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Jaguar Warriors #1

His Darkest Hunger

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Jaxon Castille: jaguar shifter, warrior, assassin. He has long hungered for the chance to make his former lover, Libby Jamieson, pay for her deadly betrayal. After three long years he’s finally found her. The hunt is over…

But the Libby that he finds is not what he expected. She has no memory of their tumultuous affair; of her treachery; of anything beyond her own name. A shadowy and deadly clan has marked them both for death, and in an instant the game changes: the hunter has become the hunted.

On the run, with the ghosts of their past between them and a dark, desperate hunger quickly reclaiming their bodies and souls, Libby and Jaxon must discover the truth behind the dark forces working against them. Together, they must grab hold of a destiny that has the power to either heal them or destroy them.

But the truth is far more shattering than anyone could imagine...

Unknown Binding

First published March 30, 2010

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About the author

Juliana Stone

70 books1,293 followers
Juliana Stone is also known as J.A. Stone.

USA Today bestselling author and 2015 RITA® winner JULIANA STONE fell in love with books in the fifth grade when her teacher introduced her to Tom Sawyer. A tomboy at heart, she splits her time between baseball, books, and music. When she’s not singing with her band, she’s thrilled to be writing young adult as well as adult contemporary romance—books that have garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly & Booklist—from somewhere in the wilds of Canada.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
Profile Image for Azet.
1,095 reviews284 followers
November 3, 2022
"His Darkest Hunger" is the first book in the Paranormal Romantic"Jaguar Warriors"-series by Juliana Stone,a series that follows the deadly Jaguar Castille brothers in their journey of self-discovery, passion,heartbreak,war ,betrayal,revenge,brotherhood and everlasting love.Jaxon Castille is a jaguar shifter who have hungered for revenge towards the woman who betrayed him,and destroyed his beliefs,humanity,peace and heart.He hates her with a bitter passion but can`t make himself kill her once he has the chance.But he gets surprised when he realizes she is suffering from amnesia and kidnapps her after he realizes that their mutual enemies is trying to kill them both,and to know what actually happened in the past.

***
“You taste of heaven, feel like sin, but you always have and always will look like an angel to me. There is not one inch of flesh on your body that I don’t want to taste.”

-Jaxon
***

What Libby Jamieson went through in those 3 years apart from Jaxon Castille made me sick to my stomach and i couldn`t blame her bitterness at all when she finally got her memories returned.Jaxon hated her with an intensity but also craved her so much to the point of being his obsession.Even when Libby didn`t remember Jaxon did she still get drawn to this tattoed badboy who saved her life.Much words weren`t needed to draw out the emotional torment and longing both grow through in their scenes together.Its like both know they belong to each other,but refuses to admit it.This instalment ended with a happy note for the couple,but the villians are still out there and they need to be destroyed.I guess it was Jaxon`s younger brother Jagger Castille that followed his mate (eagle-shifter) into the mountains in the end.I also am more curious about the relationship between magician Declan and the vampire Ana.
Profile Image for Catherine.
522 reviews576 followers
November 29, 2010
I waited a while to review this book after I had finished it. I just had to take a step back to be able to look at it with a little more distance. My opinion was seesawing, and I couldn't come up with a grade. Hopefully I'll be able to make sense as I write this.

The emotions and tempestuous relationship were really well depicted between Libby and Jaxon, and that's really the factor that made this book so hard to rate for me. I was very, very uncomfortable with the power disparity between Jaxon and Libby in the beginning of the book. He had some serious rage going on. I'm not saying I blame him for being so angry, but it's really hard for me to cheer for a hero who flips between wanting to literally kill the heroine and still being attracted to her. That's why I'm so conflicted! The love/hate relationship felt authentic, but I just didn't like it.

Things got better for me when the heroine remembered her past. She just seemed like less of a victim. It was really uncomfortable for me to watch her be in that situation--where everyone hates her--and not know why because she can't remember anything. It just makes the other characters seem like bullies for tormenting her while she's so afraid.

Jaxon took quite a while for me to warm up to. I'm not even sure I ever really did. I found him compelling, but I never really liked him. It wasn't so bad in the beginning--even though he didn't track her down with friendly intentions--but the more I saw him playing hot and cold with poor, confused Libby the more angry I got. Especially when he saw some evidence that made him question his initial assumptions. I'd think he'd start to see reason only to watch him go right back to being an ass. It was really frustrating.

I was very, very pleased about Libby's attitude when she regained her memory. I was much less pleased about the eventual reunion between her and Jaxon though. I wasn't convinced that they should be together yet. It also just seemed way too easy for him after his treatment of her in the beginning. Especially after I saw the flashbacks to their original relationship and realized that it wasn't all that great to begin with. Why were they together again?

But, for all that I was uncomfortable, I still couldn't put the book down. Man, it was readable. The atmosphere, the characters, everything...they just popped. I loved the idea of the division they worked in. I liked getting to see secondary characters who were so impacted by the events. It really helped the story feel like an actual world instead of a vacuum. Also, even though I didn't like the relationship, it was really well written. That's why it felt so uncomfortable. It all just felt a bit too real for me to be able to relax and go with it.

I plan to pick up the second book because I really liked the author's style, but here's hoping that the relationship is easier to read about.
Profile Image for Laura.
Author 15 books613 followers
June 28, 2011
Warning-this will be a long review and there are spoilers
For anyone who's been following me, you'll know I have read this series out of order. I finally got book 1 and I dove right in. This series has stuck with me long after each book is finished. I've even re-read the third one before netgalley steals it back from my Nook :) BUT it is a much darker PNR series than most out there.

First off, I'd like to say that this is a hard book to rate (and I know I'm not the only one who had trouble rating it). The writing and world building are definitely five-worthy. However I'm giving it a four.

