Come On, Suck It Up!

I loved the first book in the Grassroots series so much that I snatched Suck It Up as soon as the publisher made it available for review. Emma Hillman has written another quick, hot and twisty read. If you loved Nate in the first book Rough It Up (which I so did), get ready for Dr. Nate Franks to find his own mate now in his own unique way.

Once his Pride’s most easy-going alpha lion, Nate has moved back into town to work as the Pride’s doctor. Now his little nurse Kellie is driving him crazy. Not even sure he likes her – in fact nearly certain he doesn’t – his good humor and charm are completely lost on her. Rumor has it Kellie transferred from another Pride because they couldn’t deal with her anymore and Nate plans to get to the bottom of it. When he catches a scent and suspects an interesting turn of events, their confrontation doesn’t end as you might expect. Kellie is struggling with her lioness while ashamed and recovering from the treatment she received from her previous Pride. And while she is likely the only woman who isn’t attracted to Nate (I love this dynamic because it was so unexpected!), she is also well aware that he could actually help her control her lioness.

The unique twists Hillman interjects in her stories create characters and plots that are far more interesting than the average shifter stories. Having a shifter struggle with her lioness is unusual and makes Kellie seem a more sympathetic character. When Nate learns the truth about her old Pride, he’s furious someone would hurt this gentle woman. Realizing his judgments of Kellie were wrong, he wants nothing more than to help her. But his idea of helping wasn’t exactly what Kellie had in mind and now the only one angrier than her about their mating is Nate’s father, the Pride’s Alpha. And then in yet another twist, there’s someone intent on owning Kellie in her own way.

Seems like a lot going on? It’s really not – Hillman weaves it all together and then sews it up in the end in a satisfying conclusion. While at first it seems the story is about Nate saving Kellie, in the end they save each other. Hillman creates scenes where readers see the strength of each character as they each rise to meet challenges. And including Nate’s family as secondary characters grounds the story and adds to the connection with the two main characters.

Suck It Up is a quick read with a fast-moving, twisty storyline. If you love shifters, you won’t want to miss this story.  The Grassroots series is sure to become a favorite - I'll be certain to watch for the next book.

RATING: 5 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries 

This book was given to us by Resplendence Publishing. You can purchase the book using this link.