Blood Of The Pack by Jenny Frame is a lovely butch/femme shifter romance about found family and it is so worth a listen.
Kenrick is about to take over as alpha of the Scottish Wulver pack and has come to America to learn a little from Dante, leader of the Wolfgangs, who we know and love as a background character from Heart Of The Pack and Soul Of The Pack.
She is worried about taking over from her father because she is not fond of being in suits and offices all day and would much rather be at the distillery working with her hands.
When she finds an injured werewolf in the road she feels an immediate need to protect her and after rushing her to hospital ends up staying with her until she wakes up.
Zaria was born into the Lupa pack, sworn enemies of the Wolfgangs. When she wakes up in the hospital surrounded by Wolfgangs and the tall, dark and handsome Kenrick then she terrified and keeps a close hold of some of her secrets.
There is a strong connection between her and Kenrick, but Zaria is a submissive wolf and finds it difficult to trust dominant wolves. She has had nothing but pain from the dominants in her life. To make matters even more complicated, Zaria is on the run and terrified.
Will Zaria be able to overcome her fear and learn to trust Kenrick? Will the Wolfgangs banish her when they discover she is really a Lupa and what will happen when they find out why she is hanging around their borders? And we know that Lupa wolf she is running from won’t stop looking for her.
The Characters
Kenrick is a strong butch who is tall, sweet and ready to protect when she needs to. Her confidence is perhaps only outmatched by her kindness and patience with Zaria. She is basically the perfect knight in shining armour.
Zaria is terrified of her pack and more specifically the second in command who has claimed her as mate. She ran from the pack and now lives a solitary life which is never good for a wolf. She is badly injured and is nursed back to health by Kenrick and the Wolfgangs but she finds it hard to trust them fully. In essence, she is in need of rescuing and yes, that makes her the damsel in distress.
As a bonus we get to see the main characters of the previous books make brief appearances which is great fun for those who are a fan of the series and wants to know what happened to them.
The Writing Style
I do love a Jenny Frame novel. Her writing is clear, easy to follow and tells a lovely story. Her characters are adorable and I just want to hug them all.
This book was like a two part story, part one takes place in Wolfgang county and part two takes place in Scotland. I don’t know if it was the change of setting or because there was a major plot point resolved in part one but it felt like there was a shift in pace and tone of the story between the two. It’s not a bad thing, just something that surprised me.
The Narration
Melissa Sternenberg did a good job narrating this one. I am not entirely sure about the accents for the Scottish characters but I give her props for trying. I have yet to meet a narrator who goes seamlessly between UK and US accents and so she was one of the better ones at this but I don’t think it was totally right.
Still, I enjoyed the audiobook tremendously and will happily listen to it again.
The Pros
It has all the charm of a Jenny Frame romance with the extra magic that comes from the fantasy world and it even has a sprinkle of Scottish romance, folklore and homes in trees. I didn’t even know I wanted all that until this book came along.
The Cons
It was handled well but there are scenes of domestic violence and killing. For those who are not up for that my suggestion is to skip ahead a little because they are a teeny part of a much bigger and more lovely story of finding oneself and overcoming.
The Conclusion
Jenny Frame writes a wonderful modern fairytale and this book is no different. You have the dapper, ready to protect knight and the gentle, in need of saving princess. It is sweet and wonderful and so worth it.
If you enjoy shifter romances then this is a great addition to your collection.
If you love stories about soulmates and people who are meant to be together then this a good one.
If you want to believe in true love then pick up a Jenny Frame novel.
Excerpt from Blood Of The Pack by Jenny Frame
Zaria had hidden as best she could on the edge of town for most of the night. To any passer-by she just looked like another rough sleeper, not a werewolf hiding from the police. She hadn’t slept a wink worrying about what-ifs, hoping she hadn’t killed Mr. Raymond. Even though what he had planned for her was abhorrent, Zaria despised violence and knew only too well what it had cost her and her family.
She hid behind a building across the street from the diner, waiting for Chrissy to arrive and open up. Zaria had to get her wages and get out of Knoxton as soon as possible. She grasped the haematite stone pendent she wore around her neck and closed her eyes. The pendent had been passed down the submissive line of her family for generations, and in her darkest moments it gave her courage, strength, and hope, as the stone was meant to.
Zaria saw Chrissy pull up in the parking lot at last. She waited until Chrissy got in and hurried across the road. When she entered the diner, Chrissy jumped. “Jesus, Zaria. You nearly gave me a heart attack. You’re not due in for another hour.”
Zaria walked to the diner counter but kept glancing outside nervously. “I need to leave town, Chrissy. I’m sorry to let you down, but something really important has come up.”
Chrissy looked her up and down, obviously seeing her dishevelled appearance. “Is everything all right, honey? Are you in trouble?”
“No, no. I just need to leave. I’m sorry to leave you in the lurch—you’ve been so kind to me. Could I have my pay?”
Chrissy pulled her into a hug. “Sure. It’s been nice working with you. Just take care of yourself, okay?”
“I’ll try,” Zaria said.
“Give me a second and I’ll get the cash out of the safe.”
While Chrissy went into the office, Zaria opened up the local newspaper she had brought in. Her stomach dropped when she saw the front page.
Local businessman Eric Raymond was attacked last night and left for dead. Witness heard screams and growls, and doctors say his injuries were consistent with an animal attack.
“Terrible, isn’t it?” Chrissy’s voice made her jump.
“Terrible,” Zaria replied.
“Makes you wonder who or what got into his apartment building.”
“Yeah.” Zaria caught sight of a black car with blacked-out windows pulling into the lot, and her instinct told her she was in danger.
“Can I have the money? I have to go,” Zaria said.
Chrissy frowned, seeing Zaria nervousness. “You are in trouble, aren’t you?”
Zaria looked back outside and saw two big dominant wolves get out of the car, one male and one female.
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Series
Wolfgang County
Blood Of The Pack
Bits and Bobs
- ISBN number: 9781635554311
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
- Audiobook Publisher: Bold Strokes Books Inc
- Narrator: Melissa Sternenberg
- Jenny Frame Online
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