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Not as good as the first two... I knew who the bad guy was the minute Gray switched to his point in the story telling... and the serial killer aspect didnt have much to do with the previous bad guys (the institute)... over all I enjoyed it though... very much looking forward to Taye and Gillie's story next.
Zeke - what and interesting and at the start frustrating character to read. I found myself reading his speech as complete sentences in my head until about a third of the way when I think I finally "got" him. I don't know if it just came from getting more into the book, or if it was more character driven and understanding him came from learning about his past, seeing how people treat him, and being thankful that he had Neva in his life.
The story is fast paced, the baddie is super creepy, but I found myself feeling for him all the same. What horrible, sad pasts the men in this book had to deal with, Emil included. It was interesting how stand alone this one felt. Many reviewers have already commented on it, and aside from a very quick phone call at the end that had reference to Zeke's capture, it really had no connection the first 2 books.
That said, still an enjoyable read and I look forward to Skin Dive.
The story is fast paced, the baddie is super creepy, but I found myself feeling for him all the same. What horrible, sad pasts the men in this book had to deal with, Emil included. It was interesting how stand alone this one felt. Many reviewers have already commented on it, and aside from a very quick phone call at the end that had reference to Zeke's capture, it really had no connection the first 2 books.
That said, still an enjoyable read and I look forward to Skin Dive.
I don’t know what to make of this book or this series. Is it a romantic suspense or paranormal romance? Or a combination of the two?
At the end of Skin Tight, Zeke is one of the “patients” that escaped from the facility. He has hitched hiked his way back home and finds his farm neglected and his animals gone. Zeke isn’t the same man he was when we was abducted 6 months ago. He now has extrasensory abilities, bordering on animal instinct. He doesn’t know what to make of it but he is determined to get his life back in order.
Neva is the local vet. She has turned her back on her wealthy family and their expectations by doing something that she loves. She takes a chance on Zeke when he shows up at her clinic looking for a job. Neva sees that Zeke has a natural kinship with animals and thinks that he would be a good addition to her staff. There’s mutual attraction between Zeke and Neva but Neva doesn’t want to cross the employer/employee line. What she doesn’t know is that Zeke has always wanted her and that his feelings for her go deeper than just a crush.
I like Zeke and Neva as a couple. They are from different backgrounds but have the love of animals in common. Because of the genetic experimenting that Zeke went through, he can no longer reader and speaks in short, incomplete sentences. His way of communicating is terse and straight forward. Neva realizes that is different but doesn’t know how. She never talks down to him; she treats him as an equal. Neva gets Zeke in a way that no one does.
The sexual chemistry between Zeke and Neva is explosive. When they come together, it is hot and steamy. Their mating was borderline animalistic at times. There were a couple of times I had to fan myself it was so hot. The relationship aspect of the novel was enjoyable and believable and the best part of the book. The secondary plot about a local serial killer who are killing women who favored Neva was weak in my opinion. I thought it was unnecessary and was used as a way to add suspense to the overall story. It didn’t take much thought to figure out who the killer was. The previous book’s plot, Skin Tight, was directly related to Dr. Rowen’s human experiments. In Skin heat, there was very little mentioned (only a paragraph at the end) of the fall out from Zeke’s escape. This is where the book didn’t feel connected to the series.
I finished Skin Heat unsatisfied. Again, I don’t know what to make of this series. It seems like with each book, it takes a different direction. With most series, each book is a continuing story from the previous book, with different characters. The story flows with the characters but the plot is out of sorts. Are we going to find out more about the experiments and the repercussions? And the question that is still bothering me but has not been answered: Kira, from Skin Game, how did she come into her powers? That question is what keeps me from enjoying the series. It seems like the author had an idea for the series to be a certain way but then changed her mind mid-course and went a different direction.
At the end of Skin Tight, Zeke is one of the “patients” that escaped from the facility. He has hitched hiked his way back home and finds his farm neglected and his animals gone. Zeke isn’t the same man he was when we was abducted 6 months ago. He now has extrasensory abilities, bordering on animal instinct. He doesn’t know what to make of it but he is determined to get his life back in order.
Neva is the local vet. She has turned her back on her wealthy family and their expectations by doing something that she loves. She takes a chance on Zeke when he shows up at her clinic looking for a job. Neva sees that Zeke has a natural kinship with animals and thinks that he would be a good addition to her staff. There’s mutual attraction between Zeke and Neva but Neva doesn’t want to cross the employer/employee line. What she doesn’t know is that Zeke has always wanted her and that his feelings for her go deeper than just a crush.
I like Zeke and Neva as a couple. They are from different backgrounds but have the love of animals in common. Because of the genetic experimenting that Zeke went through, he can no longer reader and speaks in short, incomplete sentences. His way of communicating is terse and straight forward. Neva realizes that is different but doesn’t know how. She never talks down to him; she treats him as an equal. Neva gets Zeke in a way that no one does.
