I received an e-copy of this story for an honest review.
This is the second book in Evangeline Anderson’s Cougarville series. While Book 1 gave us a taste of her version of the Shifter legend, this book ratchets up the story line. And, Holy Lady Moon, does it ratchet up! There is a lot more suspense, a little violence, and, as always, a romance that makes you wish you had your own Shifter. As with the first one, there is an HEA, and there is no cliff hanger. She also gives you a hint of what may come from the next story. Yes, there is another one coming. Yay!

Samantha Becker is a talented trauma surgeon who is happy with her current life. She knows she might have an inactive shifter gene, but she’s happy with it not appearing. After she saves Liam Keller a cougar shifter, he’s determined to have her as his mate.
I don’t get to read too many shifter books anymore so I was really excited for this one. Unfortunately, I didn’t like this one. I didn’t read the first book, so I can’t say how well the author did with converting Liam from the villian to the hero, which maybe would’ve helped me more. My biggest problem was with Samantha. She absolutely didn’t want to be pursued as a mate throughout the entire book but in the end does. Also, the kidnapping was a bit uncomfortable for me.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

I would not suggest reading as a stand alone. I had to go back to read the first book to catch up. Samantha is the ones who saves Kellers life after the big fight. Keller believes he needs to protect Samantha. The chemistry between Keller and Samantha is off the charts. Nothing repeats and the flow of the story is great.

This is the second book by Evangeline that I've read and I enjoyed it as much as the first, Buck Naked. I was glad to revisit Cougarville and watch Samantha Becker and Liam Keller fall in love, whom we also met in Buck Naked. While this is a new story focused on different characters, the main underlying plot continues to build, I can't wait to see where this story goes.

I liked Mathis, let me just say, but OMG is Liam freaking Hot! Sexy, take charge, dirty talking, Uber Alpha. I was loving this story from the first page. It was so much better than the first and that's saying something since I enjoyed that one alot. I like Sammie. She knows what she wants (career wise) and isn't afraid to let Liam know. Misunderstandings, danger, hot hot sex... Oh yes. This has it. Definitely looking forward to the next one.

I cannot get enough of these ridiculous books! A whole new take on shifters, these are so quirky and clever, taking a ridiculous plot and running with it on a whole new, and highly entertaining level! Throw in an engaging plot line, blush worthy steamy moments, and a swooning romance and it's an absolute hit!

The author gives us plenty of details of Sadie and Matthias, because they have plenty of story left to tell. Yet this isn't their story, it's that of Sadie's sister, Samantha. She's a pistol, that one. When she's faced with adversity, she kicks it in the balls and eats it for lunch. Little wonder she was to be the one to tame the stubborn Liam, turning the first book's "bad guy" into a man any girl would swoon for.

This is a series to follow, for so many reasons. This series is as crazy as it sounds, but in all the best ways! Love it!

Cougar Bait (Cougarville) Kindle Edition
by Evangeline Anderson  (Author)
Netgalley provided me an early copy for professional review.
There is something about Evangeline Anderson's romance novels, be they Cougarville, her Alien Mating Index Romance novels or her Kindred Novelsm
All of them grab you with in the first three pages. And the all contain real women who thing about real things. The Alpha-males that populate her novels aren't egotistically sure of themselves, or so brooding that you swear Lord Byron would be the life of the party.
This is true in Cougar Bait – a true play on words in this case. Forty-something trauma surgeon Samantha Becker has given up a love life and a family for her career and she is damned proud of that career as she is at the top of her profession. So good, she was able to save cougar-shifter Liam, both the Mayor of Cougarville and a high-tech billionaire, the owner of a medical tech company. Liam happens to be hot, made of muscles, sexy as hell and in his twenties – thus the play on words. For those who have been under a rock, a cougar can be more than a mountain cat, a cougar is an older woman who dates a far younger men.
Liam is instantly attracted to the older Samatha, positive, that like her sister, she is one of the rare women who carry the active shifter gene and someone is out to kidnap her to use her for that gene.
As with all Ms. Anderson's novels, the story is as important as the steam and romance. Her characters are fully fleshed out, even the ones who only appear for a moment. The scenery and backdrops are real enough you could walk into them.
As usual, Ms. Anderson outdoes herself
This book is Book Nerd Approved
5 out of 5
https://www.amazon.com/Cougar-Bait-Cougarville-Evangeline-Anderson-ebook/dp/B06XBQCG2M/

