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The Strip (The Big Bad Wolf #2)

by Heather Killough-Walden (Goodreads Author)

3.97 of 5 stars 3.97 · rating details · 2,221 ratings · 123 reviews

Green-eyed Malcolm Cole is a cursed werewolf, an alpha in the most powerful sense who has given up hope for any kind of happiness or peace in his life.

Until he catches wind of Claire.

Claire St. James, Charlie among friends, is an amazing young woman with an incredibly special gift. Cole recognizes this at once and swears on the spot to claim Charlie as his mate.

Of course...more

Kindle Edition

Published January 12th 2011

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Apr 29, 2013 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

3 Stars

The Strip by Heather Killough-Walden is book two in her The Big Bad Wolf series. Once again Ms. Killough-Walden delivers a tale full of violence, action and villains you want to rip apart. Truly, I wanted to kill Gabriel Phelan (said villain) to shred...with my teeth!

Malcolm Cole:
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Claire St. James:
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This book tells the tale of Malcolm Cole, who we meet in book one, pursuing the dormant female Claire St. James. Malcolm is is an author that was, until recently, blamed for a series of violent a...more

19 likes · like · see review

Mar 21, 2011 jD rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-read, 2011_5-stars

I think I may have found a werewolf series that I will keep. "The Strip" is the second book of the Big Bad Wolf series. I did not read the first one but for some reason, this synopsis caught my eye so I decided to check it out for a buck. Many reviewers did not like the book because of the level of pain and suffering endured by the heroine, Charlie/Clair St. James. The hero, Malcolm Cole, was apparently the misunderstood bad guy from the first book and a powerful yet cursed Alpha. So we had a he...more I think I may have found a werewolf series that I will keep. "The Strip" is the second book of the Big Bad Wolf series. I did not read the first one but for some reason, this synopsis caught my eye so I decided to check it out for a buck. Many reviewers did not like the book because of the level of pain and suffering endured by the heroine, Charlie/Clair St. James. The hero, Malcolm Cole, was apparently the misunderstood bad guy from the first book and a powerful yet cursed Alpha. So we had a heroine, Charlie, catching the eye of Malcolm and another Alpha wolf, Phelan who is the master of Las Vegas. Under a rouse, Phelan gets Charlie and her band to come from her home in Pittsburg to play for six months at his new casino. His intention was to force his mark on her and keep her in his 'slap & tickle' dungeon (minus the tickle) until he broke her spirit. He is without question one evil sick individual. Malcolm sees or scents her in Las Vegas and realizes she is a Dormant female werewolf, very rare. He decides she should be his while also suspecting Phelan probably had plans already. And with that, we're off -- let the pissing contest begin!

Ms. Killough-Walden has a master's hand when it comes to writing physical pain and suffering for these characters. I did notice some readers where taken aback by the graphic torture scenes. Hey, I believe what does not kill ya will make ya stronger, so I wanted to know what a madman would create from his grisly work on Charlie. She survives to become so much more than she was before she spent time in his dungeon. There are a host of other supporting characters including a few from book one. Their backstories and histories where expertly weaved into this book so I felt I was not missing anything. By the time it was all said and done, we had a mess, a cliffhanger, and a couple of new characters to be the hero and heroine of the next book (which is already out). There are twist, turns, and unexpected plot developments that make this novel a work that deserves notice.

If you are like me and have moved werewolves to your TBR pile for the day all other paranormal romance books cease to exist, give this series a try. At $1 each on Kindle, there is no excuse. The story is very creative and there are other paranormal beings besides the wolves. There is hot sex and light humor. It does not have any of the things I dislike about werewolves. They are well written, intelligent, rich, stylish dressers, and tall with unnatural beauty. I'm a fan.(less)

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Feb 17, 2011 Sasha rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance, vampires

I like action, suspense and am not put off by violence. But this author took things a little too far. I really don't want my protagonists spending 2/3 of the novel in unrelenting pain and emotional distress. That irked me. However the last 3 chapters redeemed this novel somewhat. I'd love to see this author depart from what I perceive as an annoying trend (mouthy but helpless female caught between 2 alphas. Then cue misery)

It was also disappointing for me how quickly the heroine came around to a...more

4 likes · like · see review

Feb 28, 2012 Angela rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars --- Ok again (like the first one) this book is very descriptive and paints a very vivid picture, which can be great at time and relentless at times. The story is really good, I just wish the were and his mate actually got to spend more time together and less time trying to get to that point.

