Review: Alpha Instinct by Katie Reus

Posted February 11, 2012 by Carmel in Carmel, Paranormal Romance, Reviews, Werewolves / 8 Comments

Title: Alpha Instinct
Series: Moon Shifter #1
Author: Katie Reus
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Format: eCopy, 368 pages.
Published: February 7, 2012
My Copy: review copy from author

Fear has a scent. So does desire…

Ana Cordona has been a strong leader for the lupine shifters who survived after all the males and most of the females in her pack were mysteriously poisoned. As tough as she is, with no Alpha male, the pack is vulnerable to the devious shifter Taggart, who wants to claim both their ranch and Ana as his own. When Connor Armstrong comes back into her life, promising protection, it’s almost enough to make Ana forget how he walked out on her before—and reluctantly accept his offer to mate.

The minute Connor sees Ana again, it reawakens a raw hunger. He must have her for his bondmate—his wolf cries out for it. But his human side knows he must proceed with caution because of their complicated past. If he is to truly have her body and soul, he must go beyond his burning desire and win back her heart. Whatever it takes, he is determined not to leave her side again.

But Taggart and his rival pack are not their only enemies. A human element in town is targeting shifters. Their plan not only threatens Ana and Connor’s future, but the lives of the entire pack

In a nutshell, Alpha Instinct is full of hunk-tastic alpha men, werewolf-erific passion and barbaric action. What more could you possibly want in a story!? Even though the pacing was off in some parts and some of Katie Reus’ vocabulary choices were a bit questionable at times; overall, this book is a high quality werewolf read. I have a feeling that this series is quickly going to become a new favorite of mine!

I found that the first half of the story was a little slow and that the second half was an all out action free-for-all. The multiple plot lines were responsible for this imbalance which could have been avoided had one or two of the problems been solved earlier. This little tweak would have helped to even out the pace and, in my opinion, made a huge difference in the long haul. Instead, I felt that Alpha Instinct was a tad repetitive and dragged on more than it should have. You must reach the hallway point in order to fully appreciate this book so don’t give up if you’re struggling in the beginning. Just make it over that hump and you’ll love the story from that point on. I promise!

Ana is a strong, fearless female and the leader of her pack, that is, up until Connor shows up to lend a helping hand after the devastating events experienced by the Cordona women. Werewolf life is based around a patriarchal society so it was only natural for the alpha male to assume the leadership role. Ana accepts this but expects to be included in the decision making process and for her pack mates to look to her for guidance whenever Connor is absent. This doesn’t go over so well with Armstrong’s male ego and a battle of wills ensues. I got a kick out of Ana’s stubbornness and independent spirit. The fights between these two are just as heated as their love making. I wouldn’t expect anything less from werewolves! I think Katie does a great job of portraying their wild sides.

The men! Where do I begin? Connor is 100% alpha male. He’s strong, fierce, protective and passionate. I loved how he took charge and always has the best interests of the pack in mind. I also really enjoyed how he turns all primal around Ana. His character is the definition of animal Alpha Instinct! Connor’s brother, Liam, was damn sexy too. He’s constantly being pulled in two different directions and his priorities are put into question on several occasions. I’m not sure what Reus’ intentions are with regard to this series but if she decides to follow the one couple per book paranormal romance trend; I’m all for it! I hope Liam will get more face time in the next installment because he’s as hot if not more so than his bro. When I described this book as hunk-tastic in my intro I wasn’t exaggerating!

I struggled a bit when it came time for me to rate this book. As a whole, it was a 3 star read for me because of the problems with the pacing. However, Katie Reus did a fab job on her werewolves and for that Alpha Instinct merits an extra star in my eyes. This book is a must-read for all lupine fans and the next installment promises to be even better as Katie continues to grow as an author. Team werewolf all the way!

Books In This Series
My Review		My Review

Carmel

Owner, designer and main blogger behind Rabid Reads. Avid book reader, snowboard bunny, video gamer and Supernatural fan. I love all things paranormal, werewolves especially. Oh, and I’m Canadian, eh!