The Wolf Within review

The Wolf Within by Cynthia Eden was a little different from the other Cynthia Eden werewolf/vampire books I've read. I enjoyed it but not as much as some of her others. The plot was a little convoluted - I'm still not entirely sure if Pate is a good guy or a bad guy - but the writing flowed pretty well (despite several editing issues) and the characters are interesting and engaging.

Duncan and Holly, the romantic leads, are likeable and easy to empathize with and their chemistry is believable. Duncan is a quintessential white knight trying to protect humanity from the supernatural until he is bitten and begins the change into an alpha werewolf. He has hidden his attraction to Holly from the moment they meant, seeing her as fragile and sheltered. Holly, however, has a very big secret of her own and when Duncan starts to become one of the supernatural, she steps in to protect and help him. It's a believable love story with a great deal of action and a few twists and turns that kept me reading impatiently.

The Wolf Within is the first book in the Purgatory series and I am likely to pick up the next book to see what happens with Pate, Conner, and the rest of the characters.

Synopsis from the Author 

FBI Special Agent Duncan McGuire spends his days--and his nights--tracking real-life monsters. Most humans aren't aware of the vampires and werewolves that walk among them. They don't realize the danger that they face, but Duncan knows about the horror that waits in the darkness. He hunts the monsters, and he protects the innocent. Duncan just never expects to become a monster. But after a brutal werewolf attack, Duncan begins to change...and soon he will be one of the very beasts that he has hunted.

Dr. Holly Young is supposed to help Duncan during his transition. It's her job to keep him sane so that Duncan can continue working with the FBI's Para Unit. But as Duncan's beast grows stronger, the passion that she and Duncan have held carefully in check pushes to the surface. The desire that is raging between them could be a very dangerous thing...because Holly isn't exactly human, not any longer.

As the monsters circle in, determined to take out all of the agents working at the Para Unit, Holly and Duncan will have to use their own supernatural strengths in order to survive. But as they give up more of their humanity and embrace the beasts within them both, they realize that the passion between them isn't safe, it isn't controllable, and their dark need may just be an obsession that could destroy them both.

Author's Note: THE WOLF WITHIN is an adult paranormal romance. It contains werewolves, vampires, adult language, sexy times, and lots of danger. Please consider yourself warned. THE WOLF WITHIN contains approximately 60,000 words.