Guard Wolf

Shifter Agents #2

by Lauren Esker

Avery Hollen is a werewolf without a pack. After growing up in the foster system, this lone wolf has bonded to his co-workers at the Shifter Crimes Bureau because he has no one else, but he's always yearned for a pack and a family of his own. Then a box of orphaned wolf shifter puppies turns up on his doorstep, with danger one step behind ...

Curvy Aussie social worker Nicole Yates is one of the world's only koala shifters. Slowly rebuilding her life after a personal disaster, she's managed to convince herself that working with other people's children is a fair substitute for having her own. Besides, she's too busy for dating or relationships, and every other koala shifter is related to her anyway.

Then a wolf-shifter federal agent with a box of werewolf puppies turns up on her doorstep ...

Now they're falling in love and falling into disaster, as danger closes in and the secret of the orphaned shifter children turns out to be darker than anyone knew. Can Nicole and Avery protect each other, and the children they never knew they wanted, or will a dark secret years in the making drag down these two lonely mates and everything they hold dear?

This is a standalone shifter romance, second in the Shifter Agents series.

Genres: Romance, Shapeshifters, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Wolves, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

362 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 16, 2015

About the author

Lauren Esker writes romantic suspense and paranormal romance that’s just a little off the beaten path. Which isn’t surprising since she’s a lifelong Alaskan who is a little off the beaten path herself! (Literally and figuratively.) She also writes graphic novels and scifi/fantasy as Layla Lawlor, and m/m romance as Layla M. Wier.

Reviews

[buket · Rating 3 out of 5]

if you love no third act, no owd/omd, healthy relationship, good communication, cuddles AND wolf shifter puppies, go read this🥹🩷😍🐶

the romance was 5 stars for me. i gave 3 because i got bored very quickly☹️ i love watching criminal shows but reading about it? not my thing. so if you enjoy mystery and shifters and babies, this is your book‼️🩷

[RLbooks (in and out) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

I didn't realize until I reached the end that I'd read a sci-fi by this author before (titled Metal Wolf so I must have a thing about ______ Wolf books by her lol) and I felt that both books shared some strengths and weaknesses. This can be read as a standalone and the couple from the first book have cameos in this one.

Guard Wolf was a sweet romance between a shifter federal agent and a shifter social worker who are drawn together when four shifter wolf pups mysteriously pop up in a public place. The shifter world set-up, with shifters still in hiding but some being in the know, was interesting and I loved that there was a variety of different shifters (hello a spider!). Also that the dynamic between different shifter types and the social element of them was so detailed and thought out. All the puppy piles and interactions with the kids in shifter form (and even in toddler form) were adorable! I'm fascinated with criminal tv shows so the procedural aspect of the investigation was intriguing, though it took more time for this part to build due to a lack of leads.

The H and h were kind and dedicated to their work. Yay for disability rep and mental health rep with these two also! Both were sweethearts who'd been through a personal wringer and yet came out the other side still with so much heart for the world. The romance has instant attraction and an ease to their interactions and pursuit of their interest. They have a couple date moments and the ways they find to connect in the midst of what's going on made my heart gooey. However the story was slow in parts and the latter part of the book had some developments I don’t personally prefer in my reading (see trigger warnings at the end). Written in third person, dual POV. No ow/om drama and neither were virgins (it had been a long time for each).

Steam-wise, there are a couple of detailed spicy scenes. Shifter nudity is also widely accepted so the characters regularly toss aside their clothes and get an eyeful of each other. Side characters were supportive of the main characters and helped move the plot along, while also continuing to round out the H and h. The H has active co-workers and the h has her own staff and immediate family. Plus, the wolf pups are present on page for a large part of the book in their fluffy cuteness.

Some moments of possible danger occur earlier in the investigation, but the true action times hit later. I thought the connection between the villains and shifters was a little too convenient, but the set-up for why the villains were doing what they were doing was appropriately chilling and scary for the H and h. The climax has some violence and the main characters in severe peril. My heart hurt for the H especially given his triggers and past. But they do survive and there's closure all around. The ending is HFN and kind of abrupt. Even though it does appear that prior books' mains will be in later books as side characters, an epilogue showing the H and h living in their HEA would have been wonderful. Overall I enjoyed the book, I just didn't love it like one of my friends did.

