REVIEW: Fierce Obsessions (The Phoenix Pack #6)

Fierce Obsessions (The Phoenix Pack #6), by Suzanne Wright
Publish Date: June 13, 2017
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Format: e-ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre: adult paranormal romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS

(Synopsis) When raven shifter Riley Porter was given sanctuary by the Phoenix Pack, she let them believe she had left her flock. Reluctant to divulge the secrets of her past, she was still embraced as family. Only Tao Lukas, the protective and passionate Head Enforcer of the pack, was resistant to the enigmatic shifter. Until Riley started to arouse in him something other than suspicion.

Tao doesn’t trust lone shifters, especially ones so guarded—and tempting. But the sexual tension between them is making them both come undone, and vulnerable to more than desire. All Tao wants is for Riley to stay with him and to trust him with the truth of her past.

As Riley’s mysteries come to light, so does a danger that threatens not only her life but the safety of the entire pack. For Tao, keeping Riley safe means keeping her close—forever—as his mate.

Suzanne Wright has added another awesome Phoenix Pack book to the series, and this one is one I've been wanting for awhile. Because scowly-faced, stoic Tao finally has fallen in love. And it was so much fun to read about. 

One of my favorite parts about this paranormal shifter world that Suzanne has create is that we're not just talking about wolves here. Although the series centers around a wolf shifter pack, the author has very cleverly and slowly woven other types of shifters into the mix. Not only are they there, but these other types of shifters are now falling in love with the wolves that we've known from day one. 

Riley entered the story a few books ago when we learned of the sanctuary that helps lone shifters of all types. She was a sort of surrogate mother to several of the shifter children there - namely a cheetah shifter boy and a viper shifter girl. When the Phoenix Pack took in the children, Riley came as a package deal. Riley is a raven shifter, and although not technically a lone shifter - she has a home flock and family - she hasn't lived with them for four years due to a rift with some of the other members of the flock. 

Tao has been dancing around Riley in his own way ever since her first saw her, and he has finally decided to make his move. As you can imagine, when Tao decides to act, nothing can deter him. Not even a stubborn, independent raven. When Riley has to return to her home for a family engagement, Tao goes with her. And it's a good thing too, because members of the flock are turning up dead, and Riley appears to be a link to the murders. 

Although it's clear she has a definite connection to Tao, I loved that Riley didn't automatically fall at his feet. Quite the opposite. She has no problem acknowledging their attraction and acting on it. But, she required a bit more from Tao before conceding to be his mate. She needed to trust him. To get to know him. And vice versa. I really like Riley and how strong she was. I loved how protective she was of the children and how she cared for them. 

Despite half the book taking place at Riley's flock, there was still plenty of time spent at the Phoenix Pack compound too. We saw all the pack members we know and love and got to see them interact together. It's really one of my favorite parts. Now with Tao paired up, one of the last ones I can't wait to see find a mate is Dominic. Hopefully his turn is coming soon!

REVIEW: Dark Instincts (The Phoenix Pack #4)

Dark Instincts (The Phoenix Pack #4), by Suzanne Wright
Published April 7, 2015
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Format: ARC, provided by the publisher
Genre:  adult paranormal romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 4 STARS

(From Goodreads) It happens whenever wolf shifter Roni Axton is near Marcus Fuller: a crackle of sexual awareness that’s intoxicating…and deeply annoying. Marcus is a pack enforcer who oozes power, but Roni is lethal in her own right—nothing like the flirty females who flock around him. Even still, his possessive gaze makes one thing clear. Marcus has singled her out for seduction, and he wants to make her sit up and beg.

No matter how aloof and unfazed Roni acts, Marcus can tell she wants him. When a brutal attack by a jackal pack forces them to work together, it’s the perfect opportunity for Marcus to chip away at her defenses—until he falls into his own trap, completely unprepared for the intensity of their connection. Roni is the only one who’s ever seen past his shifter charm and discovered the man hiding beneath it. And for Marcus, claiming Roni once will mean needing her forever.

I love a good paranormal romance. I don't read enough of them anymore. It's a sad thing that I really should rectify. You know, my go-to PNR used to be anything with vampires, but over the past year, I've tended to lean more toward the alpha male shifter variety. And, one of my favorite shifter series is Suzanne Wright's Phoenix Pack series. Ever since the beginning, I've loved Marcus. He seemed so strong and capable, yet fun-loving. I was excited when I learned that Dark Instincts was going to be all about him. 

Nick's sister Roni has been a bit of a loner since she was captured and tortured several years earlier. She's alpha and tough and the furthest thing from a girlie girl. And yet Marcus wants her all the same. Convincing her of that, however, is another story. When the people who took her show up again, all the men in Roni's life want to protect her and shield her from harm. And, all Roni wants to do is run into danger headfirst to take care of  herself. 

Marcus was AWESOME. He's dominant and possessive and protective when it comes to Roni. But, he can be sweet and tender with her too. He seems to know exactly what she needs when she needs it, and he will stop at nothing to give it to her. It's like, once he decided that Roni was it for him, he didn't care whether they were supposed to be true mates or not - he would be with her no matter what. And, since Marcus pretty much always gets what he wants, he adopted this never-give-up attitude when it came to winning her over.

