Scent of Darkness

May 28, 2007
This satisfying series kickoff finds Ann Smith, an inexperienced, plain-Jane office assistant, dropping off some paperwork at the home of her handsome, successful boss, Jasha Wilder—and hoping to use the opportunity to confess her mad crush on him—when she catches him transforming from wolf to man. It’s just the beginning for the dumbstruck secretary, whose discovery draws her into Jasha’s cursed world—his family’s ancient pact with the devil, the search for their clan relics, a gang of boisterous, unpredictable relatives who share his shape-shifting ability—and onward to her extraordinary destiny. Dodd’s latest is a fast-paced, well-written paranormal, with a full, engaging mythology and a handful of memorable characters. In Ann, she creates the quintessential all-American girl, counterpointing nicely the rich tapestry of Jasha’s family history; the mix shows great promise for future volumes.

July 1, 2007
Good Ann. Dependable Ann. Invisible Ann. No more. It is no longer enough tobe Jasha Wilders top-notch assistant. She has been in love with her boss for years, and the urgent fax from the Ukraine is just the excuseshe needs to drive to his home for a private weekend. The wine, the clothesshe has it all planned.But finding out that Jasha isnt only all man butalso all wolf puts a major damper on her perfect date. Even worse, the fax isa cover. His family from the Old Country has found him and is looking to bring the rogueback into the fold to strengthen their deal with the devil. If theWilders wont yield, they willdie. Dodd kicks off her new Darkness Chosen series with a bang. A multilayered heroine and a sizzling-hot hero give readers plenty of emotionaland physicalaction, and the relentless game of hunter and prey adds an adrenaline ride for good measure.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)