Polar bear Therian, Rufus Ramanui, is one of Redcliffe’s most dangerous ISIC agents. He swore an oath to protect the innocent and serve the greater good. Now, he wants to retrain as a Phoniás – an assassin – believing it necessary to help his comrades in the ongoing conflict with the Lycans.
The only problem with that plan, is pretty bartender, Summer Matthews. She and Rufus have definite chemistry, but she’s currently dating someone else. Will it be too late to win her heart by the time he returns home?
Siblings, Jodie and Luke Fletcher, also intend to train as agents. With Rufus and the two Fletchers out of the country, Danny Archer, Captain of Redcliffe’s Urewera Unit, will have his hands full. Already Rufus’ boss, and Jodie’s boyfriend, Danny has a lot invested in their success. When things start to get complicated, both at the academy, and back in Redcliffe, will Danny be able to spread himself thin enough to avoid disaster?
AUTHOR Johanna M Rae is a former fashion designer and married mother of three. She lives with her family, and two adorable ragdoll cats. Balancing family life and her writing schedule doesn't always leave much time for leisure, but in the quiet moments, Johanna can be found with her nose in a book or crocheting up a storm.
There is a common theme when you read Johanna's stories. Underdogs and outcasts form a 'chosen family' - people with something to prove or overcome, who will stop at nothing to protect their own. You'll also be knee-deep in suspense, plot twists, witty banter and plenty of humor. Don't forget the romance... You're not going to want to miss that! Until then, there is coffee to be had.
The Butcher is the third book in the Therian series and I really have enjoyed the ride so far. This book is Rufus and Summer’s story and it was a difficult journey for both of them. It also has other storylines entwined throughout, so I was able to keep up with Rufus, Jodie and Luke in Australia, as well as Summer and the rest of the team in New Zealand.
Charlie Hohepa and his Lycan clan of boars, continue to be a problem. The team in New Zealand have a lot of issues to deal with, but even in training, Jodie and Luke have problems of their own. Rufus is a force you would never want to cross, but he will do anything for those he considers family, and when things hit close to home he is quick to jump into action.
I enjoyed getting to know more details about all the characters in this book. Summer’s past is revealed and she is able to find protection with the team. Danny also had secrets hidden and when someone from his past appeared, he had to let everyone in. Seeing Rufus interact with his family was sweet, for such an intimidating guy, the amount of love he has for them is just beautiful. There were a lot of twists and turns along the way and I was on the edge of my seat through the whole story.
I enjoyed the direction that The Butcher took; seeing Rufus and Summers relationship develop slowly was sweet. He is not very confident when it comes to the opposite sex, but when it comes to his battle skills, keep out of the way! Summer is quite shy too, and didn’t fully understand the depth of her feelings for Rufus until he was gone.
There were a number of Moroi terms in this book, which made it a little difficult to follow at first, but once I knew what they meant, I was able to follow the storyline with ease. I enjoyed the way that Johanna has built up this story for the future books in this series, with new characters and twists introduced in The Butcher. I can see plenty of action coming to New Zealand and danger for them all!
Complimentary copy provided by the Author in exchange for an honest review.
*This Book Was Given To Me By The Author In Exchange For An Honest Review*
Wow! Johanna does it again! these books just get better and better! I love nothing more then to immerse myself in her world. Johanna creates such a beautiful world of shifters that are both family and friends. In this one I was so happy for Rufus and Summer for finally finding each other but in true Johanna fashion she had to throw a twisted and violent knot in the works that makes the whole story get run over!...lol
I think I cried through more then half of this one (Johanna is evil!...lol) which just goes to show what a amazing writer that Johanna is, to make the story so captivating and real that it makes you cry. I have always loved the character of Rufus he is such a genital giant who is so shy and has this huge sense of responsibility and honour. I liked him right from the start and getting to know him better in this story was awesome.
The training that Luke and Jodie went through was pretty awesome and I can't wait to see them go threw more in the next book. I liked seeing them fight together, I think their powers and being family gives them an advantage that others don't and it will be a great asset to them later on.
I can't wait to see what Johanna has in store next! this was a beautiful book and ended in true Johanna fashion, a cliffhanger of epic proportions! I can't wait to find out what happens! Make sure to get your copy and TBR this book today!
***Review has been done in conjunction with Nerd Girl Official. For more information regarding our reviews please visit our Fansite: www.facebook.com/NerdGirl.ng ***
Well, what can I say other than I absolutely loved this book. Was it because there was a lot of Danny in it? Quite possibly. He is still my favourite man candy from the series. Johanna has done it again, this book was everything I expected and more. I felt as though I was right there with Rufus through it all (no spoilers) and I even cried! Very few books have the possibility to make me cry. I loved every twist and turn in this story, the way the unit stick by each other, their banter and just them in general. Hell, I even like Lancaster in this book!
And don't even get me started on the ending! Total cliffhanger. I can't wait to read the next one. Overall this book was a great read and one I will certainly recommend to others.
I love the Therian world that Johanna has created in these books. I couldn't wait to read this one and once I started I had a hard time putting it down. I cried, laughed, gasped, and went through all the emotions while getting lost in the characters. It ended way too fast for me and I am excited for the next one. Especially with the cliff hanger at the end. It is an excellent read and I highly recommend the series to anyone that will listen to me.
The Therian Secrets series has opened my eyes to a whole new world of shifters. This being book three, The Butcher, is my favourite yet! The hard edges of some of the agents are portrayed in ways you can easily imagine yet with a soft persona that makes them all individually unique, Johanna Rae has captured my attention and melted my heart. I love it so much!!!!
To briefly explain the text of this amazing book would not do it justice. There are so many great elements and each one had me reacting without initially realising. Full of action, angst, humour and overwhelming compassion I can’t rate this enough. I’m excited to see what book four, The Bloodhound, has in store for me. This comes highly recommended.
