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Showing posts with label Terry Spear. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Terry Spear. 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-)
Purchase Info:
Reviews in the Series:
Friday, February 15, 2013
Review: Howl for a Highlander by Terry Spear
Howl For A Highlander
Author: Terry Spear
Release Date: Feb. 5, 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Werewolf Series Book 10
ISBN: #978-1402258930
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (352 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Purchased with my own funds
About the book:
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Duncan MacNeill is a Highlander at heart with a mission—find gray wolf and former stockbroker, Silverman who has stolen the family fortune and is purported to be living in the Grand Cayman Islands. As a Highland wolf, Duncan rarely leaves his native homeland and taking a trip to an island paradise doesn’t appeal. But keeping the MacNeill’s ancestral castle depends on making Silverman pay. What Duncan doesn’t plan for is the American botanist who distracts him from his mission and makes him realize what an island paradise really means.
Shelley Campbell is teaching botany at a Florida college, when she receives an email from an old girlfriend, who’s renting a villa on the island and wants her to come to stay with her. Figuring she can study the old growth forest while she's there, and lecture about it when she returns home, she has no idea the secrets she might uncover. When her girlfriend’s a no-show, a Highlander turns up instead, and she has a choice—share the villa, or send him away and pay full price for the accommodations—which on her teacher’s salary is stretching things pretty thin. Since he promises to be no trouble at all, she lets him stay. And that’s when the trouble really begins!
What B is talking about:
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A reluctant traveler in a Caribbean paradise, Duncan MacNeill is seeking not only the return of his family’s fortune from the wolf who stole it, but justice for the theft according to the laws of their kind. Since no wolf can be allowed to enter the human legal system for fear of exposure to humans, punishment is always swift and final, and Duncan is looking forward to the task. But, vengeance on a shoestring budget is tricky business, especially when the cheap hotel Duncan is supposed to be staying loses his reservation.
Getting paid to do research for the university she works for in a private villa by the sea sounds like the perfect getaway for Shelley Campbell—until the grant money she was counting on to fund the trip is stolen, along with the rest of the university’s money. Now, she’s stuck renting a place she can’t afford, and no way to continue with the project she came for. Luckily, a gorgeous Highland wolf with a chivalrous streak is in need of a place to stay, and she’s got enough room for them both. If, that is, they can manage to keep their hands to themselves.
Howl for a Highlander is a sweet, oftentimes funny, love story that has plenty of action and intrigue to keep the pages turning. Much of the plot involves a lot of coincidences that might not work in a heavier tale, but even when Shelley and Duncan are in danger, this story is a lot of fun. The ending was actually quite surprising, and I very much enjoyed seeing all the wolves working together to fight for what’s theirs. My favorite parts of Howl for a Highlander, though, were definitely the scenes between Duncan and Shelley as they grew closer together.
The relationship between these two wolves is highly amusing in that Duncan has every intention of calling the shots for the little, female wolf, deciding what’s best for her in order to keep her safe, but Shelley has other ideas. She has work to do, and Duncan is at once so enthralled with her and frustrated by her resistance that he ends up going along with just about anything she says. There is some very nice friction between the two lovers, but a warrior like Duncan needs a woman who can keep him on his toes, and Shelley is just the girl for the job. As a bonus, she comes with some very opinionated and demanding relatives, leaving Duncan flailing between duty and irritation.
Mating between the wolves in this series is always interesting, given that they live very long lives, and mating is both instant and permanent. While Ms. Spear’s wolves can have sex with humans without any real risk, having sex with another wolf could have disastrous consequences if a mating is a bad one. As with the other couples in the Werewolf series, however, Duncan and Shelley are perfect for one another, and once they give in to their mutual need to belong each other, things heat up quickly. Being curious by nature, these wolves find some creative, playful ways to explore their sexual bond, which was a lot of fun to read.
Howl for a Highlander is another fine addition to the Werewolf series. It is full of action and romance, and the main characters are extremely well written for each other. Duncan is completely lovable when it comes to Shelley, and watching him try to balance the two halves of himself is both charming and entertaining. Ms. Spear keeps the narrative light without it seeming overly simple, making Howl for a Highlander a relaxing, enjoyable read. I’ve been hooked on this series for a while now, always happy when I have the chance to continue reading about the wolves, and this newest entry easily carries on the tradition.
