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Southern Shifters #1
Shifter Marked
She's about to meet her mate. A wicked hot and surly shifter guardian who is strictly off limits. Which means things are about to turn very bad...
Lucas Gunn has been kidnapped, examined and tortured.
His only remaining tie to the outside world is in his dreams and the incredible woman who appears in them nightly.
He thought she was nothing more than a figment of his imagination. Then she came for him.
Kira MacDonald is in trouble… Her psychic ability to “see” things has gone haywire. She’s being plagued by false visions and dreams of a man she’s never met.
She’s desperate for a cure, which means finding and bonding with a mate. Something she fears more than losing her mind.
Too bad fate has other plans for her. Plans that include her rescuing one dark, controlling shifter.
Passion and Pride. Duty and Danger. In the end, there's really only one choice...
Lucas Gunn has been kidnapped, examined and tortured.
His only remaining tie to the outside world is in his dreams and the incredible woman who appears in them nightly.
He thought she was nothing more than a figment of his imagination. Then she came for him.
Kira MacDonald is in trouble… Her psychic ability to “see” things has gone haywire. She’s being plagued by false visions and dreams of a man she’s never met.
She’s desperate for a cure, which means finding and bonding with a mate. Something she fears more than losing her mind.
Too bad fate has other plans for her. Plans that include her rescuing one dark, controlling shifter.
Passion and Pride. Duty and Danger. In the end, there's really only one choice...
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 15, 2009
About the author
Eliza Gayle
135 books1,339 followersGRAB the first book in my USA Today bestselling Southern Shifters series in Kindle Unlimited. Click
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Eliza Gayle writes dragon romance and fantasy romance with unforgettable characters, fiery passion, and magical twists. A New York Times bestselling author, she’s created series like Dragon Lords and Southern Shifters that keep readers hooked from page one. (She also writes dark contemporary romance under E.M. Gayle) She currently lives on a small island in the Pacific Northwest (but was born and raised in Florida and then spent 10+ years in NC) and spends her days writing romance, wandering the beach, kayaking or defending her keyboard from her cat Salem.
Before her writing career began, she served in the Marine Corps and lived a crazy life of adventure. Then she read her first spicy romance novel and everything changed. So after years of thinking about writing she finally grabbed her laptop and wrote.
Latest Release: HONEY AND HOWLS
Coming next: THE FATE OF THE DRAGON
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 281 reviews
May 23, 2016
Mine...Mine...MINE!!!
Dirty Sexy Furry is a great little smutty read. Every once in awhile I need a read that leaves me smirking, snorting and squirming. I know when I read a PN shifter book like this, I can count on a strong, possessive alpha who needs to claim his mate...or he'll die...or he'll go crazy...or he'll explode!!! What woman doesn't want a man who is consumed with want and desire...to possess...to ravish...to claim!!!
This book has a wee bit of a storyline where the couple are faced with a mating that is considered wrong by their families, clan and elders. They are also fighting a hidden enemy who wants to expose their secrets and kill them.
But, really it's all about the bangin'. They fight their feelings...but not the lust. That first touch sizzles. The first kiss consumes. The connection forms when their skin comes together. NO-ONE can fight the crazy feelings once a shifter finds his mate.
Dirty Sexy Furry is paranormal smut and every once in awhile I go looking for something just like this. I want to see the hero losing control because of lust. I want the heroine to feel safe in the arms of a man who will die without her. I'll definitely be keeping Eliza Gayle in mind next time I feel the need...the need for smut...MEOW!!
FREEBIE!!! At the time of reading this book was FREE on Amazon - http://amzn.to/1Rm4xUd
I received a gifted copy from the author.
Dirty Sexy Furry is a great little smutty read. Every once in awhile I need a read that leaves me smirking, snorting and squirming. I know when I read a PN shifter book like this, I can count on a strong, possessive alpha who needs to claim his mate...or he'll die...or he'll go crazy...or he'll explode!!! What woman doesn't want a man who is consumed with want and desire...to possess...to ravish...to claim!!!
This book has a wee bit of a storyline where the couple are faced with a mating that is considered wrong by their families, clan and elders. They are also fighting a hidden enemy who wants to expose their secrets and kill them.
But, really it's all about the bangin'. They fight their feelings...but not the lust. That first touch sizzles. The first kiss consumes. The connection forms when their skin comes together. NO-ONE can fight the crazy feelings once a shifter finds his mate.
Dirty Sexy Furry is paranormal smut and every once in awhile I go looking for something just like this. I want to see the hero losing control because of lust. I want the heroine to feel safe in the arms of a man who will die without her. I'll definitely be keeping Eliza Gayle in mind next time I feel the need...the need for smut...MEOW!!
FREEBIE!!! At the time of reading this book was FREE on Amazon - http://amzn.to/1Rm4xUd
I received a gifted copy from the author.
July 9, 2014
I haven't a clue what I just read. I know there was a whole heapin' lot of sex. I know that they were mates and they were dreaming about each other. I know there was some supernaturally type stuff going on. And I know that there was some guff about intermingling of the breeds.
Now here is what I don't know. How was Kira a marine and not stationed somewhere? Why was some random group of supernaturals using a military brig as a prison? What exactly was the point of kidnapping Lucas and tormenting him?Was Kira just crazy pants the whole time? What of her visions was real and what was a result of her deteriorating mind? Why do the clans care if they interbreed? What is this business of heightened psychic powers of the mated pair? What was the significance of his being a black panther, and what bearing did it have on her childhood? Why was the bad guy suddenly the good guy? What was the deal with the witch that just popped in here and there for a bit of mayhem? What was up with Kira's stepfather? Was he Kira's mom's mate? Why was he working with the witch and how did they cross paths? What happened to him besides a gnarly kitty chomp on his arm?How did the older brother affliction suddenly resolve? Why was Kira so obsessed with her mate manipulating her psychic talent and how would that work?
So... Basically I would recommend this book if you don't mind a single thing being coherent but the sex scenes.
