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Cherchez Wolf Pack #1
Ascension
Attacked by werewolves. Mated to the Alpha. Declared a queen. Kari is having an unusual day.
In the Cherchez wolf pack, loyalty is earned, not given. For Andreas, the pull he feels toward Kari cannot be ignored, a physical bond immediate and unbreakable—though Andreas wants to win Kari’s heart as well as her body. But someone isn’t happy about his new mate, and Kari’s just beginning to trust him and the pack when attempted murder threatens their newfound happiness.
Andreas brings out the deepest hunger in Kari, a sexy, passionate side of herself she never knew was there. And her new life as werewolf queen is turning out to be surprisingly emotional in other ways, as well. The bond she feels with Andreas extends to the others in the pack—others she’s now bound to defend.
And as the pack’s enemies are about to discover, Kari will do anything to protect her new family.
In the Cherchez wolf pack, loyalty is earned, not given. For Andreas, the pull he feels toward Kari cannot be ignored, a physical bond immediate and unbreakable—though Andreas wants to win Kari’s heart as well as her body. But someone isn’t happy about his new mate, and Kari’s just beginning to trust him and the pack when attempted murder threatens their newfound happiness.
Andreas brings out the deepest hunger in Kari, a sexy, passionate side of herself she never knew was there. And her new life as werewolf queen is turning out to be surprisingly emotional in other ways, as well. The bond she feels with Andreas extends to the others in the pack—others she’s now bound to defend.
And as the pack’s enemies are about to discover, Kari will do anything to protect her new family.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2007
About the author
Lauren Dane
111 books5,005 followersLauren Dane has been writing stories since she was able to use a pencil, and before that she used to tell them to people. Of course, she still talks nonstop, and through wonderful fate and good fortune, she’s now able to share what she writes with others. It’s a wonderful life!
The basics: Lauren is a mom, a partner, a best friend and a daughter. Living in the rainy but beautiful Pacific Northwest, she spends her late evenings writing like a fiend when she finally wrestles all of her kids to bed.
The basics: Lauren is a mom, a partner, a best friend and a daughter. Living in the rainy but beautiful Pacific Northwest, she spends her late evenings writing like a fiend when she finally wrestles all of her kids to bed.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews
June 22, 2015
Do you like bad writing ?
Do you like simplistic dialogues ?
Do you like stupid-ass characters ?
Do you enjoy reading bad French that shouldn't even be qualified as French ?
If you answered YES to all of the above, this book is for you. If you answered NO to all of the above, then congratulations ! You are the proud owner of a rare thing called common sense.
The main character of this book, who's name I've already forgotten, probably deserves a slot on my Top 5 Stupidest Characters Ever. I shall call her Idiot.
It was a dark and stormy night. Okay, I don't know if it was actually stormy. But it was definitely dark. Which is logical when you think about it, because night is, by definition, dark. So basically everything I've said is useless and you just lost a minute of your life.
Well, stop whining. I lost TWENTY of mine reading this book.
Anyway. Idiot somehow decides it would be a good idea to walk, alone, through a dark alley no one frequents. I mean, come on, that's pretty much how every horror movie starts. HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHING ?
Of course she happens to be attacked by "a big dog" (her words, not mine.) and of course she ends up in the hospital, where she wakes up three days later.
Turns out her doctor and nurse are also amateur kidnappers in their free time.
And this is how Idiot finds herself surrounded by crazy people pretending to be werewolves who try to convince her that she is one too, and is actually their Alpha female. Blablabla.
For about 2.3 seconds, Idiot is NOT okay with having been kidnapped. She even tries to escape, but lives up to my expectations and climbs in the car of someone going in the direction of the place where she was being held.
And then she smells (I kid you not) the Alpha of the pack, her supposedly "true mate", and everything's okay.
Now that we've established that Idiot is, in fact, an idiot, let me tell you about French.
I'll start with the name of the pack: Cherchez.
The Alpha male, who is supposedly French, tells Idiot that it means "Searchers." It most certainly does not.
"Cherchez" is the conjugated form of the verb "chercher", which means "to search", or "to look for".
And then you have the random bits: "belle loup". Make up your mind, dude, it's either "beau loup" or "belle louve". But "Belle" is feminine and "loup" is masculine. The two don't work together.
I'll spare you the rest. (Okay, fine, I'm just too lazy to continue.)
Do you like simplistic dialogues ?
Do you like stupid-ass characters ?
Do you enjoy reading bad French that shouldn't even be qualified as French ?
If you answered YES to all of the above, this book is for you. If you answered NO to all of the above, then congratulations ! You are the proud owner of a rare thing called common sense.
The main character of this book, who's name I've already forgotten, probably deserves a slot on my Top 5 Stupidest Characters Ever. I shall call her Idiot.
It was a dark and stormy night. Okay, I don't know if it was actually stormy. But it was definitely dark. Which is logical when you think about it, because night is, by definition, dark. So basically everything I've said is useless and you just lost a minute of your life.
Well, stop whining. I lost TWENTY of mine reading this book.
Anyway. Idiot somehow decides it would be a good idea to walk, alone, through a dark alley no one frequents. I mean, come on, that's pretty much how every horror movie starts. HAVE YOU LEARNED NOTHING ?
Of course she happens to be attacked by "a big dog" (her words, not mine.) and of course she ends up in the hospital, where she wakes up three days later.
Turns out her doctor and nurse are also amateur kidnappers in their free time.
And this is how Idiot finds herself surrounded by crazy people pretending to be werewolves who try to convince her that she is one too, and is actually their Alpha female. Blablabla.
For about 2.3 seconds, Idiot is NOT okay with having been kidnapped. She even tries to escape, but lives up to my expectations and climbs in the car of someone going in the direction of the place where she was being held.
And then she smells (I kid you not) the Alpha of the pack, her supposedly "true mate", and everything's okay.
Now that we've established that Idiot is, in fact, an idiot, let me tell you about French.
I'll start with the name of the pack: Cherchez.
The Alpha male, who is supposedly French, tells Idiot that it means "Searchers." It most certainly does not.
"Cherchez" is the conjugated form of the verb "chercher", which means "to search", or "to look for".
And then you have the random bits: "belle loup". Make up your mind, dude, it's either "beau loup" or "belle louve". But "Belle" is feminine and "loup" is masculine. The two don't work together.
I'll spare you the rest. (Okay, fine, I'm just too lazy to continue.)
February 14, 2016
I enjoyed Kari and Andreas' story and even more the closeness and welcome found in the pack. There were moments where they got extra extra close among committed couples and while normally I'd run the other way, the context of an alternate social structure with different rules, helped me keep a more open mind about it. I know that for some of you, this would be the most difficult point to get past. Andreas had a few facepalm moments, but overall he was very much sexy alpha committed to his new mate. I liked Kari's show of dominance though towards the end, I would have totally kicked that woman's @$$ for her lol The love scenes were extremely hot and plentiful. Bordering on too many but... like I said... extremely hot so you probably won't mind hahaha I enjoyed this read and would definitely like to read more about the other pack members. Phillip in particular has a special place in my heart.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
ARC received in exchange for an honest review.
May 16, 2012
Overall, I didn't like this book very much. I've read better books by Lauren Dane, so I'll still give other works by her a try.
2.5 stars.
*******Possible Spoilers Below******
What annoyed me:
1. how easily Kari gave in after being changed and kidnapped, and how lax Andreas was about dealing with the wolf who changed her so violently. I can forgive the Kari thing since the author makes mating pheromones the reason, but not the latter. Your mate is nearly killed and the guy isn't even given a light punishment? No wonder it took a year to catch the culprit.
2. It didn't seem like the Alpha pair and their Inner Circle were concerned enough after the first attempt at her life. The author threw in a sentence or two to let the reader know the characters weren't really slacking but it came off like lip service. Nearly a year goes by and nothing more than bodyguards and food tasting has been done while the violence and harrassment escalates.
3. How can someone destroy a room in a house full of werewolves and not be heard? A room that is described as being within a few feet of several of them? What happened to their improved hearing?
4. Andreas withheld relevant information from Kari and failed to even consider major past Pack drama when dealing with their attempted murderer. I know the author can't give away everything too soon, but there is no reason why a major pack drama wasn't discussed until the very end. Give us breadcrumbs along the way, not a whole picnic worth of info so late into the book that it doesnt matter.
5. Despite #4, I still knew whodunit within reading 10% of the book. I wanted to be fooled, but the writer didn't seem to put much effort into it.
