COUGAR BAIT, the second in the Cougarville series expanded on the series' complex and fascinating world with a unique take on shifters that I hadn't come across before. Interesting world-building decently paced plot aside, there were issues of consent that gave a sour tone to what would have been a pretty fun romance story.

With many shifter romances I have a slightly higher tolerance for alpha males who force themselves on women (physically and emotionally) due to the characters being part predatory animal and thus carry the traits of their animals. In COUGAR BAIT my tolerance was stretched almost to its breaking point. Liam comes of as too predatory in his behavior towards Samantha. He stalks her in a way that comes off as creepy. The things he says to her about his stalking of her and their relationship come off as creepy and controlling, not overly protective in a charming yet respectful way. During the first sex scene he essentially coerces her into sex. There is an important plot specific reason for it that makes total sense. But what he says and the way the scene is structured, I felt like Samantha was given no choice. For that matter she is given little choice in any other sex scene.

I don't want to say Samantha didn't have any agency in this story as she does handle herself pretty well at times. Her persistent shouts of not wanting anything to do with shifters or mating fall on deaf ears so many times I didn't really want her to get together with Liam in the end as I kept thinking she'd be miserable. Also, the sheer amount of times she is nearly raped and beaten or forced to do something that she has absolutely no control over did not sit well with me at all.

COUGAR BAIT has a unique shifter mythology and a solidly written plot. Unfortunately, I was put off by issues of consent and agency between Liam and Samantha and Samantha's constant state of peril that led me to not enjoy the book as much as I wanted to.

Can you accept what fate has planned for? Samantha knows what she wants in her life and it isn't children ever so even though Liam can offer her a different kind of life she doesn't want the one thing that he desires. Liam hasn't felt like this for a very long time and he knows that he can wear her down but he might just have lost that chance. Samantha is like her twin sister Sadie she carries the latent shifter gene and there is a madman out there that wants to harvest her nectar and sell it to the highest bidder and she just can't allow that to happen. She is able to get away and with Liam's help she is able to control her breeding heat but she knows that she can't continue her relationship with Liam, he is het and angry but he respects her wishes. Unfortunately the mad scientist never died and this time she will lose everything even the one thing that she never wanted. Can Liam find her before it is too late he can't accept that he can't have her in his life? A great read, good to see Sadie & Mathias in the story and to see their baby growing. Fiona is a big help again and this time someone will find that other part of their life that is missing can't wait to read Cooper's story.

These books are never straight vanilla and definitely veer towards the darker side, but they still never fail to deliver an unexpected romance.

Samantha is the sister of the previous book’s main character. While we briefly met her at the end, we certainly haven’t gotten to see all she has to offer. I think it would be okay to start reading the series here, but it would certainly help (or hurt) to see Liam as he plays a pretty strong role in book 1. Samantha, even after being locked up and watching Liam essentially threaten her sister with a forced mating, manages to save Liam’s life. As a surgeon, it kind of comes second nature to her to want to help people, but I’d be hard pressed to want to save the man that he was in book 1. He was pushy and almost forced a mating, which I thought would make it hard to get behind this romance. I was wrong. Liam won me over.

Liam ended up in a similar situation with Samantha, where a certain draw keeps him chasing her, no matter how much she insists she cannot be in his life. She has a normal human life, no signs of being a shifter any time soon, and has no interest in throwing her life away for any man. That all changes when she’s attacked and realizes that there might be some secret genes hiding in her somewhere. Their lives take a tumble and suddenly we all end up on Team Liam. I’m not really sure where the series will head from here since we’ve paired up the two main men, but I guess we could see what madness was unleashed from this book and follow it to its conclusion.

I was hoping the Cougarville series would turn into one of those cute, quirky, paranormal series set in a funny little town. That hope crashed and burned with Cougar Bait.

Any cuteness to be had was quickly quashed by the absolutely TSTL heroine, Samantha. She refused to believe that she had the shifter gene like her twin sister did. She then ran straight to where she was told would be a dangerous place for her if the gene did happen to activate. Ugh.

The hero, Keller, was the villain in Buck Naked (Cougarville #1) and recuperating after getting his ass kicked We are supposed to believe the guy who went to such lengths, like kidnapping, to make sure he could mate with Samantha’s twin and now suddenly is this wonderful guy who really wasn’t interested in that twin, he was trying to save her. We are also supposed to believe he’s now this super rich, super smart guy worthy of being with the brilliant surgeon. Yeah…no.

