Title: Kiss Me Deadly Author: Shannon Stacey Publisher: Samhain Publishing Genre: Paranormal, Shapeshifter, Horror Publication date: October 2006 ISBN: 1-59998-246-3 Pages: 67 Series: Talons Heat Level:     Rating:

Warning:  Contains violence and gore that might not be suitable for the faint of heart.  

Khail is a harbinger of death, with a touch, he takes life.  When his touch fails to bring death to Bridget, he does not understand the meaning.  It has been his curse for the past 361 years to bring death and maintain the balance between good and natural death and evil and unnatural death.  Realizing that he was able to touch a woman after so long and not cause her death fills him with the uncontrollable desire to touch her again. 

Bridget Sawyer wakes from a nightmare about a naked man in her room to find a massive raven in his stead.  She lives alone, isolated from the world by choice.  Her self-imposed solitude has helped her overcome the pain of her past and she has poured the images in her mind into her illustrations.  When the raven in her home transforms into the man from her illustrations, she can’t get a sense of what is happening and she realizes that neither can he. 

Kiss Me Deadly is a beautiful and powerful story.   Set in a backdrop reminiscent of the horror movie, The Birds, my heart was pounding from beginning to end.  Khail is wonderful, gentle and amazing while Bridget is sweet, funny and adoring.  The love scenes were hot and sexy as well as beautiful.  Until the last page, I had no idea how this tale would end.  It was fast-paced and exciting and I strongly recommend reading it.