Fighting Instinct by Mary Calmes @dreamspinners

Fighting Instinct, Mary Calmes, Dreamspinner Press
L'Ange #2
Only a privileged few know L’Ange’s head of security Arman de Soto is a shifter, and even fewer know he’s been systematically killing off a pack of werewolves. The reason for this vengeance is a secret Arman trusts with no one, quite the opposite of his obvious longtime pursuit of the château’s overseer, Linus Hobbes. Despite Arman’s reputation as a loner, the only thing he needs to complete his life is Linus. Predator and prey just don’t mix—but Arman won’t give him up.

Linus has lived alone for more than seven years, sheltered at L’Ange under an assumed name and hiding secrets of his own, including his terrifying attraction to the most dangerous man he’s ever met. Arman knows Linus should be afraid of the predator stalking him, but Linus is still drawn to him like a moth to a flame, no matter how much he tries to deny his instincts. It’s not until Linus’s past and Arman’s crusade exposes their secrets and opens L’Ange to attack that Arman realizes waiting any longer is a risk he just can’t take. So he’ll have to take his quest to the source of the threat in a gamble to protect L’Ange, Linus, and any future they might have together.

REVIEW:
I was very excited when I saw that Ms. Calmes was bringing us back to L'Ange, and the characters and world that she created. This is a complex world with a myriad of different shifters; who each have their own unique abilities and rules. The two main characters we met in the first book but I had no idea that they would end up together...well played Mary, well played.

Linus runs the estate. For those of you who have read the In Death series, he is the the Summerset of the manor. Linus wasn't a big presence in the first book but you knew right at the end that he was going to have a story to tell. It turns out that his story isn't a pleasant one.

Arman took me by surprise. I really thought he was going to go a different way but was very happy with the way the story unfolded. What exactly he is was a surprise and very much fit his personality. Except when it came to Linus, that's when it all changed for him.

This was a good read for me but I had some problems with a few things so it wasn't great. I enjoyed reading more about Quade and Roman, but seriously how badass of an Alpha could Quade be if there were that many different shifters on the property and he didn't know?? I understand why he couldn't sense Arman but to not know about Linus and Jon, that I had a hard time with.

While this book wasn't as strong for me as the first book it did set up what could be a very interesting storyline for the next book, so I will definitely be back.


RATING: 3 Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries.  This book was given to us by Dreamspinner Press. Many thanks.