Savage Hunger (Heart of the Jaguar, #1)

Feb 13, 2013 Lynda Scott rated it 5 of 5 stars

Savage Hunger
Terry Spear
Sourcebooks, Casablanca
October 2012

Ex-soldier Kat McKnight owes a debt of gratitude to the mysterious man who saved her life in the Amazon jungle. She wants to say 'thank you' for his timely intervention. But when she gets lost in the Amazon jungle while looking for him, her rescuer this time is a huge jaguar.

Connor Anderson can never forget the woman soldier who was on a mission to take down a group of Amazonian drug dealers and who almost lost her life when her mission...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Capri rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: alpha-throughout-book, fan-yourself-sex-scenes, jealous-hero, paranormal-romance, part-of-a-series, possessive-hero, protective-hero, sexy-alpha, shifter-hero, super-sexy-alpha-hero, terry-spear

I can not believe I have never read a Terry Spear novel before. Wow, her writing voice is beautiful and is a wonderful storyteller. The characters jump off the pages and her descriptive writing is amazing. I felt like I was right there in the Jungle with the waterfalls, Pink Dolphins and Jaguars. I love when a author takes the time to research what they are writing. I never knew Pink Dolphins existed. I love shifter novels especially the ones where they actually shift. Terry Spear does a amazing...more
I can not believe I have never read a Terry Spear novel before. Wow, her writing voice is beautiful and is a wonderful storyteller. The characters jump off the pages and her descriptive writing is amazing. I felt like I was right there in the Jungle with the waterfalls, Pink Dolphins and Jaguars. I love when a author takes the time to research what they are writing. I never knew Pink Dolphins existed. I love shifter novels especially the ones where they actually shift. Terry Spear does a amazing work with her Jaguar shifters in Savage Hunger. When they are in their Jaguar form I felt I was in their minds wandering around in the Jungle, etc.. The story does take a while to pick up, I was fine with that as I was so engrossed in her descriptive writing. It is a good amount of action and romance. Towards the end the plane ride was intense, as I did not know how it was all going to play out. It definitely had me on the edge of my seat. The situations Connor and Kat end up being in, I did not know how Terry was going to pull if off. Well she pulled it off just like she did the other times through out the novel. The epilogue was nicely down as I had tears of joy.

Connor who is a sexy alpha male, possessive, protective and sweet hero I just adored. He got my attention from the first time he saves Kat, then through out the story adored him more while he tends to always be there for Kat. The waterfall scene is not to be missed. He is sweet and giving when he tends to her needs when she was sick. Loved, loved and loved the waterfall scene. Connor had my heart pumping and stomach all tingly. He is a swoon worthy hero in my eyes. Terry Spears even had me giggling a bit with Connors cute, but at times jealous remarks.

Kat is a beautiful and strong heroine. Her and Connor were made for each other. They have beautiful chemistry together. I enjoyed the progress of their relationship as it was done in a timely manner. The love scenes are steamy and are beautifully done.

Maya is Connor’s sister who is also a Jaguar shifter. The love they have for each other is sweet. They both look out for each other and will do anything for each other. Maya is willing to even try and turn Kat into a Jaguar shifter so Connor will have a mate and not be lonely, plus she wants a sister badly, as it is just her and her brother, no more family left.

Kudos to Terry Spear for giving shifter fans a great start to a new Jaguar shifter series, that I look forward to reading the next in the series. Love the covers and excited to already have Jaguar Fever (Heart of the Jaguar #2) showing off on my blog. I look forward to reading her Heart Of The Wolf Series (I can not wait to see how she does with her wolf shifters) and her YA novels.

ARC provided from NetGalley for an honest review.

Orginally posted at Wickedly Delicious Book Blog (less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, action-adventure, paranormal, non-erotic

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

Savage Hunger is as steamy a story as the humidity of the jungle it takes place in and is just as dangerous. Take a good look at the wonderful and vibrant cover. See the woman peeking over the shoulder of the hot hunk? That is none other than Kathleen, the heroine, and I have to give the artist credit. Kat has this really saucy and cheeky wit that pops out with a mischievous twinkle in her eye and the artist captured her at a moment o...more Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

Savage Hunger is as steamy a story as the humidity of the jungle it takes place in and is just as dangerous. Take a good look at the wonderful and vibrant cover. See the woman peeking over the shoulder of the hot hunk? That is none other than Kathleen, the heroine, and I have to give the artist credit. Kat has this really saucy and cheeky wit that pops out with a mischievous twinkle in her eye and the artist captured her at a moment of devilish plotting. Poor Connor doesn’t stand a chance.

Ms. Spear cracked me up with what she gave the heroine as her little problem. It placed Kat in quite a few prickly situations that always led to exciting scenes that I couldn’t step away from. Time to eat? “Let it cool down, I’m at a good part.” That’s pretty much how my whole experience was in reading Savage Hunger. Every time I thought things were going to smooth out or they’d have a moment of reprieve, something seemed to happen that compelled me to keep turning the pages. The adventure of discovery, of outwitting the bad guys and staying one step ahead of certain torture and death insured that there wasn’t a dull moment in any of the chapters. Certainly, I didn’t want to stop reading until I got to the final wrap-up and happy ever after.

In addition to Kat’s embarrassing difficulty is the new predicament she finds herself which leads her to experience eating raw fish with its subsequent stinky breath, and stripping at very inconvenient moments. It’s going to take a special kind of guy to guard her when these quirks take place and there’s no better hero than Connor to get the job done.

