Howl

Kane Wolves #1

by Annalise Grey

Nineteen year old Sophie Matthews is a line-walker between two worlds - human and werewolf. Her sanctuary is the Allegheny National Forest, the one place she can be free. That is, until she is spotted by Jaime, a conservation officer with an easy smile.

What should have been a passing glance becomes much more as Sophie falls for the one thing she is forbidden from ever having: a human mate.

Sophie learns that keeping secrets is never easy - especially around newcomer Daniel, the arrogant wolf on her tail. And yet Daniel may be the least of her worries.

Old legends resurface. Humans in the town are whispering of wolf-men roaming the forest. Threat of discovery looms heavy around the pack and the key to it all might be Sophie's chosen, Jaime.

Peaceful days are ending.

Everything is falling apart around her. Will she risk it all - her heart, her family, and her safety - for a chance to control her own fate?

Genres: Werewolves, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

217 pages, ebook

First published November 9, 2011

About the author

Pennsylvania native, dreamer, explorer.
I write because I like talking to the voices in my head.

Reviews

[Lint · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Hey man, welcome.” Tristan replied with a smile. “Is there any spaghetti left?”
Of course Tristan’s thoughts go directly to food.

First I was like:
*YAWNS* BORING !
Sophie - You're extremely annoying, like deadset.
Tristan - Shut your mouth idiot.
Jaime - Daaaaang. you're old :L
Daniel - REOOOOOW ;)
Gavin - Seriously? Shutup.
Ethan - Meh. Nothing to say yet.

Then I was like:
OH HELL NOOOOO..
Sophie - You are one lucky betch :L
Tristan - Ohmigod I love food too ! ( soul mates ?)
Jaime - Huh. I bet your hot.
Daniel - I wanna punch you :')
Gavin - That's messed up. Literally messed up.
Ethan - Funny joker.

Now I'm like:
I'm impressed..
Sophie : Woop woop ! Gooo Soph :D
Tristan - You remind me of my brother. Loyalty. I love you for that.
Jaime - You love her? Mate, you just met her?
Daniel - You dickwab. Tsk, tsk.
Gavin - Too busy crying :'(
Ethan - You damn fool. SMH.

Other:
I admired Sophie's love for her family/pack.
I love Tristan :D
I loved how Sophie killed defeated Jason.
Love triangle was alright I guess.

[Lys · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read by Annalise Grey (love that name!) and I think that, more than anything, was its detriment.

It was clear that Annalise knew about some of the topics she took on. She was familiar with the concept of living off the land, and knew (or faked) enough about wolves to make comparisons which would allow her readers to envision the wolves that she had created. She even threw in a bit of mythology and history, and while she used some conventions of the "werewolf story" she added her own elements as well.

Grey clearly knows how to develop elements of her plot, which is why I was frustrated with how certain pieces unfolded. The relationship, for instance. It barely begins and then its in bed and then its being ignored and then its back on and then off/ignored again and then ... well I wouldn't want to give it away. And the other bit ... if that's supposed to be a bit. Everything about Daniel moved too quickly. All realizations, all reveals, everything. I wouldn't even call it a love triangle, because it wasn't an angle. It was just this brand new circle shaped heart hanging off to the side that every once in a while you would remember was there.

There were a lot of pieces left unanswered too. About the family, about the development of the characters (especially with ones who were going to die). The end of the story - the whole "here's what's been happening in the background, let's tie those loose pieces together" was really quick. Too quick in my opinion. So much time was spent agonizing over Mr. Love Interest for half the book, but the stuff at the end, which is seriously rushed has her considering leaving him behind. Well, funny how he's not that important, only he took up so much of the book. And I get that it's a 'coming-to-understand-sacrifice/growing-up/accepting-the-wolf thing ... but still. And while I'm in my spoiler bubble - isn't it odd that in all of those conversations about "Who could possibly be DOING THESE HORRIBLE THINGS! Sophie never once brings up that white wolf? I was practically yelling at her as I read. And Daniel ... well, personally, I'd have killed him. Whatever Granddad said. Because the moment Gavin bit it, Daniel should have spilled it. Unless there was that Alpha geas- in which case, we should probably know that, as readers.

Last and probably least, there were a handy number of missing and misspelled words. Nothing that couldn't be puzzled out, but they did serve as a bit of a distraction.

I think that the book would have benefited from some additional length - oftentimes it skipped ahead losing important development opportunities. When a character dies, I should feel something. And I didn't. Not for Gavin, who was a jerk in most of his "air time" and not for Ethan, other than the fact that he was a child. With Gavin, the author had to add in a memory to try and pull our heartstrings (here - he's not always a jerk!) and with Ethan she was capitalizing on the idea that he was young and it was pointless death. Which it was, by the way. But besides the concern for the family, and the annoyance that Ethan had to die so that Sophie would attempt to do what she was thinking she should have done after Gavin's death ... there wasn't much. They weren't developed enough to matter on their own merits. Because it is clear that the author knew who all of these people were, and what they thought, and what they had sacrificed for the family, and how being what they were, as a pack, a wolf, an alpha, etc. affected their individual being - but it would have been nice if the readers had gotten a little more of that, instead of having to guess.

[Terri ♥ (aka Mrs. Christian Grey) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Wow, what a book. It is amazing what talent and imagination there is out in the world. So this story was really good and I’m itching to get my hands on the sequel. I haven’t read a lot of solitary werewolf stories, but this was as good as or maybe better than some.

I was capture in a world of forest and wildlife. I could visualize as I went along. Sophie’s world was rich with characters. Some of which we didn’t get to know well, but I didn’t find that to distracting. Tristan, Sophie’s brother, owns my heart. But Jamie and Daniel weren’t too far behind.

