Book Review: Zoe Winters's Blood Lust

Zoe Winters's Blood Lust is a compilation of three paranormal novellas: Kept, Claimed and Mated.  Not being a big fan of novellas, I have to admit...I was pleasantly surprised.  Blood Lust ebook retails via Amazon for $3.49. And if you’re an avid reader, like me, then Blood Lust is a deal for all three novellas. For those that are not convinced, Winters offers the first novella, Kept for free on her website (here).

Kept, Novella 1
Greta is a werecat and finds out her father is planning on sacrificing her in a tribe ritual. Bleeding Greta dry is the surefire way to increase his power. The second Greta uncovers the plot, she does the last thing she ever expected and sought refuge with her tribe’s sworn enemy (sorcerer, Dayne.) While I can appreciate the paranormal mystique surrounding shape shifters and sorcerers, this was my least favorite of the three novellas. The sexual heat between the Greta & Dayne was totally hawt but I thought the plot was too predictable. Still, I suspect the novella accomplished what it set out to do; introduce the hypnotic world of the Preternaturals.

Claimed, Novella 2
Anthony is a vampire monster with a mean streak. I liked Anthony's role in Kept and loved how his bloodlust frenzied state set fire to story # 2, Claimed. Anthony’s unsure why he's attracted to Charlee. She's after all…only human. In the beginning, he’s consumed with bloodlust, mentally struggling with biting, maiming and killing the lovely human, Charlee. The intensity of his internal battle with the beast inside him was riveting. And when he attempted to wipe her memory of the sordid incident, the last thing he should have said was “forget everything.” I found the storyline of Claimed spellbinding. Anthony & Charlee’s relationship was constantly in question. Neither one actually wanted to bind themselves to the other – at least not initially anyway. Claimed was easily my favorite of all three.

Mated, Novella 3
Jane was introduced in Claimed. Her role in the beginning seemed rather cliché. Vampire Goth chick follows the vamp scene. In Mated, her back story unfolds and then I caught a glimpse of her real essence. In Claimed, Jane was paired with Paul (Anthony’s minion vamp). Paul’s abusive tendencies towards Jane were appalling. Jane was what's called, Kindred; having vampire in her DNA. Because she’s an anomaly, the vampires want to own her. For quite some time, she was considered a vampire groupie. The sad truth was she was doing what she had to in order to stay alive. By the time Paul got through with her, Cole (werewolf) was just what Jane needed. Like the vampires, he saw something unique in her, although unable to place it. And in collecting a debt, he snatched Jane away from Paul, imprisoning her in his cave. Jane was terrified of Cole; the werewolf pack leader with the badass reputation. Poor girl's life had been about being a possession more than a person. I really liked the chemistry between Jane & Cole. Mated was a fun read and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it too.

Claimed and Mated made this book a hit for me. Overall, I give Zoe Winters’s Blood Lust a 3.5.

Until next time…read about shape shifters, vampires and werewolves.

Mina B.