Guest Review: Taming the Wolf by Lydia Dare

Posted November 4, 2010 by Book Binge Guest Blogger in Reviews | 1 Comment

Genres: Paranormal Romance

Tracy’s review of Taming the Wolf by Lydia Dare.

Lord Dashiel Thorpe has fought his true nature his entire life, but whenever the moonlight proves too powerful, Dashiel is unable to control the werewolf within him. It is on one such moonlit night that Dashiel accidentally bites the beautiful Scottish witch, Caitrin McLeod. Though now bound to him irrevocably, Cait decides that she wants nothing to do with him. When she flees to her native Scotland, Dashiel has no choice but to follow her and convince her that it was nothing short of destiny that has bound them together body and soul.

Dashiel Thorpe thought he was a normal human man until around his 12th birthday when he started changing into a wolf during the full moon. His father, not knowing what was happening and worried that he would hurt someone, would lock him in the cellar during the full moon to protect the household and greater community. Now Dash is an adult and has still not come to terms with who or what he is. He tries desperately to control the wolf within him but still fears for the safety of those around him. The first night that he is left on his own during a full moon, ever, he runs into Caitrin Macleod and ends up biting her. Little did he know that meant that he had claimed her for his mate for all time.

Caitrin is a witch – a seer who had traveled to England to help one of her coven sisters. When she “see’s” something she knows she cannot interfere as that would change the course of the life of the person. On the night of the full moon she sees something and therefore locks herself in her room to stop from spilling the beans. When she deems it safe to venture out of her room she heads downstairs to find a book to occupy her time. What does she find in the study instead of a book? Dashiel Thorpe in all of his glory. They have a bit of conversation and then Dash recklessly grabs Cait and kisses her. In his lust he ends up biting Cait and making her his mate.

Cait immediately heads home to Edinburgh as she feels unsafe in England. Dash is sent to Scotland to seek a mentor who can help him understand and accept who he is. During the trip Dash and Cait come together once more and find themselves more and more attracted to each other. Dash is now determined to marry Cait but despite her attraction to Dash she’s just not open to the idea. Dash sets his mind to working with his mentor so he can become the best man/Lycan he can be – and doing it quickly so he will be at his best to court Cait.

I love books where the characters are traveling. I’m not sure what it is about the trope but I’m a sucker for it. Especially in historicals I find that when the couple is in the carriage – and of course those carriages didn’t move as fast as cars do – there’s lots of time to get to know one another. This book was like that and I found myself really enjoying the time spent getting from England to Scotland.

Cait was such a strong character – and so very, very stubborn, but I think it was that stubbornness that I appreciated about her. She wasn’t nasty to Dash, she just told him straight out – NO! lol. It was pretty refreshing to see a woman not making excuses just telling it like it was. But for all of Cait’s stubbornness Dash wasn’t put off. He actually liked that characteristic about her and since they each had a sense of humor they kind of fed off of each other. She loved to mumble things like “Irritable lout” and he would say, “I heard that!” and of course she would say back, “I meant for you to!”

I think what I liked most about the book is that Cait and Dash were truly in love but seemed so comfortable with each other. Their love wasn’t set on conditions, they didn’t have major secrets from each other and they genuinely liked each other and were constantly making the other happy. They made each other smile quite a bit and that, in turn, made me smile – which I love doing while reading a book. It was just a great shifter love story.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5

This book is available from Sourcebooks Casablanca. You can buy it here.

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place


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