Review: Pack of Lies (Monster Hunt#1) by Charlie Adhara

Werewolf meets human. Werewolf snubs human. Werewolf loves human?

Julien Doran arrived in sleepy Maudit Falls, North Carolina, with a heart full of hurt and a head full of questions. The key to his brother's mysterious last days might be found in this tiny town, and now Julien's amateur investigation is starting to unearth things the locals would rather keep buried.

Perhaps most especially the strange, magnetic manager of a deserted retreat that's nearly as odd as its staff.

Eli Smith is a lot of things: thief, werewolf, glamour-puss, liar. And now the manager of a haven for rebel pack runaways. He’s spent years cultivating a persona to disguise his origins, but for the first time ever he’s been entrusted with a real responsibility—and he plans to take that seriously.

Even if the handsome tourist who claims to be in town for some R & R is clearly on a hunt for all things paranormal. And hasn't taken his brooding gaze off Eli since he's arrived.

When an old skeleton and a fresh corpse turn a grief errand into a murder investigation, the unlikely Eli is the only person Julien can turn to. Trust is hard to come by in a town known for its monsters, but so is time…

A satisfying spinoff to the Big Bad Wolf series, but by no means is this recommended to read as a standalone only because one would be missing out on a rich paranormal romantic suspense with a top notch couple who set the stage for this new saga.

Here, Eli, a werewolf with secret shifting abilities even among his own kind, has been granted a huge responsibility by Cooper and Oliver from the aforementioned series. He’s been made manager of a mountainous resort designated as a safe place for rebel wolves who are trying to make a new start. Eli personally has a lot to prove, and it seems that many different parties do not want him to succeed.

Then there’s Julian. His dead brother left him a cryptic message leading him to the very area where Eli resides. Julian simply wants to soothe his guilt and find some answers, but strange things are afoot and he discovers that he has no choice but to ally himself with the charmingly enigmatic and alluring Eli. Make no bones about it, Eli is a self proclaimed island, and though he finds Julian intriguing, he deflects like nobody’s business, but that’s because of reasons. So many reasons.

Be reassured that Adhara doesn’t shy away from what drives these two men - the traumas of their pasts (especially) Eli), their hesitance to trust and/or believe that they actually matter, and the drive for validation. The author also always succeeds at delivering a complex mystery with plenty of suspects, compelling characterizations and motivations, and a slow burn that shows off impeccable signature wit and banter.

Action, suspense, and emotional vulnerability run rampant, and thus, this was a definitive win. Adhara has quickly made herself a top favorite author of mine, and though Eli and Julian are no Cooper and Oliver, reassuringly they don’t fall very far from the mark. Thankfully, the conclusion sets up a new mystery that hints at being long in the running, and I’ll be sure to return to find more answers and to see this new duo get their happy ending with each other as well!

Review: Cry Wolf (Big Bad Wolf #5) by Charlie Adhara

Don’t miss this thrilling installment in Charlie Adhara’s suspenseful paranormal mystery series, Big Bad Wolf. 

Agent Cooper Dayton never thought anything could be harder than solving murders. Until he had to plan a wedding. 

After taking down an old adversary, Agent Cooper Dayton of the Bureau of Special Investigations has earned a break. Not that planning a wedding to his sexy shifter partner, Oliver Park, is necessarily stress free, but it’s better than worrying about the ominous warning, delivered months ago, that Cooper’s life is in danger. 

When he’s dragged to an event by his family, Cooper braces for an awkward evening, but instead finds himself in the middle of an ugly feud between Park’s ex and a rebel pack leader. What was supposed to be a quick outing turns into a full-blown murder investigation after the pack leader ends up dead, Park’s ex goes missing, and Cooper and Park are sent a series of disturbing wedding gifts that are somehow connected to it all. 

The list of potential suspects is long, and with the bodies piling up, Cooper must turn to the one person he trusts the least: the villain he’s already put behind bars once and who has nothing to lose by lying and everything to gain if Cooper is out of the picture—for good.

How quickly had the mere background hum of another person's life become such an essential fixture of the house that its absence felt like a robbery?

In the fifth installment of the Big Bad Wolf series Cooper and Park are in the throes of domestic bliss, something if you had told me was forthcoming at the beginning of this journey I would've said, oh... bless your heart. But they are and I think their soul deep happiness translated into my savoring Cry Wolf, not really my strong suit. The savoring was also due in part to thinking this was the end but I'm delighted to discover I think there is more to come from my favorite wolf and his porcupine. Or, at least, the door hasn't been entirely closed.

This installment was packed with the same intrigues and sticky situations that I've become accustomed to where Park and Cooper are concerned and have kept me guessing through the previous four installments. I was surprised by how much I felt for Eli and am hoping for maybe a spinoff involving him. He deserves some romantic shenanigans all his own. However, Cry Wolf didn't fall victim to the common pitfall of other series by focusing on secondary characters or becoming a watered down version of its former self; the mystery storyline was just as strong with Cooper and Park anchoring it. 

On the romance front, the swoon was brought. The witty repartee is on full display delivering more than one moment of levity amongst the death and chaos. There were countless moments that showed their connection which is what I thoroughly enjoyed about Cry Wolf and their chemistry, as we all know, could start a brush fire. 

"Whatever happens next, whoever we are or whoever they think we are, it doesn't matter. Because the way we love is already the stuff of legends."

Amen.

I putting my vote in now for more hijinks from these two and if you're a fan of this series, Cry Wolf won't disappoint.

Recommended.

