Nocturnal Bites: Review: Standoff by Lauren Dane

Monday, March 7

Review: Standoff by Lauren Dane

Cade Warden has always put his Pack first, setting aside everything else even his need for a mate. Now Warren Pellini has a new biological weapon, threatening everything Cade holds dear. Into his life walks Grace Pellini, sister of his greatest enemy and his destined mate. Grace walks a dangerous line, gathering information to aid the Nationally Allied Packs. In the midst of their rising passion and desperate search for the key to disabling the weapon, Pellini raises the stakes with a Challenge. Grace must stand by, Cades life in her hands, as her mate risks everything for his people. {goodreads}

The fifth book in the Cascadia Wolves series by Lauren Dane features Pack Alpha, Cade Warden. I told myself I wasn't going to read this.Why?? Because I wasn't crazy about the last two books, Tribond and Wolfbound. The story lines were underwhelming, as was the character development. With that said, I decided to give this series one more shot because of how much I loved the first book, Enforcer. Cade played a prominent role in book 1, so I was anxious to see him get his HEA.

What cracks me up with this series is how the whole bonding/mating thing between wolves happens. When mates find each other, they instantly fall in love and do the deed. Yes, that deed and to heck with getting to know each other first. In Standoff, the irony is that Cade's mate just so happens to be sister to his worst enemy, Pellini. To me, this is a huge conflict, especially since the two packs are at war with each other. Nevertheless, Grace submits to Cade, allying against her only brother and parents.

The best part of this book, in my opinion, is the stage time both Nina and Lex, from book 1 get. Nina, Lex, and Cade share a tri-bond, an emotional link that binds Nina to Cade in the event Lex gets killed or dies. Although Nina is in love with her mate, she's also intimately connected to Cade through their bond. Now that Grace is in the picture, Nina is no longer number one in Cade's eye, a fact she struggles with, but also understands.

Despite the fact that Grace is the enemy's sister, I actually grew to like her. Grace is strong, courageous, smart and despite her tiny stature, a perfect match for Cade. I like the fact that Grace is just your average girl next store, and not perfect or exceptionally beautiful. Also, Grace has to prove her loyalty to the pack, it's not just handed to her.

What threw me off with this book, is the fact that Grace has no emotional ties to her family, whatsoever. I kept waiting for Grace to say, "Yes, Pellini is a monster. But he's still my brother." This never happens. Even when told that her parents fate is tied to her brother's, Grace's reaction is one of detachment. This just didn't mesh with me. Oh well, to each his own, I guess.

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5

Book Information
Title: Standoff (Cascadia Wolves #5)
Author: Lauren Dane
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Published: 03/04/08
Page Count: 198, ebook
Available at: Amazon ♦ Barnes + Noble ♦ Borders