REVIEW: Feral Sins (Phoenix Pack #1)

Feral Sins (Phoenix Pack #1), by Suzanne Wright
Published March 4, 2012
Publisher:  self-published
Format: e-book - I own
Genre:  adult paranormal romance
To Buy:  Amazon  * Barnes & Noble

Rating:  4 STARS

(From Goodreads) When female wolf shifter Taryn Warner first encounters Trey Coleman, an alpha male wolf shifter with a dangerous reputation, she’s determined to resist his charms. After all, Trey—who was only fourteen when he defeated his own father in a duel, winning the right to be alpha of his pack—can’t have anything to offer the talented healer besides trouble, or so she thinks.

Taryn finds herself drawn in by Trey’s forceful demeanor and arctic-blue eyes, and she eventually agrees to enter an uneasy alliance with him. If the two succeed in convincing their respective packs that they’ve chosen each other as mates, Trey will win valuable political allies, while Taryn will escape an odious arranged mating.

But there are a lot of potential pitfalls to this plan—including the very real possibility that the wolf shifters, overwhelmed by their growing attraction to each other, will be unable to maintain the clear heads needed to pull off the deception.

It's been awhile since I've read a werewolf book. At the time I'm writing this, I've read three in the past week and a half. Feral Sins (Phoenix Pack #1) was what started my reacquaintance with one of my favorite supernatural beings. 

Taryn is a latent wolf, which means she is unable to shift form, but she still has the wolf inside of her. It makes her a less attractive mate, so her father has arranged to have her mated to the alpha of another pack as part of an alliance agreement. This alpha is a major ass - I mean MAJOR. So, she'll basically do anything to get out of it. 

Enter Trey, the alpha of a small pack who needs some alliances of his own. He offers to mate with Taryn first - temporarily - and pretend like they're "true mates," or, soul mates, so that no one could force them apart. When the dust settles, he has his alliance, and Taryn can leave. Of course, neither one of them plans to actually fall in love with one another, which causes its own snafus. 

Trey is the reason why I love werewolves. He is VERY alpha. VERY dominant. Call me prehistoric, but I love a dominant, take charge man. And Trey has those qualities in spades. I absolutely loved Trey. The circumstances of his youth have hardened him (and made his wolf just a smidge unstable, which was pretty exciting during the fight scenes), yet he obviously cares deeply for the wolves under his care. When Taryn comes on board, he's open to a physical relationship with her (hello - he's still a man), but the thought of an emotional relationship with her is abhorrent. When that starts to change, his range of reactions is interesting and endearing. 

Taryn, honestly, got on my nerves for the first half of the book. She is a dominant female, so she doesn't want to submit to any male. Subsequently, she fights Trey tooth and nail to the point where she is a total bitch to him most of the time. It gets exhausting and annoying. But, at a pivotal point in the book, her attitude changes somewhat and makes her much more likable. 

The pack members - Dante, Tao, Ryan, Marcus, Dominic, Grace, Greta and the rest - they make me wish that werewolves are real. I love the pack relationship and togetherness. If only some of that could be recreated in real life. 

This is the first book I've ever read by Suzanne Wright, and it certainly won't be the last. I thoroughly enjoyed the world she created, as well as the characters. The dialog was sharp and witty and the emotions she created in me were real. The sex was H-O-T, but not too over the top. It didn't dominate the story - it was the perfect balance. So, if you like sexy paranormal stories, don't miss this diamond in the rough.