WOLF'S ASCENSION is Book 1 in Lauren Dane's Cherchez Wolf Pack series. WOLF'S ASCENSION has all the earthy eroticism you love and would expect from any Lauren Dane novel, with a paranormal twist. The beginning of WOLF'S ASCENSION is like something out of The Twilight Zone from the point-of-view of the heroine. She is attacked by a wild animal and wakes up one day to find that, instead of being in a normal hospital, she is essentially held prisoner by these strangers spouting talk of werewolves and trying to get her to join them. Kari Warner goes through a lot of emotions and changes over the course of WOLF'S ASCENSION—some scarier than others. I like the transition Lauren Dane makes from panic-infused tale of the bizarre to hot and heavy paranormal romance.

Andreas Phinney is a delectable blonde werewolf Adonis. In spite of his high-handed behavior in appropriating Kari, his gentleness he displays whenever she's around him both charms and confuses her. I love Andreas's mix of powerful leader and passionate yet gentle lover. Lauren Dane succeeds at creating a romance that fuses an uninhibited and intense love affair with an enduring commitment. There is a definite learning curve in their relationship and it evolves over the course of WOLF'S ASCENSION. One of the most seductive things about Andreas and his pack, for Kari, is the sense of family and belonging they offer.

There are two sources of conflict in WOLF'S ASCENSION: Kari's constant need to assert herself within the pack when it comes to Andreas's former lovers and a mysterious adversary who wants to harm Kari. Kari's occasional self- doubt makes sense to me, since she is in an unfamiliar situation with a new social group. I think Lauren Dane does a great job of having Kari grow over the course of the book and gain the confidence she needs. I also like that Andreas and the other members of his inner circle do the best they can to reassure her. The level of loving family support also helps as everyone works together to catch the hidden enemy. The supporting characters are terrific, and I enjoyed following their individual stories and greatly look forward to reading more about other characters in future books. The sense of danger increases as the story progresses leading up to a thrilling battle at the end.

WOLF'S ASCENSION is paranormal perfection—with a sexy alpha werewolf who worships his queen, and a fast-paced story full of mystery and suspense. The high energy action is engaging without obscuring the romance. You will fall in love with these characters. I eagerly await the next installment in this Cherchez Wolf Pack romance by Lauren Dane.