Oh, Shannon McKenna. You sure do one thing really well. Possessive alpha dudes and their (previously) sexually unawakened lady-loves, and absurd, ott, totally irredeemable villains. Not a lot of subtlety (any subtlety, really) but your books are almost always fun. This was no exception, although I don't think the decision to split the story in 3 distinct parts was entirely successful. I might have liked it even more if the sisters' stories had been more integrated.

Anyway, I've just about finished your whole published list, with the exception of [b: Hot Night|366226|Hot Night|Shannon McKenna|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1294282023s/366226.jpg|356248], which I intend to buy for the low, low price of $3.99 and your short fiction, which I'll probably skip since I don't love short fiction in general.
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The D’Onofrio sisters were adopted by Lucia D’Onofrio when they were young teens in foster care, but they are as close as blood sisters. When their mother is murdered in a burglary, the house is vandalized after the funeral and a scrap of letter is found and a jeweler’s family connected to Lucia’s last gifts to her daughters are murdered the sisters get a bad feeling. A really bad feeling that more is going on and they could be the next targets.

This story is told in three parts with each sister getting her own story complete with her own danger and her very own knight in shining armor. It was a bit too convenient that these guys showed up at just the right time when the poor idiot women needed them.

Ok. The only thing that kept me reading was the mystery of the homicidal serial killer, his employer and what they were looking for that they were going to such lengths and expense to find. The mystery wasn’t a bad one, but the serial killer was an inept idiot. Though in his own thoughts he did say that while he was a professional (I had my doubts) everything about this job had gone wrong from the very beginning. Ok, I can believe that he was probably usually good at his job and this one was one of those jobs where Murphy’s Law takes over. It happens. He was just a bit too bumbling idiot for me though.

The first story with Nancy and Liam did nothing for me but make me alternate between rolling my eyes and grinding my teeth. Nancy was a wimp of the first order and Liam was one of the biggest jerks I’ve come across in a long time. Didn’t like either of them. At all.

The second story with Nell and Duncan was my favorite. I actually liked them even though Nell made me mad with all her carelessness when she knew someone was after her.

The last story with Vivi and Jack was better than the first, but not by much. I liked Vivi, but Jack was also a jerk. Though it turns out he had his reasons and it’s not always easy to let go of our childhood experiences.

So, I hung in there for the mystery and to see the bad guys get what’s coming to them, but it’s not a book I’ll ever reread. Well, ok, I might reread Nell and Duncan’s part, since I liked them and it was a hot story, but not the rest of it.

*The publisher provided a copy of this book to me for review. Please see disclaimer page on my blog. ( )

First off, I have to say I am a huge fan of Shannon McKenna. Her writing was incredible, stories face paced, intriging with great characters and fantastic storylines. This book was different. It was three storylines with the same plot. The women have problems with relationships and sex. Having said this, I still enjoyed the book, but just not as much as her previous ones.

Rating: 3

Reviewed by: KellyR,My Book Addiction Reviews ( )

Author: Shannon McKenna
ISBN-13: 978-0758228635
Genre: Romantic Suspense

4 Hearts

Tasting Fear follows the story of three woman adopted by a woman who holds many secrets. Nancy, Nell and Vivi have their own stories in the three book anthology. One of the things I like about Shannon McKenna stories is that her characters are real. They all have their issues and dramas usually making for lively stories, great romance and suspense.

That said I still found some real issues with these stories. The suspense and mystery part of the book work to connect the three stories. Also as always the author didn't skimp on some really hot sex scenes. I liked the story line between Nell and Duncan (Ask For More) the best. Duncan was not your normal alpha hero. I liked the way his character moved from a nerdy computer, businessman type to alpha commando. He was a lot of fun to read and watch as he fell in love with Nell. I also liked Nell. She had a messed up childhood and issues with her mother, but she still was willing to give love a try.

The other two sisters and their stories just didn't really work for me. In real lives the other two couples would never stay together for more than a minute. It was a little disappointing the way they quickly solved their differences at the end of each story instead of finding an answer earlier on to make it more believable.

Description:
Blood will tell...
Nancy, Nell, Vivi...Three sisters who know there is no force on earth greater than love...unless it is the desire for vengeance. When their adored foster mother is murdered, the D'Onofrio women come together to hunt for her murderer - and track down a family legacy gone missing: rare, priceless art from the Renaissance, a treasure worth killing for. The law can only do so much and the three sisters are on their own - until three mysterious men get involved...Startled to find a brawny stranger at her mother's house, Nancy is even more surprised at the heat of passion that flares between them. Liam is intense and instantly protective. But is it wise to trust him with every secret? Her sister Nell has turned to Duncan, her new boss, for help. He's an expert on the dark underworld of cyberspace, where other clues may lurk. And Duncan is so sexy it's scary. All Nell has to do is say the hardest word of all: yes. But what about the youngest of the D'Onofrios, the wild and willful Vivi? She's on the verge of falling in love with Jack, who's all about fierce vigilance...

The sisters embrace the ultimate in passion as danger stalks them all. Unknown and unseen, the killer is very, very near... ( )

Stayed awake WAY too late just to finish "Tasting Fear". Shannon McKenna has delivered three stories in one (really thick) volume. The stories are interconnected with an overarching storyline, yet each story could have been published as a standalone and tortured fans into waiting for the next one. For that alone, this is a wonderful book!

Three women, adopted as girls by an Italian woman, become sisters. Each 'daughter' has her own personality and her own path to follow. The book opens with the death of the mother, and the early realization by the daughters that it was murder. Their determination to catch the killer is only heightened by the fact that THEY are now being hunted too. A wacko bad guy (or two), a hunky carpenter, a sexy, rather OCD agent, and a former Special Ops turned gardener comprise the main masculine characters. And let me just say...YUM! McKenna sizzles the pages with her special blend of Alpha male dominance and caring. This time out, each of the daughters learns to be strong in her own way and how to depend and care for that most rare of beast...a caring Alpha.

Mystery, hot sex, danger, smoking sex, and action (and did I mention the hot sex?) come together to create a page-turning story that demands all a reader's attention. I meant to just read 'one' of the stories and then finish up...HAH! I couldn't put it down and HAD to finish. I enjoyed how each of the sisters had a different personality and that was reflected in their story and their seduction. There weren't too many TSTL (too stupid to live) moments, I could see how and why each one happened and it wasn't outside the realm of possibility. The bad guy is really bad and a real sicko...and so's his boss (think Nazi offspring with all the bad traits). The mystery involves a mysterious hidden 'something' whose story and history gradually unfold throughout all three stories.

McKenna's characters all have foibles and strengths in equal measures. Nobody's perfect or a prince, etc. Both heroes and heroines work hard for what they have and have to make life-changing decisions under pressure. These things provide her stories with the aura of reality while still providing a great escape and maybe even make me think about what I would do in the same situation. (Scream and faint most likely...or just jump the hottie!) In any event, while I didn't love ALL three of the stories, I did enjoy the heck out of them. And rather than tell you which one was my favorite, I'll just let you read and guess it on your own. ( )