Natalya Stravinsky barely survived being hunted by the Long Island pack (in Coveted, book one of the series.) Now facing the Trials that will be the gateway to acceptance back into her pack she is slowly rebuilding her relationship with her slightly dysfunctional and only partially welcoming family. She is also keeping up with the therapy for her obsessive compulsive disorder and trying to become used to the fact that the man she loves, Thorn Grantham, is soon to be mated to another.

She has all she can handle between being trained for the Trials by Thorn and trying desperately to ignore the attraction they both still feel and tentatively exploring a new relationship with a sexy wizard, Nick that she met through her magical therapy group.

Soon her father disappears after going to Atlantic City to pay a Moon debt, one that can only be discharged with sweat or blood, servitude or death. As she does her best to retrieve him she learns more than she wishes about her father's underworld ties and what she is willing to do to keep her family safe.

As in the first book in the Coveted series Shawntelle Madison handles Natalya's obsessive compulsive disorder with sensitivity and compassion. Although the book has plenty of humorous leavening Madison never goes for the cheap shot of making fun of the mental health issues of Natalya and the circle of friends she knows through group therapy. She handles the complex world of Russian werewolves and their Code well, explaining the areas pertinent to the plot without slowing the storyline one bit.

KEPT is an excellent Urban Fantasy ride. The characters and their problems are real and immediate and the storyline was amazing. As the final page neared, my need to speed to the conclusion to discover what happened conflicted with my desire to read more slowly, trying to make the book last just a little bit longer.

I thoroughly enjoyed book one, Coveted, but KEPT is just that tiny bit better, making me anxious to read number three when it comes out in future. Once again my decision to become a reviewer has been rewarded in the best possible way, by learning about a new-to-me author who has become a favorite. I love my job!

Book Summary

A funny and sexy new paranormal romance, perfect for fans of Charlaine Harris and Patricia Briggs, Kept features the charmingly quirky werewolf, Natalya Stravinsky, as she navigates the minefields of love and war in the Garden State.

Fresh from defending her pack in battle, Natalya Stravinsky, a whip–smart werewolf with a lovable neurotic streak, wants a little rest and relaxation. Once an outcast, she's now eager to rejoin the ranks of her New Jersey pack, and has even gotten a handle on her obsessive urge to hoard holiday ornaments. Yet Nat barely has time to revel in her progress before the next crisis comes howling at her door.

Nat's father has suddenly gone missing, captured by the Russian werewolf mafia. And as Nat steps up to save her dad from a mob boss's deadly game, two men step in to play another round for her heart: her gorgeous alpha ex–boyfriend, Thorn, and her new flame, the sweetly sensitive wizard Nick. With her life growing more harried by the minute, Nat must stay cool, calm, and collected . . . or else risk losing everything.