Renny Landry is one tough, wolf shape-shifter! She's running away from her librarian job and a crazy, maniac, coyote shape-shifter who is obsessed with her and won't give up until he can find her. Renny knows that the best place to run is Alpha, Washington, the new home for any "other" shape-shifter who is alone and needs help. Those crazy coyotes are on her trail about to win just as Renny makes it to a cabin outside of Alpha. Mick Fischer owns the cabin and the last thing that he needs is a red coyote to enter his lair, especially if she is a gorgeous red! Ok, I've got to admit that I'm a sucker for any "hot" librarian story! I also can finally admit that Christine Warren has me hooked on her wonderfully detailed stories on the lives of the shape-shifters. Funny, handsome, beautiful and sexy characters make this a fabulous story with lots of action and adventure!

Baby, I'm Howling for You by Christine Warren is now available from St. Martin's Press. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

The first book of the Alphaville series starts off really strong and I loved that. Renny is running from a really deranged stalker and his equally deranged friends, and she's trying really hard to get to the one place where she can be safe, Alphaville. That scene is stuck in my head, because I love books that start out strong and keep being strong all the way.

Renny is a brave, strong heroine. I loved her will to live, and her will to not give up. I respect her for that. Sure, at times she wanted to give up in order to protect the people who became important for her, but she kept fighting for her freedom and for her life. I liked her story, and I was rooting for her all the way.

Mick is a scarred man. He's lost his mate, he's what you might see as a recluse, and he's someone who doesn't want to experience the pain of loss ever again. We slowly uncover who Mick is, what happened to his mate, why is he living at the edge of this mythical shifter town, and why he's so dangerous and scary. I liked his story, and I also liked that he got a second chance at a happy ending.

I loved the mythology of this book. The human and the animal sides are not one and the same, and I enjoy reading that more and more in shifter books. I also like the rules that exist within this world. I'm assuming that these rules are explained more in depth in the previous series

The pace was great and I really enjoyed the darker tone of some of the scenes. When I say the villains were deranged, they really were and we see a little bit of that, it's not just calling them villains to call them that. I enjoyed that. The sex scenes were hot, the drama was there, the sad scenes made me almost cry, and there were funny scenes that had me giggling.

All in all, I had a lot of fun reading this book and I am looking forward (rather impatiently to be honest) to the next book in the series. If you love paranormal romance and you want to read a good shifter book, you should definitely read this one.

Baby I'm Howling for you by Christine Warren is book 1 in the Alphaville Series. It is a paranormal romance and the first full length novel that follows the novella Something to Howl About. I enjoy reading this genre and more importantly, I enjoy books that hold my interest and grab my attention from the beginning. This book fits that category. Main female character Renny Landry is running for her life when she ends up on Mick Fischer's property and nearly dies from the injuries she sustains. Mick Fischer is the perfect damaged alpha who wants to forget his past and live in isolation. The writing flows congruently with the story and character development. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy to review. I would recommend this book to any PNR fan as well as this author's Gargoyles Series.

The action begins immediately in Baby, I’m Howling For You with Renny trying to escape the coyote shifters her insane stalker has sent after her. A chase through the woods leads her close to a cabin on the outskirts of Alphaville. The sound of fighting and the pain-filled howls of Renny brings Mick out of his cabin where he shoots one of her attackers. Bringing the wounded shifter into his cabin, Mick calls for help as he realizes with shock that Renny has the unmistakable scent of his true mate – which shouldn’t be possible since his mate was killed years ago. It’s unusual for a wolf shifter to find a second mate in their lifetime, usually one follows the other into death. He’s going to fight that mate pull from this stranger for several reasons, but eventually he will lose that fight.

Renny was trying to find the town of Alpha, hoping that this sanctuary would be a way to avoid her stalker and his minions. She found Alpha, but that isn’t going to stop those trying to capture her and take her back to one insane, perverted shifter who is determined to have her under his control. She quickly realizes that Mick, the standoffish, silent wolf shifter who rescued her is her true mate – but he certainly isn’t acting like she always thought her mate would when they finally meet… and it’s ticking her off. Renny will find a few more reasons to b e ticked off with Mick as they try to fight the mate pull, attempt to take down her attackers and put a stop to the stalker for good.

