ongoing secondary characters). This book is 2nd in the ACRO series (first is "Riding the Storm"
Plot Summary: There are two secondary storylines that are continued from the first book, however the main plot centers around an "animal whisperer" Kira, who can speak with animals, and goes into a yearly "heat" causing her to need sex every 4 hours or she will die. The hero of this story, Tom Knight aka Ender, is sent by ACRO to recruit OR kill her (to keep her from the enemy agency Itor, who plans to use her as a weapon of mass destruction).
Main Characters: Kira- the heroine is generally sympathetic and likable. Tom (Ender)is VERY alpha and occasionally crosses the line into "caveman" (a lot of grunting and growling rather than speaking). The two are hot together, but neither stood out as great or terrible leads.
Best About This Book: This is an erotica book and the sex is scorching! WOW. Hot. Even better than the first book. And the secondary character development continues, providing more background, more drama, more sex, and an almost soap opera feel, but way sexier.
Worst About This Book: The absurdity level hits new heights in this book. The reader is not just expected to suspend disbelief, no, the reader must be expected to turn off their brain for short periods. The authors (Sydney Croft is the pen name of Larissa Ione and Stephanie Tyler writing together) put in "conversations" that Kira has with animals. And these conversations were so DREADFUL that they really made me laugh and totally broke the mood for me. Some examples: a horse that BRAGS about competing in horse competitions in Europe (why would a horse brag about going to Europe??), another horse that comments on the hero's penis size (that one can cause laughing seizures in the unprepared!), a dog who commiserates with the heroine about men being unbearable/ foolish, etc... (dogs are engaged in the "battle of the sexes"???)
This book also hits one of my pet peeve triggers in romance. This may be an upside for some readers, but for me, it is NOT: there is, for me, WAY too much talk (towards the last 1/3 of the book) about pregnancy and kids. I love kids, have three. I like my romance/erotica child-free, so I can have a BREAK from kids. And, again in the last roughly, 1/3 of the book it isn't just mentioned it is a focus. Yuck for me.
My Summary: Worth a credit for the hot sex scenes and the ongoing plot line (if you are reading the series). However, I paid full price for this book (bought it new) and it wasn't worth full price. It was mostly enjoyable, but nowhere near a keeper for me. Passing it along.
Plot Summary: There are two secondary storylines that are continued from the first book, however the main plot centers around an "animal whisperer" Kira, who can speak with animals, and goes into a yearly "heat" causing her to need sex every 4 hours or she will die. The hero of this story, Tom Knight aka Ender, is sent by ACRO to recruit OR kill her (to keep her from the enemy agency Itor, who plans to use her as a weapon of mass destruction).
Main Characters: Kira- the heroine is generally sympathetic and likable. Tom (Ender)is VERY alpha and occasionally crosses the line into "caveman" (a lot of grunting and growling rather than speaking). The two are hot together, but neither stood out as great or terrible leads.
Best About This Book: This is an erotica book and the sex is scorching! WOW. Hot. Even better than the first book. And the secondary character development continues, providing more background, more drama, more sex, and an almost soap opera feel, but way sexier.
Worst About This Book: The absurdity level hits new heights in this book. The reader is not just expected to suspend disbelief, no, the reader must be expected to turn off their brain for short periods. The authors (Sydney Croft is the pen name of Larissa Ione and Stephanie Tyler writing together) put in "conversations" that Kira has with animals. And these conversations were so DREADFUL that they really made me laugh and totally broke the mood for me. Some examples: a horse that BRAGS about competing in horse competitions in Europe (why would a horse brag about going to Europe??), another horse that comments on the hero's penis size (that one can cause laughing seizures in the unprepared!), a dog who commiserates with the heroine about men being unbearable/ foolish, etc... (dogs are engaged in the "battle of the sexes"???)
This book also hits one of my pet peeve triggers in romance. This may be an upside for some readers, but for me, it is NOT: there is, for me, WAY too much talk (towards the last 1/3 of the book) about pregnancy and kids. I love kids, have three. I like my romance/erotica child-free, so I can have a BREAK from kids. And, again in the last roughly, 1/3 of the book it isn't just mentioned it is a focus. Yuck for me.
My Summary: Worth a credit for the hot sex scenes and the ongoing plot line (if you are reading the series). However, I paid full price for this book (bought it new) and it wasn't worth full price. It was mostly enjoyable, but nowhere near a keeper for me. Passing it along.
Helpful Score: 3
Good read - but not quite as good for me as Riding the Storm. Several reasons apply: the hero was the poster boy for Jerks Anonymous [sure he had issues but ...], and the heroine had to have sex every four hours or she'd die [sounds like a nonsurvival trait to me] which chops up the flow of the story. It's hard to stage the Great Escape when you have to stop to have wild sex every four hours. That said, it was still a good read with lots of page-turning action of both types. Make it 4.5
One of the things I admire about this series is the way there is a primary plot [in this case Ender and Kira] which completes within the covers of the book while other stories are started that will complete in later books. In many series, previous characters are abandoned or only have small walk-ons. Not so with these books, although new characters are introduced regularly, the old ones continue to have significant roles. You learn to care deeply about all of them, and wait with a notable lack of patience for the next book to see how 'it all works out' for characters that have become friends.