Finally #6 (This has more to do with me than the writing). I don't think I like menage and swing action in shifter books. It goes against every rule I believe in about mated pairs(or trios, etc) Its fiction so I really shouldnt be so stubborn about it, but it still throws me off. If the participants are not mated or mated to each other, Ok. If they are mated but not to each other, weird.
What I liked:
1. The sexy time. Lauren Dane never fails when it comes to that.
2.5 stars.
*******Possible Spoilers Below******
What annoyed me:
1. how easily Kari gave in after being changed and kidnapped, and how lax Andreas was about dealing with the wolf who changed her so violently. I can forgive the Kari thing since the author makes mating pheromones the reason, but not the latter. Your mate is nearly killed and the guy isn't even given a light punishment? No wonder it took a year to catch the culprit.
2. It didn't seem like the Alpha pair and their Inner Circle were concerned enough after the first attempt at her life. The author threw in a sentence or two to let the reader know the characters weren't really slacking but it came off like lip service. Nearly a year goes by and nothing more than bodyguards and food tasting has been done while the violence and harrassment escalates.
3. How can someone destroy a room in a house full of werewolves and not be heard? A room that is described as being within a few feet of several of them? What happened to their improved hearing?
4. Andreas withheld relevant information from Kari and failed to even consider major past Pack drama when dealing with their attempted murderer. I know the author can't give away everything too soon, but there is no reason why a major pack drama wasn't discussed until the very end. Give us breadcrumbs along the way, not a whole picnic worth of info so late into the book that it doesnt matter.
5. Despite #4, I still knew whodunit within reading 10% of the book. I wanted to be fooled, but the writer didn't seem to put much effort into it.
Finally #6 (This has more to do with me than the writing). I don't think I like menage and swing action in shifter books. It goes against every rule I believe in about mated pairs(or trios, etc) Its fiction so I really shouldnt be so stubborn about it, but it still throws me off. If the participants are not mated or mated to each other, Ok. If they are mated but not to each other, weird.
What I liked:
1. The sexy time. Lauren Dane never fails when it comes to that.
December 27, 2012
Yikes, okay, here is the simple breakdown of my review for this book:
Sex: 4/5
Grammar/Writing style: 5/5
Plot line: 2/5
Character development: 1/5
Conflict Resolution: 0.5/5
Okay, okay, okay...l understand how some readers might like this book. It's got hunky Alpha males, spunky females, and sex to last for days. Unfortunately, that's all this book had going for it. I was really disappointed by the 4 star rating this book received. I felt like I finally found another paranormal series I could read like "Immortals After Dark" - but alas, this was not the case. Let me elaborate:
SEX: Alright, this book has sex, and a lot of it. You'll read about sex against the door, sex on top of counters, sex in a bath tub, sex on the bed, sex in water, sex on land, and I'm sure if werewolves could fly, you'll be reading about sex in the air. Unfortunately, there was so much sex, it was literally in every other paragraph of this book. I honestly got BORED of the sex, and that's saying a lot since I LOVE SEX. Seriously though, the sex is hot, hence the 4 stars out of 5 - unfortunately, there was so much sex that it felt forced, repetitive, and overshadowed the plot of this book...
GRAMMAR/WRITING STYLE: Impeccable. Seriously, I loved how the story flowed and how Lauren Dane actually followed proper grammar rules. There were no run on sentences, dialogue was in the correct format, proper words were used, etc. I couldn't find fault with her writing style at all!
PLOT LINE: Oh God, I blame this low score (2 stars out of 5) on the fact that there was little to no plot line AT ALL. It was like reading a long story comprised of short stories that were used as chapters. Too much sex and not enough of plot development. Yes, there was the mystery regarding the attacks on the H&h, but Lauren Dane didn't really elaborate on it.
CHARACTER DEVLOPMENT: Yikes, another low score. I felt like she threw names onto the page so that she could have potential sequels with every character that she mentioned throughout this book. Seriously, Alpha males are hot - the more the merrier! Naming other characters later on in the book with the SAME names as previously mentioned characters makes for confusion and shows a lack of creativity. Furthermore, as a reader, you didn't really get a sense of WHO each person was. The characters in this story were either sexy, annoying, or spunky - no reason why. You were introduced to characters that were put into the story for the sake of causing conflict with the protagonists for a brief span of time and then you move onto new characters who cause new conflicts. It was a nightmare to follow who was dating who, who was fucking who, who was hating on who, who had a previous love interest with who, etc. etc. etc.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION: By far my biggest beef with this book. There was literally no logical and comprehensive conflict resolution. If you call killing off different characters 3-4 times within a book "conflict resolution" then golly, you will REALLY love this book. As for everyone else who enjoys seeing characters develop and who enjoys finding out WHY certain characters do what they do, then you will find yourself as frustrated as I was with this book. Lauren Dane filled so many pages with sex that she only left 1 page, if at all, of room to "solve" any previous problems mentioned. What drove me crazy the most was when she finished this book off the way she did. SERIOUSLY?! An entire book with a flimsy plot line involving a mysterious antagonist and you end it with this?! UGH.
All in all, read if you're looking for a mindless book with lots of sex. Think fanfiction, but along the lines of: plot-what-plot or porn-without-plot.
OVERALL SCORE: 2 stars out of 5 - I gave her 1 star for hot sex and the other star for impeccable editing...
Sex: 4/5
Grammar/Writing style: 5/5
Plot line: 2/5
Character development: 1/5
Conflict Resolution: 0.5/5
Okay, okay, okay...l understand how some readers might like this book. It's got hunky Alpha males, spunky females, and sex to last for days. Unfortunately, that's all this book had going for it. I was really disappointed by the 4 star rating this book received. I felt like I finally found another paranormal series I could read like "Immortals After Dark" - but alas, this was not the case. Let me elaborate:
SEX: Alright, this book has sex, and a lot of it. You'll read about sex against the door, sex on top of counters, sex in a bath tub, sex on the bed, sex in water, sex on land, and I'm sure if werewolves could fly, you'll be reading about sex in the air. Unfortunately, there was so much sex, it was literally in every other paragraph of this book. I honestly got BORED of the sex, and that's saying a lot since I LOVE SEX. Seriously though, the sex is hot, hence the 4 stars out of 5 - unfortunately, there was so much sex that it felt forced, repetitive, and overshadowed the plot of this book...
GRAMMAR/WRITING STYLE: Impeccable. Seriously, I loved how the story flowed and how Lauren Dane actually followed proper grammar rules. There were no run on sentences, dialogue was in the correct format, proper words were used, etc. I couldn't find fault with her writing style at all!
PLOT LINE: Oh God, I blame this low score (2 stars out of 5) on the fact that there was little to no plot line AT ALL. It was like reading a long story comprised of short stories that were used as chapters. Too much sex and not enough of plot development. Yes, there was the mystery regarding the attacks on the H&h, but Lauren Dane didn't really elaborate on it.
CHARACTER DEVLOPMENT: Yikes, another low score. I felt like she threw names onto the page so that she could have potential sequels with every character that she mentioned throughout this book. Seriously, Alpha males are hot - the more the merrier! Naming other characters later on in the book with the SAME names as previously mentioned characters makes for confusion and shows a lack of creativity. Furthermore, as a reader, you didn't really get a sense of WHO each person was. The characters in this story were either sexy, annoying, or spunky - no reason why. You were introduced to characters that were put into the story for the sake of causing conflict with the protagonists for a brief span of time and then you move onto new characters who cause new conflicts. It was a nightmare to follow who was dating who, who was fucking who, who was hating on who, who had a previous love interest with who, etc. etc. etc.
CONFLICT RESOLUTION: By far my biggest beef with this book. There was literally no logical and comprehensive conflict resolution. If you call killing off different characters 3-4 times within a book "conflict resolution" then golly, you will REALLY love this book. As for everyone else who enjoys seeing characters develop and who enjoys finding out WHY certain characters do what they do, then you will find yourself as frustrated as I was with this book. Lauren Dane filled so many pages with sex that she only left 1 page, if at all, of room to "solve" any previous problems mentioned. What drove me crazy the most was when she finished this book off the way she did. SERIOUSLY?! An entire book with a flimsy plot line involving a mysterious antagonist and you end it with this?! UGH.
All in all, read if you're looking for a mindless book with lots of sex. Think fanfiction, but along the lines of: plot-what-plot or porn-without-plot.
OVERALL SCORE: 2 stars out of 5 - I gave her 1 star for hot sex and the other star for impeccable editing...