Trigger warnings: child abandonment (in shifted form), recollections of childhood abuse, mentions of poverty and homelessness, brief recollections of war and injury, brief recollections of mental health struggles including past institutionalizing, abduction, medical experimentation on page without consent, coercion of side characters, violence, death of bad guys

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 stars!!!

I'm going to do my best to convince you to read this!

🐶🐾🐶🐕‍🦺🐶🐶🐨

There are puppies, cute, cute shifter puppies.

Healthy relationship with no third act breakup.

Fun suspense/mystery.

Mental health and disability rep.

---
Avery is a wolf shifter federal agent who finds four shifter puppies. When he meets Nicole, a social worker (also koala shifter), they immediately click. For a paranormal romance, this had the most "normal" relationship ever. They're both average. She's a bit round and he's slim and 5'8" with a normal size 🍆.

They are so cute together. With lots of hurt comfort action going on as they learn about each other and take care of the puppies and try to find out why they were abandoned.

They like each other pretty quickly and their relationship builds smoothly with them relying on each other as they try to solve the mystery and are thrown in perilous situations.

There's enough grit with his past physical injury, painful childhood, and her battle with depression. He is so encouraging and loving towards her. They have a mutual appreciation that is so beautiful to see.

Safety deets
- protection discuss and used
- no other men or women and it's been a long time for both
- reverse age gap... she's 36 and he's 29
- consent is great
- no third act breakup

[Sherwood Smith]

Shape-shifter (or paranormal) romances have their tropes--the 'science' of shapeshifting is pure fantasy, but scientific, emotional, genetic, and anthropological realities might be tucked around the tropes to draw the reader deeper into the world.

Esker's second entry in this series begins the exact opposite of the first, which slammed the reader into high action in the first paragraph. There is plenty of action in this book, but it develops slowly as Avery, a disabled wolf shifter with severe PTSD, meets a social worker who it turns out has her own set of personal demons she's been working to vanquish.

The two are brought together over a box of wolf shifter puppies, who need to be cared for while the mystery of the pups' parentage is investigated.

Esker is so good at balancing the romance tropes and a feel of real people in realistic situations in spite of the supernatural aspects. The reader knows the sex is always going to be good and a happy ending promised in these tales, but for a while there it seems this one is going to go to the tragic side, jacking up the tension line to the max.

I'll read anything Esker writes--her novels are sensitive and funny and harrowing and warm and ultimately satisfying.

[Saphirablue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this one.

It's been fun to read. Very likable characters and a great mystery/kind of adventure plot in which the romance didn't take over. :)

I love the fact that different shifters know of each other and work together. So often in shifter books there is just one kind of shifters or other kinds of shifters are the bad guys/enemies. Not here. A wolf shifter and a koala (*squeee*) shifter are the main characters. There is a falcon shifter, a bear shifter, a big cat shifter, a gecko shifter, a spider shifter (who is way more adorable than they probably should be considering they are a spider shifter) and so on. There is a mention of a hedgehog shifter. I, just, *LOVES*.

The plot has been engaging and plotty. The action parts have been great and the calmer parts let me get to know the characters better.

I love Avery and Nicole. And Jack. And Cho. And Mayhew. ♥

Especially Avery hit some of my buttons so hard. His past. His loneliness. His slowly thawing around Nicole. His realisation that he has a pack consisting of his friends. Oh, Avery. *hugs him*

And Nicole? I just can nod and say Yes! to everything Avery said to her.

On top of everything? Four adorable werewolf puppies and everyones reactions to them. :)

There have been some things I didn't like (like, almost every time someone lifted/saw the pups, they have been described as "fat". It just rubbed me the wrong way, I guess.) and also left me a bit confused. Like, everyone saying that it's basically impossible that werewolves can go against a very strong pack feeling/family love & protection/and so on, but Avery is the living example that it's possible and we never really learn why. Has something happened to his father that let him be that abusive (illness?)? Or has he always been that way? How is it possible that nobody from the pack stood up against them (have there only been his father, his aunt and him & Hunter in the pack? No more adults?)? Maybe I'm missing something that would explain this.

Other than that, I really enjoyed reading this story and I had a very good time.

[Lissa J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting Shifter suspense romance novel. Solving a crime seems like the main story, but the sweet relationship that develops is the other half of the appeal to this book. Light-hearted mature relationships, healthy dynamics, and interactions. There's some steamy scenes but they don't drive the plot.

