Claws and Chaotic Commitments

Werewolf Regulation Bureau Files #2

by Tara Sterling

Elliot believes monsters don't get happily ever afters. Nick is determined to prove him wrong.

Elliot

Elliot is trying his best to be a good boyfriend. Reviews are mixed. Unfortunately, the werewolf who ruined his life is still out there. And now someone's copying Elliot's murders. Can't a former serial killer catch a break for once?

When Nicholas's investigation leads him to the one person Elliot refuses to suspect, he can't help wondering if Nicholas is finally seeing him the way everyone else does. Turns out loving a monster was never the hard part. Trusting him is.

Nick

Loving Elliot is the easiest thing Nick's ever done. He knows Elliot isn’t the monster everyone believes him to be. He’s just a former serial killer trying to get house trained. Between the LAPD and the Werewolf Regulation Bureau, Nick wouldn't mind a little less blood and fewer secrets on his days off, though.

Now a new killer is dragging Elliot's past back into the light. He has to decide whether protecting Elliot means holding him back or standing beside him. But the closer they get to the killer, the more Nick realizes this isn't just about Elliot's secret anymore. The killer is coming for everyone Nick loves.

Tags: a golden retriever werewolf, a black cat former serial killing human, high heat, friends who can’t stop pupnapping Nick’s dog, a grumpy human who’s slowly melting under the power of Nick’s Love, an overworked secret werewolf agency, criminally good tech support for criminals, questionable investigation methods, and arguments that go from zero to a hundred in seconds.

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal

235 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 30, 2026

Reviews

[Elaine Crookes]

I love these books. So well written. Everything just flows from the banter between the close knit group of friends to the more serious stuff of catching serial killers to the love and spicy times with Nick and Elliot.
This is the second book of Nick and Elliot story so you do need to read book one first, but I highly recommend you go back to the start and read the others too, you won’t be disappointed.

Thankyou to the author for letting me read an advanced copy.

[DLB2572]

So Good

I enjoyed this one so much. I was hooked right from the start. I hope we get more of Elliot and Nick's story together.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Nathalie Mariaud]

📚 ARC Review 📚

This is the third book in the series and it absolutely needs to be read after book two, as both stories are closely connected. While the second book can stand on its own, this one is very much a continuation of the events from *Claws and Cover-Ups*.

Nick and Elliott are still recovering from everything they went through and are firmly in their honeymoon phase. But real life soon catches up with them: Nick returns to juggling the Werewolf régulation  Bureau and the LAPD, while Elliott goes back to his work as a veterinarian.

Things quickly become complicated when a copycat killer starts targeting werewolves the Bureau was about to arrest. At the same time, Sam arrives at Elliott's apartment with a lead on Raymond, Elliott's long-time nemesis. Raymond's son is currently living in Los Angeles, and Elliott is reconsidering his killer retreat.

This book is a wonderful blend of suspense, trauma healing and romance, all of this in werewolf universe.

Nick and Elliott continue to be the heart of the series as they navigate Elliott's insecurities and trauma, as well as Nick's overwhelming need to protect him from everything. Even though Elliott is more than capable of taking care of himself. 

I especially loved watching their relationship continue to grow, their bond still genuine, supportive, and deeply earned.

The plots were engaging, and the new secondary characters added a lot to the story. They felt fully developed, with their own motivations and backgrounds rather than simply existing to support the main characters.

✨ Paranormal MM Romance
✨ Werewolves
✨ Mystery & suspense
✨ Strong relationship development
🌶️ Spice included and well integrated into the story
🐶 Bonus points for Mickey, still the cutest dog around!

I can't wait to continue this series, with an new arc around the new characters and I  hope Nick, Elliott, and of course Mickey remain often seen in the upcoming books.

#ARCReview #Bookstagram #MMRomance #ParanormalRomance #WerewolfBooks #BookReview #QueerBooks

Français 🇫🇷

📚 Chronique ARC 📚

Ce roman est le troisième tome de la série et il doit impérativement être lu après le tome 2, les deux histoires formant un véritable ensemble. Même si le second tome peut se lire indépendamment, celui-ci est directement lié aux événements de *Claws and Cover-Ups*.

Nick et Elliott se remettent encore de tout ce qu'ils ont traversé et profitent pleinement de leur lune de miel émotionnelle.

Mais ils doivent retourner à la réalité : Nick reprend son travail entre le Bureau de surveillance des loups garous et le LAPD, tandis qu'Elliott retourne à sa clinique vétérinaire.

Les ennuis ne tardent pas à arriver. Un meurtrier s’en prend aux loups-garous que le Bureau s'apprêtait à arrêter, copiant les meurtres d’Elliott, tandis que Sam débarque chez ce dernier avec une piste concernant Raymond, son ennemi de longue date. Le fils de ce dernier vit actuellement à Los Angeles, ce qui pourrait bien relancer leur traque.