November 1, 2015
No, this was definitely NOT recommended to me by Lea. Because awfully written, super crappy PNR. And because the author apparently got her French major from Google Translate University.
►► This sounds too good to be true. Rant review to be expected.
►► This sounds too good to be true. Rant review to be expected.
edited
December 2, 2015I clipped this passage while editing today. Yum!
The totality of being taken in such a feral way settled into her skin. By this man who had such a raw, deep abiding need for her—it would have terrified her from anyone else. But from Andreas, it made her feel more alive. Made the scent of the pine trees outside more crisp, brought more resonance to the sound of the rain against the windowpanes. The weight of him, his hips curved around hers, brought a deep satisfaction to her soul.
It was so much and yet just enough. Right up to the brim of sensory overload. Edgy, dark, thrilling. Sex with Andreas could be soft and sweet but more often sharp and exciting. His need for her was sharp and sliced through her. The tang of it rode the edge of pleasure-pain that awakened something deep within her. A need to be desired with that nearly uncontrollable force. The yearning for fingers digging into the flesh of her hips, of teeth grasping the tendons in her neck to hold her still. She didn’t have words or explanation for this dark lure of his immense sexuality but she loved it nonetheless.
* * *
I also pulled this line from the book, because it made me laugh.
The totality of being taken in such a feral way settled into her skin. By this man who had such a raw, deep abiding need for her—it would have terrified her from anyone else. But from Andreas, it made her feel more alive. Made the scent of the pine trees outside more crisp, brought more resonance to the sound of the rain against the windowpanes. The weight of him, his hips curved around hers, brought a deep satisfaction to her soul.
It was so much and yet just enough. Right up to the brim of sensory overload. Edgy, dark, thrilling. Sex with Andreas could be soft and sweet but more often sharp and exciting. His need for her was sharp and sliced through her. The tang of it rode the edge of pleasure-pain that awakened something deep within her. A need to be desired with that nearly uncontrollable force. The yearning for fingers digging into the flesh of her hips, of teeth grasping the tendons in her neck to hold her still. She didn’t have words or explanation for this dark lure of his immense sexuality but she loved it nonetheless.
* * *
I also pulled this line from the book, because it made me laugh.
September 5, 2011
This is one of my favorite LD read's. I have so many that it's hard to pick my top three. I absolutely love an alpha hero who is strong but gently. Now, with that said, I absolutely loved Andreas. He was yummy and the interaction between he and Kari was totally believable. Kari was essentially kidnapped...regardless of being his true mate or not...she was kidnapped. And, although she was drawn to him, she did not become a simpering female and kowtow to him just because he wanted her to. The romance was realistic in how it grew. The conflict was real too. Kari's emotions were real on how she felt about the fact that Andreas was not honest with her and tell her that had sex with every member of the pact, including her new BFF Perry.
This was a great action packed read that was also very full of suspense.
This was a great action packed read that was also very full of suspense.
August 3, 2026
I read this several years ago and never wrote a review. This won’t be long, just the basics. It’s an ok book, nothing that blew my mind. I'm being very generous with the 3 stars.
Andreas Phinney (42, pack leader) finds his mate, but she doesn’t know that she’s a shifter.
Kari Warner (24, software developer) doesn’t believe the crazy people who kidnapped her and are trying to convince her she’s going to turn into a wolf.
The entire story is fast paced, they jump from kidnap victim to acceptance, queenship, marriage, mating, pregnancy, babies, and several attempts on their lives. Eventually an HEA set in the future.
SEX: Their first time is at 35%. It’s decent. What was hotter was when she watched two of the guys have a rub-a-thon. Now THAT was hot.
PACE: It seriously zooms by. Her refusing to believe she's a shifter to total acceptance gave me whiplash. Then one chapter she was pregnant and the next she was giving birth. Seriously, it's fast.
AUDIO: Solely by Georgia Gray. She sounds good, her male voice for Andreas is decent, and I think she’s a pretty good actress. The only issue I had was her voice for every other male character, she used a female voice. It got very confusing. There was a character named Skye and every single time he spoke, I forgot he was male.
Andreas Phinney (42, pack leader) finds his mate, but she doesn’t know that she’s a shifter.
Kari Warner (24, software developer) doesn’t believe the crazy people who kidnapped her and are trying to convince her she’s going to turn into a wolf.
The entire story is fast paced, they jump from kidnap victim to acceptance, queenship, marriage, mating, pregnancy, babies, and several attempts on their lives. Eventually an HEA set in the future.
SEX: Their first time is at 35%. It’s decent. What was hotter was when she watched two of the guys have a rub-a-thon. Now THAT was hot.
PACE: It seriously zooms by. Her refusing to believe she's a shifter to total acceptance gave me whiplash. Then one chapter she was pregnant and the next she was giving birth. Seriously, it's fast.
AUDIO: Solely by Georgia Gray. She sounds good, her male voice for Andreas is decent, and I think she’s a pretty good actress. The only issue I had was her voice for every other male character, she used a female voice. It got very confusing. There was a character named Skye and every single time he spoke, I forgot he was male.
January 19, 2016
After leaving a club Kari finds herself attacked by what seems like a large dog and wakes up in the hospital three days later. Kari thinks that her memory must have been affected when she hit her head but as she starts to heal the next thing she knows she awakens in the home of Andreas who tells her his is the Alpha of a pack of werewolves and she is to be his queen.
Kari thinks she's been kidnapped by some deranged cult and tried to escape only to be caught and brought back. When one of the pack changes to a wolf before her eyes she begins to believe that she just may be becoming one of them in two days.
What Lauren Dane can do well is the sexiness of her erotic parts of her books. However what I found with this story and a few others I've read the rest of the story is just so-so. There really isn't anything original with the werewolf world involved in this story, it's just rather cliche. The characters are likable enough but the story just seems to be there to hold the sex scenes together.
At one point in this particular book I got a good giggle when the characters are talking about reading erotic books and said they only read the good parts as in the sex, kind of fits this book really. To start off Kari is in fear of being kidnapped and then angry of being changed without her own choice in the matter. The next you know she's in love and pledging herself to Andreas, a complete 180 in a few pages which seemed to be the way to jump into the sexual portion. Not much depth or originality to developing the actual plot line.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Kari thinks she's been kidnapped by some deranged cult and tried to escape only to be caught and brought back. When one of the pack changes to a wolf before her eyes she begins to believe that she just may be becoming one of them in two days.
What Lauren Dane can do well is the sexiness of her erotic parts of her books. However what I found with this story and a few others I've read the rest of the story is just so-so. There really isn't anything original with the werewolf world involved in this story, it's just rather cliche. The characters are likable enough but the story just seems to be there to hold the sex scenes together.
At one point in this particular book I got a good giggle when the characters are talking about reading erotic books and said they only read the good parts as in the sex, kind of fits this book really. To start off Kari is in fear of being kidnapped and then angry of being changed without her own choice in the matter. The next you know she's in love and pledging herself to Andreas, a complete 180 in a few pages which seemed to be the way to jump into the sexual portion. Not much depth or originality to developing the actual plot line.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
February 8, 2020
Warning...This is Were Smut...if you are looking for easy mindless entertainment with OW drama, danger, LOTS of sexy time and unrealistic themes...then this for you! If you are looking to be wowed by literary awesomeness with tons of character and plot development...then pass.
I wasn't looking for anything heavy, so I not only accepted that the feisty heroine almost immediately accepted that she had been attacked, kidnapped, and turned into a werewolf...I was actually glad for it; I wasn't in the mood for chapters of angsty back and forth realistic relationship building between Andreas and Kari. I wanted to skip to the gooey trashy center! There are several conflicts...there are not one, but two evil skanks...Andreas will withhold secrets...there will be drama, but it will all be dealt and swept away quickly because this is that type of book. There won't be poignant discussions or moving dialogue with complex character relationships. There will be however, angst free drama and lots of sex...wolf sex...human sex...m on m....even a MFM scene.
I wasn't looking for anything heavy, so I not only accepted that the feisty heroine almost immediately accepted that she had been attacked, kidnapped, and turned into a werewolf...I was actually glad for it; I wasn't in the mood for chapters of angsty back and forth realistic relationship building between Andreas and Kari. I wanted to skip to the gooey trashy center! There are several conflicts...there are not one, but two evil skanks...Andreas will withhold secrets...there will be drama, but it will all be dealt and swept away quickly because this is that type of book. There won't be poignant discussions or moving dialogue with complex character relationships. There will be however, angst free drama and lots of sex...wolf sex...human sex...m on m....even a MFM scene.
