Alphas on the Prowl Shifter Paranormal Boxed Set by Catherine Vale, Lashell Collins, Gina Kincade, Bethany Shaw , Phoenix Johnson, Annie Nicholas, Jami Brumfield, Sarah Mäkelä , Amy Lee Burgess, Anna Lowe

Blurb: All new stories!

Alpha shifters are on the prowl, and they’re used to getting what they want. But there’s more to claiming a destined mate than raw power, and they’ll have to prove themselves worthy – in more ways than one.

Alphas on the Prowl offers page after page of passion and pleasure in this box set featuring eleven NEW tantalizing shapeshifter tales from NY Times and USA Today best selling authors.

NOT AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

3.5 stars

Well, I finally finished another anthology. This one took me about nine months to finish and I gotta say I wasn’t really impressed with them that much.  Obviously if I took my sweet ass time with them.

One thing that is standing out to me is the fact that there is NO FRICKING TABLE OF CONTENTS!! So if I wanted to…IDK, REVIEW EACH BOOK INDIVIDUALLY, I would have to go through the anthology page by page to find the title and author of each book.

No fucking way am I doing that.  Call me lazy,  IDC, that’s a whole lot of effort for some books I barely remember.

So I can only go based on my most recent memory of these stories, which is sad to say, mediocre.  This will be the shortest review of an anthology ever because of my laziness.

That’s…that’s about it really.  They had alphas and they were on the prowl, but none really stuck to me as super awesome.

 

 

Destiny Binds (Timber Wolves Trilogy #1) by Tammy Blackwell

Blurb: Scout Donovan is a girl who believes in rules, logic, and her lifelong love of Charlie Hagan. Alex Cole believes in destiny, magic, and Scout. When Alex introduces Scout to the world of Shifters, men who change into wolves or coyotes during the full moon and Seers, women who can see your most private thoughts and emotions with a mere touch, the knowledge changes everything and everyone Scout thought she knew.

 

 

 

 

 

4 stars

First off, this cover is fantastic yeah? It’s what initially convinced me to stop and read the blurb.  And the title was the second thing that pulled me in, it’s mysterious, no?

However, this story was pretty average as far a YA paranormal romances go.

I mean, I liked the book. It sucked me in right away; even with  the typical love triangle. The twist with regards to the love triangle was refreshing. And I thought it was done tastefully.

One thing that stood out for me was the fact that Jase isn’t a blood brother and the author made it clear to the reader many times.  It seemed a bit of overkill to me with that bit of foreshadowing.  But, hey, I can overlook it. I was almost hoping they had some chemistry but in the end the love interest did end up making sense.  The writing was solid, clear and concise. It was a quick read.

I’m looking forward to the next one.

Beckoned: Heartland Cove County Romance by Vicky Holt

Blurb: Sandrine Crossman, former Sergeant First Class in the Canadian Coast Guard, has a couple little problems. The first one is Mayor Jeffries. The villain wants to get Cove Light in his evil clutches so he can turn it into a tourist trap. She won’t let him win, come hell or high tide. The lighthouse has been in her family for generations.

The second problem is a lot less straightforward, in a tall, muscular and unforgettable way. Unfortunately, the so-called Charles is, well, forgetful. Once Sandrine rescues him from the storm, she realizes he has amnesia. He doesn’t know who he is, where he came from, or where he’s going. She’d like to wash her hands of this hunky landlubber, but then again, maybe he could help her out with the mayor. Especially when mysterious vandalism and physical danger turn into real threats.

Sandrine knows how to deal with touchy motors, perilous weather, and even the mayor. But where matters of the heart are concerned, she tends to flounder. In moments of emotional distress, she turns to her pen-pal, Zeb. But he’s thousands of miles away, and some problems require a more personal touch. Maybe Charles could help with that too. If only he could remember who he was, and if only Sandrine could forget. Because there’s a reason she won’t get too close, and the memories threaten to drown her in a sorrow so deep, her only choices are to sink or swim. And right now? She’s treading water.

