Helpful Score: 4
The title is obviously intended to hook the 'Dates from Hell' fans - but frankly most of the stories work too hard at the 'Hotter Than' part and very few of them contained anything 'hellish'. All contained some paranormal aspects but most were the 'usual' vampires and shifters. I think my favorite was the Sizemore/Little story which managed to mix time travel/psychic power/dark ages history/Druidism/emerging Christianity/and the King Arthur legends into one successful little story...
Helpful Score: 2
Some very good short stories. It's all about heat... attraction, sex. Love Kim Harrison's contribution - book worth it just for that one. :)
Helpful Score: 1
The one thing that gets me with this book is how different it seems from the rest of the "In Hell" anthologies that came before it. It really strikes me that Hotter than Hell is more paranormal romance than it is urban fantasy, because the premise in all the stories is sex with a paranormal twist. Pretty much all of these stories have a relationship with sex included, which makes it more romance than not, which isn't the case as much in the other books (which makes them more "urban fantasy"). I feel somewhat disappointed in a lot of the stories in this anthology. In most of them I found too much of the sexual attraction, not enough to make me believe in the relationship. I think that to some extent choosing to make the stories require sex and then making them short was shooting everyone in the foot - there simply is very little space to have a story, have crazy sex, and also make me see a believable relationship developing, a relationship where I can buy into a HEA. Not enough room for it all, and something lost out. All the stories that managed to keep the three things balanced (plot, sex, believable relationship) - those where the stronger stories in the anthology. I think that most of the ones that had sex but didn't try to make the story have a fully formed romantic relationship occur within the short story were stronger - Tanya Huff's "Music Hath Charms", Lilith Saintcrow's "Brother's Keeper" (which still has a flaw - it threw the reader in without much information about the world. I recognized characters in her Dante Valentine series though), and "Dirty Magic" by Kim Harrison (also shares a world with her Hollows series, but this one didn't feel confusing). The best romantic one I think was "Moonlight Becomes You" by Linda Winstead Jones because the heroine was funny in a cute way, though I didn't see much from the hero's personality. "Minotaur In Stone" by Marjorie M. Liu was also good because of the lyrical writing, but there is something a bit off with the relationship there, I guess I found it hard to believe the heroine would go so far for someone she just met, but then she's isolated and so is he. That could be their bond, but I felt it could have been more cemented than it was.
Helpful Score: 1
Why do I bother buying books that have like 20 authors?!? I feel shortchanged because there's no development in the story. As soon as it gets good, they story ends. Especially "Brothers Keeper". I felt some of these tales had the potential to be really good books on their own. Death in these short stories didn't work for me, especially the last one, but I won't say why as it will give away the story. The last story was by far the worst of them. Death is not sexy.
Helpful Score: 1
What a rip-off! This is nothing but horribly written porn thrown together into a book to make money off the authors names. The characters were females with less morals than the lowest of alley cats and filled with filth which seemed to be written by second graders. I chose this book because of two of the authors, Kim Harrison and Kerri Arthur both of whom are excellent writers. I don't know what happened to their skills in this thing. Yeah, I was that disappointed with this crappy piece of work.
Helpful Score: 1
This book contained stories that were either good or so-so. The problem I have with books of this type is that the stories usually are so short that there is not much emphasis on a storyline or character development. Here's my view on each author/story:
Tanya Huff - I had no idea what this story was supposed to be, it was a mess. 2 brothers who were sirens & the 2 record execs fighting over signing them. Flat characters & a story that went no where.
Marjorie M Liu - I've stopped reading her books because her writing style doesn't draw me into her books anymore. This story was about a Minotaur. It was an ok story.
Cheyenne McCray - Love her books, & this story was pretty good. Lots of sex with 2 lovers who have to overcome a major problem in order to be together. He's a demon - she's human
LA Banks - I like her new were series but I am not a fan of her vamp series & this took place in that area so I skipped it.
Susan Krinard - not a fan of her's either, skipped this too.
