Oh God this was amazing! The concept, the characters, the story, the pace, everything!

Three brothers, three heads – parts of a mythical being connected only to fear in legends. Cerberus, the underworld’s guard dog is out for blood, hunting a cursed bloodline. But the legends were not exactly honest – it’s not just one dog, but three. And after their mission, the dogs, who can also shift into human forms, will have to go home to their master, Hades. What happens, though, when Alex, one of the heads, falls in love with a human woman? Can he still go back to being an immortal guardian and leave Charlotte behind?

This book was seriously awesome! I couldn’t find ONE fault in it, at least for me, it was perfect. The dialogues were amazing. The way the characters acted and reacted, the pace, OH MY GOD THE PACE! It was so smooth. Slow at first, but not boring, light-hearted and sprinkled with good doses of mystery, then it picked up somewhere in the middle of the book, getting more serious and emotional. The third part of the book was the best, though, a real page-turner. It fucking ripped my heart to shreds, but it was worth it.


I really want to read more of this series. I suspect Ryan will be the hardest to crack, judging from what Hades said, and, to be honest, I can’t wait to see that. He’s my favorite of the brothers, that straight-laced, rule-following type is so yummy! Bo was a bit hard to like, because of his attitude and the way he kept trying to mess things up for Alex, though the book promised something deeper going on there because of his past (and OK, I get the whole drugs part, it’s natural for him to want to dull the pain, feeling what your siblings feel when they get hurt is not cool).

Also, let me say it right now, I want a spinoff book or whatever with Max. The guy was pure gold. Funny, a loyal friend, and obviously the kind of man who will be a true partner to someone if only he gets the chance. Max deserves a HEA, too!!!!

I can’t recommend this book enough. Honestly, I’m dying to see what will happen next in the series, it’s been a while since I’ve felt this anxious about a saga and invested in it.

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***

Please note: I DNF’d this at 56% (that is, I did not finish it). So any thoughts on this one will be pertaining to the first half or so of the book. On we go!


This one really had the makings of a great paranormal romance, even with the male possessiveness sneaking in at times, and the strange flip-flopping of the personality of Charlotte (one of the main characters). It just went on for too long for me - which I found really weird given that I read this right after reading Sentinel by Cyndi Friberg, and I was bothered with that one that it wasn’t long enough, and things weren’t explored enough. I think the issue with this one was that, yes, the story was moving, but it was taking forever to get anywhere...forward? It felt a bit stuck at times. Though I did appreciate that this gave the relationship time to develop - that was awesome.


Another issue I had was that Charlotte seems to have pretty much no one to rely on - other women are generally portrayed as ‘the enemy’ or just as ‘characters to hit on the guys in the book/make Charlotte jealous or insecure’. Her one friend, Max, seems to be a pretty awful person, honestly, and I began to dislike him well before I stopped reading. There might have been some development to come with his character, but honestly I didn’t care enough to continue on. Ditto that with pretty much everything else, unfortunately. There were glimmers of something to really pull me in, but they were few and far between and I ended up just wondering why I was continuing to read. So I stopped.


I think the writing of this was quite good, and there was definitely some character growth for the two mains in the work. The plot also had a bit of a draw for me, but it just didn’t pan out unfortunately. Sex scenes were good, though!


4/10 doggos who can morph into humans.


I received a review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

Joshua Tree National Park Ranger Charlotte arrives on the scene of a car accident caused by a large dog tearing across the road. The third sighting of the animal in as many weeks, Charlotte’s interest is piqued. Armed with a bowl of dog food and a bucket of patience, she sets out to find the beast. With the grille marks of a sedan imprinted on his broken ribs, Alex returns to the scene of the accident, scouring for prints he’d left behind when he encounters Charlotte on the trail. The attraction is undeniable, but Alex is on a mission from Hades and can’t afford the distraction. While Charlotte continues to gain the trust of the wild dog roaming the park, Alex is caught between the woman he’s falling for and the job he was sent to do. With bodies and secrets piling at his feet, Alex is pushed to choose between the hellhound he is and the man he wants to be.
I loved about 90% of this book. I loved meeting both Charlotte and Alex. I loved the build of their relationship. I loved the culmination of Alex’s mission. Where did it fall off for me? It was the end. It was like the author was trying to find extra reasons to stretch out the drama for Charlotte and Alex to have their HEA for whatever reason and then everything was fixed within a few pages. IDK. I plan on trying the author again, so hopefully I’ll feel better about her next book.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

