She follows her dreams into his arms…and danger is not far behind. Children are supposed to outgrow night terrors. Mala is the rare exception. At night she dreams of wolves, ones who attack, and the ones her dream-self protects. The effort costs her—one dream often leads to a week of missed work. After a months-long reprieve, the dreams are back with a vengeance. Her defense of a young wolf from his abusive father is rewarded when the boy mentions the name of a real town. Finally, the chance to learn if her dreams are just as real. She never expected to meet an honest-to-God alpha wolf, much less develop an instant, embarrassing crush on him. Angus MacIntyre, the de facto alpha of Wolf Town, is determined to see every fugitive wolf employed, educated and well-adjusted to life in the open. The arrival of a young wolf on the run isn’t all that unusual, but the human woman hard on his heels is beyond extraordinary. The dark-eyed beauty stirs his mine instinct in a way he’s never felt before. She possesses a dream-wraith ability that challenges everything he thinks he knows about his world, and makes her vulnerable to those who might try to use it—and her—to their advantage. Wolf towns, bad guys, dreams and non-alpha alpha wolves, as well as an overabundance of family, and, of course, a healthy dose of romance and sex.
Anchor deliver's on a great and enjoyable plot line with excellent characters and the chemistry between Angus and Mala is beautifully done! This book is about wolf shifters which Angus is the Alpha of wolf town. The people of wolf town don't like new comers or visitor's to the town. Eden is the owner and manager of the B&B where Mala goes to stay while in town. Mala goes to wolf town following her dreams that she has been having all her life to see if her dreams are real. Because of the dreams she has become estranged from her family and she has no friends. The only disappointing thing is that this is not a series. This was an enjoyable and entertaining read I would highly recommend this book to others.
I really like the concept of Anchor. Mala is in a sense summoned in a dream state to wolves who are showing great fear. In this dream state she is able to not only siphon some of that fear away and communicate with the victims, but wield weapons using this fear and help fight off the bad guys. She has no idea why this happens to her and has never been able to confide in anyone. That is until she becomes anchored to Caleb, a teen wolf who is being hunted by his abusive father, John Davies. When she visits him more than once in a dream, she decides to go looking for him and this is how she ends up in Wolf Town where she meets the alpha Angus.
With Mala’s help, Angus and his pack mates try to locate John Davies before he can kill any other wolves. The villain isn’t really in the book that much, and I think he would have come across as more of a threat if as a reader we were introduced to him more.
Although Angus is alpha, he comes across more of a gentler, wolf who lives to protect the wolves in this town now that they have come out to the public. I enjoyed his relationship with his two adult children and I think they are developed well. I felt like the romance took a really long time to develop and then they jump into this sex scene that seemed out of place. There was no build up. The romance is very quiet and almost not even a presence in most of the story until the very end. It was hard to buy into it.
While I like the concept and the world, I yearn for a bit more conflict and drama and the romance was lacking in this one.
Publisher: Samhain Publish Date: Apr 19th How I got this book: Review Request from the author
Anchor was my first read by Spencer, and although there were a few things I stumbled over, I enjoyed the overall story.
Mala has always had weird abilities when she was dreaming, and the most recent dreams are getting more and more scary and terrifying. When one dream changes and instead of seeing a wolf, she sees a young boy, Mala wonders if maybe there isn’t something more to her nightmares than she realizes. She takes a chance and heads to Wolf Town at the off change she will see the boy from her dreams. But she never expected everything she found.
Angus is the local alpha, and wants to take in every wolf who needs sanctuary. When a beautiful human woman comes sniffing around and telling him some pretty outlandish stories, he decides to keep her close to find out exactly what she can do. But there is someone out to get Wolf Town’s newest members, and Mala’s strange gift may be the only thing that came save them all.
I really enjoyed the overall world building Spencer created for this book. The magical abilities of Mala’s was something I’d never seen done before in any other book, and I loved the way it was woven through the story line, how other characters reacted to her and how she both loved and feared the ability. It was really well done, and probably my favorite aspect of the entire story. I’m not sure if this is the first book in a series, but if it is, I hope that Spencer dives more into the magical abilities of people within her world.