I enjoyed Baby, I’m Howling For You so much. It’s fast paced, full of suspense, definitely some steamy sexy times and lots of danger to be faced on many fronts. The citizens of Alpha pull together to protect Renny and do indeed offer her the sanctuary she so desperately searched for. I loved the secondary characters in this story, and knowing that most will have their moment in the spotlight at some point in this series only heightened that enjoyment.

You don’t “have” to have read the prequel, Something To Howl About to enjoy this first full length story in the series – but it’s a fantastic introduction to Alphaville that would certainly enhance your enjoyment of this series. I would recommend this story and this series to any Paranormal Romance or Shifter Romance reader who enjoys a solid, intriguing plot, enjoyable, likable characters and the introduction of a community that is tight knit and caring of those within their town. I’m really looking forward to the next story in this series.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Review: BABY, I’M HOWLING FOR YOU (Alphaville) by Christine Warren https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-aAq
Publication Date: January 30, 2018
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Cori
Rated 4 Stars

I really enjoyed this one! It’s a great start to Christine Warren’s new series, Alphaville, which is set in the same world as her Others series. You don’t need to read her Others series before picking this one up though. I highly recommend the series though because it’s a great paranormal mix of vamps, shifters, fae and demons. The Alphaville series is a set in a town that is a haven for shifters and Renny, the heroine of the story, heads to the town on the run from a stalker and runs into her Mick, an alpha and her fated mate. The story was full of danger, some humor and hot romance. I enjoyed it and look forward to the next release. I recommend this book for paranormal romance lovers looking for a new shifter series.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


Kindle http://amzn.to/2DWgKo5

I love a good shapeshifter book, and Christine Warren delivers with "Baby, I'm Howling for You." It's the second in her Alphaville series, but it's not necessary to read the first in the series to follow what's going on. Our heroine, wolf shifter Renny Landry, is running to Alphaville, a town not run by a particular shifter pack, but inhabited by all different types of shifters. Pursued by a stalker, she runs--quite literally--into Mick Fischer, a fellow wolf shifter with some heavy baggage of his own. As Renny tries to piece her life back together, she and Mick fall in love even as their pasts come back to haunt them both.

The villain is truly unhinged and pretty terrifying, the love story is sweet, and the cast of characters, from our heroes to our side characters. The citizens of Alphaville are really well drawn and super fun, and I'm really looking forward to reading more from this series!

