Protecting His Pack: North American Wolves Book 1, Morgan Elektra

There were a whole lot of things that I thought were fantastic about this story and a few things that left me with questions.  Overall the outcome was a great start to a series that I'm definitely going to revisit when subsequent stories are offered.

Jared is an interesting character that was complicated in a good way.  He has a mystery of a back story if you remove the late wife and mother of his biological child.  Outside of that we don't learn where he's really from or what his personal goals are.  What we do get though, are his motivations, his concern, his care, and his passion.  We also get a large amount of denial of his feelings and connection to Lane.  This causes confusing moments and reactions that don't leave me wondering in a good way.  I get whiplash sometimes and wish he had been a bit more consistent and far less stereotypical in his denials of any kind of feelings toward the other man.

Lane was very similar in this way with his reactions swinging from one extreme to the other.  I admired his individual strength and willingness to compromise and see reason when he came to terms with his situation versus his pride.  His "other-ness" was also something of a mystery that I'm hoping we get more of as the series continues.  I often felt like there were moments of insight that were either disregarded or totally glossed over and would have loved for them to have been developed so Lane could be a character more proactive than reactive.  He wasn't a bad MC, just one that was interesting but lacked a bit of spark.

Conall was the best for me.  Yes, he was a child, which often bothers me when authors create kids in the single digits yet think and speak like they're in their 30's.  Despite his age, his reactions and rationalizations and mannerisms were that of his described age and his childlike simplicity and expressions endeared me to him at the outset.  He wasn't a main feature in the story any more than the son of one of the MC's can be, but his presence enriched the telling anyway.

The drama was quite confusing with a leading prologue that didn't seem to have any point at all other than to foreshadow the violence and hatred others have for a big, black alpha wolf.  It was intense and intriguing and then never again revisited.  There was a whole lot of inter-pack drama that was a big deal in the big council meeting but seemed based on a history that we weren't privy to.  Who performed the attacks isn't clear until the very end, but we don't ever get a motive at all besides hatred...but hatred for what?  I don't know.  I just didn't see a clear thread that could adequately weave all the parts together.

Whether this is going to be a series based on the pack, the Wolf society, or Lane and Jared's journey dealing with all of it is as of yet unclear and while I find myself frustrated with the lack of answers, I am interested in finding out what comes next.  I am deeply invested in the personal growth of both Jared and Lane and am eager for more despite my many, many questions.  So I suppose this was a truly effective story based on that yearning alone.

*$6.99 on Amazon

It’s been less than a year since Lane Perkins left his controlling ex and the big city behind for a new job and a new life in small town Watson Hollow, NY. When he meets enigmatic widower Jared Atherton, Lane can’t deny he feels a pull, but there’s no way he’s getting involved with another man so soon.

Jared has enough on his plate as a single father and Alpha of the smallest pack in North America. He’s not interested in a relationship, especially not with the aggravating human teacher who knows nothing of his world.

Fate has other plans however, and when a threat to Lane’s life leads him within the walls of Jared’s estate, they’ll be forced to face their attraction once and for all. But will it be enough to save them both from the wrath of a bitter rival?