Painfully one-note.
A Special Wolf Alpha Team werewolf discovers that his group's latest case is linked to the teenage werewolf he's taken under his wing—and the boy's attractive mom.
Though werewolf Diego Martinez typically has his hands full with dangerous SWAT missions, newly turned werewolf Brandon becomes a pet project for the overprotective and somewhat domineering hostage negotiator. A bonus to helping Brandon learn about his new supernatural abilities is that Diego gets to spend time with Brandon's gorgeous mom, Bree, who had no clue werewolves even existed until now. However, the SWAT team's current case investigating a wave of violence perpetrated by victims of some kind of mind control appears to have connections to Bree and Brandon's family, jeopardizing their safety as well as the romance unfolding between Diego and Bree. It's a classic setup of whether to choose love over duty, though Diego's struggle between the two never materializes as a truly tough choice. As the 11th installment in the SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team series, this isn't a fair starting point for readers curious about the series or the setup, as questions about the origin and history of such an organization will frequently arise and be left unanswered. Dedicated fans of Tyler's books already know what they're getting into with this genre mashup of romantic suspense, military-inspired alpha wolf heroes, and action-oriented pacing. Those coming to the series as newcomers will have a more difficult time investing the energy in Bree and Diego's happily-ever-after. Much like a Michael Bay film, it's a lot of explosions and fanfare with missed opportunities for a satisfying and emotional romantic arc.
Painfully one-note.Pub Date: Nov. 24, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-7282-0555-7
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Review Posted Online: Sept. 29, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
Sink your teeth into this delightful paranormal romance with a modern twist.
A vampire and an Alpha werewolf enter into a marriage of convenience in order to ease tensions between their species.
As the only daughter of a prominent Vampyre councilman, Misery Lark has grown accustomed to playing the role that’s demanded of her—and now, her father is ordering her to be part of yet another truce agreement. In an effort to maintain goodwill between the Vampyres and their longtime nemeses the Weres, Misery must wed their Alpha, Lowe Moreland. But it turns out that Misery has her own motivations for agreeing to this political marriage, including finding answers about what happened to her best friend, who went missing after setting up a meeting in Were territory. Isolated from her kind and surrounded on all sides by the enemy after the wedding, Misery refuses to let herself forget about her real mission. It doesn’t matter that Lowe is one of the most confounding and intense people she’s ever met, or that the connection building between them doesn’t feel like one born entirely of convenience. There’s also the possibility that Lowe may already have a Were mate of his own, but in spite of their biological differences, they may turn out to be the missing piece in each other’s lives. While this is Hazelwood’s first paranormal romance, and the book does lean on some hallmark tropes of the genre, the contemporary setting lends itself to the author’s trademark humor and makes the political plot more easily digestible. Misery and Lowe’s slow-burn romance is appealing enough that readers will readily devour every moment between them and hunger to return to them whenever the story diverts from their scenes together.
Sink your teeth into this delightful paranormal romance with a modern twist.Pub Date: Feb. 6, 2024
ISBN: 9780593550403
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Berkley
Review Posted Online: Oct. 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2023
PERSPECTIVES
It's almost enough to make a person believe in ghosts.
A disturbing household secret has far-reaching consequences in this dark, unusual ghost story.
Mallory Quinn, fresh out of rehab and recovering from a recent tragedy, has taken a job as a nanny for an affluent couple living in the upscale suburb of Spring Brook, New Jersey, when a series of strange events start to make her (and her employers) question her own sanity. Teddy, the precocious and shy 5-year-old boy she's charged with watching, seems to be haunted by a ghost who channels his body to draw pictures that are far too complex and well formed for such a young child. At first, these drawings are rather typical: rabbits, hot air balloons, trees. But then the illustrations take a dark turn, showcasing the details of a gruesome murder; the inclusion of the drawings, which start out as stick figures and grow increasingly more disturbing and sophisticated, brings the reader right into the story. With the help of an attractive young gardener and a psychic neighbor and using only the drawings as clues, Mallory must solve the mystery of the house's grizzly past before it's too late. Rekulak does a great job with character development: Mallory, who narrates in the first person, has an engaging voice; the Maxwells' slightly overbearing parenting style and passive-aggressive quips feel very familiar; and Teddy is so three-dimensional that he sometimes feels like a real child.
It's almost enough to make a person believe in ghosts.Pub Date: May 10, 2022
ISBN: 978-1-250-81934-5
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Review Posted Online: March 1, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
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