Natalya Stravinsky barely survived being hunted by the Long
Island pack (in Coveted, book one of the series.) Now
facing
the Trials that will be the gateway to acceptance back into
her pack she is slowly rebuilding her relationship with her
slightly dysfunctional and only partially welcoming family.
She is also keeping up with the therapy for her obsessive
compulsive disorder and trying to become used to the fact
that the man she loves, Thorn Grantham, is soon to be mated
to another.
She has all she can handle between being
trained for the Trials by Thorn and trying desperately to
ignore the attraction they both still feel and tentatively
exploring a new relationship with a sexy wizard, Nick that she
met through her magical therapy group.
Soon her father
disappears after going to Atlantic City to pay a Moon debt,
one that can only be discharged with sweat or blood,
servitude or death. As she does her best to retrieve him she
learns more than she wishes about her father's underworld
ties and what she is willing to do to keep her family safe.
As in the first book in the Coveted series Shawntelle
Madison handles Natalya's obsessive compulsive disorder with
sensitivity and compassion. Although the book has plenty of
humorous leavening Madison never goes for the cheap shot of
making fun of the mental health issues of Natalya and the
circle of friends she knows through group therapy. She
handles the complex world of Russian werewolves and their
Code well, explaining the areas pertinent to the plot
without slowing the storyline one bit.
KEPT is an excellent Urban Fantasy ride. The characters and
their problems are real and immediate and the storyline was
amazing. As the final page neared, my need to speed to the
conclusion to discover what happened conflicted with my
desire to read more slowly, trying to make the book last
just a little bit longer.
I thoroughly enjoyed book one, Coveted, but KEPT is just
that tiny bit better, making me anxious to read number three
when it comes out in future. Once again my decision to
become a reviewer has been rewarded in the best possible
way, by learning about a new-to-me author who has become a
favorite. I love my job!
A funny and sexy new paranormal romance, perfect for fans
of Charlaine Harris and Patricia Briggs, Kept features the
charmingly quirky werewolf, Natalya Stravinsky, as she
navigates the minefields of love and war in the Garden State.
Fresh from defending her pack in battle, Natalya
Stravinsky, a whip–smart werewolf with a lovable
neurotic streak, wants a little rest and relaxation. Once an
outcast, she's now eager to rejoin the ranks of her New
Jersey pack, and has even gotten a handle on her obsessive
urge to hoard holiday ornaments. Yet Nat barely has time to
revel in her progress before the next crisis comes howling
at her door.
Nat's father has suddenly gone missing, captured by the
Russian werewolf mafia. And as Nat steps up to save her dad
from a mob boss's deadly game, two men step in to play
another round for her heart: her gorgeous alpha
ex–boyfriend, Thorn, and her new flame, the sweetly
sensitive wizard Nick. With her life growing more harried by
the minute, Nat must stay cool, calm, and collected . . . or
else risk losing everything.