Hot Chocolate & Books: Suzanne Wright

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Sum up: (Goodreads)

They may not be made for each other, but animal instincts are impossible to ignore.

Madisyn Drake is a rare breed of cat shifter…a loner, unpredictably wild, and emotionally distant. A recent betrayal has left her ready to sharpen her claws on the next man she sees…until a prowling wolf with steel-gray eyes and a brooding dark edge challenges her distrust. No matter how fully he satisfies her touch-hunger, Madisyn’s not ready to open up again, even if it is oh so gratifying.

Bracken Slater has earned his reputation as an indomitable predator. Once broken by grief and guilt, Brack is feeling alive again, thanks to the heady scent of this independent feline. Convincing her that they’re meant for each other is going to take more than branding Madisyn’s beautiful neck. She’s not interested in joining an unfamiliar pack, much less answering to an alpha. But when threats from both their pasts take shape, their unexpected destiny may be the only thing that can save them.

Echoes of Fire - Mercury Pack #4 - Suzanne Wright

Some scenes contain sexual and violent contents that may offend sensibilities of readers.

Plot:

Bracken Slater hasn't had it easy since the shooting that killed his whole family and left him injured. Saying that he is changed and a bit damaged is an understatement. He only lived for revenge but when he exacts revenge, he is left with nothing but a void in his heart and a coldness that leave him wondering about his place in his pack.

Madisyn Drake is an independent woman who works in a shifters shelter. She helps loners to relocate. Unfortunately, one of her relocated loner brings troubles on her doorstep. While she was "enjoying" herself in a nightclub, she ends up being cornered by three female bears. Even though she manages to get the upper hand, she knows it is only the beginning. And because she is Makenna's friend, she is also under Mercury's protection and Bracken is on her case.

Barely after dropping her home, he realizes there's more to Madisyn than what she shows. Before he gets the chance to explore it, he gets carjacked. Just as Bracken is about to lose consciousness, he feels the mating bond pulling at him... with Madisyn. Maybe he has now found a new purpose? But convincing her that he wants her for who she is will be more complicated than he anticipates. Add some angry bears who have a beef against Madisyn and Bracken is in for some excitement... and us too!

Opinion:

I am a bit biased regarding Suzanne Wright. I love everything she does. I read pretty much all her books. I love her Mercury and Phoenix packs series. Even though the stories are a bit similar, I just fell in love with every character and every couple. I am so not ready to ever say goodbye to her series.

We met Bracken and Madisyn in the previous books but nothing had ever happened between them and nothing hinted that anything could've happened and yet, it did happen. And it was explosive. Their mating was much different than any other meeting. We knew from the beginning that they were mates and so did they. However, the mating bond did not click straight away. Being a pallas cat also means that Madisyn doesn't trust easily and Bracken has changed a lot.

Bracken is much more intense than any other males in any of these series. He is cold and full of anger. But never with Madisyn. Never with her. With her he is super sexy, super protective, honest and yet, a real romantic. I just fell madly in love with him. He embraced what happened to him. He did not fight his demons but rather embraced them.

I loved how fierce and protective Madisyn is. She does not comply to anything: pack, hierarchy, mate... She does not care for it. If people cannot take her as she is, she doesn't want to be part of their lives. And I loved her for it. I totally have a crush on her. She is just amazing and strong-headed. Forget about damsel in distress because she is no princess. I want to be her, haha!

There are lots of actions in this book. Madisyn knows how to attract ennemies. The only thing I struggled with is Madisyn's animal: a pallas cat. I didn't know what it was until I looked it up... and I was quite surprised and a bit taken aback. The more I read, the more I got used to it and tt was funny how Suzanne Wright played with the grumpy side of her cat but still... I really don't think pallas cats are appealing in any way (sorry, not sorry).

And of course, we got to see our favorite former couples!!! I was so happy. The other negative point is I feel like Suzanne Wright is including all the former couples in her new books and yet, I feel like these couples are not going on with their lives. Nothing major is happening to any of them, which frustrates me a bit. But otherwise, I can't say anything bad about a Suzanne Wright's book.

My only piece of advice is to read it. RIGHT. NOW. It is just amazing! But you should definitely read the other books of the series beforehand. They are really easy to read and they are also amazing!

Excerpts:

“Someone ate a full bowl of Bitch Flakes this morning.”
“Dude, I ate two.”
… “I’ve eaten chicken breasts that were bigger than your tits.”
“And I’ve worn heels that are longer than the dick you appear to be packing.”

“Kiss me, Madisyn.”“I need space—““And you’ll get it.” For a few hours anyway. “I’m leaving right now. But I want a kiss first.”“You want a lot of things from me.”He shook his head. “No, baby. I want everything.”

Sum up: (Goodreads)

Knox and Harper's story continues as the Las Vegas lair - and its two infamous Co-Primes - face their most terrifying enemy yet . . .

Together, Harper and Knox have overcome just about every evil thing you can think of - from Horsemen of the Apocalypse to dark magic practitioners to Lucifer's insistent belief that he's hilarious. They're looking forward to some well-earned downtime - until Harper is attacked by mercenaries in the middle of her tattoo shop. Worse still, the attackers are trying to take her wings - the ones no one is meant to know she even has.

It's a near miss and once a furious Knox has managed to pull his demon back into line there's only one thing clear - someone knows Harper's secrets and is systematically setting out to destroy her. It seems likely that someone is the third Horseman - but how do they know so much about Harper? It seems the impossible might be true - they have an enemy hiding at the very heart of the lair.

To survive Harper will need to embrace power that's darker than she's ever experienced and even Knox can't protect her from everything - though God knows nothing's going to stop him trying. The stakes have never been higher, for if Harper's taken by this new threat, Knox won't be able to stop his demon from taking a vicious pleasure in tearing the world apart . . .

