Book 1 - Prince of Wolves - Chapter 21

Chapter 21

My Thoughts:

This is such a hard chapter to read. Not because it isn’t good, but because it is so emotionally charged. Things “get real” for Jacque et al. Fane starts to lose control, Jacque learns (with a push from Jen) that her touch can sooth the savage beast in Fane, and we see a fierceness come out of Jacque that we’ve not seen before.

Jacque has no qualms about getting into the Coldspring wolves’ faces and she stands up to them with such strength and fire that you just know it was a sight to behold.

Preparing for her meeting with Lucas, Jacque keeps her style and sense of humor by wearing a Team Edward t-shirt. (I actually have one of these!), and you have to give her props for being bold enough to wear something like that on first meeting this crazed Alpha.

The t-shirt ends up being key to the events that are set in motion. Because Jacque really wants to rub the whole vampire thing in the wolf’s face, she forgets that she has markings to protect. Lifting her hair so Lucas can read the back of her shirt just starts the trouble. The thing is though, without that chain of events we would have missed out on some very key moments for Jacque and Fane – so the outcome was worth the scare.

Fane catching just a glimpse of Lucas losing it, through Jacque’s bond with him, causes his wolf to lose it, at this point all bets are off.

Jacque has no problem letting Lucas know that she has no intentions of ever being his mate, and Lucas, who temporarily lost it, scratches Jacque. Now granted, it wasn’t a bad wound or anything – but it was enough to really put a damper in his plans, as well as really piss off a few people, i.e. Lilly.

I also love how Jen and Sally show up and have Jacque’s back. These girls let nothing, and I mean nothing come between them and their friends without one hell of a fight.

Favorite Lines:

Jacque looked at Jen and then at Sally. She couldn’t believe something so profound had come out of Jen’s mouth.

Sally shrugged. “Who knew?” she said, answering Jacque’s unspoken question.

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“You think I’m scared of you?" She asked sarcastically. “I’m your worst nightmare. Just remember, we all gotta sleep sometime. Hope you can sleep with one eye open,” she winked at him and turned to walk back to the house.

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“If either of you touches her I will kill you and use your pelt as a rug.”

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“Do you think it wise to bare your throat  to the one who would see it torn out?” Jacque asked…

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Fane growled again. I have a feeling he’s going to be doing a lot of that being mated to me, she thought to herself.

Things We Learned:

• Jacque’s touch soothes Fane’s wolf
• Jennifer has depth
• Jacque tells Fane she loves him
• Jacque is not someone you want to piss off
• Lucas Steele is about 6 feet tall, has brown hair, 1 blue eye and 1 green eye

Book 1 - Prince of Wolves - Chapter 19

Chapter 19

My Thoughts:

Jacque is very naïve and shy when it comes to physical intimacy, oddly enough, as we learn in later books, not as much as Sally is, but naïve and shy none the less.  Fane is inexperienced, but he isn’t uniformed, or prudish about it. I’m sure explaining the blood rites to Jacque was difficult for Fane, because he was already in a hard situation. In the span of a very short time he has had to explain to her that he isn’t just a foreign exchange student who is interested in dating her, but that he is a werewolf and she is his true mate. Not to mention that there is a pack interested in her and she needs to bond with him soon.

Think of how well Jacque handled all of this – yeah there were a few outbursts, but she is a 17 year-old girl who just had her world turned upside down and inside out.

However, I would like to point out that Jacque’s embarrassment of PDA and discussing sex goes a whole other direction by book 3 (we are still waiting on Sally LOL). I would also like to point out that we learn later that not only do mates bite each other now and then other reasons, including pleasure, but we learn that Jacque likes it. Which is what makes me smile when here Jacque says to Fane:

“You’re right, there is no way that mouth of yours is coming near my neck in front of anyone, not my mom and especially not your parents.”

Because throughout the books there are times they get very hot and heavy in front of several people, including his parents.

When a male bites his mate during the blood rites, he leaves a mark that indicates she is bonded. Unlike the marks that match her mate’s marks, this mark is meant to be seen. The bite also marks the female by giving her the scent of her mates. Leaving no question as to who she belongs to – it also marks the males with the females scent.

The connection between Fane and Jacque is getting stronger. Jacque knows that she wants no one else, but she is scared because this is all so new and unknown to her. It must have been unnerving to feel such intense sadness just at the thought of Fane leaving to go home for the night. To hear Fane tell her that he loves her after one date, shortly after he “demonstrated” where he would be biting her. Her heart must have been going nuts!

When Jacque sends Fane an image of him holding her, her neck tilted in submission to let him know she would submit to the blood rites ceremony – Jacque pins it on her subconscious, but I think it was her inner wolf.