Renny was a wolf shifter, Her car ran out of gas about thirteen miles from her destination of Alpha. Renny had to put as much distance as she could between herself and her pursuers. They were the reason Renny hadn’t stopped to fuel up. They’d already chased her across two states lines, Alpha is in the state of Washington was a town for shifters who had nowhere else to go. - wolves driven from their pack, bears with injuries and scars inflicted by careless hunters. Lions who couldn’t control their shifts, leopards who needed to change their spots all went to the haven called Alpha and eventually they all got better. Geoffrey had sent five male coyote male enforcers after Renny. Renny turned to a wolf and took off running hoping she could get to Alpha before the coyotes got to her. Then Bryce -Geoffrey’s Beta and closest friend .came up to her side and knocker Renny off her feet. Then Renny saw a light and ran for it hoping it was Alpha as she was wounded now and heavily bleeding but it was a cabin that smelt of wolf. There was a man in the shadows who had shot Bryce and Bryce ran back into the woods. Now Renny figured she would be the next one to be shot then she collapsed. Mick sat home for another Friday night. He could have slept but did’’t want to because often his dreams were of his dead mate Beth even though it had been eight years but he thought he would be over it by now. Most would have died with their mate or shortly thereafter. But for some reason Mick hadn’t . Mick picked up up an unconscious Renny and brought her in the cabin. He locked the door and called the deputy sheriff and told him what was going on. The next morning Renny went to her car to find it totalled with her clothes ripped up as well as urinated on all over the highway. Renny hadn’t heard Mich show up but then he shot her his shirt as she was naked from shifting back from being a wolf. Then Renny heard her cell phone as it must have fallen under the seat and manage to not be broken but Mick grabbed the phone out of Renny’s hand and answered the phone it was Geoffrey and it turns out Beth- Michs dead mate was Geoffrey’s half sister. Mich had already had a run in with Geoffrey when he was in college and Mich had come out on top. Mich told Geoffrey to stay away from Renny and he hung up the phone. Renny learned Mich was a graphic novel author and she had read some of his novels. He also drew his own pictures for his novels. Mich was world famous and had won numerous awards. Mich had kissed Renny hard and when he let her go he acted again like he didn’t want to be bothered with her. Mich. Mich told her she would live with him at least until they got they got Geoffreys fibe coyote enforcers. But then Molly stepped in and offered Renny her extra bedroom in her place. Renny decided to live with Molly who was a lion shifter as was her brother who was a deputy sheriff for Alpha. Molly and Renny went on a shopping spree some things were given to them and then other things like her clothes she bought at a second hand shop..Then three of the coyotes attacked Molly and Renny, two keeping Molly busy and the third trying to pull Renny out of the truck to kidnap her. But then Mich and Zeke show up and scared the coyotes away. Then Mich claimed Renny as his mate right then and there and marked her in front of Molly and Zeke.
This was an excellent, well written shifter romance and I loved it. I didn’t want to put this down. I loved the whole idea of Alpha and how everyone had everyone else’s back. Also there was several shifter species living together in peace and happiness. I loved how Molly and Renny became quick close friends. I loved how the whole town immediately was ready to protect Renny. I especially loved Mich and Renny together. This kept my attention for the first page until the last no problem. I loved the plot and pace. I found nothing to criticize and that was great. I loved the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I highly recommend.

Absolutely riveting!
Right off the bat, Renny is running for her life. She almost literally falls into Mick’s life and the sparks start immediately. It’s a battle of wills between Renny and Mick and Renny’s life is on the line.
Once I started, I didn’t want to stop! I have to have more. 5 stars!!!

3.5

Renny Landry has been on the run for months from a coyote shifter who wants to possess her. Renny is tired of not being able to settle down and build a life having to always pick up and run whenever her whereabouts are discovered. She's finally convinced she's found the perfect place to settle down in Alpha, Washington, a secluded locale where troubled shifters of all species can go for help. On her way there, she's attacked and injured. Help comes in the form of a surly alpha wolf in whom Renny's wolf immediately recognizes a mate.

Mick Fischer already lost one mate and miraculously survived. He's not too happy about being presented with another one. He thought of Alpha as his sanctuary, but with Renny at his door in desperate need of help the past comes unavoidably rushing back, and if he wants a chance at life, he'll need to save the one most dear to his heart.

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that this series is a spin-off, or loosely ties into, Christine Warren's The Others series. If that is the case, as I've never read that series, I didn't find any complications in understanding the start to this new series.

I found myself rather enjoying a good shape-shifter story. It's been awhile since I've read one. I've always viewed Shifter romance and vampire romances as like the granddaddy of the paranormal romance genre before we get into things like demons and angels and what-have-you, so I really enjoyed getting back to basics as it were.

I thought the story moved along at a good pace. From the very first page where Renny is being chased, literally, into Alpha until the final showdown. Unfortunately what this also accomplished was not getting as much depth of relationship building as I would have liked. Renny is starting over in a new town with new people. She meets some great secondary characters along the way notably Molly a lion shifter and EMT. They become quick friends, but I felt like a lot of the bonding time was glossed over. To the point that we're only told they're friends and we're supposed to believe it, but very few instances of being shown how good of friends they've become.