Some scenes contain sexual and violent contents that may offend sensibilities of readers.

/!\ BIG SPOILERS ALERT /!\

Plot:

A few months after the incidents that occurred, Harper and Knox were hoping for a bit of tranquility. But that was before Harper was attacked by hunters who wanted to steal her wings. She barely makes it out safely. The more they try to figure out who planned this attack, the more blurry everything becomes. Impossible to know if it could be allies or foes of them that wanted her wings.

But a murder requires their full attention too. When a demon-kid is discovered among humans after his adoptive human mother tried to burn him in an oven thinking he was a monster, Harper and Knox decide to take him under their wings and give his care to a couple from their lair who struggled to have children on their own. But something about this kid rubs them wrong. He is emotionless. Worse, he sees his demon as a paternal figure. When murders keep accumulated around the kid, could he be a bigger threat than they thought?

The faster the events accelerated, the closer danger is getting from Knox and Harper and one unforeseen piece of news could unbalance everything….

Opinion:

/!\ SPOILERS ALERT /!\

I am totally in love with this book. I do not know if it will be the final book or no because I still feel like there are some questions left unanswered but I just loved it. Action, suspens, villains, murders, babies, psychopaths… You just have everything in this book.

Harper is more and more a badass. She is completely devoted to Knox but she knows where to draw her limits. Having a baby also made her even more badass. Her demon rides her hard to be overprotective of everyone, which leads her to take time off work. I loved seeing her as a mom with her uncertainties and her doubts and yet, she will not hesitate to kill anyone who would try to hurt her mate or her baby.

Knox is just perfection. Seeing him with a baby is enough to make my heart melt and to beg him to take me as his mate (I can still dream, right?). Now that Harper is pregnant he is even more protective than he was before. He is completely devoted to her and her happiness and I really liked that he listened to her and what she needed. He will stop at nothing to protect her and his baby from any harm.

I felt like we saw a bit less of the second characters. We still saw them but because Harper had to take some time off from her work, we didn’t see much her family and there were less attraction between Tanner and Devon, which I really missed. I love these two. They are just perfect for each other.

This book contains quite some actions. I really couldn't put it down once I started it. It was just brilliant in a very cheesy way. I loved the introduction of the psychopath child. It added some mystery and suspens on who could be behind all these murders. I almost felt as if I was reading a Stephen King book.

The storyline was really well built around the Four Horsemen. I was just slightly disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of them. I mean, they took most of the storyline in the second book and here, we didn’t see them much. They were just a threat in the wind. Characters kept talking about them but we had to wait until the end to finally meet them all (well, all… there were only two still standing). But I really liked that we had no idea who could be behind all the threats. Everyone suspected everyone and it felt nice to not everything and everyone for granted.

The only negative point in this book was the grammatical mistakes. I think some words were missing. It bugged me but I really wanted to know what would happen, so I didn’t focus on it too much. But what really frustrated me was to always find the same sentences in the three books: « Naked, he truly was a sight to behold. Not an ounce of fat there. ». Some sentences are just the same over and over again. But that’s it for the negative side!

So if you like Alpha-male deciding everything, a strong-headed heroine, then this book is for you. I can only hope that I will see more of these beloved characters soon.

Excerpts:

"There are three stages to a demonic pregnancy. I call them infestation, oppression, and possession.”She paused with the bottle close to her mouth. “Aren’t those the stages of demonic possession?”Smiling, he shrugged. “Pregnancy is pretty much the same thing.”“No, it’s really not.” She cocked her head. “Anyone ever told you that you have the oddest sense of humor?”“Once or twice."

Head tilted, Lou looked at her curiously. “Are you… are you trying to appeal to my conscience?” He snorted. “That inner voice gave up on me a long time ago. Honestly, trying to make me feel bad is more pointless than the ‘ay’ in ‘okay’. If self-centeredness could bounce, I’d be in orbit. And wouldn’t that be fun?”Harper sighed. “At least you’re honest about it.”“My shrink says I shouldn’t hold things in or pretend to be what I’m not. He says I should just be myself.”“Yeah, that was bad advice.”“And yet, I have a fan club,” Lou said smugly. “Several.”“You mean you have Satanic cults that worship you.”“Yeah,” he muttered, seemingly unimpressed by them.

Knox rubbed her leg. “I didn’t think I’d ever have this. Someone who was mine. A child. A family. Didn’t see it coming.” His face hardened as he added, “I’ll fight to the death to protect and keep what we have."

Sum up: (Goodreads)

Defeat the enemy. Win the boy. Live happily ever after. But life "ever after" isn't as easy as it used to be. Harper's gone from being a member of a small demon lair to co-Prime of one of the most powerful lairs in the US with a mate who, though hot as hell, is just a mite overprotective - I mean, you get kidnapped by dark practitioners just once ...

Then one of Knox's demons goes rogue, and in his madness decides Knox Thorne must die. Harper's worried. Knox isn't - at least until he discovers his mate's willingness to get between him and danger.

Now, Knox has a new priority: Keep Harper safe ...no matter what it takes. But Harper begins to suspect there's more danger than one rogue demon. It seems the combined strength of Harper and Knox has upset the balance of power in the demon world and there are those who are determined to right that wrong. Because when you move up the food chain, sometimes the other predators just want to take a bigger bite.

Some scenes contain sexual and violent contents that may offend sensibilities of readers.

Plot:

Harper and Knox thought that the harder part was behind them and that they could now dedicate their time to each other. But that was before one of Knox’s demons turn rogue and declares that any child Knox and Harper will have will destroy the world. Invested of a mission, he goes first after Harper’s mother and he removed all of her reproductive organs to make her regret giving birth to Harper, and then he decides that Knox has to die. Everytime Knox and his sentinels are close to get him, he vanishes.