Although this wasn’t a short story, it was a quick read. I did however have a few questions.



• A few pop culture references were made by Sophie though she claimed to not watch tv or movies. I was thrown for a bit, but later then it was mentioned that Sophie had gone to the movies with her brother Thomas and maybe earlier it was mentioned that she may have with a high school friend Emily as well. But then it was weird that it was pointed out that she wouldn’t know about movies or actors when mentioned. Yet, one reference was made to Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie??

• It wasn’t really made clear about previous relationships. In fact, it seemed like she didn’t because when talking to Thomas and Tristan, she never mentioned dating a human. Yet it was clear she and Jamie had sex. But no big deal was made about it being her first time. Nothing was mentioned about other wolves that she could have dated either. And at home all the unmated males were family. So it was quite odd, that she seemed to have sex so causally without it being mentioned it was her first time.


Overal, I give it 4.5 stars. Really good and I recommend to paranormal romance lovers. There are very mild sexual scenes with little or no description, so there is no worry.

Despite what I said above, my book boyfriend is Jamie and I’m rooting for him. If you want to know why, you’ll have to read.

Jamie



And I’ll thrown in Daniel because well, you have to read.



My heart belongs to Tristan though.

[Shy The WidowMaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok let me start off by saying the dress on the front of this book is amazing. It is just so girly and pretty. I love it and the coverart alone made me want to read this story. I have to say from start to finish I was in love with this book. Sophie is a character to fall in love with.I love her strength and willingness to put herself out there for love. The author did such a good job with creating such a well rounded character that you love for all her good qualities and flaws. Annalise did such a good job with her vivid descriptions that I felt as if Sophie was right in front of me. It was nice to be able to distinguish the wolf part of Sophie and the normal girl part of her. It was nice seeing the struggle Sophie goes through trying to keep them both seperate.I loved Jaime and Sophie as a couple. They have that kind of unbreakable love that is rare to see if young adult books. It doesn't feel rushed or like its moving to quickly. They really felt as they were made for each other. I loved that they are trying to make their relationship work even with the odds stacked aganist them. I found myself on an emotional roller coaster that I didn't want to get off of. I cried in some parts of as I felt so sad for Sophie and there were some parts where I was so happy to see her show her strengths. I can't wait to see where the next book in the series takes us.

Thanks to the Making Connections Group and Annalise Grey for this review chance.

[Nicole Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the point of view in this book, from the females point. The werewolves are more realistic and have less of a supernatural twist. They aren't allergic to silver, can be killed like a real wolf, and don't heal at extaordinary rate.

In the book you have Sophie, who is a member of a pack living in a national forest. While out hunting she comes across a camper, that barely sees her. One day when she takes her brothers lunch to him she comes across a familiar scent and realizes that the "camper", Jamie, and her brother work together. Sophie and Jamie equally drawn to eachother and start dating on the sly. Problem is Sophie isn't allowed to date of have relationships with humans.

Then Daniel enters the story, a fellow werewolf passing through the territory. Sophie is drawn to Daniel, but doesn't trust him and is in love with her "illegal" human Jamie. Daniel want Sophie for his mate and one night catches Sophie w/Jamie while going on a hayride with Sophie's twin Tristan. And from there on things get more intense.

So do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy. If you are a BIG werewolf fan you should love this book. I know I thouroughly enjoyed it.

[Anino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever fallen in love with a new series, and you didn't mean to? Have you ever read a book that started off slow and continued to be slow for the first 10-15 pages, but then all of a sudden, Bam!! ... there was a significant amount of action adventure that sucked you into that particular world of a writer's huge imagination?

Well folks, I was blindsided by this book. Not only can I say that it was really good, but I can already tell that this series will be an addictive one for me (kind of on the level of the first Sookie Stackhouse novels, and not to mention books that sprang from the creative imaginations of Patricia Briggs, Jeaniene Frost, Faith Hunter, and other mavens of great PNR/UF novels).

Ms. Grey is to be commended for a job well done. Hopefully, she will stay the course and not change the "formula," like LKH and other writers who need to get their mojo back.

I'm giving this book a sold 4 star rating. I am so glad that I was able to make it onto the list of reviewers for this book, if I hadn't, I would have missed out on a true gem.

Looking forward to the sequel with much anticipation.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Ms. Grey's take on werewolves. In Howl werewolves are descendants of dire wolves, their eyes change color as they mature, families make up packs, and old magic ensures that wolves obey their alphas. Most importantly, females carry the genes necessary to produce another wolf-which means they can only mate with other wolfkind. So when Sophie falls in love with Jamie-a human-she must hide it from her family. A new young wolf, Daniel moves in with Sophie's family. There is also a new wolf in town, who seems to be murdering without reason. Sophie has to juggle hiding her new boyfriend, keeping her true nature a secret and Daniel's interest in her. Very good read...the ending definitely leaves you wanting more!!

[Annalise Grey]

Well, obviously this is my book so I won't rate it. :P BUT if you enjoy paranormal romance, check it out! I hope you love the characters as much as I do.

[Laura Jerwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to confess that one of the reasons I read this book is that the Author shares the same surname as my Grandma, whose birthday it was when I was scouting for books. (plus I love this genre of course!)

Anyway, I really really enjoyed it.
With so much in the movies and written about Vamps and Weres lately, I was a bit wary about how this book would go. Would I be just reading regurgitated "facts" about Werewolves, or would she try and set up her own lore about it all. My fears were unfounded. Yes, they have their own backstory and reason for being. They hide from society and keep to themselves. All seemed believeable and I did not at any stage of the story find my attention drifting into comparrisons with other peoples work.

