Once Bitten by Kate Owen

Once Bitten
by Kate Owen
Pages: ?
Publish Date: February 8 2017
Publisher: Less than Three
Series: None

Review
Rating: 4.98
Read: January 26 to February 1 2017

*I received this book from NetGalley and Less than Three in return for a fair review.*

The book had an interesting beginning, quite readable, quite fun then things turned on me. At one point I was vaguely on edge of wondering if this one would end up being a book I'd like to DNF (put on my did not finish shelf for lack of being able to finish the book). That's the reason the book took somewhat longer than normal for me to read - I paused it grumbling.

Then I resumed reading after days of ignoring it and . . . well - I'd say that this book is somewhere within range of being one of the best werewolf books I've read. So, that happened.

The book stars Izzy Konning, lawyer - Federal Prosecutor, and Dr. Emma Douglas, medical doctor. They both have their point of views presented in this book, and are in a committed relationship with each other (to a certain extent). Though one has a secret that accidentally gets revealed at the start of the book.

You see, during a moment of sexual frenzy, it appears that Emma accidentally bit Izzy. Oh, you know, it happens. Izzy kind of laughed about it the next morning when Emma was all sad about the matter. Then Emma showed what was going on. By, you know, turning into a wolf. Strong, sane, mentally well-balanced - upon learning that she has accidentally been turned into a werewolf, freaked out and ran screaming out onto the Dallas streets (well, not literally screaming, more like she went for an unplanned, unorganized jog).

Naturally Izzy immediately ran into two fine young men who looked like 'hoodlums'. They got into an altercation. And things went differently than you might expect (no, not in the 'Izzy turned into a wolf and ate them' way). The two men forced her into a car and abducted her - because they knew she was a wolf - they could smell her - and she was in their territory without permission. But then, that is where she lived (Emma, who belonged to a different 'gang', or pack, had permission).

Strangely, Izzy ends up face to face with one of her targets as a federal prosecutor. A really evil man who was involved in such nice things as human trafficing and the like.

Turns out Julio is also a wolf - the head wolf, for that matter, for one of the two packs in Dallas. He plans to take advantage until he realizes that, by smell, Izzy was deeply connected to the daughter of the head of the other wolf pack in Dallas - and he is going to use this leverage - having the daughter's mate - to his advantage.

Meanwhile, he'll make some money off Izzy by including her in his 'wolf fight club'.

Things proceed from here, both in a manner expected, and in certain ways, unexpected.

As I noted above, this is one of those books that, unexpectedly, turned out better - much better - than I initially thought it would be. Exciting, thrilling, action packed. Wolves, vampires, witches, fae, demons, all represented in the book.

Despite the above, there were a few issues I had here and there - like a few 'scares' that the book was heading in particular directions I didn't want to go (but then didn't, so not an issue). But there were real serious 'problems' I ran across that almost kept me from enjoying the book (and one almost caused me to not finish the book). That one? - The part wherein the dominant wolves 'obviously' are male because . . . . um . . . no clue (females are submissives or omegas). That was a somewhat rage moment for me to move past. Glad I moved past it. By the way, it turns out Izzy is quite dominat so . . . naturally that means her wolf has massive balls . . . and penis (she's a 'morph' - female human, male wolf).

Right, so, I enjoyed the book.

Rating: 4.97

NOTE: the book will be available for purchase February 8th.

February 1 2017