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The Big Bad Wolf #1
Une Etrange Chaleur
Lily St. Claire, une fille du sud ordinaire, n'a aucune idée de ce à quoi elle sera mêlée lorsqu'elle décide de retourner vivre dans sa petite ville natale de la Louisiane, dix ans après l'avoir quittée. Entre les deux loups-garous alphas si différents l'un de l'autre qui se battent pour faire d'elle leur partenaire et le tueur en série qui l'a dans sa ligne de mire, elle est sur le point de le découvrir.
362 pages, Paperback
First published November 18, 2010
96 people are currently reading
3030 people want to read
About the author
Heather Killough-Walden
61 books2,187 followersHeather Killough-Walden is a California native currently living in Texas with her husband and child. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the Big Bad Wolf series. Heather’s educational background includes religious studies, archeology, and law. She has traveled all over the world but hopes to one day live in a town with a world-class hockey team. (Let’s Go Pens!) Visit Heather’s website at www.killough-walden.com, where you can sign up for her newsletter. Also, be sure to keep in touch with her and other fans through her Facebook fan page and through Twitter (killoughwalden)!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 326 reviews
October 22, 2011
"During the course of her job, she'd been trained to teach women that a man's invading penis was not something to fight against to the point of coming to real harm. It was not worth dying for. It was taught that the important thing was to live through a rape- and deal with the rest later."
When I read this paragraph, I read it again and another three times to make sure my brain comprehended this correctly. And at last it did and after that comprehension came anger that Ms.Walden can approach rape so callously. She's writing as if the man is car jacking the victim or as if he's robbing her for her pocketbook. In those instances I say hey give up the car and the pocketbook its not worth dying for. Unfortunately that was not the case.
This paragraph disturbed me on many levels because like the heroine in The Heat I am also a social worker. I have worked with rape victims and I have never thought to tell them that its not worth fighting back just let a man viciously rape and beat you and just deal with the fall out later. Is this bitch crazy!!!! I for one know that rape is soul shattering and goes way deeper than just a physical assault.
Now don't get me wrong the book was terrible way before I even got to this paragraph. But that was what pushed me over the ledge. In my opinion Lily should have shot stabbed and maimed every male in this book none of them respected her boundaries.
Daniel was a selfish asshole who marked her without telling her what he was doing and why. Then he had the audacity and gall to change her into a werewolf without asking her if that's what she wanted. Now excuse me if I'm mistaken but we women have this thing called a brain that we use to make decisions for ourselves and contrary to some men beliefs its not as feeble and small as they would like to believe. Daniel came off as a caveman with a stick that drug Lily off with him after he hit her in the head. He should have been the one that she shot.
Malcolm Cole was a manipulative Son of a bitch that continually mind raped Lily knowing that he was purposely causing her physical pain every time he touched her due to Daniel marking her. He should have been the one that she stabbed.
And then there's Jennings the bad guy the attempted rapist that should have been maimed and
burned alive,instead I feel that he got off way too easy.
If I could I would give this book a negative 5 stars. I hated how these men dominated and manipulated Lily.In my opinion they needed a good ass kicking. Unfortunately I accidenly purchased the bundle which is the whole series, and I refuse to flush $3.99 + tax down the toilet. So I will tredge
on and finish all four of the books hoping and praying that the whole series is not a waste of my precious time.
When I read this paragraph, I read it again and another three times to make sure my brain comprehended this correctly. And at last it did and after that comprehension came anger that Ms.Walden can approach rape so callously. She's writing as if the man is car jacking the victim or as if he's robbing her for her pocketbook. In those instances I say hey give up the car and the pocketbook its not worth dying for. Unfortunately that was not the case.
This paragraph disturbed me on many levels because like the heroine in The Heat I am also a social worker. I have worked with rape victims and I have never thought to tell them that its not worth fighting back just let a man viciously rape and beat you and just deal with the fall out later. Is this bitch crazy!!!! I for one know that rape is soul shattering and goes way deeper than just a physical assault.
Now don't get me wrong the book was terrible way before I even got to this paragraph. But that was what pushed me over the ledge. In my opinion Lily should have shot stabbed and maimed every male in this book none of them respected her boundaries.
Daniel was a selfish asshole who marked her without telling her what he was doing and why. Then he had the audacity and gall to change her into a werewolf without asking her if that's what she wanted. Now excuse me if I'm mistaken but we women have this thing called a brain that we use to make decisions for ourselves and contrary to some men beliefs its not as feeble and small as they would like to believe. Daniel came off as a caveman with a stick that drug Lily off with him after he hit her in the head. He should have been the one that she shot.
Malcolm Cole was a manipulative Son of a bitch that continually mind raped Lily knowing that he was purposely causing her physical pain every time he touched her due to Daniel marking her. He should have been the one that she stabbed.
And then there's Jennings the bad guy the attempted rapist that should have been maimed and
burned alive,instead I feel that he got off way too easy.
If I could I would give this book a negative 5 stars. I hated how these men dominated and manipulated Lily.In my opinion they needed a good ass kicking. Unfortunately I accidenly purchased the bundle which is the whole series, and I refuse to flush $3.99 + tax down the toilet. So I will tredge
on and finish all four of the books hoping and praying that the whole series is not a waste of my precious time.
May 4, 2011
The story was interesting but repetetive. The writing was unpolished. The romance was a little disturbing but mostly sweet and rewarding. There was plenty of good writing to balance the unpolished and plenty of heart to balance the disturbing bits.
