Review – Wild Wolf (Shifters Unbound #6) by Jennifer Ashley

Wild Wolf cover image

Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Publish Date: Out now
How I got this book: ARC from the publisher via Netgalley

Graham McNeil, the take-no-crap alpha of his unruly wolf Shifters, can drive human woman Misty Granger insane with his off-again, on-again attention. But when Misty is threatened, he comes instantly to her rescue, even if he has to bring along two little orphaned wolf cubs that have been dumped on his doorstep. Graham’s wolf pack want him to take a Lupine mate for the good of his Shifters, but Graham’s heightening bond with Misty jeopardizes his intentions, as does the deadly foe who locks Graham under his thrall and won’t let go.
This blurb came from the author’s website.

After reading Ashley’s previous novella in her Shifters Unbound series, Feral Heat, I was a little tentative in picking this one up but I have found I prefer her writing style in a novel format and the hero was Graham. Graham had been a thorn in the side of many another shifter alpha yet surprisingly gentle around Misty. I have been waiting for his story ever since Graham arrived on scene with a growl.

I loved getting a chance to see Graham, understand why he was so growly and aggressive, and then see his softer side come out as well. Graham cared deeply for his wolves as rough and scrappy as they were but he was not about to let them completely dictate his life. He enjoyed flirting with Misty, but wasn’t willing to let things go too far because he knew he would have to choose a mate eventually. But when Misty called and he found out she was in trouble, he dropped everything to go to her aid. Time and again Graham sacrificed or risked himself to help others but it seemed as if everyone overlooked that and only saw his confrontational side except for Misty.

Misty was an interesting human. She wasn’t afraid of shifters nor was she a shifter groupie but viewed them as people with some interesting habits. She would have loved to be in an actual relationship with Graham but realized his pack wouldn’t accept her so for a while she was content with his friendship and flirting. But after he came to rescue her and almost died, she realized she wanted all or nothing. I loved her determination and refusal to let Graham get away with his hot-cold behavior towards her or sacrifice him dreams for the future.

Once Misty and Graham got over being used as unwitting tools for a vengeful Fae I loved watching them work together and interact with his nephew and the two orphaned wolf cubs. Her refusal to be intimidated by any of the shifters or to be steamrolled by them was a lot of fun. I enjoyed seeing the shifter reactions to her independence and determination. Their willingness to try different methods to break the Fae spell and habit of coming to the rescue when one was in a bad situation was also touching.

Ashley added some interesting twists in this particular novel regarding developments with the Fae, the shifter collars, and the power of plants. I loved how she increased the overall threat while also providing some hope for the future. She also introduced a new character I hope comes back and some new shifter aspects or abilities. I found myself enjoying both the world development and the growing romance between Misty and Graham. The combination of a fascinating world and intriguing characters who find happiness together is what attracted me to this series in the beginning so I enjoyed seeing it return.

Overall I enjoyed reading Wild Wolf more than I have Ashley’s recent entries in this world. I thought Graham’s story was well worth the wait and loved seeing Misty upset what he thought his future would be. Misty also displayed an amazing amount of strength and mental flexibility that served her well as she gained a place based on her own merit among the shifters. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next in the Shifter world as they deal with both human prejudice and Fae playing the long game.

I give Wild Wolf a B+

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