I enjoyed reading the story in Connor’s point of view. I liked it when he took it in stride when Maya, his sister, and Kat ganged up on him. I loved how protective he was of both women, yet he respected their strengths. His love for his sister came through strongly in the writing. His growing love and wonder over finding as wonderful a mate as Kat was great to read. His sense of honor almost cost him having Kat in his life, but as much as he loved his sister, she loved him just as much and proved it, providing an opportunity for Connor and Kat to bond. It was hit or miss in the beginning and caused its own level of drama and suspense, but the journey was worth it.

A heightened level of drama came from the bad guys. One evil drug lord pulled the strings and he was persistent, deadly and vicious. Every time I thought the trio would finally make headway in getting to safety, someone somewhere would say something that gave the criminals a lead. It drove me nuts but it also allowed the lead characters to show off all that they could do and would do in the name of survival. It didn’t hurt that Ms. Spear threw in an effective hook for another jaguar story. The stalker turned out to be who I thought it was but I’m really hoping that he will indeed turn out to be a good guy and I know just the person who’d be good for him. It didn’t help matters any that Kat’s ex mentioned something that made me think otherwise, but I refuse to be deterred. I think he’d make a great addition to the jaguar family.

Speaking of Kat’s ex-fiancé, he’s a worm. Enough said.

What is awesome to mention is the waterfall scene. Why that water didn’t evaporate from the scorching heat generated between Connor and Kat, I have no idea. It was seductive, effective and a delicious bit of writing. That was my favorite but the author gave the hero and heroine plenty of opportunities to explore, delight and please the other with an intensity that might make a reader or two blush. I had fun.

Some readers might take exception to Kat’s seemingly easy acceptance to her new station in life. Not me. I found it refreshing to not have to deal with drama queen antics on top of life and death situations. What was done was done and Kat, being the practical military woman she is, assessed the benefits versus cons and concluded she was getting everything she ever wanted plus benefits. She just had to survive first to enjoy them.

The happy ever after was satisfying. The author touched base on a lot of little subjects that appeared throughout the story and tied the loose ends up with a huggable ending. Now the only thing left is to read the next book in the series to find out if Maya is going to meet who I think she might meet. I am eagerly looking forward to the next jaguar adventure.

Savage Hunger leaves a reader hungering for more of this awesome and exciting new world that Ms. Spear has created. The author has written a story with a lovable heroine, an alpha hero who’s not obnoxious or overbearing, and a fun sister to tag along and complicate Connor’s life. The food they eat is exotic although the eating establishments are earthy, and they spend more time using trees than Tarzan. This new series is exhilarating and filled with rich and vibrant descriptions to make a reader feel like they’re in the thick of the Amazon jungle. There are moments of humor, of tenderness and pure hot loving. In short, Savage Hunger has the best of all the elements that make readers of paranormal romances happy. Pounce on your own copy and see for yourself. (less)

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Nov 28, 2012 VampireRomanceBooks ThatsErotica rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have quite a fondness for shifter stories, and after I heard that Terry Spear had a series about Jaguar shifters being released, called Heart of the Jaguar, I was thrilled! I’ve had the opportunity to read a few of Spear’s wolf books, and I was instantly a fan. I really take joy in her way of storytelling, and I can always count on a read that is not only exciting but very steamy!

In Savage Hunger, Conner and Maya are jaguar shifters and siblings. Although their home is Texas, they spend time i...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Mason rated it 5 of 5 stars

Having been a fan of author Terry Spear for some time now, I awaited her newest series (Heart of the Jaguar) with great expectations. True to her form, she did not disappoint me but reinforced how prolific a writer she is.

A mission to the Amazon to take down a ruthless drug Lord turned out to be more than Army Officer Kathleen ‘Kat’ McKnight bargained for. When the mission goes terrible wrong, a mysterious man suddenly appears and saves her from certain death. Haunted by those memories, Kat retu...more Having been a fan of author Terry Spear for some time now, I awaited her newest series (Heart of the Jaguar) with great expectations. True to her form, she did not disappoint me but reinforced how prolific a writer she is.

A mission to the Amazon to take down a ruthless drug Lord turned out to be more than Army Officer Kathleen ‘Kat’ McKnight bargained for. When the mission goes terrible wrong, a mysterious man suddenly appears and saves her from certain death. Haunted by those memories, Kat returns to the rain forest a year later hoping to find the man. She never expected to discover the man is was hiding a life-changing secret.

Connor Anderson and his sister were in the jungle on their yearly visit connecting with their shape shifting jaguar roots when he encountered the botched drug raid. Getting back to his life and needing to find his life mate, Connor can’t help but think of the tough Army officer he saved. When he comes face-to-face with her a year later, he wonders if they could truly be together.

Learning of his shape shifting secret and Kat’s dangerous past returning could have serious consequences for the pair.

Spear is meticulous in her research for her series and it shines in SAVAGE HUNGER. Not only are the characters well developed, but her detailed descriptions of the settings place the reader in the middle of the action.

Connor is an ideal hero with his good looks and sexy ways. Adding a few flaws makes him realistic. Kat is the perfect heroine to match Connor. She is tough and independent, but has a vulnerable side. Maya is a wonderful secondary character. She allows Connor and Kat to show different sides of themselves when she’s involved.

While this is a paranormal tale with shape shifting jaguars, Spear tells the story in such a way you come to believe in the ability while immersed in the characters’ lives. She makes the impossible seem real and natural while keeping you in suspense.

