Rogue Wolf

In Rogue Wolf, Paige Tyler brings murder, romance, action, and suspense to the twelfth book in the SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team paranormal romantic suspense series. Set in contemporary times in Dallas, Texas, this novel features SWAT werewolf Trey Duncan and Assistant Medical Examiner Dr. Samantha Mills.

Trey and Samantha have been attracted to each other for two years, but Trey hasn’t asked her out on a date yet. When Samantha decides to cash in on one of the favors Trey owes her for a dinner date, it seems that it will be the right time for them to talk about their true feelings for each other. However, a serial killer case and another highly unusual case tend to constantly interrupt their conversations.

Trey and Samantha are fantastic characters. While Trey is an alpha and protective, Samantha is a strong female protagonist. They balance each other well. Despite being attracted to each other, there are secrets that neither seems to get a chance to share due to the dual case load. These protagonists are definitely not boring, but will their secrets and flaws eventually doom the romance? The secondary characters are well-rounded and provide needed support and conflict, and up the stakes for the relationship. Characters from previous books in the series make appearances, but the focus is on Trey and Samantha.

The plot was complex with lots of twists and turns and the stakes were high. The significant amount of danger and action kept me fully engaged and made this a true page turner for me. The author uses a unique take on werewolves and does a good job of explaining this.

This is a riveting story with protagonists that I liked and cheered on as their cases progressed and became ever more dangerous and unusual.  It held my attention fully and contained the elements that I love in this genre of books. This book delivers on escapism through attraction, friendship, family, romance and love while also tackling serious issues including secrets, stressful situations, workplace politics, serial killers, PTSD, family relationships, and selfless sacrifice for others. While most conflicts and issues are resolved, there are a couple of threads that may end up in future books in the series.

Overall, it was suspenseful, full of danger, action-packed, sinister, and compulsively readable. This engaging combination delivered on the promise of its premise and opening scenes. The subplots tied together well, the main characters were strong and the ending was explosive. If you enjoy thrilling paranormal romantic suspense novels, then I recommend you check out this series. There is enough background that this novel can be read as a standalone, but the series is best read in order.

SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca and Paige Tyler provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for August 31, 2021.