The Pack or the Panther

Title: The Pack or the Panther

Author: Tara Lain

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Publisher URL: www.dreamspinnerpress.com

ISBN/BIN: 978-1-62798-437-9

Genre: {M/M} Contemporary Paranormal Series

Rating: 4 Nymphs

Literary Nymphs Reviewer: Dragon Minx

As the eldest son of the pack alpha, Cole Harker is considered the heir. He’s big and powerful, but doesn’t like being the center of attention. He’s also gay, something his parents want to forget so they can make a marital alliance with Analiese, the daughter of another important pack alpha. Except neither Cole nor Analiese want to marry each other.

Cole meets Analiese’s half-panther brother, Paris, and the two men are immediately attracted, but before their wedding takes place Analiese runs off with her human boyfriend. Nothing’s going as planned, and then Paris is kidnapped by the very gangster the two packs were trying to make an alliance against. Cole is furious and determined to get his panther back, and he’s willing to go to war to do it.

The Pack or the Panther is the first release in the new M/M paranormal series, Tales of the Harker Pack by Tara Lain. It’s a fun and entertaining read that kept me turning pages until the end and it’s a good foundation for further books.

I mean really, how could I not like Cole. He’s a big strong alpha who gets sweaty and nervous when he has to speak in front of a crowd, but when someone he loves gets threatened—watch out. Paris’ personality is equally well developed—he’s just not as easy to like and it took me a while to warm up to him. They do work well as a couple.

There’s lots of good descriptions and dialogue—some of it pretty amusing, realistic danger, irritating parents, sizzling attraction and smooth plot flow. Yes, I wasn’t certain about Paris at first but as I learned more about him, his actions made sense. Ms. Lain managed to surprise me several times, and I found the cat vs. wolf (dog) of their relationship funny.

I checked Ms. Lain’s website and discovered the sequel, Wolf in Gucci Loafers, is supposed to be released in April. Look for it—I will be.