Story: The world building was cool, but I had a few problems with it. The world-building detail that bugged me the most was this mark/tatoo thing a female gets when a werewolf claims her as an intended mate. The mark goes away when they actually become mated. That's a neat idea, and I think the gist of it was supposed to be the mark tells other werewolves to back off, she's taken, kind of like an engagement ring. But the mark would cause the female burning pain if another male werewolf touched her. This seemed completely counter-intuitive to me. I wanted the magic of the mark to protect the female, not put her in even more danger when another male tries to claim her. Turns out, the mark can be removed with the female's permission. Part of the story was the villain essentially torturing the heroine by making sexual advances toward her and touching her, causing her excruciating pain mixed with pleasure with the intent of getting her to agree to have the mark removed with magic. The tension felt a bit manufactured to me since the workings of the mark didn't make sense to me to begin with.
There were too many kidnappings, adding to the feel of manufactured tension. But the heroine manages to fight and be a strong character despite the repetetive circumstance of finding herself in the custody of someone other than her intended mate.
Writing: The Heat needed a good editing. There were lots of repeated words, lots of cliches, and some point-of-view problems. For example, the character's frequently referenced the color, length, and texture of their own hair. Description is good. Over-description is distracting. Eventually, I just started skimming over the unnecessary details.
Romance: Had a lot of heart. The backstory on the characters was well-developed. The characters were believable and flawed, and I wanted to see them get together in the end despite those flaws. The intimate scenes were hot.
That said, I found the theme of strangling disturbing. I'm down with reading about folks with kinks and going with it and enjoying it if the characters are enjoying it. But in The Heat, it seemed every male character has a thing for strangling. This theme of choking off your lover's air supply continues into the next book, too, The Strip (picked it up hoping to see some growth in Ms. Killogh-Walden's writing, but was disappointed to find the same issues with repetition, cliches, need for tightening, and generally just an editor's attention). There were also too many instances of the heroine being molested by villains. I think violence to the heroine is a fine line. I read a lot of paranormal romance and have only one other time read anything as close to rape as what occurred with the heroine in The Heat, and that author had earned the violence by building up reader trust in several preceding books and dealing with the emotional fall-out after the fact. I thought the violence was gratuitous in that it could have been tamed way down and still been a compelling story.
But The Heat had many redeeming qualities as well. The dialog was generally very well done and the pacing kept me turning the pages despite the flaws. And hey, I picked up the second book, so that tells you something, doesn't it?
Will I pick up the third book? No. Unfortunately, I didn't see the maturation in writing between books 1 and 2 of The Big Bad Wolf series that would have made me want to follow Ms. Killough-Walden's future work. But I think she should keep writing. She's definitely got talent as a story teller.
Story: The world building was cool, but I had a few problems with it. The world-building detail that bugged me the most was this mark/tatoo thing a female gets when a werewolf claims her as an intended mate. The mark goes away when they actually become mated. That's a neat idea, and I think the gist of it was supposed to be the mark tells other werewolves to back off, she's taken, kind of like an engagement ring. But the mark would cause the female burning pain if another male werewolf touched her. This seemed completely counter-intuitive to me. I wanted the magic of the mark to protect the female, not put her in even more danger when another male tries to claim her. Turns out, the mark can be removed with the female's permission. Part of the story was the villain essentially torturing the heroine by making sexual advances toward her and touching her, causing her excruciating pain mixed with pleasure with the intent of getting her to agree to have the mark removed with magic. The tension felt a bit manufactured to me since the workings of the mark didn't make sense to me to begin with.
There were too many kidnappings, adding to the feel of manufactured tension. But the heroine manages to fight and be a strong character despite the repetetive circumstance of finding herself in the custody of someone other than her intended mate.
Writing: The Heat needed a good editing. There were lots of repeated words, lots of cliches, and some point-of-view problems. For example, the character's frequently referenced the color, length, and texture of their own hair. Description is good. Over-description is distracting. Eventually, I just started skimming over the unnecessary details.
Romance: Had a lot of heart. The backstory on the characters was well-developed. The characters were believable and flawed, and I wanted to see them get together in the end despite those flaws. The intimate scenes were hot.
That said, I found the theme of strangling disturbing. I'm down with reading about folks with kinks and going with it and enjoying it if the characters are enjoying it. But in The Heat, it seemed every male character has a thing for strangling. This theme of choking off your lover's air supply continues into the next book, too, The Strip (picked it up hoping to see some growth in Ms. Killogh-Walden's writing, but was disappointed to find the same issues with repetition, cliches, need for tightening, and generally just an editor's attention). There were also too many instances of the heroine being molested by villains. I think violence to the heroine is a fine line. I read a lot of paranormal romance and have only one other time read anything as close to rape as what occurred with the heroine in The Heat, and that author had earned the violence by building up reader trust in several preceding books and dealing with the emotional fall-out after the fact. I thought the violence was gratuitous in that it could have been tamed way down and still been a compelling story.
But The Heat had many redeeming qualities as well. The dialog was generally very well done and the pacing kept me turning the pages despite the flaws. And hey, I picked up the second book, so that tells you something, doesn't it?
Will I pick up the third book? No. Unfortunately, I didn't see the maturation in writing between books 1 and 2 of The Big Bad Wolf series that would have made me want to follow Ms. Killough-Walden's future work. But I think she should keep writing. She's definitely got talent as a story teller.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2011
I'm trying not to be one of those people (especially publishing people) who says they never read self-pub'd books because they're all bad. So I've been browsing Amazon and picking up some of the 99 cent offerings that seem to have promising reviews and interesting story premises.
Unfortunately, this foray into self-pub didn't work out for me. During my years of publishing, I've trained myself to turn off the editorial side of my brain when I read for pleasure (otherwise it wouldn't be a pleasure to read at all) but sometimes, it's impossible to turn it off, when a book desperately cries out for an editor, as was the case with this book.
