Slayer's Kiss (The Shadow Slayers, #1)

May 14, 2013 Beckyloohoo Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ aka Mrs. Acheron Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: under-developed-story

I read this book as part of an April group book read.

I will give this book 2 stars simply because it had potential. The story had promise and sounded kind of interesting, but in the end I feel like it fell flat. I mean no offense to the author, or to anyone who loved this book, I'm simply saying it didn't work for me.

First of all, I did not like the female heroine. The author wanted to portray her as:
- a real Kick-Ass, tough as nails kind of chick (she wasn't, she didn't even have a shred of se...more I read this book as part of an April group book read.

I will give this book 2 stars simply because it had potential. The story had promise and sounded kind of interesting, but in the end I feel like it fell flat. I mean no offense to the author, or to anyone who loved this book, I'm simply saying it didn't work for me.

First of all, I did not like the female heroine. The author wanted to portray her as:
- a real Kick-Ass, tough as nails kind of chick (she wasn't, she didn't even have a shred of self-control)
- who knew how to really fight (she had a few good moves here and there, but other times seemed completely helpless)
- who didn't need anyone to take care of her (so not true)
- who had these great abilities (she was empathic but when she was angry or emotional she totally ignored this gift)
- who never cried (she was crying within the first few chapters, and kept on going)
- who never slept with strangers (she did early on and stayed crazy-horny throughout the whole fricking book)
- who never begs a man for anything (she was begging a man for sex after knowing him a whopping 4 hours I think)
- who was used to going out to hunt for bad guys (then why was she always wearing a skirt? You'd think she would have caught on to the fact that she could look slutty in pants or shorts)

On top of all of this, she finds out (view spoiler)

I almost did not finish this book. I put it away, but then I felt like I owed it to the author to give her the benefit of the doubt with the story. I'll admit that it got a little better by the end, but not nearly enough to redeem itself in my opinion.(less)

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Jun 28, 2012 Ava rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: guilty-pleasures, paranormal, romance, urban-fantasy

WOW! Can't wait to tell you about this book. You're gonna be looking high and low for the next installment in this series when it debuts.

Full Review: http://www.guiltypleasuresbookreviews...

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Feb 10, 2012 Guilty Pleasures rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: guiltypleasures-ava, publishersent, samahinreview

CREME de la CREME Award

You know when you’re at the book store (or the ebook store for that matter) and you’re browsing. New books by authors you’ve never heard of, and you’re just not sure if you should take a risk with your hard earned money on something new? Well make no mistake, this one is worth your money. I felt like I hit that new author lottery when I started Slayer’s Kiss by Cassi Carver. I read a lot of stuff, but generally I stick to smut (grin) and urban fantasy. I have a few romance...more

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Mar 30, 2012 Dark Haven rated it 5 of 5 stars

Kara Reed is many things: part-time bartender, full-time apartment manager, a witch with no magic skills and a kick ass viligante at night. Her dance card is full, but getting complicated. The streets of San Diego are no longer safe. A serial rapist has escalated his attacks from sexual assaults to murder. When Kara should be concentrating on putting the rapist out of commission with the help of her fellow witch and friend, Abbey, she’s distracted by a dream lover with wings and the arrival two...more Kara Reed is many things: part-time bartender, full-time apartment manager, a witch with no magic skills and a kick ass viligante at night. Her dance card is full, but getting complicated. The streets of San Diego are no longer safe. A serial rapist has escalated his attacks from sexual assaults to murder. When Kara should be concentrating on putting the rapist out of commission with the help of her fellow witch and friend, Abbey, she’s distracted by a dream lover with wings and the arrival two new tenants. Her first meeting with Gavin Cross fans a sexual fire within Kara that’s almost all consuming since the onslaught of her sexy nightly dreams. Her sexual desire is ratcheted to feverish pitch when Julian Merces arrives and begins a heated flirtation that ignites a sexuality neither can control and, in short order, their lives spiral out of control. As fallen angels – Demiare – they were sent to protect Kara from one who would harm her and all of their kind. For Kara is more than a witch, she is a child of their royalty whose very essence calls to them. Bound by duty and honor, Gavin and Julian are brother angels, but when one breaks a sacred law, the pain of betrayal runs deep. And all too soon Kara must face the fact there is danger not only from the evil she senses in the night, but from the very men she desires.

