FULL BLOODED by Amanda Carlson

Full Blooded
Amanda Carlson

Rating: A+
Synopsis:
Born the only female in an all male race, Jessica McClain isn’t just different—she’s feared.

After living under the radar for the last twenty-six years, Jessica is thrust unexpectedly into her first change, a full ten years late. She wakes up and finds she’s in the middle of a storm. Now that she’s become the only female full-blooded werewolf in town, the supernatural world is already clamoring to take a bite out of her and her new Pack must rise up and protect her.

But not everyone is on board. The werewolf Rights of Laws is missing text and the superstitious werewolves think that Jessica means an end to their race. It doesn’t help when Jessica begins to realize she’s more. She can change partway and hold her form, and speak directly to her wolf. But the biggest complication by far is that her alpha father can't control her like he can the rest of his wolves.

When a mercenary who’s been hired by the vampires shows up to extract information about the newly turned werewolf only days after her change, they find themselves smack in the middle of a war and there's no choice but to run together. When it’s up to Jessica to negotiate her release against her father’s direct orders, she chooses to take an offer for help instead. In exchange, Jessica must now swear an oath she may end up repaying with her life.

My thoughts on the book:
Wow. Just wow. Full Blooded blew me away! I had high hopes for this book, and it did not disappoint. Carlson delivers a unique twist on werewolf lore with this novel, and I could not get enough! This book has it all: nonstop suspense and action, steamy romance, a likable narrator/heroine, and complex characters. I have been looking for a series to replace Kelley Armstrong's the Otherworld series since it ended, and I think I've found my match! This is one book that fans of the paranormal cannot miss. 

Jessica is a strong and intelligent leading lady. She reminds me vaguely of Elena Michaels from Armstrong's series (the independence and strength), but at the same time, she is her own character. She is fiercely loyal and loves her family more than anything. She wants to fight, and sometimes she is stubborn and doesn't have the best ideas, but she's no idiot. She knows what she's doing, and she makes things work for her. Jessica, like Elena, wants to live a normal life, and that's where the similarities end. Jessica wasn't changed against her will. She was born a werewolf, but they thought she'd never change. She grew up at the Compound with other werewolves, and many of them hated her because she was different. The book begins with the intense scene of Jessica's first change. 

Speaking of her change, Carlson introduces Jessica's wolf to us early on as well. The wolf lives inside of Jessica and seems to be its own entity. It communicates with Jessica, though it is a lot more animalistic than Jessica's human side is. The wolf acts on instinct alone, and watching Jessica learn to balance her two sides is  entertaining to say the least. I really loved the wolf. She adds a lot to this story. 

The male characters are all interesting in their own ways. Each character is complex and has his own personality. There are many different types of shifters, but since Jessica is in a male dominated world, most of the characters are male rather than female. That doesn't mean Jessica is a skank, it just means that there are lots of men in her life. I enjoyed getting to know a little bit about each man Jessica knew, and I can't wait to learn even more about them. None of the characters were flat. Even the secondary characters stood out as unique and intriguing. 

The plot is intense and action-packed. I could not put this book down! Poor Jessica can't catch a break. It seems like everyone wants her dead. She doesn't fall apart, though. She holds it together and does what she has to do. As for who the bad guys are, Carlson kept me guessing. There are so many people sticking their noses in Jessica's business, that I couldn't figure out who to trust and who not to. Along with the mystery, there are tons of fight scenes and a few steamy romance scenes as well. This book isn't heavy on the sex or romance, but there are some hot scenes for the romance lovers. The ending ties up a few plot lines from this book (the main ones) and opens up some new ones for the sequel, which I can't wait for. 

Fans of Kelley Armstrong, Chloe Neill, and Patricia Briggs will love this series. If you haven't tried any of those authors and you're curious about this book, give it a try. You won't be sorry!

Buy Full Blooded!