Review: Nice collection, great intro to new to the reader authors at .99
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 17, 2014
While I had heard about many of the authors included, I hadn't read any of their work (despite having Delicate Freakin Flower for a couple of years).  I was given an ecopy by one of the authors in exchange for my honest review.While the stories have the basic werewolf/shifter set up, hot, protective alpha males and similar world building, the variety of stories kept me interested.  2 out of the 12 were DNFs primarily due to slow story development in both and one having a just graduated teen as the heroine.  Not from an "ick" young heroine point because her guy was also a just graduated teen, but she was totally uninteresting.  There were some typos, punctuation errors, wrong/missing words in a few books, none so bad I couldn't enjoy the read.  Delicate Freakin Flower was one of the worst.  As I mentioned, it's been out for a while, it could (should) have been revised.  There is sex in every story at a moderate level I felt for shifter books in 2014.Romancing the Wolf-  The story of two sisters finding out about wolf shifters.  Primarily focuses on Bree and is a fairly typical PNR.  Delia's story, the younger sister, is kind of thrown in.  It was a bit too much for an intro to a character a possible next book might be focused on, yet not enough for this to really be her book.  I liked Bree's portion better because Delia was a sadist domme and we learn more than once that she loves having sex with shifters because there's no need for safe words and she can do WHATEVER she wants as long as there's no silver because they'll heal.  Sorry, no, that doesn't work for me.  Especially because, in an interesting twist, these weres (BTW most are gay, if not, bi) get hopped up on Ecstasy on full moon nights so they have no will and really can't say no.  Granted, they do seem to be enthusiastic and willingly come to her, but there is an "ick" factor here for me.Curves for the Lone Alpha-  James is forced to work as a enforcer for the FBI and meets his mate.  I liked that James didn't moan and groan having to work for the FBI.  He was doing it to find out more about why his pack was killed and he did the job without being angsty.The Alpha Claims a Mate-  My favorite of the bunch.  I liked all the characters and there was a nice bunch of interesting secondary characters and a mystery to boot.  Some reviews about this book as a single mention the BDSM scene was being out of place and excessive.  I didn't feel that way because BDSM is fairly common in shifter books because the alphas tend to be so dominant.  Ginger, the heroine, TELLS Loch that he can punish her any way he wants and he even asks her again if she's sure.  When they get to the club, he makes sure she wants to come in (she's even eager) and he gives her a safeword.  While there, the author doesn't put in much detail about what's happening to others and Ginger is fully clothed from the waist up and is wearing full cut hipsters.  She gets 10 whacks, a little care and off they go.  That's it, BDSM ultralight.All American Wolf - I felt this one had the most developed story about a female detective who meets two men while investigating some unusual murders.Charming the Alpha - Hannah, a witch fes strangely attracted to the wolf alpha.  Wolves are getting abducted and Hannah helps save the day and finds out something new about herself.Change for Me - This is the story about the teen I found uninteresting and the story slow to develop.  DNF.Bear King's Curves - Yay! some werebears .  Interesting story about bear antiquities getting stolen by a sexy thief who is thwarted by a bear enforcer who finds out the clan has some secrets.Witchy Wolf - Chloe wakes up in the hospital after a werewolf attacks her.  She doesn't realize that she's "special" and when she turns for the first time there are some surprises.  She's also torn between the PI and cop she meets.  The story has a mystery around Chloe's dad and ends abruptly.A Change to Bear -  Terry has a terrible job and a not so great family and just takes off for Asia and basically foists herself on Liam, a fellow traveler,  Liam has some secrets, but the story moves so slowly and is more of a travelogue than a PNR that I gave up.  DNFDelicate Freakin Flower - Wolf, bear and jaguar triad.  Very reminiscent of Shelley Laurenston.  Had one good lout loud laugh at the beginning.Protecting the Pack - Another fated triad story with a little m/m action.  Outsiders try to infiltrate two established packs and take them over.The Alpha's Mate - A shifter unable to change into her wolf gets help from the alpha to be.  As she's getting adjusted, a rival for her mate' affection causes trouble and there are female shifters disappearing.  Chloe's a bit of a doormat at the beginning but comes into her own.