Favorite Lines:

“I’m not even going to ask about the vampire comment. I’m just gonna let that one slide by without so much as a wave or glance…”

Things We Learned:

• Jacque gets the intimate details of the Blood Rites (private – they both bite each other on the neck)
• Fane is sad because of the changes he is bringing to Jacque’s life
• Touching is a very powerful thing for wolves, providing comfort and reassurance
• When a wolf’s mate needs something like comfort, it calls out to their mate
• Males bite females during BR to leave a visual symbol that the female is mated
• When the mates perform the BR they give each other their scent, so to other Canis Lupis she smells like him and he smells like her (the scents will intensify greatly after the pair have mated)
• Jacque is nervous about meeting Fane’s parents
• Jacque sucks at science
• Trent never reacted to Jacque – physically. At least not as well as Fane does
• Fane is jealous of the affection Jacque felt for Trent
• Wolves think in absolutes
• Fane respects Lilly, but will do what he has to in order to protect Jacque
• Fane loves Jacque

Book 1 - Prince of Wolves - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

My Thoughts:

After Fane and Jacque finish admitting to one another that they think the other is hot; things start to fall into place. Now Jacque is caught off guard by Sorin standing in the house and later on by her two best friends being there. I’m guessing that she was so caught up in her thoughts from all that was happening and the hotness of Fane that she didn’t notice 3 cars in front of her house. Granted, QL doesn’t tell us the cars are there, but in previous statements we know the girls drove there in their car, and we know that Sorin was renting a car when he got to the airport. So there were 2 possibly 3 cars…but I digress.

Now I read somewhere that someone didn’t like all the internal dialog that takes place, I’ve also read that some people do not like the amount of dialog period that take place in TGWS…I personally love it. My family is a chatty bunch, we tend to say what we are thinking, and I know that I have a lot of internal dialog, so to me this is normal. It is also, IMHO some of the funniest internal dialog, also reminding me of my family.

I must give Lilly props for being completely open and honest with her daughter over not wanting to tell her the truth about her heritage. She could have said she was waiting until she was 18 or a number of other things; instead she just says:

“Actually, no. I wasn’t planning on telling you as long as it never affected you. I figured there was no reason to add confusion to the pain of your father leaving.”

Considering what she has just been told, Jacque responds pretty well. She of course has to learn what the realities of being a werewolf actually is since what she knows is all fairytale.  Here is where she finds out that Jennifer and Sally are still there at the request of Lilly. Again, props to Lilly for thinking ahead and having her daughter’s support system there and ready to help Jacque process the information that just turned her world upside down.

Once Jacque gets the information processing, it dawns on her that Fane has referred to her as his mate. Now I’m not entirely sure why at this point Fane looks deflated, well I mean it is explained that the thought of her not wanting him is more than he can bear but I’m not sure why he went straight to that conclusion. Is it just the insecurity that comes with being 17 years old? Is it that he is concerned that this is just too much new information to process for her, that not being from his world she is automatically going to reject his way of life and do what she wants? I would think that a lot of thoughts went swirling through Jacque’s mind as she was processing everything and trying to suss out how she felt, I’m sure there were probably a few thoughts that scared Fane.

Unfortunately for Jacque the one thing she asks for is the one thing she cannot have. Isn’t that always the case? She wants some time to sort through things and really get a grasp on what she is feeling. Fane has to tell her the rest of what is going on and that is where QL decided to leave us…

Favorite Lines:

“I guess I’m as good as can be expected. Don’t be alarmed if I freak out or have a meltdown, it will pass,” she told him with only a small amount of teasing in her voice.

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Jacque closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. In and out, in and out. Whatever it is, whatever he tells you, you will not cower in a corner and shake like a frightened puppy, she told herself firmly. No, but I make no promises that I won’t pass out from shock. There is no shame in passing out, it’s simply the brain’s way of saying 'hold the stink up, I need to process this mess'. Jacque smiled at her monologue, wondering if other people talked to themselves like that. Probably not, but everyone’s got something, right?

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“Fane, you can’t possibly be embarrassed by thinking I’m hot. I practically drool all over you every time I see you. I should be the one embarrassed,” she confessed to him.

“Are you?” Fane asked.

“I guess maybe I should be, but throw me a bone, you are freaking hot. I can’t change that so I’m embracing it.”

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Okay, Jacque thought, I’m fixing to have a two-year-old moment.

“MOM!” Jacque yelled, “WHO IN KING ARTHUR’S NAME IS THIS MAN IN OUR HOUSE, WHAT THE CRAP DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU AREN’T TELLING ME, AND FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THINGS THAT KEEP US SANE WHAT HELL IS GOING ON!”

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“Well, that’s a crappy deal. Here you have a dad who can turn into this cool wolf thingy and you can’t even get a sexy, bushy tail,” Jen said as she and Sally walked into the living room.

