4 out of 5 stars
Ebook. 206 pages. Published September 10th 2012 by Dreamspinner Press
Blurb:
A pack is only as strong as its weakest member. Rocky Harris knows how the system works. He’s been on the bottom rung his whole life. But when his alpha consigns him to the High Moon Pack to help them improve security, he finds his beliefs not just challenged but outright assaulted.
Cade Montgomery’s confidence took a hit when the pack’s cubs were kidnapped on his watch. He’s prepared to do anything to protect his family, even if it means working with Rocky. Maybe Cade doesn’t trust Rocky, but with the turmoil surrounding pack Alpha Gray’s unpopular decision to break tradition and mate with a mage named Simon, Cade knows more threats are coming.
Then someone declares war on shifters and puts the entire pack in danger. Cade and Rocky will need each other’s strengths to survive the impending battle—and the power of their growing attraction.
Likes:
- The plot continued from the last book, answering questions and keeping my interest.
- The introduction of Riley and the expansion of the shifter world.
- Introduction of a new villain and more problems, all of which continue to push the plot forward without dragging anything out.
Dislikes:
- Rocky and Cade didn’t get as much page time as I had expected.
- Their relationship felt little flat and underdeveloped.
I went into book two with a lot of unanswered questions. Some of them were answered, though more were introduced. I don’t mind because it keeps me interested in what will happen next.
Most of the romance series I’ve read before focused heavily on each couple during their book, leaving the rest of the characters as side characters. Not so with this book, which was a surprise. Rocky gets the first chapter, but his and Cade’s romance is really nothing but a subplot. This book’s main characters are very much still Simon and Gray. Which makes sense because they’re at the heart of the strange things happening, and I’m not mad that they’re the focus of this book. But it does make me feel a little cheated.
I came into this book expecting a story about Cade and Rocky and I didn’t really get that. Sure, they have an occasional chapter about the two of them, but they didn’t get nearly as much time as Gray and Simon. It’s frustrating, because the book blurb made it seem like it was all about Cade and Rocky.
Aside from that complaint, I did like both Rocky and Cade. Rocky’s situation within his own pack has put a major chip on his shoulder but it’s nice to watch him come to realize what a good pack should be, and I’m happy with how things ended up for him. Introducing a bit of racial conflict with Cade being mixed race and the only black man in the pack was both a nice way to have him understand a bit of what Rocky felt by being different, but also didn’t really have much of an impact. I feel like it could have been done better.
With the introduction of the very cute Riley, the shifter world got a bit bigger, as well as showing that the High Moon Pack’s problems are far from over. Throw in the Were Council members, a betrayal, and an attack, and there was plenty of tension at the end of the book.
Overall, while I was glad that the plot continued seamlessly from the first book, my main complaint is the lack of time spent building Cade and Rocky’s relationship. The physical attraction is there, but the more emotional part, the part where the relationship really gets a nice solid foundation, is lacking. It would actually have started right about where the book stops, after Rocky heroically defends the cubs from the new villain. With this, their relationship can really begin, except that the book ends.
Honestly, as much as I was fully geared up for Rocky and Cade’s relationship, what I remember most from this book was Gray and Simon’s part. And I’m writing this review the day after I finished reading the book! Maybe it’s because I know more about Simon and Gray, but I really feel like it was because Rocky and Cade didn’t have enough page time for me to get attached to them.
Looking back on their relationship, I think that part of why Rocky and Cade had such a weak relationship is that nothing they did really had any effect on the overarching plot. Sure, Rocky had secrets, but they didn’t mattered in the end.
Be sure to check out the reviews for Mind Magic, Soul Magic, Wild Magic, and the series review.
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