The book opens with the hero, Jaxon, getting a bead on Libby, the heroine, through his sniper rifle. But when it comes time to pull the trigger, he can't. See, Libby was his lover, and the day she left him, his Paranormal Terrorist Unit (PATU) was attacked, and one of his men (a cousin) was killed. Everyone on the team blames Libby. I never quite got the why of that. Yes it was coincidental, but it seemed that was all.Yet his team Ana, Declan, and Jaxon, all just knew it was Libby. So instead of looking for her, he assumed she left him, and then was working with the bad guys to break up his team. What really happened is that Libby was pregnant, and left Jaxon because he had shown no signs of commitment. But about an hour after Jax left their apartment, she was kidnapped. Then tortured. Yet she never gave up the info. Until her torturer aimed a crowbar at her belly. Once her baby was threatened, Libby told him everything. So yes, she was responsible for Diego's death, but I still don't buy Jaxon's incredible rage and hatred of her.

Then he spots her working at a diner. She is obviously favoring her left ribs, she is incredibly thin. Like anorexic thin. Jaxon can't rectify the image in his head of his Libby versus the thin, timid, frightened woman he sees at the diner. So, he goes into the diner. One thing I really liked is that the amnesia trope wasn't cheesy. Jaxon immediately realized she had no clue who he was, and he didn't do that awful "You're lying, of course you know who I am" for half the book. He knew immediately. He also felt something more was wrong than just her memory loss. It seemed too coincidental that he had looked for her for 3 years to have a tip just fall into his lap, then magically there she is. Ahh, but someone takes a shot at him and it turns out he's the target, she was the bait.

This first part of the book is completely and utterly heartwrenching. Libby is treated like crap. But she's so broken it's really hard to read. Jaxon gathers his team, Ana and Declan, then adds in his brothers Julian and Jagger(who to their credit are nice to Libby), and they all meet up. What we see is a very broken Libby being bullied by her old team because they blame her for killing Diego. When Ana examines Libby and sees the extent of the torture, her tune changes. I was very happy to see Ana soften up towards Libby. Even Jaxon starts to doubt his belief that Libby was malicious and cold-blooded in telling his enemies of their location.

Now bearing in mind that Jaxon keeps running hot and cold towards Libby, who for her part is still very confused, he gets up in her face about "My brother is off-limits. Don't even think about using your assets to sway him." Jagger was the only person who was decently nice to her, so of course she smiled at him! I wanted to stand up and applaud as Libby told him to go eff himself.

Jaxon was an ass. Usually I don't mind that in an alpha male, but Jaxon was mean. Like the kicking-Libby-while-she-was-down kind of mean. It did little to endear him to me. I understood he was angry and hurt at her betrayal and the death of Diego, I do get that, but he was a jerk to Libby, who couldn't even defend herself since she had no memory of those things she'd done.

There's this one scene where Libby walks out into the kitchen, and everyone stops talking and stares at her. Libby was starving, and everyone had eaten, but no one thought of her, so the scraps had gone to the dogs, but Libby had nothing. She found a small hunk of cheese, and went to the pantry for crackers. Her stomach growled while she was trying to reach a box of crackers, and sadly, pitifully, she couldn't reach them. And no one helped her. I mean, at this point they all knew about her torture and they were all having some doubts to her culpability, I was almost in tears of frustration that she couldn't get the damn crackers. I think that emotional scenes like that are a testament to Ms. Stone's writing but at the same time, man would someone get the poor girl a cracker?

Libby and Jaxon finally gave into their lust and I was actually okay with that, because it felt right. BUT Libby got her memory back shortly after and I was shocked at what had happened. That's where I loved Libby. She stood up to Jaxon, slapped him across the face and told him not to even look at her, let alone touch her. And wouldn't you know it was right after he'd had this epiphany that she couldn't have done what they all blame her for. So he's ready to mate-claim her, and she's telling him he WILL NOT touch her. I loved her strength.

I liked who Libby became. She was strong, even though her body failed her. She kept her spirit strong and she was a great foil to Jaxon once he began to show Libby more respect. The two of them together was much better than the two of the apart, and it took Jaxon a while to understand that.
Now, the next order of business for Libby was to get her child back. No one believed their child was alive. Libby barely believed it as she hadn't seen him since her captors cut him from her belly. That was it. She had never in three years seen her child. But she had survived torture and starvation and captivity in the desperate hopes she would one day hold her son in her arms.

This was a very intense book. This book stuck with me long after I finished it. I actually picked it up again after I finished it and re-read certain scenes. The emotional ride was full of ups and downs, and the highs were good, I mean really good! And the lows were emotionally draining. I just wanted to give Libby a hug. But the writing skill to pull this kind of a relationship off? Juliana Stone has some kind of talent. The world she's built is fantastic. The characters are so REAL. The Jaguar Warriors is a fantastic series. And the great thing about this first book? No big info dumps, no huge flashbacks, no first book in the series syndrome...just wonderfully written characters (even if one of them is a jerk!) and a fantastical world.

I did rate this book a 4 (which means I really really liked it!) so I don't want my frustration at Libby's treatment to turn you away. She really was a good heroine and you'll be hard-pressed not to like her. My anger at Jaxon is what dropped this book from a 5. I felt they made up way to easily, I mean I was still mad at him, shouldn't Libby have been too? (lol) But they did rescue their son, and I liked seeing Jaxon for the last quarter of the book becoming the hero I knew he could be. He recognized the strength Libby had, and when he laid eyes on his son for the first time, it was really sweet. We were also introduced to some key players, and there was some subtle foreshadowing for the next book.

