“Insomnia” by Kira Stone

Sanders L. Mann, a Sandman in the service of Morpheus, can’t keep a relationship going.  Being around him literally puts every guy he’s ever met to sleep.  At his boss’ suggestion, he joins the Paranormal Mates Society, where he is attracted to the picture of a very sexy god.  When Pe-Ben, the Abenaki God of Spring, gets Sandy’s email, he is not sure whether they should meet at first.  He’s concerned that his ability to put people to sleep with his voice could be a problem.  Can Sandy and Pe-Ben be together without putting each other to sleep?

I enjoyed “Insomnia,” in part because it was funny.  Sandy is so frustrated he often resorts to porn and toys, which leads to a couple of embarrassing situations.  I wasn’t as fond of Pe-Ben at first.  He seemed standoffish, but later he started to grow on me.  Part of the conflict in the story didn’t strike me as entirely necessary, but overall I thought “Insomnia” was a cute, hot, and fun story.

“O Positive” by Ann Jacobs

Erica Stone is a newly made vampire, and a submissive.  Since she was turned, she can’t find a Master who isn’t scared of her fangs.  When she stumbles upon the Paranormal Mates Society, she figures it can’t hurt to put up a profile.  Dominant vamp Anthony Wilder sees her profile when he calls to complain about the service and the manager of PMS steers him to it.  As soon as they meet, sparks fly.  Have Erica and Tony finally found what they need in each other?

Although “O Positive” is a scorchingly hot story, I just couldn’t get into it.  I admit BDSM isn’t my favorite thing anyway, and in this story Erica went crazy for Tony the second she saw him just because he was a vampire dom.  There wasn’t much getting-to-know-you involved for either of them.  While it was easy to believe they were compatible sexually, I didn’t buy the love at all because they barely knew each other.

“Loving Fury” by Amelia Elias

As the Fury in charge of natural disasters, Thera doesn’t get many dates.  In fact, men are terrified of her.  She is ecstatic when she joins the Paranormal Mates Society and gets an invitation to dinner from a sensitive water sprite.  When she arrives for the date, however, she’s horrified to discover that she’s been tricked.  Her date is actually Ares, the God of War, and he’s equally unhappy to see her.  What happens when two immortals are given the opposite of what they think they want?

“Loving Fury” was without a doubt my favorite story in this anthology.  Thera is a great character.  Amelia Elias did a wonderful job of making her both powerful and very vulnerable emotionally.  The first-person narration drew me in right away, making it impossible for me not to root for Thera.  Ares turned out to be just the match for her—strong, sexy, and tender.  “Loving Fury” is a fabulous story that’s hot, sweet, and immensely satisfying!

“Playing with Matches” by Cat Marsters

Nymph Nerissa is so busy running the Paranormal Mates Society website she doesn’t have time for anything more than porn and sex toys.  Unfortunately, someone has hacked the site, making the perfect matches suddenly not-so-perfect, and now her bosses are mad.  When she confronts the guilty party, the satyr Ceyx, he tries to make it up to her.  Sex won’t fix everything, though.  Can Ceyx put aside his need for chaos to fix the problems he caused before it’s too late for Nerissa?

“Playing with Matches” is a very spicy story, including multiple partners, exhibitionism, and more.  I liked watching the trouble-making Ceyx trying to reform (at least a little) for Nerissa.  If you’re in the mood for a fun romp with a lot of interesting mythological characters, “Playing with Matches” fits the bill nicely.

“The Midnight Hour” by Isabella Jordan

Werewolf Spencer Kingston is wearying of his wild sex life.  Even the threesomes with his cousin and his cousin’s wife are not as exciting as they used to be.  That’s why when he spots the sexy redhead spying on them, he’s intrigued.  Helen Slade has her own agenda, but she gets distracted by an unexpected attraction to Spencer.  She’s determined not to let him keep her from her mission, however.  Is there any way they can both get what they want?

“The Midnight Hour” was a hot but very rushed story.  I felt like I was jumping into the middle of something that never got fully explained.  I wanted to understand the intrigue surrounding Spencer, his cousin, and his wife, but there wasn’t enough background information for me to do so.  I have a feeling this one would make more sense if I had first read Isabella Jordan’s other Paranormal Mates Society Story. 

Overall, Paranormal Mates Society Vol. 3 is a fun and interesting way to read about different paranormal creatures and try some new authors.  A couple of the stories were standout—“Loving Fury” alone makes this anthology a worthwhile read.