Keri Arthur - Another fav of mine. This story didn't disappoint. Grace & Ethan are were's & work for a Paranormal Organization. The story had a good plot & strong characters. I really enjoyed this story. All her other books are great too!
Heidi Betts - I never heard of her before I read this book. A cursed sexy Scotsman & the great, great grandaughter of the woman who cursed him work together to save him. Lots of sexy scenes & a fun read.
Lilith Saintcrow - another fav of mine. If you read her Danny Valentine series then you'll recognize the setting in this story. I liked the characters & storyline but the ending leaves you wanting more......
Susan Sizemore & Denise Little - I like Sizemore but I couldn't get into this story at all, I ending up skipping most of it.
Carrie Vaughn - story didn't interest me so I didn't finish it
Linda Winestead Jones - I enjoyed her 2 sets of trilogy books but this story was so-so.
Kim Harrison - I love her series but this was blah. I expected better from her. Maybe she was tired from editing all the other authors stories.
So IMO only a few were keepers the rest were not. I'm glad I got it here instead of buying it.
Tanya Huff - I had no idea what this story was supposed to be, it was a mess. 2 brothers who were sirens & the 2 record execs fighting over signing them. Flat characters & a story that went no where.
Marjorie M Liu - I've stopped reading her books because her writing style doesn't draw me into her books anymore. This story was about a Minotaur. It was an ok story.
Cheyenne McCray - Love her books, & this story was pretty good. Lots of sex with 2 lovers who have to overcome a major problem in order to be together. He's a demon - she's human
LA Banks - I like her new were series but I am not a fan of her vamp series & this took place in that area so I skipped it.
Susan Krinard - not a fan of her's either, skipped this too.
Keri Arthur - Another fav of mine. This story didn't disappoint. Grace & Ethan are were's & work for a Paranormal Organization. The story had a good plot & strong characters. I really enjoyed this story. All her other books are great too!
Heidi Betts - I never heard of her before I read this book. A cursed sexy Scotsman & the great, great grandaughter of the woman who cursed him work together to save him. Lots of sexy scenes & a fun read.
Lilith Saintcrow - another fav of mine. If you read her Danny Valentine series then you'll recognize the setting in this story. I liked the characters & storyline but the ending leaves you wanting more......
Susan Sizemore & Denise Little - I like Sizemore but I couldn't get into this story at all, I ending up skipping most of it.
Carrie Vaughn - story didn't interest me so I didn't finish it
Linda Winestead Jones - I enjoyed her 2 sets of trilogy books but this story was so-so.
Kim Harrison - I love her series but this was blah. I expected better from her. Maybe she was tired from editing all the other authors stories.
So IMO only a few were keepers the rest were not. I'm glad I got it here instead of buying it.
This book is a collection of fairly typical paranormal romance stories. The majority of them tend towards heavy romance themes and have very explicit sex scenes. A lot of them were just okay; but there were a couple that I really enjoyed. There weren't any stories in here I would rate 5 stars though.
Short synopsis of the stories as well as some brief thoughts on each of them can be found below.
Overall an okay short story collection. I would recommend to those looking for some steamy paranormal short stories. This is a great filler book for if you want to have something quick to read off and on. I wouldn't recommend reading in one sitting because the stories seem very similar and get a bit repetitive if you read them all at once.
-Music Hath Charms by Tanya Huff (3/5 stars)
This was about a woman who is trying to sign up a couple of country-rock brothers to her record label. When she sees the brothers in person she realizes that they might not be fully human. It was a decent story with some steamy scenes.
-Minotaur in Stone by Majorie M. Lui (3/5 stars)
About a young woman who dreams of a Minotaur and ends up finding out her dreams are real and she needs to help save him. Draws on both the Greek mythology surrounding the Minotaur and the mythology of Tam Lin. This was an okay story. I liked some of the surrounding mysterious info about the heroine; however I just felt like this was a very unfinished story.
