Welcome to America's most dangerous town. Ian Donovan lives a life on the edge. The bastard son of an alpha, he's a lone wolf fighting to survive in the Colorado wilds. No pack. No code. Until the woman showed up. Anna Gold studies shifters - their secret rituals, their renegade lives. Everyone knows shifters are untrustworthy and deadly, especially in the hard-luck, shifter-only town of Shifter Falls. But Anna has never met a wolf until the day she springs Ian from prison to study him. Not only is Ian so hot he's a distraction, he's definitely dangerous. And he's the wrong guy to fall for. Because the pack alpha is dead. A new leader must be chosen. An Ian's three brothers want to kill him for it. No one said life in the Falls was easy...
**This is a standalone, full-length book with NO cliffhanger**
Life is complicated. It's also short. What's the point of being afraid of it? Love is love.
This was boring, I didn't feel any chemistry between the characters. It was an interesting concept with a town were people could change in any animal, not only wolf, but it got boring when it was said that only men could shift. The "big fight" at the end was really underwhelming and it was as good as if it wasn't written. It was also a really quick read, easily comprehensible. Just an "okay" book in the end. Interesting concept, good writing, boring story.
Shifter stories aren't my normal genre preference, but I like one every now and then as a change of pace.
This is fairly standard with just a few world differences to other wolf shifter stories. The set-up of the alpha being dead and no one stepping up to be alpha was nicely done and was a good way to set up conflict within the pack. The deceased alpha had four sons and they were nicely developed with their own distinct personalities. This story centered on Ian and future stories are set to be centered on the other three brothers.
The development of a relationship between Anna and Ian was nicely done and fairly open about their feelings for each other. The book cover seems off as the tattooed male makes me think islander versus the wolf shifter tattoos described in detail in the book.
There were a couple of weak points for me in the book. The first of which is Ian sending Anna home to Denver before the conflict with the "bad" shifters who threatened her was over. Letting her go with no protection falls into the TSTL category. And my other issue was the lack of communication for a couple of months. Earlier in the book, the communication between the two seemed open and honest and the separation without communication seemed contrived.
This was a pretty short novella that I picked up for free for my Kindle. It was a nice example of the author's writing voice and I would read more of her books.
This book was such a great surprise. I had my doubts, I mean not only was it a freebie, it was also pretty short. I'm happy to say I liked it, maybe even really liked it. Maybe.
Anna Gold is studying shifters and decides that Ian Donovan is the perfect subject. He's in prison for something bordering on trivial but because he's a shifter, he has been in prison far longer than he should be. Anna makes a deal and manages to get him out of prison if he will take her to Shifter Falls and allow her to study him and shifters in general. The only problem is that shifter politics are brutal and violent and Ian has to keep Anna close in order to keep her safe. The more time they spend together, the more they are drawn to each other and eventually fall in love. It was a little on the darker side, but I enjoyed that. Ian's life story wasn't a bucket of rainbows and I appreciated the book not pretending that Anna's love would magically fix him.
This book was quite short, not even two hundred pages. Introducing a bunch of characters and also somehow explaining how the shifter world works could have easily become an info-dump disaster. I loved that this was completely avoided by Anna's research project, which gave her a legitimate reason to ask a million different questions. It allowed us to get a good look into Ian's family and it provided a good set up for the rest of the series.
I really liked Ian. In fact, I loved him. He didn't have a miraculous change from violent shifter into a puddle of sentimental goop as soon as he fell for Anna. He spoke the same, was still quiet, still rough around the edges, but he was also gentler, his aggressiveness was focused on protecting Anna and he went out of his way to make sure she understood she never had anything to fear from him. Anna actually had half a brain. She was smart, determined, and a great match for Ian. Ian and Anna were honest with each other and acted like actual adults. What a concept.
I wasn't exactly a fan of the whole, I'm an evil shifter, therefore, I'm going to threaten to rape you because that's what all villains in romance novels do. In a weird way, I understand why it's used a lot in shifter romances (the whole claiming/mate/bond thing) but I don't have to like it. Surely threatening to kill someone's mate would have the same desired effect.
Murder...Rape...Murder. I'll take murder.
As for the writing, I thought it was really well done. It was the kind of writing that you don't notice because there isn't anything to notice. It flowed nicely and I was too involved with the plot to give it a second thought. It's the best kind of escapism.