March 23, 2015
Hot sex but little else
I really thought I was going to like this one when I started, but it did a nose dive. Our heroine was kidnapped, and turned, and told she had a mate...... She was pissed for all of a day, and then BAM..............insta-love extreme. In all aspects. It was like she just woke up one day and loved her mate, and the entire pack. I found the story (and characters) overall lacked any real depth. The heroine was my main deal breaker. People kept trying to kill her, but she just shrugged it off and said she was just happy to be there and part of it all. Not a series I will continue. I still check out more of Dane's future work, just not this series.
I really thought I was going to like this one when I started, but it did a nose dive. Our heroine was kidnapped, and turned, and told she had a mate...... She was pissed for all of a day, and then BAM..............insta-love extreme. In all aspects. It was like she just woke up one day and loved her mate, and the entire pack. I found the story (and characters) overall lacked any real depth. The heroine was my main deal breaker. People kept trying to kill her, but she just shrugged it off and said she was just happy to be there and part of it all. Not a series I will continue. I still check out more of Dane's future work, just not this series.
August 20, 2014
Way to long of a book for the storyline. Half of the length is sex.
The instant love but let's have sex with others thing was weird. It just didn't really fit with the storyline of instant love/soulmates so it came out of no where and ruined the romance aspect of it for me.
Romance menages are enti...
The instant love but let's have sex with others thing was weird. It just didn't really fit with the storyline of instant love/soulmates so it came out of no where and ruined the romance aspect of it for me.
Romance menages are enti...
February 8, 2016
Kidnapping, betrayals and a forced werewolf change, this paranormal romance contains it all. For those who love Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series, this revised version of Ascension is the book for you. Kari is a software developer enjoying her single life when she is attacked by a dog and nearly dies. Lucky for her, the dog ravaging her is a werewolf whose saliva reacts with her DNA to heal her. The fun does not stop here. When her recovery in the hospital is smoothly coming along, she is kidnapped and taken to the Alpha male of the Cherchez Pack. This is when they share with Kari her wonderful new life. She will go all furry during the full moon. Her mate is this strange man, Andreas. Lastly, they are desperate for females so they can be bred and pop up natural born werewolves. Wow, with all these benefits, how can a gal say no? How about, HELL NO!
Kari does what any intelligent woman does. She tries to escape. Unfortunately for her, there are more of them than her. Honestly, the start of this book put me ill at ease. I didn't like what was going on and I couldn't see how Andreas' high handed manner would work. I am outraged for Kari and I want all these crazy inbred werewolves to die. I can feel Kari's fear and I share her frustration. Then Ms. Dane does something sneaky. All of a sudden, this violation mutates into a golden opportunity. I still do not like Andreas so much, but the greater werewolf community becomes more and more appealing.
This story could have ended with a simple happily ever after when Kari accepts she will turn into a wolf. Fortunately for the reader, there is still so much more. There are werewolf politics, death threats and family issues. This is a robust book with many threads going on at the same time. They all come together into a rich cohesive tale. What is also rich is the erotica. Ms. Dane always writes good erotica and she delivers as usual. The primal mating in wolf form is sublime. I loved it. This paranormal romance is recommended to werewolf lovers who enjoy suspense, erotica and happily ever afters.
*provided by NetGalley
Kari does what any intelligent woman does. She tries to escape. Unfortunately for her, there are more of them than her. Honestly, the start of this book put me ill at ease. I didn't like what was going on and I couldn't see how Andreas' high handed manner would work. I am outraged for Kari and I want all these crazy inbred werewolves to die. I can feel Kari's fear and I share her frustration. Then Ms. Dane does something sneaky. All of a sudden, this violation mutates into a golden opportunity. I still do not like Andreas so much, but the greater werewolf community becomes more and more appealing.
This story could have ended with a simple happily ever after when Kari accepts she will turn into a wolf. Fortunately for the reader, there is still so much more. There are werewolf politics, death threats and family issues. This is a robust book with many threads going on at the same time. They all come together into a rich cohesive tale. What is also rich is the erotica. Ms. Dane always writes good erotica and she delivers as usual. The primal mating in wolf form is sublime. I loved it. This paranormal romance is recommended to werewolf lovers who enjoy suspense, erotica and happily ever afters.
*provided by NetGalley
February 14, 2016
Andreas and Kari were great characters, Kari was stubborn, independent but so nurturing and this came through when she finally accepted her fate. Andreas was definitely all alpha and when he came together with Kari in a physical sense the pages ignited. One of the best things about this story is you see the beginning, the middle and where they are heading into the future and their journey was well paced and we jumped time at moments that I as a reader did not feel as if I was missing something in their relationship.
Firstly I have to get off my chest, I did find throughout the book some sex scenes to me were not needed, we were travelling along getting towards some really poignant moments in their story and bam we are back in the bedroom having sex again. Now don't get me wrong I love sex scenes but I admit I did skim over a few as I though to myself - not again - I want to go back to the pack and what is happening.
Congratulations on the mystery, I had no idea right up to the end of the story who was trying to break the pack up and to turn it around and make me totally second guess myself was fantastic and probably why I am overlooking the fact I skimmed a few paragraphs of sex.
I really wanted to read more about the characters of the clan and I have to say I really loved Phillip and one particular scene with him was just beautiful and it was something I was hoping for as we came to the end of this story.
You get ménage, M/M and M/F sex scenes in this story, they are all sensual and the family connections within the pack showed history and gave a great base to the reader. Sometimes in paranormal reads you can get bogged down with all the details and how people fit in, this is not the case with Wolf's Ascension - I really enjoyed this group of characters and their story.
Copy provided via www.netgalley.com for review.
Firstly I have to get off my chest, I did find throughout the book some sex scenes to me were not needed, we were travelling along getting towards some really poignant moments in their story and bam we are back in the bedroom having sex again. Now don't get me wrong I love sex scenes but I admit I did skim over a few as I though to myself - not again - I want to go back to the pack and what is happening.
Congratulations on the mystery, I had no idea right up to the end of the story who was trying to break the pack up and to turn it around and make me totally second guess myself was fantastic and probably why I am overlooking the fact I skimmed a few paragraphs of sex.
I really wanted to read more about the characters of the clan and I have to say I really loved Phillip and one particular scene with him was just beautiful and it was something I was hoping for as we came to the end of this story.
You get ménage, M/M and M/F sex scenes in this story, they are all sensual and the family connections within the pack showed history and gave a great base to the reader. Sometimes in paranormal reads you can get bogged down with all the details and how people fit in, this is not the case with Wolf's Ascension - I really enjoyed this group of characters and their story.
Copy provided via www.netgalley.com for review.
February 22, 2016
If you have to introduce some foreign language in your book, please, please make sure it makes sense.
I can tolerate a few mistakes, but if there’s one every single time the characters speak French...
‘Belle loup’ does not mean beautiful wolf - well it does literally but makes no sense: one word is feminine and the other is masculine. ‘Loup’ is the masculine form of wolf. 'Belle' means beautiful if the noun next to it is feminine.
‘Loup de mère’ does not mean ‘Mother wolf'. ‘Mère louve’ sounds better. It's as if you're saying 'Wolf of mother'... nope.
‘reine de loup’ means queen of wolf. I think you meant ‘Reine louve’ (wolf queen) or ‘Reine des loups’ (Queen of wolves)
The worst one though is the name of the pack: Cherchez. It does not mean searcher. ‘Chercheur’ does though. Cherchez is a verb not a noun: it’s the translation of the verb search in ‘you search’. And this mistake is in the name of the book series...
Otherwise, the book sounded interesting. The heroine didn’t go from ‘Oh my God you kidnapped me’ to ‘You look yummy, let’s get physical’ in 2 seconds.
For now the bad French put me off, so I’ll try again when I’m less angry at the author for screwing up what could have been a perfectly nice read.
Update: I considered reading it again, re-read my review and now have zero interest in reading this. It's just not worth the effort of navigating through all this bad French!
I can tolerate a few mistakes, but if there’s one every single time the characters speak French...
‘Belle loup’ does not mean beautiful wolf - well it does literally but makes no sense: one word is feminine and the other is masculine. ‘Loup’ is the masculine form of wolf. 'Belle' means beautiful if the noun next to it is feminine.
‘Loup de mère’ does not mean ‘Mother wolf'. ‘Mère louve’ sounds better. It's as if you're saying 'Wolf of mother'... nope.
