Wild Instinct [Paperback]

Any book lover can agree that it is a treat to pick up a good book. And this book is more then just good. I loved it from cover to cover. Couldn't go to sleep until it was finished (4 am).
Here are 3 stories entwined. And all together make one big story.

Werewolves who mate with humans and have mixed breed children have always been outcasts in werewolf-world.
In the first book of the series, "Running wild" we learn that a new pack called Haven has been formed to gather and protect those outcasts.
This second book "Wild instincts" is about 3 woman: Mixed breed werewolf Sarah Anne who married with human man only to see him beeng killed by werewolves; Teri, a human woman who was brutally raped by a werewolf and is now carrying a mixed blooded child; and Rachel, a full blooded werewolf who has seperated from her own pack.
Together they become friends and when they become hunted by other werewolves they ask help from Haven. But before that help can arrive, attack on them begins....
Thats how the book starts.
Every heroine stands out. Every hero is lovable. This book is a treat for everyone who loves werewolves. Or good romance books. Or good action books.
Can't wait for the next book in the series...

3 1/2 stars, really, but I think I'm getting crabby about authors selling me barely finished work. So I'm not being generous and calling it 4 stars. I loved Running Wild and have been eagerly awaiting this sequel for what feels like a very long time. I think it is helpful for the reader to have read Running Wild first, because it sets up McCarty's werewolf world and also tells the story of 3 couples who appear in this book which introduces 3 more couples. And this is where it seems to be getting a bit complicated. That's a lot of characters to sort out with a variety of plot developments and references to past events.

My biggest gripe about Wild Instinct is that it ends so aburptly that I stupidly kept clicking on my Kindle's "next page" button, not wanting to believe McCarty would end the story in such a way. If I had been reading a paper book, I probably would have checked the binding to see if I had a defective copy.

Obviously, there is a third book somewhere down the pipeline but there was hardly any resolution to the storyline of the "blood feud" the Haven pack now faces or one of the heroine's fears about a main werewolf. In fact, in the last story McCarty glosses over what should have been an exciting journey through the heart of enemy territory. One minute, the couple are facing the most challenging part of the journey although the heroine is exhausted and the next they have arrived in Haven and you are reading about an entirely new problem they face.

Also, I thought there'd be some sort of (non-sexual) climatic scene to have at least some resolution to everything that was going on, but nope. So after three stories with a hostile pack gunning for the Haven bunch, roque werewolves making life miserable for the women, and some sort of legend about one of the heroines' daughter, the story just...stops almost in the middle of a sex scene.

After I gave up on trying to find the next page, my first thought was "I waited over a year for this?" There were parts of the book I really enjoyed and I did debate what rating to give because of that. I do like McCarty's alpha Werewolves and enjoy their interactions with their strong willed mates. Wild Instinct just didn't seem like a finished manuscript, certainly not one I paid more than I usually do for my Kindle books.

I hope the next installment in this series will not introduce us to any more couples of the Haven Pack because we already have 6 to sort through and a bunch of dangling plotlines. So if McCarty sticks to the 12 main characters and actually winds up all the storylines, I'll forgive the shortcomings of this book.

"Garrett". The werewolf clan rejects Garrett due to his human blood. However, they turn to him to rescue Sarah Anne, whose son is missing and daughter may prove to be the child prophesized as the bringer of doom. Still he knows his mate when he meets her and will risk his life to keep her safe.

"Daire". The werewolf Daire saves Teri, but cannot save her unborn. He knows his mate, but she believes his bond is not one of love but of protectiveness. Daire has to persuade her it is both.

"Curran". He seeks Rachel, who has Sarah Anne's son with her. When Curran finds the pair he knows she is his mate, but she rejects his assertion and distrusts him to bring the duo to safety.

These three exciting interrelated werewolf romances contain fully developed characters who make for a strong thriller as the sex is hot but not over-gorging the action-packed story lines especially the relationship issues as the men know but the women doubt. Sarah McCarty provides her audience with a superb collection.

Harriet Klausner