There’s more I could have put in my synopsis of Slayer’s Kiss but I didn’t want to spoil it for you. Kara Reed is a quick witted, smart mouthed heroine and she hooked me as soon as she entered the story. She has strength of will and character. She literally kicks butt in this story, but she’s also very vulnerable. The vulnerability is the result of her abandonment by her parents as a child, her lack of spell casting and an awful incident in her youth, which really explains her hunting at night. This is a young woman that hasn’t had an easy life, yet she’s survived the pain of her youth and uses her supernatural gift to protect women. She’s a superhero with heart and I like her a lot. Her character is equally matched by Gavin and Julian. Whether they are paired in a scene as duos (Gavin/Kara; Julian/Kara; Gavin/Julian) or if all three of them are center stage – sparks just fly. There is constant action and angst with these three which kept moving the story at a fairly brisk pace; but don’t think this a typical ménage story. It definitely is not. It would have been so easy for Ms. Carver to make it one and I’m glad she didn’t. There is betrayal in this threesome, as well as jealousy, tremendous passion, regret and pain. It was really wonderful to read. I especially liked that Kara doesn’t couple with the angel I really wanted her to, which was refreshing. It added to the tension.

This is an urban fantasy with a lot of erotic sex scenes which I thought worked well in the story. There is also world building you have to pay attention to, but I just wish there was a tad more of it. As this is the first in a series, though, I didn’t mind that at all. That was the only issue I had with this tale.

Between the nightly hunts, the revelation of fallen angels, dreams of a demon lover and the very volatile threesome of Kara, Julian and Gavin, there’s a lot going on in Slayer’s Kiss. There was so much going on in this story I wondered how Ms. Carver would be able to wrap this up. I wasn’t disappointed and I’m really looking forward to the second book in the series to see what the future holds for Kara, her fallen angels and earthly friends
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Feb 19, 2012 Dark Faerie Tales rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-by-sheila

Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: Lots of sex and fighting with a confusing amount of explanations jumbled in with plot. This story lacks a cohesive storyline, authentic characters and consistent world-building.

Opening Sentence: “Just lie back and relax, asshole.”

The Review:

When I start a new series, I try to keep an open mind. Sometimes the first book doesn’t portray the world or characters in enough detail for the reader to get a handle on events that take place. Those det...more

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Apr 07, 2013 Michelle Willms rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Slayer’s Kiss by Cassi Carver

Kara Reed is not the type of slayer many readers may imagine. She isn’t a vampire slayer, nor does she traipse about searching for demons or other supernatural beings to slay. Once, Kara was brutally attacked and raped. Now, she and her best friend Abbey, a young witch, search for serial rapists, capture them, and hogtie them for the cops to find. Of course, Abbey’s magical prowess insures that the men lose their will (and ability) to rape other women.

Kara grew up in...more

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Feb 14, 2012 Stella rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, for-review, romance, erotica, paranormal, urban-fantasy

When I read the blurb of Slayer's Kiss I couldn't wait to start reading it, it had everything: kickass heroine, thrilling action, sexy heroes. I just wish it didn't lead me astray. You see, based on the above blurb I was expecting a fast paced and gritty urban fantasy with some sexy heroes and a romantic storyline on the side, but instead Slayer's Kiss is a paranormal romance with some action serving as the side dish to the romance storyline. That's not a problem if that's what you are expecting...more

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Mar 15, 2013 Lori T-m rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

If you have a full-time job, be prepared for this book to interfere! You will NOT want to put it down. I read constantly but I've never been great at writing book reviews (sorry). Just trust me when I say it's an amazing book--I'll do my best to not give anything away. There are so many twists and turns. There were times I read in bed and kicked my feet in excitement, times I laughed out loud and giggled like a school girl, and times that I felt like my heart was being ripped out. Kara is the ma...more

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Apr 17, 2013 Judith rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: urban-fantasy, reviewed

This is the first book in The Shadow Slayers series by Cassi Carver. I actually found out about this book when I did the Book Blitz earlier this month.

The story opens with Kara Reed and her best friend Abby having taken down a man who had assaulted a woman. You get the impression that they have done this often While Kara does the take down, Abby puts the whammy on his Mr. Happy. Basically Abbey gives him a chemical castration, without all those pesky maintenance doses. Then they leave him with...more This is the first book in The Shadow Slayers series by Cassi Carver. I actually found out about this book when I did the Book Blitz earlier this month.

