Review and Giveaway: Wild Wolf

Wild Wolf (Shifters Unbound - Book 6) by Jennifer Ashley

Publication Date: 04/01/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Sensation
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 320
ISBN-10: 0425266044
ISBN-13: 978-0425266045

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Sensation)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Jennifer Ashley on the WEB: website, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series: 

Shifters Unbound

1. Pride Mates
2. Primal Bonds
3. Wild Cat
4. Mate Claimed
5. Tiger Magic
6. Wild Wolf

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from, Wild Wolf, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.

Synopsis:

In the latest Shifters Unbound novel, a man has resigned himself to a life half lived. But a beautiful, courageous woman has him longing for something more… 

Graham McNeil knows that his pack is unruly, but he’s not sure he can take the next step toward Shiftertown stability—choosing a new mate. After losing his mate and son long ago, Graham has worked hard to keep his heart in check. And even if he was inclined to bind himself again, his girlfriend, Misty, is human—a fact that won’t sit well with Graham’s old-fashioned wolves. 
 
But Graham is up against a new enemy, one who could spell danger and death to all of Shiftertown. Graham must now defend his leadership and save Misty, the woman he has grown to love—before Shiftertown is pulled into an all-out war.

Thoughts:

Jennifer Ashley continues her Shifter Unbound series with book six, Wild Wolf. The world building in this series is excellent and fans of paranormal romance will love learning about how all of the super natural creatures interact. Ashley blends the paranormal with a strong romance between a human and a shifter, that defies the rules of the pack. The hero has almost forgotten how to love until he meets a woman who is willing to fight for what she loves. Two twin wolf cubs add humor and family bonds to the mix and Ashley will thrill readers with lots of action and sizzling romance.

What I liked:

Diving into book six of a series is not often a fun thing to do. Readers often feel left out, especially if there is an overall series arc. But Jennifer Ashley has a knack for making her books stand alone, while still being linked by characters and situations. I didn't feel at all left out of the loop as sometimes happens when I start in the middle. There was enough background for me to pick up on the essentials, though I do want to go back and read the others. 

The whole concept of Shiftertowns and the way they were set up was really interesting to me. They reminded me of Native American reservations which is somewhat distasteful to me. I liked the idea that the inhabitants stuck together and worked to create their own identities as a community. The world building was probably my favorite part of this one. There were several different types of shifters and different breeds. There were other paranormal beings including one of my favorites, the Fae. It was fun to read Ashley's ideas on the mythology involved and readers who get into the dynamics of packs and that sort of thing will love this one.

I liked the fact that Ashley chose to make the heroine a human. Misty wasn't your average girl though. She had some grit and edge to her that  made her the perfect mate for Graham, who could be a little surly and hard to get along with. She loved him for all of his bad parts, as well as, the good and she stood by him and fought for those she cared about. I love a strong female lead and Misty certainly fit the bill. She also had a gentle side that came out when she dealt with the wolf cubs that showed a real vulnerability in her. A great heroine.

Graham was so alpha. He was used to being charge of his own fate and coming to a shiftertown where he was not the top dog was difficult for him, but not as much as losing his first mate was. He has basically walled off his heart and he hides behind a facade of gruffness and downright ornery behavior to keep his pack and Misty at a distance. But walls show some cracks when it comes to taking care of the wolf twins and when Misty is kidnapped. He deserved a strong female counterpart and Ashley gave him one. Together these two were unstoppable.

There was tons of action in this book including a plot by the fae that threatened all shifters and their towns. There was some serious love scenes that may require a cold drink and a fan to get through and there was a lot of familial bonds and friendships that Ashley explored along the way. There was more than one couple in this book, which provides other areas of interest and kept the book interesting. I definitely want to read more.

What I didn't like:

Not too much to say here. I loved the world building, adored the characters, was totally surprised at some of the plot twists, intrigued by the fae machinations and completely taken in by the cubs. Nope nothing to report that I didn't like.

Bottom Line:

I'm not quite sure how I missed this series. But I'm glad to have found it. Readers who love a good strong pairing in the hero and heroine will really enjoy this one. Those that have think shifters should stay with shifters (paranormal racism if you will) might not be as enthusiastic. I loved it!

Wild Wolf is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Jennifer Ashley, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and winner of a Romance Writers of America RITA Award, also writes as national bestselling and award-winning author Allyson James. She lives in the Southwest with her husband and cats, and spends most of her time in the wonderful worlds of her stories.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Wild Wolf by Jennifer Ashley.

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~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, May 6th.

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