Ryman Coppersmith is a man on a mission.  His focus is on gaining a trainer for a hell-horse so that he can beat his brother in a competition.  Everything hangs on the outcome of this race since his brother knows who committed the murder that Ryman has been framed for and promised to reveal the truth behind the crime.  The trouble is that despite all his planning and careful research he’s kidnapped the wrong trainer from Earth – and returning her is something he isn’t willing to even consider, despite his promises to the contrary.

 

At first when Camryn wakes up aboard an alien spacecraft she assumes her brother followed through with his threats.  If she didn’t stop drinking… still nothing about her situation seems quite right.  The large black cat laying on the floor at her feet, the changing man, the other foreign looking people who are now surrounding her – it’s all got to be some sort of cosmic joke.  She soon discovers that it’s no joke, only they hadn’t meant to take her, they’d intended to take her brother who also trains horses.  Camryn begs them to take her and leave her brother alone and Ryman agrees even though he questions his decision. 

 

Ryman is troubled by his intense desire for Camryn.  He’s always been very sexually active but it seems impossible to control his reaction to Camryn’s presence.  What seems truly odd is the further involved he becomes with Camryn the more his tattoos change, and a tattoo has appeared on Camryn as well.  Since he doesn’t know any other shifters like himself he doesn’t have anyone to consult about whether this is normal or not.   

 

It’s a complicated situation that only grows more startling as time goes on.  Throw in the strained relationship between Ryman and his brother and the simple fact that hell-horses are nothing like Earth horses, they’re predators, and Camryn might have stumbled into the oddest way to take her mind off her one-woman-pity-party. 

 

Shelley Munro tells a truly impressive tale with HOUSE OF THE CAT.  The characters are larger than life and bring a smile to the reader’s face even as your heart breaks for their particular situations.  Even the hell-horses won me over which I honestly didn’t think would be possible when I first read about them.  The romance between Camryn and Ryman is intense but it is overshadowed by her feelings of guilt about Gabriel’s death and her longing to return to Earth after the race.  I have to admit it felt very real because her emotions are so vivid and normal for someone who’s experienced such a loss.  HOUSE OF THE CAT is one of those books that grab your attention right from the start and keeps you guessing, hoping, dreaming and smiling right through to the very end.  It engages all your emotions and leaves you with a smile on your face and dreaming of even more stories about some of the other characters I couldn’t help but adore.

 

On a side note, be sure to check out the cover art by Syneca for HOUSE OF THE CAT.  It’s absolutely beautiful and a little breathtaking.

By Romance Junkies Reviewer: Chrissy Dionne Click here to Buy this Book Now!   Romance Junkies Content Editor: Claudia Romance Junkies Publishing Editor: Chrissy   Top of Page