I found this book quite enjoyable. One of the things that has recently started to bug me about the Anita books is the over saturation of sex. It has been bordering overboard, just filler. That's not quite accurate, though because the love Laurelle puts into her writing, her spirit is poured into these sequences of the story, and many of them are important parts of the story for her character's development, and for plot. It is just that there is more to Anita than her hungers, than the men she sleeps with. When every few paragraphs Anita starts licking someone the rest of who she is gets lost somewhere in the discarded clothing.
I enjoyed this story more because it was more old school Anita, she actually got to go to work in this story...of course she didn't get to accomplish much, but hey I'll take what I can get. This story is very fast paced and kept me interested in that action thriller sort of way. Laurelle introduces a couple new characters that I'm sure we'll be seeing more of, and allows Anita to tap into her continually growing powers to get her out of the sticky situation she got into.
It was a rather short read but, I think that's because it didn't have ten chapters of romance in it. It didn't have room for all that either. This wasn't a romance novel it was a sexy action fantasy thriller just like they used to be.
I just wish they all could be like that, because what I love about Anita isn't how many hot guys she's got in her bed, it's her guns, knives, attitude, power, and honor. I love the Anita that works with the police and wont stop until she solves the case. I love the Anita that out smarts ancient vampires and pisses them off with her cynical sarcasm. I love Anita Blake:Vampire Hunter...and I often miss her, too. ( )

Synopsis: 'Anita is asked to raise the wife of the wealthy and powerful Tony Bennington. After refusing his request for a reanimation, Anita's lovers come to visit and Bennington reveals that his wife was a fan of Guilty Pleasures. Weeks later Anita comes across the werelions-for-hire Jacob and Nicky, who threaten to kill Micah, Nathaniel, and Jason unless she agrees to use her necromancy for their client. Anita is left with no choice but to comply, even as her inner werelioness reacts to Jacob and Nicky.
Anita soon discovers that Bennington is behind the kidnapping and threats, only for her inner lioness to react to the situation. In order to keep Bennington safe Jacob sequesters Anita, only for her lioness to further react to Jacob and Nicky. The two hit men end up giving into the natures of their were-beasts and battle for the chance to mate with Anita. Anita attempts to chase and attack Bennington, only to be stopped by a third member of Jacob's pride, Silas. She manages to wound Silas but Anita is ultimately re-captured and knocked unconscious. When she regains consciousness Anita manages to feed the ardeur off of Nicky, despite the initial attempts of Jacob and his pride's witch. The end result is that Anita's magic completely dominates Nicky, turning him into a "slave" with no free will outside of what she allows him.
Anita is then brought to the grave of Bennington's wife and forced to use Silas as a "White Goat". Due to his supernatural nature Anita raises the entire cemetery, overwhelming the protection laid down by the pride witch. This enables Anita to psychically contact Jean-Claude, who swiftly captures Bennington's men. Jacob flees with his pride's witch, but only after watching Anita kill Bennington and leaving behind the now rolled Nicky. Anita takes in Nicky, worrying about her abilities and what his being so completely rolled might mean for her in the future.'
Review: Nicky is a scary addition. I wonder if he's going to get killed off. ( )

This is another shorter book in the Anita Blake series. It's based on a real-life flirty situation Hamilton had in a restaurant with some friends. I really think she's a much better writer when she works in shorter formats. This book wasn't weighed down with all the extended sex scenes and incessant whining that a lot of the later books have. Some sex actually took place off-camera, so to speak.

I am noticing that certain elements of Hamilton's worldbuilding tend to disappear when it's convenient. Anita had been very concerned about accidental pregnancy after a scare in one book and was demanding all her guys wear condoms along with her being on the pill. But that seems to come and go.

Some of Anita's powers, she either forgets or acts like she's just discovered them. Hamilton really needs an editor or superfan to read her books before publication to correct these problems. She's raised an entire cemetery before in this book acts like it's something she _could_ do but hasn't actually done. Some of her powers over vampires come and go as well.

Werelions play a large part are in the book moving the story arc involving them a little further and giving Anita a new man in her life. Her sex life just gets more and more complicated. Soon she'll have a harem to rival any sultan's.

The book was a quick read and Hamilton talks about how she gets her ideas and turns them into books. But frankly, the drawn-out restaurant scene could have been tightened up. It just seemed to be there to give the book its title and add a weak link to what happens later. I thought the whole scene could have been written to better get the point across.

I'm moving on to the next book in the series. ( )

I really loved Laurell K. Hamilton's early Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series books but I did feel like she lost the thread a bit in the middle of the series. I am glad to say that it seems like she is focusing more on the story line and less on the sex of late which makes the books better in my opinion. I think Anita is a great character and Laurell K. Hamilton can write a great plot but her overly complicated sex scenes can somewhat take away from the book. ( )

Another in the Anita Blake Vampire hunter series. This one has her turning down a couple of jobs at the beginning of the book. This leads to her being kidnapped by a pair of were-lions. This one is a short quick read in comparison to some of the others in the series. ( )