I wish that I would have developed a better connection with the cast of characters from this one. Mala was somewhat timid and constantly scared at the beginning of the book, and for me she didn’t seem to do a whole lot of personal growth throughout, although she was able to stand up to a select few by the end of the book. I enjoyed Angus’ character, but he could have been a bit more alpha growly (I do love my alpha’s all gruff and rough). The cast of secondary characters were a mix of townsfolk, and while many of them didn’t register much to me, there a few that stuck out that I hope to see more of, specifically Aileen. (Spencer confirmed to me via Twitter that she hopes to give Aileen her own story next!)
The romance between Mala and Angus was something that really took a back seat to the rest of the story. I would have like to see a little more from them, and felt like their relationship was somewhat out of the blue. Although the two were attracted to each other, they went from being wary around each other to jumping between the sheets; there was no romance spark for me. Hopefully if this does turn out to be a series, Spencer can give these two some more page time, and really show us more of these two.
All in all I really enjoyed Anchor. It had a few hiccups along the way, but the overall story and world building made this a good paranormal read. I give it a C+
2.5, but I like the author and think this is a valuable entry to the series' world-building so I'm rounding up.
Mala has had night terrors all of her life, dreams where she becomes a part of a wolf who is in terrible fear of its life. Over the years, she’s learned how to harness that fear and turn it into a weapon against the attacker, but the nightmares always leave her shaken and exhausted, not to mention isolated and half-convinced she’s crazy. At least, until she slips back into the mind of the latest wolf she’s saved and discovers his name and where he lives. After losing her latest job, she decides to go check it out and see if the wolf is for real. She doesn’t think he will be, so color her surprised when she shows up in Wolf Town and finds out that he is. The alpha in Wolf Town is Angus, a leader who’s more nurturing than he is violent. He’s been protecting the young wolf Mala saved, and when he learns that Mala has been visiting wolves in her sleep, does everything he can to keep Mala in town. He’s convinced she’ll be in danger should news of her talents spread, not to mention the fact that the violent wolf after his new ward is still out there, waiting to kill both of them.
The action in this is fairly seamless and continuous, providing a constant forward momentum that makes the novel a quick and easy read. The aspect of Mala being what the wolves have dubbed a dream wraith brings some new elements to Spencer’s shifter world, a new avenue to explore as her powers aren’t heard of by anybody, not even by series regular (and one of my favorites) Trey. It opens doors in stories to come and keeps the world interesting and colorful, constantly growing and changing, but it does so organically, rather than allowing the world to grow stale and stagnant. This is its greatest strength, and is the primary reason followers of the series should read it.
It’s unfortunate, then, that the romance is so lackluster. The vast majority of the story is spent on the tension, both that of the action and the mystery of Mala’s powers. Mala and Angus express physical attraction early on, but that’s it until a good two-thirds of the way through when all of a sudden, they’re having sex. I never felt any sexual tension between them, nor believed it might be something more than a passing physical thing. In fact, their so-called romantic scenes are so truncated, even the epilogue that attempts to pull threads together feels incomplete and unsatisfying. It’s not helped by Mala’s inconsistent characterization (she seems to alternate from weak to flirtatious without a bat of an eyelash) or the fact that Angus has a damsel in distress weakness. I more easily believe that he wants to protect her in response to that than I do any genuine emotion.
This isn’t the strongest entry in the series by far, but considering the new elements that were introduced to the world building, like a necessary one. I just wish I could’ve cared about the romance more, or that the romance had been left out entirely.
Mala never outgrew her night terrors. At twenty-eight, her nights are a battleground as she defends helpless wolves from attack by their own kind. The effort costs her—one dream often leads to a week of missed work. When her defence of a young wolf is rewarded by the mention of a real town, she finally has the chance to learn if her dreams are just as real. She never expected to meet an honest-to-God alpha werewolf, much less develop an instant, embarrassing crush on him. Angus MacIntyre, de facto alpha of Wolf Town, is determined to see every fugitive wolf employed, educated and well-adjusted to life in the open. The arrival of a young wolf on the run isn’t all that unusual, but the human woman hard on his heels is beyond extraordinary. The dark-eyed beauty possesses a dream-wraith ability that challenges everything he thinks he knows about his world—and stirs his mine instinct in a way he’s never felt before. Yet her gift makes her vulnerable to those who would try to use it to their advantage. But this is his town. His pack. His woman. And Angus will do whatever it takes to protect what’s his.
