Review: Under The Northern Lights by Vivian Arend

Under the Northern Lights (Granite Lake Wolves)
by Vivian Arend
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Available: August 3, 2010
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Book received from: Author

Anthology of Granite Lake Wolves Bk 1 & 2

A split second is all it takes to pull the trigger on destiny.

Wolf Signs

Robyn’s deafness doesn’t stop her from taking the backcountry trip she’s been craving. Meeting a hot, ripped hunk-of-male at the Yukon cabin starts cravings of a different kind. And raises questions about wolves, mates, and duels to the death.

He wanted a quiet retreat before challenging for the pack Alpha position. Keil wasn’t planning on meeting his mate or discovering she’s not aware she has the genes of a wolf to go along with her attitude…

Wolf Flight

Tad’s workaholism keeps his bush-pilot company in the air, and his inner werewolf in check. Letting it lose would mean compromising his human principles. Then Missy re-enters his life, and their chemistry is off the charts, pushing him closer to the step he’s not sure it’s safe to take.

A wolf pack is a dangerous place to have secrets, and Missy’s corrupt Alpha has sniffed out her carefully hidden Omega powers. Her only choice is to get to Tad, and hope like hell his untapped powers are strong enough to negate her own…

Reviewed by: Fiction Vixen

Wolf Signs

Robyn and her brother Tad are about to leave on a ski trip to a remote area when Tad is called away for work.  Tad wants to cancel the trip but Robyn is determined to go anyway.  Being the protective older brother, Tad is concerned for her safety, not just because she will be taking the trip alone, but also because Robyn is deaf.  Being the determined younger sister, Robyn has her way.

After arriving at the cabin and settling in, Robyn has a rather unexpected and embarrassing encounter with two strange men who arrive at the cabin she is staying in.  Turns out they are werewolves and one of them, Keil, recognizes Robyn as his mate.  The problem is, Robyn has no idea she is a wolf or that the world of werewolves even exists.  Keil and his brother TJ must find a way to break the news to Robyn about being a wolf as well as being Keil’s mate before Keil makes a challenge as Alpha of his pack.

Wolf Signs is definitely a sexy story, I’ll state that right up front.  Keil recognizes Robyn as his mate from the moment they meet and although Robyn has no idea she is a werewolf, the chemistry between them heats up right away.  I wondered how the author would handle communication between the lovers since Robyn is deaf and Keil does not know sign language but apparently body language speaks louder than words.  Their flirting was quite cute and they eventually discover another, more direct way to communicate as their relationship develops.

I liked Robyn and I liked that although she was deaf she didn’t let that hold her back in any way.  She had just the right amount of courage and strength without being over the top with it. She did seem to accept her werewolf nature quite easily and transitioned into werewolf culture without much hesitation at all. Since she was portrayed as such a strong character I expected that she would have been more resistant to her world being completely turned upside down within the period of one week.

Keil was a likeable hero in that he was strong, very masculine alpha male.  He was tender yet possessive and protective toward Robyn but never crossed the line that some alpha males tend to do.

Wolf Signs is a love story with an interesting sexual twist to werewolf lore that adds a little extra kick to the story. The romance is sweet and sexy, the story is nicely paced and there is an exciting fight scene near end.  An enjoyable, quick read.

Wolf Flight

Wolf Flight takes place at the same time as Wolf Signs, the first book in the series, and at times the two stories actually intersect.  When reading Wolf Flight, you’ll recognize certain scenes that took place in Wolf Signs, only you’ll experience them from an alternate point of view.

Missy is a an omega werewolf, which means she has the ability to affect the emotions of other wolves.  This makes her very valuable in her pack since her ability can be used by her unscrupulous alpha to gain power over his wolf pack as well as other packs.  Missy is a widow who is terrified of her alpha and will do anything to escape him.  She is allowed six months of mourning before her alpha will try to take her as a mate.  She intends to use the six months to figure out a way to escape but the alpha has threatened Missy’s sister’s life is she does not return to the pack.

Tad is an un-triggered werewolf meaning he carries the werewolf genes but he has not gone through the process that will trigger his change.  Although Tad looks forward to eventually being able to change and embrace his werewolf nature he still very much embraces his human side and finds himself conflicted regarding werewolf politics and customs.  He’s quite a complex character and his more primitive urges take a slight backseat to his more intellectual and emotional side.  That’s not to say that Tad isn’t hot stuff in between the sheets, he just seems to think with the head located between his shoulders rather then the one between this thighs.  Funnily enough, this is the very thing that creates quite a lot of trouble for him.

Tad and Missy were attracted to each to each other in high school, and have now been reunited. Missy and Tad’s former attraction to each other is immediately rekindled and eventually Missy recognizes Tad as her mate.  Tad, tending to over think things sometimes, is reluctant to accept what is clear to Missy and even wonders if Missy is using him.  Eventually, Missy will have to return to her pack or her sister’s life will be in danger.  Although Tad’s wolf has not yet been triggered, he and Missy will have face a challenge for their very lives.

If my concerne in Wolf Signs was that Robyn seemed to accept her wolf nature rather easily, I’d have to say quite the opposite is true for her brother Tad. While Tad understands that he is a werewolf, his transition into werewolf society is anything but smooth.  Wolf Flight deals with more complicated emotional roadblocks and is packed with much more action that the previous book in the series giving the reader a bit more to sink their teeth into plot wise.  The romance and sexy scenes are steamy and I would say overall this was a very enjoyable read.

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