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The Tameness of the Wolf #1
Strength of the Pack
A Marine werewolf and his commander bring legends to life while surviving combat deployment in Afghanistan.
Lieutenant Lucas Young doesn't know much about shifters. When Sergeant Noah Hammond is assigned to Lucas' platoon, the Marine Corps' True Alpha werewolf challenges the Lieutenant's authority and his self-control. As Lucas learns to dominate and command Noah, he struggles against a strong attraction and deepening emotional bond. During their combat deployment to Afghanistan, Lucas and Noah begin mirroring legendary partnerships. Their bond and their power grow as they survive dangerous combat and ambushes. When one of them is wounded in battle, they both must embrace the strength of their bond before they lose each other forever.
Lieutenant Lucas Young doesn't know much about shifters. When Sergeant Noah Hammond is assigned to Lucas' platoon, the Marine Corps' True Alpha werewolf challenges the Lieutenant's authority and his self-control. As Lucas learns to dominate and command Noah, he struggles against a strong attraction and deepening emotional bond. During their combat deployment to Afghanistan, Lucas and Noah begin mirroring legendary partnerships. Their bond and their power grow as they survive dangerous combat and ambushes. When one of them is wounded in battle, they both must embrace the strength of their bond before they lose each other forever.
336 pages, ebook
First published January 17, 2013
61 people are currently reading
3929 people want to read
About the author
Kendall McKenna
23 books677 followers Kendall McKenna
love & dog tags
Kendall McKenna is an author of M/M erotic romance novels featuring well-developed characters, complex stories, and realistic action sequences.
Kendall McKenna is the MLR Press 2013 Author of the Year. Her first work of fiction was written at the worldly age of nine, and was a transformative work that expanded on the story told in a popular song of the time.
She tried her hand at vampire and cowboy fiction, winning high school poetry and short story contests along the way. It wasn’t until she discovered the world of m/m erotic fiction and found her stride with cops, Marines and muscle cars, that she felt inspired to share her stories with readers who enjoy the same things.
Putting herself through college by working in a newly-created HIV testing clinic in her local Department of Health, introduced Kendall to the gay and lesbian community. Understanding and empathy has made her a lifetime advocate of GLBT issues.
A brief bout of unemployment gave Kendall the time and focus she needed to finally produce a novel worth submitting for publication. Her first novel, Brothers In Arms , introduced the world to her authentic military stories and characters. Kendall’s second novel, Strength of the Pack, was nominated for a 2013 Bookie Award, by Author’s After Dark.
Kendall was born and raised in Southern California, where she still lives and works. A non-conventional relationship has kept her happy for the last decade. Her four dogs enjoy it when she writes, as she sits still long enough for them to curl up around her.
Website/Blog:
www.kendallmckenna.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/kendallmckenna
love & dog tags
Kendall McKenna is an author of M/M erotic romance novels featuring well-developed characters, complex stories, and realistic action sequences.
Kendall McKenna is the MLR Press 2013 Author of the Year. Her first work of fiction was written at the worldly age of nine, and was a transformative work that expanded on the story told in a popular song of the time.
She tried her hand at vampire and cowboy fiction, winning high school poetry and short story contests along the way. It wasn’t until she discovered the world of m/m erotic fiction and found her stride with cops, Marines and muscle cars, that she felt inspired to share her stories with readers who enjoy the same things.
Putting herself through college by working in a newly-created HIV testing clinic in her local Department of Health, introduced Kendall to the gay and lesbian community. Understanding and empathy has made her a lifetime advocate of GLBT issues.
A brief bout of unemployment gave Kendall the time and focus she needed to finally produce a novel worth submitting for publication. Her first novel, Brothers In Arms , introduced the world to her authentic military stories and characters. Kendall’s second novel, Strength of the Pack, was nominated for a 2013 Bookie Award, by Author’s After Dark.
Kendall was born and raised in Southern California, where she still lives and works. A non-conventional relationship has kept her happy for the last decade. Her four dogs enjoy it when she writes, as she sits still long enough for them to curl up around her.
Website/Blog:
www.kendallmckenna.com
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/kendallmckenna
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 570 reviews
April 4, 2019
March 30, 2019: Comfort re-read #6.
Oct. 2, 2015: Starting my 5th re-read. The time for therapy has long passed. (Hey, I get to meet Kendall in 2 weeks at GRL. I gotta brush-up, ya know.)
May 20, 2015: Just finished my 4th re-read. I think it's time for therapy.
June 19, 2014: Just another update after re-read number 3 to say I still absolutely LOVE this book! It's still in my all-time top 5 and I just can't get enough. READ THIS BOOK if you haven't yet. Seriously.
I'm going out on a limb again and I'm gonna say this is one of the best, if not THE best, shifter story I have ever read. Maybe because it was so different than the usual shifter story? I don't know. I just know that it was riveting and heartfelt and I absolutely fucking loved it.
If you like military stories, big, beautiful men in uniform, werewolves who don't need insta-love to find a mate, realistic battle scenes and a fast paced storyline along with a heartwarming lovestory, read this book! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! Fuck Yeah!
December 20, 2014
this is UST-porn. siriusly.
the point of this book appears to be to set two simpatico dudes in a fertile situation for mutual attraction and sexual tension and then find as many ways as humanly possible to keep them from becoming lovers—or, indeed, from properly fucking each other at all.
if that sounds like your idea of heaven—my felicitations! no better-spent $9 in all the land; skip the spoiler.
but if that sounds like your idea of hell—
have fun storming the castle!
the point of this book appears to be to set two simpatico dudes in a fertile situation for mutual attraction and sexual tension and then find as many ways as humanly possible to keep them from becoming lovers—or, indeed, from properly fucking each other at all.
if that sounds like your idea of heaven—my felicitations! no better-spent $9 in all the land; skip the spoiler.
but if that sounds like your idea of hell—
have fun storming the castle!
June 30, 2014
*3.5 stars*
Holy F this book was S-M-O-K-I-N-G hot!!
Guys, I am a seasoned erotica reader. Oral, anal, menage, spanking, whipping... you name it, I've read it. Over time, I've become a bit... jaded. Desensitized. So that fact that this book got me all hot and bothered over a freaking hand job???? I'm in awe.
Let's talk about the hand jobs, folks. A ton of readers complain about the excessive amount of hand jobs in this book, and, to be honest, about 95% of the sex scenes are hand jobs or variations thereof. Now, let me paint a picture of where these two guys are. They are fighting in Afghanistan, and it is mentioned multiple times that they have limited access to showers, going for days or a week without cleaning themselves.
Guys, let's be serious. If Lucas and Noah started rimming each other after not showering for a week, I would throw a freaking hissy fit. Of course these guys aren't going to go there! Would you? I don't consider myself particularly persnickety, but I can assure you that I wouldn't be putting my mouth anywhere near someone's neither regions after a week with no washing. *psssht*
Oddly enough, the hand jobs were the most realistic thing about this book.
On the surface, I like military books. I like a dominant man, a man in uniform, and the idea of two military men getting it on gives me happy shivers. However, the actual nitty gritty of a military book bores me to tears. I disliked all of the combat scenes in this book. They felt manufactured and fake (not even counting the strange element of shifters in the military- coulda used some more world-building there!).
However, my biggest complaint about this book was the bone-headedness of Lucas. What does Noah have to do before you'll get a freaking hint, Lucas?? Sky write; "Me likey you Lucas, please stop with the weird notion of military formality, you moron." I wanted to punch Lucas in the gut... when I didn't want to bone him.
What can I say? I'm weak and this book was hot. I loved all of the neck markings and hickey-making. It was primal and YUM. I'll be returning to this series for sure!!
Holy F this book was S-M-O-K-I-N-G hot!!
Guys, I am a seasoned erotica reader. Oral, anal, menage, spanking, whipping... you name it, I've read it. Over time, I've become a bit... jaded. Desensitized. So that fact that this book got me all hot and bothered over a freaking hand job???? I'm in awe.
Let's talk about the hand jobs, folks. A ton of readers complain about the excessive amount of hand jobs in this book, and, to be honest, about 95% of the sex scenes are hand jobs or variations thereof. Now, let me paint a picture of where these two guys are. They are fighting in Afghanistan, and it is mentioned multiple times that they have limited access to showers, going for days or a week without cleaning themselves.