My final verdict? I think this was an amazing book-it pulled so many emotions from me and caught me up in the world to the point I read til I finished (like 1am), and I still want to sit down and go over it again.
Profile Image for Laurie Garrison .
727 reviews173 followers
April 1, 2010
Wow! What an amazing book, I don’t want to give out to much there is, so many emotional twist and turns in this book and quite a few surprises that I would really hate to give anything out, I myself love to try to unravel things that happing as I read, so this review you will only read a few spoilers sorry, you have to read to find out yourself what happens. If you love PNR please put this in your TBR pile! This is a very fast action packed with hot sex and sexy shape-shifters what else could you ask for. The way this book is written Jaxon and Libby have almost a love hate relationship. I also feel that I do need to warn the tortured Libby went through is not for the faint of heart, but it’s amazing to read how a woman goes through this and in the end shes on top.

Jaxon and Libby has an attraction for each other that cant be stopped. Jaxon thinks Libby has betrayed him and his unit, so he wants nothing to do with her except kill her, but yet he can‘t stop wanting her because she is his always has been. Libby has no memory whatsoever of her life outside of a few months, she has nightmares of being tortured and her body is not in the best of shape form the torture she has been through, plus no memory of it. She finds she cant stop the attraction she has with Jaxon, but he wants nothing to do with her, so she is in a place where she knows not what to do except ride it out. Between these two trying to figure out how Libby betrayed them and trying to give and not to give into there sexual desire made for one emotional ride that I don’t think I will ever forget. Especially when Libby ask Jaxon to “help her remember.” Tissue any one?? I really liked both Jaxon and Libby they were emotional to read, but yet there is so much excitement that you cant put book down you want to keep reading to see what happens next.

Jaxon has two brothers Jagger and Julian they are really hot! Can’t wait to see what Stone is going to write about them…..
Profile Image for Lover of Romance.
3,712 reviews1,122 followers
July 29, 2020
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance






His Darkest Hunger is a story that I have actually wanted to read for the LONGEST time, ever since it was first published in 2010 and I will admit the COVER is the reason and its still the same reason why I actually picked this one up. It has a new cover but I don't care for it, so I used this one. There is so much in this cover and I just love what Avon did in their design of this cover and the whole trilogy. I will say that I think I might have skimmed the blurb before even reading this book. It was just one of those books for me. Its a story of angst though, of enemies to lovers, of some amnesia and some paranormal lovin.



The story starts our with our heroine, Libby who has lost her memory of years other than being on a bus cold and in a small town. She works at the local diner, and even though she has scars, pain from what is apparent torture sessions, she has no idea what happened, only that it had to have been bad for her. But then Jaxon arrives on the scene, angry and mistrustful and when they are attacked, he takes her to his base camp with two members of his team. He doesn't trust Libby, he thinks she betrayed them and caused the death of one of their team members. Even though his animal is happy to have his mate again, Jaxon knows he can't keep her for himself. But facts come to the surface, and Libby's memory returns and her hate for him is just as strong as his is for her. What they don't understand is that they were both betrayed, and only when they learn to let go of the hate, will they find their HEA and their enemies.



His Darkest Hunger was a story that was super complicated when it came to the relationship. Now I will say that when everything comes to the surface, I didn't quite understand or feel that Libby's anger was fully justified. Once you learn everything, you feel such compassion for what she went through but at the end of the day it shows these two should have had way more faith in each other. They both suffered betrayal of some kind, but their enemies were crafty and have a secret agenda that wasn't even fully revealed which means I will have to read book two to get more answers LOL



But I did find that I enjoyed this book in many ways and boy the angst in this book was powerful. Good thing I was in the right mood for it. But I am drawn into the mystery of the story line of the series and seeing what this villain will be up to next and how he will get the justice he deserves. Overall though I found this book to be full of its own exciting drama and sensuality to curl the toes of its readers.....truly CAPTIVATING






















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Profile Image for SheLove2Read.
3,104 reviews203 followers
June 25, 2010
I have to say this story was a disappointment and I won't be reading anything more in this series.

The story started out right in the action. It was fast paced and edgy. There was a good bit of violence perpetrated toward the heroine before the story started, and you definitely felt sorry for her for all she had gone through, but even that was short lived. The hero was an outright bastard to her for the entire first half of the book until he discovers a startling "revelation" which makes him go all he-man. Honestly it was a turn off and incredibly unbelievable, even for a paranormal. The heroine went from an abused, tortured woman to one who attempted to kick ass and take names. Again - incredibly unbelievable in my book.

The first half of the book I was hanging with, even though I didn't agree with Jaxson's attitude or treatment of Libby. The second half just fell apart and I had to force myself to finish it.

B- for effort and interesting first half. D- for the disappointing second half and ending.
Profile Image for Samantha.
986 reviews2 followers
April 6, 2010
Ms. Stone introduces readers to a hot, dark, steamy, action packed story. His Darkest Hunger is a tale of a jaguar shifter who was betrayed years ago by his lover. Vowing to seek his revenge, he waits patiently to find her, only to discover the woman he once knew no longer remembers him or their turbulent past. Hold onto your seats because Ms. Stone brings the qualities I love most to this story: betrayal, passion, and forgiveness.

Jaxon Castille is a jaguar that once head up a government paranormal antiterrorist unit. Strong, sexy and oozing sensuality, Jaxon is a force to be reckoned with. He is a man on a mission to find the one woman who had destroyed his world. Three years ago, Libby (a human) betrayed Jaxon by seducing him and leading the opposing DaCosta clan to ambush them. The betrayal caused Jaxon a member of his team.
Libby Jamieson is now a shell of the woman she used to be. Scared, battered and broken, she struggles to find safety in a small town. Her small haven is rocked when Jaxon, a mystery man to her, enters her life. After a high packed action scene, where Jaxon learns that Libby has no recollection of her former life, he whisks her off to his compound.

