Sandy M’s review of Wolf Line (Granite Lake Wolves, Book 5) by Vivian Arend
Paranormal Romance ebook published by Samhain 12 Jun 12
I’ve read only one other Vivian Arend book, and I had a great time with it. So I was more than happy to sit back and relax while reading this one. Unfortunately, true relaxation didn’t come until the second half of the book.
Jared himself is trying to relax with a cup of coffee when his pack mates join him. He enjoys their company and likes being part of their pack. After some teasing and talk about upcoming work, Jared notices a couple of goons lumbering his way, so on the run it is. He ends up taking refuge on board one of the Arctic Wolf Cruise Lines ships that is ready to head out on a ten-day cruise. Thinking he can get through a couple of days and then “forget” to re-board at a port along the way, Jared poses as one of his pack’s members who missed the boat. A little honest work never hurt anyone.
As troubleshooter on this cruise, Keri is helping her friend Tessa who’s managing her first trip for the tour line. Soothing anxious nerves soon takes a backseat to the man who Keri knows is her mate. Trying to figure out why he ignores her every time they run into each other turns into trying to keep him out of jail when she discovers passengers’ missing property in his room. Keri’s not about to lose the only man on the planet meant for her. I love the scene where she goes into Jared’s room and ends up rolling around on his bed and in his sheets to wrap herself in his scent, while she’s trying to figure the guy out.
When Jared finally realizes Keri is his mate, this is where the book gets much more interesting. Of course, all the lovemaking has a little to do with that. They can’t keep their hands off each other. While the comedy of errors of mistaken identity continues in the mystery of thefts onboard, Jared is recognized by a royal couple, and, thus, his secrets begin to come out. And Keri is taken off guard by one of those secrets, the other she neatly tosses aside with hardly any reaction at all, and I actually think it should have been the other way around.
The beginning of the book is a tad slow, and there are a few short scenes that just don’t work for me. However, once everything heats up with Jared and Keri and their trying to discover who’s behind the thefts, the story begins to move at a much better pace. I do feel I was at a little bit of a disadvantage not having read the previous four books in the series, but only with regard to the beginning when the Granite Lake wolves are together. I think their interaction here would have gone over better if I’d met them before. But once they’re out of the picture, that feeling dissipates.
I do like the concept of a shifter-only cruise where shifters of all kinds can run around aboard ship in either human or animal form. There are a couple of scenes that are fun and make the idea come off the page quite well. I think another book with this cruise as a backdrop and featuring two or three couples, along with all the antics that could go on in this environment, would be a lot of fun. It’s just a very refreshing concept.
All in all, I like the characters in this book. They’re charming and fun. I also now want to read the first four books in the series, because I do love the shifter aspect of the story, and I wish there’d been a little more shifting throughout, whether it’s Jared and Keri or any of the many others onboard. I think I just might end up loving a lot of these Granite Lake wolves.
Grade: B-
Summary:
Into the best-laid plans a little chaos must fall…
Jared’s not sure how his quiet morning coffee near the harbour ended with him on a cruise ship impersonating one of his pack mates. Well, it might have something to do with a woman, but who can blame him? The female of the species was made to love, and he’s more than willing to share his considerable skills in that area. Especially since he figures the chances of meeting his own one-and-only are slim.
Keri Smith is positive the last-minute recruit sneaking aboard the Arctic Wolf Cruise Lines tour is her mate. Ix-nay on confirming that, though, at least for the next ten days. She’s promised her best friend to be overall troubleshooter for the shifter-only cruise. Getting tangled up in mating lust would reduce her skills to nil. Avoidance of the sexy wolf for the duration of the cruise, followed by jumping his bones, seems the logical solution.
But when libidos are on the line, “logic” and “wolves” don’t go together. Throw in suspicions of wrongdoing, and these two virtual strangers will need a lot more than luck to find their way through to forever.
Warning: Really? You need to be warned about the hot nookie and sarcasm? Yeah, it’s in here. Also colourful cat shifters, lupine royalty, and wild adventures in cabins like you’ve never seen before.
Read an excerpt.
Other books in this series:
