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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
This book had a lot of potential, I loved the dynamic between Lucas and Noah. I just wish we got to see more work and development of the relationship between the two and with the pack. The developments seemed very rushed and flat, especially during the end.
I have found a new author to include in my favorites and her name is Kendall McKenna. Many friends have recommended her books and I'm glad I listened. The writing is fast-paced, concise, and detailed enough to draw me into the story, but not so much that I felt bogged down or overwhelmed.
'Strength of the Pack' is absolutely fantastic!! In fact, I don't have enough adjectives to adequately express how wonderful this book is. It combines two of my favorite things - werewolves and the Marine Corps. I have family who serve so Semper Fi on that score. The author has done her research not just on wolves but also on our military and how it functions.
Lucas and Noah are so smoking hot it's not even funny. I'm adding them to my list of favorite couples. Lieutenant Lucas Young is training his platoon for deployment to Afghanistan. He gets assigned a few werewolves under his command which is a first for him. Then he gets assigned Sergeant Noah Hammond, the only True Alpha in the entire USMC. Now Lucas hasn't received the additional training that officers are given in order to command werewolves, just the standard that everyone gets about working alongside them. So, Lucas has to rely on being himself and his own instincts. Lucky for him, that works for Noah and he and Lucas form a bond where Lucas functions as the Alpha's Dominant. This makes them a very desirable and practically unbeatable team.
They are in the midst of the war in Afghanistan with Lucas trying to fully understand what their bond and him being the Dominant really means. Lucas is learning how to command the Pack. He's learning what Noah needs from him. And he's starting to come to grips with what he needs from Noah. Battles are raging and Marines are dying. In the midst of all this, Lucas is still trying to separate any personal emotions about Noah from their bond. He's trying to relegate all of these emotions and feelings to being a Marine and doing the "job". Until an emergency happens. Until they're sent stateside for a bit before returning to their platoon. Now Lucas and Noah need to learn what the bond means outside of a combat zone. They need to learn to verbally express what they're feeling to each other and be able to work through their horrible miscommunications. And, most importantly, Lucas needs to understand his role as Dominant since a true were-bond has not existed for centuries.
An amazing book. I'm so glad I read it. And I'm sad because I don't know how long it'll be before the next one and that will make me crazy! Read this book. It is SO worth it.
'Strength of the Pack' is absolutely fantastic!! In fact, I don't have enough adjectives to adequately express how wonderful this book is. It combines two of my favorite things - werewolves and the Marine Corps. I have family who serve so Semper Fi on that score. The author has done her research not just on wolves but also on our military and how it functions.
Lucas and Noah are so smoking hot it's not even funny. I'm adding them to my list of favorite couples. Lieutenant Lucas Young is training his platoon for deployment to Afghanistan. He gets assigned a few werewolves under his command which is a first for him. Then he gets assigned Sergeant Noah Hammond, the only True Alpha in the entire USMC. Now Lucas hasn't received the additional training that officers are given in order to command werewolves, just the standard that everyone gets about working alongside them. So, Lucas has to rely on being himself and his own instincts. Lucky for him, that works for Noah and he and Lucas form a bond where Lucas functions as the Alpha's Dominant. This makes them a very desirable and practically unbeatable team.
They are in the midst of the war in Afghanistan with Lucas trying to fully understand what their bond and him being the Dominant really means. Lucas is learning how to command the Pack. He's learning what Noah needs from him. And he's starting to come to grips with what he needs from Noah. Battles are raging and Marines are dying. In the midst of all this, Lucas is still trying to separate any personal emotions about Noah from their bond. He's trying to relegate all of these emotions and feelings to being a Marine and doing the "job". Until an emergency happens. Until they're sent stateside for a bit before returning to their platoon. Now Lucas and Noah need to learn what the bond means outside of a combat zone. They need to learn to verbally express what they're feeling to each other and be able to work through their horrible miscommunications. And, most importantly, Lucas needs to understand his role as Dominant since a true were-bond has not existed for centuries.
An amazing book. I'm so glad I read it. And I'm sad because I don't know how long it'll be before the next one and that will make me crazy! Read this book. It is SO worth it.
This may just be the best military/werewolf combo I’ve ever read. Many of the shifter books I’ve enjoyed, especially in the M/M world, have some element of the military in them. Sometimes it’s an internal military but often because of the alpha nature of most werewolf characters it works well with the military. This is the first time though where I felt like the military elements got as much consideration as the paranormal. This time around I felt like this was a very realistic look at the military elements even if in an alternative universe.
Lieutenant Lucas Young is relatively young for his command, but all in all a good commander. He would never ask anyone in his command to do something that he isn’t willing to do himself. Still he has never had a lot of shifters under his command. Now he’s about to get the True Alpha as his subordinate. As nervous as that might make him Lucas is determined to prove himself and not back down before the imposing man before him. His rank won’t allow it. He needs to be able to prove he can lead and lead well. That decision and strength will change his life forever.