Once Libby is safe in the confines of Jaxon’s home, she slowly learns that she has had some past with him and his team and they parted on bad terms. Slowly, the author reveals the physical and emotional abuse that Libby had endured. As she fights to regain her memories, she can’t help but to find herself attractive to Jaxon. My heart broke for Libby. She was so lost and confused for the better half of the book. Stone was able to express Libby’s emotions in a realistic manner. When she finally gained her memory back, whoa, did readers get to see why Jaxon was initially attracted to her.

The relationship that the author depicted was intense, turbulent and passionate. The two lovers are both strong willed and fight to accept one another. I enjoyed reading Jaxon’s turmoil as he fought the battle between loving and hating Libby. Though at times, I felt the story dragged in places, I did understand that it kept the suspense up and never once deterred me from the book. The love scenes were hot and steamy. At times, I was unhappy that the couple resolved their issues through sex. I wanted more conversation between them.

Secondary characters Ana, Declan, Jagger, Cracker and Julian all add an interesting element to the story. Each one, though dysfunctional, have a story waiting to be told. The vibe between the members of the unit, though shaky at times, resembled a family. I wonder what Ms. Stone has up her sleeve for this bunch. The world that Stone builds is full of shape-shifters, practitioners of magick, vampires and other paranormal beings that add excitement to this dark tale.

His Darkest Hunger is an excellent start to a promising series. Readers can expect many twists and turns to keep them excited. Paranormal fans, gear up! Ms. Stone is marking her place. I look forward to her next installment, His Darkest Embrace.
Profile Image for Laurielu Bona Fide Reflections.
430 reviews79 followers
July 26, 2011
His Darkest Hunger by Juliana Stone is a very emotionally draining and satisfying read. Ms. Stone has created an extremely steadfast and compelling heroine in Libby Jamieson. Her counterpart, Jaxon Castille is your ultimate alpha male with the obtuseness we like to encounter since those types fall the hardest.

Libby and Jaxon have a past where they worked on the same military team together and fell in love. Libby’s disappearance and other actions lead the team and Jaxon to believe she betrayed them. He has been hunting her ever since with vengeance on his mind for her betrayal to him and the team.

The journey they endure together to unravel the mystery of the events that led to Libby’s apparent betrayal is harrowing, dark, emotionally gut-wrenching, and oh so enthralling. This book is a little darker in it’s diabolical content than I usually like; but, Juliana Stone is able to keep us more tender-hearted types reading through those moments when things seem to be at their most austere.

The secondary characters were equally interesting, full of depth and personalities that snare the reader into caring about them, too. I am looking forward to continuing the series to find out what happens to them as the saga continues to hunt the bad guys and make things right with the world. The journey the reader is led on in His Darkest Hunger is fraught with dichotomous emotions leaving the reader wrung out but gratified.

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!
Profile Image for TJ.
3,284 reviews276 followers
November 29, 2010
Very good read IF one is looking for a paranormal love story with LOTS of action and suspense. The paranormal elements blend in in a believable way (they work for a CIA type government agency that expressly uses paranormals) rather than making up other-world scenarios to create the suspense. The relationship between Jaxon and Libby is heart-rending. He is bent on revenge for what he thinks is a bitter betrayal, she has amnesia and remembers nothing. That may sound a little far fetched but as the story develops their reasons and what they do with them are really well done. They are also what makes the story so riveting.

For those who like their sex scenes steamy, this is a doozy, multiple three to four pagers. For those "skippers" like me, it's a lot to jump but if one is willing the story is worth it.
January 1, 2011
**3.5 stars**

This book starts off with a lot of strong emotions but it took till somewhere around the middle of the book for me to really get into it. The whole dynamics of Jaxon and Libby was very interesting and the whole hate/love scenario lead to some very hot encounters. BUT....I think I'm spoiled by the sex scene writings of some of the more popular authors. That doesn't mean that this was bad...it was really good.

This book definitely sets up for future books. You get to know more of the brothers and the other members of the PATU. I liked how things wrapped up for Jaxon and Libby. I just wish it was a little longer. The ending leaves you with a set up for the next book (I'm pretty sure anyway.) and I'm really looking forward to it.
Profile Image for Sarah.
3,358 reviews1,235 followers
May 14, 2010
Jaxon and Libby used to work together in a paranormal anti-terrorist unit until they were betrayed leading to the death of one of their team members. Libby has been missing ever since and Jaxon and the unit are convinced she was the one who betrayed them. When he receives information about Libby's whereabouts he goes looking for her ready to make her pay for the damage she caused. Things aren't as simple as they first appeared though and when he finds Libby he realises she has no memory of either him or their unit.

Jaxon is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and Libby is the key but he needs to help her regain her memory before she can be any help to him. The more time he spends with her the harder he finds it to resist the attraction between them. Libby is very aware of her physical responce to Jaxon but she doesn't remember their history or understand why he keeps blowing hot and cold. As her memory starts to return she realises that she has good reasons to keep her distance from him. They are both going to discover that nothing is what it originally seemed but they are going to have to rely on each other and the rest of their unit if they are going to make the people responsible pay for what they did.

I've been looking forward to reading this ever since I first saw the cover and I have to say that Juliana Stone's debut novel is not a disappointment. The story takes you on a complete emotional rollercoaster alongside both Libby and Jax. At first I thought that Libby was going to be quite a weak character but as she gets her memory back she grows into a kick ass heroine who gives as good as she gets. Jax is a real alpha male who I absolutely loved and the 2 main characters really complimented each other.

