Wild Hunger by Suzanne Wright
Pheonix Pack, #7
Paranormal Romance
May 29, 2018

Half-shifter Frankie Newman didn’t know what to think when she received an email from a person claiming to be her aunt. She was taken from the pack as a child after she witnessed her father killing her mother then himself as a child. Her grandparents who raised her repeatedly told her that her deceased father’s family wanted nothing to do with her. Now they claim to not only want to see her but have been trying to for years. Trick Hardy, an enforcer for the Phenoix Pack, played with Frankie as a child before she was taken from the pack, but is shocked to discover she is his mate. Now he has to find a way to tell her and hopes she doesn’t run. As Frankie and Trick dance around their attraction for one another, Frankie begins to remember more and more about that terrible night…and what really happened to her parents.

I’ve enjoyed Suzanne Wright’s PNRs for years. As a longtime fan of her Phenoix Pack spin-off, I am pleased to see that even though this is the 7th in the series, Wright still manages to keep it fresh, sexy, and action-packed as she ushers a long lost member of the pack back into the fold. With it’s laid back ongoing arc and well-established character base, new fans will find it easy to begin here while older fans will wrap themselves into the story like an old friend. Suspense and intrigue flavor the storyline as a steamy hot romance slowly builds. Dry humor dots the landscape as the heroine learns to deal with her past and shifters on a daily basis when in reality, she just wants to be left alone.  A stable of familiar faces blends organically with some new ones as the main conflict and an ongoing storyline are wrapped up tight. My only qualm is Wright’s attempts to diversify her characters. As she strives to make sure we understand that some of her characters are minorities and that sexual orientation is fluid within the pack, it all felt very heavy-handed.

Grade: B-

Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
General Fiction/Mystery
May 22, 2018
Katherine Tegen Publishing

Claudia is looking forward to starting 8th grade but when her best friend, Monday, isn’t there the first day, Claudia begins to ask around only to discover no one has seen Monday all summer. Monday’s mother and sister are no help, the school doesn’t care,  and no one else seems inclined to listen to Claudia.  Inseparable since grade school. Claudia knows Monday would never voluntarily leave her, especially after what happened last year. Monday is As the school year progresses and Claudia struggles with grades, friendships, boyfriends as she tries not to think the worse about her friend, the truth slowly begins to emerge and it’s far more horrifying than anyone could imagine.

This is my first time reading Jackson but definitely not my last. Jackson rips a scene from the headlines, molding it into her own timely story of love, loss, and family as a young teenager struggles to discover where her best friend has disappeared to and the tragic consequences that ripple through the community when the truth comes out. Emotionally charged and bittersweet, the unreliable narrative and numerous time jumps may confuse some but Jackson uses the combination to show readers how easy it is for inner-city children to slip through the cracks despite the government’s hand in every aspect of their lives and a community with its own problems.

Grade: B+

Do This For Me by Eliza Kennedy
Women’s Fiction
May 15, 2018
Crown Publishing Group

No one was prepared for the lengths Raney Moore would go to punish her husband for his infidelity, especially Raney.  After the dusts settles, Raney attempts to understand why her husband cheated and in the process discovers some interesting things about herself.

Do This For Me is a hilarious and frank look at love, marriage, infidelity, sex, and the double standards placed on women to be the best at everything. Raney is an interesting character whose need for control and to compartmentize everything comes off sometimes crass but in fact is refreshing as she makes no excuses for her choices in life. Humorous dialogue and a vibrant cast of characters keep the story flowing along with plenty of energy and laughter.  Raney’s fellow lawyers left me in stitches as they attempt to help her in their own special ways. I love how Raney questions everything and everyone in her need to know WHY her husband cheated only to discover there is no answer that will satisfy her. When she finally gives herself permission to lose control, she does so with complete abandonment. She adopts the traditional male role as she explores her sexuality and it is eye opening to her and us as she discovers she is not forgiven for her actions as a male counterpart would be. The ending is open and it works. No relationship is perfect and often a work in progress until the very end.

Grade: B