laurenjodi's review
5.0
Edge of Hunger
5 Stars
Synopsis: Constantly on edge with the darkness that lives within him, Ian Buchanan only wants to lead a normal life, but then Molly Stratton arrives on his doorstep with a message from Ian's deceased mother and nothing will ever be normal again. Now, Ian and Molly find themselves sharing the same intense and sensual nightmares, and soon discover that they are the prey to an unspeakably evil creature bent on their destruction.
Review:
Intense and exciting from the first pages. The plot is intriguing and the characters compelling.
The world building is comprehensive and absorbing with a unique mythology involving original creatures uncommon in existing paranormal romance. The precise details regarding Ian’s true nature and that of the creature stalking him are revealed as the story progresses and there are enticing hints of an all-encompassing battle to come between the forces of good and evil.
The writing is descriptive and well-paced. However, there is some repetitious word usage, such as variations of “rasp” and “rasping” but this does not distract from the storytelling.
Ian is a perfectly flawed and tortured hero who has a difficult time coming to terms with his identity and abilities. Some readers may find him terse and uncaring, however, in my opinion, this only adds to his appeal and to the strength of his feelings for the heroine. Molly is strong and determined, and never allows Ian’s surliness to deter her in any way. Their chemistry is sizzling in its intensity, and their banter is one of the highlights of the book.
The secondary characters, most of whom form a secret society known as “The Watchmen”, are also appealing and will appear in the own books down the line. The villain is suitably despicable and the scenes told from his perspective serve well to ratchet up the tension and suspense. The final encounter between the hero and villain is one of the most exciting that I’ve read recently.
Overall, this is a thoroughly entertaining read that I found hard to put down and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
5 Stars
Synopsis: Constantly on edge with the darkness that lives within him, Ian Buchanan only wants to lead a normal life, but then Molly Stratton arrives on his doorstep with a message from Ian's deceased mother and nothing will ever be normal again. Now, Ian and Molly find themselves sharing the same intense and sensual nightmares, and soon discover that they are the prey to an unspeakably evil creature bent on their destruction.
Review:
Intense and exciting from the first pages. The plot is intriguing and the characters compelling.
The world building is comprehensive and absorbing with a unique mythology involving original creatures uncommon in existing paranormal romance. The precise details regarding Ian’s true nature and that of the creature stalking him are revealed as the story progresses and there are enticing hints of an all-encompassing battle to come between the forces of good and evil.
The writing is descriptive and well-paced. However, there is some repetitious word usage, such as variations of “rasp” and “rasping” but this does not distract from the storytelling.
Ian is a perfectly flawed and tortured hero who has a difficult time coming to terms with his identity and abilities. Some readers may find him terse and uncaring, however, in my opinion, this only adds to his appeal and to the strength of his feelings for the heroine. Molly is strong and determined, and never allows Ian’s surliness to deter her in any way. Their chemistry is sizzling in its intensity, and their banter is one of the highlights of the book.
The secondary characters, most of whom form a secret society known as “The Watchmen”, are also appealing and will appear in the own books down the line. The villain is suitably despicable and the scenes told from his perspective serve well to ratchet up the tension and suspense. The final encounter between the hero and villain is one of the most exciting that I’ve read recently.
Overall, this is a thoroughly entertaining read that I found hard to put down and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
snarkymotherreader's review
4.0
Molly Stratton has refused to get out of Ian Buchanan’s head since she walked up to his job site claiming to have a message from his deceased mother. The dreams aren’t helping, either. In them, he takes her, body and blood, in a way that he can tell she’s never been taken before. She’s too innocent, too pure, but she refuses to back down in the dreams and reality, making her stronger than any woman he’s ever known – a fact that scares the hell out of him.
