Reviewed by Annika
TITLE: Wolf and the Holly 
SERIES: Rowan Harbor Circle #2
AUTHOR: Sam Burns
NARRATOR: Chris Chambers
PUBLISHER: Tantor Audio
RELEASE DATE: June 12, 2018
LENGTH: 6 hours, 13 minutes
BLURB:
Five years ago, Jesse dropped out of college and came home to Rowan Harbor to find safety with his pack. A broken man, he’s been living as though the world is ending – allergic to responsibility and spending most of his nights at the local bar. But he can’t avoid growing up forever.
On the night of his 30th birthday party, he finds his childhood friend Isla unconscious, attacked in the middle of their peaceful hometown. The wolf inside him wants to protect its people from the slick-haired, smooth-talking vampire who’s brought trouble to town, and Jesse can’t run from his instincts any longer.
Now that his inner wolf is out of its cage, it’s picked the most inconvenient moment to find its mate. Sean Anderson – recently back from college and much changed from the skinny preteen Jesse once knew – is just what he never knew he needed.
REVIEW:
We first met Jesse as Devon’s best friend in Blackbirds in the Reeds. I was intrigued by him and his backstory and I couldn’t wait to pick up this book to get to know him a bit better.
This book is set shortly after the last one left off. We find Jesse drinking in the local bar and chatting with friends. Only trouble enters the bar and all Jesse can smell from the stranger is death. It is clear to everyone in town that this stranger is up to no good. Nothing makes this clearer than finding his childhood friend nearly beaten to death in an alley. Though (very) reluctant to any form of responsibility or claim his birth right as the future alpha, Jesse makes it his mission to find the one responsible.
For most of his life Jesse dreamed of finding his mate, the one person destined for him. Only past experience while at uni put him off relationships and mates. So when he runs into Sean again, and electricity sparks (literally) between them he’s a little conflicted. I wouldn’t call this book a romance per se. Sure Jesse find’s his mate, but the time they spend together in this book is minimal. It’s mostly focused on happenings in town, learning about the past, learning more about the world they live in and the consequences for choices made.
So while we didn’t get to have much Sean time or really getting to know him, the core group of people this series is growing. I’m sure we’ll get to see all relationships – romantic and non-romantic ones – develop as the series moves along.
I loved Chris Chambers’s narration of the first book so I had high hopes for this one. And he delivered, he truly did. His narration is filled with emotion and he truly captures the essence of the town, the people and makes them come alive. It is always easy to follow along and knowing who’s speaking, having distinct voices for all the characters.
So far these books follow different couples and are told from different POV’s. At the same time they aren’t really standalones, they are each a part of a larger story, a bigger picture that’s only ever hinted at, at this stage. They should definitely be read in order so you don’t miss out on anything, because I have a feeling that each minuscule clue we get will be important later on.
Wolf and the Holly was another great edition to this series. While one part of the story has been resolved, there is so much more brewing on the horizon and I can’t wait to listen to the next book and find out what will happen next.
RATING: 
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