The Covert Wolf

Phoenix Force #1

by Bonnie Vanak

When a mission gone wrong kills his best friend, navy SEAL Matthew Parker will stop at nothing to destroy the demons who threaten his team. To do so, Matt must locate a mysterious orb before the demons use it to destroy the world. But the only woman who can help him—Sienna McClare—has her own agenda… and every reason for hating his kind. A half blood, Sienna hopes returning the orb to her people will gain her acceptance back into the only family she's known. But working with a Draicon werewolf like Matt comes with a high price—one that could cost Sienna her dreams.

A natural-born leader, her werewolf lover must now teach Sienna to listen to her heart—and go where their all-consuming passion leads them….

Genres: Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Harlequin, Harlequin Nocturne, Werewolves, Shapeshifters, Romance

283 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published December 1, 2011

About the author

Bonnie Vanak fell in love with romance novels during childhood. While cleaning a hall closet, she discovered her mother’s cache of paperbacks and started reading. Thus began a passion for romance and a lifelong dislike for housework.

After years of newspaper reporting, Bonnie became a writer for a major international charity. She travels to destitute countries such as Haiti to write about famine, disease and other issues affecting the poor. When the emotional strains of her job demanded a diversion, she turned to her childhood dream of writing romance novels.

She lives in Florida with her husband Frank and two dogs, where she happily writes books amid an ever-growing collection of dust bunnies.

Reviews

[Ren Puspita · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by NetGalley

First book of the Phoenix Force series (and part of Draicon Werewolf series)

Lt Matthew "Dakota" Parker is part of Navy SEALs, but not just ordinary SEALs. As Draicon werewolf, he also part of paranormal black ops which the assignment is annihilate anything paranorm that threat his country. After lost his buddy, a werejaguar Adam, he lost himself. That after he get a new task , to find Orb of Light and paired with a woman Fae, Sienna. Even there are attraction between them, Sienna who is part Fae part Draicon refuse to accept her Draicon part. Believe that her father, a cruel Draicon werewolf kill her mother and make Sienna shunned by her Fae clan after she reach age of 21. The only family she know.

Together, Matt and Sienna must search the Orb, before the pyro demon, their enemy reach it. Pyro demons also responsible for Adam's death, so Matt seek for vengeance. Meanwhile, the wolf inside him recognize its mate from Sienna. Matt must convice Sienna to accept her Draicon part, which is difficult because Sienna is stubborn. Even no longer think that Matt is her enemy, its hard for Sienna to become Draicon, a creature who she despise a lot and choose her Fae part. While her Fae power include glamour already fading. With an eney hot on their trail, Sienna and Matt must find the orb, and resolve the problem between them to make their relationship work

Combine Navy SEALs,covert team and paranormal world, Ms Vanak deliver a sexy and heartwrenching story with this new installment of her Draicon Wolf series. Both characters are damaged and feel like they don't belong to their family. Matt who feel strange with his Draicon pack, and Sienna who shunned by her Fae clan. Ms Vanak already use this trope (where the characters are tortured mentally) with her previous Draicon books, but its never failed me to enjoy this book. Even the Covert Wolf is from Nocturne lines, and usually the length of the book is less than 300 pages, the story still fast paced and full of action. The mystery of who the real enemy and the real identity of Sienna still wrapped until almost the end of the story.

The relationship between Matt and Sienna is not rushed. The beast inside Matt recognize Sienna and want to mated with her. But take a lot of trust between them to finally accept the bond. I sometimes irritated with Sienna because she so stubborn and even she want Matt, she still resist him until almost the end. Beside the fact that Matt is draicon, he also Navy SEALs and his job is priority number one. Sienna want him alone, just for hers. I will not blame her, I will do the same too. But Ms Vanak can make a satisfied conclusion for their problem.

Readers who love paranormal romance combine with sexy military hero and though heroine will enjoy this. Even The Covert Wolf is part of Draicon series and there are some cameo from previous books, we will not confuse when read it.

[Barbara ★ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't connect with any of the characters in this book and honestly couldn't care less what was going on. Mainly because every paranormal entity was in it - fae, demons, mages and various shifters. I think the author should have concentrated on just a few and developed a tighter plot. UGH!

[Paraphrodite · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

Even though this should be the first book of a standalone series, it feels like I've started a book in the middle of a series. There is some assumption that the readers are familiar with Ms Vanak's Draicon world.