Nuggets of information dropped into the story were subtle, and left me wanting to read more about what will happen next. I wonder whether the next book will have a love story where she needs to choose between human or wolf to be with. What is it about their ancestry in particular that dictates their behavior (with a name change during the blood wars meaning more than the answer she was given) or that their behaviour differs slightly from other wolf packs.

However, their was one point that made me stop reading and go back to check my facts. Not sure if anyone else spotted this, or it was just me reading though so quickly I missed it (although reread those sections and still cannot spot it)

Warning: Possible spoiler
After Sophie rescues Jamie and gets him to hospital, she returns home and discovers that the "Jason" mentioned by the men is in actual fact another wolf. A big one. One who has been going round all the packs and trying to unite them to come out of hiding.

Big battle commences - Sophie wins, kills Jason and a female wolf that attacks her.
Its only later when its all settled do they say that the female wolf was in actual fact Jason's 2nd, and the way the information is presented is that Sophie knew it was his 2nd and had to kill her. However during the fight scene its not like that, she kills because she is attacked. However, this isnt the bit that I had to read back to see if I missed out a page or three!

Have to say also, that I really liked the part just after the battle with Sophie and Daniel. This is whereit comes out he was Jasons cousin and supposed to be checking out Packs beforehand. I was glad that he wasnt as horrible as he could have been (with Sophie not trusting him it hinted he had ulterior motives and was one of the parts that kept me reading wondering what his game was!)

Bit(s) that confused me:
Sophie laid down the lore that all members of the new pack had to follow, stating "I challenged and killed your alpha. You are now mine and as such you wil obey me. You will not Harm another member of my immediate family ever again" it described the weight of the pack leader demand on the wolves - (very nicely too - no comparisons to other authors who have done the same)"My will was heavy and unbreakable. I knew that they would have no choice but to comply and my family would be safe"

However in the next section, (Darkness Lies Ahead) she's had to stop the fighting between her family and the new pack members. How could they do that if she had commanded them to not hurt her family?

The biggest confusion
After the battle is concluded it goes on about how that pack is making amends. At no point in the story before that point is it mentioned that the neighbouring pack is part of those that have attacked her family. In the story it is almost like Jason and his pack are vigilanties who are taking over then moving on, maybe leaving one of them in charge whilst they round up the others. Yet all of a sudden, death of Jason, Sophie assendence to Pack leader not only of her family but of Jasons pack. Then, as they move into the "cleanup" work and settling all out fights that had broken out between her family and the "Moshannon pack" - What??? this is the very first mention that this pack were involved (other than them being mentioned earlier as a neighbouring pack)
During the introduction of Jason and his pack, it does not state anywhere that Sophie recognised any of them, which surely she would have, or Daniel would have mentioned in his part how the Moshannon pack had already been taken over and were also working with Jason.

For me, this part of the story was clunky. Its almost like a whole section of story has been left out. I have re-read the section from when Jamie is attacked right through to the end of the fight and I still cannot work out when Jasons pack became the Moshannon Pack with Jason and "his" wolves leading them. Nor is there any information on whether the Moshannon pack were willing to join, and also helped hurt Sophies family.



Aside from that big "gap" for me, I really enjoyed this book and would not hesitate to recommmend. Wonder when the sequel is coming (and how many books we have to go!)

[Maghon Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I need to say thank you to making connections and the author for giving me a copy of this book for a review... Now here's what I NEED to say... PLEASE PLEASE TELL ME YOU ARE GOING TO CONTINUE THIS!!! I NEED IT- BAD!!!

Ok, sorry but I had to get that out :) first, let me say that this is a MAGNIFICENT werewolf story!!! There's a girl- isn't there always a girl lol!- that's a werewolf and she falls for a human... Now, I know most people are thinking that's always the case, but first, there's some really good twists here and the plot is AWESOME as Sophie and her family try to find the "bad guys". The writing is just fantastic, I believe I am still feeling wolf-ish and can smell and hear things like Sophie can. I want to run in the night and I can feel her pull to Jamie and her bond to Tristan. These people have to be real as her characters are so well developed and I swear you invest in each of them!

Sophie is a strong, smart, loving girl who values nothing more than her family and pack. That is until she meets Jamie. She learns and grows throughout this story what it means to be a true pack and to fight for what you believe is right.

Tristan is Sophie's twin brother and he is just my cutie pie! He's her other half and even when he knows there's trouble he'll do anything to protect his sister. I just love a guys like Tristan!

Jamie-*sigh... I love you* you know how you meet those perfect guys that don't seem real... Well I want a Jamie! He's just great and even in his faults he still makes it all better :)

Daniel- I don't wanna give anything away but there is ALWAYS competition and I am seriously praying that there is another book for this to continue!!

I read this book in 3.5 hours (I'm usually quick) but this book had me flying to know the end! I am pretty ecstatic about this book, and in case you didn't see earlier, I reeeeeeaaaaaallllllllyyy hope this turns into a series and gives me more!!! I might lose it if you end on that LAST SENTENCE!!! You just have me begging!!! Really, I'm on my knees! :)

5 majorly, seriously obsessive PAWS from me :). Maybe even more hahaha but my paw scale only goes to 5

[Elsa Carrion · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last time I read a book on wolf shifters…it left a really bad taste in my mouth. However I decided to give the subject one more try and I was glad I did. Nineteen year old Sophie is a very responsible young lady until she meets and falls for a human. Then it seems that she can’t get enough of Jamie to the point that she is sneaking out in the middle of the night. Her family forbids the relationship because he is just a human. No human could ever understand her feelings. Daniel comes in to the picture and he is a perfect match for Sophie, according to her family, but she doesn’t fully trust him.

The story was very nice and a very good cliff handger, not to bad. I recommend it to those who enjoy older YA and wolf stories. Why do I say older..well even though it is not spelled out at times one could tell what Sophie and Jamie were about to do. I am always glad to see the female in a strong role. The story had several very touching moments especially the one with Jamie and one with her grandfather. I will be looking out for the next book in the series.

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[Tiffany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I really liked this book. It's a paranormal romance so the relationship between the main characters- Sophie, a werewolf, and Jamie, a human is central. Annalise has created such passion between these two. However, this novel goes deeper than mere romance. The dynamics of the whole pack, Sophie's family, come into play. It was refreshing to see the interpersonal relationships of the pack woven into the story. Since Jamie is human, Sophie is forbidden by old laws of her pack to be with him. As a result, Sophie is in constant battle with warring emotions- her love for Jamie verses her love and loyalty to her pack. Along with all this is the mystery surrounding the new wolf on her territory and recent missing humans. Annalise has created a beautiful story with Howl. I recommend giving it a read. The story captivates from page one to the very end leaving you wanting more.

[Judith (Judith'sChoiceReads) · Rating 1 out of 5]

**A copy of this book was provided to me through Godreads's 'Authors Requesting Reviews Program' and by the author in exchange for an honest opinion/review. Thank-you!**

Goodreads Summary

Nineteen year old Sophie Matthews is a line-walker between two worlds - human and werewolf. She lives around humans but is never truly part of their world. That is, until she is spotted by a hiker.

What should have been a passing glance becomes so much more as Sophie falls for the one thing she is forbidden from ever having: a human mate.

Adding to her stress is newcomer Daniel, the arrogant wolf on Sophie's tail.

Then several humans are killed by a mysterious and dangerous beast within the pack's hunting grounds. The humans begin whispering of wolf-men roaming the forest and the threat of discovery looms heavy around the pack.

Everything is falling apart and Sophie realizes just how little control she has over her future.

Will she risk everything - her heart, her family, and her safety - for a chance to control her own fate?

Firstly

Gosh, this book hurt. I think I'll start with the positives - I will try because, unfortunately, the negatives outweigh the good. But first, we need to understand something: This book definitely did not do anything for me, but that doesn't mean I'm saying the same will be true for you.



Go ahead and read the book for yourself if you disagree with my thoughts on the matter. In no way do I delude myself into believing that people take my reviews as the final word in the regards to whether they choose to read a book or not. People will undoubtedly make their opinions up themselves. But firstly, a book is not expected to work for everyone, period. Please, do not take on the defensive just because you happened to think Howl blew magical glitter everywhere and could possibly save the world, curing cancer on the side. NO. Let's just not, okay? No trolling. Capiche?



My Thoughts

Bah!! I think I'm frustrated. In this case I really don' know what to do other than maybe find a rock, sit atop it, and scratch my head awhile until something in regards to this book finally makes sense. I guess I just don't see why any of it was worth it. Granted, this is a DNF (Did-Not-Finish) review and everything I say should be taken with this in consideration, the book didn't make sense. It's characters made even less sense, and the writing made the story very hard to progress let alone enjoy.

But the blurb promises something original. From the summary above, it can be gathered that Sophie is a shape-shifter. Truthfully, nothing really strikes me as new with the premise, and I have read a fair amount of shape-shifter novels in my day. Usually I can tell if a book will be some serious awesomeness by the blurb, in this case, I was wrong. Sophie isn't the kind of protagonist I was expecting at all, and she exists within a book absent of any real story. Not only was there a problem with continuity, but, Sophie didn't really strike me as a girl with anything new to offer. Some aspects of her life were really odd at best:

- Like how her family insists on cleaning so much. I don't get it, not one bit, and why are all the wolves limited in terms of appearance? I've read of shapeshifters with multiple eye colouring, and to limit them to just one shade - grey - takes a lot more from the genre than should be allowed. It adds nothing.

- Her distaste for humans in general really struck me as condescending, and when you consider that she eventually falls in love lust with one, it really doesn't make sense. I kept reading and asking myself, why?! Why is this girl willing to risk so much, the family she is apparently so close to, for a human she considers beneath her at best? I recoiled at the author's attempts to jazz it up with lines like, 'he was comfortable to be around' when their conversations suffered from massive info-dumps and stilted grammar.

- Her relationship with Jaime is laughable because it consists of the typical instalove and the literally 'electrifying' chemistry pandemic currently sweeping the YA genre. Even if I wasn't reading this to review, it would still be clear how little sense their relationship makes, how lacking it is in substance. The reader is treated to witnessing one short date between the couple, as well as a summary of some supposed others that happened somewhere along the line, but basically these take place all before a really weird consummation. Quite frankly, this scene creeped me the fuq out. When this happened, I had to pull back a little and be like, dafuq?!.

Just recapping, but she meets him - and naturally he's attractive as a Greek god - and because of his dashing looks, this girl concludes that he might be worth throwing everything away for. Her sister just gave birth And she looked better than a Botticelli painting doing it. I'm not going to get into that. but who cares really? God forbid Jaime decides to tattle her family out to the authorities, those young'uns are gonna learn fast how to run on their little wolfie paws away from impending SWAT teams! Kidding. Wait, no, I'm serious! This could eventually be one really big problem. And I think that something is terribly wrong when I am the one considering things which never cross the protagonist's mind.



You know what? Looking back I still do not get it; Sophie alienated me with her great attitude of superiority, confusing me when she chose spontaneously to risk the existence of everyone she cared about on a whim. I can stomach instant attraction, heck I get it, but at least let there be a valid reason! There were too many contradictions going on for my liking; Sophie loves her family but doesn't really think too hard on betraying them, and Jamie states a couple times at the beginning that he respects her brother. And yet, he sneaks behind the man he respects back with his little sister. Jamie has no problem keeping their relationship quiet, not really, he's fine with meeting clandestine even at her brother's workplace. Some respect! I didn't buy it.

They were just two people thrown together, nothing more. Could something else have happened? Possibly. But you have to understand, a lot of things occurred before I decided to let this book go, and yet all of them were pretty inconsequential in the end because I still couldn't finish. Sadly, Howl is the kind of YA novel which could go 200+ pages without anything really going on. Sure, I only got 30-31% far, but there is a reason for that, the story never progressed significantly enough for me to care. And eventually I just gave up. I'd had it, with the plot that didn't cut it and the characters and writing that begged no indulgence. I was done, the end.



So, like I said, this review is a DNF and you should take it lightly at best, but those are my thoughts and you're free to consider them. I couldn't read anymore of this. Just, no...

1/5 stars

**This review features on my blog, Choice Reads as well, drop by :)

[Sarah Kalaitzidis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love how this book was written. It's a whole new take on werewolf lore. In other werewolf stories, when the werewolf is injured, it heals almost right away. In this story, a werewolf heals slowly, as a normal human would. It's more identifiable. In this story, the werewolves are huge. They're described as being the size of a human man, not the size of a normal wolf. I love how the author describes her wolves, I can see them as real creatures, not just creatures of legend. It's so beautifully written I just couldn't stop reading 'Howl' once I started.

Most of the main characters in this book members of a werewolf family. The primary main character is Sophie. She is a shy girl who follows everything her family tells her to do. Since she's not an Alpha nor Beta she can't disobey orders from her brother Gavin, who is Alpha. Despite the rules though she breaks one important rule; never fall in love with a human. The human she falls in love with is named Jaime, and he works for her brother Thomas in a research center. She felt a connection to him right away. (It should be noted that 'bonding' is a common theme with most modern werewolf stories.) Right when she touched him she felt like she wanted to be with him, despite the rules. Jaime felt the same way, even when he knew nothing of who she really was, and he asks her out on a date. Her family knew nothing of this relationship until her twin brother Tristain starts to suspect something was wrong with his sister. It wasn't long before more people found out about the relationship. Sophie was told that she either she picked to be with Jaime or she picked he family because Sophie was told that she either she has to pick to be with Jaime or her family. She can not have both. Jamie is a great human, as he loves nature and wants to protect it. He even stayed by Sophie's side when she told him that her family can't know about them, despite his own hurt. He did everything he could to make her happy and he still wants to be with her even if they were forbidden to see each other. (Can anyone else say 'Werewolf Romeo and Juliet'?) All he cared about was being with Sophie.

In this book you also meet the rest of Sophie's large family. They all have the same views on how they see humans as threats and they can't be with them or date them. As for Daniel, the werewolf love interest, I actually really loved how his character was in the story. He cared for Sophie, but has that passiveness that werewolves have when they want someone. He's described as being very sexy and hot. Sophie see's this, but she loves Jamie. It's sad when he was sent away, but I hope he comes back soon.

The romance in this is really fast, but there is a lot of gaps between happenings in this book. Sophie has (non-graphic) sex with Jamie very quickly into the book. I don't mind the fast intimacy, but as I read 'Howl' I find myself wanting them to be together. Her family forbids it, but I want it! It really is a werewolf Romeo and Juliet.

The plot of this book is great. You learn a lot about Sophie's family and how her pack works. For example, the women always give birth to more then one baby at a time. The twin bond that the babies have in turn strengthens the bonds between the pack members. When there is only one baby, it makes the pack slowly fall apart. Then you have Sophie falling in love with a human while another werewolf want to take her as a mate. The real plot line starts up in the middle of the book when people start dying in the forests around Sophie's pack. The pack is trying to figure out who is killing these people, and but an accident ends up tearing it apart. Just an overall great plot to a great story! It really shows how important family bonds are, but how sometimes you have to break away from family values to find your own path.

[Julie(Reading By The Beach) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review from my blog: http://readingbythebeach.blogspot.com...


Werewolves, mystery and love are combined in Howl to make a fascinating and original tale.

I think lovers of werewolf books are use to seeing a normal girl fall for a werewolf boy. In Howl, you will discover that the story is just as good with the roles reversed, it creates a refreshing take on a favorite genre of many. Annalise Grey also has an eye for the intricate details that added immensely to the overall story. The over-bearing, protective nature of the Alpha, the submissive ticks of the pack, the multiple births of the werewolf females, how the wolves act in wolf form. Those are just few. They added an authenticity to the story that is sometimes overlooked by authors.

Sophie was the perfect voice for Howl, in my opinion. The struggles she had to deal with made her an accessible character that was easy to like and relate to. The gradual growth was realistic, adding an even flow to the story. In fact, each character was strong in their own ways, they each had their own personalities that never once blended into the background. Annalise was successful in evoking emotions from each character as the story unfolded. The sense of family shone through with a brilliance that pertained to the 'pack' loyalty that was needed. My absolute favorite character was Tristain, Sophie's twin brother, I loved the emotions he brought forth, the loyalty and love that radiated off of his character.

The plot line was original, throwing me through a loop that was highly unexpected. The mystery was succinctly solved, but giving way to the bigger mystery that successfully set up future books in this series. The sub-plots add to the intrigue as the reader will sense that not all is revealed when it comes to the Mathew's family. There was, however, something that was preventing me from being fully swept away. There were parts that fell flat, for me, things that were unnecessarily over detailed, like a trip to the grocery store. And although the romance between Sophie and Jaime is extremely sweet, I was still left wanting. It never evoked a heart-fluttering response from me. The romance wasn't delved into deep enough, it almost felt that the majority of it was skimmed over, lending a sub-plot feel to the romance. Maybe that was Annalise Grey's intention, I have no idea, because I can also say that there is more between Daniel and Sophie than just simple attraction, something deeper that will remain a mystery until it is revealed. I did really enjoy the story and look forward to seeing how the future books in this series will pan out.