[Leiah Cooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You think humanity’s found rock bottom, and then they keep digging.” – Special Agent Avery Hollen, Special (Shifter) Crimes Bureau, Seattle WA

“We can never be gods, after all--but we can become something less than human with frightening ease.” ― N.K. Jemisin, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

Back in August of 2015 I wrote a review of “Handcuffed to the Bear” by Lauren Esker. At the time, I said, “If this weren’t a shifter story, it would fall under the suspense or romantic suspense genre without a doubt. So I will call it “Paranormal Suspense.” The focus is on Casey and Jack staying alive long enough to be rescued from a sadistic pack of lion shifters intent on hunting them down and slaughtering them, as they have with many other victims – including Casey’s best friend Wendy.

I had thought from the cover that it was some bondage thing and almost bypassed it immediately, but the blurb caught my eye. And I got a big kick out of reading it, as you can tell if you click on the link to my review, above. I mentioned that Guard Wolf, the second in the series, would come out that October. Then, of course, I got distracted. Oops.

The other day I came across Guard Wolf and thought, “Hum. That looks like a good ‘bathtub book’” (i.e., a book I carry into a nice hot bath with a glass of wine). As I got into it, I got a niggle that I had read another book by this author, and by the time I got to the end I remembered why the story felt so familiar.

I am glad I happened to stumble across Esker once more. Guard Wolf is the second in the series, carrying forward with the Shifter Agents storyline, this time the story of Avery Hollen, Jack’s best friend and coworker at SCB Seattle. Avery has a harder life than the others at the SCB. Badly crippled when an RPG took out the gasoline tanker truck he was standing beside in Afghanistan, he lived only through the efforts of Jack. Jack, who takes full responsibility for the fact that Avery was hurt in the first place. For you see, it was Jack’s ‘private security’ (read, mercenary) team who got themselves stuck on a lonely Afghan road, and cried for the Army to haul their ashes. A whole team of young, fresh-off-the-farm Army boys were slaughtered by that RPG. And Jack never forgot.
Now, Avery walks with a cane, his leg so torn up and twisted from his rapid shifter healing in the field he can barely walk at all. So, he gets desk duty more often than not. And tonight? Tonight he is thrown a curve when a box of werewolf children in puppy form are thrust on his desk. Oh, yeah. He just knows he is going to regret this.

Nicole Yates is a harried, hard-working social worker, specializing in shifters with family issues. When Avery stumbles into her office just before quitting time with said box full of pups/children, well, her life is suddenly not only turned on its head – she may actually not be able to hang onto her life at all. And neither may Avery. For these puppies have scars and shaved spots. Scars and shaved spots that indicate that someone, somewhere, have been at best medicating them. At worst? At worst, something nasty is going on, and these children have been subjected to the unimaginable. Tracking down what is going on leads Nicole and Avery down a warped path of horrors, of science gone incredibly wrong.

“Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!” – Percy Bysshe Shelley, Ozymandias

Like HttB, this second in the series is very much paranormal suspense of the best kind. Edge-of-your-seat, fast-paced suspense that kept me in the tub for three runs of ‘drain-and-refill and the heck with the empty wine glass’. I love paranormals with sharp edges, suspense, and fast action, and this one fits the bill to a T. It also isn’t simply a thinly developed, poorly plotted story designed to be a vehicle for ‘boom chaka laka’ (Yes, you DO know what I mean) on every page, which I truly enjoyed. Lauren Esker could write suspense thrillers all day long without the paranormal bent – but I am glad she writes what she does. I really enjoy her work.

[Jenny - Book Sojourner · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 Stars
Slow at times

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad, glad that there was the sister & brother in law representing the non mad - scientist position.