5 stars

I really liked this one. It may be in the running for my favorite book by her.  I enjoyed how unique their meeting was.  I’ve always liked original love interest meetings in stories and this one was perfect.  I also loved her home.  I mean, how often do you get to visit a lighthouse?  That’s what it felt like when I read the book.  Like I was visiting a historical lighthouse.  And I must say that was never on my bucket list before but it is now! I really enjoyed their communication about how inexperienced she was in the romance area.  It brought a level of maturity to the story that really enhanced it for me.

Sandrine backstory really stuck out for me. After all the heartbreak she suffered I was surprised she wasn’t more jaded. She seemed to be a self aware person, a fact which I love.  At first I wasn’t to sure about her personality but once I really got in to the story she grew on me and I felt compassion for her and her past.

And Charles was super cute as a water logged rescuee.   He wanted to protect her but at the same time didn’t want to make her think she wasn’t capable.  The fact that he even took that into consideration gave him a depth and attractiveness that appealed to me.  I also liked how he was able to anticipate her wants and needs.  He waited for her to come to terms with her feelings before moving forward. And he wasn’t afraid to show his displeasure about something. All great characteristics I admire in a partner. So yeah, you could say I liked him. 🙂

I mean the whole story was pretty creative.  Not that I expected any less from Miss Holt.  She has a gift for writing, truly.  I’ve read almost all her works and I don’t plan on missing any if I can help it.

Shifter in Paradise by Susan Kearney

Blurb: Ari Dillon is not your ordinary hero. He’s willing to lie, deceive, and hijack a private jet—all in the name of his cause. So if abducting billionaire Samantha Bessinger is the only way Ari can get her alone, he’ll do it.

Real estate mogul Samantha has never met anyone like Ari. He’s charming, ruthless, and almost irresistible. Yet when he crash-lands her jet onto a deserted Caribbean island and reveals his shapeshifting secrets, she can’t deny he’s one of a kind.

But just because he shows her things she never knew were possible, doesn’t prove they are soul mates as he claims. While Samantha didn’t become a success by being a pushover, is she enough of a match for the devil in paradise?

DNF

I had to DNF this one at about 30%. As soon as the female MC allowed her attraction to override her common sense I was done. I just lost interest with this one REALLY fast after that.

Wolf in King’s Clothing by Parker Foye

Blurb: York, England, 1912

Kent was a pack outcast. His shifter instincts cruelly muted, he was collared and kept as a stray. Until he was offered his freedom—for something in return. He must rescue Hadrian, an alpha held hostage in the wolf highlands. It’s a pleasure for Kent to follow the captive’s scent, one so wild and virile it gives him a rush. Though he despises being treated like a mutt called to heel, he’ll gladly fall to his knees for an alpha like Hadrian.

Hadrian has never met anyone like this damaged wolf warrior. His savior who licks the blood from his wounds and who arouses in him feelings he doesn’t understand or want to control. But Hadrian suspects that more than desire binds them. It’s betrayal. Pawns in an elaborate and feral deceit, they’re now caught in the deepening maze of a vengeful shifter world, where navigating the mysteries of the heart could prove just as unpredictable and dangerous as the enemies they face.

3 Stars

I had a hard time feeling the chemistry in this one.  It was kinda choppy and it switched back and forth from attraction to danger too quickly I felt.  Also, the progression of the story didn’t flow very well with their developing feelings.  For instance, they would be traveling together and share heated looks with very little dialogue.  Then they would  *ahem* ‘do stuff’ and I couldn’t see how they got there. I couldn’t understand how they knew what each other felt without saying something more profound.

The plot was a good one but could have been explained a bit better.  Something along the lines of Hadrain being low on the alpha totem pole until several higher ups die. Then everyone wants a piece of him so Kent is hired to bring him to Tabitha. But its not really explained very well because I never knew if she meant to help him or to harm him.  If it was explained, I didn’t catch it.