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“Every page-turning word. I wanted to pop some popcorn. I figured there might be some tense moments and you know I eat when I’m tense, but goody two shoes here wouldn’t let me,” Jen said irritably.

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“We know, sweetie. But see, since it was Jacque finding out it was her dad who gets hairy, not yours, I didn’t really care if you were tense.”

  

Things We Learned:

• Jacque was actually freaked out by the events that took place in the park
• The idea of Fane leaving causes Jacque actual pain
• Sorin has arrived
• Lilly never planned to tell Jacque the truth about her father
• Jacque realizes that her mom still loves her father
• Although Lilly was originally angry when Fane first arrived, she has come to terms with it
• Jacque gets sarcastic when she is freaked out (and under many other circumstances)
• Jennifer eats when she is tense
• Jacque finds out that her dad left because he found his true mate, and never found out about her
• The thought of life without Fane makes it hard for Jacque to breathe

Book 1 - Prince of Wolves - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

My Thoughts:

Fane and Jacque have a nice dinner, easy conversation and everything seems to be fine. Fane takes her to a nearby park but they never actually make it to play putt-putt. That made me just a little sad because Fane never gets to experience that wonderful game (:

I enjoy learning about each of them as they answer basic questions. I noticed that Fane doesn’t give his favorite song, but we learn later about the Willie Nelson song he loves.

I have noticed that Jacque, and Jennifer for that matter, can be a little tightly wound up on occasions. The fact that she jumped all over Fane when he asked her if she wanted to date someone shows that she assumed the response and jumped on him based on that assumption, not really seeming to hear what he was saying. Either that or she is just so flustered by how she really doesn’t want to date anyone else that she decided to take it out on him. Either way she overreacted just a tad, but she is a 17 year old girl going through some drastic hormonal changes, one might say she handled it pretty well.

Having the two Coldspring wolves show up did a couple of things.  It allowed Fane to not have to even attempt at explaining how Lilly could possibly know anything about what was going on, clued Jacque in on something more than just your day-to-day run in with a bad element was going on. She caught reference to the “animal kingdom” during the confrontation, and yet she didn’t freak.

Fane refers to Steve as “Beta” however we meet the actual Beta later in the book once Lucas is defeated, so it would appear that Steve is part of the top 4 – I’m assuming that is who all of the 4 were that came, and Fane was addressing him by saying “something other than Alpha”. Not sure if that is an insult or not, but one can hope.

It would appear, again, that the Coldspring pack really isn’t up on protocol because they appear to be confused by the fact that their pack isn’t on record as existing. So either they don’t know they are supposed to be registered, or they do not realize that Lucas hasn’t handled the proper paperwork. It is my understanding that this loophole is why Fane doesn’t have to really pay attention to their Alpha. You can’t claim what isn’t yours legally. So until you file the paperwork, it isn’t your territory.

You have to admire the male wolf ego though, because once they process the fact that Fane has basically flipped them off they come back with they we out number you bit. This is another one of those “underestimate the pup” situations because clearly they didn’t get that he was more dominant than any of them. Steve has already been through this, apparently the Coldspring pack is also not big on communication because that was probably a bit of information the other 3 guys could have used.  Or, if we give Steve the benefit of the doubt we can go with the thought that he told them this and they just needed to see it for themselves. Either way, dumbass move. Clearly, regardless of what impression they had of Fane, they did not take into account just how dominate he was nor did they take into account how educated on the rules he was. Which brings me to one of the favorite lines listed below:

“You tell your Alpha to back off. There are only so many disregards for Pack Laws that I will concede.”

So put that in your pipe and smoke it! One look and a slight change in tone and down go 4 cocky wolves. Now, those of us who have read the series know that Fane is as dominant as his father, possible more so. Vasile is the most dominant Alpha around… so these guys were screwed before they got out of the car.

The book tells us “When a dominant issued a command like that the submissive could only obey, whether they wanted to or not.” Thus, when Fane said “Leave, now.”, they had to leave. I suspect that this bit of knowledge is what pushed Lucas into challenging Fane then instead of waiting. Regardless of the fact that Fane was 17, if he could order Lucas’ top 4 around, chances were he was more dominant the rest of them. Lucas needed to claim his mate and get rid of this dominant before anything else could happen.

You know that once the guys left and Fane had to look at Jacque there had to be a part of him that was extremely proud of the fact that not only did she not run away screaming from the encounter, but she was standing her ground and demanding answers. She was in true Alpha form.

Favorite Lines:

But the night was still young, and he had ample time to make a fool of himself, so better not count your pups.

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This is ridiculous, want to prance in front of my mate and show her I’m worthy of her. Act normal, you hairy baboon, or she’s going to run from you screaming.

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“You tell your Alpha to back off. There are only so many disregards for Pack Laws that I will concede.”

