Disclaimer:
I received an ARC of Dark Instincts by NetGalley and as always, all
opinions here are my own.
Book
Blurb:
It
happens whenever wolf shifter Roni Axton is near Marcus Fuller: a
crackle of sexual awareness that’s intoxicating…and deeply
annoying. Marcus is a pack enforcer who oozes power, but Roni is
lethal in her own right—nothing like the flirty females who flock
around him. Even still, his possessive gaze makes one thing clear.
Marcus has singled her out for seduction, and he wants to make her
sit up and beg.
No matter how aloof and unfazed Roni acts,
Marcus can tell she wants him. When a brutal attack by a jackal pack
forces them to work together, it’s the perfect opportunity for
Marcus to chip away at her defenses—until he falls into his own
trap, completely unprepared for the intensity of their connection.
Roni is the only one who’s ever seen past his shifter charm and
discovered the man hiding beneath it. And for Marcus, claiming Roni
once will mean needing her forever.
Book
Review:
Dark
Instincts is the fourth book in Suzanne's Phoenix Pack series and is
my favourite in the series since Feral Sins (the first book in the
series). While it's not a return to the raw, unadulterated, darkly
sexual book that Feral Sins was, it definitely feels richer and a
little more intense than the other two books in the series (which are
still good, they just don't hold a candle to the rawness of Feral
Sins).
I've
said it in other reviews but it bears repeating, I'm ridiculously
picky about shifter-themed books. By their very nature, they're
stories about people who have a distinctly animalistic side and I
want to get a genuine sense of that duality and I definitely want
that to be a part of how they love. I want to feel the power of the
characters, I want to fall into the richness of a well-developed
fantasy world and I want to truly believe that these people laid
before me on the page are both animal and human. That is something
Suzanne Wright does very well, and it's something she does extremely
well in Dark Instincts.
Roni
is an incredibly complex character. She's a woman who has a traumatic
history, but she's also a warrior. She's strong, smart, loyal and
protective and has a backbone made of steel. She's also awkward
around strangers (hilariously so!), stubborn and vicious. It took
about two chapters for me to fall completely in love with Roni. I
loved her strength, I loved that even though she was stubborn and
super strong, she knew how to compromise. In Roni, Suzanne has
created a strong female character who comes across as empowered,
passionate and completely badass, but also a little vulnerable, very
feminine and very loving. She's an incredible character, and Suzanne
has done a wonderful job mixing wolf traits with strong, feminine
human traits to create a character who is believable, loveable and
kind of awesome.
Marcus
I loved from the very first second he appeared! He's adorable, funny,
and all kinds of sexy but he's also very alpha, very protective and
very much not interested in letting Roni push him away. The way he
loves Roni without expecting her to change will melt your heart. But
he also does some bonehead stuff, all in the sake of proving his
manliness, that'll make you want to smack him upside the head. He's
sexy, protective and very alpha but he's also funny and kind. You
won't be able to stop yourself falling in love with the big bad wolf.
Now,
Dark Instincts has some pretty dark subject matter, and it covers
some issues that may be triggers for some readers. But the plot is
really excellent. It flows well, it has some interesting plot points
(and quite a few emotional ups and downs!) and overall, in spite of
some slightly sketchy bits and pieces, it's a well-thought-out,
emotionally and sexually charged plot. It's intriguing, it's dark and
twisty and it'll keep you interested right from the first page.
The
dialogue is fun and engaging, Marcus is kind of adorable in a very
sexy way which stops the plot from becoming too dark and Roni's
random awkward factoids are an awesome addition to the story. The sex
scenes are steamy and Roni and Marcus have some delicious chemistry.
Dark Instincts also features many of the characters from the previous
books, and the world they live in is richly described, so it's easy
to fall into the story.
Overall,
Dark Instincts is an intriguing, darkish, lusty tale and I'd
recommend it to fans of shifter-themed romance novels. However, I
wouldn't recommend reading it as a standalone novel. There's too much
backstory and character development that you really need to be aware
of to enjoy it fully.
Dark
Instincts releases 7 April 2015 and is available wherever you buy
your books!
