Having survived being forcefully turned into a a bloodhound and being imprisoned by vampires, Hunter is not looking forward to his first new moon as a free man because of the insatiable sexual appetite it brings. For three days he will be lost in a haze of carnal desires and the only woman he wants is the last one he'd ever want to hurt. Once a prostitute, Ophelia now manages a household of bloodhounds. She's finding her new job to be more demanding then she thought it would be and the mutual attraction with Hunter is not making it any easier. Neither desire anything permanent but after a mind blowing new moon spent together, Ophelia and Hunter realize that being with someone else is no longer an option.
Ophelia is one of my favorite type of heroines, a survivor. She has no shame in being a former prostitute. Ophelia had a less than idea upbringing and did what she had to do to make a living. Hunter is a great match for her because he never thinks to judge her on her former profession and is able to see the intelligent woman that others may overlook. In turn, Ophelia is a good fit for Hunter because he's so unsure of himself and his ability to be a functional bloodhound, a man made shapeshifter, and she's willing to do whatever it takes to help him.
Hunter was a wealthy and spoiled human before being turned into a bloodhound by vampires and then caged. That life is nothing more than a memory now as he tries to cope with his new life in the wild west town of Iron Creek. He attempts to ignore his feelings for Ophelia but there is no hiding from the overwhelming sexual drive the new moon brings and his beast will have only Ophelia. Hunter and Ophelia's time together during the new moon was undeniably hot and I was glad to see the chemistry between them went beyond the bedroom as Ophelia tries to help Hunter accept not only who he is but that even though he's a bloodhound, he can still be loved. I wouldn't call their relationship sweet and I think it all worked perfectly for them.
While Hunter and Ophelia's relationship is a big part of Hunter's Prey, there's a bit more going on. Bloodhounds Wilder and Archer, who we met in book one of the series, along with Hunter are trying to figure out how vampires have been able to get drugs into their border town. Also, the Guild, order that creates the bloodhounds, has sent two bloodhounds to find out what really happened to one of their best scientists after the events that occur in Wilder's Mate. I liked that these stories were intertwined with the romance of the book because it added some well written action and a bit of suspense into the mix that fit with the story.
This is the second release in Moira Rogers' Bloodhound series and I think the best so far. The action, danger and romance are all kicked up a notch and Ophelia and Hunter were fantastic lead characters. This series is supposed to fall in the steampunk genre and while there are some steampunk elements to the story, this felt more paranormal romance to me. Still, it was a highly enjoyable read and worth picking up.
