I received this book for free from the author as a free story in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the author as a free story
"Shutdown"
by
Laurell K. Hamilton
It is part of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter #22.75 series and is a erotic romance, urban fantasy that was published by the author on October 8, 2013 and has 25 pages.
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Other books in this series include [books_series]
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Hit List, Bloody Bones, Killing Dance, Burnt Offerings, Narcissus in Chains, Obsidian Butterfly, Bite, Incubus Dreams, Micah, Danse Macabre, The Harlequin, Blood Noir, Skin Trade, Flirt, Bullet, Never After, Kiss the Dead, The First Death, Affliction, Guilty Pleasures, The Laughing Corpse, Circus of the Damned, A Kiss of Shadows, Lunatic Café, A Caress of Twilight, Seduced by Moonlight, A Stroke of Midnight, Mistral’s Kiss, A Lick of Frost, Blue Moon, Dead Ice, Jason, Crimson Death, Serpentine, "Wounded", Fantastic Hope, Cerulean Sins, A Terrible Fall of Angels, Slay, Swallowing Darkness
A short story, 22.6, in the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter horror/urban fantasy series set in St. Louis and revolving around a D/s necromancer. The couple focus is on Richard and his new fiancée, Dr. Ellen Radborne.
My Take
The start was way too telling for me, but I guess I shouldn’t complain about a freebie from Hamilton (it was only free while the government was shut down in 2013).
Once you get further into it, the tell bit lightens up, and it’s primarily a discussion of the dominance and submission roles played by Anita and Richard and how they interact with Asher. It seems that Richard has come a l-o-n-g way…and it’s even longer at the end. Whew. I sure didn’t recognize him!
Ellen’s attitude certainly hits a lot of Anita’s buttons; it’s a good thing Micah’s there to hold her back. And Anita makes some very good points to Ellen. It’s difficult to believe that Richard is so accepting in this.
Hamilton has come under fire from many readers for her use of the series to play out her own relationship issues, and I’m certainly curious as to what’s happening in her life now. Whatever it is, she seems more relaxed — at least on Richard’s part, LOL.
The Story
A troubled lunch in which Anita and Micah are supposed to reassure a worried Ellen that Anita is not planning to seduce Richard back into her bed.
The Characters
Anita Blake and Micah Callahan, a leopard shifter and one of her live-in sweeties, are one of the couples du jour with the intention of reassurance.
The gorgeous Richard Zeeman, the alpha for the werewolves, has been conflicted for most of the series and seems to have gotten his head on straight! He’s always dreamt of the white picket fence and is hoping it will happen.
Dr. Ellen Radborne teaches college-level biology and loves the same outdoor sports as Richard. It’s those indoor sports that have her worried.
The Cover
The cover is primarily black-and-white with leather and a pair of wineglasses heaped in the upper middle.
The title is too accurate as one of the party is gonna get “Shutdown”.
