2.5 Stars
After a mistaken kidnapping, wolf shifter Broderick learns someone is after a Guardian. Despite his loud protests, his human computer whiz girlfriend Joanne gets involved and uncovers a murder and a plan to hack into the Guardian Network. Broderick will have to resist the instinct to hide Joanne away and work with her to stop the breach that could have consequences that will reach beyond the human realm.
Everything about this novella is just okay. Broderick surprised many when he took Joanne under his protection after she admitted to working against the Austin Shiftertown after thinking they were behind her sister's disappearance. Broderick is rough, grumpy, and underestimates his worth. Not an original character yet enough to satisfy my alpha shifter craving. After learning more about Joanne, I can take her or leave her. I like that she sees the real potential in Broderick when he believes he's only muscle but there's nothing spectacular about her. Their pasts are sad and I was pulling for their mate bond but again, I'm left feeling just...okay about them.
The plot doesn't leave a better impression on me. A hacker is trying to get into the Guardian Network, a shifter program that holds all kinds of shifter secrets accessible only by Guardians, at the command of someone far more lethal and they prove early on they're not afraid to spill blood. Where the story leads is farfetched, even for this series. It just doesn't flow with what's taken place before and where the series is currently heading.
I don't hate Bad Wolf, it just doesn't stack up against previous heroes, heroines, romance, or plot. It's entertaining enough that I finished it with no problems but it's not a reread and if you don't get a chance to pick it up, I don't believe you'll miss anything.
- Stephanie