Cole’s Redemption
Author: J. D. Tyler
Reviewer: Gikany and Una
Rating: B
What We’re Talking About:
Cole’s Redemption is the fifth offering in the Alpha Pack series. In this novel, the healer, Zander, finally meets his mate, and the main plot arc of the secret government official who is trying to destroy the pack is resolved.
Firstly, Gikany and Una enjoy the Alpha Pack series. It’s a sensual blend of military and paranormal romance. We also enjoy the balance of romance to action and drama. The mythology is varied and fascinating. Seriously, how could you go wrong with a shape-shifting alpha man in uniform? (We are swooning). The men that make up this elite force of shifters are tough, insightful and varied – even in their alpha male tendencies. Zander Cole is one who had caught our eye. Wounded in previous battle, he is a healer and will risk his own life to help those of his alpha pack brethren. We have been keeping our fingers crossed, waiting for his Bondmate who we hoped would help to heal him.
Suffice to say, we were captivated by Zan. It should be no surprise that his mate also has some serious baggage. Selene is Nick’s (the Alpha Pack’s leader) estranged daughter. She has sworn to seek revenge on Nick for killing her mother and abandoning her. When she tries to carry out her plan, she is thwarted by Zan and in the process becomes his Bondmate. At first Una felt that their relationship was too heavily weighted towards the bedroom – they had just met. However, Gikany pointed out that they were in fact giving into their inner wolves. It was, in a sense, a way for their inner wolves (who knew they were mated) to bring the human halves together.
Although the book is somewhat divided between Zan and Selene’s mating and adjustment and hunting down a band of rogue vampires, the story does flow well. Selene’s growth through the novel is inspiring considering the dark place she comes from. Through Zan, she is able to step outside of herself and really evaluate what she sees and decide the truth for herself. It was heartbreaking at time to watch the painful healing Selene and Zan undergo as they both struggle with their own demons.
Cole’s Redemption does appear to be a somewhat transitional novel in that the plot arc of the evil high government official is resolved along with Nick’s estrangement from his family. However, we are introduced to a coven of vampires who are poised to be quite intriguing and we hope to see much more of them in upcoming novels of the Alpha Pack series. We are not sure of whose book will be next, or the possibility of a new “big bad,” but we do see possibilities of Nick, Raven, or Dr. Melina having hints of being central characters. The resolution of Cole’s Redemption leaves some questions and some wounds that are not going to heal easily. We plan to follow up with those and hopefully see these characters find a Happily-Ever-After. Yet, we are happy to say that, although touch and go for a bit, Zan and Selene do have their HEA at the end.
All in all, we liked Cole’s Redemption and eagerly look forward to the next novel in the Alpha Pack series. If you enjoy a good alpha male story, a little military with your shifter, pick up the Alpha Pack series!
Rating: B Liked It, recommend
About the Book:
Once, they were Navy SEALS. Now they are the Alpha Pack: a top secret team of wolf shifters with Psy powers who take on the darkest dangers on Earth. But sometimes the greatest danger lies within their own hearts….
Healer and black wolf shifter Zander Cole has survived horrors that would have broken a weaker man. But when a battle leaves him deaf and his powers dimmed, Zan is devastated. Believing himself to be a burden to his team, he sees only one option: leave the Pack forever.
White wolf shifter Selene Westfall knows pain—she is certain her father was responsible for her mother’s death. And she lives to exact revenge. So when she is challenged by a savage black wolf, she puts up a vicious fight—only to become the black wolf’s Bondmate as a result of his bite.
Two damaged souls—one filled with hatred and one who’s lost his reason for living—are forced together as they come to terms with their unlikely, turbulent bond. A love neither expected may be all that stands between them and a killer trying desperately to keep the past dead and buried….
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Publisher: Signet
Series: Alpha Pack #5
ISBN: #978-0451417237
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (325 pages), e-book, audiobook
Book Source: Publisher
Purchase Info:
Cole’s Redemption (Alpha Pack #5)
Reviews in the Series:
Primal Law by JD Tyler (Alpha Pack #1)
Savage Awakening by JD Tyler (Alpha Pack #2)
Black Moon by JD Tyler (Alpha Pack #3)
Hunter’s Heart by JD Tyler (Alpha Pack #4)