And then there were the huge plot holes. Huge! For instance, Keller’s been laying in a hospital bed too beat up to move, yet when he discovers Samantha has taken off to Vegas, he shifts and is almost all better. Why didn’t he do that in the first place?

Once things moved to Vegas, the plot got interesting, but Samantha’s refusal to see reason again had me rolling my eyes. I did finish Cougar Bait, but barely. I won’t be reading the next book in the Cougarville Series.

Rating: 2 Eye Rolling Stars

Cougarville is a place where shifters find mates and women of a certain age become 'rejuvenated' (called Juvies by the townspeople), regaining their youth and often going through a breeding fever if they are unmated. As the second story in this standalone series (though it starts right where book 1 ended), we got a glimpse of the two main characters in book 1, Buck Naked. Samantha is the twin sister of Sadie, the heroine of Buck Naked and Liam is a prehistoric Sabertooth cougar shifter and the mayor of Cougarville. Samantha's shifter gene hasn't kicked into action yet, but on a conference trip in Las Vegas, she's attacked by a hyena shifter and induced into expressing the gene, resulting in an explosion of hormones and an intense desire to bear a child. Fortunately Liam comes to her rescue. Samantha had saved his life in Buck Naked, and now he has a chance to return the favour. He's a bit of a villain in the first book, and it was nice to see him get redeemed here. This story is a little more over the top than the first one with the breeding fever Samantha goes through resulting in some unpleasant side effects, but still a fun and sexy read with some action packed scenes. The world building is explained very well and not complex so it's easy to follow along and the action of the first book is explained so new readers to the series get caught up quickly. Cougarville is living up to a pretty sexy reputation, and I look forward to reading more in the series!

Review has been posted at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Goodreads.

There are certain series that after you read the first book you can't wait for more. Cougarville is one of those series. I knew right away when I read Buck Naked (still love this title) that I would be invested in the series.

The characters jumped off the pages for me. It was like I was there with them. Nothing better than feeling like you are part of the story.

You meet both Liam Keller & Samantha Becker in Buck Naked. Right away I thought these two were characters I wouldn't like. I can hear you guys now shouting out why? Let me explain. Keller came off like a real unfeeling dick. You couldn't at first see him as hero material. What you saw of him is what you got. There wasn't any real deep thoughts coming from him that explained why he was the way he was.

Like I said, a dick!

Not to worry, Samantha wasn't any betters. She was pretty self-adsorbed. And maybe a little cold thrown in there too.

I knew their book was next and I was both worried and totally excited to read it. I love when a author flips the script on me and makes me fall for characters that I didn't like before. I will admit that I go into these books with the attitude of, give me your best shot!

She did and I have to say it was wonderful! I totally loved the story. I learned so much more about Keller and Samantha!

Both are such messed up people you can't help but feel bad for them. Most of the time they stand in their own way of happiness. Believe me when I say this, there are times when you want to crawl into the pages and slap them both upside the head!!!

All of what I talked about above really made the story. Its more emotionally driven then Naked Buck, the characters need more attention.

Not only do you get to see the growth of the characters, (Keller turns out to be a great hero) you also see the main story line thread advance. You will start to understand what it's all about. It's looking like it is going to be a wonderful series.

Samantha Becker is a busy and talented trauma surgeon with no time for nonsense. Her sister may have a special Shifter Gene, but Sammie is fairly certain she doesn’t have it, and she’s happy with her life the way it is. She doesn’t need the complicated Shifter lifestyle, and she certainly doesn’t need Liam Keller: Alpha cougar, Mayor of Cougarville and undercover billionaire. She hates him, but Liam is unable to get the curvy surgeon out of his head.

But the Shifter world isn’t ready to let Sammie go. She’s being stalked by someone who’s desperate for Shifter hormones, and Liam takes it upon himself to protect Sammie from harm. Things begin heating up between Sammie and Liam, but will they have to succumb to their inner animals in order to save Sammie’s life?

Cougar Bait is fun, sexy and will take readers on an emotional thrill ride.

Review:

I have read the first book in the series and I liked it and I liked this one too. This one for me had a different feel to the book, which was good. I thought this was much more tense and action-packed. So the blurb is vague and does not give away a lot of what happens to Sammie in this book so I will try to not give away a lot. Back to the book. Besides the tension and action going on, mostly to Sammie, I loved Sammie and Liam together. At times they were sweet, antagonistic, funny and super sexy.

I am going to leave my review with this, I liked this story even more than the first, it was more rich in the storyline and leaves the door open for a continuing mystery through the series. I loved the ending and cannot wait to see what happens with Sammie and Sadie and we have a perfect lead-in to the next book.

