Skin Heat (Berkley Sensation) [Mass Market Paperback]

After six months imprisoned at a secret facility where he is experimented on, Zeke Noble finally escapes. Having no idea why he was kidnapped, he is left bewildered and confused. Worse, he notices he has super hearing, speed and can read other people and animals. Coming home to his desolate farm, with only a nearby aunt, Zeke is at loss for what to do. His mother went insane and killed herself, and he fears he may be on the same path. He is angry at what happened to him and so scared at what he has become. He knows he can't do anything without money, so he immediately goes to look for a job.

Geneva Harper, or Neva is a veterinarian. Going against her wealthy family's wishes, she has gone off in her life to do her own thing, rather than marry who her parents picked out for her. When Zeke comes in looking for a job, she hires him to help do tasks around the office. She notices his quiet strength and his way with animals. When her apartment floods, and there is a break-in at the Vet, Neva decides to take a chance and stay with Zeke. At first they start out as roommates, but the more time they spend together, the more their romantic feelings grow. Zeke keeps his supernatural abilities a secret for as long as he can, but soon Neva starts to notice. There is also a serial killer on the loose, targeting women who closely resemble Neva. Scared she could be a target, her and Zeke lean towards one another to face a difficult future.

Skin Heat is book three in Ava Gray's (aka Ann Aguirre) very unique Skin series. This is a hard review to write because there are things I loved about this book but something that really bothers me too. Ava Gray takes a risk writing her heroes and this is what makes this series stand out. First there was Reyes, who personified sex and danger to the nth degree in Skin Game. And then she turned the morally ambiguous Foster into a very intense romantic interest in Skin Tight. In Skin Heat she gives us Zeke, a man who is altered due to medical tests performed on him against his will (which we learn about in the first two books). When he speaks, he comes across as very simple. Rarely forming complete sentences, and is very quiet. But on the inside he is a mess, but very complex. Always concerned he will reveal who he really is, he must keep so much a secret from everyone else. His attraction to Neva comes across very sweet and gentlemanly. He is the quiet soldier.

While I like Zeke and the romance with Neva, this book kind of feels like it comes out of left field. Yes, Zeke's issues are a result of the medical experimenting done in the previous two books, but that is where the relation to what has been going on in this series ends. I feel like this book doesn't fit in the arc of the series. The reveal of the serial killer shocked me, then made me disappointed. Maybe my expectation of Zeke's story is not where it should have been. When the serial killer has nothing to do with past events in this series, it just threw me for a loop. If I had picked this book up without reading the previous two books, I probably would have enjoyed it more because my expectation of dealing with past events would not have mattered. But I have read the first two books and I do want this world explored. Plus, I wanted both Zeke and Neva to analyze Zeke's new abilities more. I feel like the paranormal aspect is not explored enough.

So while the feel of the book is consistent with the previous two, I just can't see how the conflict plays into this world. Maybe it isn't suppose to. But I for one am disappointed.

Steamy sensuality meets diabolical deadliness in Ava Gray's newest release, Skin Heat.

Imagine being kidnapped, held hostage for months on end, being tortured and probed, the unthinkable done to you - experimented on like some kind of lab rat. Imagine escaping and returning to civilization, unable to read, write, do life's basic tasks. Imagine part of your humanity gone, replaced by animal instincts and abilities. Imagine the unimaginable.

Zeke Noble has never had an easy life. With a family history of mental instability and a mother who was deemed "nuts", no one held out much hope for him. Then when he disappeared for several months, townspeople just assumed that Zeke went off the deep end and simply left. This is the furthest from the truth, however, and when Zeke suddenly shows back up in his hometown, acting completely different, he is given a wide girth and thought of as crazy. For that matter, Zeke questions his own sanity when animal-like instincts take control of his body and his ability to simply read and write have disappeared. What had been done to him in that secret facility and why?

Geneva (Neva) Harper has a deep love of animals, her passion leading to becoming a veterinarian, much to her wealthy political family's dismay. Her inheritance has been frozen and she is completely on her own until she "comes to her senses". However Neva lets nothing stand in her way and her dream of caring for animals.

When fate crosses the paths of Neva and Zeke, the seductive chemistry between the two implodes. No matter how much they fight, the attraction becomes unbearable to deny. Neva senses something different in Zeke. His knack with animals is uncanny and his gentleness toward her is heart wrenching. While most women may turn away from Zeke's differences, Neva embraces them. She can see the beauty that is Zeke - both inside and out.

Zeke fears Neva finding out just how much "animal" he truly is. His need to hunt, ripping out his soul. If she finds out exactly what he is, will she be able to accept him or will she run into the night in fear and repulsion?