Sergeant Noah Hammond willingly chooses to work for the Marine Corps as an enlisted man. He has yet to meet a man in the upper levels of command who has truly earned his submission though. He will follow orders but he’s never really submitted to anyone. As a True Alpha all other werewolves in the command will defer to him and he has the power to subvert the chain of command and force them all to shift. A True Alpha hasn’t submitted to a human in so long the legends have blurred the stories. When Noah accepts Lucas as his dominant both men are pushing to find their balance.
I loved this story so much! It blended two of my favorite genres so perfectly. I do love my alpha military males…and well shifters…yummy! The dynamic between Lucas and Noah was fabulous! I loved the fact that despite Noah’s submission to Lucas they both maintained their dominant self-assured natures. Yet both men had such a sweet vulnerability that they tried so hard to keep hidden.
The military aspects of this story were incredibly well depicted overall. I felt the intensity of the war torn Middle East and the immediacy of this fighting. A lot of military stories have the actual fighting bits come across glossy and easy, this had more grit than that. I liked how complete the integration of the shifters into the military was. Ms. McKenna worked out how the dual hierarchy could work within the bounds of her world and I appreciated the lengths the military went to understand how to work with the shifters in their command. Of course Lucas couldn’t get the benefit of all that experience or our story wouldn’t have been quite as much fun. ;)
One of the more wonderful aspects of this story for me (as an avid lover of history) was the twists on our own past history. I loved how Ms. McKenna found clearly recognizable historical duos by which to demonstrate the power of the True Alpha bonding with his Dominant. It made this alternative reality slide so smoothly over the top of our own.
I had one minor complaint in that the story wrapped up extremely quickly and I didn’t really feel like I got all the emotional closure I would have liked. I wanted to see more of Lucas and Noah once they finally started to truly open up to each other. I really felt like there were still things these two needed to work out. We spent so much time with Lucas stumbling through the dark and trying to figure out what his role was within the werewolf culture I wish we could have seen him and Noah really talk about it all. I respected Lucas’ desperate adherence to his values and his fighting to not take advantage of his subordinate, but with as much as the bond between himself and Noah transmitted the fact that they were both such idiots for so long stretched the believability element a little bit. Both of them needed a good smack upside the head and to just talk to each other.
There was fantastic sexual tension here and this really was one of the best alpha dynamics I’ve read. Noah never lost his alpha nature and yet you got that he really did submit to Lucas. Strong 4.5 star read here that I would go back to again and again. I will look for the second book shortly.
Lieutenant Lucas Young is relatively young for his command, but all in all a good commander. He would never ask anyone in his command to do something that he isn’t willing to do himself. Still he has never had a lot of shifters under his command. Now he’s about to get the True Alpha as his subordinate. As nervous as that might make him Lucas is determined to prove himself and not back down before the imposing man before him. His rank won’t allow it. He needs to be able to prove he can lead and lead well. That decision and strength will change his life forever.
Sergeant Noah Hammond willingly chooses to work for the Marine Corps as an enlisted man. He has yet to meet a man in the upper levels of command who has truly earned his submission though. He will follow orders but he’s never really submitted to anyone. As a True Alpha all other werewolves in the command will defer to him and he has the power to subvert the chain of command and force them all to shift. A True Alpha hasn’t submitted to a human in so long the legends have blurred the stories. When Noah accepts Lucas as his dominant both men are pushing to find their balance.
I loved this story so much! It blended two of my favorite genres so perfectly. I do love my alpha military males…and well shifters…yummy! The dynamic between Lucas and Noah was fabulous! I loved the fact that despite Noah’s submission to Lucas they both maintained their dominant self-assured natures. Yet both men had such a sweet vulnerability that they tried so hard to keep hidden.
The military aspects of this story were incredibly well depicted overall. I felt the intensity of the war torn Middle East and the immediacy of this fighting. A lot of military stories have the actual fighting bits come across glossy and easy, this had more grit than that. I liked how complete the integration of the shifters into the military was. Ms. McKenna worked out how the dual hierarchy could work within the bounds of her world and I appreciated the lengths the military went to understand how to work with the shifters in their command. Of course Lucas couldn’t get the benefit of all that experience or our story wouldn’t have been quite as much fun. ;)
One of the more wonderful aspects of this story for me (as an avid lover of history) was the twists on our own past history. I loved how Ms. McKenna found clearly recognizable historical duos by which to demonstrate the power of the True Alpha bonding with his Dominant. It made this alternative reality slide so smoothly over the top of our own.