J'ai beaucoup aimé ce mélange de suspense, d'univers paranormal et de romance. Nick et Elliott restent le cœur de l'histoire, continuant à construire leur relation tout en faisant face aux traumatismes et aux insécurités d'Elliott, ainsi qu'au besoin irrépressible de Nick de le protéger du monde entier, même si Elliott n'en a clairement pas besoin.

Leur relation continue d'évoluer de façon crédible et touchante, et c'est toujours un plaisir de les suivre.

L'intrigue est prenante et les personnages secondaires introduits dans ce tome apportent une vraie richesse à l'histoire. Ils ont leur propre personnalité, leur passé et leurs motivations, ce qui les rend particulièrement intéressants.

✨ Romance MM paranormale
✨ Loups-garous
✨ Suspense et enquête
✨ Belle évolution de la relation
🌶️ Scènes spicy présentes et pertinentes pour l'histoire
🐶 Mention spéciale à Mickey, toujours le chien le plus adorable de la série !

J'ai déjà hâte de découvrir la suite et j'espère retrouver encore beaucoup Nick, Elliott et bien sûr Mickey dans les prochains tomes.

#ChroniqueLivre #BookstagramFR #RomanceMM #RomanceParanormale #LoupsGarous #AvisLecture #LectureFantasy

[Feral Mel]

I need everyone to know about this series because I genuinely cannot understand how it has not taken over my entire feed yet. After falling completely in love with Nick and Elliot in the first book, I was already emotionally attached… but somehow this second book made me fall even harder for these two absolute disasters.

Nick and Elliot are everything I want in a romance couple. They are chaotic, hilarious, stubborn, and so completely gone for each other even when they refuse to admit it. These two are constantly trying to protect each other, but their biggest problem is that they keep forgetting the easiest solution: actually communicating. 😂 I spent so much time wanting to shake them while also wanting to wrap them both up in a giant hug because their love for each other is so obvious.

The chemistry between them is incredible. The banter had me laughing constantly, the tension was delicious, and the spicy moments were 🔥🔥🔥. But what really made me fall even harder was the softer side of their relationship. The little domestic moments, the vulnerability, and the way they show up for each other made me completely melt.

One of my favorite things about this series is how perfectly it balances everything. You get the humor and ridiculous chaos that had me grinning, the mystery and danger that kept me guessing, the romance that had me swooning, and the found family moments that make the world feel warm and alive.

Speaking of the mystery, I was convinced I had everything figured out. I was confident. I had theories. I was ready to celebrate being right… and then the story basically laughed at me and pulled the rug out from under me. 😂 I loved being kept guessing and never knowing exactly what was coming next.

Also, we need to talk about the chapter titles because they are genuinely some of the funniest I have ever seen. Fun chapter titles are apparently alive and thriving, and I fully support this mission.

Getting more Sam in this book was such a treat, and I am already counting down until his story. But Nick, Elliot, and Mickey have officially stolen my heart, and I am not prepared to let them go.

This series has everything I love: a grumpy meets sunshine dynamic, ridiculous banter, incredible chemistry, mystery, heat, found family, lovable side characters, and characters who make you feel like you have personally adopted them.

If you love romance that makes you laugh, swoon, yell “PLEASE JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER,” and immediately want more when you finish, you NEED to start this series.

Seriously. Go read it RIGHT MEOW.

5 stars. No notes. I am obsessed.

[Alicia]

Claws and Chaotic Commitments by Tara Sterling

Werewolf Regulation Bureau Files Book 2. It is a continuation of Book 1.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Nicholas & Elliot are back! A week later from the ending of Book 1, the boys have been loving it up & it’s a good thing because the shit is about to hit the fan.

Are they still as cute as I remember? Yes.
Is Elliot still waiting to get in trouble for his extra-curricula’s? Also yes.
Is Nick still the same sweet golden retriever? Yes. And no. Our boy has a lot of big feelings right now.
Is Mickey still everyone’s favorite good boy? Duh.

Elliot is having a tiny identity crisis now that he’s no longer taking out bad werewolves. He has a lot of time on his hands now & he’s looking for new hobbies. All I’m going to say is the ukulele is a hit. The only problem is that there’s a copy cat out there. Of course this makes Nick doubt Elliot’s word…

And this is where it starts to get messy. We’re only at Chapter 3, so buckle up buttercup. The angst in this one is a lot higher now because these boys love each other but suck at communication. And Sam’s presence (while entertaining for us), is not helping things so much.

