Rating: 4 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | All Romance | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
The Hidden Wolf is the sequel to The Last Wolf and, although this story revolves around sheriff Milo and Eli, the storyline is a continuation of the first book and as such, The Last Wolf and The Hidden Wolf must be read in order. This review must also follow suit and may contain spoilers or references to The Last Wolf.
Now that Cal and Joe have settled into their relationship on the Sapphire Ranch, Sheriff Milo Clarke and Eli Watkins, co-owner of the Cavalry, a private security firm, have started to focus on their mate bond. However, Milo and Eli have responsibilities that force them to separate, all in the name of saving shifters from the hunters out to cause extinction. Everybody wants Cal, an omega, to go into hiding, but he refuses to go without Joe.
Refusing to abandon his post as sheriff even though Eli wants Milo out of the public eye, Milo is convinced that he is not at risk since the hunters don’t know he can shift. When Cal and his bodyguard Ross disappear while on their way to visit Joe’s dad in the hospital, the tracking device on the SUV is unresponsive and neither man is answering his cell phone.
As far as sequels go, I really enjoyed The Hidden Wolf and found that there was a cohesiveness in the storyline from the first book to this one, which tells me that Brown must have a good idea of where the story is going as well as the timeline for each book. I will admit that unlike with The Last Wolf, I was taken aback by the sudden ending and *stomps feet* want to know what happens next.
We first met Milo and Eli in the first book and saw their initial meeting from an outside perspective. We really get to know the guys so much better in their story, especially their individual traits, both good and not so good. Two Alpha males of any species are bound to butt heads, and they do! Now one thing I noticed is the “fucking like bunnies” behavior, and although Milo and Eli telepathically teased and tasted each other all the time, I did not often feel the chemistry between them. Perhaps it is because they used the mate bond to communicate with each other that there was a feeling of disconnect, I’m not sure.
The writing during the high action segments was a little frantic and hard to follow, although given that there was telepathic, cell phone, and live conversations all happening at the same time, I guess it was to be expected. I also found that “time stood still” and there was a lack of movement in that regard around the middle of the book. I mean it may have been off by 30-45 minutes, but the lack of continuity was noticeable.
In conclusion, The Hidden Wolf was a good, solid addition to the series and sets up many possibilities for the future books, regardless of whether Brown chooses to maintain the current cast of characters or to introduce outsiders.