Now here is what I don't know. How was Kira a marine and not stationed somewhere? Why was some random group of supernaturals using a military brig as a prison? What exactly was the point of kidnapping Lucas and tormenting him?Was Kira just crazy pants the whole time? What of her visions was real and what was a result of her deteriorating mind? Why do the clans care if they interbreed? What is this business of heightened psychic powers of the mated pair? What was the significance of his being a black panther, and what bearing did it have on her childhood? Why was the bad guy suddenly the good guy? What was the deal with the witch that just popped in here and there for a bit of mayhem? What was up with Kira's stepfather? Was he Kira's mom's mate? Why was he working with the witch and how did they cross paths? What happened to him besides a gnarly kitty chomp on his arm?How did the older brother affliction suddenly resolve? Why was Kira so obsessed with her mate manipulating her psychic talent and how would that work?
So... Basically I would recommend this book if you don't mind a single thing being coherent but the sex scenes.
November 8, 2013
I read this book as part of the Shifter Romance Boxed Set. The final book in this boxed set really surprised me when I was becoming fatigued by the Shifter Genre. It had a lot of action, some suspense, and some great dirty talk. Overall, Lucas was a decent "forbidden mates" style of Shifter Romance.
Lucas is a Black Cougar, and Kira is powerful psychic.
They're predestined Mates, but their union is forbidden (blah blah blah, you know how this plot line goes).
I really liked Kira at first, she was a badass military trained single lady who LITERALLY rescued the man of her dreams from certain doom. How awesome is that?
…Unfortunately, the awesomeness started to deteriorate quickly. Not going to give away spoilers, but she went a little nuts.
There were some nice sexy-times, and Lucas had a talent for dirty talk, but his bark rarely lived up to his bite.
Most importantly, there were a distracting number of typos in this book… And one unforgivable misuse of your/you're in reference to the possession of one's lady parts…
***I received an ARC of The Shifter Romance Boxed Set in exchange for an honest review***
Lucas is a Black Cougar, and Kira is powerful psychic.
They're predestined Mates, but their union is forbidden (blah blah blah, you know how this plot line goes).
I really liked Kira at first, she was a badass military trained single lady who LITERALLY rescued the man of her dreams from certain doom. How awesome is that?
…Unfortunately, the awesomeness started to deteriorate quickly. Not going to give away spoilers, but she went a little nuts.
There were some nice sexy-times, and Lucas had a talent for dirty talk, but his bark rarely lived up to his bite.
Most importantly, there were a distracting number of typos in this book… And one unforgivable misuse of your/you're in reference to the possession of one's lady parts…
***I received an ARC of The Shifter Romance Boxed Set in exchange for an honest review***
May 10, 2011
www.BittenByParanormalRomance.com...
This is the first in Gayle's sexy Black Cougar series. It has a very good story line. I think in the future, this could be the basis for a full length print paranormal romance novel. At only 230 double-spaced pages, it is a very quick read. There is action, clan opposition, shifters, a witch, a budding romance, as well as a nefarious plot against our hero. The sex is very hot - on a scale of 1-4, it is a 3.5 including one anal scene, some spanking, one short m/f/m scene and talk of bondage (but no action).
The hero, Lucas, is definitely an alpha male who makes a lot of assumptions (and you know what they say about assuming things) however in the end turns out to have a loving and forgiving nature.
The heroine, Kira, is a psychic in a mental meltdown due to the mating urge that makes serious PMS look and feel like a day in the park. However she is lucid enough to be seriously wary of mating - she isn't going to let some male subjugate her. She has some family issues as well. Even so, the chemistry between these characters is smoking.
There is also a nice foreshadowing for the subject of the next book in the series.
While I did enjoy the story, there were some continuity issues and several unresolved/unexplained things, perhaps due to page length and/or word count constraints? Because of this, the ending feels quite abrupt and I felt left hanging - but definitely wanting more of this story.
There is a sneak peak of the next book in the series at the end.
This is the first in Gayle's sexy Black Cougar series. It has a very good story line. I think in the future, this could be the basis for a full length print paranormal romance novel. At only 230 double-spaced pages, it is a very quick read. There is action, clan opposition, shifters, a witch, a budding romance, as well as a nefarious plot against our hero. The sex is very hot - on a scale of 1-4, it is a 3.5 including one anal scene, some spanking, one short m/f/m scene and talk of bondage (but no action).
The hero, Lucas, is definitely an alpha male who makes a lot of assumptions (and you know what they say about assuming things) however in the end turns out to have a loving and forgiving nature.
The heroine, Kira, is a psychic in a mental meltdown due to the mating urge that makes serious PMS look and feel like a day in the park. However she is lucid enough to be seriously wary of mating - she isn't going to let some male subjugate her. She has some family issues as well. Even so, the chemistry between these characters is smoking.
There is also a nice foreshadowing for the subject of the next book in the series.
While I did enjoy the story, there were some continuity issues and several unresolved/unexplained things, perhaps due to page length and/or word count constraints? Because of this, the ending feels quite abrupt and I felt left hanging - but definitely wanting more of this story.
There is a sneak peak of the next book in the series at the end.
August 11, 2014
What and why?
Well I have to say this book confused me I felt like a child at times since I spend all my time asking why.
It started off well enough Kira is having dreams of a man she's never met, he's caged and being kept hostage by a female, the male from the dream is Lucas and he's sharing the same dreams. Kira is driven to find Lucas but Lucas having been kidnapped and tortured is not sure who he can trust so an uneasy alliance forms between them.
I'm not a fan of giving 'spoiler' reviews although I have done so on occasion but I'm finding it difficult to point out what I didn't like about this book without giving anything away, it was full of discrepancies, I kept asking why and I just couldn't buy into the whole mate or die thing and seriously Malcolm, what happened there and Lawrence, what and why and I'm aware this is a shifter book but even reading fantasy I like it to make a certain about of sense, I know this is a series and some things will be answered at a later stage but for people like me that won't be reading past this book we still needed this one to make sense.
