Heart Of The Highland Wolf (Heart of the Wolf #7) by Terry Spear
Paranormal Romance
June 1, 2011
Paperback
Sourcebooks Casablanca
Reviewed by Tori
Blurb:
Modern day werewolf laird Ian MacNeill reluctantly allows a film production company to use his castle, but he knows his secretive clan has a big problem when a beautiful red werewolf female who insists she’s working on the film keeps showing up in the wrong places… and a matter of pleasure…
Julia Wildthorn is not who she says she is-she’s sneaking into Argent Castle to steal an ancient relic for her grandfather and to do research for her next werewolf romance novel. When she catches a glimpse of Ian, she realizes he’s the perfect hero…
The premise of the book left me somewhat confused because what the blurb in back says doesn’t match up to what the book is really about. Julia Wildthorn is a Lupus Garous-a werewolf and a romance writer. She comes over to Scotland from America with her friend’s movie production company hiding herself as part of the production crew. Her cover story to her friend is that she wants to write her next romance book about Scottish werewolves. But that’s not her only reason. Her grandfather has told her she needs to break into the castle they are filming at and “steal” back something that belongs to their family. Her grandfather won’t tell her what it is or how it came to be in a Scottish castle-only that her family needs her to find it.
Ian MacNeill is also Lupus Garous and is furious that he has to allow the “invaders” into his castle in order to replenish his clans bank account. From the minute he laid eyes on Julia, he wants her. But once he finds out she is a werewolf, he knows they can have no future. Lupus Garous mate for life and sex seals the deal. Plus, Ian has enough on his plate with the pushy movie people, his clan wanting to be extras in the movie, and an enemy from the past who is determined to Ian to rest for good.
This is my first time reading Terry Spear. Unfortunately I was not able to get a good feel for the storyline in here. It felt very disorganized and rushed. Crammed full of information that didn’t flow well together. I felt like the story couldn’t decide it it wanted to be funny or serious. Julia is trying to jump start her career but the main plot of the book is her finding out what her grandfathers big secret is. You don’t even really see her writing about Ian and his family in particular.
I had a very hard time connecting to Julia. She did not flesh out well for me. Her secretive nature felt dishonest and I could not reconcile myself with her breaking and entering someone’s home based on what little her grandfather tells her. He says just do it and she does it. I didn’t get a sense of the Alpha “you must do what I say” from her family’s dynamics so that surprised me right off the bat. I was also amazed at how bent out of shape she gets when Ian confronts her about her duplicity. It was if the lying really didn’t really bother her. She
Ian worked a little better for me. He was more three dimensional and the interactions between him and his brothers offered some lividly and substance to the story. He worries for his clan since he took a risky financial deal and lost all their money. He’s very alpha but shows a considerate side. I enjoyed meeting members of his family.
Julia and Ian’s romance was not a romance at all. It was sex. I expected the main conflict would slowly deepen the attraction between them and offer up a steamy love affair fraught with contractions and strife. That didn’t happen. It was basically he kept finding her in his home and decided if he had sex with her it would get him out of her system.
Towards the end Ian talks about his love for her and how much he admires and respects her. Really? Why? She has done nothing worthwhile in the story. She sneaks around continuously trying to find the “secret” for her grandfather and has sex with Ian. That’s all she does.
Our villain was rather sublime and didn’t make an impacting appearance till the end. Of course, the ending is pat, anti climatic, and the secret Julia finds out about doesn’t even begin to justify her lying and sneaking around.
All in all a confusing lackluster romantic PNR.
Rating: D
Recent Reviews:
Love Romance Passion – 4.5/5
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I tried the previous one in this series (or maybe the one before it) and it wasn’t for me either.
It was confusing to say the least.
I haven’t read Spear yet… maybe it’ll be library books for me.
I’ve followed this series from the beginning-my favorite is book 2, Destiny of the Wolf where Spear introduces Darien Silver and his two brothers. I keep hoping the brothers will get the next book but so far, nada. :( Like any series, I liked some more than others. This one, though, sounds completely different from the previous books. Putting on back burner for now.
Maybe if I had read some of the others I would have enjoyed it more. I was under the impression they were stand alones though.
Thanks for taking the time to read the book, Tori! It is a stand alone title.
Thanks, Helyce! It takes some time to get books approved, but Jake’s story is coming up in Dreaming of the Wolf, Book 8, in December, and Tom’s story has been contracted, but not sure when it will come out! So far, a sequel to To Tempt the Wolf will be coming out in the spring, A SEAL in Wolf’s Clothing, and my editor wants the first of a new jaguar series to come out after that. But I’ve also written The Highland Wolf in Paradise, Duncan’s story, so it might be coming out in the fall next year.
Fans loved Carol from Destiny of the Wolf also, so she had her story in Wolf Fever, Book 5.
Thank you for taking the time to visit the blog. :)
Thank you Tori. Hmm, not sure if it is for me, but I am intrigued by the rather sublime villian :)
He really doesn’t seem all that bad.
I’ve never read a Highlander romance, but I guess I’ll be skipping this one. -.-
This has gotten a lot of wonderful reviews-it just didn’t work for me.
Hmm I’ve read a glowing review about this book somewhere else, and now you have me confused. I guess I’ll just have to find out for myself. Although I do worry about the lying part, and the fact it doesn’t bother her. If I get the same feeling, I am not going to like this book.
Still, Scotland, werewolves, sound like fun.
Yes it has. You should def try it out for yourself. It just didn’t work for me but that doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. :)