Author: Kendall McKenna
Publisher: MLR Press
Pages/Word Count: 356 Pages
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Blurb: Rampaging werewolves cause the True Alpha to send his Omega, Dawson Rivers, to bring them under control. Can Adam Madison help or hinder Dawson’s mission?
Adam Madison is in Iraq, driving supply trucks for the Marines, but he still can’t outrun his personal ghosts. Outside the wire, insurgents are a relentless threat. Inside, renegade werewolves are a constant danger.
Dawson Rivers is on a mission for the True Alpha—bring the rampaging shifters under control. Adam proves to be invaluable to his task. Their intense mutual attraction explodes into a powerful physical and emotional connection.
Their future together is in peril, when Adam’s convoy is ambushed. Can they learn to rely on the strength of their bond? Adam staying alive long enough for Dawson to find him depends on it.
Review: Adam Madison is a civilian contractor driving fuel tankers for the military in Iraq, in the midst of deadly conditions. The tanker convoys are protected by a platoon of Marines who also happen to be wolf shifters. The routes through the desert are seriously dangerous and even with the wolves on board, they’re taking their lives into their hands with each trip.
The base isn’t much better, though; the current Pack Leader has allowed the wolves to act without recrimination. The nights of the full moon are dangerous for humans and weaker wolves. The pack lives to intimidate, harass and, in some cases, assault the humans on base. The team Adam works with holds with the rules of not harming or endangering anyone weaker than they are, which includes the humans. Because of these behaviors on base, the True Alpha has decided to send his Omega, Dawson Rivers, to observe, report, and take action if necessary.
Watching the sparks fly between Adam and Dawson was seriously hot. The later scenes between them are sexy and just a little bit dirty. You know, the deliciously dirty kind of awesome between two men who just won’t back down. Adam’s not ready to give in to Dawson, though. Between the things that have happened on base, his past with his younger brother, and his current relationship with his older brothers, he has issues to deal with. Plus, he’s a human in the midst of a pack of shifters, and he is almost completely clueless about their culture. This leaves him in a very vulnerable position both with Dawson and with the pack itself. Now, that’s not to say Adam can’t hold his own, he does. He’s very strong and takes charge when necessary, mostly with work. He’s also fiercely loyal to those he considers friends, and wants to protect those who aren’t able to stand up for themselves. His weakness is his own self doubt, and that’s something he has to come to terms with and eventually does, with Dawson’s and his brothers’ help.
I loved that the story is filled with action with the convoys and later, with Adam’s imprisonment. It’s also about the strength of the relationship that Adam and Dawson create and build upon, brick by brick. It’s also about learning to forgive yourself, learning to rebuild bonds with your family after tragedy occurs, and forging new, lasting bonds with friends. I really enjoyed the journey between Dawson and Adam, seeing the bonds develop and also seeing Adam start to believe in himself again. Because Adam starts to forgive himself, he is able to survive imprisonment and find a way to get back to Dawson, and his family and friends.
Strength of the Mate is the third book in The Tameness of the Wolf series. While it’s part of a series, it can be understood without having read the previous books, though there are mentions and interactions with the previous couples from the first two books. I’ll admit this is the first book I’ve read in the series, and I wasn’t lost with the storyline. After reading this, I want to dash off and read the previous two books to meet Adam’s brother Tim, and also the True Alpha. I look forward to many more books in this series and any other books that this author releases in the future.
You can buy Strength of the Mate (The Tameness of the Wolf #3) here:
I really want to read this series, I just seem to pay 9.00 bucks a book
Andrea, honestly this one was worth the price. I’m pretty picky on how much I spend on books but I’m getting ready to buy the first two books in the series, after I read this one.