Meanwhile, Harper still struggles with her position as a Co-Prime. She is now considered as a celebrity for the humans and all the demons want to have a look at her for being Knox’s mate. But being on the public stage makes her an easy target for Knox’ exes — who do not believe that Harper really is Knox’s mate — and new villains who want power.

Danger has never been so close and it could make Harper and Knox lose control over their demons but it could also affect their relationship as mates. When they understand that this new threat objective is to destroy all the Primes in the U.S. but to do so, they have to destroy Knox first, Harper will stop at nothing to protect him, even if it means direct the danger towards her…

Opinion:

Wow! I think I definitely preferred the second book than the first one. In the first book, the events and the love story were rushed. Even though this book felt like it was too short and we came too quickly to the conclusion, I liked that we saw Harper and Knox struggling to compromise on things and struggle and argue. They love each other but they are also extreme and it is hard for them to find a common ground when it comes to the safety of each other.

Harper is still faithful to herself: she is loyal, fierce, honest… She doesn’t take s*it from everyone. I like how she can be vindicative. She is so funny when she is pissed: sewing sequin on people’s clothes is just too funny! She is more in love than ever but sometimes, mating with a powerful, well-known demon has its bad sides. She constantly has bodyguards with her, she is repeatedly bugged and threatened by Knox’s exes but she doesn’t let it get to her. What does get to her is when her so-called mother is kidnapped. She shouldn’t feel guilty and yet, she does. She always cares deeply for people.

Knox… well, Knox is just melting my heart, more than in the first book. He wants nothing more than to protect Harper and make sure that she is never endangered because of him. But when he fails to protect her, this is when they have their very first argument and seeing him begging Harper to come home with him was just… too much. However, I was kind of bugged by some gestures Knox had. Instead of holding hands, he has a tendency of holding wrists or cup her elbows. I find it to be a kidnapper gesture — like she is his prisoner —, not a lover gesture.

As usual, we saw the Imps family: Jolene, Khloë, Rainy, Devon… I really like the Imps because they don’t take anything seriously: politics, life, people… When they went to the Xpress Bar to get drunk, I just couldn’t take it. And Jolene’s relationship with Lucifer is hilarious. They cannot stop bugging each other. Imps are just not scared of anything or anyone. Harper and Jolene love toying with Malden by calling him Malcom or pretend to forget his name is just hilarious. He always gets upset and yet, they keep on bugging him.

I love Knox’s sentinels. I would really want to see a spinoff series following them on their quests for their mates. I especially want to see how the relationship between Devon and Tanner will evolve. The two of them together are hilarious. I think they deserve their own standalone novel. And I would be curious to know what could happen between Khloë and Kennan…

Excerpts:

Harper raised her brows. The dolphin had been doing her homework.
Devon looked at Harper. “I’ve always said that a crazy ex can do better research than law enforcement.”
Alethea’s eyes widened. “Crazy ex?”Khloë patted the bitch’s shoulder.
“Don’t beat yourself up about being a nut job. Facebook’s made stalkers out of us all."

"Just because you’re, like, super powerful doesn’t mean people shouldn’t defend you.” But he was looking at her like she was a cute harmless little bunny that was obviously on drugs. She sighed. “You’re still not fearing my mighty wrath.”“I’m trying.”“One day I will unleash it and you will flee in terror. Why are you laughing? It’s only the truth. A sphinx in full-on berserker-mode can wreak major destruction and instill fear into the hearts of all who… stop laughing!"

"Want to know what else I heard you did at the bar?”“I don’t think I do.”“You used your red lipstick to scribble ‘Alethea is a skanky hoe’ on the bathroom mirror.”In her opinion, truer words had never been spoken – well, scribbled. Her demon agreed.“You almost yacked in the Bentley.”Oh, God. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut. “Stop.”“We had to pull over so you could vomit in a bush.”“Stop.”“Then you got back in the car and said, ‘Taco Bell, anyone?’”“Stop.”

Devon sighed at the spectacle. “You know… I sometimes look at how well-organized, precise, and fearless Khloë can be and think, ‘Wow, she’d make an excellent army general.’ But then I remember it would only be a matter of time before she’d be shot by her own troops."

Sum up: (Goodreads)

Harley Vincent is resigned to life in the human world. Sure, being a margay shifter is half her nature, but life among humans gives her the freedom to roam and do as she pleases. That is, until anti-shifter extremists target her, putting her life in immediate danger.

When an old acquaintance and onetime fling, Jesse Dalton, shows up to offer the protection of his pack, Harley hesitates. She may have feelings for Jesse that go beyond their one-night stand, but life among shifters means giving over her independence to the needs of pack. Plus Mercury Pack has its own threat to face: a rich half-shifter is determined to claim their territory at any cost.

Jesse, who lost his true mate as a child, has wanted Harley since their night together, and he’s not letting her go again. They may not be destined for each other, but he knows she belongs to him and with his pack. Even if he can convince her to join him now, can he convince her to stay?

Force of Temptation - Mercury Pack #2 - Suzanne Wright

Some scenes contain sexual and violent contents that may offend sensibilities of readers.

Plot:

Welcome back to Mercury Pack territory! Force of Temptation is the second book of Mercury Pack.

Meet Jesse Dalton the pack enforcer of the Mercury Pack. When he was barely a teenager, he lost his true mate who knocked her head and drowned in a lake and her sister overdosed a few years later. Needless to say that since then, his wolf has been damaged and Jesse has taken everything at heart and very seriously. The only person he could hang on to at the time was Harley Vincent. She is the only one who could bring him back from his dark thoughts.

And three years ago, they spend one night together. One night was enough for him to know that he wanted her permanently in his life. He woke up the next morning, only to find her gone. For three years, he kept tabs on her, followed her from far away. That was until one of the pack's child who is also a seer told him that in one of her visions, Harley was going to die. Jesse knows, it is now or never.