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Mar 24, 2012 Dawn ross rated it 5 of 5 stars

So Malcome Cole is not as Evil as we thought, but he still seems to be really Bad. Can he find his mate? or is he doomed to serve out his cures life alone. Charlie a cute young energetic girl has had to fight all her life. She always had a knack for attracting the wrong type of crowd. The only light in her life was Jessie- let's just say friend with HUGE benefits. When Charlie and her band is offered up a deal of a lifetime to hard to pass up, she leaves everyhting behind to start a new life. Un...more

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May 16, 2011 Sheyla rated it 2 of 5 stars

This is the second book in the Big Bad Wolf series.
This time our protagonist is Claire St James, she goes by Charlie to her friends. She is part of a band and has been hired to play exclusively in a Casino in Las Vegas by the powerful Gabriel Phelan.
Our two alphas fighting for Claire, who is a dormant female born werewolf are Malcolm Cole (the "bad guy" from book 1) and Gabriel Phelan.
Claire has been dreaming of both alphas for years. She tends to attract violent men. She does have a good friend...more

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May 14, 2011 Jennie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-want-my-money-back

This book was horrible. Firstly, I am blaming Amazon since the discription of this book on my kindle didn't say anything to lead me to understand that this was a "romance" novel. However, the rest of the blame for this rotting piece of sexual horror rests solely with the author.

I hate romance novels. I admit it. I don't choose to read them because they generally make me angry. However, I got suckered into this one unwittingly and once I start a book I have a thing about finishing them (not that...more

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Dec 24, 2012 Kristiana rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

2.5 stars.
I have never in my life been more disappointed with a book. I am actually amazed that Walden managed to take 2 perfectly good characters and mess everyting up so much. It must be a gift.
The first book in the series I barely got through and I did it only because I enjoyed Malcolm's character so much. I couldn't wait to read his book. It turns out I shouldn't have bothered. The book that was supposed to be about him was more about Phelan than anyone else. About more than half of the book...more 2.5 stars.
I have never in my life been more disappointed with a book. I am actually amazed that Walden managed to take 2 perfectly good characters and mess everyting up so much. It must be a gift.
The first book in the series I barely got through and I did it only because I enjoyed Malcolm's character so much. I couldn't wait to read his book. It turns out I shouldn't have bothered. The book that was supposed to be about him was more about Phelan than anyone else. About more than half of the book is focusing on Charlie's abduction and the things that sick bastard does to her. Excuse me, but I am not into rapist wannabes. The fact that she enjoyed some of the stuff cuz of the mark and the horniness didn't sit too well with me either. Actually, she seemed to genuinely enjoy that kind of foreplay since that's what Jessie was doing - chasing her and throwing her around, being crude and domineering. Definitely not my scene.
Another thing that bothers me is that all of the three books I've read so far have the same structure. We have the insanely hot dangerous main hero and we have the unusually beautiful damsel who is, of course, unaware of her charms or is too humble to acknolwedge them. We also have the obsessed powerful son of a bitch who is completely bonkers and who will not stop at anything to get the damsel in question. We have abduction, torture and almost-rape. In every book the abduction happens just after the Dormant's been marked so she's super horny and messed up.
However, in this book the abduction just kept going on and on and on and on and on and...on. I was getting sick of reading about Charlie being naked in front of a bunch of d*ckheads and how she hated it but she was still wet. Right...And then she got whipped and tortured some more.
Then finally, blessedly, after some serious stuff fit for an action movie, Malcolm got her back and claimed her. Well, have I ever been more disappointed in a sexual act... To put it mildly, it was sh*t. After we've been forced to wait until the end of the book for some action we want that action to be just right. Instead we get more domineering asshole and more submissive damsel who doesn't do anything. And then, they're in love. Uhuh. Allow me to remain sceptical. Even the epilogue wasn't about them but about the next couple.
Maybe it's just me, maybe it's just that I like seeing how a character evolves, how their feelings grow and how they finally fall for each other. I definitely don't believe in the slam-bam-i-love-you-ma'm thing that Walden seems to have going on. I mean, the characters don't even really talk to each other, they don't really know one another and there were so many things that should have been said between them. Malcolm's curse was one of them. It's a big part of who he is and he didn't mention it. I just think it could have been a big moment for them but instead Lily had to get involved and open her big mouth. The hero and heroine never say "I love you" to each other. Not that I'm a fan of sappy confessions but without it the story is just...lacking. Maybe it's because of these reasons that to me the books seem to be left unfinished.
P.S. Walden needs to let Phelan die for f*ck's sake! I hate the on-going drama with him, just think of a new d*mned character. Jeez...
(less)

