Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega #1)- Patricia Briggs

After her abusive pack leader is killed, Anna is taken in by a new leader whose son, Charles claims Anna as his mate. Anna always thought that she was just a particularly weak beta wolf, but it turns out that she is a rare omega instead. Omegas have the ability to sense neutralize tension in other wolves, therefore protecting themselves from the ferocity of others. News comes to the new pack that a rogue werewolf has been killing humans in the surrounding areas and it is up to Charles and Anna to hunt it down. Not only do they need to eliminate the threat, but they also need to work on stabilizing their pair-bond or Anna is fair game to any other wolf who comes along. Sounds vaguely familiar...

Overall Merit: This book was decent as far as paranormal romance is concerned. It didn't bring anything new to the table, but for fans of the genre, go for it. I did like that Briggs played around a bit with werewolf powers and didn't just stick to the by the book rules (nor did she make them sparkle, phew). The actual conflict in the story was interesting, but without revealing too much detail, some of the mythology didn't seem to click properly. By that I mean: it was an interesting idea, but the technical details didn't convince me of the possibility of said magical occurrence. Score- 9

Characters: Anna wasn't the most interesting character, but neither was she unlikeable. Same goes for Charles. There were times when I could really feel their personalities shine through, but I wished I could sense that throughout. There was some interesting flashback stuff going on with some of the side characters and the antagonist and I almost wish that Briggs had gone into that more. The book was fairly short by genre standard and she definitely could have fleshed that part out without any difficulty. Also, the supporting characters were very stereotypic and would have merited from some more depth. Score-7

Blush Factor: Wow, for paranormal romance, this was surprisingly PG. Usually book with similar covers and premises are dripping with smut, but this was clean--as in I would let a mature thirteen year old read it. The romance was sweet, but not overwhelming and I liked the romantic dynamic of Charles and Anna. Unlike many paranormal couples, they were both pretty balanced (for werewolves).

Structure: This wasn't linear with a few brooding side chapters from the jilted lover, as many paranormal books are. Instead, there was a side story from a different character entirely and his story was fascinating, which is why I was so disappointed that Briggs only chose to brush the surface. She really could have done so much more with it and I would have put this into the "must read" category. The main story (Charles and Anna) plodded along, but there was enough action to keep me interested. Score- 8

Plot: As I mentioned earlier, the plot was solid as in fairly predictable with a few refreshing twists. However, I found myself more entranced by the side plot than by the main plot, which can end up being kind of dangerous if the reader isn't invested in the primary story. It didn't help that the character with the most depth was also a member of said side plot. It was a sturdy story and it held its own, to the point that I'm actually considering reading the next book, even though I find that the second book in any series isn't nearly as good as the first one. We shall have to see if Briggs can keep me reading once again. Score- 8

In summation, it was a pretty good book and a quick read so if you have time then by all means. I was actually surprised that it had a legitimate plot instead of being a smut book.