This novel was really hard to get into. There were some really slow scenes, and the pacing of the novel tended to drag. There were also some scenes that made me uncomfortable. I really liked the author’s work, but this was not her best.

Demigod Samantha Silverton, a full-time monster hunter in the Hunters’ Watch Brigade, is on a mission with her familiar, Max, to hunt down a scorned mermaid when she finds out she has bigger fish to fry. Her mother—a powerful witch—has been abducted. And the most likely villain is her mother’s enemy, Francesca Rosencratz.
This was quite the introduction to a new world! It had me at page 1 and kept me until the end of the book. I highly enjoyed and can’t wait for the next one!
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

Initiation is a fun book filled with mythological creatures, action, and a bit of romance. I enjoyed all of the elements that the author wove together. Part witch and the daughter of Poseidon, Samantha is part of the Hunters’ Watch Brigade, a group of monster hunters who protect humans from the supernatural creatures who go rogue. Sam is sassy, independent, strong, and maybe a touch too stubborn. Sam has a penchant for killing first and then trying to ask questions, much to the dissatisfaction of Shade, her boss.

Max is her Main Coon familiar with a toolbox of skills. He also has a secret that could change his relationship with Sam. He could shift to become her guardian but he’s afraid of being taken away from Sam. Shade knows the secret though and pushes him to shift. The relationship between Sam and Max becomes awkward at times and didn’t really flow smoothly. Sam should have been really mad that her cat, her trusted companion, was really a shifter. Max was enjoyable enough, just the cat to human to a relationship with Sam part was rather quick and without enough turmoil.

Shade is an awesome character. He’s the vampire leader of the Hunters’ Watch Brigade. The banter between Sam and Shade is entertaining and I really thought they should have been the power couple of the book. Don’t get me wrong, Sam and Max are fine as a couple, but I love the dynamics between Sam and Slade.

The search for Sam’s mother takes the team all over trying to protect humans while trying to figure out what Francesca, her mother’s kidnapper, has planned. Danger abounds as Sam navigates her new love life and mounts a rescue for her mom. It’s a good thing Sam has a shifter protector, a vampire, and Poseidon in her back pocket. She’s going to need them.

The author is very creative with the contents of Initiation. The characters are interesting and well-developed. The world building is well-done, and I was able to visualize the story. The magical trident Sam carries with her at all times is wicked awesome. The story is fast-paced, flows well, and kept me engaged.

Thank you to netgalley I received this as an ARC. I enjoyed it an okay read. Not really what I liked. Felt the plost was missing some things. Solid 3 Stars for me!

This book is different from the thrillers and angsty romance novels I usually read, and is pure delightful entertainment. Paula Millhouse built a world of supernatural beings with a strong sense of world order in the Hunters' Watch Brigade, and the snarky lighthearted fun continues throughout the novel. Written in chatty first person, this Urban Fantasy will satisfy those looking for something a bit different from the usual fare. Five stars for the relaxation and enjoyment this book offered. Received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is one of a kind and I really enjoyed the different species. The main character Samantha was a hoot and I really enjoyed reading about her.

The reason I couldn’t rate it higher was because I wasn’t sold on the relationship between Samantha and her familiar Max. While their scenes together were steamy, I just didn’t really feel the connection between them.

It does sort of end on a cliffhanger but I don’t think I will continue with the next one. This was a good book, just not one that I loved.

Hunters' Watch Brigade: Initiation is the first book in the Hunters' Watch Brigade series, that deals with witches, vampires, demi-gods, shifters, and all other paranormal personnel.

Sam is a sassy, sometimes cheeky, female who is confident in herself and her abilities. Her father is Poseidon, and she has an easy relationship with him, even though she doesn't understand why he didn't stick around when she was a child. Max is her Maine Coon familiar (yes, she's also part witch). Max is more to her than that though, but he is resisting with every fibre of his being. He knows he can shift and become a guardian, but is worried about being taken away from Sam if he does so.

I loved these two, both separately and together. Things go full on between them once Max does shift, but then it wouldn't seem right any other way, considering all the time they have spent together.

There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, and I thoroughly enjoyed the pacing of this book, with smooth transitions from one scene to the next. It does end on a sort-of cliffhanger, so fair warning. Definitely recommended by me.