I absolutely recommend it for lovers of shifter romance. It's short, but not too short, and enough characters were introduced to make me look forward to reading the rest of the series. My verdict?
I'm surprised by how much I liked this. I'm not sure if I was just dying to get back into a fantasy world or what, because wow I loved this. I also didn't put it down to sleep, but thankfully my man is pretty persuasive.
The fact that shifters are known, but disliked was a new aspect, as well as Anna researching the shifters. It didn't add much to the story, but I have a feeling that it will. Also, there are other shifters besides wolves which I always enjoy. While the series will focus on the Donovan brothers, there is still a possibility that other shifters will get romances and such too!
I thought this was written well. I believe there were a few errors, but nothing too distracting. I thought the flow was good even though the book is pretty short. I loved the grungy dangerous feel to the book.
The characters are great. Anna isn't an idiot (THANK YOU) and she seems like a normal human being. The brothers are all different following stereotypes that long time readers of this genre will probably recognize. Let me add this: I do think some of the obstacles in the book were almost anti-climatic or didn't need much effort to overcome, but considering the page amount, I guess that makes sense.
All in all, I totally loved this book and once I have my own income, I do plan on buying the next books. I really want...well, all of their stories, but I'm looking forward to Brody's and Heath's stories, yet Brody is last!!! I'll have to buy them all and I'm looking forward to it.
This is pretty standard shifter paranormal romance. There isn't a lot to make it stand out as superb or unusual. But for being bog standard PNR it does what it does quite well. The writing is good, the editing non-distracting, the dialogue smooth, the characters likable and the romance not insta-love (though being so short it doesn't have a lot of time to develop). What I liked most was that Ian and Anna never played coy, dragging out a lot of misunderstandings and hidden feelings. She was willing to ask the obvious questions and he was willing to give honest answers about his feelings. That was quite satisfying.
As always, I thought the need to make the bad guy threaten to rape the heroine was unneeded. I really don't understand why authors think they HAVE to make a villain a sexual deviant to make him evil. I mean, being a murder is enough all by its self. But somehow the heroine in such books always has to almost get raped. This is a trope I could do without, but seems to be as expected in the plot as a HEA. It's so common I'm tempted to call it cliched, and how sad is that?!
For the most part, however, I enjoyed the book and I'd be willing to read more of the series.
Edit: As an aside, concerning the cover, I know it's a small thing and authors don't always have a lot of control over it, but when the character has very specific tattoos that are well described and play a part in the book, but the character on the cover has very different, non-related tattoos, readers notice. It's a disconnect and annoying. Not to mention that the character is described as having longish hair, a beard and prominent scars on his back. People notice these things.
This excellent story offers a refreshing take on the usual werewolf romance. Our hero isn't the pack alpha and is content not to be. He's an alpha male without being an utter jerk about it. Our heroine is a sheltered academic who discovers the strength within herself, although it takes a friend's counsel to help her make the right decision. The four brothers in this story have their flaws and secrets that will undoubtedly be revealed in the series. The writing is very good and the editing superb. All in all, this book deserves a 5-star rating.
This is the first in a paranormal romance series. It was fine. Sweet and well written. It's just completely predictable, and the magic/world building elements aren't strong enough to make up for the predictability. I don't see the point in reading more of this series.
This was a good start to a new series. I really enjoyed the relationship building and the characters. The world was very unique but easy to understand. I liked that there was action and a little drams. I am looking forward to seeing where Ms Green takes this. Ian, OOOHHH holy wolfy Alpha!!! He was a great H for me to read. I like when they are secure in themselves enough to be tender with their mate but fierce with everyone else. He was well balanced but not a pushover. I also liked that he didn't get bitter with Anna. Anna was intriguing as well. She was observant but not a know-it all. She was perfect for Ian and the brothers with strength she didn't even know she had. I cant wait to see where the other brothers lead and I hope to see their relationship converge into a closer bond.
The writing is amazing! I love all romance books no matter the genre but I have a soft spot for shifter books. Must be the loyalty that is not often shown in the real world these days. But this book was amazing to read... I won't say anything to spoil it but this is a must read. 5 unforgettable stars!
Yes! Yes! Yes! Not being a big fan of paranormal/shifter books in general I didn't know what the outcome would be when I decided to read it. I'm so glad I did!! The fact that I have a series that includes 3 more books to read after this makes me even happier.
