Untouched by Samantha Hunter

Raised in secret by the CIA, Risa Remington used her superhuman skills to read other people’s thoughts. Six months ago, an accident erased Risa’s abilities and then the CIA cast her aside like a broken piece of equipment. Risa was completely unprepared for life in the real world; she didn’t understand basic concepts like friendship and love. When CIA began to wonder if Risa had really lost her powers, they dispatched Daniel MacAlister to evaluate the situation. Unfortunately, the merest touch by Daniel triggers Risa’s powers for the first time since her accident. Now Daniel must decide where to love Risa or clean up the CIA’s problem – permanently.

This is perhaps Sam’s best book to date. I still don’t have a clear picture of what it takes to earn the Extreme label, as the paranormal aspect of this book ranges from very mild to non-existent. I do know that Sam created some powerful characters, which I’m certain you’ll enjoy when you read this book. The secondary characters also add a lot of charm to the story. If you’re a fan of Sam Hunter, you definitely need to read this book.

Details: Blaze #299, January 2007

Excellence Rating: Great

Steaminess Factor: Heat Wave

Hide & Seek by Samantha Hunter

As the newest member of the HotWires, Nathan Reilly has set his sights on Jennie Snow. That is until Nathan learns that Jennie has a secret. Jennie joined the Witness Protection Program after testifying against some of her mafia kinfolk. Unfortunately, Internal Affairs believes that her story is fake and that she’s spying for the mob. They’ve asked Nathan to get that evidence, but Nathan gives into his urges stepped and slept with Jennie. When Jennie realized that her secret isn’t a secret any longer, she runs away leaving Nathan alone and confused. So naturally he uses his computer skills to track her down. Now Nathan must decide whether to trust Jennie or bring her back to face justice.

In the latest installment of the HotWires, Samantha brings back a character she introduced in the third book and gives her a back story that’s bound to cause lots of conflict and it does. In fact this story is filled with conflict from the very start all the way through the ending, which I really loved. If you liked the other HotWire books, this one definitely should be on your shopping list.

Details: Blaze #267, August 2006

Bottom line: A very good book

Flirtation by Samantha Hunter

When the only thing in common to a number of large thefts is a web site named SexyTarot.com, EJ Beaumont goes online in an attempt to learn more information. He makes contact with SexyTarot.com’s proprietor Charlotte Gerard, and something inside EJ tells him Charlotte is innocent. But is his attraction to her overcoming his police instincts or is Charlotte merely a pawn in a much larger scam?

The third book in the HotWires series has a very good plot and some interesting characters. But story’s execution falls short of its potential as both the hero and heroine aren’t always true to their nature and also some of the details in the story don’t hold up in the light of day. If you enjoyed the other stories in the series, you’ll enjoy this book too. You'll also see into the future for all three main characters, plus meet a few new characters that you’ll see in future books in this series.

Details: Blaze #235, February 2006

Bottom line: A good book

Friction by Samantha Hunter

The second title in Samantha’s HotWires focuses on Sarah Jessup, who was forced to take a break from investing computer crimes for the police. Visiting a small bread and breakfast on Maryland’s Eastern Shore she runs into another cop, Logan Sullivan, who’s also nominally on vacation. Logan tracked his partner who disappeared in this area, through pornographic pictures posted on the Internet. Logan and Sarah actively try to conceal their jobs from each other, but eventually their attraction brings them together as they work to solve the mystery behind Logan's missing partner.

I think this is Samantha’s best work yet. The romance between Sarah and Logan is slow to evolve, which is exactly what you would expect for two people on vacation to pursue widely different agendas. This makes the characters very believable and causes a few smiles along the way. Couple that with a strong plot and a little action and you’ll find yourself wanting to read just a few more pages even though you know you shouldn’t.

Score: Great

Details: Blaze #229, January 2006