I thought the author's writing showed tremendous potential but needed someone to help show her where to cut, trim, tighten, avoid repetition, add, strengthen and otherwise develop the story and characters. Not to mention correct all of the basic spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes.
I'm sorry the author skipped the editing stage, because I think this book could have been very good with the help of a skilled editor.
Unfortunately, this foray into self-pub didn't work out for me. During my years of publishing, I've trained myself to turn off the editorial side of my brain when I read for pleasure (otherwise it wouldn't be a pleasure to read at all) but sometimes, it's impossible to turn it off, when a book desperately cries out for an editor, as was the case with this book.
I thought the author's writing showed tremendous potential but needed someone to help show her where to cut, trim, tighten, avoid repetition, add, strengthen and otherwise develop the story and characters. Not to mention correct all of the basic spelling, grammar and punctuation mistakes.
I'm sorry the author skipped the editing stage, because I think this book could have been very good with the help of a skilled editor.
August 13, 2011
I really like Walden's storytelling ability. Although her werewolves weren't nearly as believable as others I have read, she can tell a story that grabs you and doesn't let you go. Her style is slightly dark, almost cynical in nature - sometimes more than I like (although admittedly, I'm a lightweight.) Her characters are real and don't always behave as they should, the "good" guys have faults, the bad guys have reasons and Walden always succeeds in making both sympathetic. I was slightly offended at the way the male/female relationships were portrayed in this book, however, the men demanded, manipulated and coerced and the women merely accepted. There was also very little relationship building.
July 21, 2013
**** 3.5 to 4 stars **** BUT CLOSER TO 4!!!!!
I can never get enough of PNR, doesn't matter if it's vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, fae...it's all good, with vamps and werewolves being my absolute favorites!
The Heat was of course, right up my alley and I really, really, liked it. The combination of alpha's vying for their mate and right to reproduce in an increasingly threatened species was both riveting and hot!
Lily has returned to Baton Rouge after being gone for 10 years. Lily is a dormant, a woman meant to mate with an alpha and eventually be turned into a werewolf herself. Big problem though:
SHE DOESN'T KNOW IT.
Did I mention dormants have a specific scent? any alpha within a scenting radius would know this and thus attempt to mate with her. So upon returning to her hometown, Lily is quickly thrust into the world of werewolves and their battle to mate. Daniel, an alpha and also the chief of police in Baton Rouge, has known Lily since they were kids and is now prepared to claim her as his mate. But another alpha--honestly, can you have too many?--Malcolm Cole is out for mating rights as well and what transpires is a gong show of action and who-dunnit.
I loved all the intense action surrounding Lily. One minute she's safe and back in her childhood city, the next she is a pawn in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Daniel and Malcolm were both pretty sexy alpha's and I honestly would have been happy with Lily ending up with either of them. You'll have to read the book to see who wins the right to mate with her, but it was wonderful and very satisfying to see.
There wasn't very much sex, although sexual tension was almost constant either for one of the alpha's or between characters, but the sex that was there was scorching! It was hot and raw and verged on violent. Of course my perverse self loved that!
Not to mention that sex for these werewolves was a claiming, a branding of such so the action in the sac was rough and demanding, intense but highly territorial. It was perfect and sexy as hell.
The world building here was cool as well. Vampires are described as myth arising from misconceptions about werewolves and their inclination for blood. That was very different and very risky but it worked here and made these supernatural creatures all the more facinating.
An excellent start to a cool PNR series, and because this series is sold as a compilation pack on Amazon, the other three books remaining are easily accessible.
I can never get enough of PNR, doesn't matter if it's vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, fae...it's all good, with vamps and werewolves being my absolute favorites!
The Heat was of course, right up my alley and I really, really, liked it. The combination of alpha's vying for their mate and right to reproduce in an increasingly threatened species was both riveting and hot!
Lily has returned to Baton Rouge after being gone for 10 years. Lily is a dormant, a woman meant to mate with an alpha and eventually be turned into a werewolf herself. Big problem though:
SHE DOESN'T KNOW IT.
Did I mention dormants have a specific scent? any alpha within a scenting radius would know this and thus attempt to mate with her. So upon returning to her hometown, Lily is quickly thrust into the world of werewolves and their battle to mate. Daniel, an alpha and also the chief of police in Baton Rouge, has known Lily since they were kids and is now prepared to claim her as his mate. But another alpha--honestly, can you have too many?--Malcolm Cole is out for mating rights as well and what transpires is a gong show of action and who-dunnit.
I loved all the intense action surrounding Lily. One minute she's safe and back in her childhood city, the next she is a pawn in a dangerous game of cat and mouse. Daniel and Malcolm were both pretty sexy alpha's and I honestly would have been happy with Lily ending up with either of them. You'll have to read the book to see who wins the right to mate with her, but it was wonderful and very satisfying to see.
There wasn't very much sex, although sexual tension was almost constant either for one of the alpha's or between characters, but the sex that was there was scorching! It was hot and raw and verged on violent. Of course my perverse self loved that!
Not to mention that sex for these werewolves was a claiming, a branding of such so the action in the sac was rough and demanding, intense but highly territorial. It was perfect and sexy as hell.
The world building here was cool as well. Vampires are described as myth arising from misconceptions about werewolves and their inclination for blood. That was very different and very risky but it worked here and made these supernatural creatures all the more facinating.
An excellent start to a cool PNR series, and because this series is sold as a compilation pack on Amazon, the other three books remaining are easily accessible.
April 21, 2011
When I first read the description for "The Heat" I thought that is was a paranormal romance. However, after reading the book, I must say that it is much, much more. "The Heat" is a thriller, a mystery blended very well with romance.