The sexual chemistry between Zeke and Neva is explosive. When they come together, it is hot and steamy. Their mating was borderline animalistic at times. There were a couple of times I had to fan myself it was so hot. The relationship aspect of the novel was enjoyable and believable and the best part of the book. The secondary plot about a local serial killer who are killing women who favored Neva was weak in my opinion. I thought it was unnecessary and was used as a way to add suspense to the overall story. It didn’t take much thought to figure out who the killer was. The previous book’s plot, Skin Tight, was directly related to Dr. Rowen’s human experiments. In Skin heat, there was very little mentioned (only a paragraph at the end) of the fall out from Zeke’s escape. This is where the book didn’t feel connected to the series.
I finished Skin Heat unsatisfied. Again, I don’t know what to make of this series. It seems like with each book, it takes a different direction. With most series, each book is a continuing story from the previous book, with different characters. The story flows with the characters but the plot is out of sorts. Are we going to find out more about the experiments and the repercussions? And the question that is still bothering me but has not been answered: Kira, from Skin Game, how did she come into her powers? That question is what keeps me from enjoying the series. It seems like the author had an idea for the series to be a certain way but then changed her mind mid-course and went a different direction.
Review: Skin Heat by Ava Gray
Rating = 4.25/5
Caliber SEAL: AWESOME READ!
Final Verdict: Skin Heat is a novel that has a haunting quality to it, and that alone is a testament to Ava Gray’s remarkable talent.
Review goes live at 00:00 hours MVT, August 20, 2013!
Rating = 4.25/5
Caliber SEAL: AWESOME READ!
Final Verdict: Skin Heat is a novel that has a haunting quality to it, and that alone is a testament to Ava Gray’s remarkable talent.
Review goes live at 00:00 hours MVT, August 20, 2013!
Another great read from Ava Gray. Not even ten pages in I was ready to pull Zeke into a hug and let him know he was worthy. These were again wonderfully sculpted characters and it didn't take long to pull me in and keep me wanting more. I enjoyed the mystery with this story and I especially enjoyed that it didn't go too far into the dark and twisted that so many novels are doing recently. Neva was a great heroine, intelligent, independent, and ready and willing to help others and not accept life from a silver platter. Fast paced and engaging, I can't wait to read what comes next!
Meh, maybe a 2.5 out of 5.
The serial killer plot line didn't mesh with the story at all. It seemed like it was added in primarily to keep in line with the rest of the romantic suspense elements of the previous installments, but since it had nothing to do with the mysterious Foundation, it seemed superfluous, especially because the killer's motivations were so hastily revealed only at the end (and were specious at best). Aside from Zeke being scared of abduction again, Gray completely ignores the shadow organization responsible until the very, very end, where it's brushed off, which pissed me off. It's part of what makes the series interesting and not just another typical suspenser.
While I liked Zeke and Neva well enough, and Zeke's insecurities are rendered with painful realism, there just wasn't enough conflict between them (aside from aforementioned insecurities) to sustain a novel-length story. Listening to him continually question whether he was good enough for her or whether he could control his animal side for much longer became tedious very quickly, even though it was perfectly reasonable for a character as damaged and lacking in self-esteem as Zeke. He ended up becoming a weird mix of alpha and beta hero, and it just didn't do it for me.
The serial killer plot line didn't mesh with the story at all. It seemed like it was added in primarily to keep in line with the rest of the romantic suspense elements of the previous installments, but since it had nothing to do with the mysterious Foundation, it seemed superfluous, especially because the killer's motivations were so hastily revealed only at the end (and were specious at best). Aside from Zeke being scared of abduction again, Gray completely ignores the shadow organization responsible until the very, very end, where it's brushed off, which pissed me off. It's part of what makes the series interesting and not just another typical suspenser.
While I liked Zeke and Neva well enough, and Zeke's insecurities are rendered with painful realism, there just wasn't enough conflict between them (aside from aforementioned insecurities) to sustain a novel-length story. Listening to him continually question whether he was good enough for her or whether he could control his animal side for much longer became tedious very quickly, even though it was perfectly reasonable for a character as damaged and lacking in self-esteem as Zeke. He ended up becoming a weird mix of alpha and beta hero, and it just didn't do it for me.
Starts off slow and sad, and the romance that develops between Neva and Zeke is so sweet and gentle it almost breaks your heart sometimes, while other times their relationship is prickly, fierce, sexy, cute and a whole bunch of other adjectives. You don't need to have read anything else in the series to enjoy the romance.
The older I get, the more I dislike serial killer stories. This book is no exception; I just tried to ignore those parts as best I could. If you want to know how this book is in romantic suspense terms, you'll be better off checking other reviews.
The older I get, the more I dislike serial killer stories. This book is no exception; I just tried to ignore those parts as best I could. If you want to know how this book is in romantic suspense terms, you'll be better off checking other reviews.