Well I have to say this book confused me I felt like a child at times since I spend all my time asking why.
It started off well enough Kira is having dreams of a man she's never met, he's caged and being kept hostage by a female, the male from the dream is Lucas and he's sharing the same dreams. Kira is driven to find Lucas but Lucas having been kidnapped and tortured is not sure who he can trust so an uneasy alliance forms between them.
I'm not a fan of giving 'spoiler' reviews although I have done so on occasion but I'm finding it difficult to point out what I didn't like about this book without giving anything away, it was full of discrepancies, I kept asking why and I just couldn't buy into the whole mate or die thing and seriously Malcolm, what happened there and Lawrence, what and why and I'm aware this is a shifter book but even reading fantasy I like it to make a certain about of sense, I know this is a series and some things will be answered at a later stage but for people like me that won't be reading past this book we still needed this one to make sense.
August 10, 2015
"Suspenseful super amazing Romance"
This books story line is incredible!. The Characters are amazing!. In this story with the on set of Kira's mating call she has been having visions of a mysterious stranger. They have even almost made her wreck her car. Up on till lately they have been of the sexual nature. Now she sees him as a captive in a cell.
Lucas is a shifter and he has been captured, and is being held in a cell. The ones are holding him are trying to get him to shift. The only reprieve he has is in his dreams of a sexy woman. He knows if he escapes or is rescues he will hunt her down. Is Kira's mystery man real?. Can she find him in time?. You will love these Southern shifter Romances!. I have read a couple of others and each one is amazing!. This one has spine-tingling suspense, action and scorching hot Romance!. This is a five star book from a five star plus series!
This books story line is incredible!. The Characters are amazing!. In this story with the on set of Kira's mating call she has been having visions of a mysterious stranger. They have even almost made her wreck her car. Up on till lately they have been of the sexual nature. Now she sees him as a captive in a cell.
Lucas is a shifter and he has been captured, and is being held in a cell. The ones are holding him are trying to get him to shift. The only reprieve he has is in his dreams of a sexy woman. He knows if he escapes or is rescues he will hunt her down. Is Kira's mystery man real?. Can she find him in time?. You will love these Southern shifter Romances!. I have read a couple of others and each one is amazing!. This one has spine-tingling suspense, action and scorching hot Romance!. This is a five star book from a five star plus series!
July 5, 2016
I'm gonna warn you I hated it. This isn't going to be a pleasant review. Forgive me but I seriously just can't be quiet. This was bad...really bad. I've read worse but wow. The next few things I mention dont bother me but they bothered a lot it seemed from the reviews. There was a lot of sex in this which didnt bother me. There was a sort of menage and cheating in this too. Not that there wasn't a good reason for them. In Kira's defense she was losing her mind and didnt know what the heck she was doing with his brother. There was anal and all these things should be forewarned for readers before buying.
There are some editing errors. There are a lot of things going on in the book that wasn't expanded on and left us scratching our heads. Book went in so many different directions. I even found some blunders in the book. Like after Lucas was rescued from being held for awhile when they go to eat he pays? Um where did his wallet come from? I doubt his captors let him keep it. Lara was confusing. She was a guard but so much more as we find out. I didnt understand the nipple clamp torture she bestowed upon Kira. I mean it was just there. Thats a form of BDSM or kink and I didnt really get the feel it was that type of book. There was a spanking later but during sex. There were times where it was confusing when the characters were having dreams. Sometimes you couldnt tell what was reality or a dream. If would be one thing if the author was doing a twist on the story making us think various things but it wasnt like that. Just badly written. Oh...then the part where his brother Kane was looking for Lucas for 2 days. Finding him at a cabin and informing him Kira's mother came to him to give him information of her whereabouts. A written map. A map Kane pulls out of LUCAS' burrow dresser thingy. How the hell did it get there? LOL. I had a lot of trouble liking these 2 characters. Lucas was a total ass to her most of the time. However, he softened up enough to have sex and then act like as ass later. Kira has no backbone for a Marine. She lets him walk all over her and treat her like crap. A few times she got pissed enough but otherwise she didnt stick to her guns and not be intimate with him. Frustrating characters to say the least. This is the first in the series so its obviously not going to be up to par compared to her other stuff. I'll admit that after reading Eliza's other work this was very disappointing. I honestly think this should be re-worked and re-released again. I'm not sure I want to read the others in the series. The Malcolm thing was really weird. I was clueless there. He's Lucas' brother who was banished for something we dont know about. He has issues with his powers but we dont know what they are. Why he wasn't able to shift. Why did he do the things he did and do a miraculous 180 at the end. Like I said...weird.
There are some editing errors. There are a lot of things going on in the book that wasn't expanded on and left us scratching our heads. Book went in so many different directions. I even found some blunders in the book. Like after Lucas was rescued from being held for awhile when they go to eat he pays? Um where did his wallet come from? I doubt his captors let him keep it. Lara was confusing. She was a guard but so much more as we find out. I didnt understand the nipple clamp torture she bestowed upon Kira. I mean it was just there. Thats a form of BDSM or kink and I didnt really get the feel it was that type of book. There was a spanking later but during sex. There were times where it was confusing when the characters were having dreams. Sometimes you couldnt tell what was reality or a dream. If would be one thing if the author was doing a twist on the story making us think various things but it wasnt like that. Just badly written. Oh...then the part where his brother Kane was looking for Lucas for 2 days. Finding him at a cabin and informing him Kira's mother came to him to give him information of her whereabouts. A written map. A map Kane pulls out of LUCAS' burrow dresser thingy. How the hell did it get there? LOL. I had a lot of trouble liking these 2 characters. Lucas was a total ass to her most of the time. However, he softened up enough to have sex and then act like as ass later. Kira has no backbone for a Marine. She lets him walk all over her and treat her like crap. A few times she got pissed enough but otherwise she didnt stick to her guns and not be intimate with him. Frustrating characters to say the least. This is the first in the series so its obviously not going to be up to par compared to her other stuff. I'll admit that after reading Eliza's other work this was very disappointing. I honestly think this should be re-worked and re-released again. I'm not sure I want to read the others in the series. The Malcolm thing was really weird. I was clueless there. He's Lucas' brother who was banished for something we dont know about. He has issues with his powers but we dont know what they are. Why he wasn't able to shift. Why did he do the things he did and do a miraculous 180 at the end. Like I said...weird.
