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Showing posts with label Heart of the Wolf series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heart of the Wolf series. Show all posts
Monday, May 20, 2013
Review: A Highland Werewolf Wedding by Terry Spear
A Highland Werewolf Wedding
Author: Terry Spear
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Heart of the Wolf #11
ISBN: #978-1402266836
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (352 pgs), e-book
Book Source: NetGalley/ Publisher
About the book:
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On The Run...
After werewolves Elaine Hawthorn and Cearnach MacNeill almost have a head-on collision on a foggy Highland road, they're pretty well stuck with each other. It'll be hours before anyone can get there to pull his car out of the ditch and they both have better places to be.
And Nowhere to Hide From Each Other...
The sexy little American brings out all of Cearnach's big bag protective instincts. If she thought she was in trouble before, Elaine has no idea what kind of complications a hot Scot can cause...
What B is talking about:
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As a lone wolf, and an alpha, Elaine Hawthorn doesn’t need a mate to control her and tell her what to do. So, when the tough, Scottish gray wolf, whose minivan nearly hit her rental (but ended up in a ditch, instead), starts bossing her around, she’s not remotely amused. Well, maybe a just a bit. Even worse, they share a history only she seems to remember, and if he discovers who she is, and the reason for her visit to Scotland, she might lose her family’s hidden treasure before she can find it.
Cearnach MacNeill is a seasoned warrior, an alpha wolf in his own right, and second-in-command of his entire clan. He is respected and sometimes feared, and when the American she-wolf who ran him completely off the road defies him at every turn, he’s dumbfounded. And more than a little intrigued. But, something else is bothering him about the sexy brunette who can’t seem to stay away from him any more than he can her, and he won’t let her go until he knows exactly what that means for him and his family.
One thing that’s been true of every Heart of the Wolf novel I’ve read so far is that they’re fun stories, and this one’s no exception. Cearnach is everything you’d expect a “Highland Wolf” to be: he’s sexy, strong, won’t hesitate to defend his clan, and is charmingly arrogant enough to get his way most of the time. However, that’s what makes it so entertaining when Elaine, who’s also an alpha, insists on doing things her own way. It’s a common device in this series, but one that I never tire of. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Cearnach scrambling to regain his footing, and as a female wolf, Elaine is as tough as he is and knows exactly what she’s doing.
Another good thing about these shifters is that, although they resemble humans a lot of the time, their inner animal is always close to the surface. Their wolves govern them in most aspects of their lives, and there’s a wildness to them that adds to their allure. It also makes these wolves pleasantly frisky, and leads to some very sexy moments between Cearnach and Elaine. These wolves mate quickly and frequently, and the teasing they put each other through makes the sex itself even better. I especially like that, although they literally can’t conceal their desire for one another, Cearnach makes sure Elaine knows that winning her over is his highest priority, and that all the power in that aspect of their relationship belongs solely to her. He isn’t just aware that she’s in control; he wouldn’t have it any other way.
While A Highland Werewolf Wedding is primarily a romance, there is also plenty of action to keep the story moving at a steady pace. Ms. Spear includes plenty of chases and suspense, and although a happy ending is never really in doubt, there’s enough of a threat that it feels nice to root for the good guys.
Each novel in the Heart of the Wolf series can easily stand on its own without losing anything to a lack of familiarity with the previous stories. Ms. Spears’ wolves are heroic and stubborn, amusing and loving, and it’s a lot of fun to just follow along wherever the story leads. Elaine and Cearnach may be my favorite pairing to date, their indisputable chemistry and playfulness adding just the right amount of edginess to the story’s unapologetically romantic intent. I have loved all the MacNeill brothers so far, and since theirs is such a large clan, am hoping for more from them soon.
B’s Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
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Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Author Guest Post & Giveaway: Terry Spear
Hello Readers! Today I have a special guest, Terry Spear, author of Scottish Medieval Romance & Urban Fantasy. Terry also writes true stories for adult and young adult audiences. She received Publishers Weekly's Best Book of the Year in 2008 for Heart of the Wolf. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry is a librarian by day. She lives in Crawford, Texas. She also creates award-winning teddy bears, Wilde & Woolly Bears, to include personalized bears designed to commemorate authors’ books. When she’s not writing or making bears, she’s teaching online writing courses.