The story moves along at a steady pace packed with action and interesting twists. It’s also filled with steamy romance, family loyalty, determination, humor and an understanding of the interactions of man and nature. Once you pick up SAVAGE HUNGER, it will sink its claws into you and hold you captive till the end. A tantalizing start to a fascinating new series.

FTC Full Disclosure - This book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

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Oct 25, 2012 Marcia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Captain Kathleen McKnight almost lost her life in the wilds of the amazon, she was saved by jaguar shifter Connor Anderson, although she lost her entire team. Now she is back in the amazon, hoping she is not crazy and wanting answers to what she saw that day. Also back in the jungle is Connor Anderson and his twin Maya. She believes Kathleen is Connors mate, her brother has never shown interest in a female before and does not mind pushing the two together and helping with the shift literally. Wh...more Captain Kathleen McKnight almost lost her life in the wilds of the amazon, she was saved by jaguar shifter Connor Anderson, although she lost her entire team. Now she is back in the amazon, hoping she is not crazy and wanting answers to what she saw that day. Also back in the jungle is Connor Anderson and his twin Maya. She believes Kathleen is Connors mate, her brother has never shown interest in a female before and does not mind pushing the two together and helping with the shift literally. While on the run from the men who want revenge on Captain Kathleen, Connor and Kat fall in love.

Bookswagger Danielle: Four Crowns, good read, on the way to swagger. The characters sold this for me. I loved that Maya and Connor had such a close brother and sister relationship, she wanted a mate for him so badly. Kathleen was a strong heroine; I liked how she handled the change. The author did a wonderful job showing Connor and Kathleen’s chemistry, I could picture it perfectly. This wasn’t as suspenseful as I would have liked, it was a tad bit obvious. I would have liked Maya and the other jaguar shifters to have at least met. I understand wanting to make this a series but it left me feeling like something was missing. I will be reading the next one. Will you?

Bookswagger Marcia: Two Crowns, no Swagger, hard read. I do like Terry Spear and I hesitated to even give my opinion, because I hate the idea of giving an author I enjoy a low score. But if I am being honest, this is not a story I enjoyed and it was a hard read for me. The story was a little disjointed and I just felt a lack of a real story, the characters were just on the run and thinking inside of their heads a lot. Which to give the author credit was not confusing, which can be the case for readers sometimes. The heroine had such an incredible background and you have these jaguar siblings who think they may never find mates, then the brother finds his and a single male is chasing them down along with the bad guys. This book was a miss for me but she is an author I will continue to support and I loved the sister Maya and will read her story. Those who have history with this author will just have to decide for themselves if this is one you want to read or skip.
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Oct 05, 2012 Jesse Kimmel-Freeman rated it 5 of 5 stars

I can't say that I am a romance junkie. There are a handful of authors that I've read, and just as many books. But I've read a lot of Paranormal books! So when I saw this book had jaguar shifters, I was curious. I quickly fell in love with Connor and Maya. They scream siblings! I read this book in maybe 7 hours across two late nights. Kat is a well developed character. Her background is hidden, yet you get to see glimpses. I love the character arcs. I'm really about characters. A story could be...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Guilty Pleasures rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: guiltypleasures-alyn

Alyn's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

I have always been fascinated by authors that manage blend the characteristics of man and animal so well that it makes you wonder if it could be true. Terry Spear is one such author. She creates beautifully depicted shifters that are graceful as both cats and humans, without losing the distinctive traits of either half.

Connor Anderson and his sister Maya are on their annual vacation in the Amazon to let their wild side run free. As Jaguar shifters, they ne...more Alyn's review posted on Guilty Pleasures

I have always been fascinated by authors that manage blend the characteristics of man and animal so well that it makes you wonder if it could be true. Terry Spear is one such author. She creates beautifully depicted shifters that are graceful as both cats and humans, without losing the distinctive traits of either half.

Connor Anderson and his sister Maya are on their annual vacation in the Amazon to let their wild side run free. As Jaguar shifters, they need to revisit the wild as nature intended in order to find the mates they both long for. With shifters being so rare to begin with, both siblings find it difficult to fulfill their needs but continue to battle the odds in search of their fate. For Connor, that fate was about meet him face to face and her name was Captain Kathleen McKnight.

Captain McKnight was in over her head. A decoy for a covert operation, she knew Gonzalez was a major target but did not realize he was on to her until it was too late. Wounded and left for dead, she heard a big cat and terrified voices and expected the worst. What she had not expected, was the shirtless savior who came to her rescue. Connor Anderson, that was the name he gave her before he disappeared into the jungle. Unable to get him out of her head, Kat returns to the jungle after recovering from her injuries a year later. She is in search of the man who kept company with jaguars. Not sure what to expect, she finds herself in another predicament and hopes that her savior will reappear to rescue her once again.

Connor could not believe it was her. After searching and hoping he would find her again, Captain McKnight had returned to the very jungle where he had first met her. Returning to her aid after finding her injured and dehydrated, he takes her to the hidden home that he and his sister Maya occupy when in the Amazon. Realizing that he may not want to let her go this time, Connor is not sure what he should do. Kat doesn’t know that they are shifters, and the fact that she is not a shifter would make it difficult for him to be with her. Trying to make up his mind, Connor is forced to make a quick decision when his sister acts on her own accord and forces his hand. Unfortunately, Connor is not the only one that wants Kat all to himself. Can Kat survive the jungle and the wild that lies within?

