Book Reviews

An Assassin's Touch (Lost Shifters 9) by Stephani Hecht at C&J Publishing

Genre Gay / Paranormal / Shifters / Erotic Romance
Reviewed by Christy Duke on 20-June-2018

Book Blurb

Nobody realizes better than Shane that he has no real future. As a Leopard, he’s destined to live alone and be reviled by his fellow feline shifters. Instead of letting that hurt him, Shane just throws himself into his work as the coalition’s top assassin. A job that his breeding makes him perfect for. He tells himself that he doesn’t need anyone else—that he’s fine living a solitary life. Then one, brief encounter with a bratty, Panther shifter named, Trevor, changes everything. Now all Shane can think about is the Panther and how to get the man back in his bed. The only problem is Trevor hasn’t given Shane so much as a second glance since their one time together. A situation that frustrates and intrigues Shane even more.


Trevor has always enjoyed playing the field. With so many sexy temptations at his disposal, he doesn’t see why he should have to settle for the same warm body in his bed night after night. While the sex with Shane had been great, Trevor is determined to put the encounter behind him. A task that’s not as easy as it would seem. Not when every night he continues to dream of the Leopard. Or how, whenever they’re in the same room, Trevor can’t stop himself from wanting to reach out and caress the Leopard. Trevor knows that there can never be anything between them and resolves to put his desires behind him.


Will they be able to learn to trust each other in time to save themselves, or will their past doubts destroy them?



First edition published by eXtasy Books, February 2011.


Book Review

Ah, Shane, my favorite sociopath and assassin. I don't know what it is about him that appeals to me, well other than he has a wickedly dry, sarcastic sense of humor. No matter how many times I hear everyone in the coalition talk about how psycho leopards are and they're only good for killing, I can't help but feel that maybe growing up with Owen and Andrew affected Shane enough that he can have more than the lonely existence everyone seems to have slated him for. 'An Assassin's Touch' is book nine in the 'Lost Shifters' series and I would recommend reading these in order as there is too much backstory for them to be stand alones, in my opinion.

Shane has been after a cobra shifter for several months now, and he's getting pretty angry that he keeps failing in his attempts. It doesn't help that the other snake shifter breeds are helping and they continue to attack Shane in his quest. No, the only thing that matters to Shane is that he keeps failing. His foster father taught him early on that leopards do not form attachments to others, they are incapable of love, and are only good for killing. He trained Shane to be the best killer he could be and when he failed in a task there were severe punishments. The problem is that Shane does feel emotions. When feline shifters turn away from him as if he's the bogeyman it hurts his feelings. He has nightmares every night where he hears the screams of the dying. None of this makes any difference though, because Shane knows all leopards are crazy, so he must be too. If only he could get the one encounter he shared with Trevor out of his mind.

Trevor is a panther shifter and he's been very happy just playing around; he never sleeps with the same guy twice. So why can't he get Shane and their one encounter out of his mind? Even worse, he's very much afraid that if he succumbs, he'll lose his heart and since leopards don't form attachments, Trevor will be left with a broken heart. Doesn't keep him from wanting Shane, and when Shane stakes a claim, it's all Trevor can do not to jump him. But when another panther warns Trevor away from Shane, stating he doesn't want Trevor and his slutty behavior to mess with the rehabilitation they did on Shane, Trevor is shoved right back down to feeling like a worthless piece of crap. None of that matters though when Shane declares Trevor, "mine", in front of the coalition.

Oh how I loved this book. Shane and Trevor are my favorites and, I'm sorry Andrew, you've been replaced in my affections. In fact, Shane and Trevor are being added to my list of favorite couples. And, in the spirit of the author, I am going to jump immediately into the next book and write my review. It's the only time in this series that the author wrote back-to-back books because she loved the characters so much, so I will follow that tradition.

 

 

 

 

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Additional Information

Format ebook
Length Novella, 84 pages
Heat Level
Publication Date 06-April-2017
Price $3.99 ebook
Buy Link https://www.amazon.com/Assassins-Touch-Lost-Shifters-Book-ebook/dp/B06Y474SXQ