Please help me welcome Terry to That’s What I’m Talking About. And be sure to check out the end of Terry’s post for a special giveaway! Take it away, Terry...
What’s Your Favorite Holiday Ritual?
Family means everything, and I’ll be gathering the pack for the big celebration. Only the pack has expanded a bit, no pups yet, but a couple of mates were added to the family!
So here we go. Despite all the hustle and bustle of a blog tour for Dreaming of the Wolf for the month of December, which in light of the Christmas spirit, I’m giving a copy away to one commenter, and trying to decorate for the holidays, clean house, work a full time job, and help my daughter with her bridal pictures in a couple of weeks and make teddy bears for orders as they come in, it’s hectic.
But it all comes down to family. The wolf pack. Presents are nice. But it’s really the gathering, of sharing meals, and of playing games. Of seeing the Christmas lights and swapping stories. Of family.
Everyone’s coming in from various places the day before Christmas Eve, so no plans before that but to do all the above before everyone gets here. Although in my werewolf pack, the family and pack members would help decorate, clean, and prepare all the good meals together.
I will be working the morning of Christmas Eve and the day after for a few hours while everyone is abed! That’s to help out my fellow coworkers at the library because the day following a 3-day holiday will be awful if I don’t do something with all the books and movies turned in.
But I’m sure I won’t be missed at home while everyone has their nightcaps on still and are dreaming of sugar plum fairies.
I’ll be taking off the week after to spend time with my family before they all head off and I’m not able to see them again for a long time.
In a werewolf pack, the families stay close to their pack. But in the case of some jobs, my son is a navigator in the AF going to his first assignment, it’s impossible to stay near the homestead.
Now, my question is, are their wolves in Nebraska? Wolf reserves? I must check it out before I visit him!
So sometimes we must let our pups go so they can make a pack of their own. But they will always be part of the original pack and always much cherished.
We’ll open one gift on Christmas Eve, not sure about our Christmas Eve dinner yet, turkey for Christmas, (this time with a working oven!)….hey, diversity makes the experience even more memorable. Last year after my son helped me get the bird in the oven, he said a couple of hours later, “I don’t smell any turkey smells.” He was right. The dead turkey was sitting in the dead oven. So he carved it up until he could fit half of it in a countertop convection oven. The turkey tasted delicious! Even if it was not all in one piece! We will remember that Christmas forever!
But this year, I have a new oven! And first thing Christmas morning with coffee cups in hand, while everyone else is drinking coffee, I drink green Mandarin tea, and we will open presents, play Christmas music, and hopefully will smell the aroma of roasting turkey!
Then we’ll have turkey and following that we’ll play games.
What are some of your Christmas traditions?
May your holidays be truly special! And thanks again, Jen, for having me on your blog today!
Thanks for stopping by, Terry.
GIVEAWAY: Terry is graciously giving away one (1) copy of her newest release Dreaming of the Wolf. Please tell Terry about your Christmas/holiday traditions by leaving a comment for her by Friday December 9, 2011, at 9:00 PM EST to be eligible for the contest. One entry per person, winner will be selected from eligible entries using random.org. Contest is open to US mailing addresses only. If your email address is not part of your profile, please leave it so I may contact the winner. Thank you to Terry for this fun giveaway!
About the book:
Jake Silver doesn't believe in fate or dream mating, despite the fact his brother and other family members have been afflicted with this strange notion. But when dreams begin to plague him about a woman so seductive, he wakes up in a sweat and he's losing way too much sleep over it, he seeks to learn the truth. Can dream mating be a reality? Is the woman real?
Alicia Greiston doesn't dream. Not ever. So when a man visits her in the first dream she's ever had, she's startled, pleased, then alarmed. He's not going away, and the dreams take a sinister turn. He's in trouble, and if the dreams are a foreshadowing of the future, she has to save him.
For more about Terry’s latest, Dreaming of the Wolf, come back later today for B’s review.
