Abandoned and Unseen by Alexandra Ivy and Carrie Ann Ryan- BrandedPacks #2

I received an ARC copy from the authors in exchange for an honest review.

The stories in this new series of Alexandra Ivy and Carrie Ann Ryan, Branded Packs are amazing and I can't wait for the next one.

ABANDONED

When bear shifter, Anya Tucker fell in love with the wrong man, the only thing she left with was a broken heart—and her two bear cubs. Now she’s mended her wounds and learned that in order to raise her babies she can only trust herself. When her sons meet the lazy cat next door and fall heads over tails for him, she’ll do whatever she takes to protect them—even from a past she’d thought she’d left behind.

Cole McDermott is a jaguar on a mission. Long naps, a willing woman, and a full stomach is usually all he needs when it comes to relaxing after a long day of protecting his Pack. Then he meets Anya and the burn of temptation is silky and tantalizing indeed. When a horror from Anya’s past threatens everything she loves, Cole will put everything aside and fight for her family—as well as his own.

I loved Cole, especially when he was in his natural form as jaguar, he's quintessence of the feline race, sly and lazy but beneath this façade he's dangerous and lethal. 

The scenes with him and bear cubs are wonderful, full of sweetness, but they also show  the love and protective instincts that every shifters nourish for every kind of puppy.

From the start the relationship between Cole and Anya is sparkling, Anya is a tough mumma bear and she is not so fond about Cole, but everything changes when her youngs are in danger and comes into play the real Cole, the protector, the tracker of the pack, which goes against all the rules to help Anya, entirely disinterested, willing to risk his life for her and her babies. Their relationship changes, suddenly overwhelmed by the events. A beautiful story, very hot, always set place in a dark reality, because of the cruelty of humans, who deprived of their freedom the shapeshifters, keeping them understo strict control in their camps. A hard world, which puts a strain on the various races of shapeshifters, but teaching them to live among other races in order to adapt and survive.

RATING 4.5 stars

UNSEEN

Nicole Bradley had no reason to live after the humans murdered her son. Not until she learns to hunt down those responsible for his death. Shifting into her wolf form at night, she slips out of the compound, determined to do as much damage as possible. The last thing she expected was to discover secrets that could destroy the SAU.

Polar shifter, Tucker Stone, lives off the grid. It’s the only way the Unseen can avoid being rounded up by the humans and tossed into a compound. Besides, he’s a loner by nature. But he can’t walk away when he sees the pretty female wolf in danger. Risking exposure, he takes her to his hidden den and tries to heal her wounds. 

Can a reclusive polar bear and a wolf with a death wish find happiness together?

This is the story of the whole series that I liked the most.

For its two protagonists, their story, Nicole's past, how she's strong and her desire and need for revenge, but especially for Tucker ... Who would ever think that a polar bear could be so hot?! I'm not kidding, he is one of the most beautiful and intense alpha I've ever read, a pity that this is just a short story, he deserves a full-lenght book, because he's amazing. I love he back-and-forth with Nicole and his attitude as caveman.

Dominant, ruthless but very protective of Nicole, willing to do anything to support her and keep her safe, but he didn't prevent her from achieving her revenge, against whom brutally killed her son.

Tucker is one of the Unseen, a group of shapeshifters who managed to evade capture and identification by humans, a group that is trying to destroy from within the human organization that has imprisoned the shifters. Their role is crucial, but keeping their identities secret is equally important.

The story has a great plot and is written beautifully.

RATING: 5 STARS

An Alpha's Choice by Carrie Ann Ryan - Talon Pack #2

Brynn Brentwood has spent the whole of her life protecting the Talon Pack through terrors only she will ever know. She’s never asked for more in life other than to live to take her next breath and to ensure her family is safe. Regardless of her selfless wishes and the atrocities the former Alpha committed, she has always known that fate would provide for her as it had countless others. Fate is what has carried her through with one exception—upon meeting the one wolf who could be hers, he doesn’t feel their bond.