Guys, let's be serious. If Lucas and Noah started rimming each other after not showering for a week, I would throw a freaking hissy fit. Of course these guys aren't going to go there! Would you? I don't consider myself particularly persnickety, but I can assure you that I wouldn't be putting my mouth anywhere near someone's neither regions after a week with no washing. *psssht*
Oddly enough, the hand jobs were the most realistic thing about this book.
On the surface, I like military books. I like a dominant man, a man in uniform, and the idea of two military men getting it on gives me happy shivers. However, the actual nitty gritty of a military book bores me to tears. I disliked all of the combat scenes in this book. They felt manufactured and fake (not even counting the strange element of shifters in the military- coulda used some more world-building there!).
However, my biggest complaint about this book was the bone-headedness of Lucas. What does Noah have to do before you'll get a freaking hint, Lucas?? Sky write; "Me likey you Lucas, please stop with the weird notion of military formality, you moron." I wanted to punch Lucas in the gut... when I didn't want to bone him.
What can I say? I'm weak and this book was hot. I loved all of the neck markings and hickey-making. It was primal and YUM. I'll be returning to this series for sure!!
November 22, 2015
HOT & HEAVY on the UST and hand-jobs, BUT:
- Way too much military stuff for my taste—not a lot of action, but hanging around the base, planning missions, yada, yada. I know that's REAL, but I was bored with the excessive details.
- Confusing world building; lots of telling about pack politics. Humans came off looking like idiots. I couldn't quite make all of it gel.
- I wanted these guys to do something other than give each other hand jobs! Surely, they could have managed to shower and fuck?
- MISCOMMUNICATION for like 95% of the story. NOT COOL.
- Just too damn long; 6,000+ mobi locations. Some of it was redundant and could easily have been edited out.
~2.5~
- Way too much military stuff for my taste—not a lot of action, but hanging around the base, planning missions, yada, yada. I know that's REAL, but I was bored with the excessive details.
- Confusing world building; lots of telling about pack politics. Humans came off looking like idiots. I couldn't quite make all of it gel.
- I wanted these guys to do something other than give each other hand jobs! Surely, they could have managed to shower and fuck?
- MISCOMMUNICATION for like 95% of the story. NOT COOL.
- Just too damn long; 6,000+ mobi locations. Some of it was redundant and could easily have been edited out.
~2.5~
August 10, 2015
3.5 Stars!
I liked this one, but it did drag a bit for me. I think maybe military books aren't at the top of my list of faves.
Had this book been about 50 or so pages shorter I think I would have been okay.
That being said, I liked the premise. I liked the MCs. For a book filled with predominately hand jobs....those were some hella hot hand jobs.
I loved the whole mating thing, the alpha and dominant roles, the biting, the sniffing.
Not a bad read by any means. I don't think I could read this series back to back. But I might throw another one in here and there!
I liked this one, but it did drag a bit for me. I think maybe military books aren't at the top of my list of faves.
Had this book been about 50 or so pages shorter I think I would have been okay.
That being said, I liked the premise. I liked the MCs. For a book filled with predominately hand jobs....those were some hella hot hand jobs.
I loved the whole mating thing, the alpha and dominant roles, the biting, the sniffing.
Not a bad read by any means. I don't think I could read this series back to back. But I might throw another one in here and there!
March 23, 2013
If I'm the lawyer to these two fellas, I'd be set for life.
... Because a bigger bunch of communication failures I've yet to seen. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
This started out good, and would have gotten three stars if I'd stopped around 50%. It did not however, stopped at 50%, and just went on to become stupider and stupider until I went from tolerating it to unamused.
The characters: as usual, these fall prey to the trap of Nothing Unless There's You. They have barely any character whatsoever - no past, no sister, no degree, no mortgage, nada. Noah at least had some sort of character - if you count Growly Alpha Male as personality and Jealous as a blood type. Lucas? None at all. He's not even a person. He's just someone who thinks about Noah's penis all the time.
This is Lucas' personality.
So okay, fine. I did not come to the romance genre to meet someone I'd dissect in a book club.
But there I was, at 90% of the book - not an exaggeration, because I actually doubled-checked - and Lucas is saying, "You don't want to have sex with me unless you're high ;n;"
And this is after months and months of them interacting, flirting, caring for each other, feeling every single emotion the other has and I just
It's like trying to talk to some guy with ADD! Hello!? You are talking to the guy who wanted to move in with you, who crawls into bed with you every morning and wakes up horny all the time and it does not occur to you that he might possibly want to have sex with you?
You have got to be fucking kidding me.
And then at 95%, Noah drops the bomb. WE ARE MATES, he says. But unlike me, Lucas does not say, Thank you, Lieutenant Redundant. No, he goes weak in the knees.
I am sorry, but if after months and months of getting special treatment from the army and sharing his bed and getting respect from everyone while being called his Dominant left and right, you still cannot figure out that you might possibly maybe be his mate, then surely you must have failed some IQ test somewhere.
As for Noah's failure inform him of this pertinent fact after months into their on-off relationship? Unreal. It's cool that we're portraying stoic guys who don't want to talk about emotion and nuthin', but you'd think he might say something to get more ass because that is presumably important to a man, but no.
Can you imagine if I'm their lawyer? I'll get to explain something to them, and when they don't understand it after 10 hours of conversation, I'll get to do it all. Over. Again.
I'm shitting iPADs just from the thought of it.
The writing though, did save it a little. Not in the sense that the narrative was particularly exciting, because it wasn't. I just have to salute the amount of detail that went into describing the military stuff - not that I'll ever know if there were any inaccuracies - but it's the illusion that matters and McKenna served up a damn fine illusion.
The problem though, was that it dragged ON and ON. About 70% of the book was about them out in the missions... Shooting people up and getting blown and running about as wolves, which is fine if it was part of the plot and served some kind of purpose, but it didn't.
No one developed because of what happened. Nobody had a nervous breakdown and wanted to go home. The book meandered about these incidents that did not advance the plot whatsoever, and by the time the more fatal incidents show up, I just wanted it to be over with.
Verdict:
I'll recommend this if you absolutely must have some military men. At least there's more military stuff than some of those books where the Marines is just another name of a hunk factory that generates PTSD and homophobia as side income. You can do much worse; you can probably do a hell lot better too.
June 23, 2014
***ETA 6/23/14***
After reading book 2 I've come to the conclusion that Lucas is not the clueless idiot I first thought he was.
It was all Noah's fault. Noah, being a typical Alpha male "only said half of what he's thinking and none of what he's feeling".
That about sums it up. Adding an extra half star because book 2 made me like book 1 more.
3.5 stars
*****************************************
Not sure how to rate this.
I'm not a fan of military books. And yet I flew through this one.
There were WAY too many handjobs in this book. And yet I found them totally hawt.
Lucas is the most clueless, stupid, emotionally-stunted idiot I've ever read. And yet I was a bit enamored of him.
I quickly grew tired of the repetition in this book. And yet I couldn't put it down.
I still haven't figured out if I even liked this book. And yet I want to immediately read the next one.
hrmmm...
I'm just gonna throw up a three star rating and be done with it.
For now.
September 24, 2018
Let me ask you this....what is hotter, than a book filled with alpha wolf shifters ?? One that is also filled with hot military men !! Phewww, I definitely hit the jackpot with this series. Make sure you have your (hand)fan handy when starting this one ;)
I am a big fan of shifter books, but I am also very picky about them. It's hard finding some great shifter stories out there, especially when you are not into the whole mpreg deal....like me ...
Well look no further, because this series is pretty awesome I think. I have read all of the books multiple times already....mostly book 3, because that one is by far my favorite.
I am a big fan of men in combat, this is no secret, but if you are not...then you should definitely skip this series. Everything is about the Marine Corps and being a werewolf in the Marine Corps. It's also pretty heavy on the military talk. There were plenty of times, I had to go back and re-read parts, because I got confused. I might love me some men in uniform, but I know shit all about the actual military :P
Lieutenant Lucas Young knows as much about shifters, as I do about military procedure... NOT MUCH !! Which is not smart, since in this world shifters are big deal...especially in the military.
Sergeant Noah Hammond, is the "True Alpha Werewolf of the Marines and he is about to be assigned to Lucas' platoon. Lucas has no idea what to do with an alpha werewolf and he is actually pretty nervous... He has to show him who's boss...and boy does he :P
Unplanned, he becomes Noah's Dominant, without really knowing what this all means...
Let me tell you, these two were shit at communicating. Hand jobs...no problem, but talking...NOPE. Lucas was quite naive to be honest and it his ignorance annoyed me more than once. Not enough to stop reading though, because still loved it plenty ;)
If you are looking for hot military guys getting it on with some even hotter werewolves, then you should definitely give this series a try !!