The story opens with Kara Reed and her best friend Abby having taken down a man who had assaulted a woman. You get the impression that they have done this often While Kara does the take down, Abby puts the whammy on his Mr. Happy. Basically Abbey gives him a chemical castration, without all those pesky maintenance doses. Then they leave him with a post hypnotic suggestion to admit to the police exactly what he had done, oh and that he should proposition the inmates in prison. A seriously kick ass way to start off a story. It definitely grabbed my attention.

We find out that Kara grew up in foster care, always feeling like an outsider. Once she was in high school, she thought she found her niche, that she was a witch, like some of the other girls. But she was never quite able to do the spells like the others. However, she has an ability to sense evil and evil intent in people. It has allowed her to work with Abbey on bringing men who prey on women to justice. And between her day time job as building superintendent, part time gig as a bartender, her nightly outings with Abbey and her hobby of wood carvings, Kara has been fairly content with her life.

Then Gavin and Julian move in next door and suddenly things are changing for Kara. She finds out that she isn't who she thought she was. That her whole life has basically been a lie and she was put into hiding for her own safety. To say that she is not happy is an understatement. But Kara is also busy tracking a killer, one who is carving symbols into the women he assaults. The strange thing about the symbols is that they keep getting more intricate, and it looks like Kara may be the final victim.

This was a good book. I enjoyed the world building and watching Kara shake things up. It reminded me a bit of the Mona Lisa, Children of the Moon series by Sunny. How the females have their choice of men and use and abuse them, until Mona Lisa came along and refused to play their game by their rules. I get the same sort of feeling from Kara. But what else would they expect as she was raised as human and not as a Demiáre woman. I was not happy with the ending, because sad things happened. But from reading the blurb for the second book, I know that we should have some resolution. I am giving this book 3 stars on Goodreads and will adding book 2 to the To Be Read Soon pile.(less)

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Apr 06, 2012 Stéphanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, new-to-me-authors-2012, romance, vampires-and-shapeshifters, supernatural-paranormal

Thanks to the author for sending an e-copy of her book for review.

Kara Reed has three jobs: building manager of her apartment building, bartender at the Hoolecha Inn and nighttime vigilante, ridding San Diego’s streets of rapists and women abusers. She’s pretty satisfied with her life, especially since she doesn’t have to conform to a daily desk job. The only thing she regrets is not being a better witch. In fact, she considers herself a “pathetic witch who ha[s] to use her fists when her magic...more Thanks to the author for sending an e-copy of her book for review.

Kara Reed has three jobs: building manager of her apartment building, bartender at the Hoolecha Inn and nighttime vigilante, ridding San Diego’s streets of rapists and women abusers. She’s pretty satisfied with her life, especially since she doesn’t have to conform to a daily desk job. The only thing she regrets is not being a better witch. In fact, she considers herself a “pathetic witch who ha[s] to use her fists when her magic [falls]short.” (p. 15)

Fortunately for her, she doesn’t have to use her magic, or any of her female wiles to attract the attention of her new hot neighbors, Gavin and Julian. In fact, both guys more or less throw themselves at her. Truthfully, I wouldn’t mind being neighbors with these guys. The instant attraction and sexual tension is so hot, you can feel the need of the characters in every scene.

Imagine how surprised Kara is when she learns that Gavin and Julian are silver-wings, beings of a fallen angel race called Demiáre. She’s even more surprised when she learns that she is in fact, not a witch, but a coveted Demiáre female. “The Aniliáre are the true fallen angels. The Demiáre consist of the highborn—silver-wings and females—and the demibreeds.” (p. 110) They are long lived beings with supernatural talents and undying devotions to their females. Cassi Carver has created a very original fallen angel mythology but it took me a while to understand the hierarchy and the concept of her fallen angel race. In fact, Cassi is a true story-teller, only revealing a bit of information at a time, and keeping her readers on their toes.

Kara is without a doubt an impulsive, fun and kick-ass female, which makes her a very likeable character. I also liked her sex-obsessed witch friend Abbey. Together, they made dark situations easier to read. They also added humour to every scene that we see them together. However, the story isn’t just about fun and sex. A killer of women is on the loose in San Diego and Kara is being hunted by an unknown being. Luckily, Kara’s silver-wing neighbors are ready to protect her, at whatever cost.