As the relationship between Zeke and Neva grows, there is death surrounding them and the town. Neva's twin brother has been missing for some time, and though she still holds out hope of finding him alive and well, others view this as an impossibility. Then bodies of young girls who look startling like Neva begin turning up. Each body is wrapped in red silk ribbons and posed just right. Just who is this sadistic killer and how can he be stopped. More importantly, all evidence points to the fact that Neva just may be his next victim. But why?

Skin Heat is a story that contains several twists, turns and gasping surprises. At one time I thought I had the murderer figured out, only to change my mind and then reconsider. If I had to give Skin Heat a one word review, it would be "intense". Not only is the suspense intense and the murder scenes intense, but Skin Heat is very blatantly sexually charged and the physical intensity between Zeke and Neva sets the pages on fire.

There are several aspects intertwined within Skin Heat. Paranormal, romance, murder and suspense all wrapped into one. I do want to mention that those easily offended by strong sexual scenes, language and graphic death should stay away from Skin Heat. Ms. Gray writes in a highly detailed manner, bringing the story to life and enabling the reader to easily visualize what she is writing. While this makes for an excellent story, those not accustomed to, or with a great dislike for, the above mentioned types of reading, may not want to venture into the world of Skin Tight.

I also want to mention that Skin Heat is the third in a series by Ava Gray, following Skin Game and Skin Tight. While part of a series, each is written in a way that can easily be read as standalones. I, personally, have not yet read the others in the "Skin" series, however this is the impression that I received from reading Skin Heat. Each story focuses on one specific person and their life after escaping the experimental facility in which they were held hostage. After reading Skin Heat, I do look forward to reading the others in this series, as well as other books by Ava Gray.

My overall impressions of Skin Heat is a bit rocky. When I began, I fell totally engrossed within the story and the characters of Zeke and Neva. I adored them both and loved their characteristics and their strength. Their chemistry is hot, their compassion mesmerizing. The romance aspect of the story is delightful and heart-pounding, while the suspense aspect is truly chilling. I loved how the author was able to take me for an unforgettable ride, leaving my head reeling and spinning. However, for whatever reason, about half way through the book, I fell a bit to the wayside. I'm not sure if it was just me and my "reading moodiness" taking over, or what the reason. There was a stretch of about forty or so pages that I struggled a bit through. However, I am thrilled that I persevered through those pages because the rest of the book left me racing through to the end and left me a bit speechless. With that being said, I would have to recommend Skin Heat to anyone looking for an intense, suspense-packed and sexually-charged book.

First off from other reviews I've read, I am really glad that I read this third book in the series before reading the second - so I avoided the disappointment for what was apparently a deviation from the series arc. So, I was just expecting expecting a romance with one of the leads having a special talent. And my expectations actually weren't that high because 'The Veternarian hooking up with The Guy with animal magnetism' theme has been done a whole bunch of times in shapeshifter romances, but this was not that story and I was really happy with the different take on that theme here.

Unknown to our Vet heroine Neva, she is the target of a serial killer who is working on his technique, so that when her turn comes her death will be 'perfect'. I didn't remember Skin Game being paranormal/suspense/romance, so suspense element of the story caught me off guard and actually I am not a huge suspense fan - I am not overly fond of being 'in' the head of a serial murderer. I don't know how well that part of the story will work for real suspense fans, since I managed to figure out the killer's identity a heartbeat before the big reveal, and I didn't think that the twist held up after mulling over the story. That's okay though, because I wasn't reading Skin Heat for the suspense, I was reading it for the romance and I really enjoyed the romance.

For me Skin Heat was worth reading just for the hero Zeke alone. Zeke's a person who has self worth issues as a result growing up poor in a small town, and being the son of a crazy woman meant he already didn't fit well into society. But after escaping imprisonment by kidnappers who experimented on him, Zeke has gained new strange powers which make it hard now for Zeke to even fit into the human race. It is mostly by Zeke's strength of will that he manages to keep a tenuous hold on his humanity - until Neva 'soothes his savage beast'. But even though Zeva's presence helps Zeke, he stays odd. Zeke's dialog is brief and without subterfuge, and there's still times when he's almost feral, but all of that just adds to his intensity.

That intensity is most apparent in Zeke's reaction to Neva. That 'mine' and 'must claim mate' instinct which is the element that makes me love shapeshifter stories - even though Zeke is not a shifter. And the way that Gray uses this in the story makes for some incredibly steammy loves scenes. But what really made the story for me is that when everything is being wrapped up at the end for the happy ending, there are some moments that are just so sweet when this man who had thought that he deserved nothing ends up with 'everything'.