Reviewed by Sammy

TITLE: Of Secrets and Wolves

SERIES: Winsford Shifters #1

AUTHOR: Alice Winters

PUBLISHER: Self-Published

LENGTH: 328 pgs.

RELEASE DATE:  January 28, 2021

BLURB:

Rowan

My whole life, I’ve been taught to despise shifters. So when I’m hired to track two escaped convicts, I’m suddenly thrust into the world I hate—or thought I did. Yet I’m inexplicably drawn to the alpha of the pack whose land the convicts may be hiding on. He’s different than any shifter I’ve ever met—laid back and quick to laugh, caring and protective, and makes me feel complete for the first time in my life. As secrets are revealed, I start to wonder if everything I’ve been raised to believe was a lie, though it may not matter because it seems like someone wants us dead.

Quinn

I’m no stranger to prejudice from humans, but it’s different when Rowan comes into my life. Though I shouldn’t let myself be distracted, I’m captivated by him. At first, he’s stiff, fighting to keep his misconstrued beliefs intact, but as I break down the wall he’s created, I’m able to show him a place among the fun chaos of my pack. After one of my pack goes missing, it leaves Rowan and me racing to bring them home, but the only way we’re going to survive this is if Rowan learns to accept the bond that’s growing between us—a bond that could give us the strength to put aside our reservations and give in to what both of us want.

REVIEW:

What the story blurb leaves out is a whole lot of secrets, lies and the slow road to understanding why Rowan is the man he is. Despite his dislike of shifters, he tries his best to give them a fair shake—something that’s not so difficult whenever Quinn is around. Still Rowan is the product of years of an angry father, an abusive father and a life that has never been an easy one. Never measuring up, never really accepted by a tyrannical man who chose every chance he could take to tell Rowan he would never be good enough, never really loved. Then he meets Quinn and his world turns upside down.

Quinn knows one thing, he and his pack live on the edge of a world that hates them for who they are. He will do anything to keep them safe, including work with the devil if needs be. So when he is asked to help track some escaped prisoners he reluctantly acquiesces. But there is something wrong with these escapees-something deadly wrong and before Quinn can figure it all out he is running for his life and those of his pack as well.

Alice Winters begins a new series in the paranormal world and it is intriguing, funny and filled with one twist and turn after another. There is a lot to unpack in this novel but Winters manages to slowly take us through the establishment of a world where shifters are mistrusted while introducing multiple characters and giving us a nicely done development of most of them. I have to tread carefully here because there are a lot of secrets that will end up rocking Quinn and Rowan’s world. Since this is just the start of series we get a glimpse at where the relationship between Rowan and Quinn may be moving so don’t look for a big happy ever after but instead a quieter happy for now—trust me it’s enough.

What you will get amidst all the danger and hair raising action is lots of humor—Alice Winters has her own unique style when it comes to creating characters who provide just the right amount of dry and sarcastic wit when its needed most.

Of Secrets and Wolves is a top notch beginning to a series that could veer off into some dangerous turns—I can’t wait to see what happens next.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

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