What a fun story this was. Sexy shifters in the steamy jungle having sweet interludes in the shower and under waterfalls. The combination of covert army operations, drug lord chases, and shifters on the run makes for a very adventurous read. The complexity of Kat’s recovery from both PTSD, physical injuries and a broken heart, adds to the depth of the story and her character as a whole. Add to that, Connor’s abandonment issues and his need to protect, and you have a recipe for a relationship that will speed up your heart rate and keep it pumping to the very end. The mystery of who is on the chase, makes for an intriguing story line and leaves some great insight into what appears to be a promising sequal.

While it slowed down a bit on occasion, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the sequal. Savage Hunger will leave you daydreaming about stalking through the jungle in search of a sexy shifter to sweep you off your feet.(less)

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Sep 23, 2012 Wanderlust rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: hot-alpha-men

Cover & Title - 4 out of 5
Favorite Character - Maya

I found this book to be an easy going enjoyable read. It had action, drama, emotion & hot love scenes. I have read quite a few books by this author and just like with this book i enjoyed them all. I felt the author had all the ingredients in all the right measures to make a great shifter story.
The chemistry was clear between the leads and the build up to them getting together was hot. I liked that the emotion continued to intensify betwe...more

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Sep 15, 2012 Shauni rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

"The wolf-shifter stories have insights into wolf packs based on extensive research, plus upcoming jaguar shapeshifters romance series, draws on nature itself for inspiration" quote from Terry Spears website

I really enjoyed this quote it spoke to me.. Savage Hunger is the first book in Terry Spears new Jaguar Series. It is a rich sensual delight using the amazon as it's background these characters can only be sinfully decadent.

Kathleen McKnight is a woman on a mission. Along with her team she i...more "The wolf-shifter stories have insights into wolf packs based on extensive research, plus upcoming jaguar shapeshifters romance series, draws on nature itself for inspiration" quote from Terry Spears website

I really enjoyed this quote it spoke to me.. Savage Hunger is the first book in Terry Spears new Jaguar Series. It is a rich sensual delight using the amazon as it's background these characters can only be sinfully decadent.

Kathleen McKnight is a woman on a mission. Along with her team she is committed to finding a capturing a Drug Lord. Only problem is it all went crazy, walking into what could only be danger she becomes the only survivor from her team. A year later she has left the army and needs to see if her memories of that day are dreams, nightmares or reality. After all how could she be instantly attracted to a man who rescues her in the middle of the Amazon, then disappears? And was there a Jaguar there helping him? So off to the Amazon she goes. To put her questions to rest.

Conner Anderson and his sister spend yearly retreats in the Amazon. They enjoy letting out their inner Jaguar. Even though he had helped rescue a beautiful woman the year before he was sure she was gone from his life and it was business as usual. Needless to say he was more than surprised to find her wandering around unaccompanied in the middle of the Rain Forest. Determined to do the right thing he brings her to his home but leaves her untouched. But his sister has other plans.

Conner and Kathleen manage to fall in love in the midst of a meddling sister, dodging bullets, sensuous jaguars and dealing with the trials of escaping the Amazon. While this story has some pretty steamy moments the work well in the lush rainforests of South America there are times I feel that Ms Spear is reaching. Which is too bad because she tells a wonderful story with great main characters. I wonder if while setting up this series she just put too much into one story. Maybe as the series grows their will be less packed into each book.

I enjoyed this book, I really did. I and I most definitely suggest you read it. Ms Spears does not disappoint when she crafts her characters. So enjoy all.

Shauni

This review is based on the ARC of Savage hunger provided by netgalley and is scheduled to be released on October 1, 2012

For more reviews by Shauni check out Tea and Book and
Bodice Rippers, Femme Fatales and Fantasy
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Sep 13, 2012 Bitten By Love Reviews rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book in the series Heart of the Jaguar. It is a fast past shapeshifting, paranormal romance with a great plot. Set in the Amazon region of South American this story tells about brother and sister, Conner and Maya and their chance meeting with Army captain, Kathleen McKnight.

When Kathleen is kidnapped and injured on a mission, Jaguar shape-shifter, Connor Anderson, happens to stumble upon her and saves her life. Long after the incident Connor can not get Kathleen out of his mi...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Nancy rated it 4 of 5 stars

When you’re in the Army and are captured by the bad guys, even if you knew it was going to happen, the last thing you expect to see is a jaguar in their camp. The next to the last thing you expect to see is a guy who isn’t Army untying you and helping you lie down. Then your above- you-in-grade fiancé shows up and could care less about how YOU feel – he’s just pissed he didn’t get to catch the bad guys. He doesn’t even really care that you are the sole survivor of the plan.
A year later when you...more

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Oct 03, 2012 Diana N rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ebook, for-review, netgalley, shapeshifters

Rating: C+
Published by Sourcebooks
Releaseed October 2012

Captain Kathleen McKnight is kidnapped and held hostage in a South American jungle, while trying to capture a drug lord. Connor Anderson, on his yearly vacation with his sister, hears her cries of pain and rushes off to rescue her. Shifting into his jaguar form, he fends off the kidnappers, only to leave her as her Army team shows up.

A year later, Kathleen, now discharged from the army, returns to the jungle to find the man she can't forget...more Rating: C+
Published by Sourcebooks
Releaseed October 2012

Captain Kathleen McKnight is kidnapped and held hostage in a South American jungle, while trying to capture a drug lord. Connor Anderson, on his yearly vacation with his sister, hears her cries of pain and rushes off to rescue her. Shifting into his jaguar form, he fends off the kidnappers, only to leave her as her Army team shows up.