The Story in 4 Sentences or Less: Park Ranger Charlotte’s interest is piqued when she arrives on the scene of a car accident involving an unnaturally large dog, the third sighting so far so she sets out to find the dog. Except it’s not actually a dog, Alex is one of three brothers sent on a mission from Hades to destroy a cursed bloodline and then return back to the Underworld but he finds himself drawn to Charlotte and torn between the job he has to do and falling for a woman who has no idea what he is.







Like It? Hate it? Love it? Why? Well, here’s the thing, Junkyard Dog has an interesting setup, Cerberus, the three headed dog that guards the Underworld and is companion to Hades is tasked to find and exterminate the Pirithous, a cursed bloodline. But here’s where it gets interesting, when Cerberus is sent to the mortal world, he becomes three separate beings, brothers named Alex, Bo, and Ryan.

That fact and the brothers’ quest to exterminate the Pirithous was honestly the best part of this book. The attention to detail and the determination of the author to establish each brother as an individual was what grabbed my attention from the beginning. These three are not without their problems, they’re a hot mess and Alex loves to escape his problems with women. He’s a huge playboy and while playboys don’t usually bother me, Alex was off and on a jerk with Charlotte for about half of the story. He would seduce her and woo her with sweet words one minute then the next he’d rudely remind her that it was just a fling and she was just like the many, many, MANY other women he’d been with before. By the time he got his head out of his butt I was done with him as a romantic hero. Frankly he was better as an action/paranormal hero than a romantic lead.

And I just wanted to kick Charlotte in the pants and tell her to get some self respect because Alex sure didn’t respect her for most of the book. She’s a good character, she’s inquisitive, smart, and kind and I felt she deserved way better than Alex’s butthead behavior. Not to mention she put up with crap from Alex’s rude, crude, and idiotic brother once he arrived.
With Alex being a butt through half of the book, the romance was a pretty slow burn. A lot of back and forth, on again, off again between them and yes they do break up at one point. All of this was just too much for me, especially when I wasn’t exactly Team Alex to begin with. I thought Charlotte put up with too much of his crap for the relationship to be worth it. And at the end, it’s not even a HEA, but a HFN because of Alex’s pending return to Hades.

Click It or Skip It? Click It. Overall, I wasn’t that invested in the romance but I was in the quest part of Junkyard Dog.

Junkyard Dog is the first Hellhounds novel by Katja Desjarlais. Joshua Tree National Park Ranger Charlotte arrives on the scene of a car accident caused by a large dog tearing across the road. The third sighting of the animal in as many weeks, Charlotte’s interest is piqued. Armed with a bowl of dog food and a bucket of patience, she sets out to find the beast. With the grille marks of a sedan imprinted on his broken ribs, Alex returns to the scene of the accident, scouring for prints he’d left behind when he encounters Charlotte on the trail. The attraction is undeniable, but Alex is on a mission from Hades and can’t afford the distraction. While Charlotte continues to gain the trust of the wild dog roaming the park, Alex is caught between the woman he’s falling for and the job he was sent to do. With bodies and secrets piling at his feet, Alex is pushed to choose between the hellhound he is and the man he wants to be.