His Darkest Hunger is action packed with plenty of twists that make it impossible to put down. We are also introduced to some great secondary characters, in particular Jax's brothers Jagger and Julian, but I also loved unit members Ana and Declan who I hope we will see more of in future stories. I can't wait to read Jaggers story in His Darkest Embrace. His Darkest Hunger has a well earned place on my keep shelf and I'd definitely recommend it to any fans of paranormal romance and urban fantasy.
Profile Image for Wicked Lil Pixie (Natasha).
272 reviews63 followers
April 3, 2010
His Darkest Hunger is the first in Juliana Stone’s new series and it doesn’t disappoint.

Jaxon & Libby were part of a team of paranormal & human government agents, trying to keep the supernatural underwraps from the general population. Not only were they teammates, they were lovers. Libby wanted a commitment from Jaxon, but he didn’t want to give her one as he is a shifter & when they mate, they mate for life. Libby requested a transfer from their unit & as a direct result one of the team members died.

For three years Jaxon has hunted for Libby, to get his revenge for the loss of that team mate, Diego. Little did he know, Libby had been kidnapped, tortured & held for those three years. There is a powerful spell around Libby’s mind & she has no memories of her past, but knows there’s something about Jaxon that makes her feel safe. Another team member, Declan is a dark mage but even he cannot unlock Libby’s memories because it would kill her. Libby has to remember on her own & she’s afraid she won’t like those memories when they come back.

This is another one of those books you just can’t put down for very long! From start to finish, there are all sorts of twists & turns. The ending is a huge cliff-hanger that left me wondering just what in the World is in store for them all next! There are so many surprises in His Darkest Hunger, I am tempted to spill them all out in a mad rush.

Juliana Stone’s writing sucked me in from the first page & her romance scenes are hot hot hot! Jaxon is grace & sensuality, all rolled into a jaguar body. Grrr. Libby starts out frail, but you can feel the resolve & strength she has growing with each page. My only issue with His Darkest Hunger was the ending felt really abrupt, it just ended. I felt no closure, but I do know it’s a series so there is more to come!

Juliana Stone has created a refreshing world full of action, paranormals & steamy romance.
Profile Image for Jess.
805 reviews62 followers
August 6, 2011
Lots of twists and turns in this book, it sucks you in right from the start, I could not put this down. When the truth was revealed about Libby that was a hell of a surprise. It was sad that Jaxon went so long falsely believing that she had in fact betrayed him and caused the death of one of his team members, hating Libby and wanted her dead when it was all a misunderstanding. Jaxon and Libby were all over the place at times, on and off, leaving each other when they were suppose to stick together left right and centre. Once Libby gets her memory back that was blocked her demeanour changed from someone frail and defence-less into a kick-ass woman on a mission and if anyone were to get in her way they would be in for a world of pain. Jaxon started off being hard and slightly cruel towards Libby but when he finds out the truth he is remorseful and becomes more soft towards her and loving. The steamy scenes were well written and that bath scene, whew! Sometimes when a story contains an Alpha male the female lead follows his orders and does what is asked of her, not the case with Libby, she makes her own decisions. I really loved reading this.
Profile Image for Lauren.
2,516 reviews159 followers
March 24, 2016
His Darkest Hunger
3 Stars

Jaxon Castille, were jaguar and member of an elite government unit that tracks supernatural terrorists, has just returned from a mission when he receives intel that Libby Jamieson, his former lover and the woman who betrayed his team three years ago, has finally been sighted. Determined to mete out his own brand of justice, Jaxon is shocked to learn that Libby has no memory of him or her actions. Suddenly, Libby and Jaxon are thrust into a deadly game of intrigue in which they hunter has become the prey.

The basic premise is interesting and the plot develops well during the first half with the introduction of Jaxon and his specialized team of supernatural agents. The mystery surrounding the attack on Jaxon and Libby is compelling and their romance is intense and steamy as Jaxon fights the resurgence of his feelings for Libby and she struggles to remember her past.

At the outset, Libby is suffering from amnesia and severe PTSD, which makes her extremely wary and fearful of Jaxon and his unit. That said, she copes valiantly with the circumstances considering that she is not only the target of unknown assassins, but her self-proclaimed protectors also hate and despise her.

Unfortunately the story loses momentum during the second half once Libby's memories return and she undergoes a complete transformation into Xena Warrior Princess. Moreover, the story devolves into a series of implausible plot points involving a rival shifter clan, a malicious sorcerer and a demon gate - none of which have any foundation whatsoever.

Overall, a disappointing read and neither the story arc nor the secondary characters are interesting enough to continue with the series.
Profile Image for Melindeeloo.
3,268 reviews158 followers
July 9, 2010
Jaguar shifter Jaxon Castille has spent three years waiting to extract his revenge on his former lover Libby, but when Jaxon finally catches up to her he finds not the vibrant sassy human who was a member of his paranormal special ops team, instead Libby is a frail broken woman with no memory of her past. As much as Jaxon wants to hate Libby for her betrayal, his instincts demand that he protect her. And as Jaxon's team comes under attack once again, it becomes imperative that Jaxon help Libby recover her memories and to find out if Libby truly is the enemy or something much more dangerous - his mate.

I like shape shifters, so the Jaguar shifting Jaxon was right up my alley. At the start of the story the shattered Libby inspires a great deal of sympathy for what she suffered and Libby becomes even more interesting as she goes through a dramatic transition/recovery, but Libby is so focused on her goals that she definitely has TSL moments.

