I won this book when it first came out and have read it a few times since, but I've been pretty slack about writing it up. But Shawntelle Madison is a talented writer and COVETED is a fun book so I figured it was high time I get this review done.
Natalya Stavinsky is no ordinary werewolf. Well, on some levels, she is, but she's also something of an oddball, no longer a member of the local pack because of her anxiety and OCD. Ostracized from her family and belittled by most pack members, Natalya is a hoarder who takes great solace in her collection of holiday ornaments. And it's Natalya's issues that first got me interested in reading COVETED, because these are traits we don't see in UF protagonists. There are plenty of characters with problems but no leads that suffer from these types of mental illnesses. (Let me know if there are others in the comments, please.) Whatespecially great about Natalya is that she knows that she has to work on these problems and she is actively trying to combat her compulsions, with varying degrees of success. She's a different kind of role model: not the strongest werewolf, but one who is devoted to her loved ones, who works hard, who has a strong sense of honour.
Madison has surrounded Natalya with some great characters. I adore Aggie, one of Natalya's friends from a camp for werewolves with problems. Aggie's an overeater but that doesn't define her. In fact, it is just one character attribute, and one I forgot after a while since I loved her strength, her loyalty, and her compassion. She's also really funny. I'm also a big fan of the members of Natalya's support group, particularly Nick, a wizard with a hoarding problem of his own. We don't get to know the others as well but I was instantly charmed by most of them.
No discussion of COVETED would be complete without talking about Thorn, heir apparent to the pack and Natalya's ex-lover, who disappeared five years ago and is newly back in town, set to mate with the pack's resident mean girl. And if I'm honest, I have to say that Thorn is a jerk. He says he loves Natalya, which I believe, but he has agreed to mate with Erika yet keeps sniffing around Natalya. There are societal and paternal pressures for him not to be with Natalya but he can't leave her alone, which puts her in a terrible spot. I love romantic tension but this really didn't work for me. I just wanted him to man up or move on, so that Natalya could move on as well. And maybe get with Nick, who is clearly her soulmate.
COVETED is probably one of the strongest debuts from 2012, and I would definitely recommend it. Natalya is a very special protagonist I plan to dive into KEPT quite soon, to see where Madison will take her next.
I had a hard time with this first installment; it was too all-over-the-map for me, and I had a really hard time connecting with the heroine. However, I'm glad I stuck with this series because I really enjoyed the books that came after it. Interesting review, it's always fun to read one that's the complete opposite of my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteLol you need to edit that last sentence! Great review, I do want to read this series someday.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Aurian! Sentence fixed. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree, KEPT is really great and it's fun to read reviews that are so different from your own thoughts. Thanks for commenting.
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