It’s been three years since Molly had sex and then overnight she finds herself beneath the hunky, arrogant man she’s meant to warn. He doesn’t scare her, but her feelings toward him do. She can’t get involved with a man under these circumstances. She’s done it before and was burned, but the damage was nothing compared to what Ian could do to her. Her mission is clear: warn him of the danger his mother claims is coming and help him accept the part of himself that can save the day. That doesn’t leave any room for either lust or love, but sometimes your head can’t help what your heart feels.
Beyond the love story, the premise of Edge of Hunger surrounds the Merrick and the Casus, two beings who were at war with each other until the Merrick found a way to imprison the Casus and keep them from reeking havoc on the mortal world. Enough time has passed that the Merrick bloodline has been diluted by human blood and the stories of how to stop the Casus have been all but forgotten.
The Casus are now organized and have figured out a way to send one of their shades, or spirits, into the mortal world by hijacking the body of someone with Casus blood. Bloodthirsty and sadistic, they like to taste their victims fear while they violate them in as many ways as possible. To keep the scales balanced, a Merrick must be awakened as well. Ian is the lucky man to have his awakened for the coming battle.
Ian is one of those heroes who is a complete jerk until the end of the book. He may claim to have good intentions but he’s just mean and nasty. Yet I still love him. It may have something to do with my taste in men, or in the way he was written. For every snide comment he made, there was an equally endearing action that followed. Molly had to be strong to put up with him for 336 pages.
Speaking of Molly…she is one of those heroines that you either love or hate. She isn’t trained in martial arts, she doesn’t have an arsenal of weapons at her beck and call, and she isn’t a supernatural. For some reason, those seem to be Must Haves for heroines nowadays. I think Molly’s attributes are better than anything physical she could have brought to the table—she may not have a snarky comment for everything Ian said but she stood her ground and made sure Ian did what he was told, even if she had to follow him across the country to do so. My only problem with her was the ever present tears in her eyes and the constant whispering. It didn’t make her weaker, it was merely redundant.
Edge of Hunger by Rhyannon Byrd hooked me in its talons and wouldn’t let go. It was deeply erotic, beautifully descriptive, and one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read. There was no putting this book down once I cracked open the first page, leaving me no choice but to give it 4 tombstones.
It’s been three years since Molly had sex and then overnight she finds herself beneath the hunky, arrogant man she’s meant to warn. He doesn’t scare her, but her feelings toward him do. She can’t get involved with a man under these circumstances. She’s done it before and was burned, but the damage was nothing compared to what Ian could do to her. Her mission is clear: warn him of the danger his mother claims is coming and help him accept the part of himself that can save the day. That doesn’t leave any room for either lust or love, but sometimes your head can’t help what your heart feels.
Beyond the love story, the premise of Edge of Hunger surrounds the Merrick and the Casus, two beings who were at war with each other until the Merrick found a way to imprison the Casus and keep them from reeking havoc on the mortal world. Enough time has passed that the Merrick bloodline has been diluted by human blood and the stories of how to stop the Casus have been all but forgotten.
The Casus are now organized and have figured out a way to send one of their shades, or spirits, into the mortal world by hijacking the body of someone with Casus blood. Bloodthirsty and sadistic, they like to taste their victims fear while they violate them in as many ways as possible. To keep the scales balanced, a Merrick must be awakened as well. Ian is the lucky man to have his awakened for the coming battle.
Ian is one of those heroes who is a complete jerk until the end of the book. He may claim to have good intentions but he’s just mean and nasty. Yet I still love him. It may have something to do with my taste in men, or in the way he was written. For every snide comment he made, there was an equally endearing action that followed. Molly had to be strong to put up with him for 336 pages.
Speaking of Molly…she is one of those heroines that you either love or hate. She isn’t trained in martial arts, she doesn’t have an arsenal of weapons at her beck and call, and she isn’t a supernatural. For some reason, those seem to be Must Haves for heroines nowadays. I think Molly’s attributes are better than anything physical she could have brought to the table—she may not have a snarky comment for everything Ian said but she stood her ground and made sure Ian did what he was told, even if she had to follow him across the country to do so. My only problem with her was the ever present tears in her eyes and the constant whispering. It didn’t make her weaker, it was merely redundant.