COUGAR BAIT is book two in Evangeline Anderson's Cougarville series. For readers new to this series, Evangeline Anderson does a good job of explaining key terms. The term "Juvie" seemed a tad sketchy, when I first saw it, until the author explained what that term means. Like the heroine in the previous story, Samantha Becker is no barely legal female who is unsure of herself and waiting for some dream man to whisk her away. Samantha is a mature woman, and talented surgeon, whose Shifter Gene has been activated is making her become Rejuvenated -- or what's known as a "Juvie". Although sexy cougar shifter Liam Keller is unexpected, and initially unwanted by Sammie, he soon becomes very helpful and very desired by her. A rogue stalker shifter throws a wrench into their courtship, but the close quarters and adrenaline-fueled adventure have them bonding before they know what hit them.

This is a perfect story for paranormal romance fans who enjoy books in which the hero and heroine have a prickly beginning. Sammie is not thrilled to learn that she has some freaky shifter "otherness" about her. This news throws her life into a tailspin and she worries how it will disrupt her work. This book reverses traditional gender roles. Liam tries to express his emotions to Sammie, but she doesn't really want to hear it. I like Liam and the way he challenges Sammie's preconceptions of him. When she finally stops to listen to him, Sammie discovers that Liam has brains as well as sex appeal. I like that this hero and heroine both have a background in the medical field and the way that helps draw them together. Sammie finds she has a stalker, and Liam gets to be a hero, but Sammie is able to use her intelligence and newfound strength to help save herself as well.

COUGAR BAIT has a heroine who is both beauty and beast and a hero who has brains, brawn, and romance in his heart. Evangeline Anderson injects the right amount of danger into this story to lend an extra layer of excitement, without taking away from the romance. After being introduced in BUCK NAKED, Liam shows hidden depths in COUGAR BAIT, as well as proves himself to be both a lover and a fighter. Although it's not necessary, readers new to this series will want to go back and read the previous story because it features Sammie's sister. I look forward to reading Evangeline Anderson's next "Cougarville" book.

I voluntarily read an advanced reviewers copy of this book

This is the 2nd book in the series and it was hands down 100% better than book 1. I loved the fact that Samantha was not as confused as Sadie was. In fact every time they mentioned Sadie I was annoyed but once I blocked her out I was in love with Keller and Samantha.

The heat between this couple was out of this world and the action kept you coming back for more. Great job Evangeline!

I had a hard time connecting with Samantha. She was constantly insisting that she didn't want to be a shifter (something I find extremely annoying in a shifter book when someone is going to become a shifter). And why Liam wanted her was a mystery since the whole book Samantha pushed him away even after they were mated.

No matter how gorgeous Liam Keller is, Dr Samantha Beckett does not need the younger man and all his complications in her life. And by complications she means that he can turn into a Palaeolithic cougar and is determined to father some children on a woman, any woman it seems, as long as she has the shifter gene. Something that Sammie has and which makes her vulnerable to attack from the unsavoury underbelly of the shifter world. However, Keller is determined to protect Sammie, and not only because she saved his life or because she has the right genes.

I am keeping this review short and kind of sweet, this is something I sometimes do when I don’t like a book very much, as I quickly run out of politely worded and almost objective commentary about what I didn’t like. With Cougar Bait this isn’t the case. I didn’t dislike this book. I also didn’t like it either. Instead I was in the horrible place where I felt nothing at all and was reading purely to get to the end.

The problem was, was that I felt like I had read this book a thousand times before in various different places. It didn’t add anything that extra something, be it characters I really liked, or a storyline that I got drawn into, instead I faithfully read until I got to the end and didn’t really feel like I had garnered much enjoyment from the experience.

