Pack of Lies

Looking back at my reviews of the Adhara's Big Bad Wolf series ([b:The Wolf at the Door 36480253 The Wolf at the Door (Big Bad Wolf, #1) Charlie Adhara https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1515447921l/36480253.SY75.jpg 58190977] et al), I wasn't immediately impressed. It took me several books to appreciate the MCs, and the annoyance I felt about their inability to just freakin' talk to each other dissipated as the series evolved and Cooper, the POV character, experienced some much needed character growth. So the fact that I'm already on board with Adhara's new Monster Hunt series is a good sign. The dual POV that was missing from Big Bad Wolf helped me feel invested with both MCs at an earlier point in the series. I don't remember much about Eli from the Wolf series, other than that he was Oliver Park's former lover. He's quite compelling here, with a cynical, wisecracking attitude that covers up a lot of insecurity and his sincere commitment to successfully launching a new sanctuary for runaway wolves.I'm not quite sure about Julien, the other MC, a handsome former movie star carrying a boatload of guilt over his failure to prevent his volatile brother's death. His attraction to Eli is the first time he has acted on the same sex aspect of his bisexuality, so despite his good looks he is very unsure. He never quite came alive for me as a three-dimensional character, but I'm hoping he will as the series progresses. Unlike Wolf at the Door, Eli's identity is hidden for most of the book. In fact, both characters are holding back significant pieces of information from each other. Their attraction is real, and they instinctively protect each other, but neither is willing to trust the other with the full truth yet. It makes the HFN end of this book much more tentative than where Oliver and Cooper were at this stage of their series, but that opens the door for a lot more relationship development moving forward. I don't read this series for the whodunnit part. I'm here for Adhara's world-building and character development. Unlike traditional folklore, Eli and Oliver aren't men who turn into werewolves under a full moon; they're always wolves, sometimes “in skin” and others “in fur.” Allegiance to a pack alpha is virtually mandatory, as is secrecy because most people are unaware that they even exist. By the end of Pack of Lies, Julian is one more human that knows Eli's true nature, and it will be interesting to see how much more the two men have to learn about each other as the series continues. Note: For those readers hoping to catch a glimpse of Cooper and Oliver, they are absent for most of the novel on their well-deserved honeymoon, but they do make a welcome cameo appearance.ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for honest review.