Punished
by Samantha Stone
Publication Date: October 12, 2014
Genres: Dark Fantasy, Romance
Mary just wants to get away from her boss, but quitting her job would leave her and her sister homeless. Raphael is a criminal living with the never-ending guilt of the crimes he committed centuries ago. Punished brings them together in a romance filled with lore, laugher, and love. Samantha Stone is pleased to present Book 1 of her new paranormal romance series, Crescent City Creatures. Raphael Saar is an exiled werewolf, a convict on the direct path to a death sentence—for a crime he didn’t commit. He doesn’t care, so long as he can end the human trafficking ring kidnapping women across New Orleans. Recovering from a horrific tragedy, one particularly bad day for Mary Newman has stretched into months. A nanny for a wealthy family in New Orleans, she can’t understand why she’s being constantly humiliated by her boss until the night she learns that he’s not human—and neither is she. Only Raphael can save her from the monster feeding from her misery, but will Mary be able to stop his execution? Punished teams up werewolves, banshees, a wompus cat and a haint in order to rid New Orleans of a group of immortals determined to hurt the city’s women and kill Raphael’s pack. Content Notes: Spicy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Suspense, Shifters, Wolves, Other Weres, Magic, Ghosts.
Take a whole slew of mythical creatures, mix with a heaping helping of werewolf, add love, mystery, revenge, pour it into the city of New Orleans and you have Punished by Samantha Stone. And the combination more than works for this story!!
Raphael is one of four exiled werewolves who live together in New Orleans, and he just knows his life is going to be ending soon – something he is perfectly okay with until he meets Mary. After their eyes meet across the crowded club, he is instantly hooked and he wants to do nothing more than to protect her and make sure she is taken care of. Mary feels herself pulled and trusting Raphael from the instant she met him, and that is not something that comes easy for her. Her employer is horrible, abusive, and she wants to leave, but since she is the sole guardian and provider for her younger sister, quitting is not exactly an option until it becomes the only choice.
Nothing is as it seems in the city of New Orleans…and that includes the people Mary finds surrounding her; however, one thing is perfectly clear, she has fallen for the werewolf who came to her and her sister’s aid in the club, and she never wants to be apart from him. With a countdown clock sitting over Raphael’s head, will they find a way to be together before time is out? Be careful who you trust because not everyone is a friend…nor are they human.
The story was captivating and the main characters were well developed and endearing. There were even a few twists I wasn’t expecting. Now that I have had a taste of some of the supporting characters in this book though, I can’t wait to read their stories!! There were times that the story felt rushed and off beat, but for the most part I loved it and am eagerly anticipating the next book in the series! 4 stars!
Samantha Stone is a twenty-something graduate student studying speech-language pathology in Alabama. She’s proficient in French and Signing Exact English, and considers New Orleans the home of her heart. Most days you can find her doing speech- related research, chasing her creatures around New Orleans (in her head), or curled up with a good book. She drinks hot chocolate year-round.
