Book Review: Eternal Hunter

Eternal Hunter, Night Watch Series #1
Author: Cynthia Eden
Publisher: Brava (December 2009)
Paperback: 352 pages

I won my copy of Eternal Hunter from a contest the author had on her blog. I didn't know what to expect since she was a new author for me, but this first line had me wanting to read more:

Jude Donovan was used to hunting killers-used to running them down like the damn dogs they were and caging the bastards.

Eternal Hunter is a fast paced, action filled read that kept me on the edge of my seat. Jude is a shapeshifter who just wants to track down the bad guys. No complications allowed, especially a good looking woman who smells like a shapeshifter but denies it. He wants to ignore her, but finds himself protecting her instead. Go figure. Life is full of surprises. I loved the character of Jude. He's an alpha male in all his grumpy glory. Erin Jerome is a shapeshifter who's trying to start over in a new job and a new life. She has issues, and doesn't want to share them. Jude and Erin make a good team, despite both of them being strong and stubborn. Yes, you want to slap them at several points in the book, but they come through in the end.

I would consider Eternal Hunter a paranormal romance, but the mystery and suspense makes it much more. It popped into my head as I was reading that it is a cross between James Patterson and Lara Adrian. The combination works well, and I didn't guess the true bad guy until it was revealed. The side characters are quirky and give us a glimpse into what the series will be like. The bad guy is especially creepy and sly, as he should be.

I loved the characters, the mystery, the romance and the action scenes. Warning to readers about the romance. There are sex scenes, not just romance, but it's a part of the plot, not just stuck in there willy nilly. My only negative about the book is that I thought a few of the lines used during sex were cliche (ex: button of her need). Since I am actually new to the romance genre, things like that stick out to me. I'm more of a literal type of gal, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the steamy scenes between Jude and Erin.

I would recommend Eternal Hunter to fans of paranormal romance and writers such as Lara Adrian, Gena Showalter and Kresley Cole. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the Night Watch series, which is I'll Be Slaying You, due out July 2010.

You can read an excerpt of Eternal Hunter here.

~Moonsanity