Edge of Hunger by Rhyannon Byrd hooked me in its talons and wouldn’t let go. It was deeply erotic, beautifully descriptive, and one of the most disturbing books I’ve ever read. There was no putting this book down once I cracked open the first page, leaving me no choice but to give it 4 tombstones.
peacefulbookwyrm's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
margarks's review against another edition
4.0
I was excited to see a 'mainstream' novel by Ms. Byrd because I am a big fan of her ebook romantica novels. Her books are always hot, but also interesting character-wise. She makes you care about the characters, and that is the main reason why I love some stories or tv shows or movies more than others. Because I fall in love with characters.
This book was pretty faced paced and hot from the get go. I was a little impatient to know more about both characters, but I see that more as the fact that I was so interested rather than a failing of the book. I think the series definitely has great future possibilities and I am definitely waiting impatiently to learn more about Ian's brother and sister and even more about how Ian and Molly's characters develop in the future.
This book was pretty faced paced and hot from the get go. I was a little impatient to know more about both characters, but I see that more as the fact that I was so interested rather than a failing of the book. I think the series definitely has great future possibilities and I am definitely waiting impatiently to learn more about Ian's brother and sister and even more about how Ian and Molly's characters develop in the future.
booklovinmamas's review against another edition
5.0
Full Review posted at Book Lovin' Mamas
Rhyannon Byrd's Primal Instinct Series is caught my attention, and I look forward to reading the next book from the series once I'm able to get it from the library. Rhyannon Byrd reminds me a little bit of Gena Showalter and a bit of Terry Spear's writing style.
Here's hoping the next book can keep me reading like this one.
I'm glad the ending was a happy one and that Ian and Molly hooked up. All I can say to Ian is...IT's ABOUT TIME!!! I could slap him sometimes in the book when I was reading.
Rhyannon Byrd's Primal Instinct Series is caught my attention, and I look forward to reading the next book from the series once I'm able to get it from the library. Rhyannon Byrd reminds me a little bit of Gena Showalter and a bit of Terry Spear's writing style.
Here's hoping the next book can keep me reading like this one.
I'm glad the ending was a happy one and that Ian and Molly hooked up. All I can say to Ian is...IT's ABOUT TIME!!! I could slap him sometimes in the book when I was reading.
amyiw's review against another edition
2.0
2 1/2 stars
I got a few of these from my library book sale years ago. I finally decided to start reading them. This is another PNR that just didn't get there. The main characters actually have anti-chemistry due to the jerkness of the guy. I don't see why the woman likes him, at all. Is it the dream sex? Cause that is the only time that they seem to have chemistry. Because of how much he pushes him away, to past the 80% part of the book, she seems like a sick, lonely, and desperate woman.
So at the beginning it seemed like that might be pretty good but... it just didn't get there. There were a couple of dreamscapes that were lightly erotic and showed a possibility. Then the whole, why she is there, it takes forever for her to tell him and forever for him to listen and not run away. Then neither understands anything. Mid-point new people that explain the whole world and whys final come into play. Well that just pulled me completely out of the relationship. And then he is pushing away again, for more angsty reasons and I'm thinking.... is this YA? Then runs away, sorry for the spoiler but it is deserved. Finally 85% in and there is an erotic scene, very, it could have been good except these two have no chemistry and there is no romance, just sex in dreams and pushing away. I guess it is some sort of bond, except that isn't explained well.
This really seems like it is a drawn out attracts through mental dreams that is drawn out through angsty worry. Then a lot of out of the relationship, slog, through world building. The world might have been interesting if either of the main characters had any information but it was all new people that we don't care about. **sigh**
Another that sat on the shelf. Looked good at the time but only OK. At least it wasn't out right bad. I had one of those recently. This at least had a world that was good in some ways and some good sex scenes. Not much of a relationship though. Maybe the second book would be better as there would be different characters and the MC not such a dick, and the woman, not such a doormat. Maybe, just maybe I'll pick up book 2.
