Rating: 4.25 stars
Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Storm Howler is looking for a fun night with a dominant wolf, but finding a man and keeping off his brothers’ radar isn’t easy. With Storm being a submissive, his brothers are super overprotective, and considering they own the shifter BDSM club, keeping away from their watchful eyes isn’t easy. But when Storm sees Jax, he is instantly drawn to the man and the two manage to sneak away to a hotel for a super hot night together. The experience is everything Storm has been looking for, but Jax is just in town for a job interview and may not be around long.
As it turns out, Jax does get the position, but… it’s as a bodyguard to the Howler family. Jax’s first instinct is to resign, as he knows he can’t be with Storm and guard him at the same time. But with some convincing from Storm, Jax reluctantly agrees to keep the position as long as he stays hands off with Storm. Storm is desperate for more time with Jax, but he also knows his brothers will freak out if they realize the men are together and so he agrees to keep his distance. But with the fierce attraction between the men, staying apart is almost impossible, especially as they begin to realize they are mates.
Even as the attraction sizzles between them, conflict with some other shifter families leads to danger for Storm. Jax is determined to protect the man he loves, while doing his best to support Storm’s desire to play a role in the action. Now the men must work together to help solve the crisis before they can finally open up about their desire to be together.
Bodyguard’s Bite is the second book in Silvia Violet’s engaging Howler Brothers series. We met Storm and Jax in the first book, Claiming Bite, and so I was really intrigued for their story, and wasn’t disappointed. There is a great connection between these guys right from the start, and we can feel their attraction just leaping off the page. Their scenes are intense and heated, with a lot of love and caring between them. But along with that, I really liked the dynamic between the men. Jax is protective over Storm, wanting to take care of him, both as a Dom and a partner. His military background and his current job means he is very much in caretaker mode. But at the same time, he supports Storm and his desire to be trusted and independent. Storm’s brothers are so cautious with him, always wanting him to stand back and be safe. It is important to him to be seen as someone capable and trusted to handle difficult situations and I liked how Jax is supportive of Storm in this way.
While Jax and Storm are into each other from the start, they face some conflicts along the way. First, Jax working for the family throws a wrench in things. Also, the Howler family is dealing with a lot of threats and Storm is trying to get things sorted, as well as wait until the crises pass before telling his family about his relationship with Jax. And of course, we have the super overprotective brothers who aren’t so sure about Jax and Storm being together. This story overlaps in timeline with Claiming Bite, so some of the conflicts are things we saw in the first book, but this time from Jax and Storm’s POV. This includes the development of Emerson and King’s relationship and the conflict with the lions. It was interesting on one hand to get another side to these events, but Jax and Storm don’t play a major role in these conflicts and so it did feel a little bit repetitive without a lot of new information provided here.
One of the big issues the men face is the overprotective Howler brothers and I wish it was a little clearer to me just why they treat Storm this way. The story seems to indicate this is because he is a submissive, which seems strange when you consider this family is well versed in BDSM and they surely know being submissive doesn’t equal weakness. Perhaps they are alphas and he is not? I was never fully clear on this. Given how much of the story rests on the idea that the brothers won’t give Storm his independence and want to shelter him too much, I would have liked to have this reasoning a little more crystal clear.
Overall, I really enjoyed this second installment in the series. I am loving the Howler family and the interaction among the brothers is one of my favorite aspects. Violet has done such a wonderful job of making each of these men intriguing and I am eager for all of their stories.