Unfortunately, Kara, Julian and Gavin form one of those love triangles that seems to dominate romance novels. While I understand their appeal and their role in literature, they’re still not my favourite. Also, I still haven’t found the meaning of the title, Slayer’s Kiss. Not once is the word ‘slayer’ mentioned in the book (although kisses aren’t missing at all!). Hopefully everything will be made clear in future books, which, unsurprisingly, I’m highly anticipating. I truly want to know what happens next since Cassi finished her debut novel with a killer cliffhanger!

A fair warning to everyone: These characters have strong sexual needs, which seems to be driven by their natural instincts. Intense sexual desires and acts are described in detail, which almost makes this book erotica. If you want to visit a sensual Demiáre island full of well endowed men with wings, then this is the right book for you!

This review, and others on: Tyngas' Reviews (less)

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May 05, 2012 Sandy rated it 3 of 5 stars

SLAYER’S KISS by Cassi Carver

SLAYER’S KISS is the first novel for new author Cassi Carver, and the introduction to her new series The Shadow Slayers. Released February 2012, Slayer’s Kiss follows part-time bartender, part-time custodian and part-time ‘witch’ Kara Reed on her nightly jaunts into the seedy underside of life on the street, but when 2 very sexy and gorgeous men move into the apartment next door, Kara knows her life will never be the same. Written in the erotic, adult paranormal genr...more SLAYER’S KISS by Cassi Carver

SLAYER’S KISS is the first novel for new author Cassi Carver, and the introduction to her new series The Shadow Slayers. Released February 2012, Slayer’s Kiss follows part-time bartender, part-time custodian and part-time ‘witch’ Kara Reed on her nightly jaunts into the seedy underside of life on the street, but when 2 very sexy and gorgeous men move into the apartment next door, Kara knows her life will never be the same. Written in the erotic, adult paranormal genre, Slayer’s Kiss offers the reader a chance to experience a little mystery, a little romance and a little eroticism between the pages of Carver’s first novel.

25 year old Kara Reed and her BFF Abbey are witches, or at least Kara believes she is a witch. With her ability to sense evil, the duo set out on nightly patrols hoping to locate a serial rapist who marks his victims with intricate tribal carvings. Always on the hunt for evil, Kara and Abbey scour the neighborhoods, searching and sensing evil, no matter the cost. And the cost may be too high.

Trying to make ends meet, Kara works as a part-time custodian in a moderate apartment building, where she soon meets the ‘otherwordly’ Gavin-tall, strong and oh, so sexy, and there is a definite attraction between the couple. But Kara’s attempts to persuade Gavin to indulge in her fantasies are met with hesitation and rejection. And to add to an already frustrating evening, Kara’s dreams are haunted by a ‘dark’ lover, with wings.

As the story progresses, Gavin acquires a new room-mate Julian, who is more than willing to play along with Kara’s fantasies, but the reality of the situation is much deeper than just a casual night of excitement. Julian and Gavin are fallen angels, who must guard and protect the ‘King’s’ daughter before she reaches her ‘sexual maturity’—and that daughter, unbeknownst to herself, is Kara. And a condition of that guardianship, is not to engage the female in sexual relations.

Like many supernatural storylines, Slayer’s Kiss reveals an ancient and tribal civilization of the Demiare-where there are too many men and not enough women as potential mates, and therefore the rites and rituals for potential bed-mates adheres to strict guidelines, and at other times-sexual competitions. But Julian’s need and desire for Kara outstrip his sense of duty, and he risks everything and everyone to make the King’s daughter-his own.

With the knowledge that Julian and Gavin are not only fallen angels, but sexually- driven to bond with Kara, she is presumptuous in her regards to their cultural morals and laws. When she is introduced to the island community, where her familial heritage is revealed, Kara makes a grievous mistake that could both humiliate and end the life of a fallen friend, and destroy a love that had only started to burn.

