Reviewed by Elizabetta
TITLE: An Unauthorized Field Guide to the Hunt
AUTHOR: Kari Gregg
PUBLISHER: Loose Id
LENGTH: 95 pages
BLURB: On Mariket, the strongest competitors win…by losing.
Narone native and former heir of Class II shipbuilder Denbo-West Industries, Shane West surrendered his perilous birthright to compete in the Hunt and tried his luck with the lusty cats of Mariket. Shane’s mastery of survival craft in the untamed forest made him an early favorite among gamblers, fans, and arena officials. When he lured a cat into an arousing chase the first night, mating with Lore to become the season’s first victor seemed guaranteed.
Then news from Arena 4 slowed to a trickle. Rumors emerged about cats who’d gone feral as well as shocking breaches in security. Unconfirmed reports of assassins and rogue predators circulated before offworld communications screeched to a halt.
In this unprecedented glimpse inside the arena, Shane peels back the veil of secrecy. What does it take to tempt a sexy cat? How does being marked as prey by a feline lover feel? Experience the wanton pleasures of the heat with Shane and his mysterious mate—and discover which of last season’s scandalous rumors are true.
Run, pounce, fuck.
Mate?
Welcome to the Hunt.
REVIEW:
The reader is immediately dumped into this alternate universe, into a high-stakes arena game where human men are hunted as possible mates.
A kind of Hunger Games – meets – Tarzan — meets — I, Omega (also by Gregg).
The going is a bit rough in the beginning as you try to figure out what the hell is going on, but this author knows just how to carefully lay the breadcrumbs to lure you on.
The characters:
Shane West — a comely human, appointed heir to his family, is looking for a way out of a sticky situation back home. His brothers, jealous of his position, hunt him, putting contracts out on his life, for the head seat in the family.
Lore — alien of the feline species, is a golden-furred puma and hunter supreme. He’s Tarzan to Shane’s… well, okay…
The set-up:
It’s a family tradition… survival of the fittest. Shane’s father killed his father to take over as head of the family, and now Shane’s brothers are set on offing him for that right, too. Shane feels that his best hope is to enter and win a wildly popular game called ‘the Hunt’ on planet Mariket.
“He (Lore) and Shane would mate–or not–in privacy. As private as could be expected in an arena, anyway. Wardens and bookies collecting bets across the star systems still expected a show, to see him and Lore coming together.”
While the world watches and takes bets on the participants, on who can put on the best show, Shane is mostly interested in a hook-up of another kind. He wants to arrange a business partnership with the Mariket cat people and thus, gain himself some safety and independence from his family. If a mad cat-and-mouse chase through its forests involving lots of rutty animal sex and the search for a mate is a prerequisite, then… he could deal with that too.
Well, Shane is the star of the show and wouldn’t you know it but he catches the eye of the aggressive, horny, supremely fit and furry, Lore, who wants him at all cost. There are a lot of pheromones flung about and drippy, sweaty, animal sex. Lore learns some lessons too, like it’s about more than the chase and the dominance. Maybe even about getting to know your mate, as he is advised…
“You don’t know anything about him except how he looks twisting on the end of your dick. If you want to keep him, talk to him.”
If you liked Gregg’s I, Omega, where it’s all about a submissive falling under the total, out of control, dominating spell of his Mate, and for the lure of endless fucking, then this is for you.
The impressions:
As in I, Omega, this giving up self makes me wiggle and not always in the good way. The idea that Shane is so overcome with lust that he can’t think straight makes me want to slap him upside the head. But, the odds are set up against him, he’s been dumped full of smexin’ drugs to up the horn factor… so… let’s just excuse him from all these uncontrollable passions.
In the end, it really is about sharing power as both Lore and Shane find. And, it is fantasy after all. What Gregg writes so well is that theme of all wet dreams: sensual abandonment and loss of inhibition, the heady giving up of control for the pure thrill of lust and hot, dizzying coitus. The trust this entails. And feeling safe in love…
What’s not to like?
This author is singular in her ability to pull me in (rolling eyes and all), totally sucking me into the story, rooting for the sub, hoping for the Dom, and waiting for the mating lock-down that will Make It All Better.
Lots of fun, this one! And some nice world building and plotting to elevate it from PWP (porn without plot) limbo.
Elizabetta rates it – 
BUY LINKS: Loose Id :: Amazon :: All Romance eBooks
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Elizabetta is one of the official reviewers on The Blog of Sid Love.
To read all her reviews, click the link: ELIZABETTA’S REVIEWS
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