I got a few of these from my library book sale years ago. I finally decided to start reading them. This is another PNR that just didn't get there. The main characters actually have anti-chemistry due to the jerkness of the guy. I don't see why the woman likes him, at all. Is it the dream sex? Cause that is the only time that they seem to have chemistry. Because of how much he pushes him away, to past the 80% part of the book, she seems like a sick, lonely, and desperate woman.
So at the beginning it seemed like that might be pretty good but... it just didn't get there. There were a couple of dreamscapes that were lightly erotic and showed a possibility. Then the whole, why she is there, it takes forever for her to tell him and forever for him to listen and not run away. Then neither understands anything. Mid-point new people that explain the whole world and whys final come into play. Well that just pulled me completely out of the relationship. And then he is pushing away again, for more angsty reasons and I'm thinking.... is this YA? Then runs away, sorry for the spoiler but it is deserved. Finally 85% in and there is an erotic scene, very, it could have been good except these two have no chemistry and there is no romance, just sex in dreams and pushing away. I guess it is some sort of bond, except that isn't explained well.
This really seems like it is a drawn out attracts through mental dreams that is drawn out through angsty worry. Then a lot of out of the relationship, slog, through world building. The world might have been interesting if either of the main characters had any information but it was all new people that we don't care about. **sigh**
Another that sat on the shelf. Looked good at the time but only OK. At least it wasn't out right bad. I had one of those recently. This at least had a world that was good in some ways and some good sex scenes. Not much of a relationship though. Maybe the second book would be better as there would be different characters and the MC not such a dick, and the woman, not such a doormat. Maybe, just maybe I'll pick up book 2.
trinforeman's review against another edition
4.0
A fun and exciting read from start to finish. Very hard to put down. Can't wait to start the next one.
sarahc_98's review against another edition
2.0
Edge of Hunger is one of those books that I'm glad I read once for something new, but I probably won't read again or remember much about after I put it away.
The concept is different, introducing two new kinds of supernatural creatures in the epic struggle for good and evil, but it's not enough to make this book stand out. I never connected with the characters and often wondered why I should care about what's at stake for them. The only interesting character for me was Quinn, and he's not even in it much.
Descriptions are heavy handed more often than not, with statements like "someone-or something-was going to die". Cue thunder and creepy music. The romance between Molly and Ian felt forced and abrupt. They start out loathing one another, but one dream suddenly flips a switch and they can't live without one another. I like strong characters, and I felt cheated that Molly lost some spine along the way--about the time she decided Ian was the be-all end-all. Ian just stays a prickly ass through much of the book. His one redemption comes at the end during a heartfelt confession at his mother's grave.
All in all, this is just an ok story. Entertaining for a minute, but nothing special. I'll read the others, but only because they're already on my TBR pile.
The concept is different, introducing two new kinds of supernatural creatures in the epic struggle for good and evil, but it's not enough to make this book stand out. I never connected with the characters and often wondered why I should care about what's at stake for them. The only interesting character for me was Quinn, and he's not even in it much.
Descriptions are heavy handed more often than not, with statements like "someone-or something-was going to die". Cue thunder and creepy music. The romance between Molly and Ian felt forced and abrupt. They start out loathing one another, but one dream suddenly flips a switch and they can't live without one another. I like strong characters, and I felt cheated that Molly lost some spine along the way--about the time she decided Ian was the be-all end-all. Ian just stays a prickly ass through much of the book. His one redemption comes at the end during a heartfelt confession at his mother's grave.
All in all, this is just an ok story. Entertaining for a minute, but nothing special. I'll read the others, but only because they're already on my TBR pile.
mamapitter's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
stacyhbrown's review against another edition
2.0
I didn't really care for Ian's tone, I think the same resistance could have been built without the sarcasm.