October 28, 2020
DNF @ 62%
This was so stupid I can't believe I continued as far as I did. I think it's because it was a crazy stressful day and I just wanted something brain-numbing and fun, but this was just too stupid.
Every character in this book is a a big, tough talking stupid asshole. Lots and lots of puffing themselves up, followed by complete head-up-ass TSTL decisions. The plot is so disjointed that a couple times I felt like I got whiplash from the (lack of) transitions.
No.
Nope.
No.
This was so stupid I can't believe I continued as far as I did. I think it's because it was a crazy stressful day and I just wanted something brain-numbing and fun, but this was just too stupid.
Every character in this book is a a big, tough talking stupid asshole. Lots and lots of puffing themselves up, followed by complete head-up-ass TSTL decisions. The plot is so disjointed that a couple times I felt like I got whiplash from the (lack of) transitions.
No.
Nope.
No.
January 31, 2010
Kira is having oh so naughty dreams about a man – a stranger. This man in locked away in a cell and Kira has an overwhelming desire to find him and save him. When she has been in tough situations in the past, she uses her Tallon to open her psychic gift. However, recently that gift has started to decline. She is afraid her step-father will find out her gift is not working well, opening her up to revealing secrets of her clan, which would impose an immediate death sentence. More surprisingly, she is almost positive, the man locked away in that cell is her mate.
Lucas Gunn is a cougar shifter, and The Guardian for his clan. It is his duty to keep his clan secrets but if he didn’t get out of the cell soon, all would be lost. He is barely in control of his cougar and needs to shift soon. He is sharing the erotic dreams with Kira, yet he has no idea who the mystery woman is or why he is seeing her in his dreams.
Kira is a Marine Corps Intelligence Officer and is familiar with many of the larger bases. Analyzing her dreams with Lucas, she recognizes where he is being kept. She rushes in to save him, only for Lucas to think she is one of the bad guys. Lucas overpowers her and makes her help him escape.
Now that they have escaped, neither trusts the other. Kira knows Lucas is her mate, and all Lucas knows is that he can’t keep his sexual feelings for Kira under control. There is also the small problem of the rule that there is to be no interclan dating. When the the people responsible for capturing Lucas hunts them down in Lucas’ home turf, things start to get ugly. He will do anything to protect this sexy, mysterious woman that has grabbed a hold of his heart.
Lucas is a very sexy book – let’s just put that out there. Lucas’ cougar recognizes Kira as his mate, and Kira, with her psychic power knows Lucas is her mate from the get go. Their physical attraction and lust for each other scorch off the page from the first time they meet. They have that – “damn you are so hot, but I don’t know if I trust you” sex. Lucas is total alpha and it frustrates him that he has a red-tempered woman he is so hot after. Kira is no fragile flower and turns into some pretty explosive scenes in the bedroom. Lucas is also close with his half-brother Kane, and it is mentioned that in the past, these two have shared women. Eliza Gayle ups the ante with a little repeat of some Kane and Lucas action in this book, and the smutty hearts out there will be smokin’.
After all the sexin’ there is still a mystery surrounding why Lucas is captured and what they are after. The plot is a little weak and I was confused as to why Kira races to find Lucas, full well knowing he is her mate, and then once she has him back home, is terrified of him and wants nothing to do with him. She is also in a conundrum because once she starts the mating process, if she does not complete it, it starts to mess with her mind. She needs Lucas physically, but her mental process has not caught up yet.
Lucas’ older brother,Malcolm also plays an important role in this book. He is a very cold, cruel character, but there is a twist at the end that will have you wondering if he can be redeemed.
Even though Lucas is light on plot, it has plenty of hot love scenes. Kane’s book is up next and I’m interested to read his story.
Lucas Gunn is a cougar shifter, and The Guardian for his clan. It is his duty to keep his clan secrets but if he didn’t get out of the cell soon, all would be lost. He is barely in control of his cougar and needs to shift soon. He is sharing the erotic dreams with Kira, yet he has no idea who the mystery woman is or why he is seeing her in his dreams.
Kira is a Marine Corps Intelligence Officer and is familiar with many of the larger bases. Analyzing her dreams with Lucas, she recognizes where he is being kept. She rushes in to save him, only for Lucas to think she is one of the bad guys. Lucas overpowers her and makes her help him escape.
Now that they have escaped, neither trusts the other. Kira knows Lucas is her mate, and all Lucas knows is that he can’t keep his sexual feelings for Kira under control. There is also the small problem of the rule that there is to be no interclan dating. When the the people responsible for capturing Lucas hunts them down in Lucas’ home turf, things start to get ugly. He will do anything to protect this sexy, mysterious woman that has grabbed a hold of his heart.
Lucas is a very sexy book – let’s just put that out there. Lucas’ cougar recognizes Kira as his mate, and Kira, with her psychic power knows Lucas is her mate from the get go. Their physical attraction and lust for each other scorch off the page from the first time they meet. They have that – “damn you are so hot, but I don’t know if I trust you” sex. Lucas is total alpha and it frustrates him that he has a red-tempered woman he is so hot after. Kira is no fragile flower and turns into some pretty explosive scenes in the bedroom. Lucas is also close with his half-brother Kane, and it is mentioned that in the past, these two have shared women. Eliza Gayle ups the ante with a little repeat of some Kane and Lucas action in this book, and the smutty hearts out there will be smokin’.