A year later, Kathleen, now discharged from the army, returns to the jungle to find the man she can't forget and his "pet" jaguar. Connor hasn't forgotten Kathleen either, but knows the unlikelihood two of them being together. However, when Connor and his sister find Kathleen lost in the jungle, he can't resist the temptation to spend more time with her.

The book to this point was fun and romantic. I especially enjoyed the suspense scenes, which is not the usual for me at all. Normally, suspense scenes are either too graphic for me or not suspenseful at all, if that makes sense. Sometimes it is not enough to hold my breath, sit on the edge of my seat and read on to see what happens; more like, I get more suspense driving down the road at rush hour. Here was just enough suspense to keep me turning the pages but not too much to take away from the romance.

It is after Connor and his sister bring Kathleen to their home that the book started to fall flat for me. Maya, Connor's sister, scratches Kathleen and injects her with shapeshifter DNA, transforming her. And when Kathleen finds out, she just accepts it and her new shifter status, and joins in with Connor and Maya.

She just accepts it?! This is hard to believe for me. Her whole life has just been changed forever, and she is okay with that? She doesn't resent Connor or Maya? She doesn't complain?

No way. Not happening.

After this, the book loses its charm for me and goes from wonderful to just okay. I have a difficult time believing that a strong, independent woman in charge of her life just meekly accepts the change someone else made for their life.

This book wasn't bad; it had wonderful moments of humor and plenty of smokin' hot scenes. My feelings toward it were just not there after that beginning. For me, it didn't quite measure up to the promise implied in the beginning of the story.
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Oct 08, 2012 Lisa Annesley rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, pnr, shifter, feline-shifter, jaguar, reviewed-4-blog

A year ago, Army Capt. Kathleen McKnight was on a mission to take down a drug cartel in the Amazon rain forest. She was mortally wounded and the rest of her team was killed. Connor Anderson arrived on the scene, and so did a jaguar that she heard but didn't see. Connor saved saved her life and then disappeared back into the rain forest, along with his "pet" jaguar.

Connor Anderson and his sister Maya are born jaguar shifters, the only shifters aside from their estranged family that they know of....more A year ago, Army Capt. Kathleen McKnight was on a mission to take down a drug cartel in the Amazon rain forest. She was mortally wounded and the rest of her team was killed. Connor Anderson arrived on the scene, and so did a jaguar that she heard but didn't see. Connor saved saved her life and then disappeared back into the rain forest, along with his "pet" jaguar.

Connor Anderson and his sister Maya are born jaguar shifters, the only shifters aside from their estranged family that they know of. They regularly visit the Amazon rain forest to get back to their roots and to run in their jaguar coats. A year after saving "Kat," Connor still has not forgotten her. And Kat has not forgotten him.

Suffering from PTSD, Kat returns to the rain forest to try to find Connor, to thank him for saving her life. She gets hopelessly lost and is found by two jaguars--Connor and Maya in their jaguar forms. Connor rescues her in his human form, and can't believe that Kat has returned to him.

As a consequence of being the only jaguar-shifters that they know of, Connor and Maya have no prospects of finding mates. Maya recognizes the attraction between Connor and Kat, and takes a drastic measure to get them together.

"The more [Connor] knew about [Kat] and her past, the more mired in trouble they were all becoming."

Kat's past is following her, and they are all put in mortal danger. The race for their lives through the jungle, and additional complications are brought on by Maya's duplicity. Not all mysteries are tied up neatly in the end, probably leading into the next book. Jaguar Fever will be out in August, 2013.

Terry Spear fans, rejoice! She has done for jaguar-shifters what she did for wolf-shifters. She thoroughly researched jaguars and their habits and incorporated that research into accurately portraying her jaguar-shifters. Her Amazon rain forest is also richly described. You will feel the humidity against your skin, smell the lush vegetation, and hear the howler monkeys in the trees. She transports you to the predatory, magical, tropical world of jaguar-shifters.

See more of my review at Paranormal Romance with Lisa Annesley Subscribe by e-mail, and you'll be notified of monthly giveaways as soon as they're posted!(less)

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Oct 03, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: shifters, jaguar, amazon

Connor Anderson and his sister Maya are Jaguar Shifters. At least once a year, Connor and Maya trek to the Amazon to give their wild side free range. This past year Connor ran into what he believes a kidnapping gone wrong, but in all actuality it is an undercover US military sting to capture a drug lord gone really wrong. He rushes to the rescue of the women in distress Kathleen McKnight, she’s been shot and is in really bad shape. Just as Connor stops the blood flow, the army arrives and he mak...more

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Aug 29, 2012 Judith rated it 4 of 5 stars

4.25 out of 5. A novel set in the Amazon region of South American that tells the story of two jaguar shifters, a brother and sister, and their encounter with a retired Army captain, her on-going experience as a part of their "family" and the true dangers that live embodied by the drug cartels. This is a story of family loyalty, genuine concern and honorable interaction who are important to Connor, the local natives who look upon Connor and his sister as Jaguar god and goddesses, and his respect...more

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Sep 24, 2012 Michelle Leah Olson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: literal-addiction-books, reviewed

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:

*ARC received from NetGalley.