10 years ago, Lily St. Clare had the hots for her best friend's brother, Daniel Kane. However, he never gave her the time of day. Lily moved away and moved on with her life. However, after Katrina, she decides to move back to her home town of Baton Rouge to work at the hospital as a counselor. Before she even begins her new job she once again meets up with Daniel but this time he is quite interested in her.
Daniel Kane is the new Chief of Police for Baton Rouge. He is also a a werewolf and womanizer. 10 years ago, he promised his sister to leave her best friend, Lily alone. However, he knew what she was and she was a "dormant," a rare werewolf mate. Now that Lily has returned he can longer stay away from her except he has a job to do and that is catch the serial killer who has come to town. He know who it is, it is the famous murder mystery writer Cole. Or is it?
The plot for this book had so many twists and turns that I could hardly get enough. Lily is not some tough woman but she is very strong minded and determined to do the right thing. Many authors stretch out a book into series. Not so with Ms. Killough-Walden. She gives you page after page of intrigue, mystery and romance to keep you going and then wraps it up with a bang! I truly enjoyed this book and will probably go on to read the others in this series.
10 years ago, Lily St. Clare had the hots for her best friend's brother, Daniel Kane. However, he never gave her the time of day. Lily moved away and moved on with her life. However, after Katrina, she decides to move back to her home town of Baton Rouge to work at the hospital as a counselor. Before she even begins her new job she once again meets up with Daniel but this time he is quite interested in her.
Daniel Kane is the new Chief of Police for Baton Rouge. He is also a a werewolf and womanizer. 10 years ago, he promised his sister to leave her best friend, Lily alone. However, he knew what she was and she was a "dormant," a rare werewolf mate. Now that Lily has returned he can longer stay away from her except he has a job to do and that is catch the serial killer who has come to town. He know who it is, it is the famous murder mystery writer Cole. Or is it?
The plot for this book had so many twists and turns that I could hardly get enough. Lily is not some tough woman but she is very strong minded and determined to do the right thing. Many authors stretch out a book into series. Not so with Ms. Killough-Walden. She gives you page after page of intrigue, mystery and romance to keep you going and then wraps it up with a bang! I truly enjoyed this book and will probably go on to read the others in this series.
February 6, 2014
Coming home to Louisiana, Lily St. Claire expected to spend time with her best friend and reconnect with others from her past, she was not prepared to see former crush Officer Daniel Kane so soon though. Daniel is everything she had ever dreamed of in a man, but he had never shown any interest as well as a reputation as the town playboy kept her crush at bay.
Daniel promised his sister once he would stay away from Lily, but now that she is back he wants to claim his mate. He has to figure out away to claim her without freaking her out, but that time never comes when an enemy has set his sight on her as well and someone in town is on a murdering spree which Daniel needs to figure out before another victim shows up.
Loved it, loved it, loved it. Daniel is major alpha and although he is protecting Lily, crosses the line with her in a very bossy alpha way, which completely shatters Lily crush fantasy and she has had enough. Let the fireworks begin!
Daniel promised his sister once he would stay away from Lily, but now that she is back he wants to claim his mate. He has to figure out away to claim her without freaking her out, but that time never comes when an enemy has set his sight on her as well and someone in town is on a murdering spree which Daniel needs to figure out before another victim shows up.
Loved it, loved it, loved it. Daniel is major alpha and although he is protecting Lily, crosses the line with her in a very bossy alpha way, which completely shatters Lily crush fantasy and she has had enough. Let the fireworks begin!
May 10, 2011
Lily St. Claire is returning home after 10 years away. She moved away trying to forget about Daniel Kane, her best friend's brother.
She has been dreaming about Daniel's sapphire blue eyes for years and now she has started dreaming about another man with green eyes, Malcolm Cole.
Daniel realizes she is his mate as soon as he catches her scent. Recently named the Chief of Police of Baton Rouge he is investigating a serial killer who has Lily in his sites.
But, Daniel has competition. Malcolm Cole, the well known writer who is an alpha werewolf wants Lily as his mate since she is a Dormant, a woman who can bear werewolf children.
Malcolm has been cursed by a Roma gypsy during WW2 when he was serving as a British Spy in Germany.
Hunters have been around for years eliminating Werewolves and they seem to be targeting Daniel's friends and family.
My problem with this book starts with the many kidnappings Lily faces, the way the men behave around her. It is one thing to be a dominant alpha werewolf, another to be an abuser. The romance is not believable. Daniel seems extremely immature and I was rooting for Malcolm most of the time since he was mistakenly cursed. Then, he disappears from the book all together.
cross posted at my blog http://mrsleifs.blogspot.com
2/5 Fangs
She has been dreaming about Daniel's sapphire blue eyes for years and now she has started dreaming about another man with green eyes, Malcolm Cole.
Daniel realizes she is his mate as soon as he catches her scent. Recently named the Chief of Police of Baton Rouge he is investigating a serial killer who has Lily in his sites.
But, Daniel has competition. Malcolm Cole, the well known writer who is an alpha werewolf wants Lily as his mate since she is a Dormant, a woman who can bear werewolf children.
Malcolm has been cursed by a Roma gypsy during WW2 when he was serving as a British Spy in Germany.
Hunters have been around for years eliminating Werewolves and they seem to be targeting Daniel's friends and family.