Then there is the mating between Mick and Renny. A lot of focus is placed on the mating for good reason, but I still felt like there were moments that were held back a little bit. Renny has difficulty believing that Mick could truly love her and care for her after already losing a mate. I mean typically the mantra is wolves mate for life which is taken to mean: it only happens once. So for her to be his mate is almost an anomaly and I can definitely understand how she would have reservations in regards to how she thinks he feels for her. On Mick's side of things, after his mate was killed and avenged, he thought he would die as well, but instead he just shut down. It's been a long time since anyone has been able to penetrate the shell he's built around himself and he's not entirely sure he wants that shell to be broken, even my his mate. I liked that Christine Warren brings up these topics and insecurities between Mick and Renny, for me, they just weren't explored to the fullest sense that I would have liked.

For the most part, however, I enjoyed the read. I'm looking forward to reading more books in the series and I like the small-town feel of Alpha, Washington despite the fact that it's supposedly a pretty populated place. I'm hoping, as the series progresses, that we'll get more depth to the relationships / friendships. Christine Warren certainly gives us a great cast of secondary characters ready for potential romance.

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Amy Storch's review Jan 30, 2018 · edit
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bookshelves: netgalley

Renny and Mick are both wolf shifters whose lives collide in a town called Alpha. Renny is trying to outrun a group of coyote shifters who are determined to bring her to their leader who believes he owns Renny. In a desperate attempt to outrun them she stumbles upon Mick's doorstep. Mick helps her but he is determined to keep Renny at a personal distance, despite their mutual attraction and sparks-flying chemistry.

This book wasn't what I was expecting, but it is still a decent read. I began reading books from Ms. Warren way back at the beginning of her Others series. This new series is set in the same world so I thought it would be right up my alley. I realize that establishing a new set of characters in a new series takes time, build up and so on, but it felt like the story was too long and was lagging in a few places. I was tempted to skim ahead but decided against it. In the end I enjoyed reading about Renny and Mick and watching Mick surrender to his heart. There is definitely insta-love involved, romance, action, steamy sex and violence, too. The sex and violence are in appropriate circumstances and amounts, in my opinion.

I have a good feeling about the future of the Alphaville series, so I will be getting the next book when it comes out in May 2018.

I received a free ebook copy of this title from Net Galley. This review is 100% my own opinion.

Baby, I’m Howling For You by Christine Warren takes you into the town of Alpha, where shifters go when they want to be separate from pack or just don’t get along in a pack setting. It’s kind of dubbed, where the odd shifters go. In this book, it is where Renny is running to in hopes that she can deal with her stalker without the threat of human casualties. What she finds there is that she is not alone.

On the run from her stalkers, she finds herself being rescued by Mick, an alpha wolf who desperately just wants to live out his days waiting for his death. He is sure he’s not supposed to be alive after what happened to his mate. But now, feelings are coming to the surface that he has never felt before. Could he really be getting a second chance?

I loved how the whole town just rallied to Renny’s side. Everyone is determined to protect her, including the head librarian who just wants to retire. What I found interesting was that Renny’s stalker and his minions are coyotes. For some reason, I see them as these wild and crazy beasts. Because they are crazy, it heightened the seriousness and danger of each situation that they face. The coyote’s actions just had you feeling Renny’s panic. Although I think I was a little more panicked than she was in some instances. I know she’s a wolf, but there were more of the coyotes, and they were just plain crazy! The action was exciting when dealing with this foe.

I loved how Mick and Renny come together. The things he does to prove himself to Renny after he pretty much makes it clear he doesn’t believe he can have another mate are SO sweet. He really comes back to the land of the living for Renny and I felt his fierce protectiveness of her.

Baby, I’m Howling For You is incredibly romantic with lots of crazy. I feel like the crazy made it a read where you just don’t know what it going to happen next. After meeting so many of the residents of Alpha, I’m excited for the next book!