I would like to caveat this with I do normally like Anderson’s books, especially her Brides of the Kindred series, but Cougar Bait didn’t work for me.

A good shifter romance story. This one is the second in the series, which is the story of Liam Keller, the cougar shifter, and Dr. Samantha, the twin sister of Sadie who was in the first book. Creepy lab people, and kidnappers turned me off a bit, and Samantha's attitude towards Liam irritated me a bit (thought she was cruel, especially considering he had already had a woman in his past abort his child). Obviously there is a HEA, but some of the journey cost a star. Would still highly recommend this book and series though, as it kept my interest through to the end.

I want to admit – I haven’t read the first book in this series before I had started this one. But, I was still able to read and follow along with the story just fine. If anything it made me want to go and read the first book in the series because I did enjoy this one.

Cougar Bait was a fun, interesting read for me. To be honest, when I found out we would be “attending” the medical lecture with Sammie, I was worried. I was worried that there would be an overload of medical mombo-jumbo and I would be lost. But thankfully that wasn’t the case at all.

Liam’s character was one that really bugged me in the beginning, but as the story went on he started to grow on me. And then I just fell in love with him! I had the same feelings towards Sammie, but honestly at times I just wanted to smack her upside the head because of her bull head.

The story has a TON of sexual tension, which worked out great for the book overall. When the sex scenes did happen it was done right and made perfect sense for the story.

The drama and action in this book was great as well. It kept me on the edge of my seat and left me wanting more. Needless to say, I now want to go read book 1, and then I can’t wait until the next book in the series releases!

Having read Evangeline Anderson books in the past and found them quick sexy reads with a plot, Highley enjoyable books that left my blood pumping I couldn't wait to get my hands on a shifter book by her. Unfortunately I wish I had waited. Unfortunately I forgot my one rule with shifter books prepare to be disappointed, the disappointment isn't because the book is bad, no it just didn't live up to the other paranormal shifter books I have read. Unfortunately authors like Nalini Singh, Sherrilyn Kenyon and Lora Leigh have left me with incredibly high standards when it comes to the genre. Despite my previous love of Evangeline Anderson Cougar bait just didn't do it for me the plot dragged and I wasn't drawn in despite my enjoyment of the characters I loved no nonesence Samantha and Alpha Liam I just wanted the plot to love faster and draw me in.

I use to be like Samantha when I worked in the corporate world so I was able to relate to her character with complete compassion towards her reactions to various events and her insistence regarding her career. But there was a point I did want to knock some sense into her regarding her thoughts toward Liam Keller. But just like life I sat back watching as events unfolded causing chain reactions to her characters' further development as she opened her mind to the possibility of things being outside the ordinary.

Liam Keller, Alpha cougar and bad boy from book one, shows another aspect of his personality in this book and the reader will feel a shift in who or what they believe about him if they read it. Don't let this stop you from reading this book if you haven't because this book works as a standalone in my opinion. Liam is just plain hot, hot, hot and the love making scenes between them are even hotter.

There are some scenes between Samantha and a Hyena Shifter that are a little dark but it fits into the story and didn't distract me from continuing to read it. The author does a phenomenal job in the setup and continuance of this series so I am looking forward to Cooper's story which seems to be next.

Because she created a world that is not only sensual but one of a kind I give this 4 stars.

Ready for a whirlwind romance with a little bit of chasing the prey? This book starts up right after the last one. It is recommended to read the books in order but it isn't necessary. Samantha Becker is thrown into a supernatural world when her sister is inducted into the shifter world. Sammie is a no-nonsense science based woman. As a doctor, she is a realistic and these supernatural shifter world has thrown her for a loop. But she doesn't care because she is going to be returning to her sane life. Little does she know that her life saving tactics for Liam Keller has him now sniffing after her.

This story is hilarious. It is fun and lighthearted for the most part. I liked how Liam is a stealthy guy who flies under the radar and plays the "good ole boy". He is sneaky like a cat and catches Sammie completely off guard with his education and knowledge. It just goes to show, looks can be deceiving. The playfulness in this story with how a human cat could be stalking its prey and then play with it to death is well done. I liked how Liam keeps catching Sammie and playing with her and wearing her down until she realizes she does belong with him. It's interesting to see Liam from a different side. Meeting him in the first book may give a reader a bad impression of him because he was quite the ass in the first book. He totally redeems himself and then some in this one. He's quite adorable half way through and a bit irresistible. There is no way Sammie won't fall for his antics and just surrender.