Nevertheless, this was a solid read with a seasoned narrator in Jim Frangione. Not sure if the H/h actually resolved their issues at the end though. Maybe I'll get a better understanding in the next book? Let's see...

[Jen Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matthew is a Draicon wolf who serves in an elite Navy SEAL team of supernatural soldiers. Their existence is a secret, but their service is invaluable, as they help fight demons and other evil entities bent on chaos and destruction.

The story begins with the death of Matt's best friend Adam. Someone used a powerful orb to pinpoint the team's location and send fire-wielding demons to ambush them. Now, Matt is on the hunt for the orb and whoever orchestrated Adam's death. His boss forces him to pair with Sienna, a Draicon-Fae hybrid, who wants to bring the object back to her people. The SEALs have different plans for the orb, but they keep that to themselves.

Sienna thinks if she recovers the orb, she'll be accepted by the Fae who cast her out when she came of age. Her Draicon heritage made her an outcast and all she wants is for the loneliness to end. She despises the Draicons, because she was told her wolfen father raped her Fae mother and was ultimately responsible for her death. She considers the shifters to be nothing more than animals, which makes her very unhappy to have Matt as a partner. He's not much happier with the arrangement, since the Dark Fae killed Adam.

But despite their initial disdain for one another, an attraction builds between them over the course of their investigation. It's a slow build, with a lot of sexual tension, which I appreciate. I also thought the sex was great, once it finally came to pass. My biggest problem with the relationship is that neither one of them wanted a future with the other. All the way until the very end, Matt is determined that he is going to leave Sienna and wipe her memories so he can get back to his job. And she is so anti-wolf that she can't see past the blinders that the Fae is her whole world. It's hard to get behind a relationship when it's so devalued by both the hero and the heroine. Even when it was obvious that only the other person could make them happy, they stubbornly stuck to their old ways of thinking. It was frustrating.

The orb arc was kind of convoluted. I had a hard time making a connection between Adam's death and the end-game for the bad guys. All the scheming and plotting was complicated, with big reveals at the end.

The book is tied to Bonnie Vanak's Draicon series, but it has a decidedly different feel. It's the first in a spinoff series surrounding Matt's SEAL unit, so it would be easy for a new reader to jump in. Honestly, I enjoyed the last couple of Draicon books a bit more than I liked this one.

Rating: C

*ARC Provided by NetGalley

[Harlequin Books]

Miniseries: Phoenix Force
Category: Paranormal Romance

[Maura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sienna is a half-fae and half-Draicon who was raised to hate Draicon wolves...so she's disconcerted to find herself working on a covert op to obtain the Orb of Light alongside Matt Parker, a Draicon Navy SEAL. But she'll do it because obtaining that Orb means being accepted back into the community of Fae that raised her and she'll do anything to belong. He's everything she was told Draicon weren't - he's noble, honorable and willing to risk his life for the right cause. He's also gentle and patient with Sienna as she figures out her identity problems. The more time she spends with the sexy Draicon, Sienna begins to realize she's identifying more with the Draicon...perhaps so she'll be a worthy mate to Matt. But Matt is first and foremost a SEAL and no matter how much he loves Sienna, he cannot give up his own identity.

I totally agree with another reviewer that this story could have used a tighter plot. It felt disjointed at times and somewhat repetitive. By that I mean that in one moment, Sienna would realize that she was in love with a Draicon wolf, rail about it and run away. Then she'd realize she loved him again, tell him she wasn't afraid and be ready to be with him. Then she'd realize she loved him again and be afraid again. She did this with other realizations throughout the book, like when she'd realize that not all Draicons were bad, then be afraid of the vile werewolves and then convince herself they were actually nice. Likewise, Matt would do the same thing. First he loved Sienna more than life itself, but not enough to give up SEAL life, and then he'd do anything for her and then he admits that he'd leave her but that he'd never leave her. It was these things that sort of got in the way of my full enjoyment. All of the elements are there - interesting characters, action, hot sex - but tightening up that plot so it was more cohesive and incorporating character background in the right way would have made this an excellent story.

[Christine Diampovisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had an idea of the book I was getting and it did not disappoint me but I still wish that there had been a few more surprises or just more complex characters. The storyline of alpha male whose duty is to protect women, regardless of how they treat them will always appeal to me, and this was no exception. The author, Bonnie knew that this book would centre on Sienna and Matthew and it was way too cliché how they met. However, considering all the paranormals and details the book contained I could see why they needed to make contact and leave a mark on one another. All-in-all, the book had the classic trope of love or loyalty and the headiness that comes with being with someone you find attractive but I can't stand the sight of them. Matthew craving to mate, bond, claim, possess, feel her heat, wet sex, etc was all a bit too stale and archaic but it's a Mills and Boons book published in 2012 ... so you can't expect too much.