An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Wolf in Sheep's Clothing (Big Bad Wolf, #4) by Charlie Adhara

Agent Cooper Dayton and his partner, Oliver Park, are going undercover—at a retreat for couples who need counseling. They do say the best cover story is one that’s close to the truth…

Agent Cooper Dayton is almost relieved to get a phone call from his former boss at the Bureau of Special Investigations. It means a temporary reprieve from tensions created by house hunting with Oliver Park, his partner both in work and in life. Living together in a forever home is exactly what Cooper wants. He’s just not keen on working out the details.

With a former alpha werewolf missing, Cooper and Park are loaned to the BSI to conduct the search at a secluded mountain retreat. The agents will travel to the resort undercover…as a couple in need of counseling.

The resort is picturesque, the grounds are stunning and the staff members are all suspicious as hell.

With a long list of suspects and danger lurking around every cabin, Cooper should be focusing on the case. But he’s always been anxious about the power dynamics in his relationship with Park, and participating in the couples’ activities at the retreat brings it all to the surface. A storm is brewing, though, and Cooper and Park must rush to solve the case before the weather turns. Or before any more guests—or the agents themselves—end up dead.

Follow Agents Dayton and Park’s romance from the beginning. Read the first book in the Big Bad Wolf series, The Wolf at the Door, available now from Carina Press!

This book is approximately 84,000 words

One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!

For a series that I started off so-so on it sure has turned around. Now it's Sophie's Choice difficult to say whether this one or Thrown to the Wolves is my favorite. Luckily I don't have to choose!

Charlie Adhara has built these characters from the ground up, made them not just multi-dimensional but shown their growth as characters, specifically Cooper. He and Park make each other a better version of themselves which is something that appeals to me as a romance reader.

While they have always had an almost elemental chemistry with one another, the longer they are together, the closer they become, the more they trust each other deepens and enriches that chemistry oftentimes in creative and delightfully depraved ways. Evidenced here in the power dynamic between them which is wholly unique and captivating, something I've never experienced before. Though not to be undersold is their banter. The connection they share has fostered the comical and droll aspects of their personalities and allowed that playfulness to shine.

Lastly, this case not only kept me guessing til the end but the whole alpha thing I found both surprising and fascinating. 

I'm so grateful I didn't give up on Cooper and Park because they have turned into one of my favorite couples, so I was thrilled to learn there will be another installment in 2021!

Get your popcorn ready, people! Prepare to be entertained, maybe be a bit puzzled from time to time and for the swooning.

Highly recommended especially to fans of the series and if you haven't yet started it, what are you waiting for?

An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Review: Thrown to the Wolves (Big Bad Wolf #3) by Charlie Adhara

Agent Cooper Dayton is going to meet his boyfriend’s werewolf family. Unarmed. On their turf. 

And he’s bringing his cat. 

When Agent Cooper Dayton agreed to attend the funeral for Oliver Park’s grandfather, he didn’t know what he was getting into. Turns out, the deceased was the alpha of the most powerful werewolf pack on the eastern seaboard. And his death is highly suspicious. Regardless, Cooper is determined to love and support Park the way Park has been there for him.

But Park left him woefully unprepared for the wolf pack politics and etiquette. Rival packs? A seating order at the dinner table? A mysterious figure named the Shepherd? The worst is that Park didn’t tell his family one key thing about Cooper. Cooper feels two steps behind, and reticent Park is no help.

There are plenty of pack members eager to open up about Park and why Cooper is wrong for him. Their stories make Cooper wonder if he’s holding Park back. But there’s no time to get into it…as lethal tranquilizer darts start to fly, Cooper needs to solve the mystery of the alpha’s death and fight for the man he loves—all before someone else dies.

This book did my squishy marshmallow heart GOOD and quickly became my favorite of the series so far. 🤞 I do so hope there is more to come from Cooper and Park. I'll beg if need be.

"You've seen the worst of me. You are the best of me. I won't ever risk losing that again."

Thrown to the Wolves finds Cooper and Park at Park's family compound for his grandfather's memorial along with Cooper's cat, Boogie, who comes in handy a time or two. From the very beginning Adhara sets a metronome-like pace with unexpected things happening and odd people emerging, all of which leaves the reader wondering if all of this is going to be important later and/or how it's all going to tie together. Cooper is mostly recovered from his leg injury and Park is as doting as ever. It's adorable.

Park is still harboring some secrets, mostly of the omission variety but many of the burning questions I had about him and his origins were answered. Park's family are quite the interesting bunch. I'll say no more but several of them kept me on my toes collecting all those dropped breadcrumbs.

Even better, Cooper is back to his entertaining self, in his own special droll way. I hadn't realized how much I missed that guy in The Wolf at Bay. He's happy and it shows and that made me happy.

However, Rome wasn't built in a day and they are by no means perfect in the communication department but they are both trying and get points for that. They implicitly trust each other and the love they share is the force that drives them both to strive for something bigger and stronger, something unique unto them.

One person can't love you enough to make up for all the people who don't, but Cooper wasn't trying for all the people. Just the one. Just for right now.

Their sex lives continue to surprise and delight me. This role playing thing they've got going... 🙌🤪👍🤯💪 ASDFGHJKLOIUYTREW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear Sex Gods,

Hi there! YUGE fan of your work.

Please if you could find it in your heart to continue to inspire Charlie Adhara with a certain hunky werewolf and his slightly neurotic but totally lovable human, I'd be SUPER grateful were there to be more of their particular brand of reindeer games in my future. Perhaps something of the mating variety that included some biting? 😘

Good talk.

🍆🍑,

Me

My only quibble is the mystery wasn't as engrossing as previous one, but I quickly forgot all about that when the twist at the end came. Did not see that coming. At all. But I dug it. And I want to see how it plays out in the next book. 🙏🙏

Fans of this series should be happy with this installment and if you've not started the series, it's not a standalone so skedattle on back to The Wolf at the Door and get to work!

An ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.