The rest of the supporting cast offers a great deal of potential for future books - more shifters (jaguars and eagles), a mage and a vampire. With all the good stuff going on I expected to like His Darkest Hunger more but I thought the writing style was a bit on the dramatic adjective heavy side and the ending felt kind of abrupt (like "here's the HEA get those leads out of here so that we can get on to the next book"),so the book ended up more on the OK side.
Profile Image for Ashley.
147 reviews17 followers
April 26, 2010
I started off really liking this book. The heroine Libby has gone through so much trauma and I found myself wanting to cry for her. The hero come off strong and sexy and things were going well, until details started coming clear. I'm not a fan of amnesia stories, but that wasn't the worst of this story. Yes, she became a different person when her memories came back but that's to be expected. However it seemed like now that she remembered her torture, it didn't bother her anymore. Also, the hero and his group automatically presume she is responsible for their friends' death, only because she disappeared soon after. I would not want to be with a man who would think the worst, instead of thinking something happened to me as well. Also, it seemed like every sex scene was at the wrong time. Not unusual in a romance, but too far fetched in this one. Her ribs are so sore and tender that she can't walk but she can have numerous sex sessions? Unlikely. The heroine turned out to be unbelievable and the hero is a jerk. While slightly interested in the secondary characters, I doubt I will read anymore of this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Angela James.
Author 1 book61.1k followers
March 31, 2010
I thought the book was a fairly easy read and entertaining, though had some pointed issues including Libby overcoming her purported anger/hatred rather suddenly and with no explanation. There's also a plot point in the book that's possibly one of my least favorite tropes an author can use (it would be a spoiler to tell you what it is), but that's clearly an issue on my end, not the author's, though I do think it was dealt with rather quickly at the end with no real emotional conclusion that the reader can see. Last, the book reads like paranormal romance but the ending is rather abrupt and we don't get a good look at how the characters are going to work this all out. I'm guessing we'll be seeing them again as secondary characters in future books, as there was a lot of series bait in the form of plotlines and secondary characters in this book.

I'd give this series another try with the next book, to see if the story lines gain strength.
Profile Image for Sandra.
1,381 reviews85 followers
May 11, 2011
This is a great shifter first in series read. It has surprising emotional depth for such a quick read.

Libby Jamieson, a member of an elite govt force, has been missing for 3 years. Her team have been looking for her so they can kill her, as they think she betrayed them and one of their own died.

Jaxon Castille, jaguar shifter and head of the elite force, Libby's lover, especially wants her dead.

She turns up but without her memories and with evidence of 3 years worth of torture and a hint of dark magic. She also has a scar where her baby has been ripped from her body.

Who has been keeping Libby, and where? Is she friend or foe? Who is the father of her baby? And most importantly, who is trying to kill them all?

Although there were some TSTL moments on both sides while they were "playing" in the jungle.

Looking forward to the next one.
Profile Image for Victoria.
4 reviews10 followers
October 2, 2010
I am torn about this book. First I think the editing was the worst I've ever seen. Whoever edited this should have picked up on the proper use of "then" and "than". Sometimes it was the wrong word entirely. And in some places it was hard to understand who was doing what. At one point it mentioned someone (he) but I never figured out who "he" was.

On the other hand, I found the storyline and premise to be very interesting. There were definite twists and turns and toward the end the suspense was good. I especially liked how the author set the stage for the next book with Skye Knightly. I found that intriguing.

I am looking forward to the next installment, hoping the editing is improved.
Profile Image for Emily.
51 reviews
February 28, 2014
This book was terrible! Seriously, do not waste your time. I picked this book up because the cover claims great reviews from Christine Feehan and I love most of Christine's books. However, this book was all action and no plot. I do not know how anyone could enjoy this book. Some of the descriptions the author used made me want to bang my head on a wall repeatedly. For ex. pg 314 "Libby was in danger, and he felt like a third f*cking tit, less than useless." What?! That is the dumbest description I have literally ever read. The characters had no dimension and were unrealistic. The "romance" in this novel was laughable. You could see no connection between the lead characters. Seriously, don't waste your time or money on this book!
Profile Image for Delta.
1,959 reviews24 followers
June 6, 2016
First reading November 2014
Second reading June 2016

I reread this since I have the sequels and needed to refresh my memory. Just like the first time, I liked it--but not enough to want to read the next book. The heroine, Libby Jamieson, is a damsel in distress whose wishes/input is disregarded by the alpha hero. I could never feel anything for the Jaxon but contempt because he was so disloyal to Libby--immediately assuming that she betrayed their team and willing to kill her without giving her any benefit of the doubt or checking with her first. The heroine is so hated by her former so-called friends/teammates for the majority of the book that I could not forgive them or care to continue the series.
Profile Image for Jess the Romanceaholic.
1,033 reviews491 followers
August 23, 2011
Actually, I need to re-read this one to be able to review it. I seem to have read it a while ago but never rated or reviewed it (though I remember I enjoyed it).. I was looking on the author's website because the third book has just come out and caught my eye. As with any series, I like to start at the beginning if there are only a few ahead of the one I'm interested in, but I read the excerpt and.. yeah, already read it lol

Profile Image for Cindyg.
1,003 reviews63 followers
November 6, 2010
What an amazing book...Loved It!! Juliana Stone, you sucked me in from the first page and wouldn't let me leave until I read the very last word. Thank you this wonderful story.
It's intense, fast paced and sexy as hell...
I devoured it.
I highly recommend this book, buy it, read it, spread the word...
Now on to the second book...His Darkest Embrace!!!
1,122 reviews302 followers
October 22, 2010
4.5 stars


Jaguar shifter Jaxon Castille has waited 3 years for the chance to get this revenge against the person who betrayed him and caused the death of his team mate. He has finally found his former lover, Libby Jamieson, and he plans to make her pay. But the Libby he finds is only a shell of a woman that Jaxon remembers her to be and she has no memory of who she is or what she has done. Before Jaxon has the chance to question Libby, someone attempts to take them both out. As the search for who is trying to kill them both continues, Jaxon's hostility towards Libby begins to waver the thought of anyone hurting what is his is not acceptable and he will do anything to keep her.