Good thing too, since Roni was a tough nut to crack. She's the epitome of a tomboy. Never one to wear dresses and get mani-pedis, Roni is happiest when she's kicking ass as one of Nick's pack enforcers. She doesn't see herself as good mate material, especially since she's more dominant than most males she knows, so she doesn't take orders very well. So, no one was more surprised than her when Marcus set his sights on her. 

Reading about their push and pull and give and take was fun. Marcus was willing to push her buttons if he thought it would advance his cause, but he also knew that Roni needed some time to get used to the idea of having him around. And, when things escalated with the shifter group responsible for Roni's kidnapping, Marcus and Roni had to come to a place where he wasn't smothering her to death out of fear for her safety and she understood that his fierce need to protect her was going to cause him to go a little overboard when it came to her safety. 

Told in third person, we get a lot of both Marcus' and Roni's POVs. The parts I loved most were when Marcus dealt with Roni when she was in her wolf form. She was in a precarious and emotional place, and his way of handling her was so perfect. 

As in the other Phoenix Pack books, there was action and drama and plenty of Trey's grumpy grandma. There was also no shortage of hunky male shifters as we saw both Trey's and Nick's enforcers in action. Thankfully, it seems that there's plenty of fodder for future books in this series for a long time to come. Perhaps a book about broody Ryan next? Please?

REVIEW: Carnal Secrets (Phoenix Pack #3)

Carnal Secrets (Phoenix Pack #3), by Suzanne Wright
Published February 11, 2014
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Format: e-book, provided by the publisher
Genre:  adult paranormal romance
To Buy: Amazon

Rating:  4 STARS

(From Goodreads) Half-shifter Shaya Critchley may hold a submissive role in her pack, but she’s done taking orders. After her Alpha wolf mate refused to claim her—but committed to interfering in her life—she took off. Now she hides from him, posing as a human in a town full of anti-shifter extremist groups. She thinks he’ll never find her again, and that suits her just fine. But she’s wrong.

Nick Axton can barely control his feelings for Shaya, but he could never claim her—not if he truly cares for her. The degenerative brain condition he keeps secret would ultimately leave her with a burden rather than a mate. But when Shaya runs away, Nick can’t bear the thought of never seeing her again. After tracking her down, he discovers Shaya’s feisty and passionate side in the process…a side he’d never seen before.

Under the menacing gazes of territorial local packs and violent human extremists, Nick vows to finally claim the spirited Shaya…and despite her initial resistance, Shaya just might find his fiery determination to be the ultimate aphrodisiac.

I've loved the Phoenix Pack series ever since I read the first book, Feral Sins. Shifters are my favorite kind of paranormal creature to read about. There's something so awesome about the pack dynamics, and the men are about as alpha as you can get. Speaking of alpha...

In Carnal Sins, Nick Axton is kicking himself in the ass since he realized that Shaya was his true mate, but then decided not to claim her. It's not that he didn't want her - he was just trying to protect her. But, Shaya doesn't know that, and she's mad with a capital M. After leaving town to escape seeing Nick everywhere, he manages to find her and start convincing her he has changed his mind. It's going to be a hard job on his part though. Especially with radical anti-shifter groups causing added complications. 

If you love the alpha male shifter-type guys like I do, then you will LOVE Nick Axton. He is so unbelievably perfect - every part of me adored him. He's usually very quiet and reserved. That is, until he's around Shaya. She totally transforms him into this romantic, adorable guy who will do anything for her. Which will also make you really despise Shaya for awhile. 
 
I get that she was jilted, and that it had to hurt a lot. I understand her needing to get away from Nick so that she could move on with her life without the constant reminder of his rejection. And, I even get her desire to have him work for her forgiveness a little. How entertaining would it be if she took him back with no questions asked?

But, there comes a point where enough is enough, and the constant hostility and thwarting of his efforts at reconciliation just make her seem like a cranky bitch. The quiet and sweet Shaya from the first two Phoenix Pack books was nowhere to be found in Carnal Secrets. She was replaced with a bitter, nasty girl that I didn't like very much.  And, the time that Nick spent trying to woo Shaya back seemed to stall the book's pace.

Thankfully, she does end up coming around, and from that point on, Carnal Secrets really took off. The addition of the anti-shifter human extremist groups and the threat they pose to the local shifters gave the book an extra layer of drama and excitement that I loved. And, it gave the Phoenix Pack shifters a good excuse to show up. 

Since Shaya is Taryn's BFF, we see lots of her, Trey and their baby. Along with Trey comes the enforcers, including Dante and Jamie, the Beta pair of the pack from Wicked Cravings. We also meet a new shifter, Derren, who is really close with Nick. The pack dynamic is in full effect as they have to pull together to defend their pack lands from the humans who want to take them all down. 
 
In typical Suzanne Wright style, Carnal Secrets had action, suspense and romance overflowing.Nick and Shaya are every bit as dynamic of a pair as Trey and Taryn and Dante and Jamie. This was another fantastic installment in the Phoenix Pack series.

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.