I'm a huge fan of Terry's HEART OF THE WOLF series, and one of my favorite Supe Groups is easily the big cat shifters, so when I heard that Terry was coming out with her new HEART OF THE JAGUAR series I was very excited to see what she had in store.

Savage Hunger is the 1st installment of the HEART OF THE JAGUAR series, and while I didn't find this first book as action packed as Terry's HEART OF THE WOL...more

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Oct 13, 2012 Cocktails and Books rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reading-challenges, blog-tour, paranormal, publisher-provided

2.5 Stars

Kathleen McKnight was captured by a drug lord while on assignment with the Army in the Amazon. She was positive she was going to be killed when she was rescued by a stranger and his jaguar. A year later and discharged from the Army, Kat makes her way back to the Amazon trying to find Connor Anderson to personally thank him for saving her life. She winds up with much more than she bargained for, both from Connor, his sister and the drug lord still out to get her.

When I started reading Sa...more 2.5 Stars

Kathleen McKnight was captured by a drug lord while on assignment with the Army in the Amazon. She was positive she was going to be killed when she was rescued by a stranger and his jaguar. A year later and discharged from the Army, Kat makes her way back to the Amazon trying to find Connor Anderson to personally thank him for saving her life. She winds up with much more than she bargained for, both from Connor, his sister and the drug lord still out to get her.

When I started reading Savage Hunger I wanted to really like it. But I found that the only character that I could mildly tolerate was Connor. He was your typical over protective alpha male, but he had a tender side and just wanted what was best for his family. He was the thinker in his family. Too bad his sister didn't have more of that gene.

Maya was a sweet girl, but when it came to her brother and his love life, she was over the top impulsive. She decides, even after Connor tells her to but her nose out of his love life, to get him a mate. She does this in the most underhanded way possible without thinking of what the consequences of such an action could be. I found that this one act tainted my entire view of Maya and made it hard for me to like her...even when what she did eventually worked out for the best.

Kat was an interesting woman, but I couldn't connect with her. For someone who was captured and shot in the Amazon (and who still suffers night terrors from the ordeal) I couldn't understand why she would willing go back to the place that haunted her. Even more bizarre was the fact that she didn't get angry with Maya when she discovered what she did to Kat to ensure Connor had a mate. To me, I would have been livid that I was not giving the choice about becoming a shifter and would have a hard time forgiving Maya or opening up to Connor. But Kat just rolled with the punches as if it was no big deal.

If you're a lover of shifter stories, this one will probably be one that you enjoy. Unfortunately, this wasn't one that caught my interest and my issues with the two female characters made it hard to even care about why the drug lord wanted Kat or if the Conner, Maya and Kat ever made it back to Texas. (less)

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Oct 08, 2012 Ellen rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance-series, paranormal-series

I'm very disappointed.
It's like both Terry Spear and all her characters woke up on the wrong side of the book the entire time it was being written.

Aside from Maya (later) there didn't feel like there was much between Connor and Kat but chemistry.

I thought it was stupid that the drug-runners referred to Kat by her full name and title, wouldn't if she was undercover just her name, maybe even just the first name be enough to let her know that they knew who she was? Anyway Connor saves her for no ap...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Franjessca rated it 4 of 5 stars

Review also posted on Book Lovin' Mamas

I'm a big fan of Terry Spear and her books. When I found out she was writing a series on jaguar shifters, I was beyond excited.
I happened to come across Terry Spear's Heart of the Wolf Series books at a used book store back a few years ago and ever since I've been addicted to her shifter stories. She is one author who knows how to write a wolf shifter series...so I had no doubt that her jaguar shifters would intrigue me as well.

Connor and his sister May, ar...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Sarah Lafleche added it

Shelves: romance

With the summer continuously getting hotter and hotter, I find that when I am not working, you can find me reading in my room. I love finding new authors and I have recently found one that I am hooked on. Terry Spear is the author of a brand new series called Heart of the Jaguar. The first book in this wonderful series is titled "Savage Hunger" and yes it is just as enthralling as the title entails.

When soldier Kathleen McKnight was caught in the crossfire during her mission in the Amazon, a my...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Amy Jacobs rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Author Terry Spears usually writes about wolves in the paranormal romance genre. This time in Savage Hunter, the author decided to write about jaguars and I am one reader who is glad she decided to branch out. There is just something about this authors writing that sucks me into the story no matter what is being told on the pages.

The plot and suspense of this story was written pretty well. I liked each of the characters in the book as well. Kathleen held her own as the main heroine and Conner wa...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Rebecca rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-chick-city-reviews-2012

Reviewed for Book Chick City
http://www.bookchickcity.com/2012/09/...

SAVAGE HUNTER by Terry Spear is the first in a new series about shifters that can change at will into jaguars. This makes a change from the abundance of werewolf fiction, so I was ready to give this book a chance to make a good impression.

It begins with a flashback to events a year prior to the novel, in which heroine, army captain Kathleen McKnight, is trapped in the Amazon rainforest after a drugs bust gone wrong. She is unde...more

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Oct 12, 2012 Scooper Speaks rated it 2 of 5 stars

2.5
Favorite Lines: “She could just imagine grabbing a vine here, as she tried to swing from tree to tree like one of the spider monkeys she had seen doing so, and accidentally getting hold of a nice meaty snake instead–if her luck was anything like it had been running recently.” (p. 27, e-galley)

Terry Spear is best known for her werewolf stories, but in Savage Hunger she takes her paranormal romance in a new direction: werejaguars. Savage Hunger is book one in her Heart of the Jaguar series.

