Format: Ebook
Pub Date: June 12, 2012
Publisher: Samhain
Length: novella
FTC: review copy courtesy of the author (via publicist)
I've only read one previous Granite Lake Wolves story by Vivian Arend, but I liked it. And she's a hoot to talk to in person (which I was lucky enough to do at this year's RT convention.) But this book just didn't click with me.
Jared is running away from a nasty confrontation with the family of an ex-lover. He hitches a ride on a cruise ship, masquerading as a member of the crew. Keri has promised her best friend that she'll help keep this shifter-only cruise running smoothly, but her insane attraction to Jared is just the beginning of problems that crop up. The biggest? There's a thief on board, and evidence seems to point to Jared being the one responsible.
Coming in mid-series is always a problem in the paranormal romance genre, but this one seemed particularly troublesome. I felt like I should already know Jared based on other books, because his character was so thinly drawn in this one. His "disability" was somewhat awkwardly explained, and left me as confused as Keri was. There was humor, but it seemed buried under that 'insta-mate' compulsion that just overwhelmed the rest of the story.
Wolf Line was a steamy, short read, but I never really ended up invested in the characters or their romance. Maybe it's the novella length, maybe it's the lack of tension, but I found the book fun but forgettable. Fans of the series will like it anyway.
My Grade: C
The Blurb:
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.