Junkyard Dog is a nice start to an urban fantasy/romance series. I really liked Charlotte- her intelligence and empathy were well done. I liked that she could take care of herself, but wanted to help others, and animals, much more than herself. My only annoyance with her character is that there kept being comments about her having bad taste in men before, and how she just had no interest in relationships because of it. However, there is no mention of what actually happened. If the details are not important then that is fine, but there is no reason to keep bringing it up, just saying that she does not want to date at the moment could have been enough. Max and the other secondary characters were very well written, which I always enjoy. I would like to read more about the ranger crew and the employees at the bar. As for Alex, I liked his character too. I enjoyed that while he had other responsibilities he kept his word and did his best for the people around him. I got a kick out of his interactions with Charlotte as a dog. The combination of humor and danger was good. I will admit that I was rather expecting the hound reveal to happen much sooner- like her seeing the grill marks on a shirtless Alex at some point- but the written reveal was much more dramatic and moved the story forward more and with good effect. All the elements were in place for me to love this story, and I found it enjoyable and a good read. I was hoping for even more, so while I was glad I read the book it just did not wow me.

Junkyard Dog is a good urban fantasy and romance. I liked the premise, the characters, and the balance of humor and danger.

A solid book with a new spin on a Greek myth. I’ve never read a book featuring Cerberus as the main characters. I hope the author chooses to tell the other heads of Cerberus’s stories.

This is a shifter book with a interesting premise although I DNF because this genre is unknown to me.

This book feels like a later installment in the series where I skipped the first few books – that’s how developed the world is. We join what feels like a story already in progress, which only grabbed me even more.

Alex is part of a group of mythological beings. You gotta get over that real quick, because there is so much more to this story. Charlotte is a park ranger with a super tough chick background. She’s more than capable, but still has a soft spot for lost animals. After another sighting of a huge black dog pops up, she sets up camp to “lure” this dog to safety. She’s certainly fearless, because it’s Alex in his shifted form that she ends up “catching.” The sizzle between these two (as humans, not human/dog pairing) is off the charts hot and awesome.

What should have been a simple hunt for Alex ends up being complicated by the murderous intentions of his target and his attraction to Charlotte. Did I mention that the side characters in this story are also great? They totally are, and left me wanting even more. Charlotte’s partner in particular was a highlight of this tale. I hope this isn’t the last we see from him. So while this story starts and ends Charlotte and Alex’s tale, I’m optimistic that we’ll get some closure from the other brothers at some point in the near future.

Charlotte is a Ranger working in the Joshua Tree National Park with her long time partner Owen. They have been pursuing stories of a large black dog and are called to the scene of an accident where its reported that the dog has been hit and run off. Charlotte is determined to track down the dog and help it.

Alex has been working as a bartender whilst trying to track down the offspring of a wanted fugitive from Hades. He knows if he gets distracted things could go bad quickly. But he just can’t resist Charlotte both as a man and a dog. He is determined to protect her at any cost. Interesting and unusual dramatic story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a interesting concept, i did feel at times it was kind of flat. I will give the author another shot as it felt like this was going to be a series.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance read, I am voluntarily providing my honest review.

Alex is one of the three and is tracking one of the cursed Pirithous when he runs into park ranger, Charlotte. She is unlike any woman he’s ever known but exploring what he feels for her would be dangerous. He’s only topside for the hunt and then he’ll be summoned back. Sudden feelings of discontent and resentment make things difficult for a guy who’s always done what duty requires of him.

Overall a good read but definitely not a safe read (for some). Both MCs are likable in their own way and I did warm up to them both the more I read. I’m curious to see what will happen to Bo and Ryan and how the ending in book one will change their own perception of things down the road. I wonder if I’ll like Hades and Seph more in later installments because in this one (although they came through for Alex in the end) they didn’t fall into my like pile until the very, very end.

When there’s third sighting of a large dog in the Joshua Tree National Park, Park Ranger Charlotte interest is piqued and she sets out to find the beast. Alex returns to scene of the accident, scouring for prints he left behind when encounters Charlotte and the attraction is undeniable but he’s on a mission from Hades and can’t afford the distraction.

This ‘Hellhounds' novel is a thrilling read that is has an original story line and a star-crossed romance. The characters are strong, bold and easily captivate readers from the very beginning and the chemistry between Charlotte and Alex sizzles with lots of heat but the relationship has a bit of an obstacle. Alex is has a secret and his time is limited. But the attraction is undeniable and that doesn’t stop Alex and Charlotte from engaging in a bit of ‘friends with benefits’ passion which is quite hot. This story is about a powerful love worth breaking the rules for.