This story from beginning to end moves smoothly and with a joy that is infectious. I generally do not read happy books or light ones. This is one I thoroughly enjoyed and recommended to those who are looking for a break from the dark and depraved. This sometimes silly story is sweet and a winner. Can't wait to see what will come in the next book in this series.

Liam Keller , cougar shifter billionaire , wakes up in ICU with his Trauma Doctor checking his wounds .
He realises she has the 'Rejuvenation Gene' that allows human women to breed with shifters and provide babes who will also carry the Gene .
There is only one problem , his Doctor, Samantha Becker has absolutely no interest in what he is trying to tell her - at 40 years of age , single and a workaholic - her job as a Trauma Surgeon comes first .
Samantha leaves Liam in hospital , ignoring his warning about the Rejuvenation Gene and Alpha Shifters ,and travels to Vegas for a conference .
But Liam has no intention of leaving Samantha unprotected and uses his shifter healing abilities to follow her - she is not pleased to see him. But after being attacked in bed on her first night by a Hyena shifter she agrees to let him keep her safe - from a distance , before returning home early.
Unknown to either of them Samantha has been injected with a substance that will bring on an early and faster Rejuvenation ............... The Hyena Shifter , working with a Human private investor ,is desperate to harvest her hormones and possible other body parts too .
Despite a tentative initial bond link Samantha and Liam must battle to put their dislike/lust and preconceptions behind them in the race to save Samantha .... and possibly other future victims .

This was a book that had a good premise but I found both central characters inflexibility difficult to relate to . Future books in this series might improve with a better dynamic between the main characters .

I was given an arc of this book by the Publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review .

I gave this books only 2.5 stars as I did not think it quite met the mark .

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆
Cougar Bait is the second installment in the Cougarville series, and I'd suggest against reading it as a standalone. Cougar Bait starts off immediately where Buck Naked ended, this time Sadie's sister, Samantha, is our narrator.

Samantha saves Keller's life after his fight with Mathis. Mathis and Sadie go off into the sunset (woods) and Samantha spends nearly 24-hours operating on and attending to Keller's life-threatening injuries. After the reasons why the fight occurred, Samantha hightails it to Vegas for the conference she's missing, because her job was done and their problems aren't her problems.

Keller feels responsible for Samantha's life, a life for a life, after she saved his. Stubborn and independent, Samantha doesn't heed Keller's words of advice and caution.

The heat and intensity between Keller and Samantha were off the charts. Some of the scenes were a first for me, and each scene was unique (no repeats). Cougar Bait is a sexy, erotic novel.

I did have a bit of a problem with Samantha's personality. Not the stubbornness and independence. But how a world-renowned surgeon was such an idiot, with no common sense, or the ability to deduce anything about a given situation. Around the 80% mark, I was so frustrated with her characterization, I almost threw in the towel. I say this every time... all that schooling, all that life experience, while it may not mature the emotions, it however won't allow the doctor to act too stupid to live – repeatedly. I found it hard to swallow how for the sake of conflict, miscommunication abound, Samantha began to act like a tween girl without a functioning brain in her head.

I adore the series, calling it a guilty pleasure, and I look forward to more to come.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars
M/F Shifter Romance
Triggers: Click HERE to see Avid Reader’s review on Goodreads for trigger warnings.

Samantha is an amazing trauma surgeon. She saves the life of Cougarville Mayor Liam Keller, even after he attempted to kill her sister’s mate, Mathis. She loves her sister and they have always had a beautiful bond that allows them to feel when the other is in danger or something is wrong. While in Cougarville, she sees things that she would have thought to be impossible. Her sister is now a large herbivore shifter and can’t wait to have more children with her new mate, Mathis. Samantha’s world is kind of spinning, but she pulls herself together, checks on Liam, whom she had performed surgery on the previous night, and then decides that she’s going to attend a conference in Las Vegas.

