#TBW Kelly’s review of Dire Needs by Stephanie Tyler – Catch Up From The Beginning

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The full moon is their mistress. They are predators of pleasure and pain. Feared by humans, envied by werewolves, the Dire Wolves are immortal shifters, obeying no laws but their own bestial natures. Once they were many, but now only six remain, a dangerous wolfpack forever on the hunt…

Rifter leads the pack, embracing the lifestyle and ethics of an outlaw biker even as he battles an ancient enemy who has become a new, powerful force. But with his Brother Wolf raging inside him, howling to be unleashed, he needs to satisfy his hungers. And when he meets a drop-dead gorgeous blonde drinking alone in a bar that caters to both human and inhuman, Rifter’s primal instinct is to claim her.

Gwen has her own desires, long unfulfilled. She hopes a passionate night with the leather-clad, Harley-riding biker will ease her suffering. The seizures that have wracked her body her entire life are incurable—and they’re killing her.

But none of that will matter if Rifter can’t stop the growing threat to them all–trappers who are determined to enslave humankind and use the Dire wolves as part of their nefarious plan.

I really enjoyed this story.  As with most first books in a series there is a lot of world building and introductions of characters.  And boy are there characters in this book.   I am already looking forward to Jinx, Vice, Rogue, Stray & Liam’s books. Oh and don’t forget the twins…. But I am getting to far ahead of myself, back to the review. Dire Needs is Rifter and Gwen’s story.

Rifter is the reluctant leader of the last remaining Dires (an immortal werewolf).  The last thing Rifter ever expected to find was Gwen.  Trouble, Yes!!  Danger, Yes!!  But Gwen, Never.  Now he can’t do anything but think about her.  When Gwen is put in danger Rifter does what any wolf would do to protect his mate.  He fights to the death for her.  But how can this human be his mate? He and his brothers are cursed to never find mates.  This has to be some cruel joke, but will Rifter fight for what he wants or fight against fate?

Gwen doesn’t have much time left.  She is a walking time bomb and one of these days she will die.  So Gwen decides it is time to live her life and do the one thing that she has never done before, fight a man.  Gwen lives for now, not the past that tries to haunt her, not the future she will never have, but now, because that is all she has left.  When Gwen sees Rifter for the very first time, she know he is just what she has been looking for.  What Gwen doesn’t know is how the beautiful stranger will completely change her life in a very, very short time.

So back to what I was saying about the characters.  The cast of characters in this book are great.  Each has such strong personalities.  Vice, is cocky (wink, wink) to a fault, Jinx is so caring, Rogue is lost, Stray is quite, Liam is angry, and the twins, well the twins are just naughty.   

I loved Rifter.  He is strong, stubborn, loyal and willing to protect everyone even if it means to sacrifice himself.  Everything a born leader should be. Now that he has found his Queen he is finally ready to step into the role of leader.