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“Ok, you can forget trying to get away with not explaining that little episode of the Twilight Zone…”

Things We Learned:

• Fane did use self-control in front of Lilly by not touching Jacque’s marks
• Fate gives an Alpha male an Alpha female
• Jacque enjoyed her first motorcycle ride
• Jacque’s joy soothes Fane’s wolf
• Fane realizes Jacque is his to love, and that he will love her
• Fane likes Coldspring
• Fane lives a formal life
• Fane lives in a 7,000 sq ft mansion
• Jacque’s favorite color depends on the day but usually she refers to green in the books
• Jacque dresses according to her moods
• Jacque’s favorite song is currently Bob Seager’s ‘Accompany Me’, but changes regularly
• Jacque’s favorite book is Shell Silverstein’s ‘Where the Sidewalk Ends’
• Jacque’s favorite movie is the ‘Harry Potter’ series
• Jacque doesn’t think of herself as an only child with her two best friends being more like sisters
• Fane’s favorite color is any shade of black or grey
• Fane’s favorite book is ‘Lord of the Rings’
• Fane’s favorite movie is ‘300’
• Fane doesn’t like the responsibility that comes with being the only heir in his family
• Fane does not have a girlfriend in Romania
• Jacque doesn’t want to date anyone else but Fane
• Jacque’s emotions for Fane are very intense
• Fane’s wolf wants to preen in front of Jacque and is pleased she noticed their markings match

Book 1 - Prince of Wolves - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

My Thoughts:

This was one of those “fluff” chapters; necessary for the entertainment value; details of the girls helping Jacque get ready and all, but not a ton of information given.  There were, of course, great lines of dialog, part of which was Jennifer describing in great detail what she would do to Jacque if Jacque didn’t finally kiss Fane. She has quite the imagination and I must say she comes up with some very impressive ways to get back at someone; and these are for her friends – I would hate to be on the receiving end of one of her plots and not be her friend!

I’m amused at Fane and how he responds to the way Jacque looks and to her markings. I wonder if he is less concerned with protocol because he knows that Lilly is aware of the situation. Does he assume that her knowledge makes it ok for him to acknowledge his position in this relationship, even if Jacque doesn’t catch the full meaning?

I’m also curious as to why at this point Lilly just doesn’t come clean? She cannot help but react to things, even though she is able to recover quickly – she still reacts to them. Why not just have the discussion now instead of playing like the markings are fake tattoos? I realize that from the story stand point Fane and Jacque needed to leave, there were events that needed to take place – I’m just trying to understand the characters thought process here. So I’ve decided that Lilly was still in either a bit of denial or in shock – maybe a little of both. The realization that her daughter had a true mate at the tender age of 17 must have been difficult to deal with, especially since it happened so quickly. It isn’t like they had known each other for years and dated for a good while.

Favorite Lines:

“I was just talking to Fane and his voice got all sensual on me and it was like…”

Jacque didn’t know how to finish so Jen offered up, “Phone sex, virtual mind sex, I would say sex on a stick put that really only applies to Dove ice cream bars.”

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“Because they look as cool as Hades, that’s why,” Jen piped in.

“That statement doesn’t even make sense, Jen. Hell is not cool, geez…”

“Oh, my bad. They look as hot as Hades, that’s why,” Jen interrupted.

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“If you like that gorgeous piece of meat out there and you don’t kiss him, I will personally take every bra you own and hang them on all the antennas of the cars on your street. Oh, and I'll write your name on them in black magic marker and hang two on hottie's motorcycle! How you like them apples?” Jen told her.

“Where on earth do you come up with these ideas? Is there like a website called vindictive.com, or cruel-mean-ideas.org?” Sally asked her sarcastically.

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“Alright. We’re going, mom. Love you. Don’t wait up, I’ll wake you up when I get home. Yes, I will wear my helmet; no, I won’t be cold; no, I don’t need any money; yes, I have my house key, and yada yada yada,” Jacque answered before her mom could even ask.

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“You ready, Luna?” he asked her. It felt like he wasn’t just asking her about the motorcycle ride, more like he was giving her a choice, one that she had no plausible outcome for.

“Probably not, but what the hell. What’s life without a little excitement or craziness, ya know? Take your pick,” Jacque answered.

Things We Learned:

• Jacque feels she could fall hard for Fane
• Jacque feels like she belongs with Fane, like she has always belonged with him
• Lilly knows what the tattoo is (you can tell by her reaction)
• Jacque’s helmet is black and dark pink with different designs on it

Book 1 - Prince of Wolves - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

My Thoughts:

Previously we found out that Fane’s  markings stung when the car drove by as he was entering Jacque’s house. Here we are told that there were two Canis Lupis in the car. Steve, the salesman, and another that we have not yet met.