My problem with this book starts with the many kidnappings Lily faces, the way the men behave around her. It is one thing to be a dominant alpha werewolf, another to be an abuser. The romance is not believable. Daniel seems extremely immature and I was rooting for Malcolm most of the time since he was mistakenly cursed. Then, he disappears from the book all together.
cross posted at my blog http://mrsleifs.blogspot.com
2/5 Fangs
September 14, 2016
After reading The Vampire King and having some questions about a few of the characters that popped up, I decided, since I liked that book so much, to try the Big Bad Wolf series by Killough-Walden. I must say after reading the first book in the series I'm impressed and excited. I usually skip wolf series altogether because they've never really kept my interest in the past but this one certainly grabbed it from the beginning.
Lily St Claire is back after ten years. She's visiting with her best friend Tabitha when Daniel, Tabitha's brother comes to visit. Things start to spiral out of control fairly quickly from the moment she see's him. She's thrust into a world she knows nothing about. Forced now between two Alpha Werewolves.
What a wild ride from beginning to end. I started to feel bad for Lily come the middle of this one. How much can one girl go through before she goes a little crazy herself.
I'm excited about the rest of the series as well. I have to give the author credit for getting me interested in wolves. I love the world she's created and I can't wait to read more.
Lily St Claire is back after ten years. She's visiting with her best friend Tabitha when Daniel, Tabitha's brother comes to visit. Things start to spiral out of control fairly quickly from the moment she see's him. She's thrust into a world she knows nothing about. Forced now between two Alpha Werewolves.
What a wild ride from beginning to end. I started to feel bad for Lily come the middle of this one. How much can one girl go through before she goes a little crazy herself.
I'm excited about the rest of the series as well. I have to give the author credit for getting me interested in wolves. I love the world she's created and I can't wait to read more.
November 11, 2011
This book had everything i love!! Feisty chick, hot guy & plenty of action (and no i'm not talking about sex scenes although there is a rather good one in here lol). The action & suspense is almost non-stop & i couldn't put my Kindle down til i had finished! Have downloaded the rest in this series ready to get stuck into:o)
July 15, 2023
Daniel parts were muy entertaining but everything else should’ve been cut cause it was pointless and dumb. Especially allen or whatever his name was like what was that afterthought all about
December 25, 2011
Book Description:
The women of Baton Rouge have often dreamed about Daniel Kane; his blue-black hair, sapphire-blue eyes and the muscular body that has so deliciously held many of them captive in bed. Lily St. Claire has dreamed of him too, but her dreams are different: Daniel approaches her in human form before there is a blinding flash of light. In the next instant, a large black wolf stands in his place, watching her through Daniel’s piercing blue eyes.
Having returned to Louisiana after a decade away, Lily meets up with Daniel again. He’s now the Police Chief of Baton Rouge, and she fast becomes victim to his Southern drawl, slow sexuality, and killer smile.
For Daniel, Lily St. Claire was the girl who got away. But when she returns and Daniel catches her scent, he knows that his attraction to her is something more; she was always meant to be his. Beautiful golden-haired and golden-eyed Lily St. Claire is his Dormant, the one woman on Earth meant to share his life and become his mate. Dormants are rare and more precious than anything to an alpha, for Hunters continue to viciously attack the werewolf community, ever dwindling their already scant numbers – and Dormants are the only females alive who can bear werewolf children.
Just as a murderous crime wave breaks out in Baton Rouge, Daniel forces his mark upon Lily for her protection. He soon learns, however, that even his mark can only protect her so far, as she finds herself the prey of both werewolf and Hunter alike.
My Thoughts:
This book was right in the middle for me. I didn't hate it or love it. It was just, "Mehhh, okay."
Daniel and Lily were satisfactory, at best, as lead characters. Daniel didn't particularly strike me as alpha anything. Ms. Killough-Walden did nothing, IMO, to portray him as such, other than stating that he was. He wasn't an exemplary lead at all. Malcolm seemed more alpha to me than Daniel did.
I didn't understand Lily's character at all or what the author wanted her character to be. I understood the fact that she was a dormant and that pretty much any alpha could "activate" her, so to speak. However, I don't understand why she had to become "wet" and "aroused" by so many men...Daniel, Malcolm, Malcolm's men. Kinda a bit sluttastic for a female lead, huh? Another issue I had with the book is that Lily seemed to get some sexual thrill out of pain. We are not talking BDSM here. We are talking she was actually getting aroused when Malcolm was hurting her and when Daniel was holding her by her throat. I'm sorry...but violence of any kind brings out my "fight" nature not my "ooh, let me rub up again you like a cat in heat" nature. I just didn't get it...and I didn't care for that part of the story at all.
The story was sufficient. No Pulitzer's will be won on this book. It was a solid C story with a few grammatical errors that were not enough to completely detract from it.
The women of Baton Rouge have often dreamed about Daniel Kane; his blue-black hair, sapphire-blue eyes and the muscular body that has so deliciously held many of them captive in bed. Lily St. Claire has dreamed of him too, but her dreams are different: Daniel approaches her in human form before there is a blinding flash of light. In the next instant, a large black wolf stands in his place, watching her through Daniel’s piercing blue eyes.
Having returned to Louisiana after a decade away, Lily meets up with Daniel again. He’s now the Police Chief of Baton Rouge, and she fast becomes victim to his Southern drawl, slow sexuality, and killer smile.
For Daniel, Lily St. Claire was the girl who got away. But when she returns and Daniel catches her scent, he knows that his attraction to her is something more; she was always meant to be his. Beautiful golden-haired and golden-eyed Lily St. Claire is his Dormant, the one woman on Earth meant to share his life and become his mate. Dormants are rare and more precious than anything to an alpha, for Hunters continue to viciously attack the werewolf community, ever dwindling their already scant numbers – and Dormants are the only females alive who can bear werewolf children.
