This might be the best first-in-series I've ever read. I have several favorite series, and this one is definitely among them. However, most of the time, my favorite book in a series is not the first one.

But this one is.

I love Elena. She is a strong and complex character. I also love Clay. He is a captivating and mysterious figure. I love them together, and I absolutely HATE it when they are separated. Their relationship is filled with challenges and issues, but I love how those issues get resolved.

I can't think of a single thing about this book that I don't like. Every aspect of it is engaging and enjoyable.

ALSO, Clayton Danvers might be my all-time favorite book boyfriend.

1. He's a friggin' HOT werewolf. His physical appearance is both alluring and intimidating.

2. He has no problem being in a relationship with a strong female. He respects Elena's strength and independence.

3. He is the epitome of all things loyal. His loyalty to Elena and their pack is unwavering.

4. He would do anything, A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G to keep Elena safe or rescue her. You'd have to kill him to stop him, and he's damn hard to kill. His determination and protectiveness are truly admirable.

5. He mates for life. His commitment to Elena is absolute.

6. He's a good dad. He shows great care and responsibility towards their child.

7. He's refreshingly forthright. He doesn't hide his feelings or intentions.

I could go on (and on, and on). I love him more than Curran Lennart (I didn't even know his last name until I just looked it up). I love him more than Trent Kalamack. More than Eric Northman. More than Ricky-bo and Cuffs Alistair. More than Edward and Peeta.

Get it? He's simply amazing.

The main factors that prevented me from fully enjoying the book were twofold.

Firstly, there was no satisfactory explanation as to why women couldn't become werewolves and why Elena was able to survive when all other women couldn't. Elena had nothing special about her, and the only difference in her Change was that Jeremy seemingly treated her properly. So, women can be werewolves if the men bother to guide them through the Change? I dislike the implications of that. Also, related to this, why did Clay bite her in the first place? He is a scholar who researches anthropomorphic religions and is no intellectual slouch. Everything he has been told, researched, and seen with his own eyes indicates that biting a woman is a death sentence. Why didn't Elena get angry at him for attempted murder when she found out? What made Clay think she would survive? These questions needed answering in my mind, but they weren't. As far as I can see, Elena survived the change because the author wanted her to, and Clay bit her initially, despite his vast knowledge and experience of the consequences, because the author wanted him to. I can see no other reason, and it left me feeling very dissatisfied.

Secondly, I'm guessing we were supposed to like Elena, but I just couldn't. She wasn't interesting or engaging. She was weak-willed, constantly had to be taken care of and rescued, treated everyone around her abominably (especially Clay), and rarely even suspected she might be acting horribly. When she did, she was entirely unapologetic and didn't think it was a problem at all. I could not identify with her or sympathize with her, and I am completely uninterested in reading a second book starring her. The most damning thing I can do is give a couple of quotes. On page 503, it says, "This wasn't one of those fairy-tale romances where the heroine realizes her undying love for the hero after he's placed in mortal danger." And on page 537, "As I met his eyes, I knew how wrong I'd been. I didn't come here to get him back for Jeremy or the Pack. I came to get him back for me. Because I loved him, loved him so much I'd risk everything for the faintest hope of saving him." Lovely. Way to hang a lampshade on the conventionality of the story.

I first read this book when it was first published and I fell in love with it immediately. It was truly one of the rare books that I had come across which centered mainly on werewolves. Since then, I have read numerous other books in the same genre. However, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to go back and reread this particular one to see if it could still stand up against the plethora of other similar books. Oh my goodness, it most definitely did!

Let me just state that out of all the paranormal books that I have read throughout my life, Clay has to be regarded as one of the sexiest male characters, if not the absolute sexiest. I'm not entirely certain as to the exact reason why this is the case. Perhaps it is because there is nothing about him that is overly exaggerated or overdone. A significant portion of his allure lies in his silence. He doesn't feel the need to construct a monument to himself and then stand on top of it, loudly proclaiming that he is an alpha, like some other characters do. With him, it's just an inherent quality that you can sense immediately. And once you sense it, you just can't help but desire it. Badly.