“Maybe fire and kerosene don't go together for a reason.”
I am continuing my audiobook listen of the Seven series by Dannika Dark. THREE HOURS is the fifth book in this paranormal romance series featuring members of the Weston pack. Once again Dark mixes romance, humor and darker aspects of the shifter world. Dark pairs Wheeler, a grumpy tattooed wolf and Naya James, an exotic kitty in this "haters to lovers" romance that had me listening into the wee hours.
While each of the books in the Seven series contain a suspenseful story and romance, I totally recommend reading these in order. The Weston pack, town, and others are woven throughout, and we learn details about the couple in previous books. Naya is Austin's mates best friend. She is a panther shifter, something she keeps secret. From the beginning of the series Wheeler has been standoffish and at times a little snarly with Naya. I love wicked banter, snark and bite and found myself all in.
Someone or something is kidnapping dancers at the club Naya works at as an exotic dancer. We soon learn at other area clubs are missing girls too. Naya and the girls take extra precautions, but when Naya is attacked outside her apartment on the human side of town, she goes to Austin for help. She needs a bodyguard. Austin first pick is Reno, but Naya has already secretly hired him to look for one of the missing girls and doesn't want to cause problems, so she begs for someone else. I giggled when he assigned Wheeler. Wheeler is a bit of an ass. Seriously but he makes me laugh. The pack is everything to him, but he holds back and lives on the fringes within the house. He doesn't hide his dislike of Naya either. No one in the pack knows what Naya's animal is, and everyone has a wager. Game on!
I absolutely adored Naya. She is confident, sexy and takes no bull. Wheeler can snarl all he likes because she bites right back. There were quite a few threads from the slow-building romance to the missing dancer. There was also some tension between Wheeler and Ben his twin which tied into some of Wheeler's issues. I loved how Dark peeled back Wheeler's layers and exposed his dark secrets, pain, fear and undeniable attraction to Naya. I wanted to hug him but also felt like whacking him on the back of the head a few times, particularly when it came to his brother.
THREE HOURS was a well-rounded tale delivering plenty of suspense, heat, and pack. Once again Nicole Poole narrates, and I could not imagine the series without her. Dark gave us both character's perspective allowing me to connect, laugh aloud and swoon.
“Every lock has a key, and all keys have jagged edges and crooked sides. No one is perfect, but we’re exactly perfect for the one person who matters.”
This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer