Review: Heart of a Huntress by Crista McHugh

A legend…a myth…a high stakes game that could shatter them both.

The Kavanaugh Foundation, Book 1

As one of the oldest surviving vampire hunters in the Foundation, Lana has learned the toughest lesson: success comes at a price. So while the yummy stranger she bumps into at Caesar’s trips all her temptation switches, duty comes first. Better to be alone than to gamble with someone else’s heart—or her own. Although maybe a one-night stand won’t hurt…

Byron has set a one-way course for revenge against the Vegas vampire who murdered his uncle. When he collides with Lana, though, her scent calls to him like a potent aphrodisiac. The only explanation: she’s his true-mate. And the timing couldn’t be worse. He can’t afford any distractions—not to mention it’ll be hell convincing her to love someone who sprouts fur and fangs every full moon.

One drink together turns into a daring night of passion. Their erotic interlude ends abruptly with the news that Lana’s partner has been abducted by the very vampire Byron seeks. Now Byron has no choice. He must reveal what he is and risk a rejection that could spell his own destruction…

The author kindly sent me a copy to review.

Lana is one of the oldest living vamp slayers. Not that she's really that ancient, but the life expectancy of slayers isn't exactly long. She's lost someone she cared for to vamps and she doesn't want to get close to anyone again in the fear that when she inevitably meets her demise at the hands of the undead, she doesn't want to leave someone grieving for her. Also, she's become a bit of a workaholic, you might say.

Byron is the new alpha of his pack. He has a lot on his hands dealing with pack politics and succession issues and he really doesn't need the added issue of finding his mate. If she rejects him it could spell disaster.

Throw in some evil undead bad guys and Byron and Lana have their hands full.

I liked the humor in this story and who doesn't love a hot alpha wolf with the name Byron? That's a win right there. Lana was tough and capable and the chemistry between the two of them was undeniable. The secondary characters were interesting and added to the story.

The issue I had was Lana's complete inability to believe Byron was what he said he was. The woman hunts vamps for a living and gets patched up by witches on a regular basis and she couldn't quite swallow the whole werewolf thing. It made me slightly annoyed with her for part of the story.

The romance was sweet, the villain was slightly cheesy, and the side characters were fun to meet.

Overall, it's a fun, romantic and quick read. I had some annoyance with Lana at times and the bad guys could have been done better, but it was enjoyable and I give it a C+. I hope to see more from this author in the future. I think she has a lot of talent and I'd definitely read more from her again.

You can order this as an e-book here