Customer Reviews

Running Wild

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"Donovan"

Donovan McGowan is a Protector of his werewolf pack, and he takes his role very seriously. Given the duty of returning the Pack Alpha to his home, Donovan's job is to convince his alpha to resume his duties. Donovan's mind is unwillingly diverted as it is filled with the vision of one Lisa Delaney. Her scent tempts him and Donovan immediately recognizes her as his mate - his very human mate. According to pack law, mating a human is unacceptable. Unwilling to live another day without Lisa, Donovan makes a decision that will change his life - all he has to do now is convince Lisa to share it with him.

Talk about animal magnetism! Donovan immediately knew from the beginning that Lisa was his. All he had to do was convince her. While Lisa was as attracted to him as he obviously was to her, she needed more than ample proof of his feelings - and I can't say that I blame her. Their love making was sensual and I found Donovan's profound feelings for Lisa to be emotionally satisfying.

"Kelon"

Kelon is a Pack Protector, just like his brother Donovan. He maintains constant vigil with his job and because of this, he is one of the best Protectors available. Coming to his brother's aid to try and convince the alpha to return home, Kelon doesn't count on meeting Robin, the sister of Donovan's mate. He finds himself intrigued from their first meeting. Not only her scent, but her entire being brings joy to Kelon. It is because of his feelings for Robin that Kelon is devastated when he hears her news. Deciding then and there that she is his, Kelon pledges himself to her for as long as they can be together.

Kelon's protective instincts towards Robin brought tears to my eyes. He knew exactly how to treat her and that made all the difference in their love story. He knew she was often fragile, but instead of treating her like blown glass he made sure that she knew he adored her and believed in her. His pledge to her was truer and more meaningful than any wedding vow I have every witnessed.

"Wyatt"

Wyatt Carmichael finally returns home to assume his position as the next alpha for the Sanctioned Pack Haven. Every day since his return he has been challenged and his body and mind are showing signs of wear and tear. Days later, his cousins Kelon and Donovan show up at Haven with their new mates in tow and Wyatt is glad to see them. When the tall, beautiful older sister of Lisa and Robin appears, Wyatt can't help the feelings that race through. He wants her with every breath that he has. He, however, is the alpha and alpha wolves do not mate with humans, no matter the desire. Putting his pack before Heather, Wyatt knows that in order to maintain his status, he can't show any weakness - and his weakness is a very human, very sensible Heather Delaney.

I loved watching the ever practical Heather fall in love with Wyatt. She was a nurse and therefore knew what she saw. She saw heartache, she saw death. With Wyatt she saw forever if only they could be together. Heather and Wyatt knew that their attraction to each other like the forbidden fruit but as in most cases, what is forbidden is usually the best fruit of all.

Having read all of Ms. McCarty's Ellora's Cave publications, I knew she was an author that delivers a well written story mixed with sizzling romance. What I didn't know was exactly how much her writing has improved and grown. I like how RUNNING WILD was unique in that each novella, or installment, in the book continued even after starting the next storyline. Because of this, RUNNING WILD flowed as smooth as fine wine. The characters were realistic, even though they were werewolves, and I could see myself falling in love with each at any given time. Sarah McCarty has taken paranormal romance to a whole new level with RUNNING WILD and I can't help but cheer her on from the sidelines!

Sarah McCarty is on a whole different level when it comes to writing! I just finished "Running Wild" and I bow down to greatness. Normally there is some disappointment when reading anthologies, as there is always a weak story. This was not the case here. What was so amazing is that there were 3 different stories but it felt like you were reading one book!

There is humor, adventure, kinship, and lots of hot SEX. The heroines are smart, sassy and endearing, and the MEN are SEX PERSONIFIED. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPOINTED WITH THIS READ, IT IS MONEY WELL SPENT.

I am salivaing right now waiting for the Hell's Eight 2nd installment. Sara McCarty is one author where I will buy without even reading what the book is about...SHE IS JUST THAT GOOD!!