I had one minor complaint in that the story wrapped up extremely quickly and I didn’t really feel like I got all the emotional closure I would have liked. I wanted to see more of Lucas and Noah once they finally started to truly open up to each other. I really felt like there were still things these two needed to work out. We spent so much time with Lucas stumbling through the dark and trying to figure out what his role was within the werewolf culture I wish we could have seen him and Noah really talk about it all. I respected Lucas’ desperate adherence to his values and his fighting to not take advantage of his subordinate, but with as much as the bond between himself and Noah transmitted the fact that they were both such idiots for so long stretched the believability element a little bit. Both of them needed a good smack upside the head and to just talk to each other.
There was fantastic sexual tension here and this really was one of the best alpha dynamics I’ve read. Noah never lost his alpha nature and yet you got that he really did submit to Lucas. Strong 4.5 star read here that I would go back to again and again. I will look for the second book shortly.
Yeah. Um... seriously. First, this book, it was hot. It really was and I freely admit that.
The hotness though, couldn't save me from my irritations.
This book, it had a lot of hand jobs, baby wipes and mother fucking dudes who didn't fucking talk to each other. Oh. My. GAWD! I am totes okay with the miscommunication deal in books but this teetered on the border of making me ragey. I mean, this was me during most of this book...
and
I am going to blame Mary Calmes and her gorgeous world building for my grumpiness. I am used to shit being explained to me while I emerge in a world of shifters. I had theories on things but really, it wasn't until about 75% of the book where my theories were confirmed to be true. GOOD LORD. This is a new world where humans and werewoves exist and you are tossing a True Alpha wolf into an insta-love scenario with a human, the least you can do is explain WTAF is going on. Ugh.
No one talked in this book. No one.
Noah, I love you but dude, the link you have with Lucas was not explaining things to him and while your history lessons were entertaining THEY TOLD HIM NOTHING about who he was to you.
Lucas, my dear, you cannot be that clueless to think Noah only wanted you when there was a full moon. That kind of behavior is what packs Emergency Rooms, not what makes a True Alpha submit to you and OMG DUDE! How could you think it was only "pack business" when Noah dry humped you and sniffed you at every opportunity as well as begged and panted for you to mark him! Get a clue, Lieutenant.
I'll say that yes, the hand jobs were a plenty in this book but they were in the middle east with no showers, using baby wipes to take baths so thank you for not licking, or sticking things into holes and keeping things clean in that area.
Baby wipes apparently are a must for Marines in combat, I know this because I Googled that shit.
This book pissed me off but I will totally read book two because half way through this, I realized the man knows so much about werewolves, he needs one of his own to pin him down and mount his ass. Oh yeah. I am so reading that book.
Okay, ragey redhead is done and taking her GI Joes to the back room to make them talk and then make out.
The hotness though, couldn't save me from my irritations.
This book, it had a lot of hand jobs, baby wipes and mother fucking dudes who didn't fucking talk to each other. Oh. My. GAWD! I am totes okay with the miscommunication deal in books but this teetered on the border of making me ragey. I mean, this was me during most of this book...
and
I am going to blame Mary Calmes and her gorgeous world building for my grumpiness. I am used to shit being explained to me while I emerge in a world of shifters. I had theories on things but really, it wasn't until about 75% of the book where my theories were confirmed to be true. GOOD LORD. This is a new world where humans and werewoves exist and you are tossing a True Alpha wolf into an insta-love scenario with a human, the least you can do is explain WTAF is going on. Ugh.
No one talked in this book. No one.
Noah, I love you but dude, the link you have with Lucas was not explaining things to him and while your history lessons were entertaining THEY TOLD HIM NOTHING about who he was to you.
Lucas, my dear, you cannot be that clueless to think Noah only wanted you when there was a full moon. That kind of behavior is what packs Emergency Rooms, not what makes a True Alpha submit to you and OMG DUDE! How could you think it was only "pack business" when Noah dry humped you and sniffed you at every opportunity as well as begged and panted for you to mark him! Get a clue, Lieutenant.
I'll say that yes, the hand jobs were a plenty in this book but they were in the middle east with no showers, using baby wipes to take baths so thank you for not licking, or sticking things into holes and keeping things clean in that area.
Baby wipes apparently are a must for Marines in combat, I know this because I Googled that shit.
This book pissed me off but I will totally read book two because half way through this, I realized the man knows so much about werewolves, he needs one of his own to pin him down and mount his ass. Oh yeah. I am so reading that book.
Okay, ragey redhead is done and taking her GI Joes to the back room to make them talk and then make out.
3.5 stars.
I'm not a big fan of contemporary military fiction so I won't say much about that aspect of it, but I really liked the worldbuilding and the relationship between the main characters. The power dynamics were interesting, partly how the hierarchy of the wolves interplayed with the military hierarchy but mostly how it affected Lucas and Noah.