So many things that rubbed me the wrong way about INITIATION that I nearly gave up a few times. In a paranormal romance, you need to like, or at least understand, the main couple. But, Sam and Max’s relationship confused me. Some of the characters were just cardboard cutouts and there were several significant issues that bordered on sexual assault. Sometimes, a strong and competent female lead is not enough to save a flawed book.

I’m not spoiling anything by telling you that Max does shift into his human form in order to protect Sam. I was hoping their character arc would explore the deep sense of betrayal Sam felt when her pet (talking pet, but pet nonetheless) of eight years can a) shift into an adult male and b) is madly in love with her. I know that if someone I had put into a pet carrier declared their undying love for me, I’d feel betrayed, confused and angry; Sam was upset for about two paragraphs. Then they started making out.

For a new man who is just getting used to prehensile thumbs (as he mentions THREE times), Max sure knows how to please a woman. It’s a bit ridiculous that there isn’t an adjustment period or even a question as to his legal age; he is 8, and even though he shifts into an adult human male, he only has 8 years of life experience. This immaturity seems to have led him to the main reason he didn’t shift before: he was afraid if he would shift he would have to go to Hunter’s Watch Brigade basic training. This would mean he would be away from Sam for a whole - gasp! - 12 weeks! The characters kept mentioning these twelve weeks apart like they were a big deal. This complete disregard for long distance relationships or even a basic understanding of modern work obligations was even more unbelievable than the characters walking around New York City with a dozen wild animals/pets and no one noticing because “it’s New York City’.

Max also has been having visions, for a long time, of his kittens growing in Sam’s belly, and he thinks about this as they have sex for the first time without protection. What? That’s not okay. In a world where visions are serious business (as in, they often come true), you’d think a serious discussion about cross-species babies would be in order before jumping to it. Otherwise, this is the same kind of manipulation as girls who “accidentally” get pregnant in order to manipulate men.

There are more issues: a strange curse on the shifter community that is never explained, the witch covens being completely fickle and downright stupid, grown men calling each other “Fang Boy” and “Kitty Ra Ra” for the entire book, an over reliance on greek mythology that could have been explored in another book, and more. The first book of the HUNTER’S WATCH BRIGADE was a miss for me.

Meet Samantha Silverton, demigod, bounty hunter and all-around kickass heroine as she investigates the kidnapping of her mother while dealing with a feline familiar who is newly turned human.

In the first of the Hunter Watch Brigade series, Millhouse offers a heroine who is willing to physically fight for her family and friends, but has an emotional cowardice that had made it difficult to keep reading this book. Samantha is presented as a fierce warrior, wielding a mystical trident and chasing after paranormal who cause harm to humanity. When her familiar Max turns human, their relationship changes and she spends most of the book running away from her feelings for him and pushing him towards something he doesn't want. The imbalance of power between these two characters made the romance difficult even if the guardian premise was interesting. If you're looking for a light paranormal romance, you will find it here.

Let me say up front that I gave this barely 4 Stars because I really enjoyed the story BUT the writing stalled on me several times and caused me to scan many pages to get to a exceptionally good ending.

Our heroine in this story Samantha Silverton is a bit of a demi-god since her father is Poseidon which gives a lot of good times to this story, the subplot of sorts has more to do with her feline familiar (who is basically the hero.... sorta) but that is a story you have to read to understand but from a real action start the book then dissolves for a bit to navel gazing from our heroine and hero and started getting boring. It picks up again and you get to meet the bad guys/gals and they are pretty bad :)

I have to say I breezed through most of the book between 30% and 90% since it was a bit of story, bit of drama and the requisite sex but I can tell you that the last 10% was amazingly good so even though it might have been 3.5 Stars we will round it up for a really good ending to 4 Stars.

Hunters' Watch Brigade: Initiation is the first book I have read by Paula Millhouse and I found it a quite enjoyable read. I enjoyed the characters and the storyline and would read more by this author

DNF. I just couldn't get into this book. No matter how many times I forced myself to pick it up I kept setting it aside. Part of my problem was the multiple POVs. It didn't flow well for me. Also it was a bit repetitive. Unfortunately what I read felt a bit juvenile for my taste. Not a good fit for me.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Bell Bridge for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I found this an interesting story. I loved the trident. I didn't love the leads Samantha or Max. They could have stayed friends I just didn't get the in love vibe. I rate it a 3.5.