Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Review: Dark Instincts by Suzanne Wright


Publication Date: April 7th by Montlake Romance
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble 

About the book:

It happens whenever wolf shifter Roni Axton is near Marcus Fuller: a crackle of sexual awareness that’s intoxicating…and deeply annoying. Marcus is a pack enforcer who oozes power, but Roni is lethal in her own right—nothing like the flirty females who flock around him. Even still, his possessive gaze makes one thing clear. Marcus has singled her out for seduction, and he wants to make her sit up and beg.

No matter how aloof and unfazed Roni acts, Marcus can tell she wants him. When a brutal attack by a jackal pack forces them to work together, it’s the perfect opportunity for Marcus to chip away at her defenses—until he falls into his own trap, completely unprepared for the intensity of their connection. Roni is the only one who’s ever seen past his shifter charm and discovered the man hiding beneath it. And for Marcus, claiming Roni once will mean needing her forever.

My Thoughts:
Roni Axton is highly intelligent, on the genius scale, but socially awkward and somewhat of a tomboy. All this is very different from the women Marcus Fuller usually goes for. Yet, Roni draws him like magnet and he finds her social awkwardness, with her tendency to blurt out random facts when she gets nervous, adorable. With her skittishness, Marcus realized if he was to have any success, he needed to take it slow and cautious with Roni:

He focused on her intensely, but he didn’t overwhelm her with full force of his personality—he gave her enough physical and emotional space for her to be relaxed around him…as if he knew exactly what she needed. He lured, cajoled, and charmed her, wanting her to make her own way to him as opposed to forcing himself on her. She liked that.

Oh, swoon! Marcus!

Marcus recognizes the strength in Roni and what others don’t get: she’s a force to be reckoned with, one that he’d very much like to take on.  I just love it when a man appreciates the strengths of his woman and supports them!

Roni’s an enforcer for her brother, Nick’s pack and their close alliance with the Phoenix Pack brings her into Marcus Fuller’s proximity far too many times for comfort.  She knows he’s a player and a huge flirt, but that doesn’t stop her from having very dirty, late night fantasies about him.  Yet, lately it seems like Marcus is more and more focused on her, but she doesn’t want to become just another notch in his belt.

Marcus felt completely different toward Roni than any other woman prior, so I was completely on board for this matchup! And I was happy when Roni started to realize this.  She deserved to be someone’s one and only.  I appreciated that Marcus accepted and desired Roni for exactly who she was and didn’t try and change her. Why would he when he felt she was perfect just as she was? Don’t we all want that?

Her mother and aunt’s treatment infuriated me. Although, I have to say her mother’s treatment was coming from a somewhat good place.

I have to say, I do adore shape-shifter romances. They can be so intense because of the animalistic urges and the concept of a true-mate makes even insta-love/attraction acceptable. It’s thrilling when done right. Not that I felt that Roni and Marcus had a case of insta-love, I felt their romance was well founded and their connection was a natural progression even with strong shifter bonds at the root.

Suzanne Wright excels at writing supremely HOT scenes and combustible physical attraction and so, of course, Marcus and Roni’s romance was hot, off the charts hot!!

It was awesome to catch up with the previous couples and shape shifters. I laughed at every cheesy pick up line Domique hurled at Roni:

Dominic was grimacing and rubbing his knee. “Do you have a Band-Aid?” he asked Roni.
Her brow puckered. “No, why?”
“I just scraped my knee falling for you.”

Lol!

Don’t let all the humor and romance fool you. There was a scary plot at the heart of things and I was horrified by the details.  Action, danger were also a big part of this captivating story.  I was in awe of Roni’s kick-ass skills and rooting for her at every step!

Dark Instincts was yet another delicious installment in the Phoenix Pack series.  I can’t get enough of Suzanne Wright’s addictive writing! Next, please!

4.5 Suns




Connect with Suzanne Wright:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter



3 comments:

  1. I'll admit to shifters not being my thing, but this sounds interesting!

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  2. Love this book!Is one of my favorite from this series :)
    Great interview! :)

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    1. Same here, Bube! I can't wait until her next series which I guess will focus on the Mercury Pack. And thanks! :)

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