Inside Out
by Amy Lee Burgess
Oooh this is one of my favorite genres of books - Paranormal Shifters! And boy, is it a good one! Check out the Blurb, the excerpt, my review, the author's info and giveaway and I'll bet you'll think so too!
Blurb:There's no place like home...or is there?
When Stanzie is asked to investigate her birth pack- Mayflower--she isn't prepared for what she finds.
No one respects the Alphas and the newest adult member of the pack is being encouraged to leave. Why? To make matters worse, the men are dangerously intent on mating and shifting with her.
How far will the pack she thought she knew go to get what they want? Without her bond-mate, Liam, Stanzie must face this alone and, barely ahead of threat of violence, must solve the mysteries, and fast.
WARNING: Vulgar language, sexual situations, group sex, violence
A Lyrical Press Paranormal Romance
Purchase Links:
Alan looked at me and panic flooded his silver blue eyes. “Stanzie.” My name was a horrified plea.
I could see the ghost of a wolf’s muzzle beneath his mouth. He held out a hand and recoiled when he saw the dark fur on his palm.
“Take off your clothes, Alan,” I urged, but he stood there, transfixed. I hastily unbuttoned his plaid shirt and pushed it off his shoulders. “Help me,” I cried as I tugged at his sleeve.
“I don’t know what’s happening to me,” he whispered. His body gave a bone crunching shudder and he stared at Faith and Scott’s wolves, terror etched across his face. The wolves waited together, shoulder to shoulder. It was a damn good thing I hadn’t shifted myself. Poor Alan was clueless.
I fumbled with the button on his fly and then the zipper. His throat rippled and he threw back his head and howled. The noise nearly scared the shit out of me, but I somehow managed to get his zipper down and then I pushed him onto his ass so I could pull his jeans off. He was no help at all, caught in the throes of the first emergence of his wolf. His body morphed in and out of focus. It was like trying to undress someone by strobe light and I had to shut my eyes so I wouldn’t lose my concentration. Alan whimpered and whined. Shifting was painful sometimes--especially when we fought it and he was. He didn’t know how to relax into the chaos and let it flow. He still struggled for control, for a way to reason out the process, and that was impossible. Shifting did not make sense. It just happened.
“Let go. Alan, just go with it,” I coached in a quiet voice as I sat as near as I could to him. He writhed on the pine needles and screamed as his bones shifted beneath his skin. “It hurts less if you just let go.”
“Stanzie!” My name turned into an anguished howl and just when I had begun to get scared, it happened. Alan blinked out of this plane and when he blinked back in, he was shifted.
His wolf was gorgeous. Dusky black with ice-blue eyes. A touch of gray at the tips of each paw. Big too. Bigger than Scott’s gray wolf. He rolled to his feet and sprawled onto his face when he tried to walk. Two legs to four was a bitch for some people. It had never fazed me, but Grey told me it had taken him half an hour to figure out how the hell to walk the first time he’d shifted. I grinned to remember the story and reached out to pat Alan’s wolf on the head. He whined at me.
“Get up and walk. Four legs are fun,” I told him. I was on my hands and knees now, so we could look eye to eye. If he got up, that is. Faith’s wolf pranced over and nudged him with her dainty muzzle. He whined again and she gave a coughing bark. In wolf speak she told him to get off his ass.
Scott’s wolf approached me and stared at me so hard I knew he tried to tell me something, but I couldn’t figure out what. Then it hit me. Duh. I was still in human form.
I stood up so I could strip off my jeans and t-shirt. Scott’s wolf waited impatiently. Alan’s wolf had gained his wobbly feet but seemed stuck in one position. When Faith’s wolf nudged his back end with her nose, he promptly fell over again and I snickered. Alan’s wolf gave me a reproachful look and I patted his head in apology. Scott’s wolf moved behind me and bumped the back of my knees so hard I fell over. Alan’s wolf wheezed with lupine laughter. “At least I can walk on all fours,” I muttered. Naked, I crawled away a few feet to give myself space for shifting. Only nothing happened.