Slayer’s Kiss was an easy read. Although classified as erotic paranormal, I was prepared for the worse, but was pleasantly surprised when the sex scenes were not as sexually charged, aggressive or morally questionable as I have read from other storylines and authors. The premise surrounding fallen angels, was nothing new, but the story and background information was different-a good different. Cassi introduces several males with potential storylines, as well as divulges enough background information about the characters that doesn’t overwhelm, as can many introductory novels. There were spots where I questioned the direction of the plot, seeming to perhaps get lost in the overload of information, but Cassi quickly collected her thoughts, and brought the story back to the surface. Kara’s collection of old friends and new, will be brought back together in Cassi’s next instalment in The Shadow Slayer’s series—Shadow Rising in September 2012 and a novella at year’s end. I have no problem recommending Slayer’s Kiss.

see all of my reviews at : thereadingcafe.com(less)

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Feb 14, 2012 Sophia (FV) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Originally posted at Fiction Vixen.

First Impression: Slayer’s Kiss starts out strong with the heroine hunting down would-be rapists with her BFF. We know that she has some sort of supernatural abilities that enable her to track down evil-doers and her best friend, a witch, performs a spell that magically castrates the perpetrators. We have two women doing their part to keep the streets of San Diego safe and even injecting a little dark humor while they’re at it. Before they turn their latest bad...more Originally posted at Fiction Vixen.

First Impression: Slayer’s Kiss starts out strong with the heroine hunting down would-be rapists with her BFF. We know that she has some sort of supernatural abilities that enable her to track down evil-doers and her best friend, a witch, performs a spell that magically castrates the perpetrators. We have two women doing their part to keep the streets of San Diego safe and even injecting a little dark humor while they’re at it. Before they turn their latest bad guy loose, and while he is still under the effects of the magic:

“When you get to jail, you may have the urge to wink at the really big guys and say, ‘I’m your bitch, baby.’ Got it?”

The Heroine: Kara Reed works in a bar and manages an apartment building to make ends meet. She’s also a magical vigilante. She and her best friend stalk the streets at night tracking down criminals, specifically those who have a propensity for violence against women. But Kara is of a flop when it comes to magic. She hasn’t really come into her power, but can still get the job done. Soon they realize there is a sadistic serial killer stalking women, and Kara is determined to stop him.

The Heroes: [love triangle alert] Gavin and Julian are fallen angels sent to protect Kara who happens to be a princess, unbeknownst to her. Females of this race are coveted as there are so few of them. Both Gavin and Julian feel an overwhelmingly strong attraction to Kara, but they are forbidden to indulge. Once Gavin and Julian are forced to reveal who they are, they insist that Kara come with them for her own protection and to be among her own kind.

What worked: I liked the idea of a heroine who was not quite comfortable with who she was trying to be but who wasn’t completely misplaced because of it. I also liked the idea of the two crime fighting best friends. When Kara finds the black feather under her bed, it put a nice little mysterious twist into the plot and made me look forward to digging into the story further. At first Kara suspects her witchy BFF has cast a lust spell on her after she has some very erotic dreams involving a blacked-winged man. But we soon learn there are darker forces at work here than a simple witch’s spell.

What didn’t work: Some of the sex scenes. I say some, because there were a lot, and the earlier scenes were ok . But a lot of the scenes were over the top. I’m sure in my earlier days of reading PNR and erotic romance I would have been fascinated by the irresistible attraction between Kara and the two fallen angels. But, I suppose I’m jaded and I need a little bit more than unexplained, irresistible need to have sex and bond. I wish there would have been more time spent in emotional development between Kara and her suitors as I was never fully convinced of their feelings beyond the lust they felt for each other.

I really enjoyed this story in the urban setting, but once Kara was whisked away to the land of the fallen angels, (I’m not quite clear on exactly where they were), the story veered off seemed to lose it’s steam. Kara is introduced to an alternate world and we get a lot of history. She explores and learns about this culture but I felt like this really slowed the pacing of the book and found myself wishing the story would have remained in the urban setting, focusing more on the serial killings and mystery.

What worked: I’m using this heading again, because this is how this book read for me. I enjoyed the build up to the showdown and the final action scene. Although I had already figured out who the villain was, I still enjoyed the big reveal and the fight that takes place along with something quite unexpected that occurred.

Final Conclusion: I was up and down with this book many times. I thought it had a great start with an interesting premise, then sunk into a middle book slump and lost some of it’s edge, and then built up to a great final action scene. While the last chapter was sweet, it just didn’t work for me and I would have been happier without the implied, or hope of a HEA.

