If you could shift into a wolf, what would you discover about yourself?
Two years after the deaths of her bond mates, Constance Newcastle is ready to start over. The problem? The rest of the Great Pack, gathered in Paris to shift into wolves together, is not so sure she deserves the chance. Although the Great Council ruled the car crash an accident, even Constance blames herself. She was driving, after all.
Treated like a pariah by those she longs to rejoin, Constance reunites with an old lover. Everything looks promising until he mysteriously dies. Accused of his murder and desperate to clear her name, Constance joins forces with handsome, confident Liam Murphy, a former Alpha pack leader with a past as tragic and troubled as her own. Guided by the mysterious Councilor Jason Allerton, Constance and Liam discover they are not alone-- throughout the Great Pack, people are dying. Can all the deaths be accidents, or is something more sinister going on? Book Description.
Two years after the deaths of her bond mates, Constance Newcastle is ready to start over. The problem? The rest of the Great Pack, gathered in Paris to shift into wolves together, is not so sure she deserves the chance. Although the Great Council ruled the car crash an accident, even Constance blames herself. She was driving, after all.
Treated like a pariah by those she longs to rejoin, Constance reunites with an old lover. Everything looks promising until he mysteriously dies. Accused of his murder and desperate to clear her name, Constance joins forces with handsome, confident Liam Murphy, a former Alpha pack leader with a past as tragic and troubled as her own. Guided by the mysterious Councilor Jason Allerton, Constance and Liam discover they are not alone-- throughout the Great Pack, people are dying. Can all the deaths be accidents, or is something more sinister going on? Book Description.
Having been given book three in the series for review and loved it I had to buy books one and two. This review is as always independent of whether I've bought it or received for free. Integrity is important to me, and the views I've given are personal and honestly held.
First in a paranormal romance series about shifter wolves It’s an excellent introduction introducing Stanzie who lost her bond mates in a terrible car accident two years earlier. She was blamed by her pack mates, even though she was cleared by the Council as they believe she was drunk and they chose to ban her from their pack. Two years have passed and Stanzie can apply to rejoin another pack if she finds a new bond mate. She is at a Regional gathering in France for this purpose when she's reunited with an old lover. Everything is going well and she feels promise for a new future when tragedy strikes her again and she is accused of his murder. She joins forces to clear her name with Liam Murphy, a former Alpha who also has a complicated past. Guided by Councillor Allerton they investigate several other accidents as he wants some discreet enquiries made to see if there is more to these than meets the eye.
Stanzie is a lovely character who has been caught up in events through no fault of her own. Liam is a typical alpha needing to help someone who he can see will be blamed for an event for which she is clearly innocent. The book centres on both the events and the characters. Stanzie and Liam are both working on how to get along; Stanzie has been abandoned by both her pack and her family and is struggling to understand Liam. He's a fantastic man – trying hard to help her and yet victim of his own sad story. Initially they don't appear to get in and yet are thrown together by events (and the maneuverings of Councillor Allerton ) and gradually become closer.
The characters are so well described that even though I've now read this book three times and know what is coming I'm still moved to tears for poor Stanzie, and understand Liam's withdrawals when he's feeling angry over events he's trying to put behind him. Stanzie has a controlling bully of a father, difficulties from her former Alpha who disliked her and then lost the two people who were her loves. Her wolf is very childlike and known and laughed at throughout the Pack and she struggles with confidence because of her troubled past. Despite this she's very intuitive and intelligent and thus Councillor Allerton see her and Liam as being a good team to help him in his investigations. The book is centred around the people and how the events interact with them – that’s my favourite style of writing. Its written from the viewpoint of Stanzie and again that’s something that always makes books more real to me – I feel as if I’m actually in the novel and get lost in another world. The plots centre around the tragedies but also flashback to past ones to give a fuller picture. It’s a very easy to follow story, well written and edited and going to become one of my favourite re read series. There's something new to find on each subsequent reading and the story remains fresh even though I know what’s going to happen.
It does have some sex scenes although not graphic and they are integral to the story. It also has some swearing and again it fits within the characters feelings at the time. Its 175 pages for £3.67 as an e reader and to me real value for money being one I'll keep to re-read. Its not currently available as a print version.
Stars – Five stars, it’s a gripping story that I can't fault and real value for money.
Reviewed by Midnight Ruby
You may find Amy Lee Burgess on the web here :
http://amyleeburgess.blogspot.com/2012/02/beneath-skin-contest.html?zx=3c1b95a92c1ef35c
Lyrical Press Inc :
http://www.lyricalpress.com/
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