Book Whispers: ARC Review: Deceived by the Others by Jess Haines

Deceived By The Others (H&W Investigations)

Deceived by the Other (H&W Investigations, book 3) by Jess Haines

Genre: Urban Fantasy

ARC Book will be released July 5th, 2011

They're here, and they're real. . .werewolves, vampires, mages, and other creatures of the night. For New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest, taking care of Others business started out as a way to stay solvent. But now business is getting very, very complicated. . .

Shiarra's relationship with sexy werewolf Chaz may be somewhat unconventional. Still, after a few bumps, Shia is finally ready to get serious. That means meeting family—or in this case, bringing Chaz's entire werewolf pack along for a rollicking full-moon weekend in the Catskills.

Soon after they arrive, threatening notes appear, warning Chaz to go home. Then their cabin is ransacked. Shia starts digging to find out whether it's the work of upstart teenaged werewolves or something more sinister. Yet as rumors about her vampire connections arouse the pack's hostility, Shia has to contend with other dangers. Not just from an adversary about to make his fatal intentions known, but from a threat that's even closer than she knows. . .

Review:

After the chilling events of the last book, where Shia faced her worst fear of being blood bonded to two vampires and made into a mindless slave, Shai is determined to avoid the supernatural drama. Even after the leader of the White Hats, New York’s king vampire Royce, and a stalking reporter tells her that her latest adventure will put her at risk. She's determined to go to the ski resort with Chaz—her Alpha Were boyfriend—and his pack. It's time for her to prove she's serious about her relationship with Chaz to the point that she trusts him enough to sign a Contract with him.

Even if Shia leaves the warnings—and her artillery—at home the monsters aren't ready to let her get back to anything resembling normal. Trouble makers in Chaz's pack want to take his place as Alpha and they don't believe in playing fair. That's not the only trouble. A rival pack in the area is targeting Chaz and Shia. The true danger is closer to home to Shia then she could have ever imagined. Shia is betrayed by someone I never saw coming. That someone has put up such a front of lies and deceit that at one point I actually had to put Deceived by the Others down and go on a stress jog to cool my emotions down. Then another surprise had me out running my stress away!

Though the majority of the book takes place in the wilderness at the ski resort, Haines really dishes up a great tale. Getting into the Sunstriker's pack life was really fun and I could almost forgive that all the amazing side cast was left behind in New York City. Even the lesser doses of action didn't bother me, this book is unexpected in ways that I didn't think this series could pull off.

When Shia finally makes it back to the big apple a scandalizing article in the paper blows her big secret into city wide news (if not national). After the reporter who wrote the article is found dead—killed by Others—Shia and her closest friend Sara have to disappear. Leading her to seek refuge from the one person she never thought she would go to, Royce. She's prepared to sell herself to him and submit to a blood bond with him. Haines, however, was not done pulling huge surprises out of her hat. Royce does something so amazing that I have to shake my head in shame at all the doubts I've had about him. The new side of him is something I need to explore pronto, I've already got my Team Royce shirt ready for the next book!

Shia is turning into the bad ass that Urban Fantasy fans have come to covet of their female leads. If the excerpt of the next book is anything to go by Shia is going to be one beloved bad ass babe. Deceived by the Others has some staggering plot threads here, and at this point this book/series can not be overlooked! Characters you thought you loved will become the ones you hate, and the ones you've hated will become the ones you love. Haines has truly demonstrated she's not a gimmick in the genre of UF.

Sexual content: Kissing, heavy petting, sexual humor, and a reference to rape.

Rating: 4/5- Great! Really enjoyed it.