B’s Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Purchase Info:
Reviews in the Series:
Labels:
4 stars,
Bs-review,
paranormal romance,
Sourcebooks,
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2
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Monday, October 1, 2012
Review: Savage Hunger by Terry Spear
Savage Hunger
Author: Terry Spear
Release Date: Oct. 2, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Jaguar Series Book 1
ISBN: #978-1402266928
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (352 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher/NetGalley
About the book:
|
He saved her once…
When Kathleen McKnight was caught in the crossfire during a mission deep in the Amazon rain forest, a mysterious man saved her life then disappeared. Kathleen returns a year later in the hopes of finding her mysterious savior…
Now he wants to claim her…
Jaguar shape-shifter Connor Anderson is instantly intrigued by Kathleen’s beauty and courage and thinks about her constantly. When she comes back to the Amazon to seek him out, he knows he has to act fast if he’s to keep her for his own…
What B is talking about:
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Still traumatized after the other members of her team were killed while on a mission gone wrong a year ago, Kathleen McKnight has returned to the Amazon looking for the man who once saved her. Encouraged by her doctor to face the past, she’s determined to thank the man, achieve some closure, and move on with her life. But, when she finds herself lost and in danger again, she discovers she has, not only unexpected allies, but a chance at a life she never dreamed possible.
Connor Anderson has never been able to forget the woman he saved while vacationing with his sister in the jungle. A year after finding her dying in a tent, the woman who so quickly captured his fascination is back, and this time, the beast within him won’t rest until it has claimed her as his own.
Though it begins with the main characters in the middle of a grave and horrific situation, Savage Hunger is a lighthearted read. Ms. Spear takes her time introducing us to Connor, his sister Maya, and Kathleen, as well as the world they live in, which does slow the action down a little in places, but the pacing starts moving along nicely about halfway through the story. Naturally, a lot of attention is given to the details of the jungle and its inhabitants, along with Connor and Maya’s past and the need they feel to return to the place where their jaguar halves can roam free.
Kathleen and Connor are a wonderfully sexy couple, though they both initially do everything in their power to resist their mutual attraction. Kathleen isn’t a born shifter, and while Connor accepts that he wants a mate and family of his own, he’s not willing to turn Kat against her will in order to have them. Kat, on the other hand, isn’t the tough Army officer she once was, and is convinced that she’s a burden Connor and his sister don’t need. Thank goodness for Maya, though, because she’s got no compunction whatsoever about turning Kat herself and making her one of the family, whether Kat or Connor consent to her methods or not. While Maya isn’t a pillar of responsibility and forethought, she’s incredibly loving and loyal, and provides much of the humor running through the story, most notably when she and Kat gang up on Connor.
The book really picks up when the trio are on the run from a drug lord and his heavily armed men. Kat’s greatest weakness is that she can’t control her shifts, but as she begins to reconcile the shifter she’s becoming with the soldier she was, her self-confidence returns, making her a much more interesting character overall. Her ready acceptance of what Maya has done to her feels a bit too easy, but as Kat and the siblings begin to operate as a unit, the near misses and battles with the bad guys end up being some of the best parts of the story.
Savage Hunger is a solid beginning to a new series by a very talented author. Having had the opportunity to read several of Ms. Spear’s Werewolf tales, I believe that this new series will be just as enjoyable. Kat and Connor were a pleasure to read about, as was Maya, and while there were a few instances earlier on I had some trouble connecting with, by the end of the story I was having a wonderful time tagging along on their adventures. I’m excited to see where Ms. Spears takes her jaguars in future novels, and cannot wait to find out what sort of trouble Maya will get into in her own story!
B’s Rating:
|
Liked it - recommend (B+)
Purchase Info:
Labels:
3.5 stars,
Bs-review,
Jaguar Series,
paranormal romance,
Sourcebooks,
Terry Spear
|
2
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Monday, March 5, 2012
Review: A SEAL in Wolf's Clothing
A SEAL In Wolf’s Clothing
Author: Terry Spear
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Werewolf Series Book 9
ISBN: #978-1402258909
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (352 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher/NetGalley
About the book:
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Meara Greymere is in charge of the cabin rentals on the rugged Oregon coastline, so her brother and his mate could take a delayed honeymoon. But while Hunter is away, the she-wolf intends to play—she just has to convince the right alpha male to rent one of the cabins, and she’ll take it from there. But when Finn Emerson arrives with every intention of pretending to be her lover, she's not going to take this lying down. She knows he'll tell her brother what she's up to and put an end to her game.
Finn Emerson is a Navy SEAL, formerly one of Hunter Greymere’s team members, and now he's trying to track down a gray wolf, who's already made an attempt on one of their team member's lives. Finn believes Hunter will be targeted next, only to discover Hunter is off with his mate on a honeymoon, and he fears Hunter’s sister is in grave danger. But the SEAL soon learns protecting the unpredictable sexy she-wolf is a mission and a half and protecting her isn’t all he wants to do.
What B is talking about:
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Finding a mate with an overprotective brother around isn’t easy, but when he and his mate leave for two weeks to go on their honeymoon, Meara Greymere has the perfect opportunity to take control of her own life, and she’s not going to waste it. Brazenly planning to fill the pack’s rental cabins with potential mates, she is determined to find the right male on her own.