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Jul 18, 2012 Rebecca ♥ Ash, Jem, Warner ♥ rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of super sexy, exciting, x-rated PNRs

Shelves: adult, shapeshifters, romance, paranormal, magic, reviewed

I liked this more than The Heat. The story was much more interesting and very tense and action packed. And as I suspected, Cole was a much better lead than Daniel. He was much more sympethizable. Daniel made a few small appearances and he was an ass as usual. Cole has much more heart and a soft side, but at the same time he is so fierce and demanding. If I was suddenly forced to marry one of them as Lily and Charlie were, I would rather it were Daniel. He is an ass and he would probably drive me...more

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Apr 01, 2012 Nicky Cartwright Pashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book sees the infamous Malcolm Cole chasing the dormant Claire St. James. He is an author that was, until recently, blamed for a series of violent and cruel murders. He is still an extremely powerful and intimidating alpha male. Claire is a drummer that finds it hard to trust people. She has only had one sexual partner, a friend ‘with benefits’ and between them they like to ‘play rough’.

Unfortunately people aren’t always what they seem and she learns that two people that she has known for...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Maria rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: werewolves, magic

“The Strip” is the second book of the Big Bad Wolf series by Heather Killough-Walden and like the first one is full of adventure and passion. The one thing that is very different in this book is the many violent scenes. I was surprised to see that for the first time the heroine of a paranormal romance books suffers so much pain before somebody saves her.

Charlie is a member of a band and she has a great offer for a job in Las Vegas with her band. But nothing goes well, because soon, she finds her...more

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Jun 06, 2011 Staci rated it 4 of 5 stars

The main character of this book Claire or Charlie as she goes by, is a female born werewolf and a dormant. What that means, if you haven't read the first one is that as a dormant she's wanted by alpha werewolves and as a female born she can take a lot of pain, which she does. Killough-Walden goes farther in torturing her herione in this novel than in the first one and that can be off-putting for some. I, however, found her large number of characters to be more off-putting; there are plenty of th...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Winnie rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

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Nov 09, 2011 Jessica rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, kindle

Good God it hurt to read this book I could not stand Charlie, she drove me crazy in the worst possible way. I just didn't get her and I never did learn why everywhere she went guys wanted to rip her cloths off was it just because she was a female born werewolf? which she doesn't know about because her parents never told her before they were murdered. The only thing that kept me reading was Cole major hottie with british accent and the fact that I'm hoping the next book will be better. This book...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Jade rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: werewolves, heather-killough-walden, dark-romance, series

I am loving this series! In book 1, The Heat; I favored Cole for some reason. It seems my instincts were right...I adore him! And "Charlie" She is kick-ass and very capable of doing just that! Heather has done a great job on her characters. This series is full of twist's and turn's! Now I'm off to continue the ride in book 3!

I finished the series!!!! (4.19.12) My review on them...

Dangerous, daring, seductive and deeply sensual!

Dark Romance lovers, get ready to be taken on a ride that you will no...more

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Jul 09, 2011 * Kazzy * -aka Stryker- rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-kindle-books

This was the second book of the series, and it was a good book and I did enjoy it but there were a few negatives that I will get out the way before telling you about the good bits. As with the first book there were quite a lot of spelling/grammatical errors and the layout could be better, but thats a minor thing. The biggest issue I felt was that there was quite a lot of repetition/similarity to the first book, eg. female dormant dreaming of two possible suitor werewolves, female not knowing of...more This was the second book of the series, and it was a good book and I did enjoy it but there were a few negatives that I will get out the way before telling you about the good bits. As with the first book there were quite a lot of spelling/grammatical errors and the layout could be better, but thats a minor thing. The biggest issue I felt was that there was quite a lot of repetition/similarity to the first book, eg. female dormant dreaming of two possible suitor werewolves, female not knowing of their existence, a third alpha demanding 'Guardian rights', and a few others. I guess it's quite difficult to find originality when writing a series, but it would have improved my rating to 5 stars if the storyline was less similar; it did detract from the story slightly as you could guess what was likely to happen in places! I also thought the story ended a bit strangely and wasn't really 'finished off', and the epilogue that usually would do that focussed on other characters rather than the main ones from this book, obviously setting the scene for the next installment. Maybe the next book will involve the main characters more than usual so that readers get a better 'closure' from them?

Anyway onto the good parts, this was another interesting plot with a number of twists throughout that kept the story fresh. It was full of action, intrigue and that alpha werewolf testosterone that we saw in the first episode! There was a good mix of characters, new and some old faces returned from the first book which I liked. It was a fairly deep and dark story, very violent in places and if you are easily offended or upset by sexual aggression you might not like parts of the book, but I think you have to read it in the context of how the werewolf race behave and their general attitude towards sex. There were times of romance but this is not your average paranormal romance saga of boy meets girl and seduction and tenderness, it is more a domineering, lustful escapade which brings a lot of heat (and bondage) to the relationship! The author has created a good 'world' for the series and did it in a way that didn't spend numerous chapters explaining, rather introducing information as needed at the appropriate places, for example some of the background about Charlie, the female lead in the story which leaves you with questions initially but reveals all at the right time, creating just enough suspense to keep readers interested.

Don't let the negative aspects put you off reading the book, just bear them in mind, as it is still worth reading, good value for the small cost of it and has enough positive aspects to still get 4 stars. Give it a try, it is certainly a new take on the genre in a number of ways! (less)

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Apr 25, 2011 Steph rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-read

I will start at the beginning as always... this book was the story of Malcolm Cole. Malcolm was the 'bad guy' in the previous book 'The Heat' although he was redeemed in the end. Cole is a tortured soul! He is that guy that always tries to do the right thing and when he does, it always seemes to blow up in his face. Other people see what Cole allows them to see and what he wants them to believe, that he is a bad man. That he cares for no-one, loves nobody and therefor has nothing to lose. Which...more I will start at the beginning as always... this book was the story of Malcolm Cole. Malcolm was the 'bad guy' in the previous book 'The Heat' although he was redeemed in the end. Cole is a tortured soul! He is that guy that always tries to do the right thing and when he does, it always seemes to blow up in his face. Other people see what Cole allows them to see and what he wants them to believe, that he is a bad man. That he cares for no-one, loves nobody and therefor has nothing to lose. Which to all others makes him a dangerous man to cross! However Cole/Malcolm is a caring, devoted man. He is also possessive, domineering and a little arrogant. But I still loved him in this book.
Charlie is a female born werewolf, and a dormant (who can carry children) which is apparently never heard of. She dreams of Cole and another man. Phelan! He was her personal trainer for years (under another name) teaching her to defend herself.
Jesse has been her best friend since her parents were murded by Phelen (unknown to Charlie) and they have fallen into the catagory of frinds with benefits. Charlie is such a control freak that she only allows herself to give up her control during sex! She trusts only Jesse not to truly hurt her.
Cole marks Charlie against her will to protect her from Phelan. (as Daniel did to Lily in the previous book). However she is taken hostage and brutally beaten and even more mentally broken by Phelan! But she does not break and refuses to give her permission to remove Coles mark.
Cole does eventually manage to save her... Once they are alone, their true attraction and physical draw can't be held off any longer. I believe that after being so badly broken down, Charlie needs Cole to hold her and make everything else in the world fade away. However Cole just takes her how he would normally, forcfully and a little agressively. This I was a little annoyed at... I thought he would understand that even though she wanted sex, I think that he should have (without being too cheesy lol) made love to her, held her and showed her she was safe. But she seemed happy with him anyway so I quickly forgot that I was annoyed.
Lily was present a few times and so was Daniel (Daniel not so much) but the few times they were, I loved Lily. She has become so strong. And honestly Daniel annoyed me, I know he doesn't like Cole but he acted like a child in a dire situation. I was a little peeved because I was slightly in love with Daniel before!
Ok so I don't want to give too much more away... but I will say that this book was FULL of action, with a truly amazing set of characters. Witches, Warlocks, Alpha's, the coulcil and a very impressive Overseer! It also had some wicked laughs along the way. I never wanted this book to end!
And book three 'The Spell' looks promising! Read this book people, you won't be dissapointed.(less)

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Mar 24, 2012 Dawnandwini rated it 5 of 5 stars

OMG, I love the BBW series! The Strip is the second book in this romantic thriller, and let me say it is not for the faint of heart! Unorthodox and slightly shocking, but fascinating nonetheless! Its been two years after Lily and Daniel’s Mating and Malcolm Cole, famous writer, sexy as sin, eyes like crushed emeralds and all around badass Alpha from “The Heat” is still on the Prowl and he has found his mate! Finally! But as they say may the best Alpha win!!! Survival of the fittest right? YES! N...more OMG, I love the BBW series! The Strip is the second book in this romantic thriller, and let me say it is not for the faint of heart! Unorthodox and slightly shocking, but fascinating nonetheless! Its been two years after Lily and Daniel’s Mating and Malcolm Cole, famous writer, sexy as sin, eyes like crushed emeralds and all around badass Alpha from “The Heat” is still on the Prowl and he has found his mate! Finally! But as they say may the best Alpha win!!! Survival of the fittest right? YES! Never has been a pair more perfect for each other, yet… it seem like Cole might have met is equal!
Heather Killough Walden has written another addition to her series and each blasted book leaves you satiated and wanton! The suspense rides you up into a painful state and the releases are orgasmic! Each Character is unique and anarchic yet fitting. Walden weaves her stories seamlessly and you get lost in a world that fascinates yet repels! The installment is darker and edgier than “The Heat”, but if you know Cole, it isn’t surprising! I loved the Suspense and … All I can say is, this is a chessboard, all the players are ruthless…. No holds bar! So get curious… cross the thin line if you dare! Come over to the dark side… you might like it… But be sure to be 25 years of age and up! And Walden is a god!
so Malcome Cole is not as Evil as we thought, but he still seems to be really Bad. Can he find his mate? or is he doomed to serve out his cures life alone. Charlie a cute young energetic girl has had to fight all her life. She always had a knack for attracting the wrong type of crowd. The only light in her life was Jessie- let's just say friend with HUGE benefits. When Charlie and her band is offered up a deal of a lifetime to hard to pass up, she leaves everyhting behind to start a new life. Unknownst to Charlie is the fact that she is a dormant. In this new town she meets Malcome Cole who is a mysterious stranger she cant help but feel drawn too. At the same time Charlie has a secret suitor one who she has known for a long time yet remained anonymous of his attraction to her. but when this secret suitor comes out of his hidding spot Charlie soon realizes he is not the man she had thought he was and what's even worse, he is going to do just about anything to make Charlie his. Can Malcome save Charlie? Can he make her his mate? Will charlie ever escape the dark shadows of the werewolf community? Dark sweet and hard pleasure. Skeletons are comming out of the closet. If you can't take it rough this is not for you, but Heather lets you see the dark and light sides to BDSM.
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Mar 14, 2013 ♥¸.•*´Tanya`*•.¸♥ rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult, female, kindle, male, march-reading-challenge, paranormal, romance

I purchased this an ebook from Amazon.

This was the second book in the Big Bad Wolf Series and I was just as enamored with this as I was the first.

Bit disappointed the was a jump in the story and missed the whole Charlie and Cole relationship but hoping it will be in a later book.

