I’ve been really curious about this series but have been reluctant to try it because I’m not usually over-thrilled with werewolves. I’ve had this author on my “need to look into this” list and if you continue with the series, I’ll be curious to see what your impressions are!

I really liked the heroine in this one (which is often not the case for me - I usually like the male leads in romance books and tolerate the females). She wasn't one of those over-the-top Xena warrior princess types. She can fight if she needs to but most of the time she is just a regular girl (who is a walker - aka she can shift into a coyote, but she is one of the only ones left in existence). Plus she is an automechanic which I think is pretty cool. There is no clear male lead in the book, she likes two different male werewolves but romance is not the center of the story. It's more of a story of her life and her interactions with the werewolves around her.

I definitely enjoyed the book enough to check out the rest of the series, it's kind of a nice break from all of the heavy romance I have read recently.

I can’t handle reading too much romance in one straight shot. I think it’s the formulas that do me in. If I’ve been reading a lot of complex stuff or a bunch of dry, non-fiction books for work I start to crave the simple formulas, the heavy petting and the happily ever after. But romance novels, along with frosting, amaretto sours and chicken nuggets from Wendy’s, prove that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, at least for me.

I usually decide what I’m going to read at the beginning of each month and try to make sure there’s a good mix from all the genres that interest me so I don’t start to feel stuck in a rut. It keeps me interested and I also like checking things off lists, so it feeds into that addiction as well.

I switch around between different genres (mostly romance) to make sure I don't get sick of one type. I read a lot of paranormal romance but then I switch it up with historicals set in Scotland, colonial/western America or medieval England. I really enjoyed Comanche Moon by Catherine Anderson, which reinvigorated my love of western romances that I had gotten away from in recent years. I have an aversion to regency romance for some reason, so there are very few books I read set in that time period (one exception: Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase). I also like historical fiction with some romance, I read Philipa Gregory and Kathleen Givens (which is why I think I will enjoy Outlander).

When I get sick of those genres, there's always the occasional contemporary romantic suspense, especially if it's really hot. I love Linda Howard's books, she writes great contemporary romantic suspense. If I need something other than romance, I like Michael Cricton and John Grisham.

I choose what to read based on my mood. I usually switch around between the types of romance I just described, I just pick a book off the pile once I am done with the last one.

That’s a really good idea.

I might have to look to you for some recommendations for contemporary romance and colonial/western American novels because I’ve had nothing but bad luck trying to find some decent ones from those genres and I’m always looking to branch out. I’ve always enjoyed regency, but think that over half of everything in print from that category is absolute trash that never should have been printed, so approach most with caution and disdain. I also love paranormal romance, mostly vampires and any and all novels about Scotland. I don’t know what it is about those, but they all intrigue me!

I’ve only been reading romance on a regular basis (which comes to 2-4 books a month from the genre) for the past two years or so and I usually feel like I’m playing catch-up on a lot of the stuff that most everybody else has read.

I have been reading a lot of romance for 14 years, so I probably have read quite a few that you might not have.

Well, I don't read very much contemporary romance but I can recommend the ones I enjoyed. I am a huge Linda Howard fan, so she makes up the bulk of my favorites but I will just give what I consider to be her best. I have written reviews for a couple of the books, you could check those out to see if you might like them. It really depends on what your taste is: I know that I like well-written stories with a good alpha hero and a nice competent (not TSTL or shrewish) heroine that I can relate to. I also like most of my contemporaries to be hotter and have some action going on, I find ones purely about the couple's romance to be boring as heck.

Contemporary romance:

Linda Howard - After the Night (set in Louisiana, good sexual tension, good story)
Dream Man (psychic heroine falls for detective while she is helping solve a murder case), Heart of Fire (set in the Amazon rain forest, lots of adventure and romance), Mackenzie's Mountain (I really liked the hero), Kill and Tell (romantic suspense set in New Orleans)

Linda Howard's that are humorous and have suspense: Open Season, Mr. Perfect, To Die For and Drop Dead Gorgeous (last two are in first person)

Other contemps that I like:
Tami Hoag - Lucky's Lady
Pamela Clare - Extreme Exposure, Hard Evidence, Unlawful Contact
Shannon McKenna - Behind Closed Doors
Lisa Marie Rice - Midnight Man (technically romantica but the love scenes aren't even as hot as a KMM Highlander book)

Colonial/Western Romances:
Surrender, Ride the Fire by Pamela Clare
Comanche Moon by Catherine Anderson
Cheyenne Song by Georgina Gentry (beware of the purple prose, but she does include historical facts in a decent Native American romance)
Rosanne Bittner - I am just starting to read her books but I like the way she writes. She is basically a historical fiction writer who includes a lot of romance.

