Wolf and the Holly by Sam Burns

4 stars

Wolf and the Holly by Sam Burns - Rowan Harbor Cycle Book 2

The second book in this paranormal series is all about Jesse and his acceptance of his role in the Town council. Ultimately, all his actions going forward are dependent on how he perceives his job as Alpha Male and protector of the town. Up until now he has been reluctant to even acknowledge the wolf in him, let alone work in tandem to protect his friends, family and town residents.

Wolf and the Holly begins around the time of Jesse’s 30^th birthday. Reaching the milestone has make him question what he is doing with his life. He has no proper job, nowhere to live but with his parents, and no mate. His mother, who currently heads up the town council, wants to relinquish her role to her eldest son, but Jesse doesn’t feel ready for such responsibility.

Until a vampire breaks the peace and injures one of Jesse’s oldest friends. All for a magic book.  

I was enthralled by the author’s vivid imagination and enticed into a world of supernatural, paranormal and magic! It was whimsical at times; violent and passionate, but also a great study of Jesse’s metamorphosis to his true self. The plot was intriguing and I got hooked on how things would unravel – both romantically and practically.

Sam Burns makes it quite clear that the Rowan Harbor Cycle books are a series that do not end with an HEA, rather than a HFN which appeals to me because it means we see more of the characters in later books where their stories continue. I enjoyed getting to know Jesse – he is sexy and brave and very smart both as a human and as a werewolf. I liked how he developed and matured and also found love. It will be interesting to see where that goes. The other characters are also well constructed and have well defined personalities and back stories of their own.

Overall, this was a real treat. I highly recommend.