JOY TO THE WOLVES is the first book in Terry Spear’s “Red Wolf” series. Brooke Cerise is a wolf shifter who seems destined to be in the antiques business. First, she inherits her parents’ shop after they died, now she’s inherited her Great-Aunt Ivy’s antique and gift shop when she passes away. What changes for Brooke is the location. She moves from Arizona to Portland Oregon and winds up finding adventure and a love interest. When Brooke finds a reindeer calf named Jingles on her property, she calls the police. What she gets is the good-looking yet slightly snarky Detective Josh Wilding asking her questions and making her feel like a suspect. Even though Terry Spear has some of my favorite nice guy heroes, I was initially worried that there would be a bit of an “enemies-to-lovers” vibe going between these two main characters because of how they were introduced to each other. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case.

One of my all-time favorite romantic suspense films is the classic Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn film Charade. Like the heroine in that story, Brooke innocently stumbles into some shenanigans by a mishmash of thieves and assorted other villains. Also, like that other character, thieves are after some item that they believe she has – but she has no clue what that item could be. The identity of the bigshot behind everything proves elusive until almost the very end, and things the characters thought they knew are tested over the course of the book. Terry Spear seamlessly blends suspense and cozy romantic elements to make an entertaining story. Although Brooke is a collector and shopkeeper with no background in intrigue or fighting, she uses her knowledge of antiques to help work out the puzzle. Josh, his friendly brother Maverick, and local wolves in law enforcement provide muscle and their knowledge when it comes to stopping bad guys. I like how Brooke and Josh work as a team protecting her shop and figuring, who is hassling her, and what the hidden treasures are. Josh never tries to pull rank or act condescendingly to Brooke once they’re involved even though he has a badge. The chemistry between this pair is great and the romance is Terry Spear’s signature blend of sexy and sweet.

JOY TO THE WOLVES is a fun and festive story with reindeer, romance, and a dash of mystery. Having only one female main character and a host of predominantly male supporting characters is not common for a Terry Spear book, but the dynamic works in JOY TO THE WOLVES. I hope to read a story about Maverick soon and see more of the Wilding Reindeer Ranch.