Checkmate

Eli Graham has been gone on pack business for over a year, forced to leave before he could claim the woman whom he knows is his mate. Eli is back now and is determined to claim his mate. The perfect plan, right? Until Eli learns that during his absence Nikki has been in the hospital twice for serious matters and to top it off, she no longer trusts men. Nikki Taylor has been in hiding since she was attacked. Nikki has wanted Eli for a while, but now she only wants to hide from him. She even made her brother and Eli's brother promise not to tell Eli what happened during his absence. Nikki is persuaded to join some long time friends for a girl's night. However she arrives only to discover a worse nightmare than the one she has been hiding/recovering from. Eli will let nothing else happen to Nikki if he has any say in the matter. He totally takes over her security and at the same time tries to show Nikki that some men can be trusted to keep her safe and loved. When Nikki and Eli's guard is lowered by a mistake, can Eli still keep Nikki safe or will they lose any future by acts of a madman? Checkmate reminded me of a great fire, it smolders at first and then is slowly built into an inferno. Nikki has only become a shadow of her normal self after being attacked and fears what Eli will think of her when he gets back. Eli has returned determined to claim Nikki and finds that while he was gone she has been placed in harm's way twice. Eli and Nikki have to work together to solve both problems, which isn't easy when you are talking about an Alpha male and a strong, determined woman. I read Checkmate in one setting, late into the night, just because I could not put it down. The emotions that both Nikki and Eli go though had me on the edge of my seat and I was sorry to reach the end. Checkmate is a must read, not once, but several times over. Note to readers: Checkmate is a sequel to Seeing Eye Mate and while they are stand alone books, the characters do intermingle. Jo Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

What's an alpha shape-shifting wolf to do when the woman pre-destined to be his mate no longer trusts men? After returning home from an eight-month security job, Eli Graham is ready to claim his best friend's little sister as his mate. He'd put it off for years, thinking he was doing the right thing by waiting. Instead of the stubborn, independent, carefree girl he left behind, Eli finds a shell of the woman he once knew. Having lived through a near fatal attack, Nikki Taylor has hidden herself away from the world. Now the time has come to face head-on the one man who could devastate her completely, Eli Graham. She's loved him forever, craves him, body, heart and soul, but he's never treated her as anything but a little sister. When Nikki witnesses a murder, she has no choice but to rely on Eli's expertise. While guarding her from the man bent on wiping out a witness, Eli shows Nikki that he'll not only protect her body, but he'll show her just what it means to be a wolf's mate. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Wowza! It has everything. Suspenseful plot, vivid characters, intriguing secondary characters, cunning bad guy, hunky alphas, and scorching hot love. Also, if you missed reading Tino Georgiou's masterