@debbiereadsbook, @PixieRants​
Jeremiah Taylor’s responsibilities as the new pack beta are crushing him, especially with the unpredictable mood shifts since his shaman-supplied bipolar meds ran out. It’s the combination for doing something stupid, like kissing the one woman he’s never let himself pursue—his best friend Raven Takahashi. When Finn left the Red Rock pack, Raven’s on and off again fling took her safety net with him—the one barrier keeping her from the raw and real way she feels around Jer. The moment the Pandora’s box opens after they kiss, she can no longer deny the sparks between them or hide from the demons of her past. And when one of those demons shows up in Beaver Tavern representing an anti-shifter group to take over their land, Raven’s secrets threaten to get dragged into the light, which could cost her everything—her friends, her pack, and her home. However, if she and Jer don’t thwart the anti-shifter group’s takeover attempts, the entire Red Rock pack might find themselves banished from their own land.
5 out of 5 (exceptional)
Independent Reviewer for Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
When Finn left, Raven's wall came down. She had been hiding behind that wall, and Finn, for years. Now that barrier is gone, Raven had to face just why she had been hiding, or rather WHO she had been hiding from. Jeremiah didn't want to be pack beta, but Sierra choose him and he would do his best. raven at his side would be a bonus, but would she be there, when she finds out his bi-polar meds are all gone? When Raven's past comes to town, they both have to face up to what they feel for each other and join together with both the Red Rock pack AND the Silver Springs pack when that past turns deadly.
This is book three is the Tribal Alliances series but all can be read as stand alones. BUT I would strongly recommend that you read at least book two, Forged Decisions, before this one. There is much in that book that has a direct impact on this one.
Raven is hiding, she doesn't want to face what she really feels about Jer. When he finds out about her past, she'll be heart broken if she lets herself fall. So she used Finn, and he used Raven too, to hide from those feelings. With Finn gone, she cannot hide anymore and just one kiss explodes the mating bond between them. Raven tries hard, so very hard to not let it develop, but neither she nor Jer can deny it any longer.
And it it GLORIOUS watching them fall! Emotional, dark and deadly, best describes this one!
Raven's past still haunts her, and when the true horror of that becomes clear, Jer goes all Alpha-protect-whats-mine. He pulls his head out his ass and accepts Raven's help to get himself back on track, cos now, not only does his pack need him, as beta, but his MATE needs him too. It takes Jer a while to see what Raven feels, putting the pieces together not quite fast enough, but he does get there in the end.
Raven manages to overcome her past in the most bloody way! The past she had been hiding, the one she didn't want anyone to know about, isn't so much of a secret from Sierra, since she is pack Alpha and Sierra makes Raven see that we all have a past. And that's where it needs to stay, in the PAST.
A previous baddie makes (mostly) good here and I wonder if he will get a book. Be nice, I think, for him to come full circle. He's not the next one, that book belongs to Lucas, of the East Coast Tribe and the Landsliders will be back, making much trouble again!
We slipped a bit from 5 for book one, to 4 stars for book two, but I had no idea why. This one, however, shoots straight back up to 5 stars! One sitting read, and it ain't a short book!
5 full and shiny stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Strong women. Strong words.
Katherine McIntyre is a feisty Irish chick with a big attitude despite her short stature. She writes stories featuring snarky women, ragtag crews, and men with bad attitudes—high chance for a passionate speech thrown into the mix. As an eternal geek and tomboy who’s always stepped to her own beat, she’s made it her mission to write stories that represent the broad spectrum of people out there, from different cultures and races to all varieties of men and women. Easily distracted by cats and sugar.