I loved the premise from the beginning. She's saving him, he's saving her. A band of werewolf Donovan brothers!! I mean come on?! I don't know how this ranks in comparison to other shifter books to those whose preferred genre is paranormal and I don't care. For me it had all the elements that I love. A sexy, loyal Alpha, a bold and quirky heroine and a solid cast of supporting characters. The story line was different also which made it even more appealing.
I look forward to reading about the rest of the Donovan boys as they find their mates!!
In Amy Green's world, humans and shifters tolerate each other in an uneasy truce. Shifters live on their own, generally in the wilderness, far from major cities, and humans mostly leave them alone. Anna Gold, a graduate student in social work, believes that shifters are misunderstood and under serviced by the system. She is determined to write her thesis about shifters and their unique needs. In order to do so, she wrangles a deal to get Ian Donovan, one of four bastard sons of the late alpha, out of prison on an early release in exchange for being her research subject. Ian isn't opposed to getting out of jail six months early after spending a year in prison for a conviction that would have netted a human a slap on the wrist. He does not, however, have any interest in taking Anna to Shifter Town, a dangerous place at the best of times and which is most likely in chaos after his father's death because his brothers have failed to choose a new alpha. Ian doesn't count on Anna's determination to follow through with her plan or his wolf's decision that Anna just might be their mate.
I really enjoyed this story. It followed a fairly standard shifter world set up, but that did not detract from the story in the least. In fact, it made it much simpler for the author to dive right in to the heart of the story without having to devote excessive amounts of time on explanations. The characters were realistic and engaging. Anna came across well as an adventurous graduate student who is attracted to her research subject against her better judgment. Ian and his brothers portrayed the wary and volatile family dynamic of brothers who had grown up being pitted against one another by their sadistic father. They all remained true to character, even as they struggled to negotiate a workable truce for the sake of their town. The romance between Ian and Anna was believable and progressed at a reasonable rate, given their circumstances. They didn't immediately fall all over each other the first time they were alone together, but when they did get together there was plenty of heat. This world and these characters were interesting enough that I'll get book two, just to see what happens with the Donovan brothers next.
I want to say this was your typical wolf shifter book, except all four brothers hated the shit out of each other, enough to try and kill each other! That shit was just weird as fuck since shifter communities tend to stick together, pack and all that...but these four asshats couldn't be in the same room together without insulting one another.
I knew from the start there was more to the Donovan brothers that just hatred and animosity, I was cheering them on in the background, hoping and praying they would realize that they would get better results if they just come together as the brothers that are, the leaders they are and run their pack better than their POS father did. Ultimately it's their decision and while not the best of friends it was enlightening to see the brothers come to some kind of truce. As they keep working together, trust in one another will be easily reached!
Enjoyable read with good, colorful characters. Will definitely continue with series.
I absolutely LOVED this, beginning to end! It was a perfect blend of everything.... great characters, great characterization, plot, pacing, conflict, everything! One of the things I really liked was how the half brothers came together. Despite their differences and distrust and history, when the chips started to come down they saw what needed to be done and came together and got it done. I just LOVED that! Another thing I really liked (and this is a picky-point) is that the brothers all looked different. One trend I've noticed in shifter stories is that the men seem to all look the same, which is highly annoying. One thing I'd have liked to see is more world-building around Amy's shifter world; we get some, just a taste. I can't wait to read the next book!
Er... one note. These books are short, 150-175 pages. I think $2.99 is TOO high priced for such a very short book. I won't be buying the others. I still liked it though. It's the principle of the thing.
3.5 stars. This was a short but good shifter romance. I liked both Ian and Anna and the respect and attraction that was the basis for their relationship. The shifter/wolf politics and troubled relationship between the Donovan brothers was also a great backdrop for Anna & Ian story. It also had a couple of things going for it that lifted it above other shifter stories. 1. While the wolf chose a woman there was none of this fated fated mates guff that litters other shifter stories. That means they actually fall in love with the individual person because of who they are. 2. Consent and respect were 2 major cornerstones of the mating and Ian lived by them. 3. Anna didn't just blindly leap into a lifelong commitment on the basis of good sex. She took the time to think things thru after nearly being killed.
A nice short read. This is the first book by this author. I found the book to be a nice short shifter book. I liked the characters and the story line was nice but I found more problems that I couldn't seem to get past. The issue with who the next alpha should be was a mess, the young nieve waitress said it best with the oldest is the next in line to be alpha so for the 4 brothers to not know who should take the role title and job does not sit well with me. There is a BIG difference between a werewolf and a wolf shifter and for Anna to switch back and forth between the two words like they mean the same thing really irked me through out the book, this is a shifter book, the man turns into a full wolf when he shifts not into a half human half wolf like beast (werewolf). If you want a short light read and don't mind some tech issues then this book would be for you.