‘reine de loup’ means queen of wolf. I think you meant ‘Reine louve’ (wolf queen) or ‘Reine des loups’ (Queen of wolves)
The worst one though is the name of the pack: Cherchez. It does not mean searcher. ‘Chercheur’ does though. Cherchez is a verb not a noun: it’s the translation of the verb search in ‘you search’. And this mistake is in the name of the book series...
Otherwise, the book sounded interesting. The heroine didn’t go from ‘Oh my God you kidnapped me’ to ‘You look yummy, let’s get physical’ in 2 seconds.
For now the bad French put me off, so I’ll try again when I’m less angry at the author for screwing up what could have been a perfectly nice read.
Update: I considered reading it again, re-read my review and now have zero interest in reading this. It's just not worth the effort of navigating through all this bad French!
October 13, 2010
I've had this book in my TBR for ever and ever. I bought it ages ago because I liked some of Dane's stuff (I'd just begun reading her then..my love affair hadn't fully boomed yet) but set it aside because I broke up with PNR. Last night I was in the mood, however, and I'm glad I picked it up. It was a great, quick read.
Kari is definitely the star of this novel. Although I loved her and Andreas together, I felt like he was really superfluous. He didn't stand out to me in any way. As a matter of fact, I felt like I connected with some of the male members of the pack more than I did him. He sort of just stood around, growling and making eyes at Kari. She did all the heavy lifting.
Not that there's anything wrong with that. I actually really enjoyed having the female protag be the center of the novel for once. I really enjoyed the pack dynamics and the overall story. Watching Kari come into her own and find her place in the pack was wonderful.
I did find her transformation from skeptic to believer to happen kind of quickly. She went from TOTAL DISBELIEF to TOTAL ACCEPTANCE too quickly, IMO. Another chapter of her coming around would have helped. As it happens early in the novel I was able to set it aside.
Overall this was a very satisfying read. I'm looking forward to diving into the next installment.
Kari is definitely the star of this novel. Although I loved her and Andreas together, I felt like he was really superfluous. He didn't stand out to me in any way. As a matter of fact, I felt like I connected with some of the male members of the pack more than I did him. He sort of just stood around, growling and making eyes at Kari. She did all the heavy lifting.
Not that there's anything wrong with that. I actually really enjoyed having the female protag be the center of the novel for once. I really enjoyed the pack dynamics and the overall story. Watching Kari come into her own and find her place in the pack was wonderful.
I did find her transformation from skeptic to believer to happen kind of quickly. She went from TOTAL DISBELIEF to TOTAL ACCEPTANCE too quickly, IMO. Another chapter of her coming around would have helped. As it happens early in the novel I was able to set it aside.
Overall this was a very satisfying read. I'm looking forward to diving into the next installment.
September 28, 2010
So far, I like it. But the main characters keep saying eachothers names everytime they have a conversation, it's getting on my nerves! lol
....
Okay, so this book started off really good for me. I liked that the main character, Kari, was tough as nails. She was upset about being kidnapped, changed, held against her will. Then as soon as she saw one of the pack change, she went soft for Andreas, main character.
She still had her attitude, but it was as if she just automatically accepted her new life with him. The sex scenes got old and repetitive. Okay except for the M/M and M/F/M scenes lol. (that was the first time I've read anything like that, usually all I read are M/F)
The pack was annoying with all the touching and petting stuff. It was just weird to me. In my opinion there were way to many names to keep in mind. The books plot moved along pretty quick, which was a good thing for me. I hate books that drag. Hm, what else....I got tired of reading how sexy Andreas was naked. I kind of got the picture the first time he was described.
I dont know, the book was okay for me. I did finish it so that's a good thing!
....
Okay, so this book started off really good for me. I liked that the main character, Kari, was tough as nails. She was upset about being kidnapped, changed, held against her will. Then as soon as she saw one of the pack change, she went soft for Andreas, main character.
She still had her attitude, but it was as if she just automatically accepted her new life with him. The sex scenes got old and repetitive. Okay except for the M/M and M/F/M scenes lol. (that was the first time I've read anything like that, usually all I read are M/F)
The pack was annoying with all the touching and petting stuff. It was just weird to me. In my opinion there were way to many names to keep in mind. The books plot moved along pretty quick, which was a good thing for me. I hate books that drag. Hm, what else....I got tired of reading how sexy Andreas was naked. I kind of got the picture the first time he was described.
I dont know, the book was okay for me. I did finish it so that's a good thing!
March 10, 2011
Kari Warner just wanted some chocolate when she made the ridiculous mistake of taking a short cut in an alley that left her dying from an attack from a large dog. Waking up from a coma, she had not expected to live nor had she planned on being kidnapped and told she was the mate to Andreas Phinney.
Andreas knew the moment he scented Kari she was his mate. He had planned to woo her properly, but an over aggressive wolf changed her instead. Even though Kari puts up a fight about becoming his mate, he knows she is changing her mind with each moment they spend together. As quickly as Kari realizes her true feelings and destiny to be mate to the Alpha, she also has someone wanting to kill her.
I liked this quite a bit, but I have read a few other shifter stories that are similar. I liked Andreas a lot, Keri is a hoot and the betas are swoon worthy. All and all pretty good story.
Andreas knew the moment he scented Kari she was his mate. He had planned to woo her properly, but an over aggressive wolf changed her instead. Even though Kari puts up a fight about becoming his mate, he knows she is changing her mind with each moment they spend together. As quickly as Kari realizes her true feelings and destiny to be mate to the Alpha, she also has someone wanting to kill her.
I liked this quite a bit, but I have read a few other shifter stories that are similar. I liked Andreas a lot, Keri is a hoot and the betas are swoon worthy. All and all pretty good story.
April 6, 2016
Kari’s normal life falls apart when she is attacked by a wolf and then kidnapped by her doctor
It’s not what she normally expects from even the worst hospitals
Kari has been bitten by a werewolf and has been taken because she is now the Cherchez Pack new queen… which is a steep learning curve to say the least. This difficult change of circumstances would be hard to handle anyway – but only made worse because one member of the pack is not eager to accept their new queen and keeps trying to kill her.
In some ways, I should have known better than to grab this book from Netgalley. It was described as a paranormal romance and if I had googled it I would have seen that it had previously been released with a very Mantitteh cover which would have also told me to step back.
So why did I request this book without a second thought? Lauren Dane also wrote the Rowan Summerwaite series. And when a new book is released in that series I would happily murder people to get my hands on it. People I don’t hate even, any vague acquaintance of mine would totally be fair game.
So I picked up this book which is definitely a romance and not exactly to my taste; it has frequent sex scenes (which, I admit, I kind of skimmed past because I’m not that interested). It also started extremely problematically and couldn’t come close to addressing that (because I don’t see how they could!)
Our protagonist, Kari was a normal human with a normal life who was attacked by a werewolf. Since she was going to change, the Cherchez werewolf pack decided to kidnap her and take her to their isolated cabin until she changes.
Ok, dubious but I can see that – you can’t let a new werewolf run amok chomping on friendly nurses while she recovers in a normal hospital. But now let’s make it much much worse
See, said werewolf was following her because the werewolves were watching her because they have decided she is destined to be the mate of Andreas, the Alpha werewolf. But their watch-wolf jumped the gun and bit her ahead of time – then the kidnapping happened
Which is pretty much how they introduce themselves. So, yes, sorry about the whole kidnapping thing, they never intended to do that. They just intended to stalk her for an indefinite period of time until she totally agreed to be a broodmare for the werewolf clan.
That’s better, right? (In case the sarcasm isn’t being made clear – no, no it is not better).
But this is the whole tone of the Cherchez clan – yes the kidnapping was totally wrong but it’s because it all went wrong but the stalking-with-intent-to-breed-many-kiddies was totally ok. In fact, Andreas is even upset and HURT that she doesn’t instantly embrace him as her true love and why she isn’t all friendly and happy to be with him. I am rarely stunned by a book, but the fact any character is supposed to be believable with this attitude is beyond me.
Yet despite all of this terribleness, they do end up as a couple (pretty damn quickly thanks to woo-woo and smell) and we have lots and lots of sex without anyone really talking about the terrible foundation of this relationship or that Andreas never has any real assurance that Kari is sleeping with him because she wanted to or because she is a kidnapping victim.