The author has created a fascinating and unique spin on a bit of Greek Mythology regarding Cerberus and the Underworld and surprising elements that adds flair and intrigue to the story. The plot is fast paced with lots of suspense and excitement building throughout the story with bodies and secrets piling up. Unexpected twists and surprises keeps readers on their toes and glued to the pages of this fascinating read.

The was an interesting concept for a book. It had a nice mix of alternate mythology in the plot, which was a nice welcome. It was a simple, predictable plot with a very low climax or suspense. Which is the reason for a 3 star. I wish there was more mystery or intrigue involved. Then when the book should have ended, it kept going and started to drag a little.
The only thing really interesting about it was the mythology twist, other wise it was bland and over all predictable in every way. Even the underworld was bland. He kept mentioning how they were twisted, but never was it actually happening. It was like it was all behind a curtain which made it boring at parts.
Overall, the author needs to push into that more, add some more intensity and I think the book could be a 5 star.

I enjoyed Junkyard Dog, it was well written and imaginative and though it did take a while to warm up when it did take off I was very much invested in the unfolding story.
It wasn't quite a full sweep and there were somethings that did irritate me slightly which I will expand on later but there were still more positives here than negatives.
So what we have is predominantly a paranormal romance and the story itself centres on Charlotte a park ranger and Alex the hottie bartender at her local.
There is much more to Alex than what first appearances suggest he is on a job topside for his bosses who are none other than Hades and Persephone themselves, tracking for them a killer with a cursed bloodline.
Alex along with his brothers are Cerberus literally the guard dog to hell itself.
So character-wise I did like both Charlotte and Alex and I also especially loved the dynamic she shared with her partner.
Alex pre-charlotte is a bit of a player and usually has a no strings attached policy but finding himself drawn to Charlotte and the feeling being mutual the two embark on friends with limited benefits scenario, but with a killer on the loose and the bodies in the park mounting there, time-frame is severely limited.
So this was really hot when it got going and I liked the fact that charlotte herself took a lot of the lead here, loved she was a strong woman who knew exactly what her weaknesses were and also what she wanted.
So about those earlier irritants, Alex's unthinking hurtful behaviour towards Charlotte when his brother arrived on the scene and his total inability to tell his Jackass brother to back off made me slowly seeth.
I also didn't like how Charlotte struggled to accept Alex for what he was I actually expected more from her to be honest, other than that this was all grand.
I did enjoy the second half of this much more than the first and though this was such an intriguing concept.
This was the first book in the series and I imagine we will get to experience the other brother's individual stories going forward so at least two more then.
A thumbs up from me.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Junkyard Dog.

A slow burn romance, “Junkyard Dog” takes an alternative look at Cerberus, the hounds of hell and establishes their presence on modern day earth.

Just to establish a baseline, in Greek mythology, Cerberus, often called the "hound of Hades", is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. On the other hand, in this book, Cerberus is described by author Katja Desjarlais as the “original junkyard dog”

Again, based on mythology, Cerberus has three heads. In this book, Cerberus’ three heads can fully separate into three different individuals both in Hades and on earth (topside). They only come together when Hades is holding court and they sat beside him.

With that established, we can finally move on to the review and meet Alex Echidna, one of the heads of Cerberus in human form and separated from the other two members of the triad. They had been sent topside by Hades to hunt for the living human descendants of Pirithous, who in Greek mythology was the companion and helper of the hero Theseus in his many adventures, including the descent into Hades to carry off Persephone.

It was during this mission that Alex (or Alexandros as Persephone called him) met Park Ranger Charlotte. The attraction was mutual but of course, there is the big difference between them – Alex was a hellhound and Charlotte is your average and normal human being.

“Junkyard Dog” is an interesting story to read but it is very slow. I understand slow burn romance, yet even with the visits of Hades and Persephone, the story was not moving forward fast enough for me. Add to it the very slow development of Alex and Charlotte’s relationship, it became sluggish.

