"Intense characters, excellent plot -- but a bit too much blood."

"As long as I can remember, there has been a wolf by my side."

The circumstances of Taneika's birth are unusual to say the least. As are some of the talents she possesses. Knowing from the beginning she was different, Taneika was used to being alone, with no other companion than a wolf she was raised with.

Taren Carpenter completely changes Taneika's life. As his investigation of criminal activities in the park heats up, the threat of danger comes closer and closer to them both. With every passing day, Taren begins to find out more about Taneika, as well as the criminals he was sent to investigate. At first startled and repulsed by what he learns of Taneika, he begins to grow accustomed to the differences between them, and to finally accept them. But with a madman on the loose, it may be too late.

The concept of TANEIKA intrigued me. I am a big fan of paranormal romances and erotica. Starting into TANEIKA, I had such high hopes, and it looked like R. Casteel was going to deliver, with intense characters and fleshed out plot. Then, as they say, the shoe dropped. I can handle mentions of blood. It is a basic part of much vampire and werewolf fiction. But in my opinion, TANEIKA went a little bit overboard. When the sex scenes became threaded with blood, when more focus was on her hunts and eating habits than on the passion between the main characters, TANEIKA lost much of its appeal for me. Yes, they did continue to get to know each other, to explore the differences between them, the love and desire, but it was all intermixed with blood and raw meat and such.

Still, I hung in there, knowing that the whole book couldn't be all blood and hunts, there had to be some more romance and passion. And there was and so I kept reading and made it to the end. That was when the other shoe dropped. Throughout the book, Indian lore and beliefs were expressed strongly and vividly. But with the epilogue, TANEIKA changed focus and, in my opinion, it lost its impact. If TANIEKA had stayed true to one myth system, one belief, it would have been much better.

Still, given R.Casteel's ability to create intense characters, I would give this author's other books a try.

Reviewed by Michelle Houston
Courtesy Sensual Romance
Posted August 20, 2002

Summary

Undercover agent Taren Carpenter's new neighbor is anything but your average girl next door... Taneika sometimes seems closer to the wolves she cares for than to other people. Her rare gift, an ability to control wild animals, has branded her an outcast within their community. When Taneika inadvertently becomes part of a murder investigation Taren is assigned to, his protective instincts take over. Forced together by danger, passion seals their bond. Taren's heart has fallen, but he only knows half the woman. What will happen when he meets...Daughter of the Wolf.