Jaxon and Libby first meet when she is assigned to his paranormal antiterrorism unit or PATU. Their relationship isn't all roses and puppies but is wild and full of passion. Though Jaxon deeply cares for Libby, he will not give her a commitment and leaves to go on a mission. While on his mission Jaxon's team is attacked and his cousin is killed. He quickly learns Libby is no where to be found and knows that it was her that betrayed him. It takes him 3 years to find her and when he does he notices something is different. Where there was once a beautiful, confident, fierce woman now stands a scared and scared girl. When he confronts her Jaxon learns she has no memory of anything beyond 2 months ago.

Libby has no memory of anything. Not even the tall, dark, handsome and very pissed off Jaxon who keeps saying she has done terrible things. When someone shoots up the diner she is working at, Jaxon takes her back to his head quarters where she meets a practitioner of magick and a vampire who are just as angry as Jaxon to see her again. Even as Jaxon gives her menacing looks, she can't help but feel some recognition towards him and as her memories start to come back she reveals something not even Jaxon knew.

I really liked the relationship between Libby and Jaxon because they aren't the 'everything is wonderful' type. Even before Libby's memory loss they fought often but it always ended in bed. Libby is the type of woman that when she walks into the room everyone turns to look at her and she knows it. She's smart, won't back down from a challenge just because she's human and can kick ass with the best of them. She loves Jaxon but when he would not give her any type of commitment, she is prepared to move on. Jaxon is alpha all the way. He is carries special warrior tattoos that makes him deadly even among the rest of the jaguar kind. When it comes to Libby there are emotions there he doesn't want to name and after his teammate is killed he feels absolute hate for her. Yet when he sees her again he can't bring himself to kill her and when he learns about what happen to her, he wants to tear all that hurt her apart.

I really liked His Darkest Hunger and wish I hadn't taken so long to get to it. It moves at a really good pace and runs high on emotions. Even before Libby gets her memories back you can feel the heat and chemistry between her and Jaxon. Know matter how angry they get with one another these two were meant to be together and have to travel a very difficult road to get to that point. Their relationship isn't rushed but instead time is spent healing old wounds and getting reacquainted with one another.

This book has a bit of everything. Shifters, vampires, dark magic, action, a love story, suspense, special ops and the list goes on. Jaxon's teammates Declan and Ana aren't the main focus but still manage to stand out in a book rich with memorable characters. The journey to find those responsible for what happen to Libby and who also after Jaxon leads them deep into Mexico and into a battle not every one may walk away from. Jaxon isn't the only hot shifter in this book. His older brother Julian and younger brother Jagger are very much alpha too and each have their own demons to battle. I look forward to both of their books.

~Stephanie G
Profile Image for Emily.
268 reviews96 followers
November 20, 2010
Dear His Darkest Hunger,

I have waited a long time to write you this letter, and writing it certainly hasn't been easy. I want to start off by saying how excited I was to read you- I love shifter stories, and your description and the great reviews you have received from other people moved you to the top of my TBR pile like a bottle rocket. I am writing now to tell you that while there were parts of you that I found interesting and unique, there were other parts of you that left me making the face people make when someone grabs the skin on your elbow

Allow me to explain. Individually, the characters that provide the anchorage for your story are great; Jaxon is dark and brooding and muscled and tough and all kinds of things that normally make for a great book hero for me; Libby is tough, sassy, impulsive, and working hard to overcome some seriously craptastic things that happened to her. The emphasis in this analysis, though, has to be on the concept of "individually," as together, these characters are like the sad after effects of trying to combine a pig and an elephant.

Not to put too fine a point on it, but Jaxon is a complete dick to Libby for most of the book. Some people feel that he has a good reason for being so angry and combative; personally, I don't. The dickitry continued long after Jaxon found out the truth about Libby's so-called "betrayal" and even after that, he never apologized for being such a douche bag; the best he could manage was agonizing and being all torn up inside. Dude, you treated your mate like crap. I get that Jaxon isn't a huggy feely guy but that seemed cold even by those standards. He's going to need to buy her a diamond the size of her head or an island or something to make up for the nonsense he inflicted on her.

Libby's taken a lot of flak in other reviews for being way too impulsive for her own good and for getting herself into situations that even a slight amount of forethought would have prevented. I have to say, though, that I was on Team Libby for this story; I feel like anyone who survived what she survived with her mind and spirit intact can be forgiven a few missteps. What I did have trouble with, though, was her endless willingness to put up with Jaxon's nonsense. If she was a real life friend and called me and asked what she should do, I would tell her to run, not walk, in the opposite direction, because this guy is baaaaad news.

And another thing, His Darkest Hunger- with the small exception of Jagger, one of the other Castille brothers, your supporting cast did nothing to win me to their side. Maybe my position on Team Libby is to blame for this, but they too were complete asshats to Libby even after it became clear that she did not do the horrible things they wanted to pin on her. Reading Libby finally getting fed up with all of the shenanigans and put these folks in their places was one of the high points of the book for me.

Well, His Darkest Hunger, it certainly seems that you did not live up to my expectations. And yet, I am so intrigued as to what happens in your sequel! I don't know if I wasn't in the right mood to read you or what, but I confess myself disappointed, although I will be reading His Darkest Embrace just to see what happens with the mythology, the evolving conflict between the leopard clans, and the magic (which were some elements of your story that I did enjoy.)