-Demon Lover by Cheyenne McCray (4/5 stars)
I really enjoyed the characters in this story and how engaging they were. You end up really rooting for them both and wanting them to find happiness; which takes talent in a short story like this. I liked the backdrop of Gods and Goddesses. It gives you an excellent feeling for the paranormal world behind this story, again an excellent feat for a short story.
-Equinox by L.A. Banks (4/5 stars)
This was a good story about a special ops agent that gets sent into the woods to apprehend a group of environmental activists. Little does he know he will be facing off with the Goddess Artemis herself. I liked the mythology in here. The main leads are fleshed out nicely and have good chemistry together. The end of the story felt a bit rushed and just too contrived. However, mostly I enjoyed it.
-Ride A Dark Horse by Susan Krinard (4/5 stars)
This was a story about a woman who was trying to escape a bad marriage by taking vacation at a horse ranch. There she finds the most unusual type of horse. I enjoyed the setting and the characters. However I felt like the writing style itself was a bit unfinished feeling. I also thought the male lead was a bit too stalkerish and alpha predator; especially in the beginning of the story.
-To Die For by Keri Arthur (4/5 stars)
This was a story about a shapeshifter who gets partnered with a werewolf she has the hots for on an investigation. It was very well written; you can tell Arthur writes a lot and has a polished writing style. The theme, characters, and story were all very typical urban fantasy.
-Curse of the Dragon's Tears by Heidi Betts (3/5 stars)
This was a story about a young woman who comes to an abandoned castle to hunt down a man who's been haunting her dreams. It was okay but not great; the whole thing was a bit too creepy and insta-love for me.
-Brother's Keeper by Lilith Saintcrow (4/5 stars)
This was an interesting story about a sexwitch who gets an emergency call from her brother. I liked the idea of how the sexwitch's magic works (her powers can be as much of a curse as a help). This definitely wasn't a romantic story...it was dark and hard and gritty. I enjoyed it. This seems like it's part of a larger story, so the main character must be from one of Saintcrow's other series.
-(Like A) Virgin of the Spring by Susan Sizemore and Denise Little (4/5 stars)
This story was an interesting blend of magic and time travel, fantasy and science fiction. I thought the world building in here was pretty neat and enjoyed the plot a lot. The romance between the two characters is more comical than steamy; but I enjoyed the light-heartedness of it all.
-Life is the Teacher by Carrie Vaughn (3/5 stars)
This story was about a young woman getting used to becoming a vampire. Not really any romance, mostly it was a young woman who is learning to embrace her vampiric lifestyle and power. It was okay but kind of dry and written in an almost a clinical way.
-Moonlight Becomes You by Linda Winstead Jones (4/5 stars)
This was a cute story about a woman who is semi-stalking her neighbor because she's convinced he's a vampire. It was a cute and fun story and I enjoyed it.
-Dirty Magic by Kim Harrison (3/5 stars)
This short story is about Mia, the banshee you meet in the Hollows series. It basically gives a bit more background on her. I didn't find it all that engaging and didn't think it added more to Mia as a character. It didn't really make me feel more sympathetic to her or anything. It was decently written but that was about it.
Short synopsis of the stories as well as some brief thoughts on each of them can be found below.
Overall an okay short story collection. I would recommend to those looking for some steamy paranormal short stories. This is a great filler book for if you want to have something quick to read off and on. I wouldn't recommend reading in one sitting because the stories seem very similar and get a bit repetitive if you read them all at once.
-Music Hath Charms by Tanya Huff (3/5 stars)
This was about a woman who is trying to sign up a couple of country-rock brothers to her record label. When she sees the brothers in person she realizes that they might not be fully human. It was a decent story with some steamy scenes.
-Minotaur in Stone by Majorie M. Lui (3/5 stars)
About a young woman who dreams of a Minotaur and ends up finding out her dreams are real and she needs to help save him. Draws on both the Greek mythology surrounding the Minotaur and the mythology of Tam Lin. This was an okay story. I liked some of the surrounding mysterious info about the heroine; however I just felt like this was a very unfinished story.