When an assassin begins targeting his former team members, Finn Emerson tracks down his friend Hunter to warn him, only to find him away and his stubborn, tempting sister left behind unprotected. Which simply won’t do at all. When he discovers that Meara is looking for a mate, things become even more complicated, especially as the urge to claim her as his own becomes nearly impossible to resist.
This is the third novel in Spear’s Werewolf Series I’ve had the opportunity to review, and it was even more fun than the previous one I read, Dreaming of the Wolf. Spear lets her characters play a lot more here, and the two wolves battle one another in familiar denial, even as it becomes increasingly obvious that they’re a perfect match.
Meara isn’t your typical damsel in distress. She’s an Alpha wolf, and hardwired to take the lead in any perilous situation for the good of those that depend on her. It’s an admirable trait for the most part, and one that is humorously maddening for Finn. However, with both the targets of lethal, skilled assassins, Meara needs protecting, despite her belief to the contrary.
While there’s plenty of suspense in A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing, it is primarily a romance. Finn is wonderful as he becomes frustrated with both himself and Meara, and watching him realize what he wants most was a pleasure. Meara arrives at her “maybe” moment first, but her Alpha wolf nature keeps her from being a heartsick cliché. Unwilling to try to change Finn, thereby ensuring his eventual resentment, she accepts the situation as she sees it: a chance at real pleasure with a caring, sexy man who’s trying to save her life.
The sensual chemistry between the two wolves is lovely, and Spear uses the pair’s mutual avoidance of commitment to prolong the inevitable bond they share. Both Meara and Finn happily indulge in the ecstasy that’s allowed them, however, and the resulting scenes are even hotter for their restraint. By the novel’s end, the raw passion that defined their earlier interactions is tempered with a sweet acceptance that makes their mating very satisfying.
A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing is a fun, sexy read that kept me hooked throughout. Spear writes her wolves well, and while the conflict that’s central to the story wasn’t entirely surprising, she lets the fondness growing between her two main characters rightly take center stage. As a fan of Spear’s other novels, and of “Were” stories in general, A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing is an entertaining and welcome addition to the series.
B’s Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Purchase Info:
Labels:
4 stars,
Bs-review,
paranormal romance,
Sourcebooks,
Terry Spear,
Werewolf Series
|
2
comments
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Contest Winner - Dreaming of the Wolf
I would like to thank everyone for stopping by That’s What I’m Talking About for author Terry Spear’s guest post about holiday traditions. I also want to thank Terry for stopping by and for graciously donating a copy of her newest release, Dreaming of the Wolf for the giveaway.
Every person that commented on the post was entered into the contest - one entry per person. The winner was selected using random.org.
The Winner:
LadyVampire2u
CONGRATULATIONS!!
I am sending the winner an email to send me her full name and mailing address so that the author may send the book. You have until Wednesday December 14, 2011 (end of day) to contact me. If I don’t hear from you by then, I will draw another winner.
Thank you and Happy Reading!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Review: Dreaming of the Wolf
Dreaming Of The Wolf
Author: Terry Spear
Release Date: Dec. 1, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Werewolf Series Book 8
ISBN: #978-1402245558
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (384 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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A fierce hunter…
Alicia Greiston is a no-nonsense bounty hunter determined to bring a ring of mobsters to justice. Her dogged pursuit of the crime family has forced her to avoid relationships—any man would only become a target for retribution. Luckily, Jake Silver is more than a man, and his instincts are telling him to stop at nothing to protect her.
An animal passion…
However, the mob isn’t entirely human either, and soon Alicia must flee for her life. When Alicia and Jake’s passion begins to spill over into their dreams, Jake learns he will have to do more than defend her—he’ll have to show his mate the way of the wolf.
What B is talking about:
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Driven by the recent loss of her mother, Alicia Greiston is determined to bring the men responsible for her murder to justice. No sacrifice is too high a price to see them behind bars, even if the cost is her own life. Unprepared to meet a man she was certain could never exist in her wildest dreams, the intervention by the sexy stranger turns her world inside out.
Jake Silver thinks his quick fascination with the pretty woman he spies outside an upscale restaurant is purely sexual. He’s a werewolf, after all, and the human he’s determined to get to know a little better could be just what he needs—at least for the night. But, when he’s compelled to do anything to keep her safe, even if it means defying his own pack, he realizes she’s much more than what she seems.
Alicia and Jake are a great match for each other from the beginning, and due to both her resignation to her fate, and the urgings of his wolf, they fall into one another early on in Dreaming of the Wolf. Jake is one of the more perfect males I’ve pleasure of reading yet, having a keen enough intelligence to balance his alpha-male impulsiveness, as well as keeping his affections sweet and comfortably easy throughout. The mutual need he and Alicia share is tender, yet incredibly sexy as well.
