Aisling Zena's Reviews > Force of Temptation
Force of Temptation (The Mercury Pack, #2)
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by
Aisling Zena's review
bookshelves: werewolves-dragons-shifters, paranormal-fantasy-urban-fantasy
Nov 01, 2016
bookshelves: werewolves-dragons-shifters, paranormal-fantasy-urban-fantasy
4.5 stars
You know what my problem is with this author? The fact that I'm always left wanting more at the end of the book. Apparently a 300 something page book is not enough for me. No, I want to linger and enjoy her world-building for as long as I possibly can.
As usual Suzanne Wright sucked me in her book with the first few sentences. Introducing a new type of shifter that's also a person we haven't seen before in the series. Harley Vincent, a margay shifter! I love it when we get someone new as a mate for the guys we already know and not a pairing between pre-existing people.
Harley isn't just any margay shifter though. She is half human, living in the human world with no pack or allegiances. A half shifter that's been targeted by anti-shifter extremists because of who her father is. Like most of SW heroines, Harley is a strong, dominant woman that takes no shit and much like her cat part, is indifferent to anything that doesn't keep her attention. I loved how her cat nature translated into several characteristics as a human as well. Her love of books and comfy book nooks completely endeared her to me. She also had the trademark Suzanne Wright sass.
"I'd answer you, I really would... but talking to you is about as appealing as sandpapering a wild cat's ass while having my nipples chewed off by rabid dogs."
A very down to earth, pragmatic and gifted violinist, Harley faced some of the same problems that Ally had in the first book. The Mercury pack apparently don't learn from past mistakes. Some of them did not welcome her with open arms. Ally and Shaya are the first to accept her into the pack unconditionally upon meeting her.
I'll be honest,my memory isn't the best and I didn't really remember much of Jesse other than he was one of Nick's enforcers. Here, we get much more of his background and character. Stubborn, headstrong, knows what he wants but can be closed off and cold, Jesse comes across as a classic dominant werewolf. A determined one, hell bent on making Harley officially his. Sadly, Jesse lost his true mate when they were children. But he has put that loss behind him as well as any feelings of guilt for moving on. That was so refreshing to read. The dead mate/fiance/wife plot can be so hard, not just to depict, but to have a meaningful impact in the storytelling without overshadowing the new couple. And I loved it here. Jesse had dealt with those feelings and re-made himself. He and Harley may not be destined for each other, but he is convinced that they belong together and pulls out all the stops to achieve it.
"A guy who'd lost his true mate wasn't going to just sit back and take for granted that the female he intended to claim would be fine without him watching over her. And said female couldn't be in a relationship with him unless she took that into account and made some allowances."
Harley always had feelings for Jesse but she's reluctant to plunge into a mating bond with him. I thought that her reasoning was logical and her fears very real. She never came across as irrational and her progression as a mate and a pack member was very nicely handled, for me.
I was thoroughly entertained by this book and as I mentioned above I wanted more. Also I would love to read a book in this series where the heroine is "weaker" as opposed to the usually strong women, not submissive, just not as strong willed. I would love to see how the author would handle the dynamics of a more vulnerable pairing.
**ARC courtesy of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
You know what my problem is with this author? The fact that I'm always left wanting more at the end of the book. Apparently a 300 something page book is not enough for me. No, I want to linger and enjoy her world-building for as long as I possibly can.
As usual Suzanne Wright sucked me in her book with the first few sentences. Introducing a new type of shifter that's also a person we haven't seen before in the series. Harley Vincent, a margay shifter! I love it when we get someone new as a mate for the guys we already know and not a pairing between pre-existing people.
Harley isn't just any margay shifter though. She is half human, living in the human world with no pack or allegiances. A half shifter that's been targeted by anti-shifter extremists because of who her father is. Like most of SW heroines, Harley is a strong, dominant woman that takes no shit and much like her cat part, is indifferent to anything that doesn't keep her attention. I loved how her cat nature translated into several characteristics as a human as well. Her love of books and comfy book nooks completely endeared her to me. She also had the trademark Suzanne Wright sass.
