Hunter

Jax (Jacquelyn Frank) piles on the erotic and magical encounters, but they can’t make up for a repetitive plot. Hunter Finn, the guilt-ridden Sentinel of Willow Coven, is recently returned from a decade’s absence. He feels instant lust for Tatyana Petrova, who makes an unannounced visit to her brother, a coven member. Hunter and Tatyana’s mutual attraction and a protective magical binding stand in for romantic development; their problems are resolved before a final battle, in which Tatyana and her magic play a dangerous but vital part. The plot conflict relies heavily on sexual violence (actual and threatened) against the powerful female witches, while the male witches mostly feel emotional pain over their failure to protect women. The heroes suffer from sameness and feel like caricatures, and the lack of variety in the characters and their problems results in a repetitive plot that is interrupted, rather than enhanced, by numerous sex scenes. (Feb.)