Harley Vincent is half Margay Shifter and half human. She lived first in a pack - Jesse's first pack - but she never truly felt like she belonged. She was hold responsible to Jesse's sister overdosing. Being constantly accused exhausted her and she left to live among humans and with her aunt, Tessa. But again, she felt like she didn't belong there either.

“Home isn’t always a place, sweetheart. Home is something that anchors you, comforts you, and is a safe haven for you.” He rubbed his nose against hers. “Let me be that for you, Harley.”

Since she was a child, she only had eyes for Jesse. When she slept with him three years ago, she didn't expect anything from the enforcer. But now he is back in her life and he is determined to keep her as his mate. And when danger is closer than they both thought, threatening their life and the well-being of Mercury Pack, Jesse will stop at nothing to protect Harley, no matter what she says.

Opinion:

God, I feel like this writer could never do wrong with the Phoenix and Mercy pack series. She knows how to write funny and sexy stories. I have to admit that I was slightly worried before starting this book because Jesse and Harley are not true mates. What if Harley was always compared to his true mate and so on, but it actually felt like as if they were true mates. They have known each other for years and they cared deeply for each other even before Jesse wanted to claim Harley.

I loved both characters. Harley is funny, loyal, sassy, badass... She is just everything I want to be. She does not want to let herself be dominated by people. Everyone walked on her when she was younger and she is done with that. Harley has bee harassed and threatened by extremists for a few years now because of her father who is now in jail. Her mother has always put her in second place. She only found comfort in Jesse and then her aunt, Tessa.

I loved that this heroine was not a wolf but a margay. Margays are just way too cute. I loved her animal and all its characteristics (the purrs, oh yes!), especially when defending her mate.

Jesse is very pushy, domineering, sexy, super-protective... He just stole my heart, my breath, my soul, my body... everything! He lived in a world of pain and loss until Harley walked on his life and now he is so ready to take her as his mate. Not true mate, but still.

This book was just amazing, the plot was awesome with more action that you could hope for... I highly recommend you to read this book. RIGHT. NOW!

Excerpts:

“I don’t play games, Harley, so I’ll tell you straight. I want you. In my bed. In my life. Where you belong."

"I'm asking you to forsake your true mate. I'm asking you to step back into a world that let you down. I'm asking you to give me every part of you. And I'm asking you to accept every part of me-a lot of those parts are dark and broken."

"Really, it was inevitable. I'll tell you how it's going to work: I'll claim you, you'll claim me, you'll come to trust the pack, you'll settle here, we'll imprint, and we'll be fucking happy."
Harley could only stare at him. "You've got things all all planned out, huh?"

“When I woke up this morning and you were right there, I felt…calm.” It was hard to him to explain, but he wanted her to know. “I’m used to feeling restless Inside. You bring me peace.”

Sum up: (Goodreads)

It happens whenever wolf shifter Roni Axton is near Marcus Fuller: a crackle of sexual awareness that’s intoxicating…and deeply annoying. Marcus is a pack enforcer who oozes power, but Roni is lethal in her own right—nothing like the flirty females who flock around him. Even still, his possessive gaze makes one thing clear. Marcus has singled her out for seduction, and he wants to make her sit up and beg.

No matter how aloof and unfazed Roni acts, Marcus can tell she wants him. When a brutal attack by a jackal pack forces them to work together, it’s the perfect opportunity for Marcus to chip away at her defenses—until he falls into his own trap, completely unprepared for the intensity of their connection. Roni is the only one who’s ever seen past his shifter charm and discovered the man hiding beneath it. And for Marcus, claiming Roni once will mean needing her forever.

Dark Instincts - Phoenix Pack #4 - Suzanne Wright

Some scenes contain sexual and violent contents that may offend sensibilities of readers.

Plot:

The fourth book of the Phoenix Pack focuses on Roni Axton - Nick's sister and the Mercury Pack's enforcer - and Marcus Fuller - an enforcer of the Phoenix Pack. Roni is the alpha's little sister and after a particular traumatic event, she spent most of her time in her wolf form than in human form. We already saw her in Carnal Secrets.

Marcus loves spending time with beautiful women but his role as an enforcer is something he takes pride in. He likes bugging Roni but he also makes it clear that he wants her. But in Roni's mind, things are very different, maybe too different. Roni is a real tomboy whose mother and aunt like to make fun of. It may look like jokes but it constantly bugs Roni. Besides being a tomboy, she is also a powerful, loner, Alpha wolf, as is Marcus. Their chemistry cannot be denied and Marcus is determined to pursue Roni. But she is not the type of woman who easily agrees to be wooed.

Roni and Marcus both have past and darkness inside them but when the Mercury Pack is attacked by a group of Jackal, the Phoenix and Mercury Packs join forces, which brings Marcus and Roni to work closely together. When Roni is personally being targeted, Marcus will stop at nothing to protect her and both wolves are caught off guards by the intensity of their connection. Can they both let go of the past beofre it's too late?

Opinion:

The book has quite some beginning! A group of Jackal attacks Roni, Tao, Shaya (who is pregnant) and Kye (Trey and Taryn's baby). Roni tries her best to chase them off. These are only the first pages. I loved it!

Anyway, I LOVED this book. Even better than the previous one! We heard about the event that traumatized Roni when she was a teenager that left her spending more time in her wolf form. Throughout the years, she became even fiercer but she is also soooo funny. Her relationship with Marcus is sparkly for sure! Roni is loyal but she is not really known for showing easily her love. We can even say that she is socially awkward, which makes her adorable! Examples:

“Did you know that if you get caught masturbating in Indonesia, you can be decapitated as punishment?”
“Roni.”
“What? What did I say?”

