Review & Giveaway: My Wolf's Bane by Veronica Blade

Author: Veronica Blade
Title: My Wolf's Bane
Series: Shapes of Autumn #1
Publication:  February 1st, 2013
Publisher: Crush Publishing, Inc
Source: Blog Tour/Publisher
~Website

Synopsis
Different species. Mortal enemies. It'll never work, but they'll die trying.

Autumn Rossi thought she was a normal teenager. Suddenly, she can outrun every critter in the forest, making her wonder if she’s even human.

When the new guy at school, Zack de Luca, witnesses a questionable scene, he unfairly pins her as stuck-up. He acts like he hates her, yet he keeps bailing her out of trouble. Not only is Zack both insufferable and irresistible, he seems to sniff her anytime he gets close.

As passion flares between them, Autumn isn’t sure which is more dangerous: her psycho ex-boyfriend, or falling for Zack — who’s risking his life just by being near her.

Thoughts:


Autumn has moved around all her life and weeks before her eighteenth birthday, she learns that she will be uprooted again. Stressed about leaving the friends she's grown to love, decides to give her overbearing parents an ultimatum, leave without her and come back for her or risk losing her completely. Surprisingly, they take to the idea and she has a few weeks of freedom but there is a dark cloud over her happiness in the name of Daniel, her possessive jerk of an ex- boyfriend. In addition to dealing with his unwanted advances she has to deal with judgment from the new guy, Zack, who seems so nice to everyone else except her yet he finds a way to be her knight in shining armor when she needs help. The more he pushes the deeper Autumn falls and in the end there may be no hope as long as danger keeps him by her side, her heart is at risk of being broken.

Even though this story has paranormal aspects it is primarily all about the romance between the two main characters. The chemistry between Autumn and Zach oozes intensity. As I finished this and thought about these two, I was reminded of Harlequin romances that I used to read and how the guy knows he loves the girl but thinks she doesn't love him or vice versa. Autumn wants Zach but he keeps pushing her away. Of course she has these new abilities to deal with and she has no idea what happening to her or what she is. I have many questions about her parents because they are gone for most the latter part of the book. What are they doing? What are they hiding from Autumn? Hopefully, the next book will give more details on the nature of Autumn's origins and her parents. Overall, I liked the cat and mouse because it was easy to feel the emotion between these two characters and cheer them on. So, if you're looking for a book that is paranormal in nature but focuses more on the romance, then this is the book for you. 

Excerpt
I tossed the makeup bag into my backpack, slung it over my shoulder and whipped open the door. Barreling out of the bathroom, I slammed into what felt like a walking boulder. I ricocheted off the human rock and my backpack hit the wall behind me, throwing me off balance and pitching me forward into the hard, linoleum tile.

My palms cushioned my fall, but I winced as pain spiked up my wrists. On all fours, I lifted my chin and peeked through my curtain of dark hair.

He wore a black tee that molded to his wide, muscular shoulders and jeans that fit over powerful legs. Wow. I’d thought my soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend was cute, but this guy…

“You okay?” the hottie asked in a sexy, gravelly voice, stretching a hand toward me. His hand wrapped around mine and effortlessly pulled me up, as if I weighed no more than my calculus book. Maybe it was the throbbing in my limbs or the warmth of his hands on my elbows. Or maybe it was his earthy scent invading my senses, but a wave of dizziness hit me and I tipped forward.

His hands shot to my hips to steady me. “Easy there.”

I stared into his deep, green eyes as my palms rested on his hard biceps for support. Lord, he smelled good, like the forest after rain.

My breath hitched. 

Author Bio
Veronica Blade lives in Southern California with her husband and children. By day she runs the family business, but each night she slips away to spin her tales. She writes stories about young adults to relive her own childhood and to live vicariously through her characters. Except her heroes and heroines lead far more interesting lives — and they are always way hotter.

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