This review was posted on Wendy's Wycked Words
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This review has been crossposted at DirtyBooksObsession
September 30, 2014
4,5 Stars - hard, rough and exciting in the middle of the war zone - I was completely breathless and just want more of these guys
I've hardly read any romance from the real war zone, here Afghanistan, nor about M/M relationships in shifter PNR. But now I know for certain that I like to read more in the genre.
This truly fine novel, constantly keeps a low-key tone. It's not a flutter, fortune romance but a story of a slow-growing man-werewolf relationship. It's steaming hot but in a very masculine hard and rough way. Do you want; sweet deklarations of love, sparkling cute romance or instant love - read another book. But that's not to say that this isn't a love story. I got, in a very affectionate manner described, a truly romantic tale. Loved every single page...
Lucas Young, a Marine Corps lieutenant get a new sergeant to his platoon. The man, Noah Hammond is a True Alpha werewolf. Lucas, who have no experience of werewolves is immediately challenged in terms of who is the real boss and his self-control begins to crack. He must and need to show the "white wolf" who leads the platoon and who dominates who.
Noah is a tall blond, handsome man and I love him from the very beginning. He is cheerful, considerate, warm, cuddly and always looking for physical contact. As in other shifter stories, it's just that cuddly warm way that makes me fall for these shifter men. Who doesn't want their very own cuddly man/wolf at home on the couch? As Alpha, he is of course also extremely tough and guarding over his (to be) beloved and his pack.
Lucas, whose POV we get, is very open to everything that happens. Without self really understand how he gets this strong bond with the werewolf Noah, he start to get deep feelings about the other man. Emotions that aren't just dealing with the necessary dominance relationship. It's feelings that have to do with the man and not just with the wolf.
This is not the most dialogue rich book, or the most talkative boys love story - this is war, danger, lust, desire and needs with two big, tough and very physical men. It's about needs from werewolf culture, needs at full moon and changes in Lucas. The explanations lingers and I'm finally almost annoyed at Lucas, who didn't ask the questions I want an answer to. But the answers will come and I smiling happily satisfied when I, after three hundred well written pages, is reading the last beautiful line.
I really felt with these two men and are so happy that it went relatively slowly forward. Hot, hot, but I had to wait for declarations of love and complete submission. So well done, thank you Ms. McKenna.
I Like - it really had a strenght.
I've hardly read any romance from the real war zone, here Afghanistan, nor about M/M relationships in shifter PNR. But now I know for certain that I like to read more in the genre.
This truly fine novel, constantly keeps a low-key tone. It's not a flutter, fortune romance but a story of a slow-growing man-werewolf relationship. It's steaming hot but in a very masculine hard and rough way. Do you want; sweet deklarations of love, sparkling cute romance or instant love - read another book. But that's not to say that this isn't a love story. I got, in a very affectionate manner described, a truly romantic tale. Loved every single page...
Lucas Young, a Marine Corps lieutenant get a new sergeant to his platoon. The man, Noah Hammond is a True Alpha werewolf. Lucas, who have no experience of werewolves is immediately challenged in terms of who is the real boss and his self-control begins to crack. He must and need to show the "white wolf" who leads the platoon and who dominates who.
‘All motion stopped for the span of several heartbeats before Noah moved again. Lucas sank his teeth deeper into Noah's neck, and to his own surprise, he fucking growled.’
Noah is a tall blond, handsome man and I love him from the very beginning. He is cheerful, considerate, warm, cuddly and always looking for physical contact. As in other shifter stories, it's just that cuddly warm way that makes me fall for these shifter men. Who doesn't want their very own cuddly man/wolf at home on the couch? As Alpha, he is of course also extremely tough and guarding over his (to be) beloved and his pack.
Lucas, whose POV we get, is very open to everything that happens. Without self really understand how he gets this strong bond with the werewolf Noah, he start to get deep feelings about the other man. Emotions that aren't just dealing with the necessary dominance relationship. It's feelings that have to do with the man and not just with the wolf.
This is not the most dialogue rich book, or the most talkative boys love story - this is war, danger, lust, desire and needs with two big, tough and very physical men. It's about needs from werewolf culture, needs at full moon and changes in Lucas. The explanations lingers and I'm finally almost annoyed at Lucas, who didn't ask the questions I want an answer to. But the answers will come and I smiling happily satisfied when I, after three hundred well written pages, is reading the last beautiful line.
“Fuck,” Noah snarled. He licked his way along Lucas’ jaw. “Need you against me”
I really felt with these two men and are so happy that it went relatively slowly forward. Hot, hot, but I had to wait for declarations of love and complete submission. So well done, thank you Ms. McKenna.
I Like - it really had a strenght.
September 15, 2013
It looks like I am going to be the party pooper on all of the 5 star reviews. The serious lack of communication between Lucas and Noah annoyed me to no end. Why did I have to read 330 pages before NoahFINALLY told Lucas that what he is feeling is not due to 'werewolf culture'? Good God. And why did I have to read, what felt like, 100 pages of them jacking each other off? It was boring as hell. Now that I have vented my frustrations, the story is good and I did enjoy it for the most part.
October 14, 2014
Man, how I loved this book.
It's the first time in a long while that I read a full-length novel in only two sittings – which resulted in me going to sleep at 2am yesterday, but it was totally worth it.
Everything about this novel was hugely compelling, fascinating and realistic – as much as a military werewolf romance can be.
McKenna put a wholly original spin on the traditional werewolf lore and basically gave birth to a new creature, with specific rituals and needs, giving a particular importance to touch and marking as a tool for comfort and the channeling of emotion. Not being a very touchy-feely person, I didn't think I would really get or relate to this part, but I could understand it all the same and that's a testament to McKenna's skill.
The author also has a deft hand at portraying relationships within a large group of men – namely, a battalion and a pack.
On to the romance and the couple.
This book was entirely too hot. I think I was on the verge of a stroke for a couple times. Possessiveness is always a huge turn on for me, and this book had it in spades. No, I'm not talking about whispering “mine” in bed, which is what many authors seems to think possessiveness is; I'm talking about stuff like bites and love bites. A lot of them. Often. In very visible places.
Noah and Lucas are amazing characters, very different but at the same time perfectly compatible, and it was a pleasure to see them open up and give in to each other.
The description of the fight – if you've read the book you know what I'm talking about, if not... I won't spoil – had me literally squirming, then melting, then squirming again. The concepts of dominance and submission were handled wonderfully, without making this a proper D/s relationship, which was what I feared would happen when I first read the blurb.
To top it all off, Lucas' adjustment to a whole new set of rules, completely different to what he's used to, and sometimes even in blatant contradiction, was portrayed in a believable and sympathetic way.
Sequel, please?
It's the first time in a long while that I read a full-length novel in only two sittings – which resulted in me going to sleep at 2am yesterday, but it was totally worth it.
Everything about this novel was hugely compelling, fascinating and realistic – as much as a military werewolf romance can be.
McKenna put a wholly original spin on the traditional werewolf lore and basically gave birth to a new creature, with specific rituals and needs, giving a particular importance to touch and marking as a tool for comfort and the channeling of emotion. Not being a very touchy-feely person, I didn't think I would really get or relate to this part, but I could understand it all the same and that's a testament to McKenna's skill.
The author also has a deft hand at portraying relationships within a large group of men – namely, a battalion and a pack.
On to the romance and the couple.
This book was entirely too hot. I think I was on the verge of a stroke for a couple times. Possessiveness is always a huge turn on for me, and this book had it in spades. No, I'm not talking about whispering “mine” in bed, which is what many authors seems to think possessiveness is; I'm talking about stuff like bites and love bites. A lot of them. Often. In very visible places.
Noah and Lucas are amazing characters, very different but at the same time perfectly compatible, and it was a pleasure to see them open up and give in to each other.
The description of the fight – if you've read the book you know what I'm talking about, if not... I won't spoil – had me literally squirming, then melting, then squirming again. The concepts of dominance and submission were handled wonderfully, without making this a proper D/s relationship, which was what I feared would happen when I first read the blurb.
To top it all off, Lucas' adjustment to a whole new set of rules, completely different to what he's used to, and sometimes even in blatant contradiction, was portrayed in a believable and sympathetic way.
Sequel, please?
