Wednesday, August 5, 2015

ARC Review: Wolf Trouble

Wolf Trouble (SWAT #2)

by Paige Tyler

Blurb:

There's never been a female on the Dallas SWAT team and Senior Corporal Xander Riggs prefers it that way. The elite pack of alpha male wolfshifters is no place for a woman. But Khaki Blake is no ordinary woman.
When Khaki walks through the door attractive as hell and smelling like heaven, Xander doesn't know what the heck to do. Worse, she's put under his command and Xander's protective instincts go on high alert. When things start heating up both on and off the clock, it's almost impossible to keep their heads in the game and their hands off each other...
Themes: shifters, werewolves, paranormal
Rating: 4.25 stars
Heat Rating: 
Review:
 The adventure of the Dallas SWAT team and werewolf pack continues with a new member that will really be shaking up the lives and futures of these guys, one in particular. I enjoyed the previous story in this series, as well as Paige's X-Ops series, and find new interesting tidbits in her world every time I venture into it.   If you missed the previous book in this series, I recommend going back to get the full story of the team and how everyone came to be a member of the pack, but this story is certainly well written enough to truly be a standalone.  Tyler always manages to pack a lot of heat, heart, and drama into short amount of pages that you get swept away in the story and don’t even realize it is ending until the big climax hits and the couple is happily settled.  I am looking forward to future stories in this series and hope all the other guys find their One soon. 
Khaki is fed up with the way her professional and person life has collided and the wreck that comes from it, so when Gage Dixon offers her a place on the SWAT team and in his pack, she jumps at the chance to start over fresh somewhere far away from the current disasters.  She never planned to fall head over heels in lust with her team leader the minute she sees—and smells—him on the very first day, but his instant dislike throws her for a loop.  Training her butt off to try to please Xander and find a place for herself on the team, Khaki is willing to swallow her pride and ask anyone for help, even Xander, but getting to know him could be even more disastrous as she finds herself even more drawn to him.  Xander can no longer hide the attraction and instant connection with Khaki and they give into their desires in a night of blistering passion destined to change their lives forever.  Soon it comes to the choice of being together or being members of the pack and team, but when danger threatens to end any chance at a future, the Pack with have to band together to keep all their members alive.
Khaki, as her name implies, was a truly unique character, unlike any werewolf, female cop, or heroine I have read about.  She has worked all her lie to find a place in the world, but one personal mistake puts her life on the line and makes it impossible for her to do her job anymore.   Jumping at the chance to move to Dallas and join the pack, she never imagined her mate was there waiting for her, much less that he would be her immediate supervisor.  Once burned and believing Xander hates her doesn’t make it any easier to resists the desire he brings out in her.  I enjoyed seeing her kick ass right alongside or even some times in front of the macho badass males in her squad.  She was the type of woman that has hit her limit and will no longer take shit from anyone.  Her willingness to sacrifice anything, even her own life, for the man she loves shows her honor and dedication, but the way she brings out his playful and loving side makes her a truly great character in my humble opinion.  Can’t wait to see more of her in future stories. 
Xander is the type of guy that really doesn’t know how to handle the connection that he feels immediately upon seeing and smelling this new and sexually simulating pack member.  Khaki invades his senses, mind, body and soul, but he fights every step of the way to keep them from being in an awkward position. I kind of hated the way he went about trying to keep space between them though, eroding Khaki’s confidence and making her believe he hated her.  Once he comes to terms with the fact that there is no denying their attraction, I began to love him even more.  He is more playful, totally sensual, and sweetly protective of his female and I can see him being so for the duration of their lives.  Seeing him struggling with the implications of their relationship and the potential fallout was a little rough, but thankfully all parties got just what they wanted and needed in the end. 
In the end I really liked this story, the characters were given just enough obstacles to overcome and the plot was well written enough that I was able to follow and sometimes even jump ahead of the characters.  Khaki was an endearingly sweet character that also had her badass side and a sensual side she only shared with Xander.  Seeing her come into her own fully, with the support of her mate, shows that sometimes the best thing a woman can do for herself if find the RIGHT man not just A man to back her up in all life’s dramas. Xander was the type of guy you never think will settle down, but when Khaki’s scent knocks him on his ass, there is no turning back.  While he resists the sexual pull, he is actually learning more about and beginning to fall deeper into love with Khaki.  Giving in to their desires brings them that ultimate fulfillment, completing their lives and giving them the missing half of their souls back.  I enjoyed both “villains” in this story and enjoyed how the two mini-plots overlapped, giving Khaki, Xander and the team ample opportunity to show off their skills.  Overall a really good read and one that will hopefully lead to many more down the line.  In the meantime, if you haven’t already I recommended catching up on this series as well as Paige’s X-Ops series.  Keep up the good work, Paige.  

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


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