You can find Terry at:
Monday, December 27, 2010
Review: Wolf Fever
Wolf FeverAuthor: Terry Spear
Release Date: December 1, 2010
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Heart of the Wolf Series Book #6
ISBN: #978-1402237522
Genre: Paranormal Romance (werewolf)
Format(s): paperback (416 pgs), e-book
I received a copy of this book from the PUBLISHER for the purposes of an honest review.
Be sure to check out my giveaway of Wolf Fever at the end of this review.
From the author’s website:
Carol Woods wanted more than anything to be a nurse at the hospital in Silver Town, Colorado where her family lives, but she never foresaw how she’d end up with the job. Now she’s a red werewolf facing a mating, trying to forestall shifting for a variety of reasons—one of which has to do with a swine flu virus that seems to be attacking the werewolf kind in a bad way, while working with a private investigator who doesn’t believe in her psychic abilities one bit. So why does she thinks she’s falling in love with the infuriating gray?
Chester McKinley can’t get his mind off the entrancing woman, a nurse, a newly turned red lupus garou belonging to another gray pack and the only one left who might be able to learn how to stop the swine flu virus from making a permanent impact on their kind. Although he doesn’t want to draw Carol into this dangerous situation or believe she is involved, he has no other choice. But does the woman really have psychic abilities that are keeping her from shifting, or is she a fraud, a master at deception, and is behind the infections of their people? And how can he keep his hands off the intriguing woman, and his mind on the mission as the virus takes its toll?
What I’m talking about:
The story kicks off with newly turned werewolf, Carol Woods, fighting the change from human to wolf. She was turned via an attack five months prior and she still hasn’t accepted her new life. She’s in the custody of Darien Silver, pack leader and Carol’s protector. She is a guest, with restrictions, until she finds a mate to help her adjust to her new life.
In addition to fighting her inner wolf, Carol is also psychic and she’s foreseen some serious trouble for her new pack. Several members of her pack will not be able to shift from wolf back to human, but no one believes her. And really, she just wants one man to believe in her - (Chester) Ryan McKinley, an alpha leader from a neighboring pack. Meanwhile, Ryan will do what it takes to learn the truth about Carol, and why he can’t stop obsessing over her.
This is the sixth book in Ms. Spear’s Heart of the Wolf series, and my first look at this wonderful world. Although I did not read any of the previous books, I found the story easy to jump into - never feeling lost or that I had missed out from skipping the earlier books. Although I may have gotten a deeper understanding of the pack life and rules from the previous books, Ms. Spear did a great job bringing me up to speed and I was able to enjoy.
Carol is a delightful heroine. She is a strong woman placed in a difficult situation. She is terrified of what may come to pass, but she also embraces her new life in her own way and at her own speed. She interacts well with all of the pack, even polite to those I wouldn’t have been. She understands pack politics and hierarchy, but challenges the alpha as a sister would.
Ryan is an alpha through and through, but he gives Carol space and time. Of course, this is partly because he isn’t sure if he is the right male for Carol, so he tries to keep their relationship professional. Thank God Carol makes the first move! Together they make a sweet pair, and I adored watching Ryan and Carol each overcome their personal obstacles to finally come together.
The overall story had some exciting twists and turns. Someone/wolf is after Carol - why? Will Carol’s promotions come to pass? Can Carol and Ryan put the pieces of the puzzle together in time to save the pack? There were some exciting moments, but all-in-all a fairly mild story - no cliff hangers or jagged edges. The romance was also sweet, and the sex somewhat hot, but definitely on the mild side compared to other romances I have read.
Wolf Fever is an entertaining shifter story and you do not need to read the prior books in the series in order to enjoy this one.
My Rating:
Liked it a lot - recommend (B+)
GIVEAWAY: I have two (2) copies (two winners) of Wolf Fever to giveaway here at That’s What I’m Talking About. Thank you to Sourcebooks for sponsoring the giveaway of Terry Spear’s latest book. To enter, please leave a comment and your email at the end of today’s review or my interview with Ms. Spear tomorrow (Dec. 28, 2010). Winners restricted to US and Canada mailing addresses, only. Contest open from now until 9:00 PM EST on Friday December 31, 2010. Two (2) winners will be selected from the comment entries using random.org.
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