After all the sexin’ there is still a mystery surrounding why Lucas is captured and what they are after. The plot is a little weak and I was confused as to why Kira races to find Lucas, full well knowing he is her mate, and then once she has him back home, is terrified of him and wants nothing to do with him. She is also in a conundrum because once she starts the mating process, if she does not complete it, it starts to mess with her mind. She needs Lucas physically, but her mental process has not caught up yet.
Lucas’ older brother,Malcolm also plays an important role in this book. He is a very cold, cruel character, but there is a twist at the end that will have you wondering if he can be redeemed.
Even though Lucas is light on plot, it has plenty of hot love scenes. Kane’s book is up next and I’m interested to read his story.
May 1, 2016
Although I got this book free, I was still quite disappointed I spent the time to read it.
One big issue I had with this book was from the beginning I felt like I just jumped right in and was expected to know what the heck was going on. After a couple pages, I had to go to Amazon and make sure there wasn't another book that preceded this one. The story jumps right into Lucas already being in a cell and a woman (who we later find out is Lara) demanding to know about shifters and his secret. Well considering she's a witch what was the point of this?
I got so confused on what exactly Kira is. There's no history about what she is and a reference to Tallan, but who the heck knows what this is?!? Also Kira is suppose to be a Marine, but yet she is somehow able to do all this traveling and not report in. As a military spouse I find this highly unlikely! Then she starts to go Coo-Coo for Coco Puffs and thinks sucking her mate's brother's thing is going to solve her problems...Not exactly sure where this came from or why given it doesn't explain anything during these episodes!
Lastly, for some reason Lawrence (Kira's stepfather) comes back out of the blue saying he will get Kira's power if he kills her. How he expected to do this when he turned her over to their governing council I have no idea. He was married to her mom and apparently demanding and control, but again it never explains how he was using her mothers powers. Is he this mysterious Tallan too? But wait now he's working with Lara! WTH where are these ideas coming from? I feel like I'm getting whiplash just from going back again and writing this review on the book!
All in all I liked the book for the good sex, but still YOU CANNOT HAVE ANAL SEX WITH OUT LUBE AND PREPARATION!! I have no clue how authors think this works, but trust me it doesn't!
One big issue I had with this book was from the beginning I felt like I just jumped right in and was expected to know what the heck was going on. After a couple pages, I had to go to Amazon and make sure there wasn't another book that preceded this one. The story jumps right into Lucas already being in a cell and a woman (who we later find out is Lara) demanding to know about shifters and his secret. Well considering she's a witch what was the point of this?
I got so confused on what exactly Kira is. There's no history about what she is and a reference to Tallan, but who the heck knows what this is?!? Also Kira is suppose to be a Marine, but yet she is somehow able to do all this traveling and not report in. As a military spouse I find this highly unlikely! Then she starts to go Coo-Coo for Coco Puffs and thinks sucking her mate's brother's thing is going to solve her problems...Not exactly sure where this came from or why given it doesn't explain anything during these episodes!
Lastly, for some reason Lawrence (Kira's stepfather) comes back out of the blue saying he will get Kira's power if he kills her. How he expected to do this when he turned her over to their governing council I have no idea. He was married to her mom and apparently demanding and control, but again it never explains how he was using her mothers powers. Is he this mysterious Tallan too? But wait now he's working with Lara! WTH where are these ideas coming from? I feel like I'm getting whiplash just from going back again and writing this review on the book!
All in all I liked the book for the good sex, but still YOU CANNOT HAVE ANAL SEX WITH OUT LUBE AND PREPARATION!! I have no clue how authors think this works, but trust me it doesn't!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 10, 2010
This book was a win from author back in beginning of October when she was promoting her September release Slave To Pleasure . I had not read anything by the author Eliza Gayle prior to this book and found it to be a quick and fun story which is the start of her Black Cougar series and has a very likeable female character in Kira and a yummy male character in Lucas.. Steamy Eliza Gayle at her best and good news for those who love shifters this series has those Alpha Males we all love to "drool over" in spades.. Next book is about younger brother Kane and it promises to be just as "juicy" as this one!
I now have a new author to entertain me with her sexy scenes and wonderful stories!
I now have a new author to entertain me with her sexy scenes and wonderful stories!
March 15, 2015
I quickly began to hate this read - am tired of heroines telling me how kick ass they are, only to never prove it and be complete wusses.
Plus the romance here was a big NO - they never trusted one another, always thought the other had the worst motivation behind every action they performed - and then suddenly they were in love. The h - stating a whole stream of reasons she loves the H - he's loyal and kind to his family, etc etc but the man is never kind or loyal to her.
And the bad guy in this? For some unknown reason is suddenly forgiven and going to get his own book in the future - just daft.
Plus the romance here was a big NO - they never trusted one another, always thought the other had the worst motivation behind every action they performed - and then suddenly they were in love. The h - stating a whole stream of reasons she loves the H - he's loyal and kind to his family, etc etc but the man is never kind or loyal to her.
And the bad guy in this? For some unknown reason is suddenly forgiven and going to get his own book in the future - just daft.
April 23, 2011
This book started out promisingly enough but somewhere along the way I lost the thread of what was happening and the end was a mishmash of events that I could hardly make heads or tails of. It's highly possibly that the lack can be laid at my feet but I honestly didn't know what I was reading over the last 40% of this book.
Kira confused me. I know part of the issue with her was that she was losing her grasp on reality as her mind fragmented but the things she did and the reasoning behind her actions were so out of the blue sometimes that I kept having to backtrack to try to figure out why she was doing things. For someone who had military training she was remarkably idiotic with the way she went about trying to keep herself and/or get herself out of trouble.
I liked Lucas. I liked Kane. I think I was supposed to feel like Malcolm was redeemable but... I didn't. I mean, anyone who kidnaps and tortures someone is going to have to jump through hoops to make me see that they did it with "good intentions". Malcolm didn't jump through any hoops. He tried, but it was more like a molehill. And he only jumped over it, not through it.
