New Release Review ~ Captivated by the She-Wolf ~ Kristal Hollis (@KristalHollis) #2018NewRelease #COYER

Captivated by the She-Wolf by Kristal Hollis
Wahyas of Walker's Run #4
Release Date: February 1, 2018
Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance
Source: I received an ARC from the author. This did not affect my rating and I voluntarily provided a review.
Rating: 4.5 Bookworms
Challenges: #2018NewRelease, #COYER
Goodreads

Synopsis
A shifter finds his soul mate...

Ronni Lyles and her son are just settling into their new pack when her dead husband's brother comes to claim then. Bodie Gryffon is looking for a safe place to raise his daughter - a raven-shifter, just like him. What begins as a purely practical alliance turns passionate. But Ronni senses that Bodie has a secret - one that could force him to make a painful choice.

The mythology KHollis has created surrounding her Wahyas has kept me enthralled with this series. In Captivated by the She-Wolf, she incorporates a Native American myth and the result was, well, captivating. Here are the highlights:

• Ronni and Bodie
  I previously met Ronnie but getting the chance to know her better, well I couldn't believe every single male Wahya wasn't knocking on her door. Not only is she a great mom but she's also a compassionate woman. She's always putting everyone else first - in fact, she hardly ever considers herself. So when she meets Bodie and feels that pull towards him, she does her best to ignore it. Bodie is also an amazing parent, raising his teenage daughter on his own after losing his wife. He also takes care of his mom although she does a lot to help him as well. Bodie is a man of principles, non-violent, protective - most everything he does is with a mind towards his family. Meeting Ronnie, he was immediately enchanted but then he began to feel that pull. But can a raven-shifter find a true mate in a wolf-shifter?
• Mythology
  As I said, the mythology KHollis has created around her Wahyans - wolf-shifters - makes her stories that much more compelling. Their history, their dynamics as a shifter society and as a society hiding among humans, how their shifts work, and what happens when they find the one - it all adds depth to the characters and their stories. That KHollis chose to incorporate a Native American myth intrigued me. The way she did it was brilliant and seamless.
• Humor
  The banter between Ronnie and Bodie was quite comical a lot of the time. He teased her - often - and often at times Ronnie most needed the distraction from something more serious. That brought levity to the story when needed and also conveyed layers of Bodie's personality.
• Secondary Cast
  One of the things I appreciate most in this series is the dynamics between the wolves. That requires a well-rounded supporting cast and I was thrilled to spend thime with those I'd previously met, seeing how they're doing as well as how they welcomed Bodie and his family into the pack. Getting to spend time wtih Ronnie's son, Alex, his friend, Lucas, and Bodie's daughter, Willow, was also a pleasure. KHollis portrayed these teens well.
• Suspense and Emotion
  KHollis created some intense suspense using Ronnie's past as well as mythology surrounding Bodie and his raven-shifters. There was some white knuckling, some gasping, and maybe even a few tears.

In the end, I was so enchanted with the blending of the Native American myth into that of the Wahyan that I didn't mind one bit that this story wasn't only about wolves. And I'm looking forward to seeing how Bodie and Ronnie's blended family impacts Wahyan life and beliefs.