Hunted by Erica Woods – A Book Review

Posted November 27, 2019 by Booksandblurbs in PNR, Reverse Harem, Reviews / 0 Comments

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Hunted

(The Feral Souls Trilogy – Book 1)

by Erica Woods
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Slow Burn, PNR RH
Available on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited

Down and Dirty

Are you ready for a book hangover? This gem is a Debut Novel lush with over 600 pages of angsty Paranormal Goodness, the kind that will keep you reading long past bedtime just to see what happens! TBR this today – free on Kindle Unlimited.

What is Hunted about?

(Blurb from GoodReads)

The only way to escape is to die.

For eighteen years I’ve suffered at the hands of the Hunters. For eighteen years they’ve done their best to break me, to tear me open and unleash the terrifying monster that lives within.

Until the day they go too far.

When a desperate escape leads to another brush with death, I’m forced to place my trust in the hands of four formidable strangers. Wild and untamed, their feral natures call to me, their warrior hearts make mine come alive. And when they offer me a place to stay while I heal, I can’t say no.

But the secrets I carry are deadly, and my past is a twisted, evil nightmare better left forgotten.

They may think they want to know me, they may think the secrets they guard behind hard eyes and closed expressions comes close to the ones I keep. But should they ever discover just who they’ve let into their home, just what I really am…their hatred could be the one thing that finally breaks me.

And if I break, the darkness inside me will finally be free.

Author’s Note

Hunted is the first book in the Feral Soul Trilogy. It’s a paranormal romance reverse harem intended for readers 18 and over. It features brooding, overprotective alpha males, a heroine who’s damaged but determined to put the pieces back together, and a slow burn romance packed with raw emotion and delicious tension. Oh, and did I mention the hot wolf shifters?

Thoughts on Hunted

You know how most PNR RH novels follow a fairly simple formula, even if the events and the way to those Signposts differ from book to book? Yeah…. This isn’t one of those books. At all.

It explodes onto the scene with a fairly epic escape, then just… stops. Somehow, in over 600 pages, it goes nowhere. Even more odd? That’s perfect. There is little to no action, the romance is slow burn city, and most of the narrative is spent on reflection and character growth – yet it all melds to craft a book that truly stands apart and begs to be read.

I really enjoyed this novel and I can’t wait to see what happens in book 2 – though if events or action do not pick up in that installment, then everything book 1 has accomplished will be for naught.

Let delve a bit deeper here for a moment; this book centers around characters… not the events that surround them. Those seem superfluous, though past, present and future have all given way to where these five are now. Hope’s past has made her who she is, and she is dealing with it. Her strength is the quiet kind, the version of steel that most of us dismiss, yet somehow that makes this growth even more compelling. Be aware that this is true PTSD, in all its guttural and ugly pain. She shivers, she shakes, she cringes and hides… and that humanity in the face of this inhumane history makes this novel the type you literally cannot put down.

Favorite Lines

A man who feels pain when those around him feel pain won’t intentionally hurt anyone else. Not unless they have to. (9%)

When I was young I’d never dreamed fear could have a scent. That the stench of pain could follow you through your dreams and haunt your every waking moment. But it did. (24%)

“Books might be one of the greatest treasures created by sentient life,” (36%)

Pros:

Very well written.
Emotional, painful at times. Understandable.
Alpha males struggling to adjust!
Lucien… I kinda love that jerk. He earned my eternal devotion with ONE act – not going to spoil it, but you’ll know it when you read it.
Jason… I, too, ‘fake it till I make it’.
Hope. There are no words. I just want to hug her.
Lyrical quality to the narrative.
Well edited – though I thought Ruarc’s POV’s were unedited… but that isn’t true. He speaks the same way, dropping words, or clipping his tone. The minor drops in his POV are due to the fact that it’s, well, HIS POV.
Ok.. ok… ALL the characters are in the PRO column here. Hope, Ash, Ruarc, Jason and Lucien… I love them all, for different reasons. I’m keeping them. You can’t have them.

Cons:

I wanted to shake Hope a few times, beg her to just TELL THEM! Not so much a ‘con’, but a personal affront, lol.
There is truly little action to be had here. It is far from fast paced, though I promise you’ll read it fast.

Perspective

First Person, Multiple POV

Rating

R for Violence, mentions of torture and PTSD. NO RAPE.

Romantic Dynamic

MMMMF

Character Age Range

24+ (yes, she is 24. She was 6 when she was ‘given’ to the Hunters)

My Final Verdict on Hunted

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Get this book. Just get it. TBR it, buy it, whatever… just read it. Honestly. It’s wonderful. Slow, methodical and so bloody captivating you truly won’t miss the explosions or heart pounding action. This is Erica Woods debut… (DEBUT!) novel and it hits it out of the park. Free on KU!

Published October 17th, 2019
657 Pages

Please note, Hunted is part of a Reverse Harem Trilogy that features alternative Romantic Dynamics suitable for adults only. #WhyChoose

If you enjoyed this review of Hunted, please consider checking out a few of my other articles.

Your Turn

What are you reading today? Have you read this yet? Can you believe it is a DEBUT novel? What are your thoughts? Leave a comment, I am desperate to talk!