Sarah McCarty's books are an auto-buy for me. Although I'm not big into western historical romances, her Promises series and the Hell's Eight series are wonderful - strong characters, wonderful story lines, and some serious hot scenes that will leave you reaching for something cool to drink. It doesn't get any better.

Running Wild is a little bit different as you have 3 romances/inter-related stories combined into one book. Unlike other anthologies, you can't skip around and read each story on it's own - there's a continuous story that's weaved into the plot which works out well. Also unlike her other series, this book is set in current times and all the heros in this novel are werewolves.

If you're big into paranormals and werewolves, I'm not sure what you'll think of this book as I'll admit that I'm not big into paranormals - I like my characters to be human. But there's enough explanation so that someone who usually doesn't read paranormals feels comfortable reading this book.

While the female leads seemed a bit more well-defined and seemed to have more distinct personalities, I have to agree that I found the heros very similar in personality - there really didn't seem much to distinguish one from the other. That could be due to the short nature of each story. The shorter page count for each romance also explains why the characters meet and fall into bed with each other very quickly. I didn't totally buy it for each story but it's easy to put that aside and just enjoy the story.

Overall it's a fun read, though for me, not a keeper. I'll just look forward to the next Hell's Eight book.

Sarah McCarty's anthology, Running Wild is a fun, sexy and fascinating look into the Carmichael Pack. Donovan and Kelon are the Pack Protectors and Wyatt is the future Alpha. None of them are looking for mates, and in fact, have pretty much lost hope for finding them. You know what they say, as soon as you stop looking, that's when it finds you. Unfortunately, their mates come into these werewolves' lives at the worst possible moment. For Donovan and Kelon are sworn to defend their Pack and to uphold Pack Law, which denies the existence of human mates and Wyatt is being tested as the future Alpha and any sign of weakness could mean both his and his mate's death. All three werewolves refuse to give in to tradition however and vow to follow their mates into a new future.

Donovan's story starts with him tracking down Wyatt. He needs to get the future Alpha to come home and take over the Pack for his dying father. At a bar he meets Lisa Delaney just as she beats the snot of the guy who hurt her younger sister. Coming to her aid, his wolf recognizes her as his mate. Unsure of how to proceed, he only plans to see her safely home, until he presses her against his truck and starts down a path he can't turn back from. Lisa is a pretty stubborn woman. She accepts Donovan as a werewolf but for right now, can't bear to see him shift. She's been taking care of her sister for so long and when Donovan shows up, she's only too happy to lean on him and use him to help her forget her troubles. Donovan is a pretty dominant wolf and in finding his mate, demands her submission. Apparently the female wolves are submissive to the males so that the male's natural dominance doesn't rear it's ugly head and hurt them. Lisa is human though and finds too much fun in teasing and taunting him. Their bedroom scenes were hot and spicy without being over the top. Donovan was aggressive without being bullying, but when push came to shove, he was a big softy around her. He can't even discipline her in accordance with proper female Pack behavior, even though Lisa wouldn't mind.

Kelon's story starts when he joins his twin brother and his new human mate. Donovan asks for his help in protecting his mate and her sister from the guys Lisa bashed in that bar. Kelon is a pretty lonely wolf who hasn't found his mate yet, so he comes down to help his brother kick butt, never expecting to fall for Lisa's sister, Robin. Unfortunately, Robin is dying from her failing kidney transplant. She doesn't have much time left and so when Kelon steps into her life, she grabs onto her chance to finally know passion. The danger surrounding her and Lisa seems a little more personal and marked than the wounded pride of the guys from the bar. Thinking it better to split the women up, Kelon takes Robin into the mountains for protection. While in their comfy hidey hole, Robin tells Kelon that she's dying, and that she wants a short term affair. He's just found his mate and he doesn't care that she doesn't have a lot of time left. He's just grateful for the time they do have, so he doesn't waste time in marking her and bonding with her. He's determined that whenever she goes, he's going to follow. Kelon and Lisa were a good, well rounded couple. She was accepting of her fate and Kelon didn't waste time arguing with the pros and cons of mating with a human. Both of them got right down to business. Kelon is also a pretty dominant wolf, and even though Robin is fragile and soft, she's no sickly female who shrinks at the sight of an aggressive male. When she disobeys one of Kelon's orders and almost gets herself killed, she demands that he punish her. Her noisy discipline brings about an outraged Lisa, but when she gets a glimpse of her sisters 'discipline' she can only wonder why her mate hasn't 'disciplined' her yet.