Although we know that someone has claimed Jacque, at least at the beginning of this chapter, Fane doesn’t understand what they want with her. It may be that at this point he thinks that because she had no mating signs that someone just claimed the right to get to know her. At this point Fane doesn’t appear to suspect that he is going to be challenged for bonding rites. If he had of suspected it, I imagine that he would have already had Lilly and Jacque on a plane back to Romania.

Fane calls his father to seek advice. He knows that the Coldspring Alpha wants him out, and Fane wants to know what his father/Alpha thinks is the best course of action. Vasile has decided to send Sorin back to Texas in order to show the Coldspring pack that Fane is not alone. He has told Fane to protect Lilly and Jacque but to not do anything without a reason.  Then Vasile kind of drops a few bombs on Fane. Sorin will be staying with Lilly, which makes Fane slightly uncomfortable because Sorin is an unmated male, but he trusts Sorin and the protection is needed. Fane learns that Lilly knows what is going on but has not shared with Jacque. He is starting to truly understand that someone really means to bond with his true mate.

Vasile explains that what was once taught about true mates is no longer remembered by some, and that is why they think that bonding with any female will work. Now I’m not sure if this is an indication that the werewolf education just really where the subject of mates/bonding is concerned or if the darkness that takes over causes them to forget, or just be that stupid. It seems to me that fighting to the death for someone who cannot possibly live up to your expectations is a bit much, so there has to be something that clouds their judgment. So is it that they forget because of the darkness, or because they are not taught?

The conversation with his father over, Fane reaches out to Jacque. After discovering she’s not a morning person, he tells her when he will pick her up and that they will be playing putt-putt.

Favorite Lines:

“…What they don’t know, because they don’t remember what our ancestors have taught, is there is only one mate for each. Only one,” his father emphasized.

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“Oh, my bad. It’s moved up to still-too-freaking early,” Jacquelyn responded.

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“I was thinking that golf game Americans play that has all the different obstacles,” Fane answered.

Things We Learned:

• Fane runs (of course he does)
• Werewolves are stealthy
• Canis Lupis can run longer distances than humans, even in human form
• Canis Lupis do not have to work out (and yes I hate them just a little for that)
• Canis Lupis all have muscular physiques, some are leaner than others
• Jacque still dreams about Trent, but not in a way that shows she still is interested in him
• Fane and his wolf both are unhappy about the idea of Trent hurting Jacque
• Canis Lupis can run faster than humans, even in human form
• There were 2 Canis Lupis in the car that passed Jacque’s house the night before
• Vasile has not ordered Fane to leave yet
• Vasile is sending Sorin back
• Sorin will be staying at Jacque’s house
• Vasile has spoken with Lilly
• Jacque is half Grey
• Jacque’s father is a Grey
• Jacque’s parents were together a long time, never married
• Jacque’s father told Lilly about being Grey because she had a special gift and knew there was something different about him
• Jacque’s father came home one day, packed his stuff and left
• Jacque’s father has been located and he has a mate
• Lilly knows who Fane is
• Lilly never told Jacque about who/what her father was or what she is
• Fane is supposed to let Lilly be the one to explain things to Jacque
• Jacque is not a morning person
• Fane is going to take Jacque to play putt-putt for their date

Book 1 - Prince of Wolves - Chapter 11

Chapter 11

My Thoughts:

Ah the random emotions of a teenage girl. Having lived through 3 teenage daughters, I feel for Lilly. You just never know how they are going to react to things. You would think that Jacque would have been excited about finding out her mother had invited Fane over for pizza and games. She obviously likes him. So is it the fact that she is freaking out about the mind communication thing and the new tattoo on her back?  I suspect that has something to do with it, although she does forget about the tat long enough to shock Sally with it. We do see that by the end of the chapter, regardless of her earlier reaction, Jacque is excited about seeing Fane.

I am a little curious about Jacque and Trent’s breakup. I kept expecting to find out that Trent was part of the Coldspring pack and that Lucas had told him to back off. Since that didn’t happen, I’ve decided that it must be something more mundane like the typical “we’re seniors and I want the chance to party.” I remember seeing girls go through that in high school and feeling so bad for them. Or maybe even something along time lines of Splendor in the Grass, when Warren Beatty’s character breaks up with Natalie Wood’s character because his father wants him too; so he could “sow his wild oats” so-to-speak. Anyway, we don’t know what happened, and it really isn’t important – just something I kept looking for and never found.

For a brief moment, let’s say that QL uses the wolf within for more of a metaphor than an actual wolf. Now, I’m not saying that is really what she has done, I’m just saying that the way she writes one could go there with that thought. There are moments when the human struggles with the wolf, as if they are struggling with their conscious or with fate. Jacque wants to go nuts on Fane, but a part of her wants Fane with her.  We see this type of behavior throughout the books, this and as well as seeing how “fate” guides things, but that thought is for another post.

