December 1, 2014 – Finished Reading

November 28, 2014 Amz

Trigger Warning: Rape, abduction, torture

This was an interesting werewolf book with some really good world-building by author V.J. Chambers. I enjoyed both the creative take on werewolf lore and the world-building/murder mystery the agents were working to solve while trying to untangle Dana from her Stockholm Syndrome like obsession with her former kidnapper and torturer, Cole. ( )

I read this at the prompting of several URR friends & their impressive reviews of the book...

Well...hmmmm.
First, let me start by saying there were parts of this book that were incredibly well done. It's dark but not in tone. It's traumatic but somehow still edges to the side of less dramallama than a [a:Brittainy C. Cherry|7121791|Brittainy C. Cherry|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1372453435p2/7121791.jpg] It's twisted AF but somehow [b:American Queen|30314992|American Queen (New Camelot Trilogy, #1)|Sierra Simone|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475848621s/30314992.jpg|50802007] still takes the cake for what-the-fuckery for me in the past months. Oddly, this is all good. A book about a former hostage werewolf and the serial killer she 'inexplicably' cannot stay away from better not be too serious for its own good, after all, or we'd all be laughing like I insensitively did during Titanic when the boat tipped...So, crazily, I thought the overall story was really really well done in tone, pacing, and originality. Hell, I even enjoyed the romance. Cole is pretty hot, for a serial killer..Until...

BUT...Hmm.....
Apparently werewolf sex isn't my thing cause I legitimately can't get over that mating bit...
I had issues with Dana as alpha and all the betas chasing her tail...that's where the romance plot just fell apart for me. That was too much. Also, of course they were mated. I thought Dana read romances in high schools

Supporting characters Avery were well done, and in many respects, more multi-dimensional than Dana. I thought Cole even had a little more depth and the whole be who I am, embrace what I am, is sympathetic to a certain extent. Dana was trauma upon trauma, and yes, we are seeing her shortly after her release so maybe that is kind of real, and we can tell she's headstrong from her captivity and from her persistence. Ultimately, my main issue is her character's development or lack thereof, and I'm wondering if a little extra time between this plot and the end of her captivity so she could show a different side would have benefitted the book.

I thought the ending was intriguing, if convenient, and think the series shows promise. The main issue I have is very likely shifters really aren't my bag with their big packs and fur (there's a reason I like the Hidden Legacy trilogy 1,000 times better than Kate Daniels- Magic > Animals.) Despite all my reservations and issues, which are relatively minor but did keep me from 4-stars, and regarding my comma use, I'm sorry...no where was I, oh, this was a readable, enjoyable, well done series debut that's worth trying. It's got a decent anti-hero, I'm just a little iffy on the heroine.

Thanks for the shove in this direction, URRers. Oh, and OMG this cover. No. ( )