Another one?

“For instance, I know that in Baldwin Park, no one’s allowed to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool. And I know that it’s illegal to hunt whales in Oklahoma. Oh, and in Singapore, it’s illegal to buy or sell gum you can only have it prescribed by a doctor.”
Everyone just stared at her.
“What?”

Roni isn't the only who happened to be traumatized in her childhood. Marcus grew up with "deficient" parents. Even though they both are mates, their relationship is really strange and unhealthy.

They both refuse to be overwhelmed by their pasts. When Marcus challenges Roni, she responds. They have their own flaws but together they are just perfection.

I hate to repeat myself but this series is definitely a must-read. It is funny, sexy, full of Alpha males... I am simply and totally addicted to these books! Suzanne Wright knows how to write stories and build up romance between characters.

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re mine. I marked you and I staked a claim on you, and I wouldn’t do either of those things lightly. If you do come across your mate and recognise him, you’d better hope to God for his sake that he’s stronger than me sweetheart, or he’s dead. I’ll kill him before I let him take you.”

The dialogues are just amazing!!! This is probably the funniest book ever in this series. Roni and Eli - her brother - love to prank each other but they take it to a whole new dimension.

He turned his glare on Roni.
“I’m now known on a global scale as a gay, submissive, kinky, mated male recovering from an STD!”
Roni tilted her head.
“If you’re looking for remorse, you can find it in the dictionary somewhere between rectum and runt.”

In the previous book, we had a glimpse of the human extremists and here, she focuses more on the conflicts between packs and the corruption that can live among the changelings packs. We also got some girls powaaa when they were in charge of the Jackal women interrogation. Trust me, it was hilarious!

Anyway, go read it already!!!!

P.S: did I tell you Roni is the only female grandma Greta like? I know, right?

Excerpts:

“It has to be said, you’re a constant ray of sunshine, Roni.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Bite me, Fuller.”

Allowing Marcus to lead her back to the Toyota, she glanced over her shoulder at Kerrie. “You—if you come near us again, I’ll make you choke on your own ovaries. And I’ll enjoy it. What’s more, I’ll make you enjoy it. Just sayin’.”

Shaya’s chasing Nick with her shotgun—and I’m not even kidding. I believe the last words she said to him before we left were, "Run, Alpha-boy."

“Um, Roni, could you please tell me why there’s an unconscious female in the trunk of your car?”
Rubbing at his nape, Eli frowned down at the blonde.
“When you said, ‘Come see what I’ve got,’ I thought you meant new sneakers or something.”

“Why do you hate me?” griped Marcus.
Roni barely resisted the urge to whack [him] over the head. “I just want a little taste.”
“So get your own.”
“You took the last slice.”
“There are other cakes.”
“But I don’t like them. I like chocolate cake.” When he just stared at her wearing a sulky expression, she sighed. “Let me put this another way. Do you enjoy sex?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’ll share with me, and you’ll like it.”

Sum up: (Goodreads)

Half-shifter Shaya Critchley may hold a submissive role in her pack, but she’s done taking orders. After her Alpha wolf mate refused to claim her—but committed to interfering in her life—she took off. Now she hides from him, posing as a human in a town full of anti-shifter extremist groups. She thinks he’ll never find her again, and that suits her just fine. But she’s wrong.

Nick Axton can barely control his feelings for Shaya, but he could never claim her—not if he truly cares for her. The degenerative brain condition he keeps secret would ultimately leave her with a burden rather than a mate. But when Shaya runs away, Nick can’t bear the thought of never seeing her again. After tracking her down, he discovers Shaya’s feisty and passionate side in the process…a side he’d never seen before.

Under the menacing gazes of territorial local packs and violent human extremists, Nick vows to finally claim the spirited Shaya…and despite her initial resistance, Shaya just might find his fiery determination to be the ultimate aphrodisiac.

Carnal Secrets - Phoenix Pack #3 - Suzanne Wright

Some scenes contain sexual and violent contents that may offend sensibilities of readers.

Plot:

This third book focuses on Shaya and Nick who we both met in the two previous books. The plot was mostly set: Shaya is Nick's mate but he refuses to claim her without giving her any reason and she decides to leave. Seeing him constantly when he visits her is just unbereable. This is basically where we left at the end of the second book.

A little reminder of who the characters are ;)

Shaya is a half-shifter submissive wolf in the Phoenix Pack. She is Taryn's best friend, which makes her very valuable for the whole pack. She met Nick when he was invited on the pack's territory and she immediately knew that he was her mate.

Nick recognizes Shaya as his mate. It was his best dream and his worst nightmare. His secret degenerative brain condition forces him to step back from his mating bond. He does not want Shaya to see him at his worst and to take care of a sick person instead of a mate. So he reputates her without giving any proper reasons, which deeply hurts Shaya who is left wondering if she is enough for a mate.

Time passes and Shaya just cannot take it anymore: seeing Nick without being able to claim her is killing her, so she decides to leave and try to live her life the best she could. When Nick hears the news of her departure, he has to wonder if he took the best decision by keeping her away without saying anything. No one wants to tell him where she left to, so he decides to take matters into his own hands and leaves everything behind - his friends, his pack and even his position as an Alpha - to go hunt her down.

Shaya left her pack without knowing what to do with her life but she really did not expect to find her mate waiting for her in her flat. Months have passed and yet, she still feels the hurt. He is now ready to claim her but can she really trust him? Can she really go back there? Nick has now to prove that he is worthy of her love...

Opinion:

I truly feel like Suzanne Wright is one of the best for romance. Okay, from time to time there are incoherences in her story (cf review of Feral Sins, Phoenix Pack #1).

This book is slightly darker in the background story, Wicked Cravings was darker in Jamie's personality, her drama and her fight but here, the writer focuses more on the local polictics than in her previous books. We learn more about the human extremists and their hate towards the changelings.