Favorite Lines:

“I’m sorry for your pain because of that, but I will not deny my pleasure in knowing I will not have to convince him it was in his best interest to take his intentions elsewhere.”

Things We Learned:

• Jacque recently broken up with a guy named Trent (nearly 2 months prior)
• Jacque had been in a long-term (nearly 2 years) relationship with Trent
• Lilly doesn't get angry often
• Regardless of how frustrated Jacque gets with Fane, her wolf (although she doesn't realize this) won’t let her do anything about it
• Fane intends to “court” Jacque

Book 1 - Prince of Wolves - Chapter 9

Chapter 9

My Thoughts:

Jacque is an Alpha, there is no doubt about it – but you really begin to understand this in her attitude beginning here. She’s no longer showing fear as much as she is pushing back against the idea of being commanded. Of course, she doesn’t understand what she is to Fane yet, nor does she know about her marks or what they mean.

I find it interesting that she takes the time to write down her thoughts, because I do not remember at any other time her needing to do this. So was this something she needed to do before having a connection with Fane, or was this just something that had to be done because it was one of those times where the events were just too overwhelming to grasp otherwise? I suspect the latter.

Favorite Lines:

“Free, crazy, completely deranged…take your pick.”

Things We Learned:

• Although a mate can hear the other’s thoughts, they cannot see through their mate’s eyes
• Mates can see images that their mates think
• Mates can feel each other through their bonds, especially when emotions are high
• Mates can block each other’s thoughts by imagining a wall
• Jacque feels empty without Fane in her mind, but does not understand why
• Jacque’s marks are shoulder to shoulder and up her neck
• Jacque’s marks are scrolled lines arching and curing, coming to a point at the nape of her neck
• Jacque’s marks have definite places that appear to fit into a puzzle
• Jacque’s marks are beautiful and feminine
• Jacque feels that she and Fane are somehow connected, as if they have known each other all their lives
• Jacque believes that her mom knows something
• Jacque has not felt Fane’s emotions as of yet

Book 1 - Prince of Wolves - Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The meet and greet from the female view. The first time I read this, I realized the following was important information, foreshadowing if you will:

Not to mention, as soon as she locked eyes with Fane she felt a weird tingling sensation across the top of her shoulders and behind her neck.

Granted, you have no clue the first time you read that it really is an indication of something physically changing in Jacque, you just know it is relative.  This is when her “marks” are being to form.

Jacque has to be pinched when it is her turn to introduce herself to Fane because she is lost in her own internal dialog over her reactions to Fane kissing her friends’ hands. She is completely dumbfounded by how she feels, especially at her desire to growl.

When she finally does introduce herself to Fane, she gets even more flustered when he takes her hand (that she did not offer), kisses it all while she starts to hear the voice in her head again.

Jacque, trying not to panic, quickly ends the social gathering and herds the girls out the door. Lilly is really becoming suspicious of Jacque’s behavior, but of course this is because Lilly has figured out that Fane is a werewolf, and she must be trying to figure out how that is going to fit in with her daughter.

Once in her room, Jacque wants to know what the girls thought of Fane, and of course they thought he was hot. She explains that she is freaking out, still hearing voices and still not understanding all that is going on (note that she does not mention the sudden jealousy or the need to growl).

Sally, ever the voice of reason, asks a very valid question: “Have you tried talking back to the voice?” Jacque has not done this for fear that it will just solidify her arrival to Crazy Town (my summary, not actually from the book).

Both Jennifer and Sally assure Jacque that she is not insane and they believe her (best friends ever!). The three part ways with plans to get together again later that night.

Jacque tries to figure out what she is feeling, and is baffled at how strongly she wants to be near Fane.

Lilly takes off to go work at her bookstore, but not before both she and Jacque try to figure out what is going on with the other one. Both of course just say they are “fine” blaming being tired, or preoccupied for what is going on.

Jacque goes to take a nap listening to Evanescence (she has good taste in music).

My Thoughts:

At this point you begin to notice there is a lot of violence involved with these girls, lots of pinching, slapping, and pulling of hair. Could this be a nod to The Three Stooges?

I tend to think that upon meeting Fane, Lilly knew instantly he was a werewolf. I believe that up until that moment, she had a feeling that something was going on, but wasn’t sure what it was. Having lived with Dillon for so long, she would have recognized the markings and certain behaviors i.e. the way he cocked his head when he didn’t understand something.

The first time I read the series, I caught some foreshadowing here and there, often times reading something in another book would remind me of something I read in a previous one. However, the more I read the books, the more I start to notice that there is a rhythm to the stories. QL gives little insights into the future.