-Demon Lover by Cheyenne McCray (4/5 stars)
I really enjoyed the characters in this story and how engaging they were. You end up really rooting for them both and wanting them to find happiness; which takes talent in a short story like this. I liked the backdrop of Gods and Goddesses. It gives you an excellent feeling for the paranormal world behind this story, again an excellent feat for a short story.
-Equinox by L.A. Banks (4/5 stars)
This was a good story about a special ops agent that gets sent into the woods to apprehend a group of environmental activists. Little does he know he will be facing off with the Goddess Artemis herself. I liked the mythology in here. The main leads are fleshed out nicely and have good chemistry together. The end of the story felt a bit rushed and just too contrived. However, mostly I enjoyed it.
-Ride A Dark Horse by Susan Krinard (4/5 stars)
This was a story about a woman who was trying to escape a bad marriage by taking vacation at a horse ranch. There she finds the most unusual type of horse. I enjoyed the setting and the characters. However I felt like the writing style itself was a bit unfinished feeling. I also thought the male lead was a bit too stalkerish and alpha predator; especially in the beginning of the story.
-To Die For by Keri Arthur (4/5 stars)
This was a story about a shapeshifter who gets partnered with a werewolf she has the hots for on an investigation. It was very well written; you can tell Arthur writes a lot and has a polished writing style. The theme, characters, and story were all very typical urban fantasy.
-Curse of the Dragon's Tears by Heidi Betts (3/5 stars)
This was a story about a young woman who comes to an abandoned castle to hunt down a man who's been haunting her dreams. It was okay but not great; the whole thing was a bit too creepy and insta-love for me.
-Brother's Keeper by Lilith Saintcrow (4/5 stars)
This was an interesting story about a sexwitch who gets an emergency call from her brother. I liked the idea of how the sexwitch's magic works (her powers can be as much of a curse as a help). This definitely wasn't a romantic story...it was dark and hard and gritty. I enjoyed it. This seems like it's part of a larger story, so the main character must be from one of Saintcrow's other series.
-(Like A) Virgin of the Spring by Susan Sizemore and Denise Little (4/5 stars)
This story was an interesting blend of magic and time travel, fantasy and science fiction. I thought the world building in here was pretty neat and enjoyed the plot a lot. The romance between the two characters is more comical than steamy; but I enjoyed the light-heartedness of it all.
-Life is the Teacher by Carrie Vaughn (3/5 stars)
This story was about a young woman getting used to becoming a vampire. Not really any romance, mostly it was a young woman who is learning to embrace her vampiric lifestyle and power. It was okay but kind of dry and written in an almost a clinical way.
-Moonlight Becomes You by Linda Winstead Jones (4/5 stars)
This was a cute story about a woman who is semi-stalking her neighbor because she's convinced he's a vampire. It was a cute and fun story and I enjoyed it.
-Dirty Magic by Kim Harrison (3/5 stars)
This short story is about Mia, the banshee you meet in the Hollows series. It basically gives a bit more background on her. I didn't find it all that engaging and didn't think it added more to Mia as a character. It didn't really make me feel more sympathetic to her or anything. It was decently written but that was about it.
Enjoyed this book
As the Kool Aid Man says...."OH YEAH"
I picked this up for Kim Harrison's story only. I liked it and hope she continues to write about Mia. Mia is the character from one of Harrison's other short stories (Dates From Hell) about a young Ivy. Mia is a "psychic vampire" who feeds off the emotions of others.
Sorry didn't read any of the other short stories in this collection.
Sorry didn't read any of the other short stories in this collection.
Nice collection of HOT short stories, introduced me to authors I hadn't read before.
