Reviewed Friday, July 17, 2009
Destined To Mate by C. A. SaloPublisher: The Wild Rose Press, Scarlet Rose
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (95 pgs)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4.5
Review by Xeranthemum
A feline mated to a werewolf?As a Chimera, half lioness/half human, Alexis Xanthis, has never released the beast within. Until she meets Lykan Alpha, Morgan LeVey. Being near him triggers a powerful need to mate, but is Morgan strong enough to dominate her feline side and still handle the human half with a gentle hand? And will the powers that be allow it?
Destined to Mate mixes a delicious combination of mythology, the paranormal and some hot loving sure to thrill a reader on many levels. Alexis is a heroine with a deadly secret. She’s also adorable, spunky, and an amazing mix of charming innocence and old world knowledge. She is also the owner of a book store. Imagine that. What I really liked about her are her kick butt abilities which totally outshine the guys, much to their chagrin.
All the guys except one, that is. Morgan is an alpha wolf. And he’s the best part of being an alpha – not overbearing and irritatingly autocratic but protective, responsible and fair. He also has being dominant in a relationship down pat – it’s a very seductive and potent level.
Even when Alexis throws him for a loop he still doesn’t get in a snit over it. He is so very well put together; I didn’t have to deal with any male ego trips. What a relief. One of the things that I personally look for in a lycan/paranormal romance is if there is bite. I find biting in passion between the hero and heroine very erotic and Ms. Salo nailed it. But I am not going to tell you who was biting who, because that would be telling. There’s no way I want to diffuse those moments, which for me, were very sensual and satisfying.
The secondary characters were fun. Val was interesting and a good sounding board for Alexis. There’s a term for their relationship but no way am I writing that here. Rafe simply cracked me up. What a unique spin for a second-in-command. Usually they are about as strong as the alpha, but poor Rafe has a very human and irritating thing that happens to him. I could not help but giggle the times it happened.
Alexis’ mom is a beaut. Wait until you meet her.
Destined to Mate is sure to entertain and excite, evoke interest and lust, and delivers a well written story with a character driven plot which delightfully showcases the pursuit of love in all its furry splendor.
http://whippedcream2.blogspot.com/2009/07/destined-to-mate-by-c-salo.html?zx=b283110606ca6c1aOnto the voting..."Destined to Mate" is up for Best Book honor this weekend (voting runs from Saturday, 7/18, through Sunday, 7/19). You can find the information here on Saturday:
http://www.longandshortreviews.com/WC/recentrev.htm
Morgan is an Alpha. He saves Alexis when a huntress swings her sword to kill her. Surrounded by Lycans, her inner beast forces her to change. Morgan is puzzled. He has no idea who and what she is. He met various species – fae, vamps, etc - before but he has never met one like her. What puzzles him the most is the attraction between them. He never wanted a mate before, but now the idea seems very alluring. But can he handle her?
