Haven

This was a fun read with a depth to it that I didn't expect, although I should have because this is Karen Lynch we're talking about. The skill in her writing made me like and respect a character I'd hardly ever thought about before. Roland was never a favorite of mine from the Relentless trilogy, but I was looking forward to reading this book because I wanted to go back to Sara's world. It turns out I misjudged our roguishly charming werewolf, who proves himself worthy in more than one way. As great authors do, Karen puts our hero through the wringer emotionally and physically, and it was a real pleasure to get to know him better and watch him grow through his trials. That's not to say this book is 100% serious - there are plenty of light and humorous moments, as well as callbacks to characters and places you may be longing for from the original trilogy. Enjoyable, emotional, and definitely worth a spot on your virtual bookshelf.

I feel like werewolves are everywhere in YA these days, but I very much found this book fresh and enjoyable! Roland's story was far from tired, partly because he and his pack exist in Lynch's unique and fresh paranormal world (Haven ties in seamlessly with the first 3 in this series, I enjoyed the Mohiri cameos!) and partly because neither Roland nor the "her" mentioned in the book blurb (no spoilers!) are ready to, want to, or even should, really, be mates. Lynch writes dual POV that gives both characters a unique 'voice', and in so doing she makes the reader invested in their respective trials and internal battles; I liked that they each had their own separate story, while simultaneously denying the tension caused by their secret, rebuffed interest in each other. I got a lot more emotional than I expected to by the end of the book, and was so invested that I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning finishing it. A beautiful, heart-tugging tale for paranormal YA readers (but I recommend you read at least books 1-3 first, if you haven't read this series yet).

Haven is a great story of a young werewolf coming of age who wants to avoid the whole settling down and being 'adult'. The characters are well developed and you will find yourself either cheering for them to be successful or you may want to smack them up side their heads. Karen (Author) did a fantastic job keeping the atmosphere from the first four books. My only hesitation is how quickly the love connection manifests between the traumatized Emma and Roland. That being said, I am not a scholar on werewolves. I highly recommend this book! I DO NOT think that you have to read the Rentless trilogy first to appreciate and enjoy this Story! Although I really LOVE that the author took Sara (the heroine from the Rentless series) and gave us a story of her best friend Roland. It is not Sara's story from his point of view, it is story from the time Sara story concludes! So you get to keep the story moving.