Jessie recs heat, howls and hairy heroes

Happy Halloween! You most certainly are in the mood for some shapeshifter books, so we've got some recommendations:

Nalini Singh's Psy-Changeling series

What it's about: Nalini has created a world with three different races; the Psys, the Changelings and the humans. There are evil councils, hot alphas, shifters of all varieties as well as steam, heat and chemistry -- all of which will get you addicted to her writing. The major underlying plot line: The Psy Council wants to rid the world of its opposers. There are also factions in the council that believe a hive mind would be better than individuality. They are cold, calculating and have no room for emotions. On the Shifters side, the wolves and the leopards make an uneasy truce, because that's the only way to survive in the Psy-dominated world, and the humans are tired of being taken for granted and feel it's time to rise up.

Why you should read it:Slave to Sensation is still my favorite book, and compared with the recent releases, it's not as complex or expressive. That just goes to show you how amazing Nalini set up her world from book one. What started out as a romance between a broken Psy and an Alpha shifter has transformed into a full-out war complete with murder, passion and bonds that are forged in fire. If you like chemistry, if you like dominant men, if you like women with a bit of teeth and spine, then pick up this series! It's one of my favorites, and the Psy-Changelings are always on my auto-buy.

Tidbit: I asked Nalini how she came up with her shifters, and she said, "I've always enjoyed shapeshifter novels, but a while back, I began to notice that often, the shifting was unwelcome or terribly painful, perhaps even forced on the hero or heroine, or the change was out of the shifter's control — tied to the moon, for example. I wanted to write true shapeshifters, characters who were at home with, and proud of both sides of their nature. So my changelings can shift at will, and are as happy in their wild forms as they are in their human." :-)

Rachel Vincent's Shifter series

What it's about: When I first read Stray, I was hooked. Faythe Sanders is the world's only female werecat enforcer and she is more dominant and alpha than any other heroine. She's hot, she's in control and Rachel's world of cat shifters is so colorful and rich that you'll find yourself running beside Faythe. Here is one of my favorite Faythe quotes from Rachel's website: "With the body count rising and treachery everywhere, my instincts tell me to look before I leap. But sometimes a leap of faith is the only real option ..." Faythe is no meek kitty.

Why you should read it: There are few books out there with really dominant heroines. Oftentimes the female lead comes across as strong but still submissive to the hero. This is not the case for Faythe. Her lover, Marc, is her equal but will still bow to her authority, and she has power dripping from her claws. The chemistry and connection between Marc and Faythe are also so strong they may ignite your Kindle. I love this series.

Tidbit: When I asked Rachel about how she named her characters, she said, "Marc's name was originally Marco, but I had a friend at the time who was writing a book with a character named Marco, so I dropped the O. Which is why his name isn't spelled with a K. As for Faythe, I took a lot of criticism for adding the Y to her name, but I've always loved that spelling! I will admit, though, that for years my own mother couldn't remember how it was pronounced. She always called my main character Fay-ith!"

Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series

What it's about: Mercy Thompson is a coyote shifter in the Tri-Cities area of Washington state. She's also a mechanic and surrounded by far more powerful beings. There's a vampire whose car she fixes (he likes her), a werewolf alpha who feels her trailer brings down the neighborhood (he likes her), her fey boss and a string of bad creatures who want nothing more than to eat little coyotes for breakfast. Patricia writes fast and hard, and her characters go through hell and back, only to find there's still more to come.

Why you should read it: This is true urban fantasy at its core. It's more about the action and adventure than a simple love plot, though don't get me wrong: Mercy and Adam steam up the pages. If you love fantasy and danger with a bit of love thrown in to spice it up, then I urge to pick up Mercy … she's a spitfire and one of my favorite heroines.

Mary Calmes' Change of Heart series

What it's about: Jin Rayne is a werepanther, but more than that he's a special kind of panther who is the exact mate of an alpha (like a fated mate). The only problem: He's a guy. It's this reason he gets kicked out of his old pack (after being beaten brutally) and is on the run with his best friend, Crane. The first book, Change of Heart, sets everything up for Jin to find his mate, Logan. Then book two and three will just blow your mind. There are character twists, there's Egyptian lore and violence, and, of course, there are steamy, steamy, steamy scenes between Jin and Logan.

Why you should read it: I think I have honestly read every single one of Mary's books. I love her heroes. I love how perfect they are, though if you're not into perfect heroes you can try Acrobat, Mine and a few others). I love how snarky Jin is. I often re-read this series when I'm looking for something other than an average werewolf story.

Tidbit: When I asked Mary why she chose werepanthers, she said, "I always wanted to write a shifter story and I settled on werepanthers because werewolves have been done by such wonderfully talented people and, really, if a werewolf gets wet, what will they smell like? You got it, wet dog. How is that hot?" Never thought of that, but that is a good point!

Shelly Laurenston's Magnus Pack series

What it's about: The Magnus Pack series includes Pack Challenge, Go Fetch, Here Kitty, Kitty and When He Was Bad. In each of the series, the heroes are hot! They include an alpha wolf, a viking descendant and a spoiled tiger-shifter. Even though I love reading about her heroes, the heroines are actually what draw me in. They are butt-kickers, loud-mouthed and, my God, do they know how to take charge.

Why you should read it: I actually got hooked on Shelly's books years ago when I was bored in a bookstore and started reading Go Fetch. I cried so hard (laughing hysterically) that I immediately bought it and the other two books in the Magnus Pack series. It has since been a favorite recommendation to friends and family when they're looking for steamy romances, hot alpha shifters and butt-kicking heroines who will have you in tears.

Stephani Hecht's Lost Shifters series

What it's about: The war between the Feline Coalition and the Raven shifters involves multiple shifter groups, poisonous spider shifters and a whole lot of steamy heat. Each book (there are 17!) is a novella/short story involving a different Lost shifter and his or her mate. It's a bit formulaic but fantastic if it's the perfect HEA you're after.

Why you should read it: The Lost Shifters series is my guilty pleasure. I own all 17 books and re-read them when I need a little happy fix. The characters are adorable, the stories are breezy and the loving is hot. I'm especially in love with hero Shane, and apparently I'm not the only one because not only does he have three books in the shifter series but an ongoing storyline on Stephani's blog. If you like dominant shifters and drama, then pick up her books! (Any of the books can be read as a stand-alone, but you'll appreciate it more from book one.)

Tidbit: Stephani says, "My love for the city Flint inspired me to write the Lost Shifters. Sure, the city may have a ton of abandoned factories, but if one just let's their imagination free, they could almost see the buildings being used by paranormal creatures instead of wasting away."

Jessie Potts, also known as Book Taster, adores books in all forms. She is a top 600 reviewer on Amazon and also does reviews for Bitten By Books and AllRomance.com.