Chloe Williams has waited four long years for her mate to acknowledge her. She had heard all his excuses; she's too young being his main problem ... even after she is hospitalized from a beating that left her recovering with lingering after effects he turned away. The only way she can go on is by being patient and waiting for his wolf to teach him a lesson ... the one that says mating for a wolf is more than a FIGURE OF SPEECH it is a lifetime of love.

Dr. James Woods, veterinarian had been attacked and forced into a wolf. His mating instincts is there but he is ten years older than her, and that age difference kept him from making a move on her. Then the attack on her and on top of that he finds that he has a half brother he never knew about. So between his attraction to someone way too young, a new brother who might be dying of ALS, meddling lying parents and her overprotective brothers and someone still threatening Chloe's life what is he to do. Follow his new instincts and grab the one who completes him ... if he's not too late.

FIGURE OF SPEECH is a fast paced, fantastic love story in the amazing world of author Dana Marie Bell's Halle shifters. Though this one was center on Chloe and Jim, the shifters from the past books are there to lend support. It took some time but Chloe got her man and he began to understand more of what was going on around him when he finally pulled his head out of his ... uh ...the sand. She was much to forgiving so it was left to her family to give him a hard time but it all worked out. Though as you read you will find that a part of it was an "incorrectly" passed on message. I usually find that when I am into a book I have a few choice words for some of the characters when I disagree with their actions and this book was no different. I won't say which people; read the book and I think you will know the ones I mean.

I am not sure how Ms. Bell did it but Chloe's speech problem (from the attack and brain injury that almost killed her in a previous book) was at times discomfiting but by the end I realized I totally understood her so well I almost didn't notice the mixed words. FIGURE OF SPEECH is a great story, not just a love story with steamy shifter sex, but one of overcoming disabilities and doing the right thing ... because it's the right thing to do. I can't wait for the next in this series and whatever else Ms. Bell comes up with.