I also felt like this book was different from the previous ones:

     This book is not about finding your mate but the emotional journey of two characters who have been through a lot and who need to trust each other again. This story is mainly about second chances,

     No hot steamy sex scenes here. Well, you still have some (don't worry about that) but I felt like they are less because they have more meanings. It truly is the expression of their love for each other,

     There are more "politics" between members of a pack, with the local packs, with the human extremists... This felt like the installation of the political plot for the next books,

     The development of a new pack and how you actually build it from scratch.

This book was slightly more intense because Shaya has been betrayed by her mate but Nick is also in pain, both physically and psychologically. I liked that we got to see an Alpha that is actually not at his best. Nick was vulnerable from time to time and this is when I loved him the most.

The first part of the book is the longest because it is the whole strategy that Nick developed to win Shaya back. The second part contained more actions.

Excerpts:

“I’ve missed your scent. It drives me crazy.”
Drinking in every detail of her face, he smoothed the pad of his thumb across her cheekbone.
“I’ve missed looking at you. Watching you.”

She had received a text message from him: "I had the urge to text somebody who’s smart, hot, and sweet…but sending messages to myself is just pathetic, so hi.”

“So, what, you’re a stalker now?”
“I prefer the term ‘intense investigator.”

Sum up: (Goodreads)

Despite having been besotted with Dante Garcea since she was a child, wolf shifter Jaime Farrow figures that it’s time to move past the crush. If he wanted her, he wouldn’t have ignored her flirtatious behavior, right? Hiding her intense attraction to him isn’t easy – especially now that they're part of the same pack again – but with bigger issues to worry about and with the submissive wolf act to maintain, Jaime is resolute on moving forward. Now if only the workaholic control-freak would let her…

As the pack Beta, Dante doesn't have the space or time in his life for a relationship. As such, he ignores his intense hunger for the willful – and sometimes crazy – Jaime. Yet when her flirtations abruptly end, Dante finds that he doesn’t like losing her attention. He finds something else too – Jaime's hiding something. Determined to uncover her secret, he sets out to break through her defenses, even though being around her intensifies his cravings for her. What he finds is a problem that Jaime is convinced not even a powerful Beta can solve.

Wicked Cravings - Phoenix Pack #2 - Suzanne Wright

Some scenes contain sexual and violent contents that may offend sensibilities of readers.

Plot:

Dante is the Beta of the Phoenix Pack. He left everything behind to go with Trey and form this pack. Nothing is more important to him than his responsibilities as a Beta. He is strong, he will stop at nothing to protect every member of his pack, he is determined and super dominant. Well... he is like an alpha but in the beta version (I know, too easy!). Dante has never truly known what fun means. The only fun he has ever known is from time to time escaping a bit his responsibilities with faceless women. He does not feel that he can have a mate because of his responsibilities. He is scared that a mate could be too demanding and ask him to leave his place as a Beta. Years ago, he did love a woman to the point of almost mating her but she left him... for his brother (ouch!).

Jamie Farrow belonged to the same pack as Trey and Dante until Trey was forced to leave. She remained with her previous pack a bit longer before joining the Phoenix Pack. She has known Dante her whole life and she always had a crush on him. But over the years she understood that Dante will never act on it. So she moved on... or at least she tries. But she is also keeping a dark secret that could threaten the pack. Only her brother knows this secret but there's only so much a man can do to help his sister. Because of this secret, she will never be able to ever claim her true mate, a decision that deeply hurts her.Thus she is determined to stick to relationships with humans.

When Dante realizes that he misses Jamie's attention more than anything, he (finally) decides to act on it (boy did that take him long!). And that man is all-Alpha, so when he decides to chase down Jamie, he does not waste time. But Jamie's secret is on his way and he will stop at nothing to find out what she is hiding from everyone. But what if it meant that he had to choose between his pack well-being and Jamie's life?

Opinion:

I loved it! I loved it! I loved it! Jamie and Dante became my new favorite couple! I liked the first book of the Phoenix Pack series but this one was just amazing! The two characters had such great chemistry together, it was amazing! (did I say that I found this book was amazing?).They are both crazy in their heads, stubborn, possessive as hell and both afraid of opening to the other.

I adored Jamie character. She is funny, loving, she cares deeply for the people she loves... And man! she can hold herself against Dante... and Greta!

“Any tips on how to deal with Old Mother Hubbard here? You’ve known her longer than I have.” Jaime pursed her lips.
“Don’t get light in her eyes, don’t get her wet, and never feed her after midnight.”

She had a traumatic experience when she was barely a child that marked her but instead of lamenting herself and cursing at everyone, she found strength in this awful experience. She never gives up on anything or anyone.

Dante... Dante... Dante... just the name makes me want to run for a cold shower! He was just the best. The moment he realizes that he wants Jamie, he refused to hear the word "No". He is not scared and he deeply cares for everyone in his pack... but he still cares more for Jamie. And he is not scared to stand for Jamie when things get ugly and everyone is turning their back to her.

I swear this writer knows better than anyone how to create a beautiful love story. It made me want to find my Jamie and just fall in love too. Now go read it instead of reading my review, haha!

Excerpts:

"Know this, too: if you ever get an idea like that again, I'll know, baby, and I'll spank your ass so damn hard there'll be a permanent handprint right there."
"She gave him a cheeky smile. "As long as you understand there'll be a matching one on your face."

“You’re mine and only mine.”
“And you’re mine, you possessive, overprotective, controlling bastard.”

“Look at me, Jaime. Look at me.”
Finally, she did.
“I want this. I’m keeping you. If you think you have a choice, that’s not my problem.”
“Keeping me? I’m not a stray kitten, I’m a person.”
“If you were a stray kitten, I’d give you a kick up the ass and walk away.”
She did a double take.
“You’d kick a kitten?”
“I’d kick Hunk if I didn’t think the gremlin would eat my foot.”