[Betty Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really really enjoyed this book. There is a lot of suspense and some passionate scenes too. Navy Seal Matthew Parker is out to destroy the demons who threaten his team. The demons are out looking for the Orb of light, to use it to destroy the world. He has been tasked by his commander to hunt down the Orb and to do that he needs the help of Sienna McClare, who is part Fae and part wolf. Matt has no love of the Fae and Sienna has no love of the wolves as she thinks they destroyed her parents. Quite the problems they have to face, each other, and also the demons , together. Great plot and kept me enrapt the whole time. Highly recommend.

[Leslivresdaudrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

✅ Ce que j'ai aimé :​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
- l'histoire​​​​​​​​
- les personnages et leur caractère​​​​​​​​
- les détails des paysages qui permettent de voyager (surtout la forêt ^^)​​​​​​​​
- la relation entre les personnages​​​​​​​​
- les mystères que l'on découvre​​​​​​​​
- se lit rapidement​​​​​​​​
- les créatures créées​​​​​​​​
-le résumé​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
❌ Ce que je n'ai pas aimé :​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
- quelques coquilles​​​​​​​​

[Syahira · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Covert Wolf is a very good Urban Fantasy Harlequin novel that centered on Lieutenant Matt Parker, a Draicon (werewolf) SEAL officer who deals with mystical things that threatened the lives of the country and Sienna, a banished half-fae and half-Draicon who wanted to find a missing orb, a powerful magical item, so that she would be accepted back into her Seelie family. Matt was coping with guilt over the death of his bestfriend Adam, a jaguar shifter who died when they were ambushed by pyros aka fire demons lead by their enemy dark faes in Afghanistan. The SEALs are targeted because they were the one who have the ability to seal doorways from the dimensions which the pyros came from. A powerful Fae orb were missing and so to find it, they need fae magic and had asked Sienna for help. Sienna who had her own agenda, have intense hatred to all things Draicon. According to her aunt, she was born when her mother were raped by a Draicon who in few years later, killed her mother and her entire family in a Draicon raid. This brought intense trauma to her which she mentally block her mind from remembering it. Being partnered by a werewolf brought fear but she knew more lives were at stake with the orb missing in the world.

To be honest, its hard to get good books from NetGalley especially when I randomly request books based on the blurb. Mostly, I randomly select books in hope I would enjoy it. Thankfully, this book have given me some faith in that system I made. I am surprised that, despite its length, the book is compact with action, plots and character progression which are rarely to be found in short novels. Let alone, Harlequin romance novels which are notorious since I've gotten used to its authors and their tendencies to use predictive classic plots.

The writing style is simple to read and descriptive where it should be but even with my copy and its problematic format, the story doesn't bother itself with fillers. The author cleverly embedded subplots, memorable hints and characters until the last moment of revelation. In essence, its a mystery novel with multiple twists.

The book is written in multiple point of views, most notably Sienna's and Matt's. From the general characterization, I had expected classic PNR alpha male and spunky female which is not a problem but can be repetitive. Luckily, both of the characters were having problem with their pasts and their problems were relate to one another and their mutual attraction became natural as you go on into the storyline. Most of the time with supernatural mating character behavior, they always fall in lust before they fall in love. The author conveniently built up the attraction between the characters with added conflicts and revelation which somewhat successful for a paranormal romance. However, unlike the usual PNR, I didn't feel the characters were forced onto one another. In fact, both of them learn to trust each other in the hard way. As you pace through the pages, their dependence goes on into an emotional level that transient their differences and commitments. This is pretty realistic as a way for them to fall in love with each other. I rarely enjoyed three dimensional romance novel characters and luckily, this book doesn't disappoint me in tiresome way.

I do wish the publisher allowed more pages into the book since I had a feeling it would have gotten even better with normal 300 pages or so. One thing to note was the clinical way the author does on portraying intimacies that made me aware it was still a Harlequin. I will be looking forward for the next book of the series.