4.5Stars

*I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book provided by the publisher.*

I have to admit,. shifter books are my guilty pleasure--I cannot read enough of them. I love this series--love that it has an element of mystery along with an amazing love story. I really enjoyed Samantha and Liam's story. It wasn't instalove, but there was an immediate connection that built slowly and surely. It was such fun witnessing them fall in love--how neither of them wanted love, but they just couldn't deny their feelings. I can't wait for more in this series!

I still love the whole premise of this series even though I really started to dislike the heroine, Samantha. I loved her in Buck Naked and I loved her in the first 1/2 of the this book but after awhile her stubbornness started wearing on my nerves. And I mean wearing on my nerves to the point that I wanted to punch her REPEATEDLY and then move in on Liam myself. And her insistence on calling him by his last name? Grrr....just stop, Samantha. Just STOP.

Liam on the other hand? Well, I utterly fell in love with him which seriously shocked the crap out of me because at the end of Buck Naked I was not feeling him as the hero in the next book. He was the epitome of alpha yumminess. Possessive, protective and determined to win over his mate. Love this guy!!

There is a lot of action and drama going on in this book and even though I think Samantha deserved to be boob punched for the way she treated Liam I still really enjoyed the story. I ended up warming back up to her by the end of the book and while it's not my favorite of the two books I am eagerly awaiting the next one in the series!

Cougar Bait is an intense, compelling Shifter Romance with fast action, mysteries to unravel, loathsome villains and two people who could not be more opposite from the other in their outlook on life. I’ll be completely straightforward on this – I loved the story yet Samantha frustrated me to no end in this story. I understand why she had to be written that way, and it does add much to the tension of the story – but my word is she a frustrating woman. She is a surgeon not a baby making machine. She doesn’t have the Shifter Gene, even though her twin sister Sadie does. She’s a doctor with a well planned out life whose career is everything. She is not, will not be a newly manifested rejuvenated shifter. And nothing you can say will convince her otherwise because…wait for it.. she’s a surgeon and she knows absolutely freaking everything. Oh my word. By the ending of this story it was my opinion that Liam Keller deserves a medal for loving this woman.

Speaking of Liam Keller, we first met him in Buck Naked, the first story in the Cougarville series. And he didn’t come off in the best light that’s for certain. I felt at the time that he wasn’t the true bad guy he was portrayed as so I was very glad to discover that I was right about that small fact. He had reasons for acting as he did around Sadie and we get to understand them so much better now. He”s attracted to Samantha, the woman who put him back together after his fight with Mathis. She saved his life and he now feels he owes her a life-debt. Because of his past he isn’t willing to admit to her of any deeper feelings, but he knows that she is his mate. Her life is in danger if she travels to Las Vegas unprotected. She may not believe she has the Shifter Gene, but he suspects she does and Vegas is the absolute last place she should be when it manifests.

There is intense danger in Samantha’s future. There is also a love worth it’s weight in gold if she would simply trust Liam. The shifter lore is slightly different in the Cougarville series, but still vastly interesting. I enjoyed Cougar Bait, it continues the story and series quite well. And please don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Samantha, she is simply a strong willed woman with a very wide stubborn streak. We get caught up a bit with Mathis and Sadie again as well as Fiona – and a touch of the next book in this series is hinted at as well. All around an excellent read and one I’d highly recommend to any Paranormal Romance or Shifter Romance reader.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

I absolutely loved this book! It was chock full of mystery, suspense, and romance.. IMO, it was Urban Fantasy done right... As a persnickety lover of Urban Fantasy, I must say that I am definitely hooked on this series...

Giving this one: 4.stars

Samantha Becker isn't convinced that she has the shifter genes that Liam Keller is insistent she does. Alpha cougar feels a loyalty to Samantha since she saved his life and when she announces she is leaving for Vegas for a convention, he follows her wanting to keep her safe. Once her body starts changing with the shifter gene, Liam knows Samantha will be in danger.

Liam never believed he could fall for another woman after being burned before but he finds himself falling for Samantha. Problem is Samantha is insistent that they would never work. Can he change Samantha's mind while protecting her.

