Nightshade

Meh. I listened to this one over three weeks on many, many car trips. The story was interesting enough. I had some issues, but nothing that made me want to stop reading/listening. Problem one: Calla is this big, bad alpha, but we rarely see her in action and when we do a male jumps in to save her butt. My fave character was her brother, Ansel, who was completely honest about his feelings through the entire book. It was refreshing to see a male character who really cared about family and his girl.
This book also contained the one thing that drives me nuts in ANY kind of thriller-the old we are running for our lives, about to die, but we have time to stop and make out crap. Sheesh, the horomones are pumping through this entire story, and I was not convinced Shay was worth giving up a free car and a house (just kidding).
I will stroll, not run to the bookstore for the second book, but I really hope it features a Calla coming into her own because I left this book unsure that she believed in anything or was doing anything except following Shay.

Where do I start with my love for this book? Seriously. If I'm not careful this review will simply turn into a gushing mess and you'll all run away, which is exactly the opposite of what I want. No I want you, dear readers, to understand why it is so important that you go and purchase a copy of this book the moment that it comes out! So I'll try to keep my mushy fandom to a minimum. I'll try.

I also promise that I won't spoil Nightshade for you. You have my word!

First off I must profess my love for Calla. Oh Calla! She is everything that I love about a female protagonist. As Calla is the alpha wolf of her pack, she has an outwardly tough demeanor. She gives orders, takes charge, and even is willing to bend the rules a bit if necessary. Calla takes her rightful place among my top 10 favorite female characters of all time. I wish to applaud Andrea Cremer for her creation of Calla and her fellow packmates! From the moment I met them in the story I was hooked. There was no turning back for me, and I read ravenously right on until the end.

To keep things mysterious, I won't tackle Calla's love triangle too deeply. I'll simply say that both Ren and Shay, Call's love interests, are delicious. Did I just describe male characters as delicious? You bet I did! Each comes to the table with their own set of traits to fall in love with. Calla ends up torn between what her heart wants, and what her world dictates she should want. Classic love triangle.

The storyline is amazingly well-paced and the pages just fly by. Before I knew it, I was turning the last page and gasping in anticipation of what comes next. It was over all too soon. What I appreciated most was the delicate balance between all out action and the romance aspect. Truthfully, that balance is very important to me when it comes to feeling connected to a story. Andrea Cremer walks that line perfectly and crafts a story that I fell deeply in love with!

Vague enough for you? As I said, I won't ruin the story! I want you to experience this for yourself. I recommend Nightshade with my highest seal of approval. It comes out in a matter of days, so mark it on your calendar and go get a copy for yourself!