Wyatt's story starts with Lisa and Robin's older sister Heather coming for a visit. She stubbornly refuses to believe that her younger sister's boyfriends are werewolves. She denies this all the way until she gets to the Carmichael compound, where Donovan and Kelon head to see how Wyatt is adjusting as the future Alpha. He isn't doing so good. He's constantly being challenged by the men he grew up with and he refuses to kill any of them. He's always been at odds with his father and the Pack tradition and the last thing he needs is to catch the scent of his mate in Heather Delaney. He knows the Pack will never accept her, but he can't stop himself from marking her as his. Heather has always tried to be in control of her life and now having Wyatt take charge is both a welcomed relief and a marked annoyance. Being the future Alpha and dominant to his bones, Wyatt has his hands full in getting Heather to submit to him. When he faces off yet another challenger however, Heather steps in and protects him as no female wolf would do. She faces down the Pack and Wyatt realizes he can never leave her side. He sets out for a new future, and with his mate and closest friends behind him, Wyatt determines new traditions and a safe haven for his Pack.

I enjoyed all three of these werewolf romance stories. The Alpha males were incredibly sexy, sweet, and endearing. I loved how they treated their women and how gentle they were with them.

If I had a criticism, it would be that the love scenes were agonizingly drawn out. I don't mean that Long love scenes aren't great, just that these particular scenes were drawn out with a lot of hesitation and dialogue instead of "action". They were fantastically romantic and sweet, but not quite the erotic madness I would have expected from were-love.

However, wonderful love stories and happy endings. I would definitely read more of SM's stories. :)

RUNNING WILD - SARA MCCARTY

Well - this was my first book by this author and I am eagerly anticipating the next in the series. It is an anthology - but all three stories are linked together and they are absolutely fantabulous!!

A mix of erotica and paranormal, Sara McCarty delivers a powerful and very touching story of werewolves and their mates. The dialogue between the characters is very amusing and at times wrenchgly poignant.

DONOVAN - He is the appointed Protector of the Carmicheal Pack. He has been sent on a mission to secure their next Alpha leader and ensure that he goes home and assume leadership of their Pack. He meets Lisa Delaney - who walks into a bar and beats the crap out of a local bully for having messed with her younger sister. Donovan has never thought that as a Protector he would be finding his Mate - but when he sees and scents Lisa - he knows immediately that she is his Mate and will stop at nothing to claim her. Lisa is all spunk with a smart mouth on her that won't quit and is quite umprepared for the sensual and sexual assault from Donovan!

KELON - He is Donovan's twin and the second Protector of their Pack. When their leader goes home to assume command of the Pack - he arrives to help Donovan - when the threat to the Delaney sisters is still very real. Donovan has claimed Lisa as his Mate and as such her family is now under his protection. When Kelon arrives, and meets Lisa's younger sister, Robin - he realizes by her scent that she is his one true Mate. Robin has gone through much in her young life - her health is fragile and the attack she suffered from the local bully, Buddy has left her in an even more fragile state. Kelon is marvelous with Robin - who because of her health and frailty has never experienced sex or any sensual encounters. Their relationship is bittersweet and for the volatile Kelon - he is afraid that the beast in him will hurt his Mate when he claims her - but the tenderness and sweetness Robin gives him is the balm his troubled soul has always needed.

WYATT - Alpha leader of his Pack - he is home because his father is dying and has to assume leadership of the Pack. When Kelon and Donovan show up with their human Mates, he meets Heather, the third and oldest of the Delaney sisters, who grew up raising her sisters and ensuring they were taken care of. Their story is explosive off the pages (wow... burn, baby burn!) as it was the shortest, but I think the hottest of all three.

