Pages

Sunday, September 15, 2013

ARC Review: A SEAL Wolf Christmas

A SEAL Wolf Christmas (Heart of the Wolf #12)

by Terry Spear

Blurb:

Navy SEAL Bjornolf Jorgenson and undercover operative Anna Johnson have a rocky beginning at their first meeting all to do with pantyhose and tying her to a bed after some heavy-duty sparring, and him declaring she has mighty fine killer knees. Christmas is coming but thoughts of sugar plum fairies and kissing under the mistletoe isn’t something these two gray werewolves have in mind when they're tasked to be the newlyweds preparing for Christmas while investigating a SEAL’s murder at a Christmas Tree farm.
Neither care about Christmas, sharing gifts, and all the traditions that go along with the season since neither enjoyed the holiday while growing up. But as they battle each other as to what makes for the perfect newly married couple’s first Christmas, they learn that a little Christmas cheer can become so much more, especially if they can take down a SEAL’s killer before they become his next target.

Review:

The heart of the wolf continues on! Several years ago I lucked into book one in this series at a bookstore on a special sale for a penny and it’s was one of the best pennies I ever spent. Twelve books later and this series is still one of my favorites.  Through developments, friendships and pack changes we find ourselves on the Oregon Coast with the newest pack of wolves making their home with their Alpha, Hunter, who just so happens to also be a Merc and a former SEAL.  We’ve seen his team in action before and this new story lets us learn more about the only female member of his team, Anna, and the sexy former SEAL known as the Ghost who has been working with them. A SEAL Wolf Christmas was a unique take on family dynamics, both human and wolf and how one small decision can interlace to make ripples for years in so many lives.
Bjornolf has once again followed Hunter’s team, specifically Anna really, into the Amazonian jungle to watch their sixes and offer a bit of extra protection.  The team has been called in on an extraction of a CEO and his family who were kidnapped on a vacation. But nothing is every as simple as it seems, and the truth of their mission soon comes to light.  Upon returning home Hunter asks Anna and Bjornolf to do him a favor. One of Hunter’s pack members has come across what he believes are two dead wolves at the local tree farm where he has been working.  Posing as newlyweds, Anna and Bjornolf soon find more questions than answers and the secrets keep piling up.  On top of those issues, they are dealing with the hormonal wolf pup, Nathan, who is providing their cover at the tree farm, who is chasing after two different girls and trying to find his way.  Anna has her own personal issues with the holiday season and having all the holiday cheer circling around her is just making her depressed.  But what is a newlywed to do when his woman is disheartened about the holiday? Bjornolf is determined to do whatever it takes, even if it means embracing the Christmas spirit himself.
Bjornolf and Anna both certainly have their problems with the holidays, as well as the attraction between them which neither of them are willing to look into too deeply.  Bjornolf is your typical alpha male, made even more arrogant by his inner wolf and elite military training.  Though he has desired Anna since he first met her he is used to being a lone wolf.  He’s been away from pack and team life for so long he’s hesitant about taking Anna as a mate, knowing that she comes with the strings that will bring him back into the fold.  Anna has her own fears about Bjornolf and the passion that hits her hard whenever he’s around. Her past experiences with male wolves color her thoughts of having a future with him, but when they can resist no longer she throws herself into the relationship with wild abandon.  Anna is definitely my type of woman…er she-wolf.  She is strong and deadly, the type of woman that embraces the danger around her in order to protect herself and her family (Wolf and SEAL families alike).  As she deals with the instant family that comes with her new mission, she tries to maintain her equilibrium as they all celebrate Christmas together for the first time in decades.  
Anna and Bjornolf are an interesting team and their love story is full of action, suspense, twists and laughs that accompany the drama around a teenage wolf and the dangerous secrets he has stumbled into.  The mysterious deaths that Anna and Bjornolf investigate lead to a twist that you never see coming and uncover secrets that have been buried for a decade. Watching them work together to find out the truth and to handle the troubles that come with being members of a pack, show them and the reader the importance of being able to depend of others. The holiday spirit permeates that the story is infectious and makes me wish for my tree and all the hot chocolate I can drink. When Anna finally shares the horrific truth of her past, Bjornolf is able to prove just how great of a mate he can be and that a SEAL Wolf is the kind of male we should all hold out for.  The side romance that we got to enjoy was a pleasant addition as well and reminds us that age has nothing to do with maturity or love.  Drama, danger and desire lead Bjornolf and Anna on a merry chase as they come to terms with their holiday hang-ups and the love that can develop between a she-wolf and her SEAL.   A perfect holiday tale and one that will be a repeat performance on my holiday reads list.  Thanks for another great addition to my shelves, Terry.  The Heat of the Wolf lives on in the love story between Anna and Bjornolf and I can’t wait for more.

Rating: 4 stars

Rose Rating: 

*eARC provided by publisher (via netgalley) for the purpose of an honest and unbiased review.  No compensation was provided. 



No comments:

Post a Comment