Sunday, May 25, 2014

Wolver's Gold by Jacqueline Rhoades

Title:  Wolver's Gold
Series:  The Wolvers #5
Author:  Jacqueline Rhoades  
Published:  May 20th 2014
Length:  450pgs
Format:  ecopy
Genre:  paranormal romance
Shelf:  bought
Rating:  ★★★★★


Synopsis from Goodreads:

Finding gold where you least expect it…

Lone wolf and Special Investigator for the ubiquitous Eugene Begley, Challenger McCall is sent to the town of Gold Gulch to take care of a problem that might involve the exposure of the wolver community. For McCall, it’s like stepping back in time - a hundred and fifty years back in time.

Gold Gulch is a tourist attraction where the wolvers take their work so seriously, they continue their Victorian lives long after the tourists have gone home. Much like their 19th century counterparts, the women are overworked and underpaid.

Rachel Kincaid is one such woman. Exercising the only power she holds, she has become a wolver oddity; a spinster who refuses to mate. Why would she, when she already has to take care of the short-staffed hotel, its restaurant and her ne’er-do-well father? Angry and bitter, Rachel decides she deserves a better hand than the one she’s been dealt and finds herself drawn to the handsome new sheriff, Challenger McCall. Why shouldn’t she, for once in her life, enjoy the same freedom as the Soiled Doves on the hill?

Things get complicated when Rachel's wolf awakens after a long sleep and the town's women seem to awaken along with it. Papa's gambling debts leave them on the brink; the pack is at risk; and the women rebel. Oh, and don't forget the murders. If ever a pack needed rescuing, Gold Gulch is it, but as the girls up at Daisy's Bouquet point out, - A smart woman needs to look after herself!

My Review:

What an unforgettable tale. Rhoades combines the Old West with modernity and throws in some Wolvers to balance it all out. I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that the world of the Wolvers branches out a little bit with this one while remaining true to its roots. She takes the concept of Wolvers that we’ve come to love and turns it on its head, giving her readers a unique experience that, although following suit from the rest of the series, definitely stands out in the best of ways. Mystery and suspense combine with underhanded city officials to make this a story that you won’t be able to put down.

The characters in this novel make the enthralling story even more captivating. I won’t say too much or it’ll ruin the surprise but the main characters are right up there with my all-time favourite characters from Rhoades. Everyone in this novel is so well and naturally developed that they aren’t simply believable; they become real for the reader. The clash of time periods and ways of life, without the necessity of time travel, makes for some interesting moments as well. And perhaps we will get to revisit some of these characters again in the future. One can definitely hope so anyways.

Overall this was a phenomenal novel that can be read as part of Rhoades’ Wolvers series or as a standalone. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance with some supernatural on the side.

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