Read these in order!
ACRO
Riding the Storm (2007)
Unleashing the Storm (2008)
Seduced by the Storm (2008)
Taming the Fire (2009)
and another called Tempting The Fire is scheduled for 2010
One of the things I admire about this series is the way there is a primary plot [in this case Ender and Kira] which completes within the covers of the book while other stories are started that will complete in later books. In many series, previous characters are abandoned or only have small walk-ons. Not so with these books, although new characters are introduced regularly, the old ones continue to have significant roles. You learn to care deeply about all of them, and wait with a notable lack of patience for the next book to see how 'it all works out' for characters that have become friends.
Read these in order!
ACRO
Riding the Storm (2007)
Unleashing the Storm (2008)
Seduced by the Storm (2008)
Taming the Fire (2009)
and another called Tempting The Fire is scheduled for 2010
Helpful Score: 3
So I ordered all three books at the same time (I know, I know, you don't do that unless you know the author but I'm an optomist.) The first book shocked my puritan morals because there was SO MUCH sex. But after I read the second (Because it was just sitting there!) I started to see that even though there is a lot of sex, there is still a well thought out story.
Kira and Ender are you atypical heroes. Both standoffish and unfriendly. But they somehow manage to fall in love with each other. Like when two people who no one likes find each other and make it work. But what intrigued me about this series are all the other characters that are mentioned thoughout the story. Two other storylines are carried through all three books so far and I found myself more interested in Dev and Oz (carefull all you fuddy-duddies, guy on guy action here) and Ani and Creed. Plots are thought out well in advance and you can see many future stories all in just one book.
While I still think all the sex is a little excessive and having to control your X-Men powers through frequent orgasms as just plain silly, (I couldn't help laughing when I understood that during her spring fever, Kira would go insane and then die if she didn't have a man ejaculate in her every four hours, FOR FOUR WEEKS!) I still believe that the rest of the book is quite good.
Kira and Ender are you atypical heroes. Both standoffish and unfriendly. But they somehow manage to fall in love with each other. Like when two people who no one likes find each other and make it work. But what intrigued me about this series are all the other characters that are mentioned thoughout the story. Two other storylines are carried through all three books so far and I found myself more interested in Dev and Oz (carefull all you fuddy-duddies, guy on guy action here) and Ani and Creed. Plots are thought out well in advance and you can see many future stories all in just one book.
While I still think all the sex is a little excessive and having to control your X-Men powers through frequent orgasms as just plain silly, (I couldn't help laughing when I understood that during her spring fever, Kira would go insane and then die if she didn't have a man ejaculate in her every four hours, FOR FOUR WEEKS!) I still believe that the rest of the book is quite good.
very boring with no story - unable to get half way thru book.
A great follow up to Syndey Croft's ARCO series. The way Sydney Croft intertwines several characters into one book makes it impossible to put her books down. Even when one or two characters find closure the rest of the characters are left open for more to come. It's fantastic and I can't help but want to read the next story.
This story has a bit of a twist. Kira Donovan is the next unknown recruit of ARCO and Tom Knight (also known as Ender) has been sent to recruit or kill her. Kira has the unique ability to communicate with animals. The only problem is that her ability comes with a cost. She goes into heat once a year like the animals she communicates with. Her heat cycle lasts four weeks and in order to survive she must have sex every four ours or die. Her body screams mate or die.
When Tom Knight enters into her life he's just the natural born predator she's been looking for. Unknown to her he's a secret ARCO agent called an excedo. He has the ability to move faster then the eye can see. He's faster then a cat in reflexes and he kills like a predator, with no remorse and with an instinct for survival. His instinct screams to protect Kira and even though he's sent to kill her if she refuses to join, he'll do everything he can to convince her to join so he wont have to kill her.
On the run from Itor Agents, Kira and Tom must work together to survive. Neither one expected the powerful emotions they spark in one another. Can the truth of why he was sent break them, can their past be put behind. Will he still want her after her heat cycle ends????????????????
It's another great book and a great read................
This story has a bit of a twist. Kira Donovan is the next unknown recruit of ARCO and Tom Knight (also known as Ender) has been sent to recruit or kill her. Kira has the unique ability to communicate with animals. The only problem is that her ability comes with a cost. She goes into heat once a year like the animals she communicates with. Her heat cycle lasts four weeks and in order to survive she must have sex every four ours or die. Her body screams mate or die.
When Tom Knight enters into her life he's just the natural born predator she's been looking for. Unknown to her he's a secret ARCO agent called an excedo. He has the ability to move faster then the eye can see. He's faster then a cat in reflexes and he kills like a predator, with no remorse and with an instinct for survival. His instinct screams to protect Kira and even though he's sent to kill her if she refuses to join, he'll do everything he can to convince her to join so he wont have to kill her.
On the run from Itor Agents, Kira and Tom must work together to survive. Neither one expected the powerful emotions they spark in one another. Can the truth of why he was sent break them, can their past be put behind. Will he still want her after her heat cycle ends????????????????
It's another great book and a great read................