Good Lord, this one had some issues. But first, I’ll start with the stuff that worked for me:

1. The story starts off with a bang. I enjoyed the action-y beginning. No boring backstory right up front. Nope. Instead, we start with the heroine on the run for her life. Very exciting.

2. It’s technically well-written. There aren’t typos or bad dialogue or grammar atrocities that pulled me out of the story.

3. I love the idea of Alphaville—a town where shifters can live in peace and mingle with their own kind.
Side characters were super interesting. I’d probably 1-click the crap out of Molly’s story. (She was totally badass)

Now for the stuff that made me roll my eyes and cringe:

1. The title is sooooooo cheesy. And it got Howlin’ For You by The Black Keys stuck in my head for 2 days. (Don’t get me wrong: Howlin’ For You is a great song. But I don’t want it stuck in my head for 2 days.) With a title like this, I would’ve expected a full-on romantic comedy, and this wasn’t really funny enough to qualify. I HATE misleading titles and false advertising.

2. If I wasn’t really familiar with shifter romances, I probably would’ve been lost by the lack of background and world-building in this one. I’ve read so many shifter romances that I was able to fill in all the blanks by myself just by context, but a reader who is a shifter virgin would be totally lost, I think.

3. If you’re a reader who hates instalove/instalust and the whole fated mates trope, this one’s not for you. It’s actually pretty cliche in its portrayal of fated mates. Nothing new to see here, folks.

4. There’s a point in the story (early on) when Mick just leans over and bites Renny to claim her as his mate. There was no discussion on the matter. These two had barely had a good conversation about ANYTHING, let alone a nice long talk about mating for life. I found this to be SUPER presumptuous on Mick’s part. (And kind of an asshat maneuver, frankly)

5. Renny is a little on the submissive side for my liking. I like my heroines extra sassy and snarky. Renny was a little meek and mild, in my opinion.

6. The bad guys were cartoonish villains without any real depth.

7. Renny was ambushed in Alphaville by the villains so many times that I started to wonder if she wasn’t better off on her own. What exactly WERE these people doing to protect her?

8. Early on the story, Mick is surprised by how strong his bond is with Renny. He’s sure to point out that it was much stronger than with his first mate (his dead wife). Why did we have to go there? Why did the bond Mick had with his first mate need to be downplayed just to explain how awesome everything is with Renny? Why tarnish the woman’s memory like that?

9. If I’d heard the word “mate” one more time, I would’ve thrown my Kindle against the wall. Everything was “his mate”, “her mate”...mate, mate, mate, mate, mate. It was excessive. If I’d been playing a drinking game and did a shot every time Mick or Renny referred to the other person as “his/her mate” instead of by name, I would’ve been dead of alcohol poisoning by the halfway point in the book.

10. Mick was an alphahole. He was a jealous, possessive Neanderthal of the highest order. That’s pretty common the world of shifter romance, but I hate reading about a dude who gets an instant hard-on after meeting an injured and terrified woman. How about giving her some space, huh?

Long-story-short: this one wasn’t for me. But if you’re a reader who likes instalove/instalust and doesn’t mind cliche shifter romance tropes (like, all of them), you might want to give this one a try. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Disclaimer: We received an ARC from NetGalley at no charge.

If you loved Christine Warren's "Something to Howl About" - the first book, novella, of her new Alphaville series, then you are absolutely going to go crazy over this book. I have recently discovered Christine Warren and let me tell you that she has quickly become one of my favourite paranormal romance writers! The way she writes those first scenes when hero and heroine meet is enough to leave you breathless and feel tingly all over. There are very few fictional places that I would honestly consider moving to. And Alphaville is one the top of my list!

Renny Landry is a rare red wolf shifter who has been spending the last year of her life running away from a crazy coyote shifter and his psychotic pack. She trusts no one and desperately wants to live a normal life again. Well, as normal as she can get. So she decides to set off for Alphaville. A town that is full of shifters like herself who are in search of a safe haven and a new beginning. Just as she is about to make it to the town her car runs out of petrol and she finds herself yet again chased by the coyotes. She is saved in the nick of time when she finds herself on the land of an alpha wolf who shoots at the coyotes and takes her in.