“Now you’re just being selfish,” Dominic said to Jaime, shaking his head. “You have that body for the rest of your life. I only want it for one night.”
Not in the mood to hear his packmate making moves—no matter how playful—on the female he intended to claim, Dante growled. “Dominic, no. Not to Jaime.”
“But—”
“No.”
Dominic sighed in resignation. “Okay, fine.”
Noticing that Trey seemed to find the whole thing extremely amusing, Dante raised a brow at him. “It’s funny now that he’s not saying this shit to Taryn?”
Trey smiled. “Of course.”
“I’ve always got some stored up for my gorgeous Alpha female,” said Dominic with an impish grin.
Instantly Trey’s smile fell from his face. “Dom, don’t do it.”
Dominic held his hands up, pleading innocence. “I was just going to ask her if she went to Boy Scouts…because she has my heart all tied in knots.”
Taryn groaned and chuckled at the same time.”

Sum up: (Goodreads)

If your inner wolf and your body react rather enthusiastically to a psychotic Alpha male who’s own wolf has a tendency to turn feral, it can’t be a good thing, can it? Entering into a bargain with him wouldn’t be good either. Unfortunately, Taryn Warner, a latent wolf shifter, doesn’t have many options open to her right now. Okay, she has no options. Basically it comes down to whether she’ll do what it takes to escape the arranged mating with the sick SOB that her father set up. As the answer in this case is yes, it looks as though she’ll have to agree to Trey Coleman’s deal…she’ll have to mate with him instead.

Having always disliked shifter politics, Trey Coleman hadn’t bothered trying to form alliances with other packs. Now that his uncle – a wolf with many alliances – means to take Trey’s territory and his pack, he has no option but to form some alliances of his own very quickly or he’ll be easily outnumbered in the upcoming battle. He figures that the easiest way to do that would be to mate with a female whose Alpha is powerful and influential. There’s only one problem with that – he would then be stuck with her, and the last thing Trey wants is a mate. When he hears of Taryn’s situation, he offers her a deal – if she falsely claims he’s her true mate and allows him to claim her, he’ll save her from her arranged mating and then let her leave after the battle with his uncle is over.

Sounds like a pretty straightforward deal...but soon Taryn and Trey realize they got more than they bargained for. Their mating instincts to protect and possess are weighing on them, they crave each other’s touch and company, and their inner wolves don’t like it whenever they’re apart. Add in that they’ll have to deal with this for an entire three months until the day of the battle finally arrives, and they’ve got themselves a recipe for disaster – or maybe for something quite the opposite.

Feral Sins - The Phoenix Pack #1 - Suzanne Wright

Some scenes contain sexual and violent contents that may offend sensibilities of readers.

Plot:

Taryn Warner is a latent, healer wolf who is constantly brought down by her father. Ashamed to have a daughter who cannot eve shift, her dad wants her to mate with the (sadistic and ugly) Alpha for an alliance between the two packs.

When she is kidnapped by the Phoenix Pack Sentinels, she seizes the opportunity to bargain. Trey Coleman - the Phoenix Pack Alpha - wants an alliance with her father and she wants an out to the forced mating her dad wants to impose. Both lost they true mates when they were young, so they know it will only be a convenient mating. They reach an agreement and they will both pretend to meet for the first time in a bar and fake the real mating.

But when a latent wolf ends up with a feral wolf, nothing good can come out of it, right?

Even though it seemed pretty easy on paper to fake the mating, it becomes harder and harder for them to not emotionally get involved. The attraction is here but will they really want it to push it further?

Opinion:

I really liked this book. Suzanne Wright is definitely a writer I will keep tabs on. She has a really smooth writing and she knows how to build a good romance with lots of humour. The characters were funny and so moving. The love story between Taryn and Trey seems impossible at first because both of them have doubts and fears. But I enjoyed seeing the evolution of the characters feelings.

And you know how I love books with Alpha males. Well, trust me, this one is just perfection for this! I mean, you read this book, you need at least five cold showers to calm down! (don't tell me I didn't warn you!) ;)

Trey is sexy, possessive, protective, loving... He didn't have an easy start in life with his father constantly beating the hell out of him. He was young when he was cast out of his pack and had to form his own pack. He knows what responsibilities mean but he never understood what love meant until Taryn.

“You just don’t get it, do you? You have no idea how important you are to me. I need you to be okay, Taryn. I can’t be without you, you have to be here and okay or I won’t be able to fucking function.”

Taryn is a character that you can easily relate to. She is pure Alpha too but she also has a sensibility that makes you want to hug her. She is funny, sarcastic, powerful, adorable... She is everything you could possibly look for.

But the best part of this book was the meeting between Taryn and Greta - Trey's grandmother. Damn! The two of them were just too good!

Greta huffed at Taryn. "In my day mates weren't allowed to live together until after the mating ceremony."
"In your day a guy named Noah was building an ark."

Another one? :)

“I like knowing you’re safe.”
“And yet you haven’t thrown out your inherently evil grandmother.”
Chuckling, he shaped her waist with his hands.
“I know she’s being a little difficult right now, but she’s one of those people who grow on you.”
“No, she’s one of those people who are like Slinkies.”
“Slinkies?”
“Yeah. Basically useless, but they make you smile when you push them down the stairs.”

Dominic is also a hilarious character! I just love when you have somber, serious characters mixed with very funny, light characters.

The only negative point I found in this book was one scene that made me cringe and it seemed absolutely not logical for its presence in this book. You will probably understand when you will read the scene. I mean, it was steamy hot but still... it didn't really fit in this book. The characters' personalities should have made it impossible. I mean, Trey is completely Alpha and Taryn too, so it made no sense to me but whatever.