This is the first book in the series, and I look forward to seeing what direction the series will go from here.(less)

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Feb 15, 2012 Mandi Schreiner rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: uf

Not only does Kara manage an apartment building, but she is also a bartender and a witch. Although, being a witch is something she is not great at. Her best friend Abbey is a witch though, and together they take to the streets at night. Kara was sexually abused earlier in her life, and one of her abilities is being able to track someone if they intend to rape a female. Bringing Abbey along, they are usually able to subdue the predator before he can finish the deed, and then usually let the polic...more Not only does Kara manage an apartment building, but she is also a bartender and a witch. Although, being a witch is something she is not great at. Her best friend Abbey is a witch though, and together they take to the streets at night. Kara was sexually abused earlier in her life, and one of her abilities is being able to track someone if they intend to rape a female. Bringing Abbey along, they are usually able to subdue the predator before he can finish the deed, and then usually let the police handle the rest. But there is a very dark presence on the streets these nights, raping and murdering and Kara and Abbey might be over their heads to try to bring this guy down.

Meanwhile, Kara has two very sexy new tenants in her building. Julian and Gavin kind of rush into her life, and she is not sure what to make of it. Her hormones go into total overdrive when she is near them, and she is not sure what to make of it. All she can think about is one of them (it turns out to be Julian) physically pleasuring her. Unknown to her, there is a good explanation for all this.

Julian and Gavin are actually fallen angels, and Kara is one of the last females of her kind. (there is a long, messy explanation as to exactly what Kara is, that you can find out when you read the book.) They are watching her because it is close to the time when Kara should reach maturity, going through a big transition and coming into her powers. Of course, at first Kara knows none of this. She just thinks she is a witch, a poor one at that. And she is a lucky girl that these two gorgeous (and incredibly well endowed – we are talking big time here) men are into her.

Slayer’s Kiss starts out really well. This is definitely an urban fantasy but with heavy erotic sex scenes. To start, Kara is a fun heroine. Flirty, funny, sarcastic - I enjoyed getting to know her and her BFF Abbey. At the beginning of this book there is this strange, dark “being” lurking around her, and that definitely puts some intrigue into the beginning pages. Then Gavin and Julian show up. As the reader you know they aren’t quite human, but at this point, Kara just thinks two hunky guys are her new tenants. And her hormones just explode. Now, Gavin and Julian are not suppose to have sex with Kara. They are called Mercury Lords, and it is forbidden for these Lords to bond to a woman. So, Gavin has the first sexual encounter with Kara and behaves himself somewhat, but Julian just goes all at it. And here is where I start to have a little trouble.

Kara knows these guys for a matter of hours before Gavin has his face between her legs. Fine, I realize her hormones are wacky because all of the paranormal stuff going on. But the next day, Julian and her have sex. She doesn’t know these guys, and she is having unprotected sex with them? Worse, throughout the book, she is always mad at Gavin because he wouldn’t have sex with her. She equates having sex, to “liking me.” I don’t’ like that. She has the attitude of – if you like me, you’d kiss me. She started to turn into this immature, whiny heroine who stomped her foot when a man wouldn't slake her sexual needs.

Besides all that, I really think the last two-thirds of this book loses focus. It starts to take this large scope and there seemed to be so much thrown at the reader, that it was hard to stay focused on the story. The dark, dangerous presence that Kara first wonders about in the beginning of the book, isn’t explored very much until the end. All of a sudden, we are taken to a different land, and we have to learn all of these rules and customs for these fallen angels and I lost interest. It felt like Kara would get mad at Julian or Gavin and the next page be ripping their clothes off. I just never understood what exactly was so special about Kara that it would have every fallen angel fall to their knees for her.

I like this author’s voice – there are funny moments and this book has some very sexy moments. I just don’t think this was the right story for me. It felt too long, and the heroine was just not a favorite of mine.

Rating: C
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Feb 23, 2012 Scooper Speaks rated it 4 of 5 stars

Favorite Lines: "I begged him to screw me, Abbs. Like, pleaded for my life, and he refused. Then I cried--real tears--and let him hold me even though I knew he just felt sorry for me. If I never see him again, it'll be too soon." (p. 34, ebook given to me by author)

Book one in Cassi Carver's Shadow Slayers series is an erotic paranormal romance. It is burning the pages, thigh clenching hot. It reminds me of Sunny's Monère series blended with the smart ass comments generally found in paranormal r...more Favorite Lines: "I begged him to screw me, Abbs. Like, pleaded for my life, and he refused. Then I cried--real tears--and let him hold me even though I knew he just felt sorry for me. If I never see him again, it'll be too soon." (p. 34, ebook given to me by author)

Book one in Cassi Carver's Shadow Slayers series is an erotic paranormal romance. It is burning the pages, thigh clenching hot. It reminds me of Sunny's Monère series blended with the smart ass comments generally found in paranormal romance. However, it is fully the voice of new to me author Cassi Carver.