Second in the Cougarville series. I had been waiting for this book since Liam was introduced in the first book. Samantha struggles because she is much older than Liam but she cannot deny she likes him a lot. Another entertaining book for Evangeline Anderson. Paranormal lovers will be pleased

Cougar Bait is the second book in the Cougarville series. When I was introduced to Liam in book 1 I wondered how I was ever going to like him if he got his own book. After reading this book I can say he has won my heart. Samantha is a well-rounded character and completely suited to Liam. With a storyline that keeps your turning the pages and the hotness to top it off I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to more from Ms Anderson

this was an interesting read.. i loved how quirky samantha is.. and i was all set to dislike liam.. i mean he was kinda a dick in the first book haha.. but in this one he was amazing.. i mean he still had a tendency to be an idiot but he grew up so much.. we learned about him and her. and together they were superb.. i am glad i got to review it

Looking for a laugh out loud, suspense filled paranormal romance? Look no further - this is  a great, well written read with plenty of drama, a variety of shifters and, of course, romance! After her sister went to stay in Cougarville, life changed for both sisters. For a start, her sister proved to have a very special shifter gene which had a dramatic effect on the alpha males in town and caused Samantha Becker to go visit- but you’ll have to read book one to find out more about that! One of the alpha males they met was the town’s Mayor, Liam Keller, who is a cougar shifter and a secret billionaire and he’s determined to protect Sammie, even if she doesn’t want protecting! Sammie is a trauma surgeon who doesn’t believe she has the special shifter gene like her sister, even though Liam insists she has. She’s also determined to attend and give a lecture at a special convention but Liam believes she’ll be in danger and takes his own steps to protect her, especially from the hyena shifters!

This is an action packed page turner with lots of hilarious moments as well as some dramatic, dangerous encounters. I thoroughly enjoyed escaping into it and hope there will be more in the series in future. Cougarville has some great characters as residents - Palaeolithic shifters who are absolutely huge - and I suspect more of them will be meeting their mates in future! You’ll also learn more about the effects of the special gene . . . . what a great and very different idea! If you enjoy paranormal romantic suspense with some steamy moments you’ll probably, like me, thoroughly enjoy this series, too. 

I requested and was given a copy of this book via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion after choosing to read it.

Cougar Bait is book #2 in Evangeline Anderson Cougarville series. What can I say…I thought this book was pretty fun. The book was aptly named. A younger man falling for an older woman. The Older woman trying not to fall in love with the younger man. But when that man is a hot shifter. What can a woman do…? but sit back and enjoy the ride.

Unfortunately, I never read the first book in this series. I just might have too, this one certainly kept my attention. I liked how sweet and crafty Liam was to make Samantha fall for him. Even though I found Samantha annoying at times.

Nonetheless, Evangeline Anderson has done what she set out to do. Writing characters that some readers could relate too.

Thank you publisher and Netgalley.com for the ARC.

Well, this is the first book I've read from this author. Shocking I know. But see, I was happy with the set of authors I currently follow and well, I discovered her too late. I have a lot of her books but I've yet to read one.

And now I have read one.

And, well... This was ok. It's a twist to the shifter romances I've read, where an alpha can activate the latent shifter gene in females. Couger Bait is appropriately named as the heroine is older than the hero by 14 years and because he's a couger shifter. Samantha is a trauma surgeon and rather set in her ways. Too set in her ways, and stubborn to boot. I was getting bored with her rejecting Keller all the time. Keller saved the story for me. Happy sigh.

This book made me feel like I was almost at the end twice! I wasn't impressed by that, impatient I was with Samantha most of the time. I just wanted it to end a lot of times, so I can read another book.

Soooo...all in all, it's ok, . Not something I will reread again nor will recommend to a friend.

This Fascinating series gets Even Better!!

We follow Samantha Becker, trauma surgeon, after she had come to assist her twin sister who had a latent shifter gene activated and became full shifter (and quite a few years younger) with the assistance of her fated mate. Book #1 in the series introduces us to this unique theory of prehistoric shifters. Book #2 expands on this theme, containing lots more action!!

Cougar-shifter Liam Keller is much more than just mayor of Cougarville. His pursuit of Sammie is met with high resistance, though he protects her as he had promised. Ms. Evangeline has us rooting hard for this couple, and doubting that they will ever find their HEA. Escalating danger, building romance, threats to the entire species and high-tech shenanigans create a compelling story. I can’t wait for more in this series!!

*** I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book ***

Evangeline Anderson has a new fan!

I stumbled upon this series and when introduced to Liam’s character in book one, felt he was totally unredeemable. With his distasteful persona and open arrogance, the author had her work cut out; I wondered how Liam would stand up in his own story. But Ms Anderson did a fabulous job of showing his intelligence, strong moral compass and genuine protective side.

Ms Anderson’s shifters are very unique, and while the concept may seem a little far-fetched, the stories are entertaining and very, very HOT!