I read a review for Anchor somewhere else, (I can’t remember where) and although the reviewer wasn’t keen on it, the storyline really appealed to me and I thought I’d give it ago.
Anchor is a shifter paranormal romance but it’s a bit different from what I usually read, which is what appealed to me in the first place. It feels a little like a paranormal romance with a twist of urban fantasy because it’s not totally about the romance between Mala and Angus, there are quite a few other things going on in this short story which I liked. In some ways Anchor is a predictable read, following the standard storyline which is loved by many but in other ways Anchor is very unusual, as the characters, for one change some of the dynamic of the book. For instance, there’s a gay wolf-shifter and it’s only the second time I’ve come across a gay shifter, which I liked! There’s an interesting background with Angus and his children, and the way his town/pack are made me giggle quite a bit. Although there are many things I liked about Anchor, one thing I couldn’t get past is how I felt like I was missing something in the storyline with Angus and his pack and the people of his town.
Overall, I liked Anchor and it was an enjoyable different read that made me happy that I decided to
On instinct, Mala instructs a young wolf to run through her dreams, forming a link that she returns to again to make sure he is safe. Mala has lived her life rejected by the abnormal dreams that have her protecting wolfs from harm. When she sees something in one of her dreams that leads her to WolfTown, she follows the hunch that there maybe more to her dreams than just the terror that keep her immobile.
Angus MacIntyre is the alpha of WolfTown, although it is not necessarily a title he needs, his only goal is to protect the wolves that seek protection in his town. When Mala arrives asking for one of his newest rescues, he feels drawn to her but cautious about her intent. What follows unravels a mystery as to what Mala truly is and a possible mate for Angus.
Refreshing take on the shifter stories, I had not read anything about Dream Wraiths before and was fascinated. I thought the story unfolded perfectly and am anxious to read another book by this author.
At night, she dreams. And not the kind of dreams that make one feel good. Not the kind of dreams where everything they wish for comes true. No, Mala's dreams are the kind that are frightening, eerie, and too realistic. When Mala acts on a dream, to see if in fact it is real, the danger begins.
Mala intends to find Caleb, the boy from her latest dream. Who is he, where is he? A name in this particular dream leads her to him, and the reality of what she can do. She never intended to stay in Wolf Town, but circumstances and people change her mind. Such as Angus. He's different than anyone Mala has ever met, but then again, she's never met a werewolf before, unless you count her dreams.
The first few chapters of this story were a little hard to follow along, but as the book continued, I became less confused and more intrigued as the pieces started to fit into place. Mala had a rare gift indeed, and many in Wolf Town were intrigued or feared by her gift. There were mixed reactions about Mala being there and why she was there. Could any of them ever accept her? The curiosity of Mala and who she was, what she could do had me turning the pages, eager for more. Ms. Spencer does an amazing job of keeping the reader wondering, keeping Mala's character shrouded in secrecy. Little by little, we learn about the heroine and made me like her more and more.
I enjoyed Angus's character immensely. He is a strong leader, protector, father and friend. He protects his pack, and he wants to protect Caleb, and now Mala, especially when she begins to help him find other wolves in trouble and reach out. Though neither would admit it, Angus and Mala's attraction to each other is strong, leading into sizzling sexual tension and a bond of trust.
All in all, this shifter story is captivating, sexy, dangerous and exciting. If you're a fan of the paranormal, hot alpha male wolves, extraordinary powers, and dreams that lead you where you belong, hurry out and get this book.
Since this was an ARC, I'm going to be a little wordier than "I liked it a lot." Which I did.
*warm fuzzies* I found Anchor a very satisfying read. The world building was solid, and the reading experience was… well, I keep coming back to words like satisfying, solid, straightforward, consistent. Even competent. As in, I had no fear that the foundation was going to crumble beneath me. So to speak.
Apparently Anchor is a part of a series of standalone books. It truly does stand alone well. I didn't feel that I was missing anything by not being familiar with the other characters and any of their previous stories, and nowhere was there an info dump. There were little touches that hinted that there was a story behind some of the comments or observations (which made me curious to find out what that was), but nothing that rubbed it in your face.