I would recommend the book for folks that are tired with average Paranormal Romances (one with alpha and damsel in distress types and some lame antagonist) and Urban Fantasy readers that need some light readings but like some action and mystery to fill the time. Whatever the multitude of Harlequin books lacks, this one somehow one of the rare books that can carry itself on its own. I do like Sienna's character that had progressed from an insecure character who hid under a strong fragile facade into a stronger character that strive to protect who she loved even when faced with her strongest fear. That's very empowering.

The book is an ARC from Harlequin the publisher via netgalley from the nocturne series. It will be published on 24th July 2012 and so do look up to the title or pre-order it because from the hundreds of Harlequin books that I've read, this books stand out the most in every way.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Setting: Afghanistan, Helmand province; New York; Santa Fe; Forrest Plains; New Orleans;

Theme: connection; love; family; truth; protection; power

Characters:
Lieutenant Matthew ‘Dakota’ Parker; Draicon –powerful werewolf; SEAL team 21’s Phoenix Force – all 8 have unique psychic powers; have spelled a demon portal below nuclear site in New Mexico; on assignment, have a bad feeling ‘tickling’ the back of his neck, he and his best friend ambused by Dark Fae and Fire demons – and his buddy took the blast meant for him, dying; the memory of his being army wiped from all except the Phoenix Force, making it even harder for Matt to deal with his guilt and grief;

Ryder “Renegade” Thompson; Phoenix Force; Keegan Byrne: four-star Admiral; Primary Mage; Chief Petty Officer Sam Shaymore, Matt’s contact and support on this assignment; had foreseen one of them would die on the assignment, and he sacrificed himself;

Darksider Fae / four Fire Demons: working together to eliminate the Phoenix Force, removing their protection of the portal… set explosion and fire in Fae holdings, and then detonate the nuclear devices – freeing and empowering the demons; want the Orb of Light so as to locate the Phoenix Force – paid for its use once, and how found Matt and Ryder;

Sienna McClare: believed to be half Fae, and half Draicon; in reality a Diablo Lobos – were with ability to shift into any form; the Diablo Lobos and the Los Lobos Fae charged with protecting the Orb of Light; as loved child, at age 5 , she touched the Orb, and it brought on her abilities… but unfortunately, attracted attention of demons and dark Fae who attacked; she hidden in log, while listening to her family being killed – finally emerging, changing to dragon and burning the demons with her fire; Chloe found her, took her home, helped her forget, and told her that her mother was Fae (why she could shift / glamor into other forms) and her father a Draicon, who raped her mother and killed her – to explain any violent dreams/memories that might surface; 6 months ago, when she turned 21, Chloe gently ‘kicked’ her out of the Fae colony, telling her she needed to find her own way… but six months offered her an invitation back if she could recover the Orb of Light that had been stolen.. and she was to work with US SEALS, Phoenix Force; She is determined to find her way back into the Fae colony – her only friends and family;

Orb of Light: stolen from the Los Lobos Fae; great power;

Chloe: leader of the Fae; Sienna’s adopted mother;

Tim McMahon: Fae, Seelie Sidhe; not sure how much he knew, but he took the Orb away when Dark Fae infiltrated their colony, taking on the appearances of the various members; relocated to Midwest, and hid it, knowing he and it wasn’t safe; after ‘selling’ the purse with the orb disguised as a jewel to Matt and Sienna, he dies, withstanding torture, without telling what he had done with the Orb;

Etienne Robichaux: and extended family (children, in-laws, Matt’s sister his wife, etc); Matt’s pack; he encouraged Matt to join Phoenix Force, but has begun to push him (as do the rest of his family) to give it up and find his mate, and raise a family… can see his connection to Sienna, knows what he is going through, but still refuses to put his family at risk to protect her;

Stephen: vampire; sexy; world weary; helpful to Phoenix – enjoys their missions; takes Sienna’s blood and ‘pulls’ out the tracking device plated in her bloodstream;

Summary:
Story structure – follow the clues to locate the orb… and once have the purse, work toward unlocking it; they fly back and forth across the country… finally going to Sienna’s home on the outskirts of the Fae colony in the wilderness, where they find that her colony has been killed; and they finally unlock the Orb, she learns the full truth of her past;

Matt and Sienna: both play the approach and retreat game… both held back by their own uncertainties – can he put her above the mission, and not destroy the Orb, and let her retain her memories – and perhaps to build a life with her… she, knowing he would be leaving, and wanting to be back with her Fae family tries to deny her Draicon part – its wildness, sexual adventure, emotional ties;

He leaves, she stays… and then realizes she needs to be with him, so goes to his sister, for help in exploring her were side, and to be there for him… when and how he needs her… ahhhh

Memorable scenes:

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This might be my weakest 4 star of all my reviews but I feel like it got there. It had a chance of getting there easily but there were a couple of hiccups. You can’t judge a book by the cover and sometimes not even by the synopsis. When I read that the hero was a navy seal I thought it was going to be more of an action fantasy maybe along the lines of the Bourne series or something. That was not the case. This book was much more of a PNR between Matt a Draicon werewolf and Sienna half werewolf half Fae.