Just as a murderous crime wave breaks out in Baton Rouge, Daniel forces his mark upon Lily for her protection. He soon learns, however, that even his mark can only protect her so far, as she finds herself the prey of both werewolf and Hunter alike.
My Thoughts:
This book was right in the middle for me. I didn't hate it or love it. It was just, "Mehhh, okay."
Daniel and Lily were satisfactory, at best, as lead characters. Daniel didn't particularly strike me as alpha anything. Ms. Killough-Walden did nothing, IMO, to portray him as such, other than stating that he was. He wasn't an exemplary lead at all. Malcolm seemed more alpha to me than Daniel did.
I didn't understand Lily's character at all or what the author wanted her character to be. I understood the fact that she was a dormant and that pretty much any alpha could "activate" her, so to speak. However, I don't understand why she had to become "wet" and "aroused" by so many men...Daniel, Malcolm, Malcolm's men. Kinda a bit sluttastic for a female lead, huh? Another issue I had with the book is that Lily seemed to get some sexual thrill out of pain. We are not talking BDSM here. We are talking she was actually getting aroused when Malcolm was hurting her and when Daniel was holding her by her throat. I'm sorry...but violence of any kind brings out my "fight" nature not my "ooh, let me rub up again you like a cat in heat" nature. I just didn't get it...and I didn't care for that part of the story at all.
The story was sufficient. No Pulitzer's will be won on this book. It was a solid C story with a few grammatical errors that were not enough to completely detract from it.
May 8, 2011
Not sure I can finish this book. I'm more than halfway through and while the narrator insists that the main character is "strong" she has been been nothing but the opposite so far. Describing a character as such when their actions in the book don't show this is not sufficient. I think my definition of a strong woman (or man) is very different than the author's. My definition includes someone who fights back when they or their loved ones are hurt or threatened, not complying with every request made by the antagonist after a token amount of useless resistance.
Also, while I understand this is a self-published book, basic editing by a friend or anyone else would have been very helpful to avoid common errors like "breaks" instead of "brakes" and other numerous mistakes that detract from the reading experience.
Also, while I understand this is a self-published book, basic editing by a friend or anyone else would have been very helpful to avoid common errors like "breaks" instead of "brakes" and other numerous mistakes that detract from the reading experience.
May 14, 2015
2.5 Stars
September 6, 2012
this book was a complete suprise to me. I love suprises! What a great story and a different twist on the werewolf world. Magic!
July 19, 2021
2nd reread went down a star.
Read
January 29, 20182nd attempt to read
December 21, 2012
Heather Killough-Walden’s Big Bad Wolf series has been near the top of my to read pile for some time and after finishing ‘The Heat’ I am asking myself why I left it so long! This book has made me seriously reassess my usual preference for vampires as this author’s werewolves are not only smart and uber dominant, but have an earthy get down and dirty sex appeal.
In ‘The Heat’, 28 year old Lily St Claire returns to her childhood town of Baton Rouge, which she left after high school, to take up a post of Social Worker at a local hospital. The plot opens with her having a girly night in with her lifelong friend Tabitha, with whom she has kept in touch with. Daniel, Tabitha’s big brother (an alpha werewolf) has just been promoted to Police Chief, soon arrives at the scene. Daniel was attracted to Lily at school, but was warned off her by Tabitha. Daniel contented himself with meaningless short term flings, many of which were with Lily’s friends, to compensate. Lily for her part has always been attracted to Daniel, but believed that she was not his type as he always kept a distance. She has been having vivid dreams about Daniel changing into wolf since her teenage years. Now Daniel is older he immediately catches Lily’s scent and recognises that she is a true dormant and therefore a potential mate. Dormants are in decline and highly valued as werewolves can only get their chosen mate pregnant and thus ensure the future of their race. He vows to succumb to his attraction this time and Lily, although knowing nothing of the werewolf world, is equally attracted.
Lily mentions to Tabitha that her favourite mystery author, Malcolm Cole (of whom she has also had vivid dreams), is in town and that she plans to attend his book signing. Malcolm is a very powerful alpha werewolf who is also a violent killer who has avoided prosecution by both werewolf and human law. Tabitha warns Daniel who fears that Malcom recognises that Lily is a dormant and plans to make her his mate, a situation he cannot tolerate.
To protect Lily Daniel virtually kidnaps her and takes her back to his home intent on explaining the situation to her to protect her from harm. He manages to explain that Malclolm is a killer but then he is called away to a violent scene of carnage and murder at the Mayor’s home and only has time to mark her as his mate, without explaining his true nature or what he is doing. This scene is sexually charged and highly erotic. Lily is very angry and confused when she wakes up. Fortunately Tabitha, sent by Daniel to watch over her, is able to reveal the existence of werewolves and to apologise on Daniel’s behalf, explaining that his actions, although appearing callous were carried out to protect her from other alphas, principally Malcolm Cole. She explains that only dormants dream of werewolves in their true form and that Lily is likely to be Daniel’s intended mate.
I will not divulge any more of the plot, but suffice to say that it involves a Malcolm Cole determined to have Lily as his mate at any cost, numerous fight scenes and black magic, lots of sexual tension and a number of erotic sex scenes. We are also introduced to the respective members of Daniel’s and Malcolm’s packs and hunters determined to eradicate werewolves as they view them as evil. We have to wait until the book’s exciting conclusion before we find out if Lily and Daniel complete their mating bond and find their HEA.
The author’s character descriptions and development are strong. I found Daniel to be a sexy, dominant werewolf, full of Southern charm and very protective of those close to him. However, as a relatively young alpha, he can act a little impulsively and will have to learn to curb this trait as he becomes more powerful. I found this slight flaw to be endearing and I am sure that Lily will be more than a match for him to keep him in check. Lily is a strong woman, showing strong empathy. She is brave and does not hesitate to sacrifice herself to help others. Whilst attracted to Daniel, she is understandably resentful that he marked her without her consent. There is also strong chemistry between her and Malcolm, although she does her best to resist it as she is repelled by his murderous past.