Sincerely,

Emily

Overall Grade: C-

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Profile Image for Missy~.
1,015 reviews17 followers
April 15, 2010
Rated 3 stars but its more like 3.5*
I did like the authors writing, Jaxon Castillo is dark, sexy and alpha male. He is a jaguar shapeshifter, with his "tattoo's" marking his as the warrior class, meaning he mates for life.
He and Libby worked together in a govt sanctioned military-like paranormal team, whose job is to keep the criminal paranormal element in line, fighting on the fringes of human society, who are unaware of the paranormal population. Libby is human.
Although I liked the pnr genre, and Stones description of shapeshifters, vamps and magic users was good. I thought there were some bothersome plot holes, that to me were glaring enough to be very annoying.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SPOILERS~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jaxon has been looking for Libby for 3 years to kill her. He believes she betrayed his team, setting up a former team member to be murdered.
Libby disappears for 3 years, shows up suddenly in a small midwest town, thin, battered and with anmesia.
Jaxon gets an anonymous tip on her where abouts, goes to kill her, but instead, ends up surviving an assasination attempt, grabs amnesia Libby and goes on the run.
Suddenly, and without satisfactory sequence or explaination. Jaxon is hunting his attempted killers, Libby gets her memory back, there is a missing baby and sexual mating heat conquers all.

There is never any explaination of why bad guys want Jax dead.
The bad guys are mafia-drug ring type villians, who very suddenly not the "main" bad guys, but are being lead by a magic wielding witch who has great power. He has no apparent ties to the drug family.
Still no reason why he wants Jax and team dead. And all the sudden,
at the end, baby is found alive, in a cave, with no explaination of how he got there, who was taking care of him for the last 2 years,
or why he was "cut out of his mothers womb", and allowed to live.
Lots of stray plot lines and devices were not tied up or explained to this readers satisfaction. I understand that some loose ends are left hanging to have a cliffhanger ending to introduce the sequel. I just felt the last 50 pages were rushed, scattered and made the entire story without satisfactory, or understandable resolution.
Last words. I still liked the book, liked the characters enough that I will read the next installment. Hopefully the author will polish up and tighten those loose end plot devices that lead to nowhere.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Ally.
917 reviews76 followers
August 22, 2010
Another new author with an interesting new series about jaguar shifter's.

Jaxon Castille is a jaguar shifter, warrior and assassin. He has long hungered for the chance to make his former lover, Libby Jamieson, pay for her deadly betrayal. After three long years he’s finally found her. The hunt is over but the Libby that he finds is not what he expected. She has no memory of their tumultuous affair; of her treachery; of anything beyond her own name. A shadowy and deadly clan has marked them both for death, and in an instant the game changes, the hunter has become the hunted. On the run, with the ghosts of their past between them Libby and Jaxon must discover the truth behind the dark forces working against them. Together, they must grab hold of a destiny that has the power to either heal them or destroy them. But the truth is far more shattering than anyone could imagine.

His Darkest Hunger had so much potential for me but sadly I found it lacking because so much time is spent between Libby and Jaxon being stuck in the past about the betrayal's each have dealt the other. To be fair it's only halfway through the book that Libby remembers what happened to her and her personality changes and I'd have to say not for the better. It's expected that she's be angry (not giving anything away) but His Darkest Hunger is so angst ridden that it really struggled to keep my interest. I didn't expect it to be a happy, happy book but I didn't expect the majority of the book to be so angsty and full of drama.

The touture that Libby went through was really awful and I disliked that even though Jaxon saw the marks on Libbys body he still couldn't seem to get past his anger at what he thought she had done to his unit and forgive her. It's not til Libby regains her memory and Jaxon sees and hears Libby's anger towards him that he seems then to forgive her. Which I really didn't like.

I enjoyed the secondary chacacter's much more than the main couple. Jagger and Julian who are Jaxon's brothers (but Julian can't shift), Declan a powerful practitioner of magick and Ana a three hundred year old vampire add another dimension to His Darkest Hunger.

However much I didn't enjoy His Darkest Hunger I still thought it was an interesting read and extremely well written for a start to a new series. I am looking forward to the next book in the series His Darkest Embrace due out in November, which features Jagger and Skye.
Profile Image for Crystal _ Reading Between the Wines Book Club.
1,550 reviews329 followers
September 17, 2010
A very exciting & smexy tale about jaguar warrior Jaxon Castille and his former lover, Libby Jamieson. WARNING: Contains heartache, treachery & mystery, steamy mythical creatures and fast paced adventure that will have you wiping your mouth and hungering for more!

I won this book from the fab. Supernatural Underground and loved it! It drew me in right away and I couldn't put it down.


After searching for his former lover for three years Jaxon, a jaguar shifter, finally catches up with Libby, a human that use to be a team member. (The hero wanting deadly revenge on the heroine, how’s that for an opening heh?) He has the perfect shot to take her out but he decides to see her face-to-face before completing his revenge and killing her. But instead of the cold betrayer he was expecting he finds the broken shell of the women who was responsible for the death of his cousin. Libby remembers nothings, not even the dark & sexy Jaxon. But while Jaxon is contemplating what to do next an unknown sniper takes aim at him.
Jaxon and Libby, with the help of their former team members, must figure out who is gunning for them while trying to recover her memories and find out the truth of what happened on that dark day three years ago. During this adventure Jaxon has to fight with his feelings of love and hate. He is disgusted with himself that he can still lust after the treacherous Libby and Libby is confused by his hot & cold emotions but is equally drawn to him.
Finally Libby recovers her memories and her kick-ass attitude along the way and emotionally, the tables are dramatically turned. Can Jaxon cope with his past beliefs, can Libby forgive, and will she be able to find the one thing that is more important then anything else?


A great debut for Juliana Stone's Jaguar Warriors series, her characters will grab at you from the pages. Fantastic plot without an overabundance of world building, you learn just as much as you need to as the story moves along.
A very enjoyable paranormal romance to say the least. I am looking forward to Stone's second book in this series, His Darkest Embrace coming out this October. But I really can't wait for Declan's book, oh why must it be the fourth book Ms. Stone? That's so long to wait! His Darkest Hunger
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