Matt is a navy seal and draicon werewolf who has a hatred for the Fae because they aided in the death of his best friend and seal team member, Adam. Sienna a hybrid werewolf and Fae has a hatred for her wolf side and considers herself a fae because her mother was raped by a werewolf and then killed by him. Raised by the fae she becomes an outcast by her colony when she turned 21 and may only return when she proves herself worthy by returning the orb of light. Matt and Sienna get thrown together in the quest to retrieve the orb of light before a powerful group of demons can get a hold of it. There is an immediate attraction between the two but when Siennna realizes that Matt is a werewolf she immediately starts to fight the attraction. Even as they start to grow together there doesn’t seem like much hope for a future for the two. After the mission her memory will be erased for the safety of the navy seal team.

The good. I thought this was going to be more of a fantasy filled with lots of action that I might find myself skimming through. This is much more of a romance novel than a navy seal shoot em up action thriller. The romance\sex when they get around to it is smoking hot and the main story is pretty good.

The bad. The action scenes were not smooth. There is a scene where in the middle of a fight Matt and Sienna kind of have a conversation and I had a vision in my mind of a pyro demon tapping his foot waiting for them to get done with their conversation so they can resume the battle. Apparently he tapped one to many times because they got him before he had time to react. There was actually a couple of times that happened and one time it happened when the story was really getting good.

The disconnect within the action really had me hesitating with the 4th star because it was so frustrating when it happened. I read this book with a book in between but I liked the interaction between Matt and Sienna and I found myself really liking it but came up short of loving it.

**This was an ARC provided by Netgalley and Harlequin publishing and will be published July 24, 2012.

[mēloniee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Y'a des les livres quand on les commence on est tout de suite conquis, plus on avance dans l'histoire meilleure c'est et quand arrive la fin on a du mal à réaliser. Ici c'est tout le contraire.

Certes ce livre est le premier tome de cette série, et j'insiste bien sur cette, mais certainement pas le premier de l'univers crée par Bonnie Vanak. Je sais même pas dire par où elle à commencé, apparemment elle s'est construite un univers bien à elle et quand on prend l'histoire en plein cours (édition française oblige) on est plus ou moins paumé. Faut vraiment s'accrocher pour comprendre toute les subtilités de l'histoire qui est quelque fois, je l'avoue même si c'est de la Bit-Lit, trop fantasque pour moi. D'ailleurs si j'avais lu le résumé en Anglais, axé sur Matt, plutôt que le Français, axé quant à lui sur Sienna, je pense sincèrement que je n'aurais pas entamé cette lecture.

Le gros point noir de ce livre : l'héroïne. Sienna est une jeune vierge effarouchée, pas capable de se débrouiller toute seule, toujours en train de douter de tout et qui repousse au moins 20 fois notre héros de la même manière et pour les mêmes raisons. Pour faire court : une fille super soûlante qu'on a envie de baffer du début à la fin. Et pourtant elle en avait du potentielle ! Quand on découvre sa véritable nature à la fin du livre on pourrait se dire "Ouais Badass meuf!" mais non. La fille décide de prendre son avenir en main à 5 pages de la fin après avoir douter pendant 30 ans pour finalement tout abandonner pour son âme sœur (kof kof) qui lui ne fera aucun sacrifice pour elle : Monsieur garde son taff, sa meute et sa nana... Et ce sentimentaliste niais sorti de nulle part... J'ai cru lire une histoire qui date des années 80' pour le coup !

Je tiens quand même à dire quelque chose aux nanas qui écrivent ce genre de littérature : soit on fait de la romance, soit de la romance érotique, on coupe pas le truc en deux genre "Tiens je vais te mettre une tension sexuelle de malade entre nos deux protagonistes, étalée sur 200 pages, et te conclure ça avec une ou deux scènes érotique non explicite décrite sur un ou deux paragraphes". C'est totalement frustrant ! Quand on décide de baser TOUTE son histoire sur cette tension / relation on se dit pas "Allez je vais achever ça vite fait bien fait en faisant de la prose."

