I had the pleasure of reading The Ulfric’s Mate by Leona
Bushman and published by Breathless Press.
It is the classic conflict between warring factions,
Hatfields and McCoys, the Montagues and the Capulets. That is not to say it is not an original
story. Ms. Bushman takes the same
universal themes that have been explored through the centuries and weaves them
into a well-built world of werewolves and werecats that carries a very Native
American (First Peoples) flavor.
Nolan Littlebull is the alpha of the Wahpawhat
pack of Werewolves and the lead detective on a series of murders of pregnant
women from his pack. Torn between human justice and were justice, he travels
deep onto the Yakama Reservation tracking the ones responsible. He is attacked
by one of the rival pack, only to be defended by another from the rival pack.
Alexandria George is the healer for the Lupins.
She defends the mysterious wolf in their territory from her pack's bully and
escapes with the stranger, only to find that they are bonded as a true mated
pair.
This is a well written story with strong main
characters. Both the fight and sex scenes are well done. The sexual tension
between Nolan and Alex is palpable and the consummation is HOT.
Alex is particularly well conceived and I felt
that, while this was written from multiple points of view, this was her story.
She is emotionally scarred because, despite being her pack’s healer and a human
doctor, she is an outsider in her pack. I won’t go into details as to why to
avoid a spoiler.
There are the necessary battles for dominance at
the end, but we are left with sufficient loose ends to want the next book in
the series. And I can’t wait!
My only qualm is that I would like to see more
texture to Nolan. I am a fan of the troubled hero and as of the first book, we
get only vague references to any inner conflicts he may have. They do not have the same depth as her
exploration of Alex’s “issues” I hope that Ms. Bushman digs deeper into his
psyche in future books.
That said I anxiously await the next book in the
series and highly recommend this paranormal romance.
I give Ulfric’s Mate 4.5 triskeles.
Leona Bushman lives in Central/Eastern Washington with her
husband and children writing, painting, gardening, running, camping, or just
reading or crafting. She also loves to swim but rarely gets a chance to as
she's busy chasing after the three of five children still left at home.
Want to read, the PRINT edition will be available tomorrow.
Prefer eBook or need it NOW! check these sites for this and more by Leona Bushman:
Sassy and saucy, she can be found writing about her trials and errors as a mom and writer at the following places:
If you want more of her, she's found on twitter as often as
not at @L_Bushman just follow and don't be a spammer. She follows back if you
look like a real person. Besides werewolves, she also likes zombies, vampires,
and fairies. Oh and don't forget the dragons. You're likely to catch her
attention if you talk to her about any of the above. Or sports. She loves
sports but rarely gets a chance to indulge that love. So speak up!