Mick Fischer lost his mate eight years ago and came to Alphaville to start a new life. He has never quite gotten over the pain of losing his mate and is barely counting the days until he is able to join her. That all changes when he gets a whiff of the red wolf shifter who is lying injured on his land. His wolf has already claimed her as their mate and is determined to protect her till the end. And even though Mick is fighting his instincts to acknowledge the truth, he soon finds that he can't deny that fate has given him a second chance at love and happiness.

The excitement never ebbs in this cat and mouse chase where you feel the constant threat of the coyotes. As for Mick? I can't imagine a more perfect mate or protector for such a job. His possessiveness and determination is enough to make any girl melt into a puddle of longing!

There are just so many fun characters in this series that I truly can't wait to find out who the next book will be about. If you love paranormal romance with a good dose of suspense and love scenes that you want to read over and over again, then this series is the answer to your prayers! Not to be missed!!!

Loving this new series by Christine Warren! In Baby, I'm Howling for You, Renny, a wolf shifter, is being stalked by a jerk of a coyote, and has had to leave her life and go on the run. He keeps finding her, so she hopes going to the town of Alphaville will provide her some of the protection she needs. The coyote's buddies are hot on Renny's tail, and almost have her, when she is saved by Mick, a sexy wolf shifter. Renny feels that Mick is her mate, but Mick has already lost a mate before and doesn't want to go down that path again, so he pushes the connection between the two away. But, Mick can't resist Renny for long! Renny and Mick are hot together, and have lots of sexy times. I love when males have alpha tendencies, and I love strong female characters. Mick and Renny fit that bill! I loved the excitement and suspense with Renny being stalked, and loved getting to know more about the shifters of Alphaville. Lots of great action, and sweet and sexy romance! Looking forward to the next book!

The first book of the series, and it like woh!

It opens up to a chase and a very unlikely meeting between Mick and Remy.

Honestly, I wanted to smack Mick. What happened to him was so heartbreaking, but it is not an excuse to treat Remy the way he did on the first couple of chapters. Well, he did redeem himself, but man oh man! What are the odds of him having a second mate, that was connected to the pack he left behind?

Remy, on the other hand, is a very brave. I lover her determination and her outlook in life. There is a certain quality of hers that I like..its her survival instinct. Whether we are talking about books or in reality, we should always have that mind set. No matter the obstacle fate give us, we should always look forward to the future.

I am excited to read about the other people in Alpha. What stories do they hold, and how did they end up with the town.

I enjoy this book, because Ms. Warren's writing when it comes to the world of Others are vastly different from the Gargoyles. There is a certain charm each time I delve in to this world. I am happy to read more books from this series.

~This voluntary take is of a copy sent from the publisher. My thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair. ~

So you either love a book or you don't but I was really bummed that this book didn't instantly pull me in as much as I wanted it to. Shifter and PNR books usually rate high for me because of the fantasy the author weaves into the story. It's romance with a heavy dose of magic and it has more freedom to be OTT and dramatic.

The reason I didn't rate this higher is that it hit on one of my ultimate pet peeves in romance. The dead wife trope. In shifter romances it's especially tricky because the big draw for me is the true/forever mate concept. I love reading about alphas that find their one true love and basically live to protect and care for their other halves. It kind of looses it's appeal if the one true mate is no longer the "one" because now you can have more than one?!

In Baby, I'm Howling For You we're told countless times, how important mates are, how instant the connection is and ultimately how there's only one mate out there for you. Well, our H, Mick has loved (100% no reservations LOVED) his first mate, Beth. And eight years later has closed himself off from everyone and everything. He is very much in love with his dead wife still and it's almost painful to watch how he constantly pushes Renny away every time he feels himself drawn to her.