3 stars. This was actually a good book. The cover and the fact that it was free made me wary, but I really enjoyed it. I wish it was a little more fleshed out, and I think it could have been an excellent novel if it was longer and the plot was more developed. One thing that really bothered me was the insta-love. I get it on his part, but hers? I mean really? She knew him for a few days! Also, there were a few small inconsistencies that really bugged me (if he's impervious to cold and he only wears a coat to blend in with humans, why does he wear one in Shifter Falls? And they said even Charlie wouldn't cheat on a girlfriend, but he apparently did cheat.). If you're not nit-picky like I am, it probably won't bug you. I am looking forward, though, to see Heath's and Tessa's book.
She wants to study a werewolf in his natural habitat. So she makes a deal with Ian, who actually doesn't want it, but getting free from prison half a year early is doing it for him. But now he has to protect Anna and his wolf wants to claim her.
Next to that their is no new alpha since his father died and somebody is trying to become that in an evil way and Anna is his target.
Ian has to come to turns with his brothers to keep the peace in shifter falls and rescue Anna.
The night before Anna goes home, Ian shows her in a very hot and steamy night how good a life could be with as a werewolf mate
5 STARS for Amy Green with Book 1 of her Shifter Falls Series. She looks at the wolf shifter community different than 90% of the other authors out here, now I don't know how I feel about that but I am 100% sure I love the way these wolves feel about mates. I sighed and laughed at some things in the book plus was totally intrigued by the sexiness of our Rebel and description of his brothers. READ the Blurb, it follows it well. I look forward to reading about those brothers. WARNING: VIOLENCE, VIOLENCE AGAINST A WOMAN, HIGH SEXUAL EROTIC CONTENT AGES 18 & UP NUDITY
Yeah, ok this was good!!! Definitely am interested in getting the 411 on the Donovan bros and Shifter Falls. Although, after reading the intro on the next book, Heath's story, I was a little disappointed about the direction it would be taking. In the first book, when it was mentioned that Heath was forgoing sex with women, I immediately started thinking that perhaps he was bi and used his manwhore rep to hide his true sexuality.
Suffice it to say that would have been an interesting perspective that is an almost unheard of in the PNR genre. Although, Kresley Cole mastered that in one of her IAD series. Anyway, I will continue with the series.
Ian is an alpha werewolf who is in jail for fighting. Anna is a student who wants to be a social worker for werewolves (shifters). She can spring Ian from jail if he agrees to be part of her research project. He agrees to the research terms. When they get to Shifters Fall, Ian feels it is his job to protect Anna. They soon discover there is more between them than just research. Can Anna embrace the werewolf world? Will they find true love?
This novel is an easy read. Adult language and explicit sex.
Loved this! I will definitely be continuing on in the series to see what the Donovan brothers are up to. This shifter world is different as they are known by humans and as you'd imagined generally disliked by humans and keep to their own town/community. With their own rules and own practices. And Anna wants to come to study them because not much is known about their communities. Things don't go very good in some aspects but they go absolutely great in others. I definitely look forward to the next book.
I was just going through my ebook files and renaming some ebooks that needed them when I came across this series. They aren't long books so I read this one on my computer. I really liked it. There was lots of talking and action and not tons of sex until the last part of the book. I loved the characters and can't wait to read about each of the 3 other half brothers. The settings were interesting and so were the people and I loved the way the author set up the storyline. Telling Anna all about the shifter life. Good book!
Have you ever read a book that you wanted to finish but didn’t want it to end? Well that feeling is this book for me. I love the connection and love the different personalities of the characters. She (the author) was able to put the reader into the book like we were there. I love how Ian is and how he answers people. What can I say I love when they are sarcastic assholes. Wolf romance are the at the top of my reading list and this one is starting to become one of my tops.
A new-to-me-author that did not disappoint. A quick easy read with a very good start to a series. I liked the story and wished the reader could have been given more of a background to this world of "shifters," but the simplicity worked. What intrigued me more was the relationship building between the brothers. The quick attraction between the main characters was not really a surprise, since this was a shifter story. Looking forward to each brother's book.