I'm not a big fan of contemporary military fiction so I won't say much about that aspect of it, but I really liked the worldbuilding and the relationship between the main characters. The power dynamics were interesting, partly how the hierarchy of the wolves interplayed with the military hierarchy but mostly how it affected Lucas and Noah.
3/5 stars
I will admit, I enjoyed about the first 30%, but after that it went downhill.
The side characters seemed more like unrealistic cardboard cutouts of, well people. They didn’t seem real, nor did their character dynamics make sense. Especially Stan (Stanley, Stamos, IDK), who became rather childish fairly quickly. Childish and stupid, out of nowhere, when there wasn’t really a point considered he wasn’t really apart of the story other than being the reason for Lucas’s cluelessness of shifters. And I’m pretty sure nobody in that rank with that attitude lasts long, so it was pretty odd he was even in that position.
Another thing that pissed me off was how Lucas gave everything, but got nothing in return. He left his comfort zone to please Noah, but Noah never returned the favour. I suppose you can say it was because Noah was a werewolf and they’re different to humans, but that works both ways. Lucas is a human, not a wolf, he shouldn’t be expected to become exactly like a shifter sept for the actually shifting.
Going along with that, Lucas never questioned anything. I found it pretty fucking strange people- especially Vince, was coaching Lucas to ease himself into Noah’s life, which also connects back to my first problem with this book.
All in all, the book basically had a simple set up for a lot of sex without it seeming like a porn-without-plot story.
I will admit, I enjoyed about the first 30%, but after that it went downhill.
The side characters seemed more like unrealistic cardboard cutouts of, well people. They didn’t seem real, nor did their character dynamics make sense. Especially Stan (Stanley, Stamos, IDK), who became rather childish fairly quickly. Childish and stupid, out of nowhere, when there wasn’t really a point considered he wasn’t really apart of the story other than being the reason for Lucas’s cluelessness of shifters. And I’m pretty sure nobody in that rank with that attitude lasts long, so it was pretty odd he was even in that position.
Another thing that pissed me off was how Lucas gave everything, but got nothing in return. He left his comfort zone to please Noah, but Noah never returned the favour. I suppose you can say it was because Noah was a werewolf and they’re different to humans, but that works both ways. Lucas is a human, not a wolf, he shouldn’t be expected to become exactly like a shifter sept for the actually shifting.
Going along with that, Lucas never questioned anything. I found it pretty fucking strange people- especially Vince, was coaching Lucas to ease himself into Noah’s life, which also connects back to my first problem with this book.
All in all, the book basically had a simple set up for a lot of sex without it seeming like a porn-without-plot story.
As a general rule, I don't read military romance books anymore because they often fall into some Macho Guy Bullshit that really doesn't work for me, but this one was a nice change of pace. While I'd say this book could be described as an Alpha/Alpha pairing, it steers clear from much of the dumb ass tropes that usually go along with it and that I cannot stand.
For example: at the start there appears to be a battle for dominance between the two main characters, that very soon turns out to be a simple “test”. Noah wants to know if he can put his life and his pack's wellbeing into Lucas's hands—and Lucas takes up the challenge and shows him he can be trusted.
Basically, this book interprets dominance as something that can only exist if one party willingly submits, and submitting is not seen as a weakness but as sharing a burden by putting your trust in another person. It was extremely interesting, also because I love it when dominance becomes synonym of taking care and protecting, instead of being all about pride and power. And the wolves were fucking adorable, oh my God.
Some things that didn't work for me:
* The writing is just... not great. So many scenes are just: X does this. Y does that. Could've been better.
* These bitches are giving each other handjobs and anal fingerings from the first chapter but for some reason they act like they still haven't had their “first time”? That was hilarious. Y'all are fucking already, don't act like you aren't, LMAO.
I guess this is a 3,5/5 rounded up to 4/5 because overall it was nice.
For example: at the start there appears to be a battle for dominance between the two main characters, that very soon turns out to be a simple “test”. Noah wants to know if he can put his life and his pack's wellbeing into Lucas's hands—and Lucas takes up the challenge and shows him he can be trusted.
Basically, this book interprets dominance as something that can only exist if one party willingly submits, and submitting is not seen as a weakness but as sharing a burden by putting your trust in another person. It was extremely interesting, also because I love it when dominance becomes synonym of taking care and protecting, instead of being all about pride and power. And the wolves were fucking adorable, oh my God.
Some things that didn't work for me:
* The writing is just... not great. So many scenes are just: X does this. Y does that. Could've been better.
* These bitches are giving each other handjobs and anal fingerings from the first chapter but for some reason they act like they still haven't had their “first time”? That was hilarious. Y'all are fucking already, don't act like you aren't, LMAO.
I guess this is a 3,5/5 rounded up to 4/5 because overall it was nice.
I love that there's no plot whatsoever :( Their relationship is so nice, too.