BOOK REVIEW - STOLEN by KELLEY ARMSTRONG - WOMEN OF THE OTHERWORLD # 2 - ADULT URBAN FANTASY - ORBIT

By: Kelley Armstrong

Published By: Orbit Books

Released : Available Now

Details: paperback from library, 467 Pages

RATING: 4.25 STARS!

Blurb : Goodreads

Elena Michaels is a wanted woman. Ten years ago she was transformed into a werewolf by her lover. Her transformation makes her powerful. But in the wrong hands, it also makes her deadly.

And now, just as she's coming to terms with it all, a group of scientists learns of her existence. They're hunting her down, and Elena is about to run straight into their trap. But they haven't reckoned on Elena's adoptive family, her Pack, who will stop at nothing to get her back.

They haven't reckoned on Elena, either. And that's a very big mistake ...

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle:

With a whole new list of characters brought into this installment, I thought this was a great second book.

I have to admit, I do roll my eyes a bit when a reader is expected to hear how a werewolf doesn’t believe in another paranormal creature. Like WT!

They need convincing?? Really??

Paige, Adam, Cassandra and Savannah are some of the new characters who we will undoubtedly get to know better through their own stories.

Clay, Elena and Jeremy are our only characters from Bitten who grace the pages of this book. I do like Nick and would have loved to see him bobbing about, after all they are a Pack. One for all and all for one, I thought when it came down to it.

Elena has gone and gotten herself in a pickle and found herself inside the compound of mad scientists. Well, not mad, but it sounded good. Rather a billionaire who is wanting power and is using military rejects as his minions to kidnap suspected ‘others’ and doctors to do tests and find ways to extract or utilise these ‘others’. Until said billionaire gets a bit bored and wants to go hunting.

Xavier is a lad I kind of like. I am not sure of if I trust him , but he seems to like Elena enough. He is a bit mischievous I thought.

I would have loved more Clay in this book, but that is just me being greedy. It is after all called the Women of the Otherworld series.

I am trying to put my finger on what I felt was missing from this installment. It was still a great read and visually Kelley sets up scenes in my head very clearly.

Clay and Elena bring a whole new meaning to breakfast in bed J

‘Better?’ he asked.

‘Ummm, much.’

I closed my eyes and arched into him. As I moved, the smell of breakfast on the nightstand wafted between us. I hesitated a split second. My stomach growled.

‘Upstaged by ham and pancakes,’ Clay said. ‘Again.’

‘I can wait.’

Clay thrust into me with mock growl. ‘You’re too kind, darling.’

I moved my hips against his. My stomach chortled and wheezed. Clay shifted up and forward. I reached out to pull him back, but he didn’t withdraw, instead reaching for something over my head. As I closed my eyes again, grease dripped onto my cheek, and a slice of ham pressed against my lips. I opened my mouth and chomped it down in a few bites, then sighed, and lifted my hips to meet Clay.

‘Mmmm.’

‘Is that for me or the ham?’ he whispered against my hair. Before I could assuage his ego, he pushed another slice of ham into my mouth, then bent his head to lick the dripped grease, his tongue tracing circles across my cheek. We moved together for a few minutes and I forgot the food. Honest. Then Clay reached up again, this time returning with a folded pancake. I sank my teeth into the bottom half and pushed the rest up to his mouth. He laughed and took a bite. When I finished, I lifted my head and licked the crumbs from his lips. He took another pancake and dangled it above me. I jerked my head up to snatch it. My teeth sank into something he hadn’t been offering.

‘Yow!’ he said, shaking his injured finger.

I did pick who the trouble maker was in this story , early , but that is ok. I think a couple seeds were dropped for this character to possibly have a book?

What I like is Kelley has Clay and Elena’s werewolf side being more dominant when it comes to how they think. Both born human. Both changed against their will. 

We won’t go there , will we Clay. 

But I do feel they are more animal than human. They like to boink after a dangerous situation, all down and dirty. No I mean, in the woods, literally in the leaves and dirt. Instead of make-up sex, they have, got-through-that-dangerous-situation sex. There is something about the way Kelley writes their animal side. I like it. They aren’t this loved up couple, like some characters can be. There still seems to be a thin wall with Elena she keeps up, but she does love Clay. It’s just not this roses and gifts romantic thing. I am having a hard time trying to put it into words. We see Clay being more agreeable with Elena, because he knows he has to. I think I need get a bit more below the surface with these two characters. Not sure if that will happen.

A few loose ends left for further investigation with a couple characters to no doubt come out in next installments.

Dime Store Magic is up next and it appears to be Paige’s story.

Michelle