Lucas moved above her and the room they were in came into focus. As did the faces of the werewolves and witches surrounding them. The Overseer was there – and so were were Charlie and Lily. Daniel Kane and a few members...more

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Jun 06, 2013 Jessica Jackson rated it 5 of 5 stars

So far this has been my favorite book in the Big Bad Wolf compilation (I bought them as a set). I love Charlie and I love Malcom.
She's strong and independent. And while she gets into trouble a lot in the book, she hand;es herself rather well.
Malcom was a bit overbearing but he was an alpha if I've ever read of one.
I liked the back story the author tells on how he got his markings and then how they transfer from him to Charlie after the mating. It made sense to me for that to happen.
The sex sce...more

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Feb 08, 2011 Ctanner rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-ebook

This second book in the big bad wolf series took a very disturbing turn. I liked the first book and I really liked the "bad" guy in it, Malcolm Cole. So when I read the next book would feature Cole I got really excited. I was very disappointed. The heroine in this book is tortured extensively. It is difficult to read. Malcolm claims her as his mate and proceeds to dominate her in the bedroom literally 12 hours after her torture. I found the whole plot distasteful. I am no prude and I don’t mind...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Tina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: alpha-male, anti-hero, borrowed, ebook, eccentric-hero, erotica, magic, paranomal-rom, shifters, vampire, witches

Much better than the first one! I think that Malcom and Charlie are my favorite of the series! Malcom is sooo anti hero in the first book and then we see more from his point of view here and I feel he is redeemed. Charlie is just kick a** and a take charge heroine. I do think that she was kind of blind to David which was a little unbelievable at first but after a while I kind of bought it a little bit but not with Jesse's feelings about it. Don't buy into that he knew something was wonky and did...more

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Jun 13, 2013 Claire Loach rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: immortal-characters, paranormal-romance, steamy-couples, tortured-alpha-hero, warewolves

I liked this better than the 1st book. the writing was better, there was more action and also probably because we are already farmiliarised with the characters I felt more into them... however

at some points I felt really sorry for claire and felt that the authors torment of her was a bit over the top. she was not only kidnapped and beaten but sexually assulted by phelan and his men!

and her ending was too abrupt. there wasnt enough ending about claire n malcolms HAE. as readers we should be enti...more

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Jun 09, 2013 Letitia rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is my second book in the series and although I liked it I did not care for the torture scenes which went on entirely too long. I think a good editor could have tightened this book a bit, but at least I did not find myself stumbling over the grammar like I did in the first book. I continue to like the strong women in these books, but I am wondering about the marking, it seems to be more of a way for the losing alpha to torture the female rather than giving her any protection. I will be readi...more

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Feb 28, 2011 gert rated it 3 of 5 stars

way better then the first of the series.

i'm ALL for self-published books, especially if they're of this caliber. don't get me wrong - HKW is not going to be getting any best selling authors nervous anytime soon. but this book was a pleasant surprise.

interesting pn elements, alphas coming out of the wood work.

if you can get it cheaply or free - 99 cents at amazon, i think - highly recommend. will keep an eye out for this author, hoping for some improvements. and some editing. (spellcheck doesn'...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Lisa M rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, paranormal-romance, shifter

It's difficult to describe how disturbing this book was. It opens with the heroine having BDSM sex with a man other than the hero. Not my cup of tea. Then later on (view spoiler)

And, oh yeah, the plot is very similar to The Hunt. That's another strike against The Strip.

As a side note, there were an awful lot of mistakes in the manu...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Shirley rated it 4 of 5 stars

I’m not sure if this is the 3rd or 4th time that I’ve read through this series. I seem to get wrapped up in it every time I do, so it doesn’t really matter. Part of the reason why I like The Strip is because of Malcolm Cole. It seems almost wrong to like him as a character since he was the bad guy in The Heat, but that’s part of what makes it so good. I love it when an author can turn your attitude toward a character around totally. Turns out Heather is a pro at it. ;)

Talk about damaged characte...more I’m not sure if this is the 3rd or 4th time that I’ve read through this series. I seem to get wrapped up in it every time I do, so it doesn’t really matter. Part of the reason why I like The Strip is because of Malcolm Cole. It seems almost wrong to like him as a character since he was the bad guy in The Heat, but that’s part of what makes it so good. I love it when an author can turn your attitude toward a character around totally. Turns out Heather is a pro at it. ;)

Talk about damaged characters. Charlie is one of the most heartbreaking characters Heather has written so far. She lost her parents, she’s physically attacked more than once and the only person who seems to be able to make her physically strong enough to fight back uses mental and physical abuse to get the job done. She has a close core of very good, protective friends, but they can only do so much, especially when the bad guys even start chasing her in her dreams. What’s worse is, she’s about to find out that she is part of a world she never even knew existed.

