Raised by Wolves (Around the World Tours)

Raised by Wolves
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Summary:
Bryn's family was killed by a lone werewolf when she was 4 years old. Saved by the local werewolf Alpha, she was taken under his wing, marked and became part of their pack - even though she is still human. Adopted by the human wife (Ali) of one of the pack members, Bryn is at home with the pack. When Bryn finds out another victim was bitten and turned by a lone wolf, she finds herself drawn to talk with him - to relate her experience to her own. But, in order to even meet with Chase, Bryn must follow pack rules and abide by the conditions set down by the Alpha and possibly lose a little of herself by opening up fully to the pack. Will Bryn be able to keep all of the conditions and what will happen to her if she doesn't?

Review:
Bryn is one of those kick butt type of characters that really lives up to your expectations. She has a personality, an insane amount of resilience and the type of motivation and gumption that makes you go "WOW". Take her, add a werewolf best friend who takes to breaking out in random showtunes (male mind you), a gun-toting werewolf girl friend who is up for all adventure, and of course, Chase - the werewolf Bryn connects with beyond anything you can imagine - and you've got some great character interactions. And even the smaller characters are so colorful they stick in your mind.

The plot is fantastic. It has a few building points that simmer down for a bit in between crucial parts of the plot - but it all works. I really don't know how I could put this book down before bed. It pulls you in, gives you the action you want, but also the time in between to catch up with characters you've missed and enjoyed watching interact. Also, the book follows Bryn and is a bit in her head, which works because the author keeps enough distance that you understand who she is, but you're not ready to go crazy with how her brain works.

There's also the twists. Oh, how I love my twists. You learn there's more to Bryn, more to a lot of the characters than is right out there for you to see. I liked how the past was brought in, but a bit at a time, melding with the plot to show what actually happened to Bryn and her parents, why the events occurred the way they did.

I'll probably be pre-ordering a shiny copy of this book, because it was amazing. Seriously. I liked this more than Shiver even - don't kill me Shiver-lovers - but this had all the extra action I needed. Yes, the romance was a little set aside, but trust me - if it was unleashed it would definitely be in the adult section - you can just feel the passion between Bryn and Chase and it's so animalistic and magical, but there's more to their bond and it works. I won't say much more than that. Read. This. Book.

5/5 Roses

Other Reviews:
Persnickety Snark

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**I received a copy of this book via Around the World Tours.