---Scary, sad, eerie, bleak, erotic, romantic . . . A paranormal tale for everyone!---
From back cover: Beyond the boundaries of the everyday is an unseen realm where anything you imagine is possible. Your demon lover is waiting for you in the shadows, ready to fulfill your secret wishes and most dangerous fantasies. Here passion has a face and form both titillating and terrifying, and love has teeth and claws. Get ready to give in to your craving for something exquisitely dark . . . and different.
Hotter Than Hell gathers together a baker's dozen of today's boldest and best authors of supernatural fiction and paranormal romance in a breathtaking anthology that blends black magic with red-hot desire. From the tantalizing tale of a conflicted psychic vampire driven by a powerful, savage love to the strange saga of a Greek warrior woman battling to save the world, these are stories outside the limits, as hypnotic as the full moon, and hotter than the sun.
Includes an introduction and a short story by the editor, Kim Harrison; as well as stories by Tanya Huff, Marjorie M. Liu, Cheyenne McCray, L.A. Banks, Susan Krinard, Keri Arthur, Heidi Betts, Lilith Saintcrow, Susan Sizemore & Denise Little, Carrie Vaughn, Linda Winstead Jones.
From back cover: Beyond the boundaries of the everyday is an unseen realm where anything you imagine is possible. Your demon lover is waiting for you in the shadows, ready to fulfill your secret wishes and most dangerous fantasies. Here passion has a face and form both titillating and terrifying, and love has teeth and claws. Get ready to give in to your craving for something exquisitely dark . . . and different.
Hotter Than Hell gathers together a baker's dozen of today's boldest and best authors of supernatural fiction and paranormal romance in a breathtaking anthology that blends black magic with red-hot desire. From the tantalizing tale of a conflicted psychic vampire driven by a powerful, savage love to the strange saga of a Greek warrior woman battling to save the world, these are stories outside the limits, as hypnotic as the full moon, and hotter than the sun.
Includes an introduction and a short story by the editor, Kim Harrison; as well as stories by Tanya Huff, Marjorie M. Liu, Cheyenne McCray, L.A. Banks, Susan Krinard, Keri Arthur, Heidi Betts, Lilith Saintcrow, Susan Sizemore & Denise Little, Carrie Vaughn, Linda Winstead Jones.
Most of these storys i enjoyed there where a couple of authors i have never read before and only one story hat i truly did not like and could not get through.
I never finished it because I didn't like the collaboration of stories. Some that I hadn't read before. I didn't like it.
Most of these short stories intertwine with a series by the authors. I can't say I like when authors do this, but it is cool to get a peek at other authors series if I haven't read them yet. Made me want to read the series that these stories are about. Good read.
the book was okay. the stories could use more plot.
Tanya Huff's - Music Hath Charms
A good short but ended rather abruptly and left you wanting...quite literally.
Cheyenne McCray - Demon Lover
Typical McCray. Overtly sexual and hot. A sweet love story as well.
Keri Arthur - To Die For
Very enjoyable. Ehtan truly is To Die For. Eventhough Grace fights it, she is eventuall enthralled.
Susan Krinard - Ride a Dark Horse
I didn't like the hero in this one. A mexican who basically forces himself on the heroine repeatedly. In his favor, he does stop when asked but he is relentless. I couldn't get past the whole rape feel.
Linda Winstead Jones - Moonlight Becomes You
Way too short but fun nonetheless.
I didn't read the others, as I don't particularly like those authors.
A good short but ended rather abruptly and left you wanting...quite literally.
Cheyenne McCray - Demon Lover
Typical McCray. Overtly sexual and hot. A sweet love story as well.
Keri Arthur - To Die For
Very enjoyable. Ehtan truly is To Die For. Eventhough Grace fights it, she is eventuall enthralled.
Susan Krinard - Ride a Dark Horse
I didn't like the hero in this one. A mexican who basically forces himself on the heroine repeatedly. In his favor, he does stop when asked but he is relentless. I couldn't get past the whole rape feel.
Linda Winstead Jones - Moonlight Becomes You
Way too short but fun nonetheless.
I didn't read the others, as I don't particularly like those authors.
