Review: Claimed by Desire by Kristin Miller

Happy Saturday, everyone! It's the weekend! Today we have a review of paranormal romance author Kristin Miller's novella, Claimed by Desire, the first in her Isle of Feralon novella series. This is a hot read meant for adults only. Enjoy!

Synopsis: "Empath Misty Burke only ever wanted one man: dragon shifter Rafe Landon. Their attraction was irresistible, but he was forbidden to love a member of another race and banished her from their island, breaking Misty's heart.

Misty believes she's gotten over him since that day—until she's called home for a mission to help Rafe's clan. The primal draw between them is as strong as ever, but despite their searing passion, Rafe still refuses to put Misty at risk by claiming her as his rider and mate. Even if it costs him his life…..”

Genre: Paranormal Romance--novella

First Sentences: " 'How long she been out?' Misty Burke teetered on the edge of consciousness, struggling to separate the syllables of the gravelly voice. Who was that? Where was she? And why couldn't she open her eyes?"A great opening! Though I'm usually one for heavy action openings, I enjoyed these first lines. They drew me in without jarring me out of my seat. And when the heroine, Misty, was asking questions, so was I. I was able to relate easily to her, and the hero, Rafe, was immediately appealing.

Brownie Points: The sexual tension in this novella was hot hot hot! The heat level hits the ground running and it was interlaced perfectly with the conflict, which was established in the first few pages. I loved the set up of Misty and Rafe's previous relationship--young love. The history between them served perfectly for a novella. Misty's character is strong-willed and I liked that when she returned to the Isle of Feralon she wasn't willing to take any b.s from Rafe. Although Rafe is bull-headed (in a sexy way, of course), I loved that not only is Misty his soft spot, but he is willing to put aside his pride and humble himself in order to re-express his love for her. The world-building in this novella was also fantastic! The world was extremely well-developed and very detailed. I can't wait to revisit the Isle of Feralon in the next novella!

Beefs: I didn't have many beefs with the story. Though the novella was immediately hot, I wanted more time before Misty and Rafe did the sideways-tango, though when they did, it was smokin' lol! Their connection happened very soon after they were reunited and I would've liked some more time. Granted, the constraint of a novella lends for the sexy times being a bit early, so I suppose you could say I wanted this to be a novel, not a novella--which shows how much I liked it! I also wanted to see the transformation of Misty's feelings more before she decides to trust Rafe again, even though she reassures herself that it's purely physical.

Ending: I won't give the ending away, but I was thoroughly satisfied, though I wish it hadn't ended. I'm very much looking forward to Forbidden by Fate, the second novella in the series.

Recommendation and General Comments: Overall, I really enjoyed this novella. It was a quick and enjoyable read, and I was sucked into a very magical world that still felt very real. There was no shortage of romance and the story was definitely hot to match. It's for this reason, that I give Kristin Miller's Claimed by Desire a rating of full moon!

This novella is a great read, and the story is perfect if you want something fast-paced and intriguing. This would be the perfect read whilst traveling or even just at home one lazy afternoon--if you want to escape somewhere magical, Claimed by Desire is for you. I enjoy Kristin Miller's work and I think these novellas show even more growth in her already talented abilities. I'm a big fan of the Isle of Feralon!

I hope you enjoyed the review. Don't forget to check in on Monday for my follow-up review of the second novella in the series, Forbidden by Fate! Author Kristin Miller will be here on her blog tour to answer questions! Don't miss out! See you then ;-)