One last thing. Lucas was all talk. He kept saying that he was going to give Kira the punishment she deserved but it never really happened. All that buildup and one little spanking? Nope. There needed to be some tying up and spanking at the very least to live up to my expectations.
This book was by no means terrible but it felt very disjointed. I almost feel like I came into the series mid-way through, instead of with book 1. Will I be continuing with it? I'm not sure at this point. It had intriguing things happen but the overall mythology didn't feel as well fleshed out as it could have been.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
Kira confused me. I know part of the issue with her was that she was losing her grasp on reality as her mind fragmented but the things she did and the reasoning behind her actions were so out of the blue sometimes that I kept having to backtrack to try to figure out why she was doing things. For someone who had military training she was remarkably idiotic with the way she went about trying to keep herself and/or get herself out of trouble.
I liked Lucas. I liked Kane. I think I was supposed to feel like Malcolm was redeemable but... I didn't. I mean, anyone who kidnaps and tortures someone is going to have to jump through hoops to make me see that they did it with "good intentions". Malcolm didn't jump through any hoops. He tried, but it was more like a molehill. And he only jumped over it, not through it.
One last thing. Lucas was all talk. He kept saying that he was going to give Kira the punishment she deserved but it never really happened. All that buildup and one little spanking? Nope. There needed to be some tying up and spanking at the very least to live up to my expectations.
This book was by no means terrible but it felt very disjointed. I almost feel like I came into the series mid-way through, instead of with book 1. Will I be continuing with it? I'm not sure at this point. It had intriguing things happen but the overall mythology didn't feel as well fleshed out as it could have been.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
May 23, 2015
I've always loved shifters... Eliza just makes your toes curl. (smile) This is a easy story with a plot mingled in it that will keep you interested until the last page.
Kira has Psi abilities and is close to her mating time, in the time if she isn't mated her mind will lose touch with reality. She could very well be a danger not only to her clan but shifters in general. The mating time pushes her into dream walking where she finds her mate locked in a cell. A mate that is forbidden and the fact she doesn't want one... still it doesn't keep her from leaving to find that dream man.
Lucas a guardian of his clan, the keeper of the laws. Or dispatcher of punishments, whichever title fits him better. He isn't looking to settle down, but when he's thrown in a cell he feels her invade his mind, and invade she does with sultry hotness that has his animal wanting out.
Fate does just what it wants, not caring for rules made up by mere mortals. Now fate has pushed Lucas and Kira together. His rage at thinking he's betrayed, her powers clashing inside of her head. Along with some pretty hot passion and yumminess of naked bodies slapping together.. There is a bit of dark danger that looms and is a very real possibility of taking the choice of mating...of living from Lucas and Kira both.
A pretty awesome ride in the world of shifters and magic, with hints of BDSM, with does of hot alpha and sassy sexy female. I loved it .. I recommend it .. Enjoy
December 27, 2014
~ 3 Lucas Stars ~
Lucas is book one in the Black Cougar series by Eliza Gayle. This is a short quick read with lots of sex.
Lucas is definitely an alpha male who makes assumptions, but we see he has a loving and forgiving nature. Kira is psychic and on her way to a mental meltdown due to her mating urges kicking in, but she is also lucid enough to be wary of a mating.
The story is enjoyable, with action, romance, and a nefarious plot. The couple’s chemistry is smoking, but they do very little communicating, except in the physical area with the sex being very steamy. We get an anal and a M/F/M scene too. Their is a little foreshadowing for the next book. I did have some issues with some things being left unresolved or unexplained and the end is abrupt, leaving you hanging a little, but also wanting more.
Lucas is an enjoyable enough read. Something that fills a void for when you need a nice steamy quick read.
Lucas is book one in the Black Cougar series by Eliza Gayle. This is a short quick read with lots of sex.
Lucas is definitely an alpha male who makes assumptions, but we see he has a loving and forgiving nature. Kira is psychic and on her way to a mental meltdown due to her mating urges kicking in, but she is also lucid enough to be wary of a mating.
The story is enjoyable, with action, romance, and a nefarious plot. The couple’s chemistry is smoking, but they do very little communicating, except in the physical area with the sex being very steamy. We get an anal and a M/F/M scene too. Their is a little foreshadowing for the next book. I did have some issues with some things being left unresolved or unexplained and the end is abrupt, leaving you hanging a little, but also wanting more.
Lucas is an enjoyable enough read. Something that fills a void for when you need a nice steamy quick read.
August 12, 2015
The one that started it all, the first Southern Shifters book.
Kira is beginning her mating faze and if she doesn't mate soon she will lose her mind and thus be put to death by the Counsel. Already she feels like she is losing her mind. She is having erotic dreams about a man she has never met yet her every instinct is telling her he is her mate, but she refuses to live under the thumb of a man. Kira is driven by a desperate urge to find him though as she believes he is in trouble.
Lucas Gunn is the Guardian of his shapeshifting clan and is being held against his will. He is being kept in a cage in the hope he will reveal his secrets and the secrets of his clan. Lucas is determined not to give in to his captors, little does he know that his saviour is the beautiful redhead that visits him in his dreams. His dreams of sexual passion with this woman are so real!
Who is it that is so hell bent on breaking Lucas and why?
An alliance that should never exist, a craving that won't be denied and a betrayal that has to be overcome. This book has it all
action, old beliefs and a passion that can't be denied.
I can't wait to read the next book.
Kira is beginning her mating faze and if she doesn't mate soon she will lose her mind and thus be put to death by the Counsel. Already she feels like she is losing her mind. She is having erotic dreams about a man she has never met yet her every instinct is telling her he is her mate, but she refuses to live under the thumb of a man. Kira is driven by a desperate urge to find him though as she believes he is in trouble.
Lucas Gunn is the Guardian of his shapeshifting clan and is being held against his will. He is being kept in a cage in the hope he will reveal his secrets and the secrets of his clan. Lucas is determined not to give in to his captors, little does he know that his saviour is the beautiful redhead that visits him in his dreams. His dreams of sexual passion with this woman are so real!
