Genre: Paranormal, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Tony
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About The Book
His pack would’ve killed him for his kinks and desires; now his human lover can’t find out about his wolf.
Brandt Davis loved being part of his Michigan werewolf pack, until they found his stash of gay photos. He escaped their anger, running in wolf-form into the wilderness, but he can’t live that way forever. And he can’t hide in fur like a coward when an injured man needs his help.
Ethan Sjulstad knows life is making him crazy when a solo hike into the Minnesota Boundary Waters seems reasonable. Then a bad fall leaves him seriously hurt and facing death. Delirious, he hallucinates being rescued by a big gray wolf and a naked woodland godling. For a man who has always loved fantasy, it’s worth surviving just to find out what the hell is going on.
The Review
Unjustified Claims is the fourth instalment in the Hidden Wolves series and is just as explosive as the earlier parts. It deals again with the difficulty the wolves have with what they consider ‘deviant’ sexual practices, and their fear of exposure to the human world.
The two main characters are Brandt and Ethan, with Aaron and Zach having their moment in the spotlight as well. Cord and some of the younger wolves play a role too, with Cord beginning to show his worth.
But back to Brandt. He has escaped with his life from his pack for to live as a lone wolf. Not one he had planned for. His crime? Not a crime at all, as it involved nobody but himself and a few downloaded images of consenting adults.
His race to safety and freedom is scuppered when he comes across an injured human male, Ethan. Harper uses this to show the more humane side of the werewolves. They are vicious and deadly, but will do anything to save an injured person, as long as it can be done at no risk to werewolf society.
Ethan has his own set of issues, and the story is about how the both of them come to accept what each brings to a relationship, including facing up to the consequences of their actions, past and present. The setting is Ethan’s run down motel, which needs to be brought back up to scratch and profitability.
Complications arise when the West pack turn up to check out the motel and the surrounding area to see if they want to claim it all as their territory. Further problems come up when Brandt is tracked down by his own pack.
There is much that is good to be found in this installment. It addresses the problem of finding acceptance in relationships, family and society in a sympathetic way. As with the other books in the series, there’s not a simple “happily ever after” ending, as this is just a stage in the journey. I’m sure we will be seeing Ethan and Brandt again. I’m looking forward to it!
There is a lead-in to the next book that will explain why the werewolf council takes a step that cannot be undone. You’ll have wait to read that to find out what that is. No spoilers here!
The Reviewer
Tony is an Englishman living amongst the Welsh and the Other Folk in the mountains of Wales. He lives with his partner of thirty-six years, four dogs, two ponies, various birds, and his bees. He is a retired lecturer and a writer of no renown but that doesn’t stop him enjoying what he used to think of as ‘sensible’ fantasy and sf. He’s surprised to find that if the story is well written and has likeable characters undergoing the trails of life, i.e. falling in love, falling out of love, having a bit of nooky (but not all the time), fending off foes, aliens and monsters, etc., he’ll be happy as a sandperson who has just offloaded a wagon of sand at the going market price. As long as there’s a story, he’s in. He aims to write fair and honest reviews. If he finds he is not the target reader he’ll move on.