Also, if you like historical fiction, Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati is set in 1790's America.


Scottish romances other than KMM:
Kathleen Givens - Kilgannon, Wild Rose of Kilgannon, On a Highland Shore (almost historical fiction with romance)
Marsha Canham - Pride of Lions, Blood of Roses (I haven't read these yet, but they look really good, they are set right before and during Culloden)
Samantha James - His Wicked Ways
Kinley McGregor - Born in Sin (one of the most tortured heroes ever - well except for Acheron and Z)
Julie Garwood - The Secret, Ransom, Saving Grace (I am not sure if you will like her, her overly sweet heroines drive some people nuts plus her writing is more simplistic)

If you haven't read Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase, you might like that one since it is a regency. Lots of people seem to like Lisa Kleypas, but I haven't read her yet.

Paranormal romances that you might like: Nalini Singh's Psy/Changling series, Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series (humorous and fun to read), C.L. Wilson's Lord of the Fading Lands, Lady of Light and Shadow (fantasy paranormal romance)

Lots of people love Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunters. I found them to be ok but I really loved Acheron. I also liked Night Play.

One other series you might like: The In Death series by J.D. Robb. The books are set about 50 years in the future and follows a female police detective,Eve Dallas. Each book has a different mystery to solve and shows more of the relationship between Eve and Roarke, the sexy billionare she falls in love with in the first book. Some people are as passionate about Roarke as Outlander fans are about Jamie.

I remember this book. It was really good! Mercy was such a good character.

I saw one of her books at Walmart awhile back and assumed it was new (part of this series). Boy was I wrong. It was a reissue of another series by her that has not been rated well. FYI.

This one was different in a good way! If I remember correctly, it is written in first person. ???

Yes, it's in first person which I didn't mind at all. I now like a few series in first person: the Fever series by KMM and Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost.

Patricia Briggs also has a new series out, there was a short story in the On the Prowl anthology and Cry Wolf. The series is set in the same world as Mercy's, the lead male is Charles, the Marrik's son.

Excellent! Thank you so much! A lot of these authors I’ve already got on my “rec” list so the more recommendations from different people, the better—they tend to move up in the pile faster that way.

I’ve also already read two of those authors, so yay! I just read Into the Wilderness a couple months ago and just got the second book in that series (Dawn in the Distant Shore, I think?) so will hopefully read that one soon. And I also really like Samantha James! I’ve read several of her books but not “His Wicked Ways.” If it’s in Scotland, I’m so there! : )

I’ll have to look into Linda Howard as well. So far most of my contemporary romance experience has been with Nora Roberts, people who write like Nora Roberts and several by Christina Skye that were too scientific for my tastes (they were all about genetically altered Navy SEALS and that was too much of a stretch for me). I can handle vampires and freaky paranormal stuff, but as soon as somebody starts getting scientific, I’m lost.

Yay, I’m excited! Lots of new book recommendations!

If you don't like genetically altered people, stay away from Lora Leigh's Breeds series and Christine Feehan's Ghostwalkers.

Since you like vamps, have you tried Lara Adrian's Midnight Breeds series? They are kind of a lighter version of J.R. Ward's BDB, without all of the crazy lingo and brand-pimping.

Another fun series: Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark (has vamps, valkyries, witches, Lycae and is very funny)

Both are on my list to try. Lately on the vamp front I've been reading Maggie Shayne's Twilight series, which I haven't been overly impressed with. I've read the first two and will probably read the next one or two (because I have them) but if they don't catch my interest they're outta here.

This is like my first book about urban fantasy that I have read and now I'm waiting to read more of it!

Ronyell - it's a really good series!

That's great! I'll have to read the rest of the series!