While Nick & the Bureau are hunting down the Vigilante Wolf Hunter, Elliot & Sam are hunting the werewolf that tortured Elliot when he was a boy- Raymond Booth. The good news is that Elliot has a good lead- Booth’s estranged son. The bad news is Nick has no clue any of this is happening. Between his work on the human police force, working for the Bureau & worrying about his new relationship, his plate is full.

Like Book 1, this book flows effortlessly between the adrenaline of the hunts to the softness of the love between Elliot & Nicholas. It’s definitely a “one more chapter” read. It completes their story beautifully, and also leaves some room for maybe a third. 🤞🏻

[Kate]

**********Contains Spoilers**********

I really enjoyed this book and was hooked from page one. I also thought that it was another good addition to the Werewolf Regulation Bureau Files Series. This book is a continuation of Elliot, a human with total black cat energy and Nick’s, a werewolf with total golden retriever energy story. They’ve definitely come a long way since book one as Nick has recently found out that Elliot is the werewolf serial killer, the Bureau has dubbed the Vigilante Wolf Hunter. He has a moral code he doesn’t break. He kills killers so more people don’t die at their hands. Elliot has agreed to stop his killing but he’s at a loose end, it isn’t until his best friend Sam aka his right hand man shows up and tells him that he’s got a lead on Raymond Booth, the man who has been Elliot’s living nightmare since he was a small child.

Man, my heart hurt for everything Elliot went through when he was younger which is all Raymond’s fault and I really don’t blame Elliot for taking up his extracurricular activities. When a copy cat of Elliot’s pops up it’s a race against time to catch the killer before Elliot’s secret is discovered. Nick is definitely running himself ragged with worrying about Elliot eventually being caught but also working two full time jobs for the LAPD & the Werewolf Regulation Bureau. I’m really looking forward to seeing what happens during the next book in this amazing series. I’m also really looking forward to reading more books by Tara Sterling in the future. I’d recommend this book, series and author to others.

******I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and would happily review it even if I purchased it myself. My thoughts and feelings about this book are completely unbiased******

[Danielle B]

Elliot: a verteinian who formerly moonlighted as a serial killer of homicidal werewolves (think Dexter type). Has now turned over a new leaf and enjoying in his "Elliot way" normal life.
Nick: Elliots boyfriend, LAPD cop and agent of the regulation bureau. After finding out about Elliots "past time", is happy to start a "normal life" with Eliiot.

But when bodies if werewolves star showing opup aging with Elliots MO, Nicki cant helo but winder if Elliot is back to his vigilante ways.


This sequel to Elliot and Nicks story is fantastic. Once I started reading it I couldn't put it down until finished. The author does such a great job you will feel the emotions the characters are feeling. The story is very well written and the character building is great. I absolutely love the Nick and Elliot story and hope to see them again in future installments of the book series.
The spicy scenes are 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 and have you needing a cold shower. If you love golden retriever werewolf, black cat human, touch him and die, high heat murder mysteries, you'll love this series.
Author Tara Sterling does a great job with this series. I highly recommend this installment of the series. I highly recommend the whole series actually.
Definitely looking forward to the next book.

[Chantel Ackerman]

Claws & Chaotic Commitments is an intense, fast-paced shifter romance that pairs high-stakes bureau investigation with a deliciously complex main character pairing.
​The story follows Nick Harper, a werewolf cop working as an agent for the Werewolf Regulation Bureau to keep the local rogue population under control, and Elliot Rhodes, a veterinarian with a dark past. Elliot isn't just treating animals—he’s a retired serial killer targeting rogue werewolves, with only one target left on his hit list: Raymond Booth, the werewolf who made his childhood a living hell.
Packed with dark themes, strong banter, and clever investigative moves, this short ARC delivers a punchy shifter story with high stakes and memorable characters. A solid read for fans of dark paranormal romance and MM shifter suspense!

[Landon]

ARC Reader
First off , we got to have more Sam. This truly excited me. As I stated in my review of the first book, I wanted to know more about Sam as a character. Doesn't mean I didn't like Elliot or Nick as characters, I just couldn't help but be interested in Sam. So getting to know more about Sam was great.
The book had a lot of twists and turns, and I'm glad Elliot's past with The Werewolf was addressed more in this book.
I really love all the characters and the world of this book. I'm excited to see the next book focusing on Sam and Adrian. So I might have been very invested with both of these characters during this book. Both are interesting and glad that they are getting their own book.
I really enjoyed this and was very happy to be able to get to be part of the ARC team for this.

