Review: Hunting Human by Amanda E. Alvarez

Release date: March 28, 2011
Synopsis (via Goodreads):

For two years, Beth Williams has run from the past, and the beast that dwells inside her. She is haunted by memories of being kidnapped and the savage attack that killed her best friend. Now Beth finally thinks she's ready to move on...with Braden Edwards, a charming, irresistibly sexy man who tempts Beth to embrace the present.

But the past lurks closer than Beth realizes. Markko Bolvek, one of the werewolves who kidnapped her, has tracked her to Portland, Oregon, his pursuit fueled by a hunger for vengeance. Only Braden, a werewolf himself, senses the danger shadowing her steps. The Edwards and Bolveks have been enemies for centuries—and despite the instant connection he feels with Beth, Braden isn't sure which side of the war she's on.

With suspicion at odds with their attraction, Beth and Braden must learn to trust one another to stop Markko for good.  Can Beth accept the wolf within—and love a man who embodies everything she fears?

My Thoughts: This book packed a surprising wallop.  Beth's emotional journey as she deals with the aftermath of the brutal attack that left her a werewolf and killed her best friend is hard and sometimes ugly.  She's walled herself off from the world around her as she tries to come to grips with what she is.  Her attraction to Braden, which she fights with everything inside her, begins to thaw her out some but she has a hard time trusting anybody but herself.

While there was a strong focus on Braden and Beth's blossoming romance, for me this book was ultimately about Beth coming to terms with herself and reconciling the two sides of her nature.  She fights so hard in the beginning against what she is that her acceptance of her wolf side, which played out very realistically to me, adds so much depth to her character.  Braden is comfortable in both of his skins and becomes that rock that she continually crashes against.  She can either learn to bend and move with him or she can batter herself into unconsciousness fighting both her attraction to him and his easy acceptance of his duality.

I really liked the world that was built here.  I thought the characters were dynamic and their every move kept me on the edge of my seat.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and look forward to more by this author.

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