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Review

“What do you want from me?”
“Everything you have to give. And I’ll get it.”

4.5 sexy, funny, action-packed shifter stars

I’m a huge fan of Suzanne Wright. She is an auto-buy author for me, and I’ve been so looking forward to the start of her new Mercury Pack series. This is technically a spin-off to the Phoenix Pack series, but to me it feels more like a direct continuation, so I would definitely recommend reading that series first as they are very much tied together. Chronologically, this book comes directly after book 4 – Dark Instincts.

As with all of Suzanne’s books, this is PNR at its best – an interesting and well-developed world with a great paranormal element (limited to shifters), lots of action and humour with fantastic banter and teasing, and an intense, passionate romance that will have you alternately laughing, smiling and fanning yourself. Ally and Derren’s story had me hooked from start to finish. I loved it!

Wolf shifter and seer, Ally Marshall is having trouble in her pack. Her boyfriend (the pack beta) found his true mate – this is always a possibility for shifter couples, and Ally wasn’t devastated that the relationship ended, but the new beta female is bitter and insecure and she targets Ally, isolating her from the entire pack.

I need to take a moment to declare love for Ally because the woman is awesome! She’s had a hard life and has never really fit in anywhere, but she hasn’t let that get her down. She is strong and feisty and isn’t prepared to put up with anybody’s crap. The fact that she is a seer only adds to her difficulties as seers are often shunned by shifters because of the incredible power that they hold. It’s yet another obstacle that she needs to deal with but again she doesn’t let it get to her. She lives her life and does her thing, and though she has her vulnerabilities, she is a fierce female with a wicked sense of humour and I absolutely love her!

“I’m just making my point that I don’t trust Seers.”
Ally smiled gently. “Admitting your problem is the first step to recovery.”

Derren is the beta for the Mercury Pack of shifters. Strong, hard and a bit of a badass, he is contacted by an old friend who asks him to help Ally and he feels powerless to refuse. Both he and his packmates have had bad experiences with seers so they are wary and untrusting of them, but they agree to temporarily take her in.

From the moment Ally and Derren lay eyes on each other they feel an intense attraction. As a seer, Ally can feel the emotions of others so she gets a double shot of lust being able to feel how much Derren wants her. But the fact that she is a seer makes Derren mistrustful of her, and the fact that she is somehow tied to his old friend makes her pretty much off limits. But with them living in such close proximity, and with Derren taking responsibility for Ally’s wellbeing while she is staying with the Mercury Pack, they are around each other constantly and it’s only a matter of time before they give in to their raging attraction.

Holy freaking hotness, Suzanne Wright knows how to write a good love scene! Intense and passionate with lots of dirty talk, her books are always steamy and this one is no different. Ally and Derren have sensational chemistry and that plays out brilliantly in the bedroom… or forrest…. or wherever the hell they happen to be, they can’t keep their hands (or anything else) off each other. Shifters are very carnal animals so sex isn’t necessarily a big deal for them, but as they get to know each other, their physical attraction soon turns into something much more meaningful, and Derren’s alpha vibes come out in a big way.

“I’m keeping you, Ally Marshall.” And she’d just have to accept it, because he wouldn’t let her go. “You’re mine.”
Startled and spooked by that very sincere announcement that almost sounded….binding, Ally didn’t speak for a moment. “Yours?”
“All mine. You got under my skin, became my obsession. There’s no going back.” 

I love Derren. He’s a fierce and strong alpha wolf, and he’s used to taking what he wants, and Ally is no exception. He is possessive and protective, and watching those traits come out were fantastic. But there is a gentleness to him which is gorgeous, and I loved seeing the softer side to him as he makes his claim.

“Stop looking at the world through guarded glasses for just one minute, baby. Listen to your instincts. Don’t think, Ally. Feel.”

And together, they are amazing! Their relationship is easy and natural, with no angst, no stupid and no game playing. They are both strong characters who are extremely (and occasionally hilariously) possessive – they know what they want and they make it happen. Sure, it’s not all smooth sailing, and they both have issues that they need to work through, but they want each other, they are committed to each other and there for each other no matter what and they are sensational together – fierce and sexy, for sure, but with a great sense of fun and lightness to all of the intensity.

“You love me?”
He smiled. “Fuck yeah.”
“I’m glad, because it’s rare for one-sided relationships to work out well.”
His smile widened. “Is that your very poor way of telling me you love me?”
“It was pretty poor, wasn’t it?”

But there is trouble looking for the Mercury Pack when they discover that a hit has been put out on both them and the Phoenix Pack. The race is on to track down the person responsible, while taking out anyone who dares to threaten violence against them. Added to that, there are shifter politics at play and old enemies just refuse to go away. There’s a lot going on in this story, but it all blends together seamlessly and the action is awesome! I had a hard time putting it down.

As always, there is a strong element of humour throughout the story with great banter, teasing and quips throughout. There’s also a chance to catch up with each other couples from the Phoenix Pack series, and I loved seeing them all together – whether they’re bantering or fighting together, the dynamics between these characters is fantastic.

I loved this book, and am really looking forward to the series continuing.

4.5 stars.

An Advanced Review Copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

 

The Mercury Pack

 

See our Phoenix Pack / Mercury Pack series page for more information
and to see how these two series fit together (including suggested reading order).