Pages: 384
Series: Seven Range Shifters #1
Genres: Paranormal Romance
Setting: Montana
Source: ARC, NetGalley
Goodreads
Seven shifter clans call the Montana mountains home.
But a new evil will stop at nothing to tear their world apart.
For centuries, the shifters that roam Big Sky country have honored a pact to keep the peace. Even bad-boy rancher Wes Calhoun, former leader of a renegade pack, has given up his violent ways and sworn loyalty to the Grey Wolves. But his dark past keeps catching up with him…
Human rancher Naomi Evans cares only about saving the ranch that was her father’s legacy. Until a clash with Wes opens up a whole new world—a supernatural world on the verge of war—and Naomi, her ranch, and the sexy cowboy wolf stealing her heart are smack dab in the middle of it.
Cowboy Wolf Trouble is part supernatural tale, part cowboy romance. The wilds of Montana seem like a perfect place for various groups of shifters/cowboys! In this world, humans are forbidden from knowing about shifters. Learning of their existence could lead to death. Naomi of course doesn’t know this, and when she encounters a wolf in a trap, her world tilts. Then, this werewolf tells her its vampires draining her flock and she is shook. The story is a mix of humans set on ‘defending the human race’ with violence, a malicious wolf pack, and some freakish half vampires.
Wes was once a packmaster. He gave up his title and joined another pack. He hasn’t quite felt like a real packmember since though. Now Wes has discovered his old pack is up to no good and Naomi might be right in the middle. The suspense is pretty high throughout the story. These shifters are brutal and none of them give a “warm fuzzy” vibe. It was a different feel to the shifter trope in subtle ways-killing humans, fighting each other. Wes had some annoying hero habits though-he pushed Naomi away, he constantly thought he wasn’t worth anything, and he didn’t trust her even though she had given him no reason to feel that way.
Naomi is an uncommon sight in the world of Montana cattle ranchers. A woman running a ranch is still not common, and add to it she is part Native American, and you have a recipe for discrimination. In addition to all that, she is a college educated Biologist. She knew she would one day inherit the family ranch, but she wasn’t sure she really wanted the job. Her brother, on the other hand, did want the job and is NOT happy that the ranch passed to Naomi when their father died. As the story continues, you learn that Naomi is torn between her familial obligations to the ranch and her own desires.
The story is unique and the characters are likable enough, but I struggled to get into this one. I can’t put my finger on why exactly, though. I think some of it was Wes. Some of it was it felt too long. However, there is lots of action and deception and danger, so there is plenty to keep you going. I liked the book overall and I am interested in checking out book 2 for sure. The world Ballenger has created is interesting and the other Grey Wolves sound like they might have some good stories to tell.
- POV: 3rd
- Tears: no
- Trope: shifters, cowboys
- Triggers: none
- Series/Standalone: standalone
- Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
- HEA: View Spoiler »
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Paige Tyler’s SWAT or X-OPS series, Jennifer Ashley’s Shifters Unbound series, Christine Feehan’s Carpathian series …then you will probably like Cowboy Wolf Trouble!
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