Ma note peut donc paraître sévère mais honnêtement si je met 1/5 c'est bien parce que ce livre avait du potentiel mais que l'auteur à vraiment tout gâché (selon moi toujours hein).

[Amy_Read to My Heart's Content · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://readtomyhearts.blogspot.com/20...

I really liked the idea of an elite group of soldiers that were highly trained but also had other abilities too. This group is dedicated to each other and each one specializes in a special ability. It isn't just werewolves, but mages, wizards, and shifters.
I loved how Matthew Parker is an alpha but instead of always looking out for his pack, he treats his team more like his pack. That isn't to say he doesn't love his family but he has accepted this group of guys as a another dimension of his family.
A lot of adult paranormal romances I read are all about the Alpha set on one purpose: to claim his mate. But this story isn't like that. I mean, yes, you have the sexual tension throughout which makes the book frustrating and yummy all at the same time. But it isn't all about sex. I can't believe I just said that...lol
The plot is important too. In fact it takes these two a long time to actually "do the deed" so to speak, which I believe just adds more to the emotional aspect of the story.
The developing relationship between Matt and Sienna seemed to have more realistic problems that other regular couples go through (besides the demons chasing them, and the fact they are both a little magical) and I enjoyed this detail.
There were times I felt like Vanak seemed to drag out some parts and I was just ready for it to happen already but eventually everything ties in nicely. In fact, the ending completely threw me for a loop and I was definitely pleasantly surprised.
The male characters are your typical Alphas but Sienna is a strong female character that also has a insecure side that only makes her more enduring to me.
Out of the "supporting characters" in the book I found myself drawn to Stephen, the vampire in the French Quarter. He seemed caring, mysterious and very alluring.
I also really liked how Vanak tied in the other characters from previous books in this one. It was like a big family reunion.
And of course I love when an author will work in lots of humor among the romance, suspense, and sexual energy.
Even if you haven't read any of Vanak's other books I believe you would be okay. She gives really good descriptions and provides enough background that you can understand who is who in this story.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un premier tome très sympa malgré quelques petits défauts.

Bonnie Vanak est une habituée de la collection Nocturne d'Harlequin. On la retrouve ici dans cette série où se croisent de nombreuses espèces toutes intéressantes et dans un récit plutôt bien construit. Sienna est une hybride mi-fée mi draïcon (loup-garou). Sa mère a été violée par l'un d'eux et depuis elle les déteste plus que tout. Alors quand elle apprend qu'elle va devoir travailler avec un SEAL de cette espèce pour retrouver l'Orbe de lumière dérobé à son peuple, elle est plutôt réticente. Mais pour avoir le droit de retourner vivre parmi les siens il lui faut ramener cet objet. Elle va devoir laisser de côté sa haine et son désir pour son partenaire pour mener à bien sa mission.

L'auteur a construit une histoire et des personnages solides. Ce qu'ils vivent et ressentent est crédible et bien travaillé. Ils se sont tous les deux exclus de leur monde, mais pour des raisons différentes. Matt, le Seal renfermé va se rapprocher peu à peu de Sienna et réussir à faire son deuil de la perte de son meilleur ami. Sienna, elle, est complètement destabilisée, au point d'avoir l'impression de perdre son identité : draïcon ou fée ? Grâce à Matt, elle va trouver les réponses à ses questions et aussi l'amour. Les scènes entre eux sont chargées en tension sensuelle et en sentiments. Cela se passe tout en douceur et c'est très agréable que les deux personnages ne se sautent pas dessus comme des sauvages. Le seul point négatif serait qu'on a parfois l'impression qu'il manque une phrase ou deux à certains moments. Certains détails pour se faire une idée plus précise de la scène sont aussi absents. Cela ne gêne pas la lecture en soi mais on peut tiquer sur ce point de temps à autre. Sinon tout le reste est très bien, le récit n'est ni trop long, ni trop court et l'arc narratif développé par l'auteur est bien mené. Si vous avez déjà lu l'autre série de Bonnie Vanak, vous serez content de retrouver certains loups Robichaux déjà vus auparavant. Espérons que le tome 2 de cette saga sera aussi intéressant et bien écrit.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 STARS