[Ken Finlay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolf Shifter Avery Hollen played a small but important role in the first book in the 'Shifter Agents' series - this time he is front and centre.
Wolves normally have a Pack, doesn't and had an abusive childhood to boot.
He's scarred mentally and physically (he's got a damaged and painful leg following an explosive attack while serving in Afghanistan) and he's transferred his 'Pack' mentality to those he works with at the Special (aka Shifter) Crimes Unit - “his instincts wanted him to wrap up the people he considered his pack in a blanket of smothering affection and never let go … Or at least bring them food a lot.”
Nicole, a Koala Shifter, is a social worker with special responsibility for the Shifter population. She had severe mental health problems in the past and continues to medicate for depression.
When the Special (aka Shifter) Crimes Unit finds four abandoned Shifter Wolf pups both Avery and Nicole become their temporary guardians.
The pups had been well cared for but won't shift into their human form, don't like the outdoors, and appear to have been micro-chipped. With no reports of missing children it soon becomes clear that this is more than a case of parental abandonment.
As Nicole and Avery form a bond both with each other and the pups, they begin to chip away at the hurt that has blighted their lives. It's nicely done and, in places, quite emotional.
I did like the reference to Drop Bears in Australia - it is not often I get a good giggle at an urban myth.
Towards the end it becomes a very dark read, in some parts it is not for the faint of heart.
“Guard Wolf” is a step above most Shifter novels I have read and the author, Lauren Esker, does a great job of exploring and trying to explain Shifters.
She's also a dab hand when it comes to things which seem inconsequential but add a little feeling:- “They got out of the car, and, hand in hand, poked around the edges of the abandoned gas station's gravel apron. There was a fresh, chill wind. Nicole found a cheap dime-store ring, dropped by some long-ago motorist, with a piece of cut pink glass in the shape of a heart. She tried it on her pinky, but it didn't even fit there; it must have belonged to a child. She laid it gently back in the gravel for some future visitor to find.”
4 Stars.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to this book because I loved the first one, 'Handcuffed to the Bear'. I started reading this one, and a few chapters in, I was having to force myself to keep reading. I couldn't figure out why at first, because the story itself was unusual and interesting, like the first book. Also like the first book, the editing was very good, I only found one typo. I finally just skimmed a few chapters, then skipped to the end. After that, I realized what I didn't like about the story. I know that some people have near constant pain and some people suffer from depression and need to take medication for it. The main characters have these issues. OK, not really a problem until it is mentioned . . . constantly - every page, sometimes multiple times per page. I don't mean to be unfeeling, but it was just too much. I didn't need to be reminded every other paragraph about the male MC's scars and weaknesses. The female MC's mental health problem wasn't brought up as often, but was still mentioned quite a bit.

The supporting cast are very good and the story itself, aside from the near constant mention of the MC's afflictions, was also very good. I just got tired of the constant pain and fear of mental breakdowns being mentioned I won't go on with this series.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still glad that I discovered this series! I enjoy that even though we're dealing with fantastical things like shifters and secret labs, the character's actions are grounded in reality and they worry about things like security cameras, child safety seats, and having to go to work in the morning. I especially appreciate that Avery is conscious that he works for a federal agency and that certain rules and procedures have to be followed, and he really can't just go around shooting things up willy-nilly. Hooray for smart heroes! Nicole's heavy workload vanishes a little bit too easily, but since she was overworking herself at the start, I'll forgive her for pulling back to a more reasonable workload - and she gives some good advice to many characters, not just Avery. I think they're a good balance for one another and I'm excited to see them (and the pups!) in future books.

SBTB challenge - I'm counting all the talk of shifter genetics as the "science" element.

[Maaren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the first book of this series and I loved this second book as well! Avery stole my heart completely and I loved seeing him get his HEA. He, if anyone, deserves it.

This book tackled the balance between romance and mystery so well and I had a blast trying to figure out where this PNR story was going. I also really loved the healthy communication between Avery and Nicole, it never felt like too much and I love how they both understood one another. And the puppies! Oh the puppies were my favorite and I swear I cooed when Avery first carried them to his den. Sigh.

The mystery of the story was well done and I liked how different it was to the first one. This was less action but more a traditional crime mystery but I really enjoyed how we still got a few amazing action sequences that really showcased the different shifter abilities (c'mon, drop bear? Fantastic!).

Can't wait to go into the next one in this series!

[Starfire · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I didn't love this instalment in the Shifter Agents series *quite* as much as Handcuffed to the Bear (there was just a little too much saccharine cuteness with the puppies for it to totally be a perfect Tanja!read), it was still a well-told story with engaging, complex characters and the same vibe - especially in the second half of the book - as in Instalment 1 of the series.

Once again, it's everything I love about the Zoe books WITHOUT the instalove fated mates trope, which - also once again - I really appreciate. Plus, there's some great disability and mental illness rep - the former on the part of the male lead, and the latter on both of their parts.