December 6, 2018
Re-read: 07.12.18
I found myself thinking of this book again and couldn't help re-reading it. It has such an... interesting concept with a True Alpha and his Dominant. I liked it. I still find some things strange, but I do wish the author would've given us more from these two. I would've loved to see how much stronger their bond will become now that they'll finally be completely together. I still really enjoyed it though. Recommended!
New Rating: 3 stars
First read review:
I'm really surprised at how much I actually like this book. I just went into this book with really low expectations, and man am I glad for it. If I hadn't, I might not have enjoyed it. Lucas Young and Noah Hammond were interesting characters. And though you didn't really get to know the side characters on a deeper level, I still liked them as well. I also liked the book as a whole, though there was some things that bothered me, but I decided to look away from most of it.
Despite the things I found weird and annoying, I still found myself drawn back to the book though... It had something that just made me want to read it. Overall, I liked the story and the characters. The Dominant-Alpha bond was quite interesting... Not sure if I'll continue the series though, since it has different couples in each book. I would have continued if it was about Lucas and Noah though, as I felt like they didn't really got an ending. It was left too 'open, and the ending was too fast. I'll like to see how . I really wanted more...
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Paranormal Romance (M/M)
Series: - Series, Book One
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - It changed all the time between Lucas and Noah.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Unsure.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Unsure.
Will I read this again in the future? - Who knows...
Rating - 3.5 stars.
I found myself thinking of this book again and couldn't help re-reading it. It has such an... interesting concept with a True Alpha and his Dominant. I liked it. I still find some things strange, but I do wish the author would've given us more from these two. I would've loved to see how much stronger their bond will become now that they'll finally be completely together. I still really enjoyed it though. Recommended!
New Rating: 3 stars
⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱*True Alpha & His Dominant* ⋰⋱⋰⋱⋰⋱
First read review:
I'm really surprised at how much I actually like this book. I just went into this book with really low expectations, and man am I glad for it. If I hadn't, I might not have enjoyed it. Lucas Young and Noah Hammond were interesting characters. And though you didn't really get to know the side characters on a deeper level, I still liked them as well. I also liked the book as a whole, though there was some things that bothered me, but I decided to look away from most of it.
Things I found weird and annoying:
1) Why does a Lieutenant, a very good Lieutenant, seem so stupid or so ... not in the knowing all the time? I mean, I would think a Lieutenant would make it personal to know about things that will affect his 'platoon'.
2) Am I the only one who felt weird about a True Alpha werewolf submitting?
3) There's a fuck lot of hand jobs. Like, a lot.
4) I didn't like how Lucas kept getting embarrassed and how he held back all the time. I felt like Noah deserved better.
Despite the things I found weird and annoying, I still found myself drawn back to the book though... It had something that just made me want to read it. Overall, I liked the story and the characters. The Dominant-Alpha bond was quite interesting... Not sure if I'll continue the series though, since it has different couples in each book. I would have continued if it was about Lucas and Noah though, as I felt like they didn't really got an ending. It was left too 'open, and the ending was too fast. I'll like to see how . I really wanted more...
“I respect you enough to submit to you.”
Quick basic facts:
Genre: - (Adult) Paranormal Romance (M/M)
Series: - Series, Book One
Love triangle? -
Cheating? -
HEA? -
Favorite character? - It changed all the time between Lucas and Noah.
Would I read more by this author/or of series? - Unsure.
Would I recommend this book/series? - Unsure.
Will I read this again in the future? - Who knows...
Rating - 3.5 stars.
November 16, 2015
"I won't deny you, Lucas."
...
"Deny me what?"
...
"Anything."
This book is so strangely hot, I think I burned myself.
I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. But here's what I did love!
The writing, IMO, was fantastic. There wasn't too much inner turmoil where the characters sit around and ponder things for chapters and chapters. There's just a lot of action and exciting situations! I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of this book.
I loved the relationship (Obviously) between Noah and Lucas.. and who wouldn't? They're both strong personality types but neither of them acted like the cocky, self-righteous type of alpha male that you get from a lot of stories. I also adored the aspect that the main characters relationships was based around their time at war.. like, you don't learn about Lucas' little cousin back home, or Noah's were sister or something, you just learn about the main characters from the beginning of the story, and mean the other characters as the book progresses. The author doesn't put a lot of emphasis on home life, which I actually really enjoyed from a military story, because it really made me feel like it was about their time at war, which it was.
See, I know this book wasn't perfect, and I know it had certain things that bugged me sometimes. Maybe the MC's level of communication was weird, and how that Stanley guy just kinda.. disappeared when I thought he was gonna be a super villian. It was also weird everyone was strangely cool with them being gay and openly very affectionate. But it didn't change my review at all because I still loooooved it!
I need to give a small shout out to Noah, because I don't remember the last time I loved a MC in a book so much! He was so insanely hot, I can't even begin to describe how much I loved him. He was possessive, but not a jerk, and not jealous for no reason, and so understanding and loving and sweet.
The relationship was right fucked. Like, totally weird. Shape-shifters and humans? Together? Totally odd, and TOTALLY HOT! Like, ridiculously so. So hot that I feel more dirty and perverse than I have in a while, because I thought it was so hot! All of the sex scenes? HOT. All of the possessive interaction between Noah and Lucas? HOT. Noah letting himself be dominated by Lucas? HOT HOT HOT.
Alright, that's enough. Time for a cold shower.
...
"Deny me what?"
...
"Anything."
This book is so strangely hot, I think I burned myself.
I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did. But here's what I did love!
The writing, IMO, was fantastic. There wasn't too much inner turmoil where the characters sit around and ponder things for chapters and chapters. There's just a lot of action and exciting situations! I was on the edge of my seat for a lot of this book.
I loved the relationship (Obviously) between Noah and Lucas.. and who wouldn't? They're both strong personality types but neither of them acted like the cocky, self-righteous type of alpha male that you get from a lot of stories. I also adored the aspect that the main characters relationships was based around their time at war.. like, you don't learn about Lucas' little cousin back home, or Noah's were sister or something, you just learn about the main characters from the beginning of the story, and mean the other characters as the book progresses. The author doesn't put a lot of emphasis on home life, which I actually really enjoyed from a military story, because it really made me feel like it was about their time at war, which it was.
See, I know this book wasn't perfect, and I know it had certain things that bugged me sometimes. Maybe the MC's level of communication was weird, and how that Stanley guy just kinda.. disappeared when I thought he was gonna be a super villian. It was also weird everyone was strangely cool with them being gay and openly very affectionate. But it didn't change my review at all because I still loooooved it!
I need to give a small shout out to Noah, because I don't remember the last time I loved a MC in a book so much! He was so insanely hot, I can't even begin to describe how much I loved him. He was possessive, but not a jerk, and not jealous for no reason, and so understanding and loving and sweet.
The relationship was right fucked. Like, totally weird. Shape-shifters and humans? Together? Totally odd, and TOTALLY HOT! Like, ridiculously so. So hot that I feel more dirty and perverse than I have in a while, because I thought it was so hot! All of the sex scenes? HOT. All of the possessive interaction between Noah and Lucas? HOT. Noah letting himself be dominated by Lucas? HOT HOT HOT.
Alright, that's enough. Time for a cold shower.
January 16, 2021
This was a great mix of military action in Afghanistan and the intricacies of trying to integrate shifters (werewolves) into the Marines. Oorah!! 4.5 stars and 
Lucas Young is a lieutenant in the Marines, and is aware that werewolves help the military, but is totally unprepared for the old lightning strike between himself and Noah Hammond, the True Alpha of the Werewolves
even though the 'L' word was only used towards the end of the book, it was there, you could tell!!
Lucas becomes Noah's Dominant, and there is apparently a long history of Dominant Humans and their Alpha Werewolf partners....Joan of Arc and Yves, Shiva and Kali, Alexander the Great and a werewolf friend, even Queen Isobel of France had a werewolf partner...according to Noah and werewolf folklore anyway. I have to say I was a little surprised at how thick Lucas was sometimes, given that he was a Lieutenant and practically in charge of the werewolves with Noah's help, but he hadn't been given the 'Werewolf Manual' to read before he was put in charge to prepare him so I suppose I'll cut him some slack. Obviously, as werewolves are involved in the story and they need to shift once a month according to the lunar calendar, this did create some problems, but nothing that Lucas and Noah together couldn't solve.
I loved this one, and can't wait for the sequel to appear on the 6th September.
Lucas Young is a lieutenant in the Marines, and is aware that werewolves help the military, but is totally unprepared for the old lightning strike between himself and Noah Hammond, the True Alpha of the Werewolves
even though the 'L' word was only used towards the end of the book, it was there, you could tell!!
