Toni's Review of Spirit of the Wolf By Vonna Harper ***3.5 Stars***

Passionate

A cattle rancher with a past he'd rather forget, Matt prefers to be alone. But that all changes the night he meets Cat. Her eyes, her lips, her body—he wants her. He needs her. . .

Primal

Unable to resist the attraction he feels for Cat, Matt takes her with a primitive passion he's never felt before. The sex is intense and wildly erotic, yet still he hungers for more. . .

Powerful

As he struggles to control his fierce desire, Matt begins to experience a strange kinship with the wolves who roam his lands. Like them, he longs to be wild and free—but can he take Cat with him, or must he leave her behind for a fate not even he understands. . .

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I’m giving “Spirit of the Wolf” 3.5 Stars.

Set in the high desert of central Oregon, where the land is harsh and the people are tough. Two people come together on a spiritual journey. Matt and Cat’s sexual attraction that is primal and raw. Both of them fear what is happening to them, but are unsure what to do about it.

Cat Alward as roamed all her life never setting down roots for very long. With no desire to take over her parents business she has an epiphany one day watching an older Indian work with horses. Starving for a home for her own, she purchases a small farm in remote Oregon. She now trains horses and works with people on their equestrian skills.

Matt Yaye is a cattle rancher with a past. Adopted son to Addie and Santo, he came to the ranch as a young troubled teenage boy. Now the ranch is everything to him. He loves the land and will do anything to protect his remote ranch. After the sudden death of Santo, Matt has felt something in the air, a coming storm. Determined to keep Addie and his ranch safe, Matt looks to the hills for clues.

Since the moment Cat and Matt met there were sparks, no more like explosions. The erotic pull to each other is unexplainable. Now there is proof that wolves have moved into the area, causing problems for the locals. Matt begins to change, but Cat can’t seem to drag herself away from him. Their once purely sexual relationship has taken on a whole new level, becoming even more erotic and dominate.

I have never read a story like “Spirit of the Wolf”. Maybe I was expecting a werewolf story or something paranormal in nature. This story is neither. It centers more on a legend of the local Paiute Indian tribe.

The feelings the book invoked in me were surprising. While I enjoyed the descriptions of the land and the legend I believe I just was not ready for the plot. I was surprised about the twist in the form of Cat and Matt’s sexual relationship. If anyone has a problem with forced seduction, I believe they will have a problem with this book. I tried to view the scenes in the context they were written. An alpha male taking his bitch, though it did take a bit of thought process to get there.

The ending was also a surprise for me. I was heading down a road that Ms. Harper was leading me and then BAM surprise!! I will give her that one. “Spirit of the Wolf” is a beautifully descriptive story. It captures the splendor of central Oregon and the struggles of the people. I do not know the validity of the legend told in the story, but it is an amazing take on an old legend. “Spirit of the Wolf” is a sensual journey into the heart of legends; showing us the power of the past and its effect on the present.

Thanks for reading - Toni