Review: Great Hero Amidst a Steamy Romance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 20, 2013
With so many books written in the paranormal genre it's hard to set yourself apart from the rest.  In this work by Lynn Richards the storyline is nothing new, but it's definitely entertaining and HOT and had me breezing through it to reach its satisfying HEA.  This story is basically boy meets girl, boy tries to fight his attraction to girl, and ultimately boy stakes his claim of girl.  The boy this time around is a super sexy wolf shifter who's experienced heartbreaking loss in his past which has him leery of putting his heart on the line again.  From the moment McQuade rescues the sweet Rose from a dangerous group of shifters in a bar he knows his life will never be the same.  He's attracted to her but knows she's not a woman to bed and forget.  It's a constant fight against his wolf side who knows Rose is their mate, but it will be the threat from a lion shifter and an unexpected enemy putting her in danger, that finally forces McQuade to put the past behind him.  McQuade is the strong but silent type.  He's domineering but in a sexy and caring way that's common for shifters.  He oozes sex appeal and his scenes with Rose are full of sexual tension from page one.  He's an immensely appealing hero who finally found joy and happiness when around Rose.Rose is the younger sister to the wild and manipulative Alice.  Rose is always having to take care of her and her messes which leads to the dangerous situation she's in when McQuade first rescues her.  Rose is a very caring individual which leads to her being used repeatedly for financial help.  Rose has sacrificed everything for Alice which has left her with very little to her name with work her only outlet for interacting with others.  Her sister's beauty and confidence has also left Rose with low self-esteem and little self-worth.  McQuade is the first man to make her feel alive and inspires all sorts of naughty thoughts in the sexually naive Rose's head.  She's always trying to handle everything on her own which is admirable but has her butting heads with McQuade repeatedly and puts her in constant danger.  Rose is likable but left me frustrated at times by her gullibility in regards to Alice.  She stood up for herself in many other situations but was blind when it came to Alice's verbal and emotional manipulations.Much of the story revolved around Rose and McQuade's burgeoning sexual relationship, which was steamy and entertaining when witnessing the internal battle between man and wolf.  The sexual interludes were intense with graphic talk from McQuade.  The scenes were nicely spaced throughout the story and moved at an unhurried pace to amp up the sexual intensity.  A small part revolved around a threat to Rose which put her and McQuade in close contact but was wrapped up too quickly and halfheartedly very late in the story.  The story's focus was mainly on them but glimpses of the manipulative and petty Alice were depicted sparingly throughout the story though her ending was left hanging.  A definite bright spot was McQuade's best friend Briggs who was charming, funny, and outgoing.  He's the exact opposite of the serious and stoic McQuade and I adored him.  He's charming and playful and admittedly good with women and I would love for his story to be told as he's an unforgettably sexy beast!  From beginning to end this was a well-written and super steamy story that's not groundbreaking but definitely enjoyable.  This was my first book by Lynn Richards and won't be my last.