Black Gold by Vivian Arend
Series: The Takhini Wolves #1
Published by Samhain Publishing
Published on: September 13, 2011
Genres: Paranormal Romance, Werewolves
Pages: 256
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Amazon | Book Depo | Chapters | Kobo | GoodReads
Their wolves are howling at the moon. Their human halves are on different planets.
Lone wolf Shaun Stevens’s automatic response to the words “happily ever after”? Kill me now. Yet with all his friends settling down he’s begun to think there may actually be something to this love-and-roses crap.
When Gemmita Jacobs steps off the plane in Whitehorse, Yukon, it’s about more than her caribou research project. It’s her declaration of independence from an overprotected upbringing. Except there’s something in the air she can’t quite define—something that unexpectedly rouses her mating instincts.
Moments after their eyes lock, the deed is done—and done thoroughly. When the pheromone dust settles, though, all the reasons they don’t belong together become painfully clear.
It’s enough to make a wolf learn a whole new set of cuss words…
Warning: Two strong wolves getting exactly what they deserve. Includes wilderness nookie, shifters being naughty in public places, the Midnight Sun as a canopy for seduction and grizzly shifters on the loose. Oh, and don’t forget the sarcasm.
Werewolves in the Yukon. I knew little to nothing about the Yukon before reading this book. Canadian wilderness, where towns are few and far between, is the perfect place for wolves to run free whenever they feel the need. I’m not a big wilderness fan but it was described as wild and beautiful. It’s to this part of the world that sheltered southern belle, Gemmita, comes to work on her final college project. She has hired a pilot to take her into the wilderness to study Caribou. It’s also her first time away from her father’s influence.
Shaun is a part-time pack enforcer for the Takhini wolves and is the whole alpha package. He works for the pack alpha, Evan. After a drunken night, he spends the night at the pack owned hotel. Gem comes to the hotel to be introduced to Evan in his packmaster capacity. She immediately smells her mate but just doesn’t know exactly where he is or even who he is. Not going into how they do meet up except to say that the mate smell takes away Shaun and Gem’s control and things get pretty heated fast. And when the smoke settles the next day, it turns out it’s Shaun that has to pilot/guide her on her trip as his main job is as owner of a flight and wilderness guide company.
This book ended up being quite the adventure. A week spent in the wilderness can either make or break a couple. When that couple includes a willful, female werewolf from an extremely rich family, one with a father that wants total control over her, and things were bound to get interesting. The chemistry between the couple is pretty intense, but can they make it work when Shaun has no intentions of ever leaving the Yukon and Gem has no intentions of moving from her father and her Georgia home? The couple are as different as night and day and everything seems to be conspiring against them. Throw in some shifter politics and bear shifter’s with an agenda and things get even more unpredictable.
I enjoyed the story, the characters,the setting and I thought the shifter world building was well imagined by the author.There’s also a side story about Evan and Caroline, the human that works at the hotel. I look forward to seeing how that plays out in the next book titled, Silver Mine, although from what I can tell, the main characters of that book are not them. The third book(Diamond Dust) is up for a Romantic Times award so that’s on my list to read too-and it’s also the reason I found this book in the first place.
I’m Lorna and I live in Maryland. Since retiring, I spend my time mostly reading and reviewing books. My favorite reads are Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, and Young Adult. I read a lot of indie books in addition to traditionally published books. Favorite paranormal creature? Vampires, but I am really liking werewolves more everyday.
Oh, hai there, hot were in the Yukon! So pleased to meet you and stare at your sculpted chest! Definitely sounds like a good adventure.
I know, right? Yes it was a good adventure:)
Yukon. I’ve never read a book set in that Territory. I think I’ll check it out. I love the concept of the story. Definitely up my alley. Thanks for introducing me to it!
you’re welcome! I hope you enjoy 🙂
This is the first I am seeing of this one, I am so glad you liked it. I read very little were books but it sounds like this is a good one.
It was pretty good 🙂 and I have read the second one and it was good too 🙂
Werewolves are really not my things so I’m not sure if I’d read this or not. There are so few wolf books that suit me and I don’t think this is it, BUT the premise does sound cool. I like opposites attract stories and this seems like one. So glad that you enjoyed as a whole, Lorna!
Thanks I did enjoy it! I understand how you might not like this type book. I was so addicted to vampire books for years that I kind of forgot about shifter books, until recently. I am liking them now 🙂
I didn’t even know where the Yukon is til your review LOL… the paranormal premise aside, this sounds very romantic suspense, not sure if it’s my thing, I don’t like “trapped” stories or people getting stuck somewhere. The story has to be super character driven for me to enjoy it.
Yes, some of it had suspense but to me it was more romance then anything else. As far as the Yukon-I had no knowledge about it-but now that I have read the first two books in this series, I know a lot more! I had to look up caribou cause I didn’t even know what exactly that was LOL.
it sounds nice! I confess I’m a little picky about PNR book and I’m not sure this one could be for me. But I’m glad you had a good time.
Yes, I did like it 🙂 Thanks!
I have never tried her books but hey there is still time
Yes so many books, so little time! I just wish I could read all the ones I want to!
This sounds good and I do like the setting and the fact they are alone in the wilderness. Adding to my wishlist
I hope you enjoy it!
Haha – that sounds like quite the meeting. I like that they are opposites, that always makes it interesting. Great review!
Thank you! And yes it was quite the “Meeting” 🙂
WOAH! What a meeting. I swear when I get back to wolves this will probably go on my list 🙂
Off Wolves huh? What about cougars? or just off all shifter books? The next book is really different and features a female wolf that has never shifted and a cougar/wolf-he never knows what he’s going to get when he shifts-pretty different.
Great review Lorna, one day I will read this series 🙂
oh a week spent in a wilderness hah I agree, it could definitely make or break people. i sure would not want to find out myself.