Must Love Hellhounds: Four Tales of Devilish Dogs - Pit Bull or Pomeranian?

You may or may not know that I am a bit of a nerd. 
Okay, so I'm a BIG nerd.
Slipping off into a world of imagination has always been my meditation of sorts. Whether it's Kelley Armstrong's "Otherworld" series, the dark, twisted mind of Stephen King, or Clive Cussler's action-packed adventures, there are very few things I enjoy more than curling up with a cuppa and a good book.
My current pleasures are the "Hollows" novels by Kim Harrison, but for the few days I must wait for the next book to be delivered, I have had to find something else to read from my home library / closet. Urban Fantasy has become my addiction, and so in the hunt for more, I have been reading some of the many novella collections available.

I will follow up with a review of "Inked", featuring Karen Chance, Majorie M. Liu, Yasmine Galenorn, and Eileen Wilks once of I have read it through, but here is a brief (or not so!!) opinion of "Must Love Hellhounds," featuring Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews and Meljean Brook.

Starting with my favourite story (because it's my blog!), "Magic Mourns" by Ilona Andrews.
Having not read any of Andrew's books, I was unfamiliar with the setting and characters of the story, but it was so well written, it didn't matter. Main Character Andrea Nash belongs to the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, and when a Bouda (a were-hyena) is spotted with his tail flaming, being chased by none other than Cerberus himself, she jumps in to investigate.
But she finds herself fighting her feelings for one particular Bouda, who just happens to be hot and semi-naked half of the time! Can she put her feelings aside, hide her own secret, AND find out why the devil's pet seems to be guarding a lone house in the middle of nowhere?
The story is captivating, the characters intriguing, and the tension steaming.
The Greek Mythology references are fantastic, and her take on Vampires is a breath of fresh air from the romantic, just-want-to-love-and-be-loved characters we are flooded with at the moment.
Definitely a favourite, and an author I will be reading in future.

Next, Meljean Brook's "Blind Spot." Again, I have not read anything by Brook, but this sounded interesting, and certainly didn't disappoint. Maggie, assistant to a very powerful Vamp, is sent to find a missing woman, alongside the victim's blind brother, Geoff, who has a rather unique ability. They are joined, of course, by three-headed hellhound / guide dog, Sir Pup, who by far steals the show.
Well-written and interesting, it is the perfect blend of mystery, paranormal and romance.
And Sir Pup is just a darling with giant teeth!

Now onto the not-so-good.
Nalini Singh's "Angel's Judgement," follows Sara Haziz, who has been chosen to be the successor of the current Guild Director, as she hunts down a vampire serial killer, with the help of her "Baby sitter", Slayer, Deacon.
And unfortunately, that is about all I can tell you about the story. Nothing really stood out to me, except for two things:

1. In a book about Hellhounds, there is only a very brief mention of one who appears to be a "Junk yard dog." Not something I'm sure I completely agree with, but that's another matter...

2. Sexual references are random at best. I'm all for sex, blood, and rock and roll in a story, but Singh seems to have just thrown them in here and there just for the hell (no pun intended) of it.

Overall, the story was cluttered, and found I had to keep referring back to parts of the story to remind myself what was going on. Oh and there was mention of archangels, but for the life of me, I can't remember how it fitted in. Sorry!

And last, and probably least, "The Britlingen Go To Hell" by Charlaine Harris, author of the True Blood novels.
Two supernatural bodyguards escort a bloke by the name of Crick into Hell so he can steal Lucifer's conjuring ball. And that's about it. They get caught, put in Hell's prison, with Narcissus, the Greek beauty who fell in love with his own reflection (bad reference to greek myth) and Amelia Earheart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, (bad historical reference). Lucifer does some whipping, and the sex stuff is just plain weird.
And like Singh, there was only a small reference to Hellhounds, who did a patrol or two whilst they were imprisoned.
I have read Charlaine Harris's first Sookie Stackhouse novel, Dead Until Dark, and watched the True Blood series. I found the show okay, but the book was terrible, so I haven't tried to read the rest.

But that's for another post. Back to Must Love Hellhounds.

I'm glad I brought the book, as I really enjoyed Magic Mourns and Blind Spot. It has led me to two new authors I may not have read if I had not purchased this.

However, the other two stories completely ruined it. Bad writing plus very little Hellhound activity meant that they just did not belong in this book. I'm glad they were the first ones, though, as it got them out of the way so it was possible to finish the book on a high. Or at least with a shy, girly giggle!