I loved the twist in the end of the book. I laughed in a few places and blushed in other places. Yes thier are a lot of love scenes that I skipped over. I really like the plot of the story too.
Matthew Parker is a Navy Seal but just not any regular seal he belongs to a group that are not normal humans. He turns into a wolf and as magic. He just lot a member of his team on his last mission. Mathew blames the fae who sold them out to demons.
Sienna McClare is have wolf and half fae. When she was 21 she was made to leave the fae lands. She lives in a small cabin outside of the Fae protected land. Her Aunt asked her to track down the orb of light and if she found it and brought it back to be protected she will be welcomed back.
Sienna has just a few memories of her childhood but she remembers her father a wolf killing her mother so she hates and mistrusts wolves.
Matthew has been ordered to work with Sienna to find and bring back the Orb. It is too powerful to fall into Demon hands. Sienna will be able to read the fae words that might be needed.
They track down a lead to a store where the owner is Fae and he is the one who used the power and told the demons about Matt and his team. He sells a purse for Sienna as a gift from him. Then he recongizes Matthew and tells him the orb is protected from the demons. They go back after midnight and find the shop on fire and Tim dead inside.
They know that he did not tell the demons anything.
The demons keep setting traps and know a lot about Matt. They want to kill the group he is part of so they can get more powerful.
Thier is a lot of action and twists & turns in this story
I was given this ebook to read for free in exchange of honest review from netgalley.
07/24/2012 PUB Harlequin Imprint HarlequinNocturne 288 pages.

[Deb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm speechless. Of course when the central plot of a book is to find a magical orb (gag) one shouldn't expect too much. This book takes the kitchen sink approach to the paranormal world, dropping in every overused trope from the genre. The book includes, shifters of every kind, fated mate bonds, sexual rituals, mages, vampires, demons, fae, psi and a very special snowflake. I'm actually surprised that Vanak has authored so many other paranormal books given that she writes with zero conviction and often comes across a tourist in the world of paranormal fiction who is trying to fake it with the correct lingo without really getting it. The paint-by-numbers approach that Harlequin imprints expect from their authors certainly didn't do her story any favors. The sad thing is underneath the sheer weight of awfulness, one catches glimmers of a competent writer.

This story is first and foremost a romance. A cheesy, overwritten romance in which the character's qualms are repeated ad nauseam under the assumption that the target audience is challenged when it comes to reading comprehension. Even speeding reading the book, I was bored. I will say that the ending was unexpected and I was surprised that a Harlequin book went there considering all of the potential scenarios that come to mind. Also, I would bet good money that Vanek got the idea from Season 4 of "True Blood".

[Vicky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matt Parker, part of an elite paranormal SEAL team, has been tasked with finding a magic orb. If the orb falls into the wrong hands, all hell will break loose - literally. Comfortable with the other members of his team, he is dismayed to learn that he will be working not only with a civilian, but a woman who is also a Fae - one of the races responsible for the death of his best friend.

Halfbreed, Sienna McClare, holds a hatred of her own, specifically for Draicon's - the wolf shifters who she believes are responsible for the deaths of her parents. But she has to swallow her hatred in order to work with Matt. She has to find the orb and return it to the Fae so they will accept her back into the colony.

Matt and Sienna have to fight pyrodemons, Darksider Fae, each other, and their own selves to win the battle. The tension between the two is obvious, as is the draw.

This is a well-written, enjoyable read with relate-able characters, enough heat to satisfy without burning down the pages, and enough plot twists to keep the story interesting. A definite recommend for lovers of paranormal romance.

[Victoria Pinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't read werewolf stories or vampires for that matter. I'm just not interested, normally. But I saw the author at Heather Grahams' Writers for New Orleans and decided to buy this novel. Werewolf Navy Seal? I do love Navy seal, alpha men stories. So I gave it a go.

My paranormal loving friends will laugh because I enjoyed this novel. Faes are fairies and I know these from Irish tales of old. Matthew's a werewolf. The truth of the matter is I have to heart the characters. And what I liked about Matthew was that he was a hero, even when insulted at the beginning. I like men of morals and flawed characters. Sienna's on a mission and she's waylaid with passion.

I love stories about love and Bonnie pulled on my heart strings, making me forget every so often this was another world. I was in for the love and falling in love through danger. I'd recommend this book to anyone, especially the paranormal friends who read this stuff all the time. Bonnie's story has emotional intensity and for me that's the real reason to read this.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that its really an interesting concept to have a seal team out there who has special abilities. They can really help protect the populous from all the mythical creatures out there. Matt and Sienna are initially very aposed to working together to find the mysterious orb. They both have a deep set distrust of the others heritage. Matt dislikes the Fae, and Sienna the Draicon. But they must put the past behind them before the real evil out there does its best to destroy the world. The path that Matt and Sienna take to really learning to trust one another is not an easy one, but they are forced together so they have to work it out. In the end they both question if their beliefs in the other is really true. This is a quick read, and if you like paranormal mystery stories you will like this book.