The little pesky issue of kidnapping duly dealt with, they can then focus on the second plotline – Kari becoming queen and some secret adversary trying to bring her down. This plot line isn’t terrible at all (though somewhat slow moving while still covering a vast amount of time and, despite being regularly interrupted with lots and lots of sex. Seriously, this book would be half as long without the many many many sex scenes) with a nice mystery and lots of Kari learning her place as queen. But in addition to pacing issues it suffers just a little from… simplicity. There are several moments whether it’s Kari settling into queendom or introducing werewolves to other people that just goes so very very easily… there’s minimal conflict. People accept the impossible awfully quickly. And that whole Kari learning to be queen? Well, it’s less learning and more “effortlessly assumes the role and is perfect at it for REASONS”
And that dubious simplicity definitely applies to Kari and her accepting of werewolves/kidnapping/broodmaredom and is especially glaring because the one bright spark of this book is Kari herself. Kari Does Not Take Shit from Alpha Werewolves. In fact, Kari does not take shit from anyone. Kari attempts to escape. Kari gives people the business, the rough side of her tongue and a killer glare whenever needed. Kari quickly establishes herself as Queen and makes it MEAN something – far more than being said broodmare. Kari is an excellent leader –and she isn’t an excellent leader because she has super powers or because she is the most deadly, (sadly her method of becoming leader is to shag the guy who is hereditary ruler) but because she has the will and personality to make it happen and be Andreas’s equal. Which makes her acceptance of kidnapped/werewolf/broodmare all the more glaring – Kari is not a woman who just accepts things, even with woo-woo neck smelling. She can’t be this determined and accept being kidnapped after, what, 2 days? Seriously she goes from “How dare you kidnap me!!!!!” to “My husband let’s plan a wedding!” within a week. It utterly destroys her character
Read More
It’s not what she normally expects from even the worst hospitals
Kari has been bitten by a werewolf and has been taken because she is now the Cherchez Pack new queen… which is a steep learning curve to say the least. This difficult change of circumstances would be hard to handle anyway – but only made worse because one member of the pack is not eager to accept their new queen and keeps trying to kill her.
In some ways, I should have known better than to grab this book from Netgalley. It was described as a paranormal romance and if I had googled it I would have seen that it had previously been released with a very Mantitteh cover which would have also told me to step back.
So why did I request this book without a second thought? Lauren Dane also wrote the Rowan Summerwaite series. And when a new book is released in that series I would happily murder people to get my hands on it. People I don’t hate even, any vague acquaintance of mine would totally be fair game.
So I picked up this book which is definitely a romance and not exactly to my taste; it has frequent sex scenes (which, I admit, I kind of skimmed past because I’m not that interested). It also started extremely problematically and couldn’t come close to addressing that (because I don’t see how they could!)
Our protagonist, Kari was a normal human with a normal life who was attacked by a werewolf. Since she was going to change, the Cherchez werewolf pack decided to kidnap her and take her to their isolated cabin until she changes.
Ok, dubious but I can see that – you can’t let a new werewolf run amok chomping on friendly nurses while she recovers in a normal hospital. But now let’s make it much much worse
See, said werewolf was following her because the werewolves were watching her because they have decided she is destined to be the mate of Andreas, the Alpha werewolf. But their watch-wolf jumped the gun and bit her ahead of time – then the kidnapping happened
Which is pretty much how they introduce themselves. So, yes, sorry about the whole kidnapping thing, they never intended to do that. They just intended to stalk her for an indefinite period of time until she totally agreed to be a broodmare for the werewolf clan.
That’s better, right? (In case the sarcasm isn’t being made clear – no, no it is not better).
But this is the whole tone of the Cherchez clan – yes the kidnapping was totally wrong but it’s because it all went wrong but the stalking-with-intent-to-breed-many-kiddies was totally ok. In fact, Andreas is even upset and HURT that she doesn’t instantly embrace him as her true love and why she isn’t all friendly and happy to be with him. I am rarely stunned by a book, but the fact any character is supposed to be believable with this attitude is beyond me.
Yet despite all of this terribleness, they do end up as a couple (pretty damn quickly thanks to woo-woo and smell) and we have lots and lots of sex without anyone really talking about the terrible foundation of this relationship or that Andreas never has any real assurance that Kari is sleeping with him because she wanted to or because she is a kidnapping victim.
The little pesky issue of kidnapping duly dealt with, they can then focus on the second plotline – Kari becoming queen and some secret adversary trying to bring her down. This plot line isn’t terrible at all (though somewhat slow moving while still covering a vast amount of time and, despite being regularly interrupted with lots and lots of sex. Seriously, this book would be half as long without the many many many sex scenes) with a nice mystery and lots of Kari learning her place as queen. But in addition to pacing issues it suffers just a little from… simplicity. There are several moments whether it’s Kari settling into queendom or introducing werewolves to other people that just goes so very very easily… there’s minimal conflict. People accept the impossible awfully quickly. And that whole Kari learning to be queen? Well, it’s less learning and more “effortlessly assumes the role and is perfect at it for REASONS”
And that dubious simplicity definitely applies to Kari and her accepting of werewolves/kidnapping/broodmaredom and is especially glaring because the one bright spark of this book is Kari herself. Kari Does Not Take Shit from Alpha Werewolves. In fact, Kari does not take shit from anyone. Kari attempts to escape. Kari gives people the business, the rough side of her tongue and a killer glare whenever needed. Kari quickly establishes herself as Queen and makes it MEAN something – far more than being said broodmare. Kari is an excellent leader –and she isn’t an excellent leader because she has super powers or because she is the most deadly, (sadly her method of becoming leader is to shag the guy who is hereditary ruler) but because she has the will and personality to make it happen and be Andreas’s equal. Which makes her acceptance of kidnapped/werewolf/broodmare all the more glaring – Kari is not a woman who just accepts things, even with woo-woo neck smelling. She can’t be this determined and accept being kidnapped after, what, 2 days? Seriously she goes from “How dare you kidnap me!!!!!” to “My husband let’s plan a wedding!” within a week. It utterly destroys her character
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July 27, 2019
Though full of likeable characters, this wolf world is not for me.
The fact that someone is changed into a wolf shifter based purely on and is factored by their family history is just creepy.
The whole premise of how they live and behave is not what I like.
The baddie was just so obvious and I found it funny they had had him in their bed.
Way too many things I can pull apart in this story but let’s just leave it a 1.5 star rating
The fact that someone is changed into a wolf shifter based purely on and is factored by their family history is just creepy.
The whole premise of how they live and behave is not what I like.
The baddie was just so obvious and I found it funny they had had him in their bed.
Way too many things I can pull apart in this story but let’s just leave it a 1.5 star rating
June 22, 2018
3.5 Stars! Audiobook
August 17, 2016
Kari Warner, a computer programmer, was leaving a nightclub when something attacked her and almost killed her. At first, Kari isn’t sure what happened, but she knows that something has changed. Kari is just starting to get stronger from the attack when she is taken from the hospital and moved to a private home, okay estate, and learns that her life has forever changed.
Andreas Phinney is a werewolf and the alpha of the Cherchez pack who recently found his mate—a human. Andreas knows that getting her to accept him and what he is will need to be done just right, or he could lose Kari before he ever has her. Andreas planned out everything, including protection for Kari by his pack, when a loss of control puts Kari in danger and makes Andreas move well before he or Kari was ready.
Kari wakes up at Andreas’ house, surrounded by his pack and learns that not only was she turned without her knowledge, but that she is the mate to the Alpha—if she can accept it all. Andreas is more determined than ever to have Kari as his mate and the female Alpha of his pack. He and his close pack members are now working hard to show Kari all the advantages of being a wolf and a member of their pack. Kari finds herself falling for Andreas and even accepting the ways of the pack when she is suddenly in danger again. It seems that someone isn’t happy that Kari and Andreas have fallen in love or that she will rule by his side and bear his kids—the future leaders of the pack. Life goes on and so do the attacks on Kari. Time might be running out, because the attacks are getting worse. Can Andreas, Kari, and the inner circle of the pack discover who is behind the danger before it’s too late?
Wolves look their entire lives for their mates. When one Alpha finds his, nothing is going to stop him from having his sexy mate. Andreas and Kari learn the hard way that the road to love can be rocky and filled with massive potholes in Wolf’s Ascension. I could feel the anger that Andreas felt when Kari was first attacked and then his desperation to show her his love and get her to accept it and all it involves. I could also understand Kari’s confusion and anger at what was done to her, and yet loved that she could find a way to forgive and still fall, not only for Andreas, but his entire pack. Watching as Andreas and Kari fall into a deep love and how they begin their lives together within a tight pack had me turning the pages quickly to see what would happen next. I will admit that I figured out who was behind the attacks, but not the entire reason why. Now that Andreas and Kari have forged the way to the future for themselves and their pack, I can’t wait to see the next pack member to find a mate. Wolf’s Ascension begins with a whirlwind and ends with a strong love story filled with passion, pack love, and a touch of suspense to keep things interesting.
