Review: Haunted Wolves

Reviewed by Jen
 

I do really enjoy Moira Rogers' sexy shifter stories.  But while there were parts of the book I really liked, I had just a few niggles that kept this from being a home run for me.

The past few years of Lorelei's life have been miserable. She has lost her son, nearly lost her sanity, and endured the destruction of her pack. She has barely held it together, but now, she has two new alphas to give her the safety and peace she has been sorely lacking.

Colin is attracted to Lorelei but her abuse at the hands of other wolves has made her firmly off limits. Until she takes the initiative and acts on the sexual tension they've got going on.  They begin a fragile relationship, but there are many unspoken truths between them.  Colin needs the pack every bit as much as Lorelei does.  He's been a lone wolf for too long; had to see too much --kill too many-- as an enforcer.  Both of them feel broken by their pasts.  The difference is, Colin has no idea just how deep Lorelei's pain really runs.

The dynamic between these two is really good (with one exception I will get to in a moment.)  At the beginning, there is a lot of pull as they skirt the sexual tension.  Later, the actual sex is hot.  And they are easy to root for as they try to give one another the things they need. Colin struggles to make Lorelei feel safe and revels in the way she entrusts her body to him.  They are more whole together than apart.

As they try to find their way together, someone or something is targeting the pack.  One member is killed at the hand of magic.  So Lorelei and Colin travel to Memphis to see if the Bad Wolves there have something to do with it.  In doing so, Lorelei is forced to confront more of her past and Colin begins to see there is so much about her he doesn't know.

I had two issues with the book: one in the internal conflict, one in the external.  My problem with the external conflict: I'm still not really sure what happened.  I'm not sure how the Bad Guys were using the magic to attack the pack and I'm not sure why.  Yeah, I know their names and their supernatural type, but the bigger explanation is not there.  I'm sure we'll get into it in future books, but not getting it now feels really anticlimactic.

As for my relationship issue... there comes a point in the book where all of Lorelei's secrets come out.  I was unhappy with Colin's reaction; unhappy that Lorelei is painted in the wrong.  Her kid is dead.  She is a train wreck.  This is not about you, Colin.  (Plus, I have to say I had a little trouble following her explanation of how her son died.)  *spoiler* If he died immediately in the wreck, how did her surviving save him from the "hunt?"  Was the whole thing a ploy to turn her into a wolf? What happened to her attacker? Anyway, it bothered me that her grief became about Colin.

Overall, I did like it. It just wasn't my favorite.  --Now I am looking forward to seeing poor Zach put himself together. I do love a good tortured hero.

Rating: B-

*ARC provided by author for review

Click to purchase: Amazon

Haunted Wolves

by Moira Rogers

Release Date: July 9, 2013

Publisher: Samhain