This book was very emotional from feeling joy to tears do to such a great loss. I find I love Johanna Rae's Therian series. I hope that she continues with the rest of the team of ISIC.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This in no way reflects upon my opinion of the book or series
When I first started reading the Therian Secrets series I was immediately caught up in the world that Johanna Rae has created. I was charmed and in love with the characters and their back stories. None of the characters in her world are perfect, most of them come from pasts that haunt them. This lack of perfection makes every single one of them seem so very real. It was refreshing to see a lot of real life issues really come to light in such gripping ways.
That being said, I really struggled to finish that first book because of many typos and errors in the copy. It almost put me off from finishing the rest of this series. However, I powered through that first book because of a compelling story line and I'm very glad that I did. The third book is by far one of her strongest books in this series. It focuses on a couple characters throughout the narration, however ample time is given to it's namesake, Rufus aka "The Butcher". Rufus is a quiet man who values family, honor, and responsibility above all else. He sacrifices much of his own happiness for the happiness of the ones he loves. Being inside his head really lets the reader see his inner turmoil over his inability to show his true feelings to summer, and the weight of all the responsibility he has loaded onto his own shoulders. I adored Rufus' character every step of the way. I liked all the glimpses into Danny and Jodie's developing relationship as well, but it was nice to see other facets of the Unit's team.
If you are looking for a good fun read that is entertaining and sweet I would definitely give this series a try. I look forward to reading more from Johanna Rae in the future and will be putting the 4th book of this series on my TBR list for when it is released.
I have waited impatiently for this book for what seems like forever and it didn't disappoint me at all.
Although this book is about Rufus and him finding his eros, it was also about the rest of the Therian group and the way they all interact with each other. The story leading up to Rufus and Summer finally getting together was great. It wasn't rushed and with two quiet people, the way it was done is perfect.
Also, the way the team comes together when things go wrong, and they do in this book, is the way a family pull together. After all, a family isn't always blood, but those you chose to be with who you can count on.
I loved how we learned more about Danny and Summer's pasts in this book as well as General Lancaster. Some secrets came out and I loved the way the team took them.
But as usual, Johanna left a cliff hanger at the end. *growls* Now I have to wait for so long again before I find out what happens next. Hopefully it won't be too long before the next book comes out.
This is another must read from Johanna and you won't be disappointed. So do yourself a favour and grab this third installment to a great shifter series.
This third installment of this series was the best yet! I enjoyed the first two and the storyline continued in an enjoyable and fast paced fashion.
I enjoyed watching Rufus' character develop depth and being there with him as he fumbles to try and develop a relationship with sweet shy bartender Summer.
Jodi and Luke begin their training to become agents, but they are shunned right from the beginning because of their power level and because they both have acquired globes already.
Danny is at home dealing with his own mess of affairs. In this book it seems as though everyone has a secret and their is unfinished business that needs to be dealt with.
The storyline was well developed and written. It was fast paced enough to keep the story moving and keep me engaged. It was filled with action, conflict, love, danger and many deep secrets revealed.
The character development was excellent in this book and to see where they have come from since the beginning.
I really enjoy this story and the uniqueness of it. Therian and shapeshifters are interesting and this is a great series for anyone who loves the supernatural. Will definitely read more by this author!
This author and series is quickly becoming one of my favorites!!! She continues with a great story in the third book of the series. With each book she manages to impress me even more. She has a very lively writing style and the pace of her books is just plain perfect. They don't drag on and are full of action keeping you glued to the book !!!
Her main characters are all awesome, but I have to admit Rufus is my favorite with Danny being a close second. Johanna knows her characters and develops them well. She also keeps developing them from book to book, just like we do in real life. These characters make me wish that they were real and I can easily see myself just hanging with them. They are multifaceted and overall well rounded characters.
Keep up the good work. I sure hope the next one, the bloodhound, is around the corner since I can't wait to see what happens next !!!
I have received this book from the author for an honest review.
The Butchers story will make you laugh and cry. I started this book on Monday night and finished it mid-afternoon on Tuesday. The plot in the main story is wonderful and the subplots are so unexpected sometimes that I had to back up to read things twice. What wonderful characters are created with so many surprises. I can't wait for the next book in the series "The Bloodhound" and I think it will be Mark's story. You can't go wrong with this series. Read the books in order for the best experience. I happily recommend this book to anyone who loves romance. KUDOS Ms. Rae on another book well written. The books in the series in reading order: 1. The Mercenary 2. The Fury 3. The Butcher 4. The Bloodhound (coming soon)
"I received this book from the author for an honest review." and I am thrilled for the honor. I love this writer I love the characters and the way the stories are all entwined. I just finished the butcher and I must say it was hard for me to put down. I have stayed up til 4 a.m., I have got it on both tablets so that when one battery runs down the other one's ready it is just a great story. This series is on it's way to being a fantastic adventure. I love reading books written by Johanna Rae and wish there was a way to get this series in print with her signature. I really look for her to be very popular very soon, I can't wait for the next book thanks so much Johanna!
Wow she has done it again these books just get better and better. This is the third book in the Therian Secrets series. This book has it all and I didn't want this one to end but I know that the next book. If you are Team Rufus then you are going to LOVE this book. It will also make you understand some others from the Team and could even make you wanna switch teams if that is possible. Charlie Hohepa and his Lycan clan of boars, continue to be a problem. The team in New Zealand have a lot of issues to deal with, but even in training, Jodie and Luke have problems of their own. Rufus is a force you would never want to cross, but he will do anything for those he considers family, and when things hit close to home he is quick to jump into action. With being a Kiwi from New Zealand I loved how there were a number of Māori terms in this book.