Review: Wolf Fever

Posted December 27, 2010 by Jen in 3.5 stars, Paranormal Romance, Rating B, Reviews Tags: , , ,

Wolf Fever
Author: Terry Spear 
Release Date: December 1, 2010
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Heart of the Wolf Series Book #6
ISBN: #978-1402237522
Genre: Paranormal Romance (werewolf)
Format(s): paperback (416 pgs), e-book
I received a copy of this book from the PUBLISHER for the purposes of an honest review.
 
Be sure to check out my giveaway of Wolf Fever at the end of this review.
From the author’s website:
      Carol Woods wanted more than anything to be a nurse at the hospital in Silver Town, Colorado where her family lives, but she never foresaw how she’d end up with the job. Now she’s a red werewolf facing a mating, trying to forestall shifting for a variety of reasons—one of which has to do with a swine flu virus that seems to be attacking the werewolf kind in a bad way, while working with a private investigator who doesn’t believe in her psychic abilities one bit. So why does she thinks she’s falling in love with the infuriating gray?
      Chester McKinley can’t get his mind off the entrancing woman, a nurse, a newly turned red lupus garou belonging to another gray pack and the only one left who might be able to learn how to stop the swine flu virus from making a permanent impact on their kind. Although he doesn’t want to draw Carol into this dangerous situation or believe she is involved, he has no other choice. But does the woman really have psychic abilities that are keeping her from shifting, or is she a fraud, a master at deception, and is behind the infections of their people? And how can he keep his hands off the intriguing woman, and his mind on the mission as the virus takes its toll?
What I’m talking about:
      The story kicks off with newly turned werewolf, Carol Woods, fighting the change from human to wolf. She was turned via an attack five months prior and she still hasn’t accepted her new life. She’s in the custody of Darien Silver, pack leader and Carol’s protector. She is a guest, with restrictions, until she finds a mate to help her adjust to her new life.
      In addition to fighting her inner wolf, Carol is also psychic and she’s foreseen some serious trouble for her new pack. Several members of her pack will not be able to shift from wolf back to human, but no one believes her.  And really, she just wants one man to believe in her – (Chester) Ryan McKinley, an alpha leader from a neighboring pack. Meanwhile, Ryan will do what it takes to learn the truth about Carol, and why he can’t stop obsessing over her.
      This is the sixth book in Ms. Spear’s Heart of the Wolf series, and my first look at this wonderful world. Although I did not read any of the previous books, I found the story easy to jump into – never feeling lost or that I had missed out from skipping the earlier books.  Although I may have gotten a deeper understanding of the pack life and rules from the previous books, Ms. Spear did a great job bringing me up to speed and I was able to enjoy.
      Carol is a delightful heroine. She is a strong woman placed in a difficult situation. She is terrified of what may come to pass, but she also embraces her new life in her own way and at her own speed. She interacts well with all of the pack, even polite to those I wouldn’t have been. She understands pack politics and hierarchy, but challenges the alpha as a sister would.
      Ryan is an alpha through and through, but he gives Carol space and time. Of course, this is partly because he isn’t sure if he is the right male for Carol, so he tries to keep their relationship professional. Thank God Carol makes the first move!  Together they make a sweet pair, and I adored watching Ryan and Carol each overcome their personal obstacles to finally come together.
      The overall story had some exciting twists and turns. Someone/wolf is after Carol – why? Will Carol’s promotions come to pass? Can Carol and Ryan put the pieces of the puzzle together in time to save the pack?  There were some exciting moments, but all-in-all a fairly mild story – no cliff hangers or jagged edges. The romance was also sweet, and the sex somewhat hot, but definitely on the mild side compared to other romances I have read.
      Wolf Fever is an entertaining shifter story and you do not need to read the prior books in the series in order to enjoy this one.
My Rating: 
Liked it a lot – recommend (B+)
GIVEAWAY:  I have two (2) copies (two winners) of Wolf Fever to giveaway here at That’s What I’m Talking About. Thank you to Sourcebooks for sponsoring the giveaway of Terry Spear’s latest book. To enter, please leave a comment  and your email at the end of today’s review or my interview with Ms. Spear tomorrow (Dec. 28, 2010). Winners restricted to US and Canada mailing addresses, only. Contest open from now until 9:00 PM EST on Friday December 31, 2010. Two (2) winners will be selected from the comment entries using random.org.

14 responses to “Review: Wolf Fever”

  1. Mandi

    Nice review! I read the previous one and didn’t love it..but I think it was just that book. The series as a whole sounds pretty good.

    (don’t enter me:)

  5. Terry Spear/Terry Lee Wilde

    Thanks, ladies! Hope you all give the series a chance! 🙂 I’m thrilled you love the wolves, Estella! 🙂 I think you’ll enjoy Heart of the Highland Wolf coming in June! 🙂 New pack, although Julia, the werewolf romance author mentioned in a couple of the books finds out what it means to write the hero into her story–when he’s a Highland wolf!

  6. A Buckeye Girl Reads

    I thought Terry Spears wrote more fantasy based books for some reason. I was hesitant to read this one because it’s so far into the series. It’s good to know it can stand alone.