My Review:
I used to think that all werewolves were like Professor Lupin in Harry Potter. Boy was I wrong! I now love a good Shifter book and Inside Out, the fourth book in The Wolf Within Series is really a GOOD Shifter Book! While this was my first read in this series, I had no trouble following right along with the ups, downs, twists and turns. Now I cannot wait to run, not walk, and get Books One through Three!
The Good: What was so good about it, you ask? The naturalness of the characters and storyline. It was organic in how it evolved and all of the characters, Stanzie especially, were so believable that I felt like we were old friends. I felt so badly for her in all of the things she went through in this book alone, all by herself! Where was Liam? She could have used his support but I guess sometimes we have to prove not only to ourselves but to others that we are stronger than we think. The story was captivating and I read it through in record time, that's how much I enjoyed it.
The Bad: I honestly cannot find one thing to mention in the segment. ;) The book was that good. I was just sad for Stanzie and sad when it was over and Liam wasn't back with her.
The Snuggly: This was really not the focus of this book. There were times when there were warm fuzzies (Alan) and fun relationships but never more than friends really (Scott). Romance is just not what this particular book was about.
The Rest: So would I read Inside Out again? In a New York minute! Should you read it? Well, if you enjoy well-written Paranormal Shifter books that reflect characters that you come to care about, a storyline that throws you up and down some major roller-coasters emotionally, and a virtual world that has been created by a talented and clever author, then absolutely-positively pick it up NOW! 5 Full Stars and 0 Flames!
Amy Lee Burgess wrote her first ghost story at age ten. Born in New England, she has also lived in New Orleans and Houston, survived fires, floods, hurricanes, divorce and the premature cancellation of several of her favorite television shows. Turning her back on such shocking betrayals, she is now writing about ghosts, vampires, and other paranormal things and is much happier for it.
Author Links:
Website
Goodreads
Giveaway:
A $15 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of Inside Out will be awarded to one lucky participant from the Rafflecopter form HERE at the end of the 8 week book tour. Follow and Friend Amy and BTB for extra chances to win - Good Luck!
Love ‘n Books,
Alyson
*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of BBT. Although BBT received payment, I participated in this tour in exchange for a copy of the book. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising*
Follow the Tour:
December 10, 2012 - M.J. Schiller (Character Interview)
December 11, 2012 - Romance Writer Sara Walter Ellwood (Author Interview)
December 12, 2012 - Real World on Writing (Guest Blog)
December 13, 2012 - Janna Shay's Fair Play (Author Interview)
December 18, 2012 - Cathie Dunn writes... (Author Interview)
December 19, 2012 - A Soul Unsung (Review/Guest Blog)
December 20, 2012 - Books Amour (Character Interview)
December 22, 2012 - Bookloversity Reviews (Review/Guest Blog)
December 27, 2012 - Melissa Keir-Sexy Between the Covers (Guest Blog)
December 29, 2012 - Storm Goddess Book Reviews & More (Review/Guest Blog)
December 30, 2012 - Beth's Book Reviews (Guest Blog)
January 2, 2013 - SIK Book Reviews (Character Interview)
January 3, 2013 - Night Owl Reviews (Guest Blog)
January 4, 2013 - Smitten with Reading (REVIEW ONLY)
January 9, 2013 - Jessica E. Subject, Author (Guest Blog)
January 11, 2013 - SnifferWalk (Review)
January 16, 2013 - Writerly Ramblings (REVIEW ONLY)
January 19, 2013 - Tana Rae Reads (Review/Guest Blog)
January 20, 2013 - Not Now...Mommy's Reading (REVIEW ONLY)
January 21, 2013 - Reginamayross's Blog (Guest Blog)
January 23, 2013 - Reviews By Molly (Review/Guest Blog)
January 24, 2013 - Sarah Ballance (Author Interview)
Hi, Alyson. Thank you so much for hosting me on my Buy the Book blog tour. I'm really excited you enjoyed reading Inside Out!
ReplyDeleteFabulous review, thank you. I can't wait to read the book.
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