Who is it that is so hell bent on breaking Lucas and why?
An alliance that should never exist, a craving that won't be denied and a betrayal that has to be overcome. This book has it all
action, old beliefs and a passion that can't be denied.
I can't wait to read the next book.
June 16, 2012
Lucas by Eliza Gayle
I purchased the Shifter bundle and only read Lucas's story completely so my review below is based solely on Lucas.
I’ve read other books by Ms Gayle and most were good but this series didn’t do it for me.
I finished Lucas and it was okay. Lot’s of jumping around in the story and the dialog was a bit choppy which made it difficult to read. Not much back story on the characters so I had a hard time understanding who hated who and why. Example is the Kira’s mother was mentioned a lot and you go a sense that something happened with her life that was bad but what? This detail made Kira not trust others but I don’t know what happened. Kira’s stepfather also is not explained well either. What was he trying to achieve and why? A lot was made of Kira being a Marine but I didn’t feel that it added anything to the story.
I purchased the Shifter bundle and only read Lucas's story completely so my review below is based solely on Lucas.
I’ve read other books by Ms Gayle and most were good but this series didn’t do it for me.
I finished Lucas and it was okay. Lot’s of jumping around in the story and the dialog was a bit choppy which made it difficult to read. Not much back story on the characters so I had a hard time understanding who hated who and why. Example is the Kira’s mother was mentioned a lot and you go a sense that something happened with her life that was bad but what? This detail made Kira not trust others but I don’t know what happened. Kira’s stepfather also is not explained well either. What was he trying to achieve and why? A lot was made of Kira being a Marine but I didn’t feel that it added anything to the story.
May 12, 2011
I don't know if there was a problem with the formatting just from translation to my Nook, but this book was so hard to read I almost stopped a couple of times. However, I'm extremely stubborn and hate to not finish a story (unless it's excruciating). There was also a bad case of head-hopping all throughout. The story itself wasn't too bad, but the heroine frustrated me a couple of times and the sex scenes didn't always fit into the situation. The part where the heroine threw up when regaining consciousness, went through a whole scene dealing with a villain, then is found by the hero and went straight into the sex wouldn't have been so bad if she had taken two seconds to rinse her mouth out. Ruined the whole scene for me.
June 27, 2014
Every time Eliza has a free book of course I snag it I love her books. I loved how Kira can shock Lucas, "I'll take the French toast platter with extra bacon and some hot chocolate with extra whipped cream, please." He looked at her in surprise. "What? I'm hungry," she said." She's also a wild one, "hey, Lucas," she called out to him, stopping him in his tracks. "I don't think so. You don't get to rage at me and make all kinds of accusations and then just walk away. Who the hell do you think you are?" Of course when it comes to his woman Lucas is all animal, "I'm not sure I can be gentle this time." His breathing sounded labored as she imagined him fighting for control. "The animal in me wants to mount you, take you hard. Mine, damn it." I loved this book and I loved Lucas.
January 31, 2012
New Author. Shapeshifters. Story was so-so. there were too many indiscrepancies in story that bothered me. I bought the ebook package of all three in series. I am trying to finish the series just for the sake of finishing. Hopefully next one might be a bit better.
March 1, 2015
2.5 stars. About 120 pages. Not very much plot development or character development, in my opinion. There is a lot of hot, steamy sex scenes, which I'll never complain about. I do enjoy the paranormal genre but just couldn't get into the premise of this one for some reason.
November 23, 2015
The plot jumped all over the place and the characters didn't have any depth. Porntastic sex and instalove. Finished it out of stubbornness, not because I cared about the characters or plot, and even then I skim read it. Won't be reading the sequel or any others.
December 11, 2018
Lucas Gunn, a black cougar shifter, has been held captive in an underground bunker, but dreams of a beautiful redhead and some super sexy times together. He dreams of Kira, a psychic woman who knows of shifters and realizes that she's Lucas's mate. So she sets out to rescue him, but when she does, he thinks she's his enemy who kidnapped him. Doesn't stop him from having sex with her though. And that doesn't help him trust her either. Kira has to get Lucas to mate with her or, as happens to females in her lineage, she'll go stark raving mad...which she starts to do anyway. Lucas takes Kira back to his home where she goes bonkers and Lucas rejects her, not realizing what's happening. But it's difficult being away from Kira because he loves her and wants his mate, so he'll have to decide to go after her.
So...the author's talent here is definitely sex scenes. And she makes liberal use of this particular talent. This is primarily smut, with a dash of plot sprinkled in. Lucas and Kira are CONSTANTLY having sex - if not in real life, then in dreams. And this is actually to the detriment of whatever plot is happening. As soon as it seems that Kira and Lucas are going to talk about something or maybe resolve an issue or something, things devolve into mad, animal-like and often kinky sex (you've got anal, voyeurism and a touch of menage). So then nothing gets resolved. And then the characters just continue on from there. There's little "romance" between them as a result. It's mostly lust. Although they say they're falling in love and claim to love one another, the emotional connection is never really established, so I'm not sure I believed in the love. The physical connection was so overpowering.
As for the plot, it's a bit discombobulated. Things are mentioned but never explained - like Lawrence, how the hell did he get mixed up in things? Or for that matter Lara - how does she keep coming back to life? And Malcolm - why did he kidnap and torture his brother instead of simply asking him some questions? The world building here was kind of a hot mess for me. I felt like I'd been dropped into the middle of the series where I was expected to know the rules and terms and honestly didn't. Kira mentions using Tallan as though I'm supposed to know what that is (it's like the Jedi Force), I thought Kira was a shifter for the first 25% of the story and had no idea why Kira and Lucas weren't supposed to be together.
I think I'll give this author another shot in the next story in the series (since I have the bundle), but I'm not sure I can read another (100+ page) story of straight up sex without some serious plot development. It's why I usually read short smut.