Lucas becomes Noah's Dominant, and there is apparently a long history of Dominant Humans and their Alpha Werewolf partners....Joan of Arc and Yves, Shiva and Kali, Alexander the Great and a werewolf friend, even Queen Isobel of France had a werewolf partner...according to Noah and werewolf folklore anyway. I have to say I was a little surprised at how thick Lucas was sometimes, given that he was a Lieutenant and practically in charge of the werewolves with Noah's help, but he hadn't been given the 'Werewolf Manual' to read before he was put in charge to prepare him so I suppose I'll cut him some slack. Obviously, as werewolves are involved in the story and they need to shift once a month according to the lunar calendar, this did create some problems, but nothing that Lucas and Noah together couldn't solve.
I loved this one, and can't wait for the sequel to appear on the 6th September.
February 7, 2013
“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book
This quote has long been a favourite of mine and always sums up werewolf politics to me. So when I saw the title of this book my mind went to it immediately and McKenna quotes it before the book starts. Yay! It's just such a great line and really appropriate for this story as well.
This is a fabulous start to a new series. McKenna is my go to for military stories, I love the jargon and the atmosphere that permeates her books. This one has a paranormal twist with werewolves. The weres are out and integrated into the human society with quite a few of them serving in the military forces. We have the human Lieutenant Lucas Young and the werewolf Sergeant Noah Hammond who engage in a lot of subtle jockeying for dominance when they first meet and Hammond is being integrated into Young's platoon before deployment to Afghanistan.
There's a pretty fascinating relationship that develops with regards to the dominance here. There's great chemistry between the MC's but this is definitely slow burn almost to the point that I wanted to throw the men in a Humvee together and lock the doors. Still, the reasoning behind it worked even if I was hugely frustrated at the pace. A bit of miscommunication here as well but we are talking two different mind sets so that made sense to me.
I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes next. Great concept here and a rocking start to kickass military personnel both human and werewolf. Sign me up!
― Rudyard Kipling, The Jungle Book
This quote has long been a favourite of mine and always sums up werewolf politics to me. So when I saw the title of this book my mind went to it immediately and McKenna quotes it before the book starts. Yay! It's just such a great line and really appropriate for this story as well.
This is a fabulous start to a new series. McKenna is my go to for military stories, I love the jargon and the atmosphere that permeates her books. This one has a paranormal twist with werewolves. The weres are out and integrated into the human society with quite a few of them serving in the military forces. We have the human Lieutenant Lucas Young and the werewolf Sergeant Noah Hammond who engage in a lot of subtle jockeying for dominance when they first meet and Hammond is being integrated into Young's platoon before deployment to Afghanistan.
There's a pretty fascinating relationship that develops with regards to the dominance here. There's great chemistry between the MC's but this is definitely slow burn almost to the point that I wanted to throw the men in a Humvee together and lock the doors. Still, the reasoning behind it worked even if I was hugely frustrated at the pace. A bit of miscommunication here as well but we are talking two different mind sets so that made sense to me.
I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes next. Great concept here and a rocking start to kickass military personnel both human and werewolf. Sign me up!
March 5, 2021
1.5 stars.
Unimpressed.
There is a very disappointing amount of military action, considering the location as well as the length of the book. The story reads like a manual on werewolves, mostly werewolves' mating/sex. The language is dry and heavy with unnecessary details and peculiar military terms.
HUGE pet peeve: specialized language and/or foreign language.
I am not a native speaker. I suspect a few of these words/abbreviations might be well known to those who grew up in the US, but then again, a lot of it is still a mystery to even your average American, who has nothing to do with the military - I know, I asked around and bugged the hell out of my husband and friends.
The book is not reader-friendly.
The author should have provided a list of military terms and their translation, but since she didn't, this is for those of you who is not "in the know":
If you speak military, good for you. If not, I hope the list helps.
Unimpressed.
There is a very disappointing amount of military action, considering the location as well as the length of the book. The story reads like a manual on werewolves, mostly werewolves' mating/sex. The language is dry and heavy with unnecessary details and peculiar military terms.
HUGE pet peeve: specialized language and/or foreign language.
I am not a native speaker. I suspect a few of these words/abbreviations might be well known to those who grew up in the US, but then again, a lot of it is still a mystery to even your average American, who has nothing to do with the military - I know, I asked around and bugged the hell out of my husband and friends.
The book is not reader-friendly.
The author should have provided a list of military terms and their translation, but since she didn't, this is for those of you who is not "in the know":
If you speak military, good for you. If not, I hope the list helps.
March 24, 2013
2.5 stars
Meh. This wasn't too bad, but it wasn't anything I'm gonna remember for very long, either.
The way the heroes kept brushing cheeks and giving each other hand jobs became boring too soon (a bit vexing, too,) and the last 15% or so of the book felt like one long sex scene.
Noah was OK as a sub, but Lucas came across as an ignorant wretch who obediently accepts his destiny to function as the Alpha's Dominant expecting others to explain what the role entails. He was such a dud, I wondered why Noah bothered submitting to him.
From the Epilogue and the ending it's apparent there will be another book, but I'm not sure I'll be reading it.
Meh. This wasn't too bad, but it wasn't anything I'm gonna remember for very long, either.
The way the heroes kept brushing cheeks and giving each other hand jobs became boring too soon (a bit vexing, too,) and the last 15% or so of the book felt like one long sex scene.
Noah was OK as a sub, but Lucas came across as an ignorant wretch who obediently accepts his destiny to function as the Alpha's Dominant expecting others to explain what the role entails. He was such a dud, I wondered why Noah bothered submitting to him.
From the Epilogue and the ending it's apparent there will be another book, but I'm not sure I'll be reading it.
June 14, 2013
Okay, so after a long time without my review I am finally doing this. Fist off I want to say that this book was amazing. Without a shadow of a doubt this book had a lot of my favourite things here, possessive MC's, sexy scenes and some general sap. If you are looking for a hot shifter story then this is one that I would recommend.
This story has a hint of D/s to it. Though it's not a BDSM book. I loved how Ms. McKenna did this element. It suited the characters, the story and their relationship. Especially Noah, he suited the sub element perfectly. Lucas was not the typical Dom though, he's one that actually cares and it made the plot interesting. We got to see a nice relationship build at a nice pace.
The shifter and military aspects of the story connected well. They also helped the relationship. Lucas and Noah's roles in the military and in the pack were covered well, that didn't fall flat once they became a couple. It actually strengthened the plot. Normally, I would not read a book with the two because I would be afraid I'd get left behind, not here. Here, I had a nice story that the couple worked with.
The possessiveness was a personal favourite part of mine. It wasn't just about screaming "mine" or some of the norms. There was hickey's and protective instincts. It was hot as hell and very nice while reading. God, I love a good possessive character and with this book you get a two for one. It's rare to see two MC's being as possessive as Lucas and Noah.
I would highly recommend this book. It's a very good story and has a lot to offer.
This story has a hint of D/s to it. Though it's not a BDSM book. I loved how Ms. McKenna did this element. It suited the characters, the story and their relationship. Especially Noah, he suited the sub element perfectly. Lucas was not the typical Dom though, he's one that actually cares and it made the plot interesting. We got to see a nice relationship build at a nice pace.
The shifter and military aspects of the story connected well. They also helped the relationship. Lucas and Noah's roles in the military and in the pack were covered well, that didn't fall flat once they became a couple. It actually strengthened the plot. Normally, I would not read a book with the two because I would be afraid I'd get left behind, not here. Here, I had a nice story that the couple worked with.
The possessiveness was a personal favourite part of mine. It wasn't just about screaming "mine" or some of the norms. There was hickey's and protective instincts. It was hot as hell and very nice while reading. God, I love a good possessive character and with this book you get a two for one. It's rare to see two MC's being as possessive as Lucas and Noah.
I would highly recommend this book. It's a very good story and has a lot to offer.
June 24, 2013
Alright, so I started reading this book with big expectations; I mean, first I love any book that has to do with the military, and second the blurb sounded absolutely amazing, exactly my kind of book. So I have to admit I was a bit disappointed when I finished the book. Now, don't get me wrong, I still liked it a lot, and it started out amazing, 5 stars for sure... so why did I end up giving this a 4 stars? The were a few things that really bothered me throughout the book. I'll get to them at the end, but let's start out with the things that I liked:
Likes:
+ The unique twist on werewolves. I know there are other books out there where the population knows about werewolves, but I thought it was pretty unique here; how they were used in the military to help, how the were manuals and instructions how to handle them, etc. The the plot in general was really great and caught my attention immediately.