"I'd answer you, I really would... but talking to you is about as appealing as sandpapering a wild cat's ass while having my nipples chewed off by rabid dogs."
A very down to earth, pragmatic and gifted violinist, Harley faced some of the same problems that Ally had in the first book. The Mercury pack apparently don't learn from past mistakes. Some of them did not welcome her with open arms. Ally and Shaya are the first to accept her into the pack unconditionally upon meeting her.
I'll be honest,my memory isn't the best and I didn't really remember much of Jesse other than he was one of Nick's enforcers. Here, we get much more of his background and character. Stubborn, headstrong, knows what he wants but can be closed off and cold, Jesse comes across as a classic dominant werewolf. A determined one, hell bent on making Harley officially his. Sadly, Jesse lost his true mate when they were children. But he has put that loss behind him as well as any feelings of guilt for moving on. That was so refreshing to read. The dead mate/fiance/wife plot can be so hard, not just to depict, but to have a meaningful impact in the storytelling without overshadowing the new couple. And I loved it here. Jesse had dealt with those feelings and re-made himself. He and Harley may not be destined for each other, but he is convinced that they belong together and pulls out all the stops to achieve it.
"A guy who'd lost his true mate wasn't going to just sit back and take for granted that the female he intended to claim would be fine without him watching over her. And said female couldn't be in a relationship with him unless she took that into account and made some allowances."
Harley always had feelings for Jesse but she's reluctant to plunge into a mating bond with him. I thought that her reasoning was logical and her fears very real. She never came across as irrational and her progression as a mate and a pack member was very nicely handled, for me.
I was thoroughly entertained by this book and as I mentioned above I wanted more. Also I would love to read a book in this series where the heroine is "weaker" as opposed to the usually strong women, not submissive, just not as strong willed. I would love to see how the author would handle the dynamics of a more vulnerable pairing.
**ARC courtesy of Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Reading Progress
July 27, 2016
– Shelved
July 27, 2016
– Shelved as:
to-read
November 2, 2016
–
Started Reading
November 4, 2016
– Shelved as:
werewolves-dragons-shifters
November 4, 2016
– Shelved as:
paranormal-fantasy-urban-fantasy
November 4, 2016
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-42 of 42 (42 new)
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message 1:
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Kate
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rated it 4 stars
Nov 01, 2016 10:55AM
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Thank you! I've been checking Netgalley for weeks now! :D"
Lol, me too. :-)
Thank you! I've been checking Netgalley for weeks now! :D"
Lol, me too. :-)"
Happy reading hun! So excited! :)
Thank you! I've been checking Netgalley for weeks now! :D"
Lol, me too. :-)"
Happy reading hun! So excited! :)"
You, too sweetie :-)
It's Read Now as well so no waiting. Enjoy! :)
I know lol! Thank you so much Maria! :) xxx
Thank you dear! That's what makes her a good author, always leaving us wanting more! Hope you enjoy it when you get to it. :)
message 17:
by
V. A Court of Wings and Ruin is NEW ADULT/EROTICA but Goodreads editors won't tell you to include it in the choice awards
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added it
You should really give her a try when you can. But start from the Phoenix Pack series as this one is it's spin-off and you might get a tad lost. I hope you enjoy her if you ever managed to get to her. Thank you Veronica! :D
Thank you Astrid! You should definitely give her a try. Do start with her Phoenix Pack series though as this one is a spin-off with a lot of the characters and events from that series carrying on in this one. Her Dark In You and Deep In Your Veins series are also amazing :)
Anytime. I'm a huge fan of hers and I love almost all of her books especially her Dark In You ones. Also her Dark In you and Deep In Your Veins series are in the same universe. I hope you enjoy them when you get to them. :D
Thank you Tijuana! She's pretty amazing and rarely misses. For sure one of my go-to authors when I want to read something good. :)
Thank you Victoria! I love her world building! It's so effortless and so fun. In all her series, at least for me. :D
Thank you so much Lana! I loved it. It's Read Now on Netgalley by the way. :)