A Wicked Caress (Lost Shifters #5) by Stephani Hecht

A Wicked Caress (Lost Shifters #5) Reviews

• 
  Sophia Triad

  Jaguar shifter, Noah & tiger shifter, Seth
  
  Noah is another lost brother of the leader of the felines pack, Mitchell. He has been a prisoner of ravens, continually tortured and a sex-slave. He is extremely vulnerable and hardly trusts anyone until he meets Seth who has strong protective instincts.
  
  The book shows that no matter how hard someone may suffer and no matter how many emotional scars he has, he can still survive, be happy and trust other people again.
  
• 
  Serena Yates

  This is another great addition to the "Lost Shiftrs" series. We find out more about Noah, one of the youngest lost siblings.
  
  He made his first appearance at the end of he last book and was extremely vulnerable due to having spent a year in the Raven's captivity. This book starts a few months later and everyone still treats him like he's made of spun glass. I loved how he fought against that image and tried to establish himself as a member of the ever growing family. His mate Seth doesn't seem to be helping very much at first, but appearances can be deceiving...
  
  I really look forward to the next volume!
• 
  Claudia

  I really like this series ... the only thing is that the books are a bit short.
  
  Noah and Seth are a great pair and I really liked this book
• 
  Ami

  Gosh, I've been waiting for this story ever since I finished book #4. I don't usually throw away 5 stars (4 stars or 4 1/2 stars are great enough in my book). Those that get 5 stars are either able to stir up my emotion, make me cry, or like this one, make me want to start reading it all over again from the beginning (I don't do reread from beginning often)
  
  The best thing about this book is Noah. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH! I think he's the most ENDEARING characters of all Stephani Hecht's books that I have read. He is strong and he takes life the way he can. Even if he has been a prisoner in the Raven's leader for a year, being a sex-slave and tortured, he doesn't let it bring him down. Sure he has scar inside and out and he still gets nightmare, but he held his head up high. It's really great reading his mind. One of the scene I love is when he finally "tells" his brothers that he doesn't need a bodyguard. Or when he blurts out to Seth on why Seth has a different hair color shade.
  
  Seth, on the other hand, twenty years old Noah's senior, is a typical protector. I like him just fine -- and since he makes Noah happy, well, I'm all for it. I actually think of the two of them after Seth makes that dashing rescue on Noah's life.
  
  I'm a bit miffed with some typos though (jealously instead of jealousy? BAD editing!). But all in all, I definitely see myself re-read this story several times. I wish book #6 comes soon. Andy seems like a brat that needs to be "tamed" down :p. Is it going to be Vapor?? Or other guys in the pack
• 
  Heather C

  I really liked this story about Noah and Seth in the Lost Shifters series. It was all romance without all the action and fighting and searching for the "lost shifters". That whole plot line of this series really doesn't interest me, but I continue reading these because they are pretty brainless and quick to read. I'm always curious about who's mating next.
  
  In this one Noah and Seth were pretty hot together. There was lots of snark and sexual tension and they were both big assholes in the beginning. Plus, this one was a little kinkier than I remember the other ones being. There was a near-threesome and several voyeuristic scenes. Yummy yum yum.
• 
  Jo * Smut-Dickted *

  I was so looking forward to this book. I even skipped a few in the series because I wanted Noah's story. Also Seth - I mean a Tiger? Roooarr! However there was very little heat in this story. Unlike the other one's I didn't feel any sexual tension - mostly it seemed just like a pick up by Noah. For someone who had been tortured to near death he sure was flirty and willing - it just seemed off. Also there is maybe a couple sentences in the whole book about his captivity...we have no idea what really happened which meant I was not feeling him at all as a damaged/abused MC. In order to feel emotions I have to be invested - and if the theme is going to be him overcoming his abuse and finding twue luv then I have to really get inside his head in the first place. Just didn't happen. I still love all the characters - and I like the way the series is written - this couple just did not do it for me at all.
• 
  Ter

  This series just keeps getting better and better. This one the brother Noah is trying to fit in his new family and new life. He has had to live thru so much in his life before, I was glad that this installment he was finding his way and exploring his relationship with Seth.
  
  WOW!! The ending what a lead in to the next one, I really can't wait till it comes out.
  