+ The characters! I'm only going to talk about the two MCs, but I also liked a lot of side-characters, from the other werewolves to other marines, etc. So first there's Lucas, whom... ok I admit he kind of got on my nerves a bit because, let's be honest, he was a little bit dense at times (I'm gonna come back to that in my dislikes), but he was still very likeable and I really liked how he handled Noah when Noah was assigned to his platoon. He refused the let himself be intimidated by this huge True Alpha, which led to some pretty hot sexual tension. I also liked his dedication so his marines and how he'd do anything to protect them, and especially protect Noah. As for Noah, sweet jesus he was so fucking hot! From the moment he stepped into the platoon I couldn't get enough of him... and neither could Lucas! Sometimes alpha males annoy the hell out of me, but Noah didn't; he was too sexy and possessive and protective and kind, I just loved him!
+ Which brings me to my next point: their possessiveness over each other. Again, sometimes it can be overdone, but not here. This was what really possessiveness should be in books, not the freaking "Mine" growled during sex like in so many book. No, the biting and the holding that went down in this book is how it should be! It was just the way I like it.
Dislikes
- The lack of conjunctions! (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Sometimes I could forget about it when I really got into the book, but other times, it made me want to just stop reading because I got so frustrated! It was mostly during the scenes between Noah and Lucas: it was "Noah did this. Noah looked there." or "Lucas touched Noah's hair and then Lucas touched Noah's neck". The author kept repeating their names over and over. Arghhh! I didn't flow nicely. It was even more annoying during their sex scenes, too.
- The lack of communication between Noah and Lucas. Look, it was hot as hell when they were getting down and dirty, but I wish was more communication. We barely know these characters, and they barely know each other. They mostly talked about about werewolves and how all this stuff worked, but never about themselves. I just didn't feel like their relationship (or the plot for that matter) progressed; to quote Jenn: "It didn't matter if I was at 30% or 70% of the book because the exact same things were occurring". So that made the book kind of long, just because the same things were happening over and over: them nuzzling each other, Noah and the pack going on a run every full moon, him coming back and exchanging hand-jobs with Lucas, some military missions, and all that over again.
- Like I mentioned earlier, Lucas was kind of dense when it came to his relationship with Noah... and that made me confused about their relationships, which annoyed me because it lasted almost the whole book. Cause for me they were actually in a relationship right, it was just the whole Alpha/Dominant thing... I mean they were cuddling and nuzzling and having sex and being protective/possessive of each other, what else could it be?! But then Lucas made me question the whole thing and I got so confused because I thought maybe I wasn't understand what was going on. But then I figured out that it's just Lucas who doesn't know shit, especially when they'd just had sex and he was about to flirt with Noah but he didn't because he was Noah's superior so he couldn't act like that. What??????
But even though those last three points really annoyed me, I can't bring myself to give this less than three stars because my overall appreciation of the book was really good. Especially the beginning with the sexual tension between Noah and Lucas (I do wish that would've lasted longer before they jumped each other, though). So yeah, I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to read a different twist on werewolves and people who like military stories.
Likes:
+ The unique twist on werewolves. I know there are other books out there where the population knows about werewolves, but I thought it was pretty unique here; how they were used in the military to help, how the were manuals and instructions how to handle them, etc. The the plot in general was really great and caught my attention immediately.
+ The characters! I'm only going to talk about the two MCs, but I also liked a lot of side-characters, from the other werewolves to other marines, etc. So first there's Lucas, whom... ok I admit he kind of got on my nerves a bit because, let's be honest, he was a little bit dense at times (I'm gonna come back to that in my dislikes), but he was still very likeable and I really liked how he handled Noah when Noah was assigned to his platoon. He refused the let himself be intimidated by this huge True Alpha, which led to some pretty hot sexual tension. I also liked his dedication so his marines and how he'd do anything to protect them, and especially protect Noah. As for Noah, sweet jesus he was so fucking hot! From the moment he stepped into the platoon I couldn't get enough of him... and neither could Lucas! Sometimes alpha males annoy the hell out of me, but Noah didn't; he was too sexy and possessive and protective and kind, I just loved him!
+ Which brings me to my next point: their possessiveness over each other. Again, sometimes it can be overdone, but not here. This was what really possessiveness should be in books, not the freaking "Mine" growled during sex like in so many book. No, the biting and the holding that went down in this book is how it should be! It was just the way I like it.
Dislikes
- The lack of conjunctions! (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Sometimes I could forget about it when I really got into the book, but other times, it made me want to just stop reading because I got so frustrated! It was mostly during the scenes between Noah and Lucas: it was "Noah did this. Noah looked there." or "Lucas touched Noah's hair and then Lucas touched Noah's neck". The author kept repeating their names over and over. Arghhh! I didn't flow nicely. It was even more annoying during their sex scenes, too.
- The lack of communication between Noah and Lucas. Look, it was hot as hell when they were getting down and dirty, but I wish was more communication. We barely know these characters, and they barely know each other. They mostly talked about about werewolves and how all this stuff worked, but never about themselves. I just didn't feel like their relationship (or the plot for that matter) progressed; to quote Jenn: "It didn't matter if I was at 30% or 70% of the book because the exact same things were occurring". So that made the book kind of long, just because the same things were happening over and over: them nuzzling each other, Noah and the pack going on a run every full moon, him coming back and exchanging hand-jobs with Lucas, some military missions, and all that over again.
- Like I mentioned earlier, Lucas was kind of dense when it came to his relationship with Noah... and that made me confused about their relationships, which annoyed me because it lasted almost the whole book. Cause for me they were actually in a relationship right, it was just the whole Alpha/Dominant thing... I mean they were cuddling and nuzzling and having sex and being protective/possessive of each other, what else could it be?! But then Lucas made me question the whole thing and I got so confused because I thought maybe I wasn't understand what was going on. But then I figured out that it's just Lucas who doesn't know shit, especially when they'd just had sex and he was about to flirt with Noah but he didn't because he was Noah's superior so he couldn't act like that. What??????
But even though those last three points really annoyed me, I can't bring myself to give this less than three stars because my overall appreciation of the book was really good. Especially the beginning with the sexual tension between Noah and Lucas (I do wish that would've lasted longer before they jumped each other, though). So yeah, I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to read a different twist on werewolves and people who like military stories.
July 10, 2014
I absolutely adored this book. There's no other way to say it. It was such a enthralling, captivating read, turning something as overused as 'werewolves' into what seemed to be a whole new world for me. Ms McKenna managed to grab this idea of werewolves, turn it into her own and weave it so thoroughly into the story I found myself thinking that if werewolves really did exist, they would be exactly where she wrote they would be. In the military, not in the military, but so wonderfully integrated into a society where they're not hiding their existence in shame, but rather being looked upon with a bit of reverence and lots of respect.
The world building (where it can be built anyway, since it was set kind of in our time, and our world) was exquisite, and the spin she put to the overdone concept of werewolves was exquisite. I loved the presence the werewolves had in the military, how accepting they were of the werewolves, because in this world, it was like they were just meant to be there.
The romance was incredibly sweet and oh so tangible, but the best part was that the plot and setting had as strong of a presence in the story as the romance. I actually found myself looking forward to where the story would develop, and not just the romance (yepp, I, the self proclaimed romantic and fluff reader, just said that). However the romance did play a large part in the story, more than just a subplot I would say.
And did I mention the sex was hot? Because god, it was hot. They didn't have dick in ass sex until much later (military environment meant disgusting dirty bodies), but the hand jobs along the way were mind blowing. Hang jobs don't really push my buttons, but damn. My buttons were more than pushed.
Overall, I really really enjoyed this book. I loved the spin in werewolves, the world Ms McKenna has created, along with the beautiful romance.
The world building (where it can be built anyway, since it was set kind of in our time, and our world) was exquisite, and the spin she put to the overdone concept of werewolves was exquisite. I loved the presence the werewolves had in the military, how accepting they were of the werewolves, because in this world, it was like they were just meant to be there.
The romance was incredibly sweet and oh so tangible, but the best part was that the plot and setting had as strong of a presence in the story as the romance. I actually found myself looking forward to where the story would develop, and not just the romance (yepp, I, the self proclaimed romantic and fluff reader, just said that). However the romance did play a large part in the story, more than just a subplot I would say.