Excerpts:

"Love is giving someone power to completely destroy you, and hoping that they won't."

"Taryn, are you even listening to me?"
"I pretended to, so let that be enough."

“I’d never purposely hurt you. Never. I’m a man which means I’ll fuck up. Regularly. I’m not good with words, I spout crap when I’m angry, and I’m about as romantic as a pebble. But…See, I’m not good with words. All I can say is you’re important to me in a way I can’t explain or understand. More important to me than anything else.”

Sum up: (Goodreads)

Part of a small demon lair in North Las Vegas, tattooist Harper Wallis lives a pretty simple life. That changes overnight when she discovers that her psychic mate, or ‘anchor’, is a guy who’s rumored to be the most powerful demon in existence. Compelling, full of secrets and armed with raw sexuality, Knox Thorne is determined to claim her as his anchor, creating a psychic bond that will prevent their inner demons from ever turning rogue. The billionaire also wants Harper in his bed. She’s not so sure she wants either of those things. No one seems to know what breed of demon Knox is, only that he’s more dangerous than anything she’s ever before encountered. But he refuses to walk away. And when an unknown danger starts closing in on Harper, it seems that Knox is the only one who can keep her safe.

As Prime of his Las Vegas lair and a successful businessman, Knox Thorne is used to being in control. He’s also used to people fearing and obeying him. Harper does neither, which unexpectedly amuses him. Unpredictable, elusive, and complex, she draws Knox and his inner demon like nothing ever has. Knox is used to getting what he wants, and he wants Harper. He’ll have her, and he’ll keep her safe from the threat that looms over her. Because Knox protects what’s his. He won’t allow anyone to take her from him. Even if it will mean letting the demon inside him rise and wreak the havoc it was created to make.

Some scenes contain sexual and violent contents that may offend sensibilities of readers.

Plot:

Knox is a powerful, ruthless demon who scares everyone, mostly because no one knows what demons he holds inside - like, literally. He is a billionaire and owns pretty much all Vegas, including the Undergroung, created for demons so they can fight each other.

One night, Harper decides to take her cousin's place in the ring after she had been harassed. That is when Knox - and his demon - notices her. Harper is a demon and a tatoo artist who has been raised by her grandmother when her mother decides to give her up and her father did not find the maturity to raise her.

She is Knox complete opposite and yet, this night will be a life changer for both of them. Indeed, they discover that they are each other's anchor. I am pretty sure you want to ask what an anchor is. It is pretty simple: it is a step before mates. Basically, they psychologically balance each other. Their demons find some kind of peace. They can then take it further by mating.

“You’re mine. I don’t walk away from what’s mine.”

The more time they spend together, the closer they get. But Harper is not ready to give in yet. She suffers trust issues but Knox will stop at nothing to prove that together they are perfection and meant for each other.

“Brace yourself, because I’m going to annoy you, ignore you, and surprise you for as long as we both shall live.” He smiled. “And I’m going to spoil you, fuck you, and – of course – order you around for the rest of our lives.”

At least, that is until someone targets Harper. Knox will stop at nothing to protect his mate.

Opinion:

When I started this book, I was pretty confident in the writer skills to give me an amazing story to cling on to. And yet, even though it was good, I am conflicted regarding the characters. Trust me, I am completely into the Alpha, dominant and powerful male and yet, I struggled with Knox character. I felt like he was too much. You can tell that this was probably the purpose but I don't know. I still felt slightly disappointed.

I felt like the story was slightly rushed at the beginning. They meet, he wants her, she resists (and sometimes she was truly annoying about that) and then she gave in, they moved together, and finally (SPOILER ALERT!!!!) they mate. But I feel like we didn't really have time to see their feelings deepen. I really didn't feel the love between the characters. The lust - HELL YES! - but I didn't feel them caring for each other.

I truly love Suzanne Wright writing. I am completely in love with the Phoenix and Mercury Packs series but Burn didn't fully do it for me. I enjoyed it but I am not sure this is a book I will often re-read.

I also struggled a bit with the anchor explanation, to find someone who psychologically makes you a stable person. I guess I just read too many books with mates so it is hard for me to grasp the concept of a step before mating.

I loved some characters: Harper's cousins, Jolene, Knox's sentinels... I feel like the secondary characters should have had more presence in the story. I would also have been interesting in knowing more about them and maybe witness their matings but I have seen that the second book will also focus on Harper and Knox story.
Lucifer character literally killed me. He was so funny and he just made me think so much of Lucifer in the TV show. They both see a shrink and they don't take themselves too seriously.

Trust me, I will still continue reading this series and I still have a positive impression on it but I am just less into it than her other series :)

Excerpts:

“What bothers me is that health professionals give fancy names to conditions or learning difficulties that will irritate the patients; like OCD not being in alphabetical order, putting an ‘S’ in ‘lisp,’ and making dyslexia a word that no one can spell. It’s just mean.”

“You’re not supposed to smile at me like I’m a little kitten that stupidly thinks it’s a jungle cat.”

“Either you’ve got your tampon in too far or something’s bugging you. Which is it?”

Echoes of Fire - Mercury Pack #4 - Suzanne Wright

Ashes - Dark In You #3 - Suzanne Wright

Blaze - Dark In You #2 - Suzanne Wright

Force of Temptation - Mercury Pack #2 - Suzanne Wright

Dark Instincts - Phoenix Pack #4 - Suzanne Wright

Carnal Secrets - Phoenix Pack #3 - Suzanne Wright

Wicked Cravings - Phoenix Pack #2 - Suzanne Wright

Feral Sins - Phoenix Pack #1 - Suzanne Wright

Burn - Dark in You #1 - Suzanne Wright

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