And I never did understand WHY Tabitha wanted to  help him or why Felicity helped them.  And I didn’t get Kent’s backstory.  Why are wardens bad?  Because it seemed like it was just the ones who put the collar on Kent. But references are made to them being evil, yet Felicity helped them.  And Kent’s ailment wasn’t really explained in detail. Is he a half-shifted wolf? Or is he a wolf kept in a constant state of in-betweeness? Can he ever be made a full wolf? Or is being made a full wolf just a symbol and he doesn’t physically change?  It was all kept very mysterious.  But it was so mysterious that I never really found out what he was.  And it wasn’t made clear if in this world shifter’s were a common occurrence and everyone knew about them or if they were all in hiding from humans.

Just….a lot of confusion all around for me.

I received this book in exchange for an honest/unbiased review.

Bluebells (Wolf Land #1) by Fiona McShane

Blurb: In 1652, Ireland is known as Wolf Land. Oliver Cromwell’s army have arrived. Properties will be seized. Land will be cleared. Wolves will be destroyed.

In the small village of Wolf Wood, Cromwell’s men face far worse enemies than those in the rest of the country. The wolves here are bigger, stronger, more intelligent. Could these wolves be something different? Could these wolves be forming an army of their own?

Sorcha Moore has grown up hearing stories about the unusual wolves of Wolf Wood, but her fears are more immediate. She fears what will happen to her older sister, Peggy. Peggy is to become the latest mistress of Lord Tolbert, so that the Moores can keep their farm. Sorcha is frightened, too, of her own future marriage to Sean, a farmhand. If the decision were hers she would be with Rory Farrrell, a young blacksmith.

Peter Moore has never let his daughters have their freedom. If he had, they might have turned out like their mother before them – a woman many thought was a witch.

On the night of Bealtaine, Rory Farrell is bitten. Unable to tell Sorcha that he must join the ranks of the werewolves who protect Wolf Wood, he tells her he is moving to Dublin.

No matter what his new responsibilities, Rory cannot truly abandon Sorcha. As the years pass, and Sorcha grows from girl to woman, he watches over her night after night. But when Lord Tolbert’s eyes turn to Sorcha, will Rory be able to keep her safe?

DNF

I couldn’t get through this one. I made it about 20% in before stopping. It was too dry for me. I didn’t feel anything for the characters and the storyline was too linear for me if that makes sense. Too bad, I love shifter books.

Hunt (The Grizzly Brothers Chronicles #1) by Alyssa Rose Ivy

Blurb: There’s a new Alpha in town and he just found his mate, she just doesn’t know it yet.

Welcome to Crestview, Montana. Population ~1000 and not all of those are human.

After his brother is murdered, Ian must step up to become Alpha of his bear shifter pack. At the same time law student Mara shows up in town, and Ian knows she’s destined to be his mate.

When a rival pack lays claim to Mara, Ian and his brothers will stop at nothing to protect her.

1.5 stars

This is my third time attempting to read a series by this author.   The first series I read by I loved, the second I DNF’f .  This one is not a keeper but I at least finished the first book. I keep trying because the one I was able to finish was fantastic and I just want to think she has others out there that I will love as much.  But alas, this one is not one of those.

I tried.  It didn’t work out.  There was too much dialogue and not enough emotion for my tastes.  I don’t really have much more to say other than the it was too fast emotionally and the heroine was not strong enough.

Thomas’ Heart (Judgement of the Six Companion Series #4) by Melissa Haag

Blurb: Thomas’ race is dying. To protect those left, the Elders create a safe haven. However, the safety of their sanctuary is threatened by the cause of their kind’s decline. A human. But, she’s not like the rest; and despite his hatred of humans, Thomas wants her for his own.

When females start dying while trying to reach safety, Thomas realizes it’s no longer just humans who pose a threat, but desperate males. Thomas must secure his place at Charlene’s side as leader of sanctuary, or everything they’ve worked together to build will crumble, and any hope of a future for Thomas’s race will die.