I'm definitely looking forward to the next one in the series :-)

[Rosemarie Grainer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Action that deals with a harsh subject

The blurb you get doesn't give you an idea of the tough topics this storyline deals with. The puppies create a little break from that, but not much. This story has a breakneck pace, an intense tone, an action oriented storyline with some steamy scenes and character development. The characters are well drawn. I liked this story, but you don't want to read this as a pick me up book! However, it is great escape with high emotions, action galore and characters who pull you into the story! If that sounds good to you, then start with book 1 before you go to this one! Enjoy!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED IT! The characters were so detailed, intense and had depth and dimension to them. Reading this story, they became real to me. The storyline was well thought out with no glaring loopholes. I felt soooo much for the grandfather, I cried towards the end. I felt such a wide range of strong feelings reading this book that I could not put it down and finished around 2 am in the morning. I can't wait to get the next book in the series. Ok. this is book 2 so I have got to read book 1 and then get book 3.
Yes definitely a good read from Ms. Esker.

[Betina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mystery with puppies. Yes!

Orphaned babies (werewolf pups) mysteriously appear. The search to uncover the truth leads to danger from a surprising source.
This second shifter agents book leads the reader on another twisty path to solve a mystery that endangers shifters. The romance part of this romantic suspense is understated, more relationship building than sexy times. Personally, I like this, finishing a book with the thought that this relationship will stand the test of time.
On to the next book

[ANNBOOKSHELF · Rating 4 out of 5]

Special ops mission style with shifter power, throw in romance and you have a homerunl

Shifter Avery acts like pappa bear to his team which is more like the family he always wanted.Nicole is his mission to protect. The mission is like an onion more and more layers peeled back it just gets more interesting. Through in romance and you got it all. Violence 2 sex2

More opinions n book reviews check out my blog - my2centsbookreviews.com thanks!

[BreRile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 2

This is Avery and Nicole's story. The author paints an expansive but hidden shifter world. Nicole is a koala and honestly I'd never given any thought to 🐨 shifters much less that they'd be scrappy fighters. Avery is an SCB agent while Nicole is a social worker. They meet while trying to unravel the mystery of abandoned wolf shifter pups. Avery's dream of a pack of his own is fully realized.

[Darien · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised by the more nuanced world building and how the author addressed the social issues created for shifters when they were "unknown" to the mundane world. The gyrations that the government's social and policing agencies would have to go through to provide for this "hidden" segment of society were directly addressed. I enjoyed the exploration of shifter creatures and their lives other than the standard canine (wolf) and feline (big cats) varieties that are usually depicted.

[Salustra Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

ah puppies

Funny, intense, interesting, romantic and of course puppies. I really liked Avery and Nicole very well thought out characters. I started with 2 books of SCB Arizona and I’m now backtracking to go in order. A gecko shifter and more. One of the better shifter series as very creative and author has a real sense of actual action cause and effect and talent for realistic dialogue.

[Carlottawoolcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

puppies.

How can a story about puppies be so involved and thrilling? Mix in their shifter status, a darling shifter agent with love in his soul, and a grounded, practical and fearless childrens social worker and you have a team. One that crazed scientists can’t even destroy. Pups couldn’t be better.

[Joseph K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good characters and an interesting storyline

This was a good book. Lots of interesting and detailed characters. The storyline is interesting and loops everything together well. I definitely enjoyed the action and adventure and the fun and detailed characters. This was a fun book and I definitely recommend it.

[Judeth Fenton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guardian and Co

I've read Zoe Chant and Layla Wolf books so thought I'd try Lauren Esker. A different style and feel but well-written and warm. As emotion sends tendrils connecting each character, the resulting web is beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and love each character

[david l hutchison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wowzer

Slow start that begins to slowly build and cuts loose with a bang. Romance does not interfere although there enough to let you know that it is there and in a very nice way. Definitely worth a read.

[Sara Darling · Rating 4 out of 5]

What really stood out for me here was the hero. The plot was good, but it dragged a little in the middle. The heroine was likeable but not thrilling. the hero was a mildly disabled, nurturing beta hero werewolf. holy heck that was refreshing and charming and sigh inducing

[Carrie M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Steamier than the first - great story line

I love the story line. It was a face passed novel where even by the characters count things were moving fast. Unlike the first book their were more steamy sections. Can’t wait to read the next.

[SHIRLEY A. GODFREY · Rating 5 out of 5]

FAMILY

Families are created not on purpose, but often times by happenstance. Those are tightest strongest of ties that can not be broken

[Kelly Tarbuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great

Loved reading the books so far can't wait to read next one hope you all enjoy them as much as I have

[Trina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

Meet Nicole and Avery. They meet when four shifters babies are found in a box at a market. Follow their journey to find where these pups come from.