Finn Jamenson has been broken more than once, left beaten and half dead—and that was before he was an adult and Heir of the Redwood Pack. When called upon to work with their allies, the Talons, he finds himself intrigued with a woman who his wolf doesn’t claim as his own. Though he knows there could be something there, he refuses to tempt himself with a wolf who could never be his when his own mate could waiting for him.

The world changed in a blink of time and now the two wolves must fight as one—ignoring the burning temptation between them—when their people are threatened. With one wrong move, their homes could be destroyed and its up to Finn and Brynn to save them all…if only they could save themselves.

The story beetwen Brynn and Finn is beautiful and heartbreaking.

Carrie Ann Ryan created two amazing characters.

The nature of Brynn's wolf, so dominant, put her somewhat in an ambiguous position within her pach, the Talon: her brother is the alpha and his mate has become the female reference figure. Brynn hasn't a well-defined role in the group, and she is constantly challenged from other females to prove their dominance.

With the males is another story, no one is strong enough for her, and it's what her wolf needs, until she meets Finn the heir of the Redwood pack and she find out this gorgeous, dominant young wolf is her mate. So far everything would be perfect, but he shows no sign of noticing "the mate thing" ... and this is a devastating for Brynn, an incredible suffering.

Everything is complicated when the two are forced to work together to try to create a good façade in order to bring together humans and wolves. Recently, in fact, and in the worst way, the existence of werewolves was revealed to the rest of the human population and the situation is very delicate, on the brink of an all-out war between races.

I really like the world so complex in which the author has set this series, the tensions and the problems the two pack,Talon and Redwood, must face. Two groups of wolves who have a very different past, but want to stand together and defend their loved ones.

The attraction between Brynn and Finn is thrilling, although he doesn't know anything about the truth of their situation, but he feels a strong push towards Brynn, who keeps him at a distance and rejects him.

Finn is funny, sexy, strong, but he becomes truly amazing when he discovers the reason why Brynn seems to hate him. 

The intensity of his emotions is breathtaking when you read their stories and I love so much his bond with his family, their affection, closeness and ability to show their emotions without shame.

 Brynn isn't so lucky, because her family has a painful past behind, with abuse and a lot of suffering and everything between them is more complicated.

The fact remains that this is one of the most beautiful and intense love stories I have ever read. 

RATING: 4.5 stars

I received an arc from the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Carrie Ann! I really enjoyed your "An Alpha's Choice"

La storia di Brynn e Finn è veramente meravigliosa.

Carrie Ann Ryan ha dato vita a due splendidi personaggi.

La natura di Brynn, il suo lupo così dominante, la mettono in una posizione un po' ambigua all'interno del suo branco: suo fratello è l'alpha a capo di tutti e la sua compagna ne è diventata la figura di riferimento femminile. Brynn non ha un ruolo ben definito nel gruppo e per lei si presentano di continuo sfide lanciate da altre femmine che vogliono affermarsi.

Al contrario con i maschi è tutta un'altra storia, nessuno è abbastanza forte da contrastarla, cosa du cui ha bisogno il suo lupo, fino a quando non incontra Finn del branco dei Redwood e scopre che quel magnifico, giovane lupo dominante è il suo compagno predestinato. Fin qui sarebbe tutto perfetto, ma lui non mostra alcun segno di accorgersi della cosa... e questo è una situazione devastante da affrontare per Brynn, una sofferenza incredibile.

Tutto si complica quando i due sono costretti a lavorare insieme per tentare di creare una facciata per poter riuscire a far convivere umani e lupi. Da poco infatti e nel peggiore dei modi, l'esistenza dei licantropi è stata svelata al resto della popolazione umana e la situazione è molto delicata, sull'orlo di una vera e propria guerra tra razze diverse.

Mi piace molto la realtà così complessa in cui l'autrice ha ambientato questa serie, le tensioni e i problemi che devono affrontare i due branchi dei Talon e dei Redwood, due gruppi di lupi che hanno un passato molto diverso, ma vogliono affrontare insieme i problemi e difendere i loro cari.