And did I mention the sex was hot? Because god, it was hot. They didn't have dick in ass sex until much later (military environment meant disgusting dirty bodies), but the hand jobs along the way were mind blowing. Hang jobs don't really push my buttons, but damn. My buttons were more than pushed.
Overall, I really really enjoyed this book. I loved the spin in werewolves, the world Ms McKenna has created, along with the beautiful romance.
April 19, 2015
*** 4.5 Stars ***
My first ever shifter book was an arousing... er... rousing success.
Thanks to all the sweet, pushy broads who said "You gotta read this!" :)
Full review to come.
My first ever shifter book was an arousing... er... rousing success.
Thanks to all the sweet, pushy broads who said "You gotta read this!" :)
Full review to come.
January 23, 2013
Another Kendall McKenna book, yay. And this one snuck in under my radar! I remember how good Brothers in Arms was and the very sexy Waves Break My Fall. I love a man in uniform, I love a military story. And shifters? Oh yeah.
A different setting for wolf shifters. I enjoyed the combining of paranormal and contemporary military. I also want to say this is THE perfect cover. They nailed the brief. Review at On Top Down Under Book Reviews - http://bookreviewsandtherapy.blogspot...
A different setting for wolf shifters. I enjoyed the combining of paranormal and contemporary military. I also want to say this is THE perfect cover. They nailed the brief. Review at On Top Down Under Book Reviews - http://bookreviewsandtherapy.blogspot...
June 22, 2014
Far too much tell and not enough show. As a reader it was a little annoying, I mean I understand inference and don't need it spelled out like I'm a bit dim. Also, while parts of the plot were quite tight, the last two thirds of the book was all over the show and didn't flow. I think this had potential, but needed more work in the end.
June 23, 2014
ACTION-PACKED AND SEXY.
This one's a good read. I've enjoyed it. But why only 3 stars for me? There some things that I've missed in this book.
It was actually well-written. Not that hard to follow and understand. The military and werewolf terms in the story were not that hard to grasp. She even had acronyms spelled out. Great for those who don't have Google access while reading. It has cool action scenes but I missed the romance.
The characters were nice. I liked them.
Lucas is a lieutenant and commanding officer of a group of marines to be shipped to Afghanistan. Noah, the True Alpha of the Marines was assigned to him, with some other werewolves. (By the way, in the book, werewolves serve freely in the military.) Having little knowledge about them, Lucas had to struggle how to lead them and especially to have Noah to cooperate with him. He's a caring leader, respected, and fair.
But, he's a reluctant lover.
Noah, a True Alpha serving the US Marine Corps. He's got many Marine werewolves under his wing. True Alphas are stronger and more special than regular Alphas/pack leaders. They can compel their whole pack to shift and other capabilities. He's strong, competent, and intimidating. A lot of soldiers look up to him and has a bad-ass reputation. At first he challenged Lucas' leadership but eventually, he submitted to him.
I sympathize with him, But regardless I really liked him.
There some remarkable secondaries here like Captain Madison and Vince who guided Lucas through his struggle to lead Noah and his pack. I adore Madison. I love supportive people. :D
The story begins with Lucas, training and building his unit. Then werewolves were assigned to him one by one. Until True Alpha Noah was assigned to him. Having only few knowledge on how to command werewolves, he just tried what he thinks is right to make Noah cooperate with him. As Noah submits to Lucas, their team has been assigned to more dangerous missions in Afghanistan. With their new-found bond, they would give their best to overcome challenges and obstacles on their battles on the war-torn country.
I actually liked the story. McKenna's take on werewolves was interesting for me. I liked that the werewolf must submit to a human. The inclusion of werewolves in the military was interesting for me as well. But I just think though, if they had powerful werewolf soldiers in them, they should have used them more to their advantage. They did in the book, but I think they could be more than it was. Well that's just me. I'm just nitpicking. XD
Erotic scenes were pretty hot. But the escalation of it was pretty slow, but the wait was worth it.
The romantic chemistry of the MCs was almost lacking. I'm not sure of how Lucas feels about Noah until the end of the book. So by the mid to near end part of it, I almost wanna skim those parts. I think the dialogue was not that great also. And I missed some good one-liners here. It would've made my reading more fun.
Overall, I liked this book. Not so much but I still liked it. And I'm looking forward for the next one of the series.
This is actually a good Gay Shifter book so I recommend this to readers who like that. Romance readers, don't expect too much.
This one's a good read. I've enjoyed it. But why only 3 stars for me? There some things that I've missed in this book.
It was actually well-written. Not that hard to follow and understand. The military and werewolf terms in the story were not that hard to grasp. She even had acronyms spelled out. Great for those who don't have Google access while reading. It has cool action scenes but I missed the romance.
The characters were nice. I liked them.
Lucas is a lieutenant and commanding officer of a group of marines to be shipped to Afghanistan. Noah, the True Alpha of the Marines was assigned to him, with some other werewolves. (By the way, in the book, werewolves serve freely in the military.) Having little knowledge about them, Lucas had to struggle how to lead them and especially to have Noah to cooperate with him. He's a caring leader, respected, and fair.
But, he's a reluctant lover.
Noah, a True Alpha serving the US Marine Corps. He's got many Marine werewolves under his wing. True Alphas are stronger and more special than regular Alphas/pack leaders. They can compel their whole pack to shift and other capabilities. He's strong, competent, and intimidating. A lot of soldiers look up to him and has a bad-ass reputation. At first he challenged Lucas' leadership but eventually, he submitted to him.
I sympathize with him, But regardless I really liked him.
There some remarkable secondaries here like Captain Madison and Vince who guided Lucas through his struggle to lead Noah and his pack. I adore Madison. I love supportive people. :D
The story begins with Lucas, training and building his unit. Then werewolves were assigned to him one by one. Until True Alpha Noah was assigned to him. Having only few knowledge on how to command werewolves, he just tried what he thinks is right to make Noah cooperate with him. As Noah submits to Lucas, their team has been assigned to more dangerous missions in Afghanistan. With their new-found bond, they would give their best to overcome challenges and obstacles on their battles on the war-torn country.
I actually liked the story. McKenna's take on werewolves was interesting for me. I liked that the werewolf must submit to a human. The inclusion of werewolves in the military was interesting for me as well. But I just think though, if they had powerful werewolf soldiers in them, they should have used them more to their advantage. They did in the book, but I think they could be more than it was. Well that's just me. I'm just nitpicking. XD
Erotic scenes were pretty hot. But the escalation of it was pretty slow, but the wait was worth it.
The romantic chemistry of the MCs was almost lacking. I'm not sure of how Lucas feels about Noah until the end of the book. So by the mid to near end part of it, I almost wanna skim those parts. I think the dialogue was not that great also. And I missed some good one-liners here. It would've made my reading more fun.
Overall, I liked this book. Not so much but I still liked it. And I'm looking forward for the next one of the series.
This is actually a good Gay Shifter book so I recommend this to readers who like that. Romance readers, don't expect too much.
June 29, 2014
I had an uneven response to this. I think McKenna is one of the best military writers I've come across. Her knowledge of the details, speech patterns, attitudes of US soldiers struck me as spot on, and infinitely better than the average writer. I really like the story's premise and the way that the book focused on integrating werewolves into combat operations in real-world "theaters of war."
That being said, this is a long book, and yet I felt like there were some key aspects missing. We are never given any specifics or history about werewolves' open role in this society or in the military and since I was very curious about it, I ended up feeling severely frustrated, especially since what we do get tends to be reiterations of the same basic situations over and over again.
Also,
Bottom line: I admired the writing here tremendously, so much that I'd even posit that McKenna should be required reading for any novelist contemplating writing about the US military. Beyond that, I had a lot of frustrations with what the story included and what it left out.
That being said, this is a long book, and yet I felt like there were some key aspects missing. We are never given any specifics or history about werewolves' open role in this society or in the military and since I was very curious about it, I ended up feeling severely frustrated, especially since what we do get tends to be reiterations of the same basic situations over and over again.
Also,
Bottom line: I admired the writing here tremendously, so much that I'd even posit that McKenna should be required reading for any novelist contemplating writing about the US military. Beyond that, I had a lot of frustrations with what the story included and what it left out.
February 1, 2014
I absolutely loved loved loved this story! I love Kendall McKenn’a version of shifters. Here we have romance, shifters and military action, combine it with wonderful writing and I am a happy reader!!