So...the author's talent here is definitely sex scenes. And she makes liberal use of this particular talent. This is primarily smut, with a dash of plot sprinkled in. Lucas and Kira are CONSTANTLY having sex - if not in real life, then in dreams. And this is actually to the detriment of whatever plot is happening. As soon as it seems that Kira and Lucas are going to talk about something or maybe resolve an issue or something, things devolve into mad, animal-like and often kinky sex (you've got anal, voyeurism and a touch of menage). So then nothing gets resolved. And then the characters just continue on from there. There's little "romance" between them as a result. It's mostly lust. Although they say they're falling in love and claim to love one another, the emotional connection is never really established, so I'm not sure I believed in the love. The physical connection was so overpowering.
As for the plot, it's a bit discombobulated. Things are mentioned but never explained - like Lawrence, how the hell did he get mixed up in things? Or for that matter Lara - how does she keep coming back to life? And Malcolm - why did he kidnap and torture his brother instead of simply asking him some questions? The world building here was kind of a hot mess for me. I felt like I'd been dropped into the middle of the series where I was expected to know the rules and terms and honestly didn't. Kira mentions using Tallan as though I'm supposed to know what that is (it's like the Jedi Force), I thought Kira was a shifter for the first 25% of the story and had no idea why Kira and Lucas weren't supposed to be together.
I think I'll give this author another shot in the next story in the series (since I have the bundle), but I'm not sure I can read another (100+ page) story of straight up sex without some serious plot development. It's why I usually read short smut.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 30, 2017
This just wasn't the book for me.
Parts of this story were good, okay, and grrr wtf inducing. I wasn't too jazzed with Lucas's whole thinking she was the enemy at first and refusing to listen to her or like ... test her about what she was doing. Did he not recognize her from the dreams? I thought they had some mind reading stuff going on between them at times too? I admit that I didn't pay too much attention to what I was reading because I got annoyed a few times.
The one thing I wasn't too clear on was there were bad guys ... but apparently they were bad guys by circumstance and they were really not bad guys? I say this about Malcolm and that psycho witch he had working for them. When he was introduced it looked like he was going to be a big baddie of sorts then near the end it got to be all hunky dory? Just from his actions and thoughts he became someone I didn’t want to learn more about…. rape or even talk of it, even if that person likes that sort of thing isn’t cool. Then the next book has the psycho witch as the heroine? I think if you are going to have a reformed bad guy being redeemed you shouldn’t make them look so unredeemable beforehand. A few attempted murders and kidnappings make that sort of tough to do, yanno?
Parts of this story were good, okay, and grrr wtf inducing. I wasn't too jazzed with Lucas's whole thinking she was the enemy at first and refusing to listen to her or like ... test her about what she was doing. Did he not recognize her from the dreams? I thought they had some mind reading stuff going on between them at times too? I admit that I didn't pay too much attention to what I was reading because I got annoyed a few times.
The one thing I wasn't too clear on was there were bad guys ... but apparently they were bad guys by circumstance and they were really not bad guys? I say this about Malcolm and that psycho witch he had working for them. When he was introduced it looked like he was going to be a big baddie of sorts then near the end it got to be all hunky dory? Just from his actions and thoughts he became someone I didn’t want to learn more about…. rape or even talk of it, even if that person likes that sort of thing isn’t cool. Then the next book has the psycho witch as the heroine? I think if you are going to have a reformed bad guy being redeemed you shouldn’t make them look so unredeemable beforehand. A few attempted murders and kidnappings make that sort of tough to do, yanno?
October 21, 2017
The actual title of the book is Dirty, Sexy, Furry: Lucas, now in some editions it is listed that way, but for some reasons on other editions it isn't. I downloaded under the full title, and the picture I have is the full title, but it is a kindle edition, and this is what comes up for the kindle.
Kira is not a shifter, but she is part of the shifter world, as part of a clan of psi powerful women, she has grown up in a hidden area of the Appalachians called Dragon Trail. Lately her psi powers have her dreaming of a strange man in a cage, and she is sure that has to be a mistake. Kira's judgement is clouded by memories of her mother's treatment by her step-father, and her strong desire not to be controlled.
Lucas is a cougar shifter and has always lived on the Dragon Trail. He's being held against his will and he is refusing to give in to what his captor wants, but he is dreaming, very vividly of this woman. When she shows up to rescue him, he thinks she is part of the plan to capture him, and makes some mistakes of his own.
This is a great start to a family series. Definitely a hot, sizzle book
Kira is not a shifter, but she is part of the shifter world, as part of a clan of psi powerful women, she has grown up in a hidden area of the Appalachians called Dragon Trail. Lately her psi powers have her dreaming of a strange man in a cage, and she is sure that has to be a mistake. Kira's judgement is clouded by memories of her mother's treatment by her step-father, and her strong desire not to be controlled.
Lucas is a cougar shifter and has always lived on the Dragon Trail. He's being held against his will and he is refusing to give in to what his captor wants, but he is dreaming, very vividly of this woman. When she shows up to rescue him, he thinks she is part of the plan to capture him, and makes some mistakes of his own.
This is a great start to a family series. Definitely a hot, sizzle book
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March 22, 2021DNF at 57%. I was struggling with the flow of the story anyway but when she started to suck off the H’s brother to escape the madness she was experiencing (which had yet to be fully explained) not even sure if she went through with it bu I’m outta here.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2022
I’m not sure how I feel about this read. The story and plot are good, but I found the writing slightly wooden. Of course it has lots of angst, and the love scenes are graphic, I felt like this story has more to say, and hopefully the series will get better.
November 28, 2023
Rated 3.5 stars
Wasn't sure what I was going to get since it started strangely but then it became interesting enjoy to complete the story and find out what was going on with these characters. It had some twisted issues and some horrible people as well.
Wasn't sure what I was going to get since it started strangely but then it became interesting enjoy to complete the story and find out what was going on with these characters. It had some twisted issues and some horrible people as well.
November 6, 2021
This was fast paced and that made it seem poorly written. There were no good conversations or real introspective moments. It was all action or sex. Books need to be balanced.
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