Sandy M’s review of Dreaming of the Wolf (Werewolf Series, Book Eight) by Terry Spear
Paranormal Romance published by Sourcebooks Casablanca 1 Dec 11

I have no idea how Terry Spear keeps her werewolf stories fresh and exciting, but she does book after book and she does it well. Her characters are always strong, and she’s true to those characters whether in their human or wolf form. Details, big or small, are never redundant from story to story, nor are the storylines. Each featured couple receives their own unique tale, including a mystery designed just for them. This series has been consistently one of the best, never letting me down from the beginning.

Jake Silver doesn’t believe in love, soul mates, or dream mating. So he’s not on the lookout for a long-term relationship at this point in his life, despite how happy his oldest brother is since he found his dream mate.  But the curiosity inherent in his animal nature leads him to follow the beautiful woman he spies while waiting for a photography shop to open in Breckenridge. He’s supposed to drop off his wild flower collection for exhibition, but he’ll have to be a tad late. Following the lady into the restaurant across the street finds her courting all kinds of danger.

Keeping her vow of vengeance uppermost in her mind, Alicia Greiston has turned bounty hunter to bring the men who killed her mother to justice. That they’re part of the mob doesn’t matter. Danger now goes with her job, and she’s facing it head on when necessary. When she notices the sexy, hot guy eying her, she’s definitely interested, but she has to keep her focus. She has a promise to uphold.

But in the onslaught that is Jake, Alicia doesn’t have much choice. She responds to him immediately. And I like that Ms. Spear gives us their lovemaking early on in this book. Anticipation is great when waiting for a couple to finally come together, but sometimes you need them to be together much, much sooner, especially if they’ve teamed up and are working to solve a mystery or are running for their lives, as examples. In this case, Jake’s protective streak is in full force when he learns what Alicia is up to. The need to keep her safe, to be with her, to want her like he does mystifies him. He’s wolf. She’s human. They can’t mate. What is it about this woman?

That’s another thing about Ms. Spear’s werewolf stories – we don’t get the same old reason over and over for a human to be turned. Alicia is definitely turned, of course, but it’s in a way I’ve not read before and that made the story much more interesting, because there are repercussions to be dealt with by both Alicia and Jake, depending on what happened during her conversion. Very nicely done without stringing it out to the very end. Tension about the situation is still high, but it’s all done quite succinctly in only a few chapters. I like the dichotomy of Jake’s alphaness and dominance versus his skill in taking photographs, with his favorite subject being flowers. He’s a fierce protector, but that softer side enjoys nature and wildness and beauty.

The best parts of this book are those love scenes between Jake and Alicia and all of the shifting scenes, especially those by Alicia once she’s turned, because she’s had no one to guide her or teach her about being a werewolf. First, the love scenes. Very hot. Jake is to die for and Alicia isn’t about to say no to him. Smart woman. He also has a very tender core and it comes out in some very romantic ways. Then those shapeshifting scenes, I enjoy those immensely when these characters are in their wolf form. There’s a scene where Jake and Alicia are running through the forest, along with a couple of other wolves, and he runs next to her, fur rubbing fur, a nose prodding here and there, all very descriptive of the way wolves behave. There are several such scenes throughout which make this book so appealing to a shapeshifter fan.

The action is jammed packed when needed, especially the fight scene between Jake and the villain late in the book. Even his story is interesting, despite his evilness. His henchmen are the oily, scummy kind and you can’t wait to see their end, hoping it’s as painful as can be. We also get caught up with Darien and Lelandi, as well as Tom, the third brother. I’m looking forward to his book. These triplets have been a lot of fun!

I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating: if you haven’t started reading Terry Spear, get with it! You won’t be disappointed. If you’re a few books into this series, stay with it. Each book is better than the one before. You can never get enough of werewolves like these.

Grade: A+

Summary:

Jake Silver doesn’t believe in fate or dream mating, despite the fact his brother and other family members have been afflicted with this strange notion. But when dreams begin to plague him about a woman so seductive, he wakes up in a sweat and he’s losing way too much sleep over it, he seeks to learn the truth. Can dream mating be a reality? Is the woman real?

Alicia Greiston doesn’t dream. Not ever. So when a man visits her in the first dream she’s ever had, she’s startled, pleased, then alarmed. He’s not going away, and the dreams take a sinister turn. He’s in trouble, and if the dreams are a foreshadowing of the future, she has to save him.

No excerpt available.

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