Hunger For You by A.C. Arthur

Shadow Shifters: Damaged Hearts—a deeply emotional, unforgettable New Adult paranormal romance series by A.C. Arthur about the men who are sworn to protect the females—human or otherwise—from the savage fury of his own nature…

Taken in by a shifter family after his parents’ tragic deaths, Caleb Ramsey was thrust into a world of training and loyalty, when his half-breed status should have sentenced him to death. Desperate to escape a family that he can never truly belong to, Caleb leaves at nineteen to find his place outside the Shifter warrior world. The beautiful girl in the bar was not a part of his plan. Neither was finding out more about the boyfriend she claims to have. He should have walked away, should have continued on his own path. But when Caleb realizes the danger Zoe is in, all of his warrior urges come roaring to life…

Zoe Fallon has always been a romantic idealist. Losing herself in romance novels as a way to escape an abusive past, she is now finally free to go out and find her own Prince Charming. So when a gorgeous man literally sweeps her off her feet, she wonders if she may have found the guy of her dreams. But things aren’t always what they seem. The brooding customer who seems to show up each time she’s in need is an enigma, and yet she’s drawn to him in a way she’s never experienced before. But he has his own secrets, and Zoe has to ask herself—if Caleb is truly her happily ever after, in　Hunger for You　by A.C. Arthur.

Hunger for You is the third installment in the Damaged Hearts series and brings us Caleb’s story. Caleb is a half-breed, born to a shifter mother who was raped by his human father. Because of his half-breed status, he feels as though he doesn’t belong in either world and has done his best to withdraw from the world around him – despite the love and affection he received from the Sanchez family, who took him in as a child and raised him as their own. He’s done quite well in avoiding connections with those around him, until he meets Zoe. But Zoe is human and even if he was looking for something more, Caleb knows that it’s pointless to pursue anything with Caleb as it is forbidden to let humans learn about Shadow Shifters.

Having read Mine to Claim and Part of Me, I was already familiar with Ms. Arthur’s writing style and had certain expectations when I picked up this book. Of course, the author wasn’t concerned about my expectations when she wrote Hunger for You, yet she still managed to blow them away. Because Caleb’s refusal to join the Shadow Shifter force comes from a different place entirely than that of Aidan and Lidia, his story seemed sadder to me. The fact that he was trying, unsuccessfully, to connect with someone who was so insistent on not needing anyone, merely magnified the loneliness that Caleb exuded. While I don’t wish assault on anyone, I was relieved when Dex finally went too far, thus pushing Zoe to Caleb for help and finally jumpstarting that relationship. Again, the sex is hot between Caleb and Zoe, but it doesn’t occur until well into the book.

As with the previous novellas in the Damaged Hearts series, this a quick and action-packed read that kept me entertained from beginning to end. As Caleb represents the final Sanchez brother (that I know of), this may be the final novella in the Damaged Hearts series. While I hope that this isn’t true, I can at least take comfort in the fact that this a side-series to the Shadow Shifter series and I can check out the series and indulge in more of Ms. Arthur’s writing.

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