 

 

5 stars

I was surprised at my interest in this book.  Although I suppose I shouldn’t be, it seems if I don’t like the girls story, I love the guys.

This story was different due to the fact that this is the beginning of the cycle.  (You would understand if you read them all) We get to see how some of the elders came to be.  Along with some insights into the enemies camp and the extent of their influence to the shifters and the damage they have done.  Not to mention how far they will go for control and power.  These bad guys are INSANE!

Since no one knows who Charlene is, she gets a very different welcome than the other judgments.  It was nice to see a different POV.  Thomas may be one of my favorite out all the guy novels so far.  I feel like his character had the most growth because of the difficulty they went through striving to bring order to a pretty lawless and violent species.  He didn’t want her there at first, even though she was clearly his mate.  This was telling for me in several ways. His pride in the old ways conflicted with the fact that he knew his race would die out if they didn’t change.  The parts where he started to realize this and was opposed by his own species was very intense to read.

Grey was my favorite and reminded me of Jim.  And they hint of Jim’s future in this pack at the end of this book guys so keep your peepers peeled.  Wini is in this one again – she has a pretty prominent role in this book.  We see the progression of Mary and Gregory – in fact, a whole lot of holes are filled in this book.

I was never a fan of Charlene and I gotta say this book didn’t change my opinion of her in the least.  She came off as over-aggressive and even a bit condescending at times.  Thomas was no angel either. He constantly used every advantage available to him to get his way. I’m just glad he was called on it.

The ending brings us back to current timeline. I’m very interested in reading the rest of this series.

It’s You, Book Two by K.P. Kelley

Blurb:

The second book in New York Times bestselling author Katy Regnery’s first duo of paranormal romances!

HAPPILY EVER AFTER…
To some, they’re just words signifying a fairytale ending.
For me, Jack Beauloup, they represent an unyielding desire:
Forever with Darcy Turner, the unexpected love of my life.
A love that has placed her human life in danger.

According to Pack Law, my binding is an abomination that must be severed.
It’s ignited a fiery hatred that I must confront and control.
But what is bound cannot be broken.
I will keep Darcy safe.
Even if it means giving up on my dreams.
Even if it means giving up my life.

     

My Review:
3.5 stars — I received a free copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

Well hmmm…this is a tough one.  As I’m writing this up, I still don’t know whether I will round up or down.  I enjoyed a lot of this book, was hooked into the romance and action and mythology of the paranormal aspect.  But I also had a few qualms, a few niggles.  It wasn’t quite as satisfying as I’d hoped, and some parts went in directions that I wasn’t entirely happy with (from a personal taste perspective).

So what was I happy with?  I still really loved how unique this take on a shifter story was.  I enjoyed the concept of the Roux-ga-roux and the way Ms. Kelley really made it her own, and blended in the Métis culture and superstitions.  It extended from what was in the first book and remained fairly consistent.

I also really enjoyed that the immediate conflict which ended book one on a bit of a climax was actually dealt with pretty quickly in book two, and was not dragged out.  I loved that we got more good, loving, romantic time with Darcy and Jack, and not just conflict.

What was I less than happy with?  A bunch of little things that kind of added up.  1) There were a few spots (particularly in some steamy scenes) where the POV jumped from Darcy to Jack from one paragraph to the next.  When I’m reading dual POVs, I’m happiest when it’s very clear whose POV I’m reading, and there are clear delineations between them (like chapters or at least breaks).  2) I wasn’t happy with the eventual explanation of the time loss.  I felt it was kind of cheap and didn’t make sense, and if the author wasn’t going to delve into it and make it more clear, then it should have been left out altogether.  There were enough interesting and unique paranormal aspects that it wasn’t needed.  I almost felt similarly about the rash/burns, but I can live with that one.  It just kind of felt lost in the shuffle of book two.  3) I wasn’t happy with the resolution with Willow and Amory…did they tell Amory?  Is he in the dark?  How did they explain everything????  4) I wasn’t happy with the glossing over of Willow’s Enchanteresse stuff.  If you’re going to make it part of the plot, give it some lip service, otherwise it feels very plot device-ish.

