This book was provided for free by the author in exchange for an honest review through Don't Buy My Love.The Reluctant Wolf is set in a paranormal universe that includes shifters of various sorts as well as a magic element. The two MCs are – Kane and Shawn – are shifters. Shawn also has a magic of another sort in him.Both MCs are alphas in their own right, although we’re told Shawn really just prefers to sit back from the role at times. This was an interesting premise, with two strong, brilliant men so alike each other, falling in love. The plot element of Shawn’s past and how they tackle the danger he’s facing is well-devised too. Given that I expected a lot more.Unfortunately the book doesn’t quite live up to that expectation generated by the premise and the plot. It is a little too long with a lot of time spent on the sex scenes. I like those just as much as everyone else does but in this book it seemed to overtake the story, with the plot elements sort of peeking through in between. I got quite tired of the two MCs constantly declaring the other one hot mentally or verbally. The plot seemed to be secondary to the eyeing, fondling and making out with each other. On top of it they’re constantly claiming each other and being possessive with each other. It’s easy enough to understand after the first few chapters that they’re both strong, or alpha-like men completely in love with each other and prone to jealousy but it does not need to be demonstrated in every chapter. I found the scene after the cottage incident, where Kane feels the need to just claim Shawn, really hot and well done. But then the emotion and the need around that just don’t come out later. We get glimpses of what they seek – Shawn’s need to help others, to avoid fighting but having to – these are great elements that could have been developed but aren’t. Similarly Kane just remains a biking, posturing alpha. I also thought the scene at the club towards the end was unnecessary - we already know Shawn will rush in to protect Kane. It added nothing to the story other than elongate it. My other quibble with the editing - There was an overuse of apostrophes even when not needed! I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.I would give this a 3.5 stars. This story is about two alphas, each having been thrown out of their packs for being gay, Shawn also for being something other than pure wolf. Kane, having been out of his pack for ten years has formed a small pack of his own, lives in a small town with the pack operated bike business. Shawn is on the run from his own pack, never in one place too long. They come together when Shawn takes a job in the town diner and Kane goes in for dinner. Kane believes Shawn might run if he moves in too fast so he sets his pack members to take shifts at the diner to watch Shawn. One night after work Shawn is shot and the others move into help him, finding out he has some amazing powers going on. The connection is made and we move to find a solution to end the hunt for Shawn. Neither alpha acts very alpha-ish in this story. Shawn, with his "other" powers, is far more powerful than Kane,but the dynamics work for the small pack. All the characters are interesting and deserve their own stories.I liked the characters, and I liked the story, but I thought for as long as this story was, the sex interrupted the story too much, and the story could have been developed a bit more. There is a big confrontation at the end but not a lot of build up. It also lacks some back story which could have helped me get into the characters more. So with that said with a little more meat put in, this could be a really fun series.
What do You think about The Reluctant Wolf (2014)?
The writing style made this book a slow and difficult read for me but I actually enjoyed it.
—james
Great start to a new series. Really looking forward to the next books in the series.
—likes2read
