Author: Wendy Sparrow
Series: Taming The Pack (#2)
Pages: 343
Format: E-Book
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
She's exactly what he wants to sink his teeth into...
Jordan Hill is his pack's Alpha. The Big Bad Wolf. And after his last breakup, he's opting to be the lone wolf, too. But then his rival's little sister—a human, of all creatures—comes to his door. And suddenly, what should be a tasty little snack turns out to be something more than Jordan could ever imagine...
Christa Hansen is simply looking for a place to stay. Yet the dark shifter smells irresistibly like forever. But getting involved with the wolf who tried to kill her brother—twice—is lunacy. Besides, in the unforgiving, shadowed world of shifters, there is no room for weakness. And falling for her family's enemy won't just be her downfall... it will be his, too ~Goodreads
WARNING: This review may be excessively long and full of gushing and at times may not make much sense because I seem to not know how to put into words my love for it. You have been warned...
PLOT
This is one of the first books ever that I picked up that featured werewolves as prominent characters. I had read a few books, such as Twilight, that had werewolves in it but not any where the focus was on them. I can safely say that as of now werewolves are my favorite paranormal beings to read about and I attribute that to how much I LOVED this book!
To start off, I absolutely loved how Wendy portrayed werewolves, or Lycans, as they are most often referred to in the book. They weren't portrayed as monsters or beings with no control. They were humans who carried the Lycan gene and even thought they did have abilities such as an amazing sense of smell they were like you and me in many ways. I loved the pack dynamics as well. They were a family. A group who took care of each other and were willing to go above and beyond for those around them. I loved their acceptance of Christa and their reassurance that she was no less because of her "weaknesses."
Let me tell you, even though this book can be said to be a romance it is jam packed with action! There is so much going on between the potential of poachers attacking and the mystery of the attack on Travis's pack. The mystery of it all had me at the edge of my seat. Even though I expected something big to happen I did not expect the events to unfold as they did and was pretty anxious and creeped out in a couple parts. (NOTE: It wasn't necessarily scary in a horror/monster way but more so in a suspenseful /serial killer way. IF that makes any sense at all!) During the last few pages where everything is playing out I was definitely holding my breath until it was over because I wanted everything to go according to plan. The ending definitely did not disappoint and it was incredible to see everyone come together for a common goal. Everyone was so selfless and willing to fight for what was right and to do so with pride.
CHARACTERS
Christa: Oh boy, I can say SO much about Christa! Probably one of my all time favorite characters EVER! Christa is our main character and she happens to have Multiple Sclerosis. Can we talk about how amazing it is for Wendy to create a character who has MS, she created a heroine and a voice for many who often don't get to shine in books. Wendy also didn't try to romanticize her illness or try to make it seem like it was no big deal like so many pieces of literature do. Often times you have a main character who has a disability that is mentioned but never explored. Throughout the book we see the effects of MS on Christa. We see how weak she can get, her excessive need to sleep and rest, her difficulty with even driving sometimes. The second time she encounters Jordan we even see her collapse. I appreciated the realness Wendy brought to the character. We didn't simply forget that Christa has MS because in her everyday life it was impossible for her to forget or ignore it herself.
But by NO means was Christa consumed by her illness. Christa is such a strong and intelligent heroine. Even though she understood the limitations of her illness she didn't let it define her or dictate her actions. She is also one of the most HILARIOUS characters ever! These are just some of my favorite lines from her:
"She'd smell things on Vanessa's behalf and tell Dane it was good and done--things had been smelled"
"It's because I ate the last three marshmallows. How the hell was I to know that marshmallows are sacred? There should have been a sign. 'Keep out, Christa, if you value your life.'"
"Does this place have a cellar?" "Yes," he said slowly, drawing it out. "Why?" Because his wife was in it. It was occupied."
"Well, I wasn't going to hand him measurements and a map to accomplish it if that's what you're worried about. I didn't look for that long."
"He's going to give me a complex," Christa said. "He just Stares at my face like I'm an alien race and if he takes his eyes off me, I'll mutate and suck out his eyeballs."
Christa was such a determined character as well. When Jordan tries to dissuade her from wanting to pursue a relationship with him she goes off on him and lets him know basically that even though he can make his choice to not be with her it is also HER choice whether she wants to pursue the relationship or not.
"Okay, you go be an adult--and I guess that makes me a child, even though I graduated from college magna cum laude three years ago, so thank you for that. You choose to do whatever you want to...but as stupid and outrageous as it is, I felt something for you from the first moment--from when you walked in that hospital room with those balloons. I keep trying to figure out what the hell forever smells like because that's what my brain keeps smelling whenever I'm around you. So maybe you're my scent match too--maybe it's not just a Lycan thing. Maybe you're the only person I'll be compatible with for the rest of my life, but you've got a glorious pity party going, and I'm just going to leave you to that, because along with treating me like a child, you think you know what'll make me happy better than I would, and I guess I don't deserve the chance to choose."
Christa is an all around great character. She is someone who I saw myself in, someone I could relate to and look up to. She is someone I would love to be best friends with and someone I could learn a lot from. I loved her bravery and strength. Also, her determination. She was not only willing to think outside the box but she had the intelligence to execute smart plans. If it wasn't for her I don't think the events could have turned out the way they did. OKAY, OKAY...I will stop gushing about Christa and move on!
Jordan: Jordan was a great main character as well! He was sexy and tough and kick-ass and just the right amount of Alpha. Even though he was the Alpha of his pack and he commanded authority and respect he still turned into a big teddy bear when it came to Christa. I loved seeing his struggle with giving up power and changing his mentality for Christa. It was very real because often times when we are alone for a long time we forget how to give up that piece of ourselves to another. I loved how he worried about Christa and her health but at the same acknowledged her strength and determination. He never saw her as someone weak or as a burden he would have to care for. I also loved the fact that in the end he could admit he was wrong and give credit where credit was due. Something hard for most people to do but something even harder for an Alpha.
Dane & Vanessa: These two are a hoot! Dane is Christa's brother and Vanessa is his wife who also happens to be Lycan. They are so crazy about each other but also always arguing and they make such a good duo. The first book in this series, Past My Defenses, is the story of this lovely pair. You can definitely enjoy this story without reading the first one but if you want more hilarity then pick up that one as well!
OVERALL
There is not much more I can say that would sum up my love for this book and it's characters. The romance was sweet and funny and the action was intense and nail-biting. I have already re-read this book twice and I know that I will be re-reading it for years to come. If you want a fun, hilarious, sweet, action-packed and intelligent read then definitely pick this one up! Also, follow Wendy on twitter! She is amazing and uber sweet!
NOTE: Although this is a romance there is no explicit sex scenes. So if that makes you uncomfortable or usually makes you steer clear from romance books then pick this one up because sex is not a focus of this novel by any means.