• 
  Christy

  'A Wicked Caress' is book five in Stephani Hecht's 'Lost Shifters' series and I was so excited to get to it. I met Noah in the last installment and my heart had gone out to him for having suffered abuse and captivity for over a year. When the coalition rescued him he was very near death and it's taken Noah a number of months to heal. The fact that his siblings are treating him with kid gloves isn't helping his mental state as he already feels so different since he's much smaller than them. Noah also is the only one with midnight black hair but when he asks Mitchell about it, Noah is told not to worry. Hello? He's always worried about being different, first because of being an orphan, then because he's gay, and now since he is obviously even different within the feline shifters.
  
  Seth is a tiger and he's the man who kicked in the door and found Noah almost dead. Picking him up and cradling Noah in his arms left an impression but he's been gone from HQ for six months on a job for the government. Seth is a little shocked when he sees how everyone is babying Noah since that isn't going to help him if the Ravens come after Noah again.
  
  Noah doesn't feel like he fits in and so he just smiles, says everything is fine, and hides his horrible insomnia and nightmares. Running into Seth one night when Noah sneaked out of the family apartment seems like manna from Heaven, and Noah can't resist flirting. Flirting doesn't get Noah anywhere except Seth offering to train Noah at night so he won't be so vulnerable when the Raven who abused him comes for him. Because he will, he's already put a reward out on Noah's return.
  
  This was definitely the sweetest of all the love stories, in my opinion. Seth and Noah are adorable together and this was an easy read. The danger is still out there, but this book took place entirely within HQ and mainly focused on their romance. The twist came at the end when the last lost member of their family made himself known, and not in a good way. I'm looking forward to the next book.
  
  NOTE: This book was provided by the publisher for the purpose of a review on
  Rainbow Book Reviews
• 
  L-D

  This was a cute story and I liked the characters of Seth and Noah. I didn't think it was one of the better stories in the series, however, because the plot was a little lackluster. This was more of a cutesy romance than anything else, which is fine as part of this series.
  
  Noah, one of Mitchell's lost brothers, is found at a slave auction after a year of captivity with the Ravens. Noah has had a difficult life living on the streets and hustling to survive. Taken in by Ranger, a rogue wolf shifter who was kicked out of his pack for being gay, and living with a few other "strays" Noah was relatively happy. However, when the Ravens get their hands on this motley crew and capture them all for a year, they endure indecencies while threats of their friends held over their heads to ensure their compliance.
  
  Mitchell and his Coalition are able to rescue Noah and his friends (not a spoiler as this happens in the previous book) and Noah is trying to integrate into life with his new family and living with other coalition shifters.
  
  The first shifter who came to his rescue was Seth, a fierce Tiger shifter. While they're stark opposites, Seth recognizes that the coddling that Noah's family is demonstrating, while well-intentioned, is hurting Noah rather than helping him. In order to help Noah, he offers to teach him self-defense.
  
  I like all of Mitchell's family and it's interesting to see how greatly different they are from each other due to the circumstances that shaped them as they grew up. An interesting story to get to know two more of the shifters better, but not my favorite of the seris.
• 
  DaisyGirl

  4.5 Stars
  
  This was the best book in the series to date. Why? Noah. I <3 him! Admittedly, I was a little skeptical about Noah when I read the plot summary. I worried that he might be brash, bratty, and whiny after all that he'd gone through. Thankfully, no! Noah was such a wonderful character. I loved that despite the plethora of insecurities that plagued him and the horrific abuse he endured, he wasn't bitter or jaded; rather, he continued to put himself out there, risking his heart by giving freely of himself and his love. I was really taken with him. I enjoyed Seth too although his public rebuff of Noah had me seeing red! He made up for his mistake and redeemed himself in the end. Though I loved Noah and Seth's story, I wish it was more developed. It was a little too short for my liking.
  
  Bottom-line: my favorite book in the series so far. Recommend!
• 
  Alyosha

  This series is starting to grow on me. It's easy, somewhat silly - but entertaining when it isn't frustrating.
  
  One of the better novels in the series so far. The ending was intriguing enough for me to want to read the next part soon. 2.5 stars
• 
  Chris

  Good paranormal m/m romance about Noah, the most recently rescued of the Lost Shifters. He's back in Flint with his family for the first time ever, but he doesn't feel as if he belongs there.
• 
  Love Is All Around

  RECENSIONE A CURA DI EVELYNE
  “Una sensuale carezza” è il quinto volume della serie “Lost Shifters” di Stephani Hecht. Conosciamo Noah, uno dei fratelli mutaforma felini comparsi, e Seth, il soldato mutaforma tigre che abbiamo già incontrato in passato.
  Così come tutti i volumi di questa serie, anche la storia di Noah e Seth ha del potenziale che non è stato utilizzato al meglio. La storia è interessante e accattivante, ma mancano delle parti troppo importanti per poterla definire completa. Stiamo parlando di una storia principale lunga e complessa, divisa in molti volumi, che avrebbe solo da guadagnare se si integrassero le storie singole dei personaggi, che comunque vengono abbozzati e presentati a loro modo.
  