Reviewed by Jo for Joyfully Reviewed
Link: http://bit.ly/2bwItvD
Andreas Phinney is a werewolf and the alpha of the Cherchez pack who recently found his mate—a human. Andreas knows that getting her to accept him and what he is will need to be done just right, or he could lose Kari before he ever has her. Andreas planned out everything, including protection for Kari by his pack, when a loss of control puts Kari in danger and makes Andreas move well before he or Kari was ready.
Kari wakes up at Andreas’ house, surrounded by his pack and learns that not only was she turned without her knowledge, but that she is the mate to the Alpha—if she can accept it all. Andreas is more determined than ever to have Kari as his mate and the female Alpha of his pack. He and his close pack members are now working hard to show Kari all the advantages of being a wolf and a member of their pack. Kari finds herself falling for Andreas and even accepting the ways of the pack when she is suddenly in danger again. It seems that someone isn’t happy that Kari and Andreas have fallen in love or that she will rule by his side and bear his kids—the future leaders of the pack. Life goes on and so do the attacks on Kari. Time might be running out, because the attacks are getting worse. Can Andreas, Kari, and the inner circle of the pack discover who is behind the danger before it’s too late?
Wolves look their entire lives for their mates. When one Alpha finds his, nothing is going to stop him from having his sexy mate. Andreas and Kari learn the hard way that the road to love can be rocky and filled with massive potholes in Wolf’s Ascension. I could feel the anger that Andreas felt when Kari was first attacked and then his desperation to show her his love and get her to accept it and all it involves. I could also understand Kari’s confusion and anger at what was done to her, and yet loved that she could find a way to forgive and still fall, not only for Andreas, but his entire pack. Watching as Andreas and Kari fall into a deep love and how they begin their lives together within a tight pack had me turning the pages quickly to see what would happen next. I will admit that I figured out who was behind the attacks, but not the entire reason why. Now that Andreas and Kari have forged the way to the future for themselves and their pack, I can’t wait to see the next pack member to find a mate. Wolf’s Ascension begins with a whirlwind and ends with a strong love story filled with passion, pack love, and a touch of suspense to keep things interesting.
Reviewed by Jo for Joyfully Reviewed
Link: http://bit.ly/2bwItvD
January 31, 2016
Kari is having a very unusual day, she’s attacked by werewolves, mated to an alpha and declared a queen but the pack’s enemies are about to find out that Kari will do anything to protect her new family in this exciting paranormal romance.
For Andreas, the pull he feels toward Kari cannot be ignored, it’s an immediate and unbreakable physical bond and the reader can’t help but get pulled into this sensual romance as Andreas brings out a sexy, passionate side of Kari that she knew existed. The attraction is undeniably hot but Kari was brought into this new world rather traumatically and abruptly which keeps the relationship in a bit of an uproar emotionally. A fast paced and smooth flowing plot keeps readers hanging on to every page with lots of suspense, excitement, romance and strong, charismatic characters that seduce the readers into their story.
The story starts off with an intense event and never loses momentum and the romance and deadly events keep readers on the edge of their seats. With spine tingling tension building as the danger to Kari and her new family escalates because someone refuses to accept Kari as queen. The intriguing events ensure that there is never a dull moment and that the readers remain glued to the pages as the well written scenes full of vivid details paint effortlessly pictured scenes that make it easy for the reader to become completely caught up in the events.
Lauren Dane manages to imbue every world that she creates with a vibrancy that really draws readers in and the Cherchez Wolf Pack continues that tradition with some interesting and different elements and strong energetic characters. Wolf’s Ascension spans a bit of time and is full of surrounding plots and romances so there really is a lot going on which kept me from putting the book down and I really wasn’t ready to leave this fascinating pack, so I can’t wait to read the next book.
4 ½ STARS
For Andreas, the pull he feels toward Kari cannot be ignored, it’s an immediate and unbreakable physical bond and the reader can’t help but get pulled into this sensual romance as Andreas brings out a sexy, passionate side of Kari that she knew existed. The attraction is undeniably hot but Kari was brought into this new world rather traumatically and abruptly which keeps the relationship in a bit of an uproar emotionally. A fast paced and smooth flowing plot keeps readers hanging on to every page with lots of suspense, excitement, romance and strong, charismatic characters that seduce the readers into their story.
The story starts off with an intense event and never loses momentum and the romance and deadly events keep readers on the edge of their seats. With spine tingling tension building as the danger to Kari and her new family escalates because someone refuses to accept Kari as queen. The intriguing events ensure that there is never a dull moment and that the readers remain glued to the pages as the well written scenes full of vivid details paint effortlessly pictured scenes that make it easy for the reader to become completely caught up in the events.
Lauren Dane manages to imbue every world that she creates with a vibrancy that really draws readers in and the Cherchez Wolf Pack continues that tradition with some interesting and different elements and strong energetic characters. Wolf’s Ascension spans a bit of time and is full of surrounding plots and romances so there really is a lot going on which kept me from putting the book down and I really wasn’t ready to leave this fascinating pack, so I can’t wait to read the next book.
4 ½ STARS
June 7, 2013
3.75stars actually.
While I liked the book, I didn’t love it. Something about people causing their own issues then wondering how they got there.
In any event, this easy to get into read serves as an origin story for a wolf pack in Northwestern America and describes a beautiful setting and likeable characters. The Alpha has been searching for his mate for a couple of decades and sends a couple of pack members to watch over the one he has chosen in the human world until he can introduce her to his world. However, things get out of hand and Kari is brought into this world not only sooner than expected, but without any preparation. Most of the pack is happy, but someone isn’t as Kari is both challenged and threatened by various pack members. Andreas and Kari were fleshed out characters who fell quickly for each other (even for PNR) and were fairly good together. I really liked the opening scene and the secondary characters in addition to the bit of intrigue. The intimate scenes were hot and frequent putting this squarely on the erotica shelf for me. The camaraderie of the pack was easy and welcoming – making it a very comfortable read.
A few things didn’t really work for me. First was how easily the humans accepted shifters and shifter-life seemed a bit too much too soon. My second issue was the amount of sex – it was too much of a plot device (i.e. when things were good, when they were bad, when they were slow, to move from one scene to another, etc.) Lastly the issue that puzzled me the most was that with the male to female ratio it seemed there should have been males trying to force a triangle or contest matings/hook-ups instead of the other way around.
While I liked the book, I didn’t love it. Something about people causing their own issues then wondering how they got there.
In any event, this easy to get into read serves as an origin story for a wolf pack in Northwestern America and describes a beautiful setting and likeable characters. The Alpha has been searching for his mate for a couple of decades and sends a couple of pack members to watch over the one he has chosen in the human world until he can introduce her to his world. However, things get out of hand and Kari is brought into this world not only sooner than expected, but without any preparation. Most of the pack is happy, but someone isn’t as Kari is both challenged and threatened by various pack members. Andreas and Kari were fleshed out characters who fell quickly for each other (even for PNR) and were fairly good together. I really liked the opening scene and the secondary characters in addition to the bit of intrigue. The intimate scenes were hot and frequent putting this squarely on the erotica shelf for me. The camaraderie of the pack was easy and welcoming – making it a very comfortable read.
A few things didn’t really work for me. First was how easily the humans accepted shifters and shifter-life seemed a bit too much too soon. My second issue was the amount of sex – it was too much of a plot device (i.e. when things were good, when they were bad, when they were slow, to move from one scene to another, etc.) Lastly the issue that puzzled me the most was that with the male to female ratio it seemed there should have been males trying to force a triangle or contest matings/hook-ups instead of the other way around.
March 16, 2014
Wolf’s Ascension is a re-release of Lauren Dane’s paranormal romance, Ascension, which was published by Ellora’s Cave way back in 2007. Ascension was one of my very first forays into paranormal smut. When I saw that Ms. Dane was revising, updating, renaming and re-releasing it under a different publisher, I signed up for an eARC as fast as I possibly could. I can’t tell you if there were a lot of changes made (my memories just not that good), but the story definitely felt familiar.
Andreas was hot, alpha, and just as sweet as can be when it came to his mate. Unfortunately, he could be rather clueless when it came to figuring out who the traitor in his pack was, and also in how to deal with the mate he kidnapped and had to tell she was now going to howl at the moon. I found myself thinking “Duh!” more than once. Kari was sweet, funny and fierce. I loved the connection between the two of them, which led to some smoking hot sex scenes.