And the awkwardness doesn't stop there. No, Renny also happens to strongly resemble his dead wife, while she's in wolf form. When he first catches a whiff of Renny, even her smell reminds him of Beth. It's like, at every turn, Renny played second fiddle to Beth. But what put that last nail in this coffin was the mate mark.

* * * * * * * * * *
Absently, he reached up and felt the evidence of her mark on his skin. His fingers traced the dainty curve, then without thinking moved to the opposite side of his neck where another mark had once decorated his flesh. She watched him, her expression solemn, and he immediately jerked his hand away from the faded silver remains of Beth's mark.

* * * * * * * * * *

During the most intimate moment between two mated shifters and even then Renny has to share the moment with the ghost of his 1st mate! I just couldn't do it anymore. Yes, towards the very end, Mick finally admits that his connection to Renny is stronger than what he felt for Beth but by than it was a little too late for me. I've said it before, H+h+ghost does not a good romance make. I don't do love triangles, even if one part of this equation is spectral in nature.

I liked Renny, she wasn't a doormat, she had self respect and wasn't a sniffling martyr but I wish she wasn't so accepting of Mick and his hot/cold attitude towards her. She was a better person than me because there is no way I'd be okay with sharing my man with a ghost or so easily forgiving him his crap behavior towards her. It plain ol' sucked that Renny's first (and probably only) mate treated her like crap rather than cherishing her like he was supposed too. Renny made way to many concessions for Mick and Mick never convinced me that he chose Renny. It was all too convenient for him. I mean, at one point, he actually felt shame for having feelings for Renny because he felt it was a betrayal of Beth! Ultimately, although it had potential, it had too much other woman focused drama for me.

The world the author created and the secondary characters in this story were interesting. It kept my attention and will make readers want to snag the next book. I know I want to. The story was enjoyable and I definitely cheered for Mick and Renny, but holy cow that was quick. A little more build up would have gone a long way. My only other annoyance was the fact that the word mate was thrown around quite a bit in a short period of time. However, this was still a page turner for me. You get your alpha wolf, sassy female, and their budding romance. It’s got all the components you’d expect from a shifter romance read. I’m definitely interested to see where the author takes this world and to see the writings I’ve missed up till now. A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review. Enjoy!

Three words guys: Give. Me. More. Baby, I’m Howling for You is the first book in a new shifter series written by the proficient Christine Warren and wow. It was a whirlwind of action, romance and that all too strong and delightfully annoying mate call.

Renny is on the run. And not from just any old stalker, but from a crazy-obsessed shifter with a whole pack at his disposal. She’s literally thirteen miles from Alphaville, a place she hopes will be her salvation, when this story kicks off and things get hairy fast, in more ways than one.

Written in the third person, we experience the story from the point of view of the two main characters: Renny and Mick. Renny, we learn, used to be a sweet librarian, until she moved to the wrong town and attracted the attention of a very possessive coyote shifter. She’s been running from him every since; at least until the moment she collapses at Mick’s feet. Over the course of the story, we watch her come out of the shell she’s had to put herself in as she struggled to survive under the force of her stalker’s obsession.

Mick, on the other hand, is a self-made recluse. He would have liked for nothing more than to continue living his quiet existence on the outskirts of Alphaville but that ends the night he smelled another wolf shifter and then coyote shifters trespass on his territory. Of course, Renny’s arrival shakes up his whole world and not just because he has to involve local law enforcement, paramedics and the mayor when she arrives but because he has to come to terms with his wolf’s desire for her to stay.

Baby, I’m Howling for You is an amazing shifter romance, which serves to highlight the strength of the mate call and gives the perfect example of what two shifters will do to keep the love they never thought they’d get to have. It takes place in an amazing town: Alphaville; which is home and haven to a hodgepodge of shifters, all with their own stories to tell. It’s also full of a cast of amazing characters such mayor Jaegar, and Zeke and Molly Buchanon, who all come together to not only support Renny in establishing a life in Alphaville but also in attaining liberation from her stalker.