  Continua sul nostro blog!
• 
  Lang

  After these books I've started to really admire feline shifters. I've liked them before but not so much =) All the felines described in the books of these series are very alluring and generally very cool characters.
  I started reading from the Mitchell and Dean book (Lost Shifters #4), because it had wolves in it and I got hooked immediately and just had to read other books.
  What I greatly enjoyed throughout all the books was the plot. It's a solid plotline flowing through all stories. It has enough action and isn't focused only on sex XD
  I have to say that IMO the hottest scenes are in Savage Awakenings. Second hottest would be the ones in Primal Passions (book #1) and Carnal Intetions (book #4).
  I also liked how the family ties in the Mitchell family make all of them so close, even when the lost siblings return after decades not knowing they have a real family, looking for them.
  
  Wicked Caress (book #5) tells the story of Noah (Joel) one of the youngest of Mitchell' brothers and Seth, the tiger shifter. It's the saddest story among the lost siblings of the Mitchell family. Very painful past and abusive childhood, Noah went through a lot of things, but remained a fighter. I liked how he fully he recovered and found his happiness with Seth =)
• 
  Jimmy Hanson

  Unlike the other novels int he 'Lost Shifter' series, "A Wicked Caress" - the coupling of Seth and Noah - doesn't have an actual plot in terms of the search for other shifters, the Ravens, or anything so prevalent in the others. That's fine, a nice break really, especially since Noah and Seth are such a touchy pairing.
  
  I wondered how well Stephani Hecht would be able to handle the recovery of Noah and I have to say she did it very well. He was injured by what happened yes - who wouldn't be? But by the type of character she made of him, his personality and inner strength, it was just another thing he considered as having been necessary to survive. He may not be the best fighter but he's a survivor, above all else.
  
  Sethi is an interesting character I was happy to find out more about, and I think he complimented Noah very well. He mucked up a few times but never in an unforgiveable or hate-like manner. Very cool.
  
  Favorite line:
  
  "[...] He also discovered that his oldest brother was the leader of the feline coalition. Another brother had a love of explosives, plus a third one had an uncanny knack for mishandling firearms and shooting innocent bystanders."
  
  ^___^
• 
  Phaney

  All in all it was really short.
  
  I’m not a fan of this turn towards abused waifs that the series is taking.
  Also not happy with that threesome (with other people) in the middle of the story.
  
  Sadly, I seem to recall that from now on the majority of the books will follow the sexually indiscriminate attitude of young, abuse-riddled characters. With older guys who hold back. Same thing over and over and over.
  But let’s find out whether my memory holds true. After a break.
• 
  Tj

  Good story but short. I loved Noah. He was a fun character and look forward to more from him and Seth. I did feel like there should have been more so that's why the 4 stars.
• 
  Perpetua

  OMG I can't wait for the next one!
• 
  Isabella

  Well this story was more at home than on the run, but the dialogue was worth it. Not to mention I can't help loving the endings to each book, nail biting and torture until you get to the next one!
• 
  Mandy*reads obsessively*

  3.5-4*
  
• 
  ✿~Danielle~✿

  Noah Adams
  Seth
  
  Read: 27/10/14
  Rating: 3.5 stars
• 
  Mnms

  Messy, superficial and uninspired.
• 
  ☔️ Stormy Day Reader

  This review is for all of the Lost Shifters, Wayne County Wolves, and Assassin's Loyalty books since they are all interconnected and I read them back-to-back pretty much nonstop over a 10 day period. If I have anything to say about a particular book I'll add it under this bulk review.  First, I'd like to mention these are more like novellas than books but they have the same underlying theme and pretty much continue where the last left off but with a different couple. 
  
  Everything starts out with the Lost Shifters. To summarize there was a war between the feline shifters and the raven shifters. 20 years or so before the first book there was an all out slaughter in which hundreds of feline homes were attacked and burned down all of the occupants believed to be killed. Turns out that the babies and toddlers that were assumed lost were not. They were hidden within the human foster care system for the most part. I won't say how because that'd be a big spoiler. In addition to foster care some kids were sold into slavery and that's where the whole assassin thing comes in. A couple of the main characters marry into the wolf pack so that's where those books come in as well. 
  