There is no doubt that Annalise Grey knows how to weave an original, interesting tale that will reel readers in. If you are looking for a new, refreshing werewolf story, then I highly recommend Howl to you!

[Jilleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It started a little slow, but not slow enough to quit and when it hit full speed, I couldn't put it down!

Pros:
Loved the werewolf world, they live in packs that are really just their families. They are basically just people and wolves, no mystic qualities although some magic is hinted at at the end. I liked the main character's personality, she was obedient, but rebellious, sort of a typical teenager, although when she needed to grow up, she did. Her character was realistic. There was romance, bittersweet, and a set up for a sequel.The twin/triplet thing is cool especially since the werewolves came from wolves originally, it makes sense they have litters rather than single births. Loved the idea of the eye change although I wanted to know more about it! Are the young ones allowed out when their eyes are golden?

Problems:
Mainly, it was too short!! I needed more!

Real Issues:
I almost gave up at the beginning because of some awkward writing. It got much better, I'm sure the author is just like me and got in and started writing, and the beginning of her story kind of got left behind in the revision process (I completely understand, I'm looking to chop up my beginning on my book). When I saw "threadbare trees" I nearly quit, but I stuck it out and I was grateful! Awkwardness cleared up and good story emerged!

I come from a line of hunters, so some other hunting related issues also bothered me, like the main character with her belly full of bunnies and foxes. Wolves would only eat a bunny as a snack if it was dumb enough to cross its path. Wolves are big, they eat large game. Pennsylvania is well known for its whitetail hunting, bring that into the book. Also, people and animals leave tracks not footprints. There is no ink and paper out in the wild. Animals aren't posing with a perfect bare foot to make an imprint. Deer males aren't stags, they are bucks (in North America). See this link I posted for more info.

http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/1...

Also, you don't need a permit to openly carry a gun in Pennsylvania (unless it's to drive around with it). Since you would have a hard time carrying a hunting rifle in a pocket, you wouldn't need a permit. I don't even live there and a 2 second web search found that info quickly.

(Sorry, pet peeves)

Overall, loved the book, looking forward to the sequel which I have on my Nook ready to go! I would recommend this to lovers of paranormal romance. It would be okay for older YA paranormal romance readers as well, since there is extramarital sex, and also gore and violence.

[Tammy K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first, I got a free copy of this book from the author via Goodreads group Shut up and Read, for a fair and honest review. I do not know the author personally.
I am giving this book 4 stars. And I am advising readers to hold off judging this book until you finish chapter 3.
When I seen the synopsis of this book, I thought that it would be right up my alley. However I had serious doubts once I started reading.
In fact I had placed this book down for a couple days wondering why/how I signed up for another teen romance novel.
I finally picked it back up last night with the goal to push through to the end.
Folks this book get so much better as it progresses.
Characters, well the characters started off annoying. The protagonist was weak, and easily dominated but then she found her backbone and that was awesome!
The family, I admit the layout of the family was confusing to me, Who was alpha again?, who was step dad again? sort of thing, but by the end it made sense.
The romance: now that is something very important to the storyline, as it provides the crisis for the character to finally speak out. But it was a weak and annoying romance. I kept thinking the protagonist was wishy washy, hot then cold. It started off way too early in the book. In fact it was why I put the book down to begin with, instalove just isn't my thing. When you consider the importance that this relationship has on the character, I felt it was both underplayed and overplayed. We should have had more access to why she felt love, less about the sexual attraction more about the bond. After all it is this bond, this connection, that makes the protagonist change. Yet she never says she loves him until the very last part. She only says she wants him (sexually) and the two are not the same.
Action combat, yes this book has it. I thought the author did quite well in writing the battle scenes.
Love triangle, OK yes this book has it. Anyone who has read my reviews before knows that I am not into the whole 'this boy this chapter' and 'this boy next chapter' now swap and repeat thing. However, the love triangle in this book was not a dramatic torn between to lovers nonsense, it was simply a 'this option' or 'that option' and because that was the way that it was wrote, I did not mind the love triangle.
So do I recommend this book? Yes, paranormal fantasy romance readers will likely find this book a joy to read.

[Phaedra Seabolt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a wonderful werewolf story. I LOVE werewolves, so when I saw this book, I had to read it. I will say that I kind of wish that there were more scenes of the characters actually being werewolves. This story focuses a lot on how a family of werewolves are living as much like humans as they can. The entire family lives together in a very secluded national forest, but they hold real jobs and interact with humans enough to not seem like recluses. Unfortunately that is also the main problem encountered in the story. Sophie falls in love with a human which is pretty much their primary werewolf law not to do. No human lovers are allowed, especially for the women. Why? Because the werewolf gene is passed through the women and not the men. If a male werewolf were to get a human woman pregnant, there is really no need to worry since the offspring will be human. However, all werewolf women will have wolfkin babies no matter who the father is. It is quite a dilemma for Sophie because she is also not supposed to reveal her true nature to any humans. The reason for this is your normal situation where humans can't process something so out of the ordinary. There is a lot of other history involved in this, but you should read the story to discover all of that.

I must admit that the love scenes in this story feel rushed a bit. However I am used to reading stories where an entire chapter might be dedicated to such a thing. I felt like details were left out, but that was probably on purpose. This book is suitable for teenagers as a result. Also, I wanted to scream at the end. It has an amazing cliffhanger if you are one of those people that like to see the main character end up with the man (or woman) you wanted for them. This story leaves only a hint of who Sophie will end up with, but no definite answer. I sat there trying to flip to the next page on my nook hoping it would say something about Sophie's decision in her mate. It's not like the book doesn't end happily, but rather ends with you knowing that there is a lot of work ahead for Sophie and her family. It's a realistic ending for a supernatural story.