[Cindy]

In this second book, Elliot and Nicholas are getting their boyfriends on when Nick has to go back to work at the Werewolf Regulation Bureau. Turns out, a new victim has appeared that looks like Elliot's work but Nick knows it wasn't him. He can't tell his group as no one knows Elliot was the serial unaliver. Sam is back causing trouble and Elliot won't share his past with Nick. I love the puppiness of Nick and his bliss in his mate. Elliot has all the grumpiness and seriousness that one person can have but has too much insecurity about keeping Nick's love. They are so adorable together and I would love to see another book with them. I received a copy of this and this is my voluntary opinion.

[Anna]

I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest opinion.

I loved this one! It took me a while to finish it, but it was only ’cause I didn’t want it to end. Elliot and Nick are so cute and funny together. I just want more and more of them.. especially more of their smexy times 😍🙃😘😉 In this book we finally get closure for Elliot’s past. There’s a short 3rd act breakup (which doesn’t take place in the 3rd act at all haha), but it is brief. There’s more of Mickey, so yay to that ❣️❣️❣️🐕🐶🦮🐕‍🦺🐩❣️❣️❣️ The mystery of the new copycat killings is solved and we also get to know Sam alot better (Elliot’s best friend and the second half of the murderous duo). I recommend this book and I enjoyed it very much. Do make sure you read these books in the right order.

[Confuzedxneko]

I received this book as an ARC and these are my thoughts.

4.25⭐ This was a fitting close to Elliot and Nicks story while still managing to continue the series. The feelings between Nick and Elliot were still new and tenuous so the fact that trust seemed thin is still believable. Add in the long term friendship between Elliot and Sam and the already questioning nature of Nicks job and you are bound to run into problems. With a copycat killer and tested loyalties this really pulled out all the emotions. Of course Mickey also plays a big role for emotional support. We also get introduced to the next books couple and I can't wait to see the chaos that incurs!

[Yvonne Kraus]

I already loved the first book of the series because it was a rather light fluffy read so I was happy to receive an ARC for this one and I am so glad. Elliot with his reluctant grumpy kindness and his snark is really my kind of people. The story was a good fit for the characters and I enjoyed it despite it being a bit easy to guess the outcome. But the best was the dynamic between the MMCs and the side characters didn’t disappoint either. I loved the snark and banter that came with quite some denial. And who doesn’t love cute puppies? And oh boy that last spicy scene was awesome. A great fun five star read.

[Chloe]

I love Elliot and Nick!
This book had me hooked from the start! I had my doubts also! Sorry, Sam! I really enjoyed seeing Nick be overprotective of Elliot and see Elliot finally open up more. I was worried for a bit, but everything ended up good! I really love the side characters as well! I love Sam, I think he's so amazing with what he can do! The ending was amaze! I really enjoy Tara's writing and storytelling! I thought the book flow was great, and I didn't feel bored at any time while reading.
I am sooo looking forward to the next book and that love story!!!
Overall, great read, great spicy scenes (that last one!!), and such a cute couple!

[Charlie]

Fun chapter titles are a dying art, and this novel has them in spades.

Delighted to see the continuation of Elliot and Nick's story! Plenty of action and twists and turns (you really had me turning on the best friend for a moment there). That ending has me thinking *I* could get a job at WRB if I tried hard enough haha!

Thank you for the ARC read!

[Melissa]

Elliot and Nick's story continues in this action filled book. While the furst book was cation abd the start of the relationship, this book gives them time to settle in to thier relationship and decide why/if they want to be together. It is not always smooth sailing. We also get a lot of Sam time and a peek at where his character will go.

[Lynda]

Good follow up book - finished the story nicely as it closed all the loose ends up from book 1.

Nick and Elliot were once again both funny and sweet with each other - both of them equally cracked me up with the side comments.

Great to see the side characters and the set up for the bureau and other books going forward - looking forward to Sams book and finding out more of his background.

[Neil Atkinson]

A great follow up from the first book, characters are even sassier and more rounded. The plot is excellent and I can see this series being very successful. I think there is a great future story to be made of the Sam character. A good level of spice and other interests to be had here. I for one will be looking forward to the next instalment.

[Holly Deacon]

This book was the perfect finale of Elliot and Nicks love story! I'm so glad Elliot realised he was loved so much.
This book was full of laughs, murderous plot twists and love!


I'm excited to read Sam's story!

[The Book Ssirren]

This was the perfect way to end this story with Nick and Elliot. They went through the ups and downs of a relationship. That’s for sure. But it was really great seeing them get to the point of realizing they had a great one. I giggled throughout and had a great time with this I’ve. Loved it so much

[Lucy Castle]

Another amazing read by Tara Sterling. I love this series!

[Gayle]

Revenge is what?

I love Nick & Elliott & their story continues with heaps of loving, some secrets, some fights and of course claws & chaos. HEA? You bet!