Sadl...more 2.5
Favorite Lines: “She could just imagine grabbing a vine here, as she tried to swing from tree to tree like one of the spider monkeys she had seen doing so, and accidentally getting hold of a nice meaty snake instead–if her luck was anything like it had been running recently.” (p. 27, e-galley)

Terry Spear is best known for her werewolf stories, but in Savage Hunger she takes her paranormal romance in a new direction: werejaguars. Savage Hunger is book one in her Heart of the Jaguar series.

Sadly, I’ve got to tell y’all that I didn’t really care for Savage Hunger. For a book that goes on and on, not much really happens. I was super disappointed when events should have went crazy and nothing happened. There was no climax, just rising and falling action. The tons of exposition became tedious and I kept hoping that the story would do something–anything.

The heroine, Kathleen or Kat, wasn’t much of a heroine. The military woman lost all of her military thoughts and training transitioning from the prologue to chapter one. She went from warrior to needy woman. I think that change really hit me when Kat was on her own with men about to attack her. I understand Kat was traumatized by her past but her mentality didn’t match any of my expectations of a military officer. Had she been a reporter, business woman–heck a former housewife–I’d have been fine with her squeamishness. She wasn’t. Kat was a Captain in the United States of America Army and I expected more.

Connor was the hero. I don’t like or dislike him. He was a hero capable of bringing the lust. He steamed up the heroine’s sheets showers and kept the story moving forward. He was practical, resourceful and caring. I don’t really get why he fixated on Kat. It felt like he was lonely and then BAM! damsel in distress. The circumstances were so odd that he couldn’t get her out of his mind until WHAM! she’s back to find him. To each their own. I don’t really care. He’s happy with her and his sister makes sure he’s stuck with her, so whatever. Too bad I wasn’t feeling so ambivalent about Maya, Connor’s sister.

Maya came across as very childish, verging on psycho. The woman wanted a sister and for her brother to have a mate so she “extended her claws and raked them down the back of Kat’s left thigh.” It isn’t a love swipe but one so deep that “Kat cried out and nearly crumpled when she stepped with all her weight on her injured leg.” She then licks the wound in hopes of turning Kat into a werejaguar. First of all they’re in the Amazon jungle. Throughout the story are thoughts of how easy it is for an injury to fester with infection because of the location. Maya is in her 30s and knows better. She wanted so she took. This attitude continues throughout the book.

Finally, I think another mention needs to be made about the possible villains or mystery aspect of the paranormal romance. A drug lord wants the heroine. The reader watches goons chase after Kat through the book. I thought there is going to be a huge knock-down-drag-out battle at some point. Yeah, well that point never happens. The same can be said about a mystery man or possible shifter in the jungle. The big “Aha” moment just doesn’t happen.

I wanted to enjoy Savage Hunger but I didn’t. I started and stopped the book many times. Finally I decided it was time to finish it so I could move on to another book. What I found were aggravating characters and a train ride across the plains instead of a roller coaster ride. I rolled my eyes and sighed a lot. I was relieved to turn the last page of this book. I rated it 2.5 because I was able to finish it. Savage Hunger promised paranormal and love. In those areas it succeeds. The lack of substance makes it a book that I will never revisit.(less)

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Jul 28, 2012 Deborah rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 09, 2012 Jillyn rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: harlequin fans, romance readers

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.

Maya & Conner are in the Amazon, letting their primal side show. Siblings, both are jaguar shifters who escape to the rainforest for a feline vacation where they can relax & let their claws out. A girl instantly claims Conner's attention as she is held captive by an enemy during a US army mission. He comes to her aid, but nothing changes. She leaves, he obsesses over her, & his sister Maya simply wants him to be happy. Both cats are...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Michelle (MsRomanticReads) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-netgalley, august-2012, paranormal, romance, shapeshifters, 2012

This review can also be found on My Blog.

Captain Kathleen McKnight and her team are in the Amazon trying to take down a dangerous drug lord, but the mission goes horribly wrong. She's kidnapped, her team is ambushed and slaughtered, and she would have been next, if it hadn't been for the appearance of a jaguar followed by the mysterious Connor Anderson. He's instantly attracted to the brave female warrior before him, but he can't risk his secret being uncovered, and he decides to let her go.

Kath...more
This review can also be found on My Blog.

Captain Kathleen McKnight and her team are in the Amazon trying to take down a dangerous drug lord, but the mission goes horribly wrong. She's kidnapped, her team is ambushed and slaughtered, and she would have been next, if it hadn't been for the appearance of a jaguar followed by the mysterious Connor Anderson. He's instantly attracted to the brave female warrior before him, but he can't risk his secret being uncovered, and he decides to let her go.

Kathleen can't forget the trauma from the failed mission. Suffering from PTSD and the subsequent dissolution of her engagement to her fiance, she follows her psychiatrist's recommendation to go back to the jungle to face her fears. She's determined to find Connor, the man who keeps a pet jaguar, to thank him in person. Upon her arrival, her guide fails to show up,and so she decides to make the trek alone. Surely a pet jaguar won't harm her, right? It doesn't take long before Connor crosses paths with her, and he decides to take her back to the home he shares with his sister, Maya. It's not long before the drug lord hears about her reappearance on his turf, and he wants her. Can Connor keep her safe from her enemies, keep his secret and possibly get his mate as well?