I’m beginning to think, and this may just be the optimist in me, that there are hints to stories we have yet to read.  Some of them may come to fruition, and some may not but it would appear (and again this is purely my speculation) that QL leaves some things in the air to give herself the opportunity to write if she so chooses.

Favorite Points:

Jacque felt a tingling when she locked eyes with Fane

Jacque is hit with “an extremely irrational wave of jealousy” and has to suppress the urge to growl

(The wolf inside is awakening)

Favorite Lines:

        “First Impressions?” Jacque finally prompted.

        “Oh, I don’t know, maybe something like, OH MY, stutter, drool, FREAKING, pant, deep breathing, GOSH!” Jen spat.

Things We Learned:

• Jacque feels a weird tingling across the top of her shoulders and behind her neck
• Jacque thinks Fane would look sexy in a plastic bag
• Jacque is becoming possessive of Fane
• Jacque is becoming jealous of Fane’s attention to another female
• Jacque notices that she has an urge to growl
• Jacque notices that she has an overwhelming desire to be near Fane after she leaves him
• Lilly just recently hired staff to help at the bookstore

Book 1 - Prince of Wolves - Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next morning from Fane’s perspective. Fane has reached out to Jacque’s mind and starts his morning with a shower. He is taken back by the fact that his “markings” have expanded overnight.

A lot of information is provided on male markings, the significance of location, size, etc. The one thing we do not have an explanation for just yet is why a male’s markings would change. In this case, Fane now has black flames up the right side of his neck.

It is fortunate for Fane that he came in at night and basically went straight to bed, because this new “tat” would be a bit difficult to explain to the Henrys.

We find out that Fane loves motorcycles and is planning on purchasing one so he has his own transportation. He apparently wanted to bring his from Romania with him, but his parents felt that it would be better to buy one once he got to Texas. This purchase ends up being the catalyst to the “main event” for this book, and starts a ripple effect that begins to weave people in into his and Jacque’s lives that might not have been there otherwise. It is interesting to connect the dots as you read the next book.

Lilly and the girls show up with the “southern meal”, and introductions are made. By the time Fane is done the girls are a bit dazed. He is apparently very smooth.

My Thoughts:

 I really like the fact that when Fane and Jacque are not in the same room, QL takes the time to give us both sides of the “moment”. I feel this really adds to the story as there is all of the fun internal dialog, thoughts, and just atmosphere that makes the story richer.

I would love to see a picture of Fane’s markings, they sound absolutely amazing.

I’m amused that Fane is dressed in “biker” wear – right down to the leather wallet with chain, I can picture him looking like such a “bad boy” – which, I’m sure, only adds to his “hotness” (especially for Jen LOL)

Favorite Points:

Canis Lupis have markings that look like tattoos that reveal where in the pack order they belong. The best part of that is they appear on their own. No pain, just bam – you are marked.

Favorite Lines:

        “So his Luna had attitude. Well, of course she would.”

Things We Learned:

• Male Canis Lupis have tattoo type markings that simply just appear
• The markings indicate the male’s pack order
• The more elaborate the markings, the higher the rank (even for tattoos, size matters)
• The markings show up around puberty
• Fane’s markings changed overnight, climbing up the right side of his neck looking like black flames
• Markings on the right side mean the male is a dominant
• Markings on the front of the body indicate an Alpha male
• Only Alphas have markings on the front and back
• Fane doesn’t have a lot of color in his wardrobe
• Fane loves motorcycles
• Fane’s window faces Jacque’s house
• Jacque has wild, auburn, curly hair
• Jacque has freckles and fair skin
• Jacque is short and thin
• Fane is pleased his Luna has attitude – she has to have as she is Alpha
• Fane didn’t date much
• Mrs. Henry’s name is Sara
• Lilly has a bookstore
• Jacque smells like cotton candy and fresh snow to Fane
• Fane’s parents wanted him to be educated in American culture
• Fane has the ability to basically hypnotize young girls when he talks

Book 1 - Prince of Wolves - Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The next morning, we find Jacque up before anyone else.  She is doing what she can to keep a grip on things, trying to figure out why she is so nervous about meeting the new guy – other than that pesky voice in her head thing. Something inside is telling her that her life has changed in a big way because of this new guy. I am not sure I would call the foreshadowing as much as a big “well duh”, because her life will never be the same – but still it a clue to the first time reader that soon nothing will be as it was.

After her shower, Jacque finds her to friends waking up. During some fun banter between Jacque and Jen, we learn that Sally is the one that keeps the peace around there, and keeps them on track.

While Jen and Sally get dressed, Jacque sets out to find her mom and get their plan in motion. This is when we are introduced to Lilly Pierce, who is cooking up a true southern dinner to take over to the new guy, and providing a perfect in for our 3 curious ladies.