Kara--the heroine--isn't the easiest woman to like. She is a rough around the edges vigilante who is pretty good at distancing herself from emotion. I say this because there is a scene in which she and her best-friend, Abbey are hunting down a rapist and implant an idea in his head. It could be funny. It would have been funny had he not been magically influenced to do what he was told. Yes, it's karma showing her ass, but it's also just wrong.

Her lust interests are Gavin and Julian, two guardian angels, with the ability to get her juices flowing. Gavin is the more responsible of the two, which leaves Julian to be the hot head. I actually found him to be very immature. Hot, but immature. The winged men have ginormous packages below the belt but women of their race, Demiare, (of which Kara is, although she doesn't know it) have to reach maturity to accommodate them. Kara is not ready, or so they think. There's a lot about Kara that is different from other Demiare women.

The men are lords from the Mercury clan and as such are forbidden to share or bond a woman. They are also protectors of the Demiare race. Their duties have led them to Kara, a lone woman, hidden in the human world. They can protect her from the evil looking for her in the form of an Aniliare male...if she accepts their help.

Slayer's Kiss showed up on my nook as 240 pages which I quickly devoured. The story is easy to follow, quick paced and full of erotic scenes. It takes place in both the human world and the world of the paranormal angels. Like Sunny's series, the few remaining Demiare females are vicious creatures who have fixated on physical pleasure. Keep that in mind while you read the book. Men in Carver's paranormal world are used to belonging to a woman's harem with the exception of the Mercury Lords.

In general I don't like love triangles. That said, I had no problem getting on board with Carver's love triangle because she made it clear from the start that it was a sexual attraction and normal to the characters' race. I didn't feel an emotional connection. At all.

I guess that can be seen as the only issue I had with the book. I never felt love between any of the characters. Attraction, hell yeah. Love, not so much. For me this equals no clear happy ever after at the end of the book. I'm cool with that, but fans of traditional romance may not be thrilled. Slayer's Kiss is an introduction to a new world and several characters. As the series progresses I expect for some kind of emotion or love to be woven in with the erotic aspects. I expect to feel a love connection between Kara and her man or men. Right now, I don't feel that.

In the end, I had a great time reading Slayer's Kiss. I look forward to following up with Kara in the next book.

Scooper Speaks (less)

1 like · like · see review

Jan 31, 2013 Sam rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: first-reads-giveaway-won, supernatural-paranormal, erotica, read-in-2013, reviewed-books, my-3-star-books

I won this book in a First Reads Giveaway.

This book was okay, in my opinion. I personally wouldn't be interested in reading the sequel.

There is more emphasis on smut rather than plot or character development (which is not a bad thing if what you are looking for is smut - I admit sometimes that I read stuff just for the smut). However, the plot just seems kinda thrown together (if this wasn't the case and if there was a nice balance between smut and plot I would have rated this higher).

Kara is a...more

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Jun 15, 2012 Mariann {a.k.a. Belle's Book Bag} rated it 4 of 5 stars

Oh Cassi, Cassi, Cassi. This is such a hard review for me to write because I can't seem to find the words for this book. I was not expecting it to end that way and that is where my problem lies. LOL I need HEA in my books and this book kind of ended with a HEA but not the one I wanted (not even close!!!) So I'm left with wondering about book #2 in the series and how the story progresses from here. Will it continue on with Kara, Julian and Gavin or will it be new characters??? I can only hope tha...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Rachael Davila rated it 5 of 5 stars

There is nothing whiny, whimpy or weak about the heroine in Cassi Carver's Slayer's Kiss. Kara Reed is tough, spunky, and torn between two hot, lustful fallen angels. I was torn with her, hardly able to decide between good guy Gavin and bad boy Julian. Each had unique qualities that endeared them to me.
I give this book five stars for spicy hot panty melting scenes, laugh out loud dialogue, characters I loved and loved to hate, and a plot that kept me hooked making me stay up reading long afte...more

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May 10, 2013 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This was not the best book ever but it was good and the potentiel for this series is amazing. The world this author has created is captivating and original but too much information made it hard to get into the story as is often the case for the first book in any series. I'm going to jump right into the second book and see if the author has been able to make a good book into a great series.