I adored the character of Malcolm Cole. At 94 years old he is a very powerful werewolf with a dark history. He is a tortured character and desperate to find his true mate and does not care how ruthless he needs to be to ensure that Lily is his. Lily’s dreams help explain his actions but Malcolm is not keen to discuss his past. The scenes between him and Lily are also very erotic as they engage in a battle of wills and sparkling repartee.
Secondary characters include Tabitha, Daniel’s sister and Lily’s friend, who is very defensive of Lily and furious with how Daniel forces his mark on her, Jennings, a human, who is one of Daniel’s trusted team members on the force and James, also an alpha, who is allied with Malcolm, but is very protective of Lily and thinks that Daniel is not good enough for her.
The novel is both sexy and fun. It has its dark moments and does contain some violence, but it also has a humorous side. The author’s descriptions of the nature of werewolves and aspects of their culture were also well done. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy paranormal romance or urban fantasy. I will certainly not be leaving it too long before I read the next book in the series.
August 12, 2021
It was aaiiight, I'm being generous. 2.5 stars.
I just can't with everyone being obsessed with Lily. Like there are no other women on this entire planet. Things started out kind of rapey and then got very rapey, not fun. Didn't catch any "love" vibes but a whole lot of "mindless animals in heat" vibes.
Which explains the title...
I just can't with everyone being obsessed with Lily. Like there are no other women on this entire planet. Things started out kind of rapey and then got very rapey, not fun. Didn't catch any "love" vibes but a whole lot of "mindless animals in heat" vibes.
Which explains the title...
December 26, 2018
Wow, what a twist! Very well written and narrated. I will definitely be finishing the Series and it's Spin-off.
May 3, 2019
It would be quicker to explain to h whats happening instead of kidnapping her and scaring the shit outta her. DNF.
March 25, 2017
I read this series before I had goodreads. I do enjoy them. This isn't the first time I've reread them and I doubt it will be the last.
May 6, 2015
Lily St.Claire has always wanted her best friends brother...Daniel. But it seems that he doesn't feel the same since he's been with all of her friends but her. After returning back home to Baton Rouge 10 years later she reunites with Daniel and he's made a complete 180. But what Lily doesn't know is that Daniel's a werewolf and she is his attended mate. The only reason he didn't claim her 10 years ago was because he promised his sister that he would leave her alone. But know that Lily's all grown up and back in town all bets are off! He's going to make her his no matter the cost.
Unfortunately, Lily is a Dormant(an intended werewolf mate and the only ones that can bare werewolf children) and Daniel's not the only Alpha out there trying to claim a mate. There's a killer on the loose in Baton Rouge and he's after Lily so Daniel forces his mark on her for protection...but werewolves aren't the only ones out there. Hunters are also targeting Dormants and werewolves to eradicate their race.
I was completely caught off guard by this werewolf tale. I wasnt super excited to read it but it was 99cents, Im a book junkie so I bought it anyway. And Im soooo glad that I did....I loved every minute of it. The romance was great and I was totally sucked in. What I loved about the heroine was that even though she's human and can't possibly defeat a werewolf she has balls and tries it anyway. For instance. There was a little mystery thrown in there too. There's a serial killer on the loose and all fingers point to Malcolm Cole. He's a famous mystery/thriller author and an Alpha werewolf who suposedly is a murderer who uses his exploits for his books...the problem is the Werewolf Council can't catch him in the act so they just leave him be. All in all I am definitely going to start the next one asap and am now a fan of the Big Bad Wolf series;)
Unfortunately, Lily is a Dormant(an intended werewolf mate and the only ones that can bare werewolf children) and Daniel's not the only Alpha out there trying to claim a mate. There's a killer on the loose in Baton Rouge and he's after Lily so Daniel forces his mark on her for protection...but werewolves aren't the only ones out there. Hunters are also targeting Dormants and werewolves to eradicate their race.
I was completely caught off guard by this werewolf tale. I wasnt super excited to read it but it was 99cents, Im a book junkie so I bought it anyway. And Im soooo glad that I did....I loved every minute of it. The romance was great and I was totally sucked in. What I loved about the heroine was that even though she's human and can't possibly defeat a werewolf she has balls and tries it anyway. For instance. There was a little mystery thrown in there too. There's a serial killer on the loose and all fingers point to Malcolm Cole. He's a famous mystery/thriller author and an Alpha werewolf who suposedly is a murderer who uses his exploits for his books...the problem is the Werewolf Council can't catch him in the act so they just leave him be. All in all I am definitely going to start the next one asap and am now a fan of the Big Bad Wolf series;)
March 30, 2011
I thought this was a fun little book. It wasn't perfect but it kept my attention to the end and it was entertaining. I personally don't think I would have been quite as accepting as Lily was of being repeatedly kidnapped for nefarious purposes but she managed pretty well and came out of it okay in the end.
I really liked the secondary characters, especially Malcolm Cole and James Valentine. I liked that Cole wasn't a clear-cut bad guy. I liked that Valentine had his reasons for doing what he did. I wasn't nearly as enamoured of the female secondary characters... wait, there was only one female secondary, wasn't there? Tabitha, Daniel's sister. She confused me. I had a hard time deciding if she was a werewolf or not. I have this thought in the back of my head that Tabby explained that the werewolf gene is passed down through the male side of the line but maybe I'm wrong. Is she a werewolf? Isn't she? I don't know. Not that it was all that important to the overall plot, I just had that confusion that I mentioned above.