Spear takes her time letting us get to know Alicia and Jake in the beginning of the story, but once Alicia is turned, Dreaming of the Wolf really starts to take off. The random pieces and connections begin falling into place with increasing speed, and ratcheting up the tension for the remainder of the novel.
Dreaming of the Wolf proves, yet again, that Spear is very capable of weaving the many elements of a paranormal romance series into her tales, while ensuring each novel is strong enough to stand successfully on its own. Spear’s wolves are welcoming, devoted, clever, and loving. The chemistry between Alicia and Jake shines from the beginning, and doesn’t fade as their story progresses. Though a happy ending is a guarantee, getting there is a happy, sexy adventure that will likely appeal to all fans of werewolves, and the feisty mates that win their hearts.
B’s Rating:
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Liked it a lot - recommend (B+)
FOR CHANCE TO WIN THIS SEXY BOOK, please see the guest post from author Terry Spear HERE.
Purchase Info
For complete series order, please visit HERE.
Labels:
3.5 stars,
paranormal romance,
reviews,
Sourcebooks,
Terry Spear,
Werewolf Series
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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:
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Review: Heart of the Highland Wolf
Heart of the Highland Wolf
Author: Terry Spear
Release Date: June 1, 2011
Publisher: Sourcebooks CasablancaWerewolf series, Book 7
ISBN: #978-1402245527
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): paperback (416 pgs) ebook
I received a copy of this book from the PUBLISHER for the purposes of an honest review.
From the author’s website:
Ian McNeill, laird of Argent Castle finds his capital squandered through unwise investments and the wolf clan's home that has been theirs for centuries is in danger of being forfeit for nonpayment of taxes. When a movie producer contacts him with the notion of using his castle to produce a movie, Ian abhors the idea, but it's his only salvation. Even worse, his people become extras in this epic Highland movie. But when one American werewolf romance author, Julia Wildthorn, slips into the castle under the guise of being with the movie company, except she is trying to jumpstart her muse with writing a book set in old-world Scotland--specifically about his castle and his people as the characters in her newest book venture--she and Ian tangle.
What B is talking about:
Despite her Scottish roots, Julia MacPherson has been building a successful career in America as a writer of werewolf romance novels under the penname “Julia Wildthorn,” and with little wonder. She herself is a lupus garou: a werewolf. Unfortunately, she’s got a novel due but is having a nasty case of writer’s block. So, when her friend Maria heads to a genuine Scottish castle as part of a movie production crew, Julia tags along for inspiration. It should be easy, except that the very same castle holds a family secret: one she’s been ordered by her grandfather to steal and return.
Ian McNeill has given up on finding a mate after the disastrous first attempt he made long ago. Instead, he now devotes himself fully to his responsibilities as laird of his clan, a task that’s become increasingly difficult since an investment scheme left the clan nearly bankrupt. When an American film crew negotiates to use his estate as the location for their movie, he knows he has no choice for the sake of his people but to accept their offer. But he doesn’t have to like it. He intends to fight them all the way, until a beautiful redheaded American changes his mind.
Having read a lot of novels with Weres/shifters of varying sorts, I was prepared for a fairly predictable take on werewolves from Heart of the Highland Wolf. While there were some clichés, Spear does well with her wolves, and ties in enough true wolf behavior with her version of the Weres to keep the novel fresh. Her werewolves are both born and turned, are sensitive to the phases of the moon without all being slaves to them, and equate “pack” to family with all the humor, frustration, and affection the word entails.
Spear has written each novel in her Werewolf Series as a standalone, so there wasn’t a learning curve required to get into Heart of the Highland Wolf. Bless her. She also limits the setting to the specific locales where the action takes place, so she’s able to give plenty of details for the sake of imagery without skimping on the story itself.
I liked Ian and Julia much more once they became a couple than I did when they were trying not to be. Their “dance” around one another, while fairly predictable, wasn’t a very comfortable one. The attraction versus ineffectual denial that is somewhat common to the genre seemed more a necessary device than the erotic tension I got the impression it was meant to be.
Once they give in to one another, however, they are hot. Spear has a knack for writing yummy sex scenes and gives her couple quite a few. Ian and Julia revel in each other, both thoroughly enjoying the teasing, wanting, taking, and having that they find together. It works, with Ian’s Alpha assertiveness complimenting Julia’s modern sexual sensibilities.
Spear packs a lot into Heart of the Highland Wolf, combining action, intrigue, compelling characters, and magic into an all around good read. Though some aspects of the novel left me wanting, she makes up for it in others. If a quick, sexy story that embraces the familiar without being stale is what you’re looking for, this just might hit the spot.
My Rating:
Liked it a lot – recommend (B+)
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