Review: One of My Favorite Alpha Series
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 22, 2012
Book 1 - The Heat:Would you believe me if I told you I'm not exactly sure how many times I've read this book? The sad thing is that I've read it several times and this is the first time that I've reviewed it. Sure, I've rated it so people know that I liked it, but this is the first time that I've actually sat down and put into words why I liked it. For that I owe not only Heather Killough-Walden an apology, but also potential readers as well. Like I said, that's what my Deja Vu Review posts are all about. I'm trying to rectify that lapse in reviews. The fact that I get to go back and read some of my favorites is just an added bonus. *sigh*The Heat is the first book in Heather Killough-Walden's Big Bad Wolf Series and an introduction that got me hooked. As I read further into the series, I realized that even though I fell in love with the characters, it didn't end up being my favorite. That happens to me a lot in series though so it's no reflection on the book at all. It's just the nature of the beast. First books lay a lot of ground work. Even though there isn't a tremendous amount of that in The Heat, it's still there.Readers need to know that this book is definitely not for everyone. The alpha males in this book are very `alpha' and at times borderline abusive. If you're not a reader who is used to that strong sense of ownership and protection that comes from a book centered around that mind set, you might as well not pick this one up. There is a lot of violence and abuse that happens in this story. It brings out the strength and determination in Lily and it shows readers exactly how strong the bond is between an alpha and his chosen mate. It's raw, powerful and intense. If you can get past all that, it's also funny, romantic and an easy, quick read. It's a great introduction to the world that Heather has created.If you continue reading the series and following these alphas you'll discover something else about Heather's writing and story lines. She's extremely good and making you change your mind about characters that you thought that you were supposed to hate. It doesn't happen right away. There are still aspects of the character that you don't quite trust, but eventually you unexpectedly find yourself changing your attitude. It really took me by surprise the first time it happened, but now I've come to expect it. The beauty of it is, you never know exactly where your loyalty is going to lie next. I think that's what I like so much about this series and others that Heather has written. They are never predictable or cut and dry. I'm also sure that's why I like to go back and re-read them. It helps me remember why I thought I should hate the characters in the first place.Book 2 - The Strip:I'm not sure if this is the 3rd or 4th time that I've read through this series. I seem to get wrapped up in it every time I do, so it doesn't really matter. Part of the reason why I like The Strip is because of Malcolm Cole. It seems almost wrong to like him as a character since he was the bad guy in The Heat, but that's part of what makes it so good.  I love it when an author can turn your attitude toward a character around totally. Turns out Heather is a pro at it. ;)Talk about damaged characters. Charlie is one of the most heartbreaking characters Heather has written so far. She lost her parents, she's physically attacked more than once and the only person who seems to be able to make her physically strong enough to fight back uses mental and physical abuse to get the job done. She has a close core of very good, protective friends, but they can only do so much, especially when the bad guys even start chasing her in her dreams. What's worse is, she's about to find out that she is part of a world she never even knew existed.Then there is Malcolm. He is damaged as well, but hides it behind his tough exterior. Lily saw through it, even though he kidnapped her and tried to break her. I think that's what won me over. That, and there is no character more Alpha or respected by his pack than Malcolm Cole. He was still brass, opinionated, domineering and cruel, but you could even see that toughness slowly melt when it came to Charlie. It started out as the same type of scenario that drove him to capture Lily, but then it turned into so much more. The protective mate came out in him and that changed everything.The twists and turns in this one keep the pages turning. Even after reading it more than once, I had a hard time putting it down. Sometimes knowing what is coming is even worse. I also loved getting to know characters from previous books a little better. The subtle foreshadowing gives you a hint of things to come. The snarkiness between Malcolm and Lily was fun too. I love those two together. After all they went through in The Heat, that should be so wrong, but I can't help it.There are aspects of these books that are hard to read. The abuse and violence is sometimes raw to the point of being painful. These characters suffer, mostly at the hands of pure evil. As hard as it is to read, I don't think the outcome would be the same if it was totally left out. I don't condone this type of abuse, and by writing about it, I don't assume that the author does either. These books aren't for everyone, as I've said before and not just about the Big Bad Wolf series, but about others as well. The concept of the Alpha is what it is. They are strong, domineering, powerful and fierce. They are also protective, love unconditionally and are fiercely loyal when it comes to their mate. It's a totally different world and Heather does a great job of bringing out the pain and beauty of both aspects. Sometimes there's a fine line between good and evil in both fantasy and reality.