  Pros: Since the books are so short there are no long drawn out boring details or general angst. There's usually only one sex scene although it's normally long as hell. Which makes the fact some people shelved these as erotica confusing. I liked the world building and even though there were times I think a little more info might have been nice it never detracted from the story or left me confused. Most of the relationships were a sort of love at first sight thing. Or maybe lust or obsession?  Despite this the shifters all seem adamant that's not a thing that happens. There wasn't one character I didn't like. My favorite character was Shane and he must have been the author's as well since he got a few extra books and a side series Shane's Chronicles. There's no big end battle or anything but the last book Baily's 9th Life does pretty much tie things up nicely. I think if I'd been reading the series when they were released I'd be a bit miffed because that book didn't come out until a few years later if you weren't reading the assassins books. Also, these books all have some really funny moments and/or dialog.
  
  Cons: The last several books didn't appear to have been edited at all. If if wasn't for the fact that I was so invested in the overall story arc I would have quit reading them. Things like sent instead of scent and too instead of to they instead of them and random wrong words completely. There were also a couple of times that things were said/thought almost verbatim in different parts of a book as if the author forgot she'd already put that info in there already. At the start of the series, they state that all feline shifters are bisexual but at some point the author must have forgotten that detail because suddenly there are gay shifters and homophobia and all this hate. Which brings me to my next con, the themes of the different books started to repeat. Suddenly all these shifters had been thrown out of their previous pack or coalition or human home for being gay. And throughout this huge series of books there was only one straight couple. Like not even a straight friend or whatever. Even the females were all lesbians. It was just kinda unrealistic especially with the whole gay hate thing going on. Usually there's at least a few couples or friends or something on the periphery in gay romances especially in a world this huge. Which brings me to my final con, I had a hard time remembering who was who and what there story was after awhile especially if they weren't mentioned much in previous books. I wish there had been some sort of glossary to review. 
  
  Despite the cons, I would still recommend these books. All-in-all I really enjoyed them and was dreading the end although the editing in the last few books really had me also looking forward to the end if I'm being honest. 
• 
  Laura H

  This was a fast paced and fun read, I loved that the focus was primarily on Noah here instead of the usual where it explores various plots at once. This is purely Noah and Seths story which was great, I loved getting to see another side of Noah and his hilarious. The flirting and the mischief was great, I liked that got to see Trevor and Ranger too. That scene alone is pure heat and comfort, it was nice to see them all together.
  
  Seth is a rather serious type compared to Noah but I loved him, his been through a lot and is a perfect fit to Noah. These two go together wonderfully and I enjoyed their relationship a lot, look forward to seeing more of them in the rest of the series. Seth isn't afraid to tell Noah the truth and give him the training he needs, while Noah will call him out on his attitude and fits perfectly.
  
  Wow that ending was interesting, I am so excited for the next book now because I am a huge fan of Vapor so it should be fun. Andy seems a bit of a dick, but I like a smart guy and he fascinates me. I look forward to seeing his story and how these two get together, because it looks to be a lot of fun xx
• 
  Sarah Connor

  Seth is an idiot for not clearing things up and going after Noah and letting him believe he was unwanted. Noah is a slut that doesn't want to be defined by having been a hustler and a sex slave/pet, but after making out with the guy he likes and having a misunderstanding he goes and have a threesome with some other men. I mean seriously less than a day went by and he just went and had a threesome with some friends and "the only thing missing was Gale" another friend who wasn't there.
  You could say they didn't go all the way but they went far enough to just piss me off and just stop me from caring about this MC.
• 
  MyzanM

  An average shifter tale.
  
  This story lacked the bit of action the previous books in the series had, and centered on the inner workings of Noah.
  Unfortunately it sometimes it crossed the line and instead of showing Noah as a troubled young man battling his inner demons it gave us a whiny drama queen. There's a fine line and Noah kept toeing it...
  
  Nothing much happened but giving Noah his HEA and introducing us a bit more to Ranger and Trevor as well as the last missing brother - slightly creepy Andy / Andrew.
  
  
• 
  Gotens

  Una lettura carina e molto veloce, la storia è piacevole ma purtroppo merita a parer mio solo tre stelle perché in alcuni punti il passaggio di tempo è molto veloce e la storia fra i due non è descritta al contrario altri punti come le scene di sesso sono ben scritte e non volgari ma molto più descrittive che non l'interazione fra i due personaggi per conoscersi ed è un peccato.
• 
  Emma

  Corto, poco approfondimento e una situazione che non ho apprezzato per niente