Liam Keller is closed off to love. He is a successful businessman and the mayor of Cougarville, but he will never love again. He tried that once and it was disastrous. So now, he is simply looking for someone to provide him with an heir and he will be happy. When he meets Samantha, he realizes how special she is. But because she’s not rejuvenating, he thinks that his chances with her are slim. He needs a “juvie” in order to produce an heir.

Despite her insistence that Liam not follow her to Las Vegas, that she is not in danger, Liam knows that Vegas is very dangerous for Samantha. What ensues is both chilling and heroic. Samantha is attacked and Liam is there to save her. Against both of their instincts, both Samantha and Liam begin to develop feelings for each other.

Fears and past experiences get in the way, but in the end, both Samantha and Liam have to decide whether or not they will let their fears win or if love can truly heal all wounds.

I can’t wait to see what happens next!


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second in the series and follows on directly from the last book. It concentrates on Sadie's twin, Samantha, who had come to Cougarville worried about her sister.

We are taught to loathe Liam Keller in the first book, so he has to work very hard to convince us that he is a good guy, and possibly even harder with Samantha, even if she is deeply attracted to him. The storyline is really engaging, and whilst it conforms with other shifter 'rules,' it has some good twists that add to the plot. It was fun to see Fiona again, and the relationships between Mathis, the twins, and Keller have all to be resolved by the end of the book. I love the hint at what might happen next – both in terms of Cougarville, but also with the mayhem that may have been set off by the researcher.

Looking forward to the next installment, thank you, Ms. Anderson.

My thoughts .... I really, really, really, REALLY liked it. There are so many good elements to this second installment of the Cougarville series. Of course, there are the normal elements like the dangerously sexy hero and pretty yet feisty heroine. The author gives the reader a little bit more than the norm.

Both leading characters (Liam Keller and Samantha Becker) were first introduced in the first installment of the series (Buck Naked) where Liam is the good looking ass everyone loves and hates at the same time. While Samantha, is skeptical about everything she sees and learns. From the beginning of their interactions with each other the normal assumption would be that both characters are a natural fit but Cougar Bait demonstrates that there is much more to their characters. Liam is arrogant but not to the point that you would want to chase him with a broom. His character has more heart than could be first imagined (especially since the Liam in the first installment was a royal arse) and it was to discover Liam's true character. Samantha's character shows that she is confident in her work but really insecure in her personal life. The insecurity is understandable to an extent but soon the behavior becomes kind of annoying. It has to be taken into consideration that Samantha's logical world is changing right before her eyes and not all the changes are happy ones.

All in all, this was a fun, steamy and exciting read with a cast of interesting characters. Even the bad guys are interesting because those darned hyenas are up to something big. I'm really interested in seeing how this series develops.

I received a copy of this e-book and am voluntarily leaving an honest opinion.

Samantha, a trauma surgeon has just finished surgery on Keller, a cougar shifter. She was visiting her sister when Keller and another shifter were basically trying to kill one another. Samantha was there with her sister, over whom the fight began.

When Keller finally awakens, he finds out that Samantha is going to a Medical Convention in Vegas and is not very happy. He asks her not to go and when she refuses he says he is going to follow her to make sure she is safe. He is pretty sure she has a special gene, and someone to kill for it. Plus Vegas is hyena territory and they're not to be trusted...

Can he keep her safe...can she resist his charms and the way he makes her feel?

This book has it's own little twist on shifters. Apparently many are born with this gene and the rejuvenation period, (think of the onset of puberty but at a quicker pace) is anywhere from 30-50.

Samantha doesn't want anything to do with the gene, or Keller or having babies. She has worked hard to get to where she is and loves her career. Keller does want her but she doesn't really believe him.

This story definitely has some laugh out loud moments, such as the mean nurse that is trying to bully Keller into not leaving the hospital. When it gets serious, it really gets serious. The planning and deviousness of the person who wants the "gene" is scary.

I did enjoy this story and would read more from this author.