Disclosure: This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley. The rating, review, and all opinions are my own

[Iris Hunter (InstagramREADS) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Convert Wolf is a good Urban Fantasy/Mystery Novel with hidden plot twists, despite its length, the book is compact with action, plots, subplots and character progression and simple to read.

Normal these kind of books have my favorite classic hot alpha male and mart mouthed kick-ass female. But not this Novel these is no head of heal fall-in-love-scenes but a for me to slow built up the attraction between the characters with added conflicts that only distrupt the romance story line. I had a hard time finishing this book! This was almost a DNF!

I would only recommend this book for peeps that are looking for a book without the strong hot alpha and kick-ass heroine.

Post /review will be published oct 8th in our OCTOBER "Shifter & were's event" on this page: http://paranormalcravings.blogspot.co...

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Alas, this book just didn't resound with me. This was more about the burgeoning romance than about the quest they were on. I admit a compelling plot almost always trumps romance for me.

Whilst in and of itself, it was a good story, the heroine just made me want to pull my hair out.

She was so indecisive. One minute she's all about the hero, the next she has to 'protect herself' and 'find herself'. Whilst I find the indecisiveness credible, she was constantly yo-yoing. I can't believe the hero put up with it.

The story seemed to also jump from what had been a 'sweet romance' to 'steamy sex' - the two didn't seem to belong in the same story.

Whilst I did really enjoy the 'reveal' regarding the heroine at the end, the moral made it seem like a very long-winded, heavy-handed Aesop's Fable.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for review.

I think this book is very worthy of a 4.5 star rating!

I was highly entertained with every page that I read. The plot is good. The characters are fantastic. I especially liked Matt with how strong, loving & kick-ass he is. Sienna is a wonderful character too. She's timid yet strong & funny at times too.
I loved the romantic suspense between the two lead characters aswell & the love scenes made for very intriguing reading!

I would highly recommend The Covert Wolf to Paranormal Romance fans that like a lot of action in their books too!

[Petula · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very different paranormal romance. Our hero is a navy seal first and a werewolf second. He has recently lost his team mate and best friend in action. Our heroine is a halfbreed fae werewolf. She has tried as long as she can remember to keep her wolf half buried . They have to work together to find a very powerful magic orb. There are lots of other dangerous demons looking for it also. Things would go easier if she could control her power better. Lots of action. A very good read.

[Bonnie Drummond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast and highly charged with a Secret Navy Seal Team a Fae that's trying to find out who she is and what purpose she has in the world. And a whole lot of Demond's that are out to get the team and Fae for they protect an orb that can destroy the whole world. A Exultant Harlequin Nocturne " Phenix Force " Series to read. P.S. This is my first Harlequin Nocturne Book. Can't wait to read more from the series.

[Debbie Heaton · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Vanak’s paranormal romance novel, navy SEAL Mathew Parker will stop at nothing to destroy the demons who threaten his team after a mission gone wrong kills his best friend. To accomplish this, he must locate a mysterious orb before the demons use it to destroy the world. The one person who can help him, Sienna McClure, has her own agenda.

Predictable paranormal story.

[Cathy Beckett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. I can definitely recommend it.

Sienna is the last of the Diablo wolf pack. She was saved and protected by the local Fae community.
Matt is a member of Phoenix Force SEAL team. This team is comprised of all paranormals.
Together they are trying to find and recover the Orb of Light. Not only do they succeed but they find they are destined mates.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really didn't care for this book. It read like an outline to me. None of the plot lines were truly sussed out. The Covert Wolf could have been amazing if the world building had been more complete. I felt that even though there were incredible things that were going on in the book that I never felt the emotions. I felt myself saying huh? quite a bit during this reading. Wouldn't recommend it.

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it even if the plot was not something astonishingly new but I think I've already saw everything there is to see in the paranormal world, literally speaking (pun intended).

THANKS TO HARLEQUIN AND NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW

[Suzan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, I liked the concept of a secret supernatural SEAL force known only to a select few in the navy. I also really liked the characters, main and supporting! It kept my attention from start to finish and I loved how it ended!