[GW · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh, love triangles. Seriously? Love triangles are so unpredictable, and it's terrible -especially if you're rooting for the other guy. In this case, I was. I really liked Daniel, but we all knew he wouldn't end up with Sophie. And Jamie, he just annoyed me a bit. The romance definitely started out, waaaay too fast. It just doesn't happen like that. "Oh hey, I feel sparks. Let's hook up?" That's sorta what happened in this case. And I didn't like romance that starts out too fast.

This is a paranormal romance, but I wish there were more aspects of the wolves! This book can be split up into two clear sections. This first section was mainly about Sophie and Jamie's romance. Then the next section? The mystery. What's happening? Who's killing these people? And man. I didn't guess it at all, and it's sorta so - BAM! Like you wouldn't see it coming at all. And what's with all these deaths? I didn't feel that it added much substance, and the book would have been fine without the unnecessary deaths. Ethan. :( I mean, okay, I understand one death - like Gavin's. But did the kid really have to die, so innocent.

This book just didn't intrigued me, and it might be because I expected a lot more out of this paranormal romance. I have read a lot of paranormal romances recently, and the plots are all so similar. Let's see - packs? Hey, let's start killing people. And call, WAR!

And the cliffhanger? I was expecting so much more in the end! But nooo - it just left me hanging. I feel like the ending could have been done better because we don't hear much of Jamie in the last few chapters. Except that he's injured, and the romance isn't prevalent in the last few chapters. And ugh, why couldn't she have picked Daniel? Then there wouldn't be a war? Oh wait - I guess books just don't work that way... This book was frustrating, but it was a quick read.

If you like a quick read, and don't get frustrated over love triangles, then this book might be for you!

[Laurie: Almost Faemous · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog http://ufreview.com/2012/05/20/howl-k...

Review:

I received a copy of Howl from the group Read it and Reap on Goodreads so of course many thanks to the group mods and the author for their hardwork in giving us these great books to review. I have to admit I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, lately I have been into darker, more gritty urban fantasy, more explosions and gunfire and far less romance. In the end though this was a very well written book I enjoyed a great deal.

I have to admit it took a little while to get into this book but when I did I was hooked. The heroine Sophie is a werewolf and comes from a very very close knit family of werewolves and there are rules and expectations for her. First stay away from humans and second she is expected to find a werewolf mate and have lots of babies. She breaks both rules when she meets Jamie and begins a secret relationship with him, defying her alpha and the expectations of her family.

I really liked Sophie, she is a very confused 19yr old trying to live in two worlds, the human and werewolf. She tries to follow her heart with her relationship with Jamie while being torn at having to deceive her family. Daniel also expresses his interest in Sophie and her family is trying to push her in his direction as well, but that boy has some secrets of his own.

The story while fairly short moved along at a good pace and the climax was superb, if you are finding it slow at the beginning keep reading it gets very good very soon! I loved how the werewolves were more human, while they still had enhanced senses there was no immortality or supernatural healing. Yes there is the dreaded cliff hanger ending setting you up for the second book...there had better be a second book. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed Howl and will definitely grab book 2.

4/5 A great read go grab a copy

[Hot Stuff Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

http://freak-ya-tastic.blogspot.com/2...


This book is the first one of a series in which werewolves are under the spotlight.

I want to thank the author for this free copy of her novel and the group Making Connection on Goodreads.

I love werewolves. I hadn't read a book with werewolves in it since a long time and I was glad to "meet" them again.

I enjoyed this book even if I wasn't hooked right away. I like how the author describes the pack and the nature but I waited more action earlier in the plot. I had a hard time to connect with Sophie and even more with Jaime but Sophie's character wins me over after few chapters.

The descritions of the pack and its construction and behavior is exactly what I'm looking for in a book with werewolves. For once, it's good to have werewolves not like Hollywood pictures them. You can forget silver and these kind of things. Really well-done, even more in the last thirty or so pages.

The plot with the hikers could have been a little more present maybe and not only in the background. Here, it seems "far away" for quite a long time. I regret a little that this side of the plot wasn't put together in a crescendo to drive the reader even more in this crazy well-written end. I just love this end that hooked me completely.

Also, Daniel is a character that turned on my curiosity. I felt like Sophie about him and it's good but I would have loved to "see" him more because I wasn't exactly surprised by what happened.

So, this book is well-written with a plot that lets us imagine wonderful things for a sequel. The author didn't fall in clichés in my opinion and it's even better when werewolves are so well-represented in literature. I'll be glad to read the sequel.

(This book can be read by young-adults readers. The main character - Sophie - is 19.)

[Adrianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first i thought that it was an "ok" book like it was just another werewolf meets a human and falls head over heels kinda thing, defies all odds yadda yadda. As the story progresses, I thought "this is pretty predictable, jaime is the human lover, daniel is the unwanted third party.. Very twilight saga" .. I almost wanted to look at the ending in advance just to prove that my theory on this book was right but luckily I stopped myself.. I continued reading, finally got to the end and realized that there was so much more twist to the story. I did not like the ending where the main character had this alpha realizations and is starting to avoid the human and is thinking of the possibility of mating with her own kind for a change..I couldn't tell for sure how the whole thing will play out since it got cut out in the end, not really the satisfying ending I was hoping for but that made me excited for a second book.I did feel sorry for Daniel and that there was some part of me that wanted her to choose the wolf just because it seemed simple and less tragic for her but based on what the human had endured , I would want her to have a happy ending with him too.. But i don't know we'll see. This was also the first time that I did not hate the female main character in a book. They usually get on my nerves, they get too sissy at times. I appreciate the author's writing, it was an easy read yet the plot is a bit more complex than the others that I have read.

[Allyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meeting werewolf Sophie was not what I expected. Werewolfs have the reputation of temper, or dominance issues, or that mystery the overshadows the entire persona. With Sophie and her family (pack) you get a very human tale. A close knit family with a pack structure with a code they live by. They carry jobs and have friends and do all the normal things as well as hunt and kill the random fox or mountain lion.
I liked Sophie, she was pretty typical for a nineteen year old girl. Her twin Tristen is the exact mold of an average teen boy. But the family is special. They have history and all the heightened senses that come with their kind.
The attraction between Jaime and Sophie was quick, and electric. I wish I saw more of it's growth, and how the relationship fleshed out. But I thought the two were a lovely couple (if you had to pair a human with a werewolf).
Then things get complicated and more action enters with Daniel.
Her own kind and available and pursuing her Sophie finds that she has some choices to make.
The story has action and heart and imagination. I enjoyed the authors ability to take me to the secluded woods on a moonlit night. I could almost smell the pines and wet earth. Well done!
I think what I would change is ask for more. More story to flesh out the affair, more history to understand her mannerisms. I would ask for more, because the book is great and the tale is worth fleshing out to really give the punch it has the potential for.

[Laura Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine my delight when I found out that I had won this book. I've been wanting to read it and now I urge you to do so.
I sat down last night and started reading. At first it was a bit slow, but then I glanced up at the clock and four hours had flashed past and I was finished.
Howl is about Sophie and her family of werewolves, living as a pack and trying to remain undiscovered. Glimpsed by a hiker in her wolf form, Sophie later runs into him again in her human form. A mutual atrraction grows, but since it is forbidden to be with human mates, Sophie secretly starts dating jaime.
The pack has problems of their own when people are being viciously attacked and sitings of an unusually large wolf are reported.
i really want to tell you more, but I don't want to spoil it for you.
Annalise Grey gives you just enough detail, with flowing dialogue and well developed characters that you feel a connection with.
The end left me wanting more and i will be watching for another book, hopefully several.
If you are looking for a "howling" good read, this is it. What are you waiting for?!

[Andrea Heltsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I mention how much I dig werewolf stories? This book was no exception. I like love triangles and this one left me breathless.

Sophie is a character you can relate too. She falls for a human, which is against the rules. She has to decide if her heart or her pack is more important.

Then a sexy werewolf comes to town and professes his love for Sophie. She doesn't trust him, yet is drawn to him. Her whole family wants them to mate, but what does Sophie want?

The fighting was epic and the storyline was solid. I wish the author had dug a little deeper with the characters and explored their personalities more. I could have used some more sympathy in this book other than Sophie and the love triangle.

The story had action up until the very end. I was on pins and needles to see what happened. Alas, I got no such end. The author left one hell of a cliffhanger and I am still sad about it. Book #2 is in the works but not finished as of yet.

I highly recommend this New Adult paranormal romance. I give this book an astounding five glittery stars for being so fabulous!

[Danny Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Howl by Annalise Grey. It was actually refreshing to read a werewolf book that didn't involve the main character wasn't finding out that they aren't exactly human.
Annalisa Grey did a good job with character developement, in my opinion. I loved how their natural instinct as wolves showed alot in thier human form. At first when I read that their was multiple sets of twins and even triplets I was thrown in to disbelief that that was humanly possible, but then I remembered they weren't humans but wolfkind and it all made sense!
I was not feeling the Jaime and Sophie love at all during the book. I didn't see any chemistry between them. It felt like Sophie was just using Jaime to break from the mold that she was placed in by her pack. When Daniel came into the picture, it was relieving. Right off the bat I knew Daniel was it for Sophie. I loved their chemistry.
I definitely enjoyed this book and I am anxious to read Embrace.

[Litha · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I thought this book was: a slashing/biting/violence fest with a sensual fantasy setting

What it actually is: a kind of tragic story about a girl struggling with a lack of control over her life (with a paranormal element for good measure)

Yet I loved it. Why? Because it wasn't what I expected. There were some scenes where it was completely depressing like when her brother dies and they have to bury him and yet it kept me going because the relationship between Sophie and Jamie was so realistic. And the interactions with her family were very well written.

Is this book for everybody? That's a tough one. If you like werewolf books like Bitten, this might not be your speed. But then again, sometimes different is good.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely amazing!! I couldn't put it down once I had started it and read it in a day.

Sophie is a werewolf and as such is limited by the orders of her pack's Alpha. Her pack has many rules and number one is that relationships with humans is forbidden! This stems from the Blood Wars where humans tried to destroy werewolves which forced them into hiding. Sophie knows the rules but after meeting a handsome human she struggles to keep to them, finding hereself sneaking out of the house to spend time with him.

This novel has everything that you would want from a book. It is filled with suspense, romance, action and even has a cliffhanger at the end.

This novel was superbly written and I hope that there will be a sequel as I am desperate to know what happens next.

[Jacqui · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book I love all thing paranormal. The fact that this was a family that functioned as a wolf pack would, is great it is so different from some of the other warewolf stories out there. The story line is really good too, I wish there were more wolf scenes in there and that Sophie had more depth, we don't really know her as a person/wolf we know things about her but we don't have those little details that maker her seem like Sophie and not just a character in a book. I really enjoyed the book!

[Amber Garza · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. First off, it was the first werewolf book I read where the main character was the werewolf and not a human in love with a werewolf. That alone intrigued me. I loved the relationship between Jaime and Sophie. The family dynamic was interesting. The novel was full of action and suspense and a juicy romance - all the makings of a great novel. I would have given it five stars except for some grammatical issues and the fact that I would have liked a bit more characterization with Sophie. But overall, it was a fun, quick read that I would totally recommend!