L'attrazione tra Brynn e Finn è elettrizzante, anche se lui è all'oscuro di tutto, comunque sente una forte spinta verso Brynn, che lo tiene a distanza e lo rifiuta in modo deciso.

Finn è divertente, sexy pieno di ironia, ma diventa veramente meraviglioso quando scopre il motivo per cui Brynn sembra, e dico sembra detestarlo. 

L'intensità delle sue emozioni è lascia senza fiato quando si legge la loro storia e adoro come il rapporto che ha con la sua famiglia, il loro affetto, la vicinanza e la capacità di mostrare senza vergogna le loro emozioni.

In questo Brynn è meno fortunata, perché la sua famiglia ha un passato doloroso alle spalle, fatto di abusi e sofferenza e tutto tra loro è più complicato.

Resta il fatto che è una delle storie d'amore più belle e intense che abbia mai letto. 

TITLE: An Alpha's Choice

AUTHOR: Carrie Ann Ryan

SERIES: Talon Pack #2

Claiming His Mate by Savannah Stuart

She thought the house was empty when she broke in…

When jaguar shifter Lauren Hayes breaks into an alpha’s home to steal back what rightfully belongs to her pride, she doesn’t expect to be tackled by Max McCray, second-in-command of the Kincaid wolf pack. As punishment for her crime the sexy wolf shifter demands that she stay with him for one week. Knowing she’ll start a war between her pride and his pack if she doesn’t, she has no other choice but to agree, even if the thought of being near him 24/7 makes her scared that she won’t be able to hide her growing attraction to him.

Now he has a week to make her his…

Max has waited months to make a move on the sexy jaguar shifter and now that she’s broken shifter rules, he’s not letting her go. He doesn’t care that he’s a wolf and she’s a jaguar, claiming her forever is the only thing that matters. Unfortunately, not everyone likes the idea of him being with a feline shifter. Max is forced to choose sides between Lauren and members of the pack he’s sworn allegiance to in order to protect the woman he knows is his destined mate.

Short story set in the realities of the shifters. Lauren is the alpha's little daughter of the jaguar pack, while Max is the right-hand man in the Kincaid wolf pack..

The story is nice, even if it doesn't add anything new to the world of shifters, however I read it well, the plot is smooth and full eroticism and sensuality as often happens in stories of these paranormal romance creatures.

I liked especially Max and his behavior with Lauren. He deceides to conquer her and he has the right opportunity when she gets caught stealing in the home of the  wolves pack leader, bnotte choose not to abuse his role.

It's a pair with a good chemistry together and I regret only that the brevity of the story has not been able to give them more space, exploring the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Crushstar Multimedia LLC.

RATING: 3 stars

TITLE: Claiming His Mate

AUTHOR: Savannah Stuart

SERIES: Crescent Moon # 2

PUBLISHER: Crushstar Multimedia LLC

Racconto breve ambientato nella realtà degli shifters (mutaforma). Lauren è la figlia più piccola del capo branco dei giaguari, mentre Max è il braccio destro del branco di lupi dei Kincaid.

La storia è carina, anche se non aggiunge niente di nuovo al mondo degli shifters, però si legge bene, è scorrevole e carica di erotismo e sensualità come spesso accade nelle storie che di queste creature paranormal romance.

Mi è piaciuto soprattutto Max e il suo comportamento con Lauren. Decide di conquistarla e ha l'occasione giusta quando lei viene colta in flagrante a rubare in casa del capo branco dei lupi, ma comunque decide di non abusare del suo ruolo.

È una coppia on una bella chimica insieme e mi spiace solo che per la brevità del racconto non si sia potuto dar loro più spazio, approfondendone la storia.

Ringrazio Netgalley e la Crushstar Multimedia LLC per il libro.

VOTO: 3 stelle

TITOLO: Claiming His Mate

AUTRICE: Savannah Stuart

SERIE: Crescent Moon #2

EDITORE: Crushstar Multimedia LLC