Meh. I think this author writes one long story then chops it up into awkward segments with cliffhanger endings to sell as a series. I'm going to give book two a shot and see how I feel. ( )

I'm a fan of Alyssa Rose Ivy but it doesn't mean I like everything she publishes. The Dire Wolves Chronicles are definitely going in my pile of favorite books right next to The Crescent Chronicles and The Hazards Of... books.

The atmosphere Ms. Ivy builds in Dire is almost nail-bitting - snow storm, wolves, dark mysteries. I've read this book several times already and still shiver. ( )

Wow, super awesome! I had a book hangover, unbelievable!.

This story was totally different, a common theme but there were so many different aspects that really stuck with the stereotypical werewolf/ paranormal story, like the main concept, but was able to branch off into new and fresh territory. I just love what Ivy brought to the table with these characters. I definitely got served.

College students Mary Anne and Gage are leaving campus and heading back to their hometown. Mary Anne is completely smitten with Gage while he barely started to see her in that kind of light. Weather turns bad and gets them stranded in a ditch with a snow storm underway. This trapped-together-in-the-snow kind of thing leads to snuggling-together-naked-to-keep-warm kind of thing. (I only thought this worked when you were in clothes soaking wet but it'll do) Then this is where the mysterious men come in. Hunter invites them to stay in his home but is adamant that Mary Anne sleeps separate from Gage. They try to come up with a plan to leave once Hunter lets them know that there is no way he is letting them leave. If they thought these people were trouble, they spoke to soon.

Almost throughout the whole story I was thinking about how werewolves are usually over-protective and possesive and domineering most of the time, and also the way the usually treat their mates with the utmost respect, love and adoration. It was completely lost to Mary Anne, and sense the story more often is in here perspective, or in a human perspective in general, it was great to get the picture of what she was thinking when everything was happening and while she was discovering new phenomenons.

I always had that thought in my head that Mary Anne should just give in to Hunter, but then again I have personal experience with pining over somebody you grew up with your whole life and to finally be able to catch there eye.


In the end, I wasn't really shocked on how things generally played out because I was already analyzing how things would andd could work out in the end. I just didn't see the ending coming. I kept swiping my finger for the next page thinking it may've froze or something. Then I looked at the page number and BAM! It hit me, I did not want it to end, of all places and moments, right there. It was just getting to the even juicier parts, argh! But I was still ecstatic and giddy about how things are going to be from now on.

Overall, I had an amazing time reading this story. I literally wanted more to read near the end, I was starving for more, more Hunter, more Gage, more Mary Anne and see how everything turned out and what these wonderful characters were planning to do next. I can't wait for the next installment in this series. ( )