Review: Between a Wolf and a Hard Place by Terry Spear

Between A Wolf And A Hard Place
Author: Terry Spear
Reviewer: B.
Rating: B-

What I’m Talking About:

Picking up where the last in the series left off, Between a Wolf and a Hard Place follows the developing relationship between Ellie MacTire, one of the new owners of the Silver Town Inn, and Brett Silver, local news reporter and third–born of the Silver quadruplets. As it revisits the setting and characters that were established in the fifth Silver Town Wolf story, A Silver Wolf Christmas, slipping back into the world of the novel was easy to do.

While I’ve really enjoyed this series, as well as those connected to it that I’ve had the pleasure of reading, this particular story didn’t draw me in quite as thoroughly as its predecessors. I can’t help but like the MacTire sisters so far, and the Silver brothers and cousins have all proven to be just as interesting, so the cause of my reaction wasn’t about the characters themselves. All of the wolves are memorable in different ways, and seeing the return of some of my favorites was definitely a nice benefit.

Personality-wise, I think Ellie and Brett are a wonderful pair. Ellie’s gift is a secret, and rightfully so, given the reactions she’s experienced in the past. But, Brett has a few surprises of his own that come back to haunt him, the focus of which I thought only made them both more intriguing as a couple. I do wish, though, that their romance had been allowed to develop a little longer over a narrower range of happenings, rather than the multitude of issues they had to contend with.

Which is where I felt a little lost on occasion. Rather than bonding with each other while facing down a single threat, and the complications associated with it, Ellie and Brett seemed to be dealing with four or five different conflicts, and at least one of those of their own devising. One thing, in particular, that concerned me was simply a misunderstanding that might have been resolved fairly quickly, but instead plagued the couple throughout the narrative. This, in addition to the reaffirmation of the discord between the MacTires and their troublesome cousins, along with a rescue mission on the side, and so on, distracted me from the main plot of Between a Wolf and a Hard Place more than once. Still, I was very happy with the resolution of the more romantic elements of the story, and truly believed that these two belonged together.

While it wasn’t my favorite to this point, Between a Wolf and a Hard Place was still a good addition to the series. The introduction of the MacTire sisters has served it well, and, despite these few issues, I admit to a great deal of curiosity about how things might play out for all the Silver Town wolves in the novels yet to come. Though it can be read as a standalone, I highly recommend reading the whole series, if possible, since the background stories of all the characters are fairly extensive and build on one another. As a bonus, mention was also made of the merging with the jaguar shifter companion series, which I’m eager to learn more about, and is something I think has a lot of potential for excellent storytelling in the future.

My Rating:  B- Liked It, but I had a few small issues

About the Book:

In Silver Town, the secrets run deep…

Alpha werewolf Brett Silver has an interior motive when he donates a prized family heirloom to the Silver Town hotel. Ellie MacTire owns the place with her sisters, and he’s out to get her attention.

Ellie is even more special than Brett knows. She’s a wolf-shifter with a unique ability to commune with the dead. Ellie has been ostracized, so she protects herself and those she loves by revealing nothing—not even when strange and dangerous things begin to happen in Silver Town. And especially not to the devastatingly handsome and generous wolf who’s determined to win her over.

Release Date: April 4, 2017
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Series: Silver Town Wolf #7 / Heart of the Wolf #21
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): paperback (352 pages), e-book
Book Source: NetGalley

Purchase Info:
Amazon

Reviews in the Series:
Wolf Fever by Terry Spear (Heart of the Wolf #6)
Heart of the Highland Wolf by Terry Spear (Heart of the Wolf #7)
Dreaming of the Wolf by Terry Spear (Heart of the Wolf #8)
A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing by Terry Spear (Heart of the Wolf #9)
A Howl for a Highlander by Terry Spear (Heart of the Wolf #10)
A Highland Werewolf Wedding by Terry Spear (Heart of the Wolf #11)
A SEAL Wolf Christmas by Terry Spear (Heart of the Wolf #12)
Silence of the Wolf by Terry Spear (Heart of the Wolf #13)
A Hero of a Highland Wolf by Terry Spear (Heart of the Wolf #14)
A Highland Wolf Christmas by Terry Spear (Heart of the Wolf #15)
SEAL Wolf Hunting by Terry Spear (Heart of the Wolf #16)
A Silver Wolf Christmas by Terry Spear (Heart of the Wolf #17)
SEAL Wolf In Too Deep by Terry Spear (Heart of the Wolf #18)
Alpha Wolf Need Not Apply by Terry Spear (Heart of the Wolf #19)
Billionaire in Wolf’s Clothing (Heart of the Wolf #20) not reviewed