Lilly is suspicious of the offer to help, but she had planned on asking them for help anyway. However, Lilly cannot just go without questioning the girl’s motives a little, so she tries to find out if the sudden urge to meet the new guy is because of Trent. Trent is Jacque’s ex-boyfriend.  Apparently they went together for several years, and although everything seemed to be fine. About two months prior to the beginning of our story, he just broke it off one day without really explaining why. Jacque ends that line of thinking right there and we move on to getting ready to go. As prep goes underway, Jacque senses that her mother is worried – but she is unsure about what.  This is your first clue that Lilly “knows” something.

Finally everyone is ready and they head over to the Henrys’

My Thoughts:

By now, we have determined that a lot of internal dialog takes place.  This is one of my favorite things about this series, the dialog, both internal and between the characters. It isn’t just the girls who have this fabulous banter between each other; they have it with everyone they come around.

I find it a little frustrating that we are told that Lilly has “feelings” about things, and throughout the book she “knows” things – but we never really find out why that is. Maybe it is just really strong intuition? I’m hoping to find out in a different book.

When we first are introduced to Trent, I expected him to show up later in the book, possibly breaking up with her because he knew something she didn’t. As we learn about Lucas, I was thinking he might be a part of that pack and found out his Alpha had laid claim. After reading the book, I tend to lean more on he was a guy.

Favorite Points:

Lilly knows something. At this point I was thinking it was possible that she was a werewolf and just hadn't told Jacque. I also considered the fact that maybe she just felt that something was going to take place between this young man and her daughter and was concerned about how that would turn out. Definitely not expecting what was actually going on in her mind.

Favorite Lines:

This chapter actually has several lines that I really enjoyed, so I just picked a few

       

        …it was summer in south Texas, after all, which basically meant frying eggs-on-the-side-walk hot (having lived in many parts of Texas, I can personally relate to this statement)

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~        

        “Thanks to you, Jen, I will probably introduce myself to him by calling him hottie.”

        “Well if you do, I will be sure to do you the honor of laughing my ass off.” Jen said graciously.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        Oh, well. Could be worse. She could be hearing voices…oh wait, she was. Well, crap.

Things We Learned:

• Jacque feels that her life may never be the same
• Jacque is sarcastic
• Jen can be just as sarcastic as Jacque
• Occasionally Jacque and Jen butt heads
• Sally is the peacekeeper of the trio
• Lilly Pierce is Jacque’s mother
• Lilly often has “feelings”
• Jacque can sometimes feel people’s emotions
• Jacque has an ex-boyfriend named Trent
• Lilly is worried about something
• Sally is very efficient
• Sally has long coffee-colored hair and mocha-colored skin
• Sally is beautiful
• Jen likes to sing in the shower, but apparently does so “proudly and tunelessly”
• Jen is blond
• Jacque knows that her best friends have her back no matter what

Book 1 - Prince of Wolves - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

We are introduced to our first character, Jacque Pierce. She is 17 years old, and lives in a very small town. Having spent some time as a teenager in a small town, I sympathize with her need for adventure… so much so that she has spent the last hour watching her next-door neighbor’s, house to see what the new foreign exchange student might look like.

The foreign exchange student finally shows up, in a limo no less. He is apparently the best looking guy Jacque has ever seen, but what truly blows her mind is when she hears him, or what she assumes is him, in her mind saying “At last, my Jacquelyn.” While still recovering from this shock she watches him start to enter only to hear him say “Soon.”.

Naturally, she calls her 2 best friends, Jennifer and Sally and the adventure truly begins as she tells them blow-by-blow details of everything that occurred. 

My Thoughts:

 You get a sense that regardless of the direction of the story, these three girls are going to be thick as thieves until the end. The friendship is obviously deep, and the type you want to have when you are having your “crazy” moments.

Favorite Points: 

When Jacque tells the girls she heard someone in her head, hot chocolate became a necessity.  This sets a precedent throughout the books as hot chocolate becomes the beverage of choice during many deep conversations and bonding moments.

Favorite Lines: 

        “When you say gorgeous,” Jen started, “are we talking Brad Pitt boyish good looks, or Johnny Depp make ya want to slap somebody?”

        “No, we’re talking Brad and Johnny need to bow down and recognize,” Jacque answered.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

        “No, sweetie. You’ve been gone a long time now, we just didn’t want you to know that we knew,” Sally said with humor.

Things We Learned: 

• The girls live in a town of 700
• Jacque was raised by her mom and didn’t know her dad
• Jacque’s mom isn’t always “in touch with reality”.
• Jacque lives across the street from the Henrys
• Jacque is 17 and about to be a senior in high school
• The foreign exchange student probably comes from money
• The foreign exchange student has blue eyes that can glow
• The girls plan to go with Jacque’s mom when she delivers the “southern dinner” in order to meet him
• Hot chocolate is important in serious discussions