I liked the rest of the Cherchez Pack. Their antics and banter kept me smiling and I will definitely be snagging the next book if I can when it is re-released and I really hope that this means Ms. Dane will be writing more Cherchez Pack stories. There are some pack members that definitely deserve HEA’s of their very own. As for this one, it’s not the best werewolf story I’ve ever read, nor is it Ms. Danes best paranormal book, but it was entertaining. For me, it was kind of like eating Hamburger Casserole from my childhood. Definitely not the finest of cuisine by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a comfort food I love to indulge in occasionally.
Spice’s Rating: 3.5 Comfort Food For the Soul Stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. (Although I already owned the original version, Ascension)
For this review and more, check out http://edgyreviews.com
Andreas was hot, alpha, and just as sweet as can be when it came to his mate. Unfortunately, he could be rather clueless when it came to figuring out who the traitor in his pack was, and also in how to deal with the mate he kidnapped and had to tell she was now going to howl at the moon. I found myself thinking “Duh!” more than once. Kari was sweet, funny and fierce. I loved the connection between the two of them, which led to some smoking hot sex scenes.
I liked the rest of the Cherchez Pack. Their antics and banter kept me smiling and I will definitely be snagging the next book if I can when it is re-released and I really hope that this means Ms. Dane will be writing more Cherchez Pack stories. There are some pack members that definitely deserve HEA’s of their very own. As for this one, it’s not the best werewolf story I’ve ever read, nor is it Ms. Danes best paranormal book, but it was entertaining. For me, it was kind of like eating Hamburger Casserole from my childhood. Definitely not the finest of cuisine by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a comfort food I love to indulge in occasionally.
Spice’s Rating: 3.5 Comfort Food For the Soul Stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. (Although I already owned the original version, Ascension)
For this review and more, check out http://edgyreviews.com
January 28, 2016
I HATE IT WHEN AN AUTHOR USES THE WORD "CUNT" DURING SEXY TIMES. IT IS ABSOLUTELY NOT SEXY!
We have a girl who is human but has ancestors who have successfully been able to be turned into a werewolf who is capable of producing offspring, not very common. For some reason the werewolf population has a shortage of born werewolves. Yep, that story again. Anyways, the alpha of a pack (not near my kindle and forgot the name) has recognized said girl as mate. He has a weaker, less controlled wolf protecting her but has given the order that he doesn't want her "changed" yet. Well weak wolfie loses control of his beast, what a surprise, and he attacks alphas mate while still human and she is now infected with the werewolf virus (or whatever it is called). He than basically has her held against her will, but it's for her own good because the full moon is in a few nights. And blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
I figured I would give this a shot. There are only a few authors who can still entertain me with a shifter/were stiryline. I used to read a lot of Lauren Dane, but her books got to the point where they felt like I was reading the same book over and over. Ugh...
That being said. This is full of cheesy romance and make me gag dialogue. The alpha wasn't very alpha, but I did like the girl... sort of. Well, I didn't want to rip her face off anyways. I skipped the f*ck scenes after the "C" word was used so I can't comment too much.
People new to this author will probably enjoy this. Die hard Dane fans will like this. If you want a new storyljne, avoid this!
Ebook via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
We have a girl who is human but has ancestors who have successfully been able to be turned into a werewolf who is capable of producing offspring, not very common. For some reason the werewolf population has a shortage of born werewolves. Yep, that story again. Anyways, the alpha of a pack (not near my kindle and forgot the name) has recognized said girl as mate. He has a weaker, less controlled wolf protecting her but has given the order that he doesn't want her "changed" yet. Well weak wolfie loses control of his beast, what a surprise, and he attacks alphas mate while still human and she is now infected with the werewolf virus (or whatever it is called). He than basically has her held against her will, but it's for her own good because the full moon is in a few nights. And blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
I figured I would give this a shot. There are only a few authors who can still entertain me with a shifter/were stiryline. I used to read a lot of Lauren Dane, but her books got to the point where they felt like I was reading the same book over and over. Ugh...
That being said. This is full of cheesy romance and make me gag dialogue. The alpha wasn't very alpha, but I did like the girl... sort of. Well, I didn't want to rip her face off anyways. I skipped the f*ck scenes after the "C" word was used so I can't comment too much.
People new to this author will probably enjoy this. Die hard Dane fans will like this. If you want a new storyljne, avoid this!
Ebook via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 10, 2016
I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I have to admit that I wasn't able to read this book when it first came out and was titled "Ascension". I've read lots of contemporary romances from Lauren Dane, but I don't think I've read any paranormal romance from her before. I'm not sure. There's just so many PNR authors these days that it's just hard to keep track sometimes.
Anyway, going back to the book, it's very obvious that Lauren Dane knows what she's doing when she's writing about sex because this book absolutely has a lot of those, and really hot ones at that. Considering that this was originally published by Ellora's Cave, I'm not surprised about the amount of sex in this book. I think EC paved the way for erotica and erotic romance to become as mainstream as other romance subgenres. Regardless of the publisher's current issues, I think they were great in that aspect.
I liked this book because, well, shifters. I also think this book was very hot. The sex scenes would have told me so, in case I hadn't noticed. But I think another thing I like about this book was that while it was far from perfect, it gets readers interested to see what comes next. I, myself, am looking for the sequel because I think I would enjoy that book as well.
I have to admit that I wasn't able to read this book when it first came out and was titled "Ascension". I've read lots of contemporary romances from Lauren Dane, but I don't think I've read any paranormal romance from her before. I'm not sure. There's just so many PNR authors these days that it's just hard to keep track sometimes.
Anyway, going back to the book, it's very obvious that Lauren Dane knows what she's doing when she's writing about sex because this book absolutely has a lot of those, and really hot ones at that. Considering that this was originally published by Ellora's Cave, I'm not surprised about the amount of sex in this book. I think EC paved the way for erotica and erotic romance to become as mainstream as other romance subgenres. Regardless of the publisher's current issues, I think they were great in that aspect.
I liked this book because, well, shifters. I also think this book was very hot. The sex scenes would have told me so, in case I hadn't noticed. But I think another thing I like about this book was that while it was far from perfect, it gets readers interested to see what comes next. I, myself, am looking for the sequel because I think I would enjoy that book as well.
September 15, 2012
I love Lauren Dane's books,so I couldn't wait to get started. There is a note at the beginning of the book explaining Ascension isn't set in the same universe as the Cascadia Wolves so I was fully prepared and interested in the difference of the Pack Laws and heirachy. But although I liked it, it didn't blow me away like the The Cascadia series did. Don't get me wrong I did like the book, it has plenty of hot steamy sex, which Lauren Dane does so well but I couldn't help comparing Andreas to Lex and Cade,(I know I shouldn't but I did) they seemed to be more fiercely Alpha than him. I get the falling in love quickly bit due to wolf pheromones and such but I would've liked to have seen a bit more resistance from Kari to Andreas. I will read the sequel Fire and Rain as I want to know what happens with the others but I do like my Warden wolves better. For that reason only I give this book 4 stars, sorry, what can I say? I'm a Cascadia girl at heart!
November 3, 2013
Andreas is all powerful, "I would never hurt her! I just want to comfort her, calm her fears." Andreas stood up and began to pace." The way that he presents Kari to the pack is with love, honor, and with proudness, "this is truly a special night. Kari Warner - your alpha, my Mate - is finally here. She's a bit frightened and nervous and thinks werewolves are bulls***, but she's here. Let's welcome her into our pack. Our family." Kari likes to tease her man, "you can make me come over and over after the party. Nice erection," she teased and walked toward the door." Hormones do a funny thing to us women, "you're the only one I'll accept in the bathroom during a shower. And if you are there you'd better get me off. Sorry to be vulgar but I don't care at this point. Werewolf pregnancy is making me one horny bi*** and you guys are totally cutting in on my action. No one will be in the bathroom with me when I pee, period." I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
September 25, 2008
Kari's reaction to meeting Andreas (and finding out what he is) was great. Their interaction with each other was believable. Kari wasn't some weak female to be run over by the male in her life, which was a refreshing suprise from all the other parnormal romances that I've come across. Kari handled the situation with the female threat agianst her man like a true female would. The only fault I found with this book was the sharing of couples. I know Kari wasn't with Andreas at the time he slept with his sister-in-law, but I felt Kari forgave that a little too quickly. I could have forgiven it, but we wouldn't have been best friends like they were. Kari and Andreas bring another into their bed, I felt was not really necessary to the story. As a whole, the book was great.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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