These men are sex personified - their attraction to their human Mates is hot-blooded, raw and unimaginably sexual - sizzlin' hotter than bacon in a frying pan! The sex is hot and very descriptive - though at times it felt as if the sexual tension had been wound so tight that the sexual scenes lacked somewhat with their descriptiveness. But still, it was a fabulously sexy, funny and very poignant story - one which I am sure will appeal those who are looking for a very hot, steamy paranormal read.

I hadn't read anything really hot in a while so when I saw this anthology by Sarah McCarty, I ordered it on impulse. She writes extremely hot/intense long novels but they sometimes (IMHO) need tighter plotting and I was hopeful that she woud perfom better in a shorter format.

Running Wild has 3 seperate stories concerning 3 sisters. Each story stands on it's own but also builds from the previous one. The first one was hot and fun, but the second one was identical to the first, except that this sister was plumper. The third story was more of the same. I didn't feel the differentiation between the lovers and their stories at all. The men all had the same personality and almost the physical description. The women had slightly different life stories/personalities but somehow they didn't appear much different in the tales and they blurred together.

I was disappointed. Perhaps if you didn't read all 3 at once (but they are in the same volume...) it would work better, but 3 in a row was definitely over kill for me. Especially if you compare it to the next anthology I read - Angela Knight's Mercenaries - far, far hotter! So Running Wild was only adequate for me (though so much better than a lot of other stuff out there!)

Also, I paid a lot more than $4.99 for it, so it is a baragin now!

I started reading this book as if it was an anthology, so I was less than thrilled when I finished the 1st story and there were some unsolved businesses - not only related to the overall story arc but to the H/h's HEA too. Somewhere around the 2nd story, I realized Running Wild (Dark Haven) was more like a 3-part book instead of a traditional anthology. The 3 short stories were strongly connected and there was a continuous flow tying them together. Each story focused on a different couple working their way to their HEA, but the 1st 2 stories closed with a somewhat "partial" HEA and it was necessary to read the 3rd story to get full closure. That's probably why I thought the 3rd story was the weakest of the bunch, there was no room to develop the couple du jour's relationship and tie all the loose ends at the same time.

Even though this wasn't a traditional anthology, it had the same problems that make me wary of them: there wasn't enough character development to make me care for the H/h and their falling-in-love was too rushed. All the 3 heroes were very alpha, protective, loving, and very similar to each other. One could swap them and never know the difference - that's where a better character development would come in handy. As for the heroines, they were more distinguishable and each had a distinct personality. My favorite was Robin, the heroine in the 2nd story - which happened to be my favorite story too.

As for the love scenes, Ms. McCarty can write some long ones and so she did here, but I found myself skimming through some of them. They just didn't engage my attention, probably because I wasn't feeling too connected to the heroes. That's not good when I'm reading romantica novels.

All things considered, this was only an OK read for me. I miss the author who wrote the 1st 2 books in the 'Promises' series.

Running Wild by Sarah McCarty is an erotica read with three stories in it. I would not buy it new, but I suggest you try to find a used copy of it. It was so-so. The three stories are about three wolf shifters: Donovan, Kelon, and Wyatt. The main problem with it is that the plot of each story is weak and unbelievable. Three wolf shifters from the same pack supposedly all find their mates in three sisters. (spoiler) One of the sisters is dying too. Each shifter has to then choose between his pack or his mate because pack law forbids mating with humans. The book also never finishes it's storyline involving some bad guys who are trying to exact revenge against the sisters. Save your money for something else. 3 stars!

The scenes were well written in this book and Donovan was my favorite wolf but Robin was my favorite chick! This book could have been longer and I think it was a little far fetched (if there is such a thing reading these books) that the 3 sisters all mated with the 3 wolves. I guess it made it seem more fairy tale ending than suspenseful. But, it was good enough to make me want to read the second one when it comes out.