Real Men Howl, by Celia Kyle, Marina Maddix | Book Review

Hello friends! Today I have my book review of

Real Men Howl, by Celia Kyle, and Marina Maddix!

Real Men Howl is the first book in the Real Men Shift series.

Trigger Warnings: Animal Bites, Attempted Murder, Murder, Sex scenes.

Mason’s inner wolf will go crazy without her. Lucy thinks he’s already crazy. Werewolves aren’t real. Right?

Lucy Morgan left Ashtown, Georgia, ten years ago and planned to never return. Unfortunately, life didn’t get that memo. She’s back and now painful memories follow her everywhere. Until she meets him. Mason Blackwood is over six feet of sinfully gorgeous man who—for some reason—wants her. He also thinks he’s a werewolf so… yeah. He’s crazypants. But when he wants to have his wicked way with her, his sanity doesn’t seem all that important anymore.

Mason isn’t sure how much longer he can remain Alpha over the Blackwood pack. Without a mate to balance him, his wolf snatches more control every day. It won’t be long before he loses himself to the animal entirely. Then he meets Lucy—a sassy, curvaceous beauty who calms his beast with a smile. One sniff is enough to tell him she’s his mate, and nothing will keep them apart.

Not even the pack’s deadliest enemy who’s determined to kill Lucy before Mason can claim her.

We’re given two different view points, from two characters who are incredibly different from one another, yet hold the same values.

Mason is a stubborn guy, who doesn’t take ‘no’ as an answer. And Lucy…Lucy is incredibly disbelieving, even when shown evidence (which is kind of funny).

Once I started reading Real Men Howl, it was clear to me (clear as day) that Mason was at the end of his rope. And in werewolf terms, that means that he was close to being…eliminated…for the safety of the pack. We also see how this affects him emotionally, mentally, and physically. It was intriguing to see how this played out in the story.

Lucy is at the end of her rope, emotionally, because she’s at the one place where she hasn’t want to be for the last ten years of her life. And we find out why (though I predicted it) about halfway through the story.

During the first half of the story we’re given the chance to see both Mason and Lucy to see their side of the story and simultaneously we get to see how the character we’re reading from, we get to see the other from their view point. Having this in the story (as you couldn’t really get around it, but whatevs) made Real Men Howl unique.

Overall Real Men Howl holds a sense of uniqueness that I haven’t really gotten from other Shifter / Mates stories.. Oh, and I just figured what made Real Men Howl different from the other shifter novels I’ve read: Mason is able to hold his wolf back, and not demand sex right away to complete the mating bond.

Real Men Howl is a fast paced story. There wasn’t ever a dull moment in the storyline. I loved the stand-off behaviour that Lucy was exhibiting during the beginning. I also adored how Charlie–I think his name was–just inserted himself into some of the situations that Lucy and Mason found themselves in.

I adored the chemistry between Mason and Lucy. These two are absolutely perfect for each other.

I give Real Men Howl, 3 stars.

Have you read Real Men Howl? What’d you think?