Title: Dark Wolf Rising
Series: Bloodrunners, Book 4
Author: Rhyannon Byrd
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Sensuality Rating: Steamy
Source: review copy from publisher via NetGalley
Published: December 18, 2012 by Harlequin
Eric Drake, a powerful Dark Wolf, has never trusted himself around human females-preferring to mate only within his pack. That is, until he encounters Chelsea Smart snooping around Silvercrest pack land in search of her missing sister. Secretly, Chelsea thinks Eric is the sexiest man she's ever seen, though she is wary of his potent Alpha energy. Then it's discovered that Chelsea's sister is being held by a pack of vicious Lycans, and Eric heroically leaps into action. Now, Chelsea will risk everything-her body and soul-to surrender to the passion that will mark her as Eric's woman for all eternity...if they survive.
Reviewed By: J9
In a Nutshell: Surprisingly great romance and strong world-building with good action plot. Can’t believe this is from a Harlequin serial line!
The Set Up: Chelsea is searching for her missing sister but unwittingly wanders on Lycan property. Eric is a powerful Dark Wolf sent to warn her away but the two can’t resist each other, no matter how much they think they should.
Why I Read this Book: I am a big fan of this author’s Primal Instinct series and had to see if her storytelling skills came through in a Harlequin Nocturne book. I didn’t realize at the time that this is book four in her Bloodrunners series but it only made me want to go back and read the previous books.
What I Liked: I was shocked at the great world building in this book. I admit to a prejudice in writing quality in Harlequin lines but I’m a large enough girl to admit when I’m wrong—and I was totally wrong here! The lycan lore is just different enough to be interesting. For instance, bloodrunners are half-breed wolf/human and they are outcast police for rogue werewolves but the packs they protect revile them. Eric is a Dark Wolf, which is a pure-breed werewolf but the pack hates him too and he’s in self-exile with the bloodrunners. I’m a total sucker for a group of outcasts forming their own community and that is the premise of this story and series. The bloodrunners and Eric live in The Alley, away from their lycan pack but are still charged with protecting them and humans from rogue werewolves. This makes for a compelling cast of characters and I can’t wait to go back and read the previous books to see how these great couples got together. The other big benefit is there are plenty of hot bloodrunners to continue the series!
What I Also Liked: The romance between Eric and Chelsea is a great blend of emotional and sexual intimacy. They initially aren’t friendly as Eric tries to force Chelsea to leave so they butt heads often. But when they slowly open themselves to each other the emotional and sexual intensity is stellar. It’s unusual in romance novels to have the heroine’s past be what keeps the couple apart but it’s well done here. Plus, Chelsea does some great groveling that is typically reserved for thickheaded romance heroes so I liked this paradigm shift.
What I Didn’t Like: There is no polite way to say this so I’ll just say it: the author is a cock-tease. I felt bad for poor Eric as he serviced Chelsea repeatedly but then something would happen and Eric wouldn’t get off: baddies converging, emergency phone calls, family and friends interrupting. Poor Eric spent most of this novel in sexual frustration. I was willing to overlook a few but after half the book, I was rolling my eyes because I just *knew* Eric wouldn’t get his jollies at this sex scene either. It became a game to me as I tried to guess how long it would be before Eric got to the finish line. Let me just say, it was much further than even I guessed!
IMO: This was such a good paranormal romance that I’m going to do something I never thought I would: buy the three previous books in a Harlequin Nocturne series!
J9’s Rating:
Great Review! I also enjoyed this book ~~~
ReplyDeleteHeather ~ Books Books and More Books
Great review, and I agree with you, that it is hard to believe a Harlequin can be as good as a thicker book by some other publisher. I have had to swallow my prejudice a few times as well lately.
ReplyDeleteAre you able to buy older Harlequins though? I thought they were available only a limited time space.
@Heather, did you read the previous 3 books first or just pick it up here?
Delete@Aurian, I bought the previous 3 as Nook books through Barnes&Noble for $4.13 each so they're still available. I suspect as long as a series is still being written the publishers will keep the backlist books available for purchase. Just my hunch but it makes logical business sense IMHO. Do share the Harlequins that made you swallow your prejudice too! ;-)
I only buy at Bookdepository (I don't have a creditcard), and I recently read Pamela Palmer A Warrior's Desire, and wanted the first two books, but those are from 2008, and no longer for sale.
ReplyDeleteI read some red Harlequins by Leslie Kelly and enjoyed them very much. More than I expected.
I love Pamela Palmer's Feral Warriors series but hadn't tried this Esri series that A Warrior's Desire is book 3 in (according to her website). You'd recommend the series? And I'm not gloating but that entire series is available through Amazon or B&N. Do you have an ereader or smartphone where you can download the app? I don't have a credit card either but use my debit to buy books (keeps my book budget semi-under control!) Or do you only read print books?
DeleteThanks for the Leslie Kelly rec too; I'll try one.
I don't think debit cards exist here in Holland. And yes, I do read ebooks (I can download all those delicious freebies) and those I have won. But I do still prefer print books. I love watching all the books on my shelves, trying to decide what to read next.
DeleteOh, I'm sorry, I'm being America-centric again! I know nothing about Holland...are your print books more expensive than US? I know that's the case in poor Australia; feel so bad about how much they pay! I hope your cost isn't too high.
DeleteI'm opposite, I prefer ebooks so I can keep them ALL! I always run out of space when I only had print books. Now I don't like any print books. Ebooks are so much easier to keep. :)
Lol, no worries. I do buy all my books in England though, at Bookdepository.com, and I think they are cheaper than Amazon, even though Amazon bought them up last year. They did get about a euro per book more expensive after that, but that could also be the exchange rate. Also, free shipping worldwide on every single book is a great thing.
DeleteGood, glad you have a good marketplace for buying books. I'm only slightly exaggerating that I'd rather buy books than food...
ReplyDeleteI liked this one a lot more than I expected, too! Harlequin's serials can be very hit or miss with me but this one was a definite hit. And you're right. Poor Eric. Blue balls all the way!
ReplyDeleteYep, blue balls for poor Eric!
Deletehelp me
ReplyDelete