Lily and Daniel were fun. I have no problem with the fact that he was kinda a dominating asshole. It didn't bother me in the least and it made him weirdly hotter.
Overall, it was an imaginative book with a fun batch of characters and an intriguing premise. I will be picking up the others in the series at some point to see if those secondary characters get their just desserts.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
I really liked the secondary characters, especially Malcolm Cole and James Valentine. I liked that Cole wasn't a clear-cut bad guy. I liked that Valentine had his reasons for doing what he did. I wasn't nearly as enamoured of the female secondary characters... wait, there was only one female secondary, wasn't there? Tabitha, Daniel's sister. She confused me. I had a hard time deciding if she was a werewolf or not. I have this thought in the back of my head that Tabby explained that the werewolf gene is passed down through the male side of the line but maybe I'm wrong. Is she a werewolf? Isn't she? I don't know. Not that it was all that important to the overall plot, I just had that confusion that I mentioned above.
Lily and Daniel were fun. I have no problem with the fact that he was kinda a dominating asshole. It didn't bother me in the least and it made him weirdly hotter.
Overall, it was an imaginative book with a fun batch of characters and an intriguing premise. I will be picking up the others in the series at some point to see if those secondary characters get their just desserts.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
January 30, 2012
The Heat, is a PNR mixed with thriller and suspense yet all three are erotically potent when muddled up! What can I say Heather Killough-Walden left me panting… and flushed… leaving me drained with a big smile on my face! I have never tried this genre before, but I loved… loved everything about this book! The author is a brilliant storyteller who kept me enthralled and spellbound to this book like no other author had! Ever! Heather Killough- Walden’s writing is somewhat dark, almost disparaging and cynical in nature yet her characters are genuine and don't always act as they should, the "good" guys have faults, the bad guys have good reasons to be bad and Walden always thrives in making you both sympathetic and empathetic and in one sitting.
I mean, some fascinating writing has kept me rapt, but nothing like this have enthralled me before! And I have never wanted to sing odes to any writer’s perfection, though; Walden’s writing is making me want to sing! What can I say, Action packed, heart pounding, heart racing, edge of my sit, lust, love, and finally…. Respite! And when I think that may be just maybe… the hero and heroine might catch a break, something else happens that keeps me on the edge of my sit once or twice again! All I can say is… get curious… cross the thin line if you dare! Come over to the dark side… you might like it or not…But be sure to be 25 years of age and up! I loved it! 4 stars and Scorching.
http://dawnandwinniebookreviews.blogs...
I mean, some fascinating writing has kept me rapt, but nothing like this have enthralled me before! And I have never wanted to sing odes to any writer’s perfection, though; Walden’s writing is making me want to sing! What can I say, Action packed, heart pounding, heart racing, edge of my sit, lust, love, and finally…. Respite! And when I think that may be just maybe… the hero and heroine might catch a break, something else happens that keeps me on the edge of my sit once or twice again! All I can say is… get curious… cross the thin line if you dare! Come over to the dark side… you might like it or not…But be sure to be 25 years of age and up! I loved it! 4 stars and Scorching.
http://dawnandwinniebookreviews.blogs...
February 28, 2011
meh. the 2nd book in this series - 'the strip' - is SO much better. better characters, fo'shizzle. could not stand lily (the heroine in this book) but when she shows up in the 2nd books, she's slihgtly more likable. slightly.
the editing in both is the pits, though. typos, spelling errors, amateur hour.
i'll continue with the series, as long as the price remains low. if you're one of those people who gauge their level of enjoyment against how much they had to fork out, then get this book. definitely bang for your buck. but over a buck... dicey.
the editing in both is the pits, though. typos, spelling errors, amateur hour.
i'll continue with the series, as long as the price remains low. if you're one of those people who gauge their level of enjoyment against how much they had to fork out, then get this book. definitely bang for your buck. but over a buck... dicey.
April 10, 2011
I liked the idea of a paranormal werewolf romance and for $1 on Amazon, I figured I couldn't go wrong. The story was interesting. I liked the werewolves in this tale and I liked Lily. The writing was a bit redundant in places and could have used some editing to tighten it up but that is to be expected of a self-published work. I DID have a bit of a problem with Lily being kidnapped on 3 separate occasions by 3 separate people- I mean, seriously, how much kidnapping can one small storyline take??
March 29, 2011
This is the fourth book I've bought for $.99 cents from Heather K.- Walden, I was little put off when I read so many negative reviews, but I figured for the price I didn't have much to lose.
Again I got sucked in with in the first few pages, I guess I just enjoy her style of writing, I like her character's development, I thought it was a good beginning to the series, so yes, to me it was worth the $.99 cents.
Again I got sucked in with in the first few pages, I guess I just enjoy her style of writing, I like her character's development, I thought it was a good beginning to the series, so yes, to me it was worth the $.99 cents.
April 1, 2012
This book was great! I wish we had .5 stars so I could rate these books exactly how I want to... I would have rated it a 4.5, but I usually only rate a book a 5 when I feel like I can't put the book down. I didn't really have that feeling with this book, but I still enjoyed it a lot. I loved the characters & the storyline; however some parts were predictable. I would definitely recommend this book to other people.
March 22, 2011
I bought this book for a dollar and I can't believe how good it was. We were just talking about book prices and I said if it was selling for under 2.99 it probably wasn't any good. Well shame on me, what a bargain.
I am looking forward to the next one, and recommend to all PNR lovers, and lovers of a good bargain lol!
I am looking forward to the next one, and recommend to all PNR lovers, and lovers of a good bargain lol!
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