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"a fast-paced, very sexy read"

Alone in the world after the deaths of her mom and dad, still reeling in the aftermath of her husband's death, Elle Reddington had taken a beachfront cottage to rediscover herself, and try to find her painting muse again. She's also hiding from her emotions, and avoiding contact with others.

Xavier Skye is the Alpha—ruler—of the Anubinake, an ancient race of shifters imbued with their power by Anubis. He knows Elle is his mate, the one destined to be his queen, and the only one who can wield the power of the Tear of Anubis, a giant ruby that contains unspeakable power. Now all he has to do is convince Elle to give him her trust, and her heart, while fending off a homicidal former packmate leading a band of outcasts.

In Tears of Anubis, Michele Bardsley has created a fascinating new take on werewolf and shapeshifter lore, loosely based in the mythology of ancient Egypt. Although the story is barely long enough to qualify as a novella, she manages to give a great deal of back-story without it feeling like an info dump, and the characters are crisply defined and three-dimensional. Elle is an atypical heroine, rather alpha in her own right, and Ms. Bardsley does a good job of keeping true to her character, while not getting into a power struggle with Xavier. And though Xavier is definitely an alpha, he doesn't seem to need to enforce his will over Elle, and isn't threatened by her power as a conduit for Anubis.

All in all, this is a fast-paced, very sexy piece, with well-balanced characters, set in a world I'd like to revisit. Anyone who likes action and adventure, sexy shifters, a touch of mythology, and frequent, steaming hot encounters should give this one a try.

Reviewed by Julia Clark
Posted June 19, 2008

Elle Reddington, desperate to escape the nightmare of her past, finds surcease at night in sizzling sexual dreams of a wolf-man, which hint at an eroticism that leave her breathless, frustrated, yearning for the real thing. When the man in her dreams walks into her life, it opens the door on a past she'd long forgotten.

Xavier Skye is Alpha of the Anubinake, wolf shape-shifters who hide among humans. He has long known the sensual Elle is his mate. Watching her has only fired a hunger in his soul and body that only she can sate.

But trouble is brewing, the survival of the Anubinake depends on the new Alphas, and ready or not, Xavier must bring Elle into his world — now.

Publisher Note: This title was previously published elsewhere, but has been extensively revised.

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