Title: Hunter of the Heart
Author: Vanessa Jaye
Source: ARC Author Request
Genre: Paranormal/Shifter Romance
Format: eBook
Release Date: November 1, 2011
His darkest secret could be her only hope. 
 
Tessa Archer is sick of sitting on the sidelines of life, but the man she’s just met on her first Caribbean cruise is way out of her comfort zone. He’s dazzlingly handsome, compelling…and she swears she can hear his voice in her head before he speaks.

When Nathan Barcza touches Tessa’s hand, the jolt of recognition is unmistakable—and impossible. Werewolves mate only once—for life—and his mate was murdered by the creature he hunts, a Pithcus that hides somewhere aboard this ship. This is his final chance for vengeance.

The last thing he can afford is any distraction, but the siren call of Tessa’s open heart is irresistible. It also makes her a target of the creature who’s had a taste of her and wants more. To save her, Nate will have to unleash his last secret in a confrontation with no hope of survival.

For if the Pithcus doesn’t kill him, Nate’s partner is under orders to finish the job…

Warning: Contains a smoldering, sex-on-a-stick werewolf hero afraid to love again and a seriously annoyed heroine who can't figure out how she ended up as an appetizer on what feels like a raw-foods reality horror show. Includes graphic violence, explicit language, smoking-hot sex, squeeze-your-heart emotions and humor.

Rating
Sexual
Review
This is a short novel but it really packs a punch. Nate loses his mate to a horrendous creature/shifter called a Pithcus. Nate should have died as well since he was infected with it's poison, but somehow he beats the odds and survives. However he is now constantly fighting his own inner Pithcus who wants to take control. He has been paired up with Mitch to hunt and destroy the Pithcus and the hunt leads them to a cruise ship. When Nate comes across Tessa at the pool, he is only trying to be nice and get the meat head hitting on her to leave her alone. He soon realizes she is his long lost mate, or at least embodies some part of Beth's soul.

The story picks up quickly with Tessa thinking Nate is surely insane until she comes across the Pithcus herself. And what a disgusting creature it is! Mitch offers comic relief and I enjoyed the crude, totally man conversations between him and Nate. Mitch has quite the ego and is not very nice to Tessa. He sees her as a threat to Nate. I am not going to spoil anything, but I loved then scene when Mitch comes face to face with the Pithcus on the deck! I bet he didn't see that one coming!

This was a very creative story and not your typical shifter scenario.