Maya recognizes the sizzling chemistry between her brother and Kat. She desperately wants Connor to be happy and be with his mate. Connor won't hear of it and remains stubborn about getting closer to Kat. What's a sister to do but take matters into her own hands, or paws?

From the blurb, I expected a suspenseful romance with a hot male shifter determined to win over the warrior-like heroine. For me, this story fell a little short. In the beginning, I wasn't sure if Maya had all her marbles. Her determination to push Connor and Kat together, by any means necessary, was a little on the creepy side. Not to mention she didn't spend any time thinking about possible consequences good or bad. Kat took the intentional turning surprisingly calm. Too calm for my liking. She never took Maya to task for deciding her fate without telling her about their cat shifter abilities. That put me off a little. Then there was a lot of repetitiveness about Connor and Maya's history, as well as Maya's reasoning for turning Kat. Constantly on the run, trying to make it to civilization, then going over the worst case scenarios of Kat shifting on a plane full of humans took some steam out of the story and out of the sex scenes that just felt rushed.

What I did like was Kat's struggle to control her shifting. It was actually quite humorous that she'd suffer from sleepwalking, and she'd shift at the most inopportune times. Despite not having mastered her ability on command, she easily fell back on her combat training to help protect Connor and Maya. For that she earned brownie points from me. If you enjoy an exotic location, a hot hero with a penchant for purring, and quite a bit of action then this book is for you, but it wasn't quite for me.

Thank you Sourcebooks (Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca) via NetGalley for the ARC.

Disclaimer: A review in exchange for the ARC was not promised. The views and opinions expressed in this review are my own, and in no way represent the views or opinions of the publisher/distributor.
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Oct 12, 2012 Danielle rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, read-in-2012

What a action packed, sexy read. This is my first book my Terry Spear and I loved it. She does a great job writing a exciting story with a sweet love story in the mix. Kathleen is in the military on a mission when she's kidnapped by the drug lords lucky for her she's saved by a man named Connor with a pet jaguar. Little does she know Connor is the jaguar and he's looking for a shifting mate. After their rescue mission they are seperated but neither can stop thinking about the other until Kathlee...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Aisha Oaktree rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reviews, fiction, paranormal-romance, read-in-2012, netgalley-reviews

Originally Posted: here

This was an awesome read. Shifters, love, action, drug lords, exotic locales why yes, yes this sounds like a book I would love. And, of course I did. Conner reacts to a woman in distress in the jungle he and his sister Maya are vacationing in; in doing so he changes his life forever. Caught in the cross-hairs of a dangerous mission gone wrong, Kathleen is glad to have the help. Saving her life, and letting her go when backup arrives, Conner can't get the lovely woman out o...more Originally Posted: here

This was an awesome read. Shifters, love, action, drug lords, exotic locales why yes, yes this sounds like a book I would love. And, of course I did. Conner reacts to a woman in distress in the jungle he and his sister Maya are vacationing in; in doing so he changes his life forever. Caught in the cross-hairs of a dangerous mission gone wrong, Kathleen is glad to have the help. Saving her life, and letting her go when backup arrives, Conner can't get the lovely woman out of his mind, and Kathleen *called Kat in most of the story* can't forget the man who rescued her, she makes the journey back to the jungle to thank him. And of course, life and a meddlesome sister inter-veins the two can't seem to get enough of each other, but Conner is resistant because Kat isn't like him, but he can't resist the woman he couldn't forget; he makes a decision and then the dangerous men enter into the jungle and boom, the story really kicks off.

I thoroughly enjoyed the journey the trio takes. The budding romance, the building of a great friendship with Kat and Maya. I loved that Kat took life in stride she faced the challenges and wasn't stupid then again she is or was an Army servicewoman so she's more than capable. There are moments where the trio really gets close to not coming out the winners, and the ways they get out of the potential disasters makes for a fun read.

I loved the romance between the two and how well written they were, Terri didn't try to make them more than they were and they came through as genuine characters who were on their way to falling love. Neither character was a caricature of a perfect human being, nor were they perfect supernatural beings either; they had depth and issues that made them perfect together. I loved that the romantic sexy scenes the author made it about them and not about writing the Kama Sutra which made the love scenes, sometimes fun, sometimes sweet & sexy. The waterfall scenes?? Yeah, I need a waterfall like now!!!

My only issue with the book was the insistence of Conner in calling them his "harem".. ummm pause... one is your sister dude, it's one thing if others think that it's another for you to think it in your own monologue. I could also take issue with the way the South Americans are painted within the book, but this is a romance not a political treatise.

I would have loved to see more from Maya but I'm guessing this is a first in the series, which would mean that Maya is getting her own book, and I want to know about Wade Patterson as well. This is a definite must read, and the cover is totally awesome *truth I had no idea what the book was about when i requested it, but the cover sure sold it*. A five star, burn rubber, must add to the To Be Read/Lust List book for sure.

Happy Reading(less)

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Jan 14, 2013 Deanna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fav-authors, paranormal, romance, shifters

I love Spear's Wolf stories. I love cat and cat shifters. I wanted to really love this story. I liked it. I will read the next in the series, but there was something missing. The writing was good. The setting wonderful. There was a story besides the romance. In fact the romantic ferver was written but not felt by me the reader. I liked Connor but did not feel his passion. Maya was naïve and unbelievable. Kat was ex-military but so accepting as to be unreal. (I know this is a shifter story, but e...more

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Savage Hunger (Heart of the Jaguar #1)

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