Wicked Cowboy Wolf

November 4, 2019
A melodramatic choice between love and revenge is the crux of the predictable third paranormal western in Ballenger’s Seven Range Shifters series (after Cowboy in Wolf’s Clothing). At 15, wolf shifter Jared Black was falsely accused of murder and exiled from the Grey Wolf Pack. Twenty years later, Jared is now known among shifters as the mysterious vigilante Rogue. Everyone in the Grey Wolf Pack believes Jared is dead, including his first love, Maeve, the sister of Grey Wolf’s pack leader. When Maeve is targeted by vampires, Rogue saves her and convinces her to join him at his hideout. Maeve doesn’t recognize Jared and agrees to work with him to fight the vampires. Jared, meanwhile, is still in love with Maeve, yet knows his secret plan to get revenge against the Grey Wolf Pack will break her heart, so he tries to keep her at arm’s length. A slow start gives way to a gratifying, action-packed second half, but abounding clichés will have some readers rolling their eyes. It’s hard to get invested in this tortured romance. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, the Seymour Agency.

January 1, 2020

Maeve Grey may have escaped the vampire's prison, but her blood has been used to create a serum that will disadvantage the wolves in the war between the two species. Determined to end the conflict, she puts her faith in Rogue, a lone wolf considered a dangerous criminal, who may have the answers and resources she needs. Rogue, formerly Jared Black of the Grey Wolf pack, is keeping secrets from Maeve, including their history and his reason for pursuing the serum. As he takes Maeve to the safety of his own ranch, Maeve glimpses the possibilities of a life outside her pack and is torn between the love and loyalties that are familiar and those she's forging. When Maeve and Rogue's chemistry boils over, Maeve sees a future with everything she's ever dreamed--some things seemingly impossible to achieve. But Rogue is determined to pursue the revenge he set out to accomplish, no matter if the cost is ultimately his own happiness. VERDICT Series fans will enjoy Ballenger's latest, as the heat between Maeve and Rogue smolders on the page. New readers, however, should start at the beginning of the series with Cowboy Wolf Trouble.--Kellie Tilton, Univ. of Cincinnati Blue Ash

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