LT Lucas Young has had no experience with shifters, let alone leading them and when he gets Sergeant Noah Hammond he is a bit off balance. I like Lucas, he is a fair leader, hot of course and definitely an alpha man. He also appears not to have a clue when it comes to shifters. And as his relationship with Noah grows stronger, Lucas appears never to truly grasp what is happening or how deep Noah’s feelings run for him (MEN *eye role*). I absolutely adore Noah, he is very much the military man, but also the “true alpha” which among shifters is a special designation then simply being a leader among shifters.
There was a bit of time when i got confused, Lucas is definitely a “leader and an alpha man” and so is Noah for that matter. In fact, like I said Noah is the “true alpha” of the shifters and that carries even more meaning. but once Lucas and Noah “connected” and their relationship started to grow Noah definitely looked to Lucas as his leader and “Dominant”. I would not classify this as a D/s book at all, but there was definitely a tad bit of “D/s flavor” to it. As the story progressed i understood more of this world. What I enjoyed was the shifters more “animal traits” they seemed to possess. I definitely got more of the feeling of “pack” and “animal thinking and reactions” then I have read in previous shifter books. Noah and the other shifters were more then men who “shifted”, they definitely felt like two separate creatures, a man and at times a wolf.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book, it pulled me along with it, grabbed my heart and plunged me into another place. And this is my first Kendall McKenna book, and it won’t be my last!!!
LT Lucas Young has had no experience with shifters, let alone leading them and when he gets Sergeant Noah Hammond he is a bit off balance. I like Lucas, he is a fair leader, hot of course and definitely an alpha man. He also appears not to have a clue when it comes to shifters. And as his relationship with Noah grows stronger, Lucas appears never to truly grasp what is happening or how deep Noah’s feelings run for him (MEN *eye role*). I absolutely adore Noah, he is very much the military man, but also the “true alpha” which among shifters is a special designation then simply being a leader among shifters.
There was a bit of time when i got confused, Lucas is definitely a “leader and an alpha man” and so is Noah for that matter. In fact, like I said Noah is the “true alpha” of the shifters and that carries even more meaning. but once Lucas and Noah “connected” and their relationship started to grow Noah definitely looked to Lucas as his leader and “Dominant”. I would not classify this as a D/s book at all, but there was definitely a tad bit of “D/s flavor” to it. As the story progressed i understood more of this world. What I enjoyed was the shifters more “animal traits” they seemed to possess. I definitely got more of the feeling of “pack” and “animal thinking and reactions” then I have read in previous shifter books. Noah and the other shifters were more then men who “shifted”, they definitely felt like two separate creatures, a man and at times a wolf.
Overall, I absolutely loved this book, it pulled me along with it, grabbed my heart and plunged me into another place. And this is my first Kendall McKenna book, and it won’t be my last!!!
April 1, 2013
2.5
Mehhhh, this had so much potential and the military aspects were detailed and interesing. But, sweet baby Jesus, if I had to read about one more f'ing hand-job, I may have lost my damn mind. Way, way too repetitive.
Lucas, I swear you must be one of the most clueless characters I've ever read. I also don't have any grasp on what he looks like, what his background is, and who he is as a person. Noah was made of awesome, but even he should have just sat down and explained shit to Lucas. Again, I don't know anything about Lucas' background which hindered me growing attached to him or Lucas. Their lack of communication over 6000+ Kindle locations got tedious and fast. The whole were-wolf culture was just this big open expanse that everyone just seemed content with letting the majority of the military leaders playing catch-up and guess. The missions and the nonstop nuzzling and confusion didn't advance the plot. It didn't matter if I was at 30% or 70% of the book because the exact same things were occuring.
Again, awesome idea and likeable characters, just not rememberable for me.
Mehhhh, this had so much potential and the military aspects were detailed and interesing. But, sweet baby Jesus, if I had to read about one more f'ing hand-job, I may have lost my damn mind. Way, way too repetitive.
Lucas, I swear you must be one of the most clueless characters I've ever read. I also don't have any grasp on what he looks like, what his background is, and who he is as a person. Noah was made of awesome, but even he should have just sat down and explained shit to Lucas. Again, I don't know anything about Lucas' background which hindered me growing attached to him or Lucas. Their lack of communication over 6000+ Kindle locations got tedious and fast. The whole were-wolf culture was just this big open expanse that everyone just seemed content with letting the majority of the military leaders playing catch-up and guess. The missions and the nonstop nuzzling and confusion didn't advance the plot. It didn't matter if I was at 30% or 70% of the book because the exact same things were occuring.
Again, awesome idea and likeable characters, just not rememberable for me.
April 26, 2022
*4.5* As soon as I finished this story, I missed the characters and wanted to start the book over. A unique active duty, MM, shifter romance that at times missed the mark but was so gentle and sweet it was instantly forgiven.
This is the story of Lieutenant Lucas and True Alpha werewolf Noah. Lucas knows werewolves are active in the Marine Corps but he doesn't know much about shifters or shifter politics. These two are paired together and deployed to Afghanistan. A slow burn, but very interesting take on werewolf and pack behavior. It was nice going in blind and learning along with Lucas.
It was odd that there is no talk about past partners, although it seems clear they've both been with other men. The lack of homophobia was refreshing in this world, especially considering it was a heavy military story. While Lucas is embarrassed by pda, it's more that he doesn't want anyone thinking he's abusing his rank, rather than being gay.
I wish these two had connected at a soul level a little quicker, and that Lucas had gotten out of his head a little bit more and listened to the bond with Noah. Despite a slow lag in the middle, (aka, lots of hand jobs) I really loved this story.
This is the story of Lieutenant Lucas and True Alpha werewolf Noah. Lucas knows werewolves are active in the Marine Corps but he doesn't know much about shifters or shifter politics. These two are paired together and deployed to Afghanistan. A slow burn, but very interesting take on werewolf and pack behavior. It was nice going in blind and learning along with Lucas.
It was odd that there is no talk about past partners, although it seems clear they've both been with other men. The lack of homophobia was refreshing in this world, especially considering it was a heavy military story. While Lucas is embarrassed by pda, it's more that he doesn't want anyone thinking he's abusing his rank, rather than being gay.
I wish these two had connected at a soul level a little quicker, and that Lucas had gotten out of his head a little bit more and listened to the bond with Noah. Despite a slow lag in the middle, (aka, lots of hand jobs) I really loved this story.
September 19, 2016
Hot Alpha loving were-human style.
Biting. Yep. BITING. Now one might think that 85% of the sex in a book can't be just biting and licking--And they'd be wrong. Seriously, the dedication and delectation of the act is spectacular in the attention to detail. This is a major turn on for me. Another 10% is hand jobs and the last 5% is split between everything else. Sexy hot scenting and marking of two alpha males in combat situations and more. Yummy.
The miscommunication while somewhat understandable at the beginning began to irritate me a bit as Lucas and Noah's bond grew. The premise was fun. Who doesn't like the idea of legend, but seriously, it's all about the biting.
Favorite quote:
Biting. Yep. BITING. Now one might think that 85% of the sex in a book can't be just biting and licking--And they'd be wrong. Seriously, the dedication and delectation of the act is spectacular in the attention to detail. This is a major turn on for me. Another 10% is hand jobs and the last 5% is split between everything else. Sexy hot scenting and marking of two alpha males in combat situations and more. Yummy.
The miscommunication while somewhat understandable at the beginning began to irritate me a bit as Lucas and Noah's bond grew. The premise was fun. Who doesn't like the idea of legend, but seriously, it's all about the biting.
Favorite quote:
Each time he had Noah’s flesh between his teeth, Lucas felt a little calmer.
February 14, 2013
Excellent, exciting and different. It's very hard to come up with a new spin on a shifter story, but this one delivered.
Lucas and Noah make an awesome duo. They are marines and nearly invincible when they realize that Noah (The True Alpha werewolf) and Lucas (his human Dominant)are legends in the making. Once they are bonded they are nearly unstoppable.
It was great to read about humans and werewolves working side by side, and besides a few assholes, their 'relationship' is respected and accepted by all.
Can't wait for Tim's story. He was great, and even though Noah wanted to bite him, he is definitely one of the good guys and deserves his own story.
Lucas and Noah make an awesome duo. They are marines and nearly invincible when they realize that Noah (The True Alpha werewolf) and Lucas (his human Dominant)are legends in the making. Once they are bonded they are nearly unstoppable.
It was great to read about humans and werewolves working side by side, and besides a few assholes, their 'relationship' is respected and accepted by all.
Can't wait for Tim's story. He was great, and even though Noah wanted to bite him, he is definitely one of the good guys and deserves his own story.
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