Then there is Malcolm. He is damaged as well, but hides it behind his tough exterior. Lily saw through it, even though he kidnapped her and tried to break her. I think that’s what won me over. That, and there is no character more Alpha or respected by his pack than Malcolm Cole. He was still brass, opinionated, domineering and cruel, but you could even see that toughness slowly melt when it came to Charlie. It started out as the same type of scenario that drove him to capture Lily, but then it turned into so much more. The protective mate came out in him and that changed everything.

The twists and turns in this one keep the pages turning. Even after reading it more than once, I had a hard time putting it down. Sometimes knowing what is coming is even worse. I also loved getting to know characters from previous books a little better. The subtle foreshadowing gives you a hint of things to come. The snarkiness between Malcolm and Lily was fun too. I love those two together. After all they went through in The Heat, that should be so wrong, but I can’t help it.

There are aspects of these books that are hard to read. The abuse and violence is sometimes raw to the point of being painful. These characters suffer, mostly at the hands of pure evil. As hard as it is to read, I don’t think the outcome would be the same if it was totally left out. I don’t condone this type of abuse, and by writing about it, I don’t assume that the author does either. These books aren’t for everyone, as I’ve said before and not just about the Big Bad Wolf series, but about others as well. The concept of the Alpha is what it is. They are strong, domineering, powerful and fierce. They are also protective, love unconditionally and are fiercely loyal when it comes to their mate. It’s a totally different world and Heather does a great job of bringing out the pain and beauty of both aspects. Sometimes there’s a fine line between good and evil in both fantasy and reality.

The Strip is the second book in the Big Bad Wolf series. At the end of this one you find out that there is much more to come for all the previous characters as well as some new ones. There are 4 books and the next one, The Spell, is probably one of my favorites. It will be the last of my Deja Vu reviews for the series because I reviewed The Hunt months ago. I’m not sure why I skipped the rest, but at least I’m making up for it now. (less)

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Jun 10, 2012 Marsha rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: No One I like or dislike

Normally, I do not like to use profanity; but, what. the. hell? I have read a couple of Heather Killough-Walden books and have really like them. However, I was under the mistaken concept that "The Strip" was another romance novel in the "Big Bad Wolf" series with the emphasis placed on romance. However, what this book is is a vile, vicious, and graphic rape!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me be clear: rape is not hinted at here, it is written and described in every horrific detail. What in the world was Wald...more

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Jun 07, 2011 Mrs.Norman rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: lycans-shifters-etc, 1-dolla-holla, big-bad-wolf

Two years has passed and the cursed Malcolm Cole's been exonerated of his accused crimes and has finally found the woman he wants to make his mate, Charlie St.James. Charlie is not only a born werewolf but is also a Dormant. Malcolm thinks she's his best kept secret but soon finds out there's an evil Alpha out there and he's after Charlie as well. He's one of the strongest Alpha's around and he's staked his claim on Charlie whether she likes it or not!

My thoughts:MINOR SPOILERS SO BE WARNED!!

Gab...more

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Mar 01, 2011 Dana rated it 3 of 5 stars

I liked this one much better than the first. The storyline was much more interesting as were the characters. I'm interested to see where it goes and will buy the 3rd installment. Especially to find out more about the witch!

I am still conflicted with my feelings of these Wolfmen (hee hee). I do want to kick them in the junk for the way they just go around marking their mates without consent. On the other hand, the female characters are strong willed (after the fact!).

Also, I enjoy the shout out...more

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About Heather Killough-Walden

Heather Killough-Walden is a California native currently living in Texas with her husband and child. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the Big Bad Wolf series. Heather’s educational background includes religious studies, archeology, and law. She has traveled all over the world but hopes to one day live in a town with a world-class hockey team. (Let’s Go Pens!) Visit Heather’s website...more

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The Strip (The Big Bad Wolf #2)

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