SPOILERY PARAGRAPH!!!!  I will hide this on Goodreads, and remove from my Amazon review, but please just don’t read unless you’ve read the book!!!!  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!  5) I was a little disappointed the biology/moss stuff didn’t go anywhere.  It was so foreshadowed, and I really thought she was going to have some breakthrough.  That could have been cool.  6) I really wanted Jack to take out Saint Germain, or show them there was another way, and more clearly break from the pack, though I suppose that would be too dangerous.  7) I wasn’t happy with the amount of sexual propositioning that seemed to happen between unbound Rougs (Julien with Willow, even though he had feelings for Lela, and Tombeur reacting to Darcy, even though he loved Tallis).  I guess this goes along with 6 a bit, in that I kind of thought they were just broken, and Jack and Darcy were the new way (what with all the cheating even in bound couples). 8) I WANTED LOUVETEAUS DAMNIT!!!  ie that epilogue was not nearly satisfying enough.

SPOILERY PARAGRAPH FINISHED!!!

I still wasn’t a big fan of Darcy.  I loved Jack way more, so I was constantly mad at Darcy’s actions.  Although at least Jack kind of screwed up going too far with the keep his distance stuff, so he wasn’t perfect.  But I was never quite happy with how she saw the Roug stuff, and how disgusted she was even by the animals.  I never fully believed that she accepted him (and I guess he didn’t really either).  And I am not a fan of couples that are so bad at communication.  Seriously, I get that neither of you have had much for relationships, but COME ON!!  *sigh*  It’s just a personal taste thing, not my favourite.

So yeah, it looks like a lot of bad, but they’re honestly not big things in the grand scheme of things, just annoyances, you know?  But there were just so many…round up, round down, round up, round down.  But OMG people the emotions in this book were actually pretty amazing!!  My heart broke for Jack on so many occasions, he just grabbed your heart and twisted it!!  *sigh*  My life is so hard.  This one really is a solid 3.5 stars.  I’ll decide on a whim I guess.

 

Luke’s Dream (Judgement of the Six Companion Series #3) by Melissa Haag

Blurb: Luke’s been kicked in the teeth by fate enough to know: nice guys finish last.  He’s done being nice and waiting for his due.

Finding Bethony, another potential Mate, was supposed to be his chance at a true Mate. However, she’s young and afraid and needs time to get to know him first. Bethony has different plans. She’s willing to Claim Luke, but only to stop her terrifying dreams; she’s not interested in love or romance.

The closer the pair get to the Compound, the deeper the danger becomes. Luke isn’t the only wolf looking for Bethi. He must choose between Bethi’s safety and peace of mind, or his dream of finding a true Mate.

 

 

4 stars

Ok, I really expected to flove this book since Bethi’s character was my favorite in the series so far.  But…this fell kinda flat for me.  Don’t get me wrong I liked it a lot.

Like how it showed his vulnerability. He seemed so noble in the original. Refusing to allow her to claim him since she wasn’t attracted to him yet.  Luke seems more relatable in this one since we know he still had the urges most males do. But it seemed he was just going through the motions sometimes to me. Or maybe I was getting tired of her ungratefulness towards him.  That could have been it. I still love Emmitt the most right now.

In this one I saw Bethi as a bit too hard headed and stubborn.  Acting like a martyr as opposed to just having a bad ass attitude.  She came off as way more vulnerable, not as strong willed but kinda weak.  Which for me became a total turn off for her character. I loved her for her determination and unwillingness to give up when the odds were stacked against her.  She just seemed to give up more in this one, even though its the exact same story!  Its a trip to see someone through the eyes of another character. It really changed my opinion of her.

I don’t really have anything left to add.  I’m moving on to the next one.  I hope to get a better view of Charlene since I never really liked her in her book.