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Apr 23, 2013 Michelle(Chelle) aka Nightshade - Cake Whisperer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I would have to give this a 2.5 to 2.75 stars.

Overall it just didn't do it for me. I really could not connect with the characters on any level and for me the sex scenes just seemed really forced and there was no chemistry. I honesty didn't care who she ended up with.

The premise itself seemed interesting but quite honestly was also a bit confusing. I won't bother reading te rest of the series.

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May 02, 2013 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was ok. I love that the female is a kick ass crime fighter type. The author did a good job of building the characters and the back story, but there were times when the detail was confusing to the story. The sex scenes felt forced at times. It was like there was no emotional connection between them. The story started out great, and it had a really good ending to it. However, there were some really slow parts in the middle where I almost quit reading the book. Overall, decent read, but I...more

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Apr 14, 2013 Mara rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: freebies, trash-bin

I expected an urban fantasy romance and found myself a porn, Ellora's Cave style. (As I keep repeating eroticism is completely different for me.)

The vigilante heroine has sex, both real and dreamt, with three different guys. She's hornier than a teenage boy on aphrodisiac and with the same amount of common sense. Her best friend has a different man every night.

And this is just the first 20% of the story. But hey they go out every night to castrate bad guys. Sigh. Count me out please.

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Apr 11, 2013 Shannon rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013-reading-challenge

I hadn't ever heard of Cassi Carver, before this book, and always feel a bit nervous when I start on a "new-to-me" author... But what a wonderful surprise! I was hooked within the first chapter! I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to start on the next one. I have found a new favorite author in Cassi Carver!

1 like · like · see review

Apr 03, 2013 Tess Nancarrow rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this story very much with all its twists and turns. I guess having more than one hero was just a little confusing for me and it was hard for me to accept. I am looking forward to the next book though as the world that the author has created is very intriguing!

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Apr 01, 2012 Ceri rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: angels-and-demons

If your like hot and steamy angels, don't miss this book. It was a good read but i feel like her purpose of hunting rapists at night with her friend, was just something for her to do, other than waiting for the angels. The characters were good, and i would definatley read more from this author, i don't know if this was stand alone or if there could be more books. The ending leaves you with, maybe this will happen, if???

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Dec 22, 2011 Melissa Cutler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Action-packed Urban Fantasy with a smart, kick-ass heroine. I love the touch of humor in the book, as well as the smokin' hot love scenes. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the series!

6 likes · like · see review

Oct 07, 2012 DeeDee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: e-books

I thoroughly enjoyed this very steamy urban fantasy! I'm used to reading paranormal romance, but it's nice to see some butt kicking once in a while. There was a lot of romance (the naked kind), and a good love triangle. Kara is a tough girl on the outside, but you can tell she really cares for Gavin and Julian, even if she doesn't want to admit it at first. I'm off to start book two, Shadow Rising. I'm hoping we'll hear more of Abbey and Tray, Kara's best friend and her ex-boyfriend.

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May 05, 2013 Tanya Linskey rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Really enjoyed this book. Was a bit different from the usual paranormal. I really liked the three main characters and there was a lot of "hot" action, enough to need a cold shower!! I'm hoping there is another book soon as I'd like to continue this story.

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Apr 24, 2013 Charlene rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, romance-erotic, free-read, fantasy, dnf

Unfortunately, this book just didn't hold my interest enough for me to want to finish it. Will put it aside and maybe pick it up later on. In any case, glad I picked this up for free and didn't waste any money on it!

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Aug 28, 2012 Lexie added it

Shelves: dnf

I got about 25% in and I just can't with this book anymore. I may give it another go eventually, but honestly I should have known things would go down hill when the main character all but begs the male lead she have sex with her within hours of meeting him. Its just...I kind of like story to happen before the sexing up if at all possible, even if the book is a romance.

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Apr 10, 2013 Misty marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: freebie, kindle-own-copy, romance-paranormal, to-be-read-new-kindle

Bought(free) on rec from @helenkaydimon and @mad4rombks - review to come.

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Slayer's Kiss (The Shadow Slayers #1)

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