HOT BLOODED by Amanda Carlson

Hot Blooded
Amanda Carlson

Rating: A+
Release Date: 04/23/13
Synopsis:
It hasn't been the best week for Jessica McClain.

Her mate has been kidnapped by a Goddess hell-bent on revenge --- but Jessica is playing for keeps.

Because she's the only female werewolf in town...it comes with its own set of rules...and powers.

Aided by two vamps, two loyal Pack members, and one very reluctant human, Jessica must rescue her man while coming to terms with what being a wolf really means.

All in a day's work for a girl.

The second novel in the Jessica McClain series is a full on action adventure featuring one angry Goddess and plenty of monsters, demons, and a few newly risen beasties...

My thoughts on the book:
Hot Blooded, the second book in this series, is an intense, action-packed adventure that I was unable to put down. From the first page until the very last, Jessica had to fight. Every time she had one situation under control, something else would happen. Carlson is definitely not afraid to throw things at her characters in order to see what they're made of. This is one of the best books I've read all year. If you haven't read this series yet, you have to check it out. The first book is called Full Blooded, for those of you who are curious. 

The characterization in this novel is simply superb. Each character has his or her own very distinct personality. No one is a cookie-cutter image, and no one seems forced or fake. Every character stands out as a fully developed person, and I love that. 

Jessica grew a lot during this novel. The entire book dealt with her quest to save Rourke, and she encountered tons of obstacles along the way. She rose to every challenge and was a strong and brave character. As her power changed, and as she discovered new things about herself, she adapted quickly instead of lamenting the changes and feeling sorry for herself. She also showed great compassion by working to save Ray even though he had always been a pain in her butt. She's an excellent heroine, and I love reading from her perspective. 

Another thing I liked about this book is that we get to see more of Danny and Tyler, so their characters are developed more fully. Also, we meet Naomi, whom I absolutely love! I can't wait to see more of her and the complicated situation surrounding her. I think I have an idea of what's going on, but I'm keeping my mouth shut in order to avoid spoilers. I also liked getting to know more about Ray because I hated him last book. He won me over in this installment, though. 

The plot kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire novel. I had no idea what was going to happen next. I couldn't predict the outcome of any situation, and that infused this book with a sense of urgency that so many lack. The pacing was perfect, and I never got bored for one second. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger, which you all know I hate, but the main story arc for this novel is resolved, and that made the ending mostly satisfying. The cliffhanger is the start of the story line for the next book, and therefore can be excused, in my opinion. Some other smaller issues were left open-ended, but I mostly felt like the pertinent questions were answered in this novel. In other words, I am looking forward to the next book and am already dying to read it, but I didn't want to throw this one across the room because everything was left up in the air at the end. 

Overall, I'd recommend this book and this series to anyone who loves good Urban Fantasy works. Amanda Carlson is a fantastic author, and you do not want to miss this series. 

Pre-order Hot Blooded!