Nevertheless, if you interested in mythology and fantasy, “Junkyard Dog” has its rewards. We see a different side of Hades and Persephone. And yes, most important, we see the human side of Cerberus which in mythology is one of the scariest monsters.

“Junkyard Dog” is Rated T for Teens. Parental guidance is strongly advice due to fantasy/mythology violence and that though “Junkyard Dog” is based on real characters in Greek mythology, the books is an alternative retelling of their stories.

Junkyard Dog by Katja Desjarlais was an entertaining read though it took me a little while to get Into the story. I’m not normally a paranormal reader so that could be the reason for this. Once I got my head around people morphing into dogs and the like I enjoyed this book and was intrigued to see where it would go. I liked the main characters, park Ranger Charlotte and bartender-come dog Alex, both of whom were well developed. The plot worked well too, though I think the story is better suited to a younger audience.

Junkyard Dog, the first book in the Hellhounds Series is also the first book I have read written by Katja Desjarlais. I am of dual opinions about the novel so this review is somewhat difficult. I didn’t much like the style of writing but the plot was so interesting that I still read every page staying up until 2:00 am to do so. The reading so late is extremely rare for me to do.

The whole concept of the hellhounds on earth hunting was fascinating, along with some of the mythology to go along with it. The glimpses into hell itself and the author’s take on Persephone is certainly original. I also liked the characters for the most part, though Max was far past annoying throughout the story. Still Alex and Charlotte were likable as well as Hades, believe it or not, and Persephone. I did wonder do all national park rangers do on their off time is bar hop drinking or is this just the writer’s opinion of immature single twenty-something adults. I say this because I didn’t see many of the characters do much more than work, drink, and look for hookups. When the story focused on Alex and the relationships in his life, the story is captivating which is what kept me reading.

My problem with the style is that it is sparse in the description part, like Hemingway sparse. Which means you will either love or hate this style. Nevertheless, I would be interested in seeing if Bo is able to handle earth life and more about the loyal Ryan.

I wanted to enjoy this more than I did but it just fell a bit flat for me at times, the humour was bit off at times, just not funny, the characters were a bit insipid. It was a nice enough story but because of this it lacked spark.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Junkyard Dog by Katja Desjarlais
Hellhounds #1

In Greek mythology, Cerberus, often called the "hound of Hades", is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. What does this have to do with the book Junkyard Dog? Quite a bit actually although you don’t really realize this until a bit into the book.

A dog is hit by a car...a BIG dog is hit and runs away. Shortly thereafter we realize that the dog is actually Alex and Alex is not ordinary shifter. Nope, he is sent by Hades from the Underworld to hunt down specific targets. He has two brothers that assist in the hunts and they make trips between earth and the underworld whenever their talents are needed.

The three brothers are interesting. Orion-Ryan is the older brother to Alexandros-Alex and his twin brother Borealis-Bo. The brothers are quite different from one another with some preferring the Underworld to being above ground.

We meet Hades and his wife Persephone and learn more about their relation to the brothers and their duties in the Underworld. We learn a lot about the brothers and the most about Alex. There is potential for more books in the series since there are two brothers unattached still. I am NOT sure if there are more hellhounds than the three, though.

Alex meets Charlotte, a chuck ranger, when she is out looking for the injured dog that was hit in the first part of the book. She does meet him in the bar where he works as a bartender but also in his canine form. Their relationship is...interesting...and was fun to watch develop. Max, Charlotte’s work partner, is also interesting and wouldn’t it be a hoot if he ended up with someone from the Underworld ;)

Anyway...this book has a bit of Greek Mythology, a romance, some hunting of a very bad guy and was a fun read all in all. One thing I found interesting is that the hellhounds do not immediately heal as many shapeshifters do in this type of book.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I read more books in this series? Probably

Thank you to NetGalley and Tule Publishing for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

Alex, as a hellhound, was sent to earth to find killers that have been terrorizing the terrain that Charlotte protects, as a ranger. Their attraction is frustrating at times, as with many romances, and faces additional stress as Alex’s placement is temporary. Secondary characters, such as Max, Charlotte’s ranger partner are fun and add to the storyline. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.