The Book Gourmet

For two years, Mammon obsessively monitored a shifter pack that's, without preamble, moved into his territory. They've done nothing overtly wrong, and the victims of their more-or-less-criminal activities are humans, his president (Blaze was such a dick in this story) and his Alpha had given him orders to stand down...Yet Mammon cannot shake the feeling something's off, cannot shake the obsession...Until he infiltrates a party one night, and learns just what his obsession has led him to.

Charmeine Byrne has spent her life on the run, saving others in the process, from a rogue pack intent on destroying everything in their pack. She's surrounded herself with people she can trust, with people she knew would never hurt her, and she'll be damned before she let herself be claimed by a stranger. A stranger that's been stalking her friend's pack for two years. There's only one reason for such behavior—he must be the enemy, so why the heck have the fates chosen him for her? And why the heck, despite all her trust issues, despite her fear, and the danger surrounding her, is she unable to resist him?

But soon, her (and Mammon's) trust issues will be the least of their problems.


This was yet another great installment in the Dire Wolves series, featuring Mammon, the intriguing Dire with a penchant for carving wood with the teeth and claws of his slain enemies, and frosty princess (but only on the outside), Charmeine, who's been stalked by Death, danger, and rogue shifters since she can remember, and has trust issues to prove it.

I loved these two together. They were more alike that they would admit, but once they got past that biggest hurdle (acceptance of the mating), things went forward pretty nicely. Sure, some issues remained (even by the end of the story), but when you have the right partner, you know everything will smooth out nicely in the end.
At first I was worried about Char ending up in my "bitchslappable heroine" tag what with her haughty attitude and train-load of issues, but the attitude turned out to be just a mask (something her hero figured out the same evening he met her), and the issues were something everybody can relate to in one way or the other. They were there, but they didn't stand a chance against Mammon, and deep down she didn't want them to, so all was well. ;)

The suspense wasn't as intense as in the previous two books in the series, not as "present", more stalking-along-the-horizon kind of deal, and I knew who the traitor would be almost from the get-go, but once things started rolling, once the crap hit the fan, the intensity, the grip, the grit, and the bite-your-nails response was right there waiting with a punch.
My favorite scene in the book was the one with the ground vibrating and rumbling underneath the feet as the Dire cavalry arrived. Goose-bumps all the way.

This series has been a constant hit for three books in a row and I can't wait for the next one with Thaus as the leading man. I'm curious as to what makes the man tick, why he's so different from his brethren, why he's so mean, and as Charmeine expressed "wrong", and why he's able to know where his brothers are no matter what. Questions I'm sure I'll get answers to in his book. Can't wait.