As anyone who has read any of my "reviews" before knows, a book being emotionally satisfying is very important to me. I was happy with that part of the story, even though Anchor wasn't overly touchy-feely. A lot of the story is about the external stuff, the buildup, conflict, danger, the heroine's abilities, the hero's responsibilities, but when the time was right, there was a sort of inevitability to the next step in their relationship. I'm not wording this right, so let's just say they knocked my socks off along with each others'. Or something.
Anyway, I'm going to be reading more of this series. I guess that's the most honest compliment I have for an author.
(There's a reason why I don't do real reviews. It's awkward. I'm not used to expressing my reactions to a book other than "good book". I don't believe I've been this wordy about I book I liked, usually I only use this many words to rant state what I didn't like about a book. I'm going back to my regular M.O. now.)
Stars: 3.5/5 This book was really pretty good. It was actually on the mild side for it to be classified as erotic romance in my opinion. Overall, the book was a satisfying read, although I thought the end fell a little flat. There could have been more, in my opinion. Was Mala really staying? Are Mala and Angus going to be a couple? Get married? Have babies? Does Angus's daughter, Jancis, finally warm up to Mala? And, what IS Jancis's deal with Mala? I found her to be rather hostile to Mala for no good reason, especially with Aileen and Eden welcoming Mala. There were many more questions left than answered and it felt more of a Happy For Now ending than a Happily Ever After ending. I guess we'll just have to wait and see if there is more and if the questions will be answered.
Well well.... This is more of a 2.5 star On the story side, as in wolves, dreams and so on... it's ok... not something to fuss about but a good plot... BUT and this is a big BUT... I was expecting a romance and I got that ... it's just it was in the last 20 pages :/ I mean seriously you cannot put a sexy guy on the cover and give us one sexy scene that's not even that well written. I'm not sure how the rest of the series will go but this first book was an ok book to read if you are NOT expecting a lot of romance and suspense and sex. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good plot involving wolves and shifters but do not expect a lot of romance but still like a pinch of it in the book.
Great story about Mala, a human, who has the ability to help werewolves when she is sleeping by taking their fear and turning it into a weapon against their attackers/enemies. Years of thinking it is only dreams and wondering if she is crazy, Mala decides to search for Caleb, one of the werewolves she saves. Following Caleb to Wolf Town, there she finds Angus, the Alpha, where she learns her dreams are real and that she is actually a Dream Wraith, and finds her own place among the wolves.
I loved this story and hope we see more of the characters from Wolf Town
Mixed with mystery, paranormal abilities, and some steamy romance Anchor is definitely a lovely read. Right from the start I was caught up in the mystery and suspense wondering who the wolf that she had to save was. The heroine had a rough life because of her ability. Even after all the trouble her ability causes she still tries to do all she can to help others using this ability. Will Angus be the one to finally except her for who she is and will she be able to help her new found friends find the unknown woman from her visions before she is killed? You will have to read it to find out.
I recieved this book through the Goodreads First Reads competition. I liked this book. It was an easy read with enough happening to keep interest. I was a bit disappointed that it wasn't more intense. Some parts of the book could have been more drawn out and built suspense. The ending was a bit anticlimactic.
This book is very disjointed. There is no romance between suppose heroine and hero. They do sleep together way at the end of the book and I could not figure out why?? It jumps all over the place and to me is just a waste of time and money.
I'm not a fan of insta-love. The premise behind the story and the dreams was enticing but the immediate love thing that happens isn't to my taste. There were also some copy editing errors like missed words that drove me a bit nuts.
Interesting concept. I have read books about wraiths before.but not good ones. I would like to see a sequel gothic or more about mala Drea, wraith that helps wolves in danger
Bit meh really, I mean it wasn't bad but it wasn't good, it felt like it should be part of a series but I probably would be bored by that, which is saying something since I love paranormal books.
Average writing + below average world building + marginally described MC's + too many characters+ less than stellar editing = a between 2.5 and 3 star read
The romance suffered in this one. In fact it was really barely there. I really enjoyed the first 2 books in this series. This one wasn't bad I just wanted more romance.