While, Baby I’m Howling for You may not have the most beautiful cover, it is definitely eye-catching and the blurb makes up for any issues anyone might have with the cover. This cover would peak my interest but the blurb would definitely keep it. From beginning to end, I was caught up in the adventure and excitement of the story and romance blossoming between Renny and Mick. With a cast of well developed characters, a well developed world and amazing dialogue, I really felt like I was a part of the story.

Overall, Baby I’m Howling for You was an amazing read and has single-handedly been the cause of me seeking out more shifter novels for my enjoyment. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes paranormal romances, urban fantasies, shifter stories and stories featuring that ever encompassing mate bond between shifters and I would definitely purchase this book for a friend.

Rating Conclusion

Baby, I’m Howling for You earns a solid 5 out of 5 stars from me. It has literally set the bar for shifter novels for me from here onwards. Areas that felt a little off for me included the cover, which while an eye-grabber, is kind of just there. Otherwise I really loved the story and loved the characters.

Trigger warnings: attempted rape, sexual assault, death of significant other (in past), stalking

Besides the prequel novella to this series, this is the first Christine Warren novel I've read.  While the prequel gives a little bit of extra backstory, you can read this as a standalone without any problems.

The story started out with the action - Renny's car running out of gas miles from the town of Alpha, and her leading the pursuing coyotes in a chase in (hopefully) the right direction.  The initial scenes got me hooked, with lots of interesting characters, including a grumpy alpha wolf, and lots of humor, but then, unfortunately, it petered out.

“In the space of a week she’d gone from fearing for her life and struggling to survive on the run, to having a home and a mate and now the job she’d been dreaming of since she was a child."

Overall, this is an average destined mates romance, with the overly possessive and protective male and the female in danger.  Renny and Mick's relationship gave me whiplash.  They literally went from Mick being in complete denial about their mating to jumping headfirst into bed together.  I never really got a sense of love from them, just lust.  I would've liked to see more of them falling in love and getting to know each other, rather than just going at it like rabbits.  For example, at one point, Renny is worried because she's falling in love with him and he hasn't said anything about his feelings.  An older woman counsels her that sometimes men show their love through actions instead of words (eye roll).  So when the bad guy destroys their bedroom, Mick arranges for it to be fully redecorated (in a day!) using furniture Renny had bought when she thought she'd be sharing an apartment with her friend.  Sid note: I've refinished furniture before, and it takes much longer than a day for things to be stripped, sanded and repainted.  Yes, this is a weird thing to fixate on in a book about werewolves, but it was just such an odd detail to be off on.  Back to my point - Renny takes this as a sign that Mick actually cares about her, partly because of much money he must've spent (?!).  To me, it looked like a grand gesture, but it was also just another example of Mick making decisions for her without her consultation.

“'Whatever I wanted before is gone. I know I did everything I could to pretend you meant nothing to me, but I think I can stop now, because that ship hasn’t just sailed, it’s hit an iceberg and been lost at sea. You are my mate. So, from here on out, we’re going to forget about my idiocy and move forward together. Deal?'
Her lips twitched. 'Sounds pretty convenient for you, if you ask me. I just pretend you didn’t treat me like a leper for the first eighteen hours of our acquaintance, and you get all the benefits of having a mate without even having to work for it?'
He let himself grin. 'Sounds good to me.'”

As for other cons, I felt like the characterization was practically nonexistent.  They're both wolf shifters, Renny's a librarian and Mick writes graphic novels and.... that's pretty much it.  Mick, at least, had a pretty interesting back story, and while it factored into the main story, it felt like it only scratched the surface of the emotional depth possible.  I liked the secondary characters (especially Molly and her brother Zeke) and the idea of this town filled with misfit shapeshifters.

It's fine - it just felt like the same old thing I've read before, with no new insights to offer.  So if you're a big fan of shifter insta-love stories, you'll probably like this, but, for me, it fell flat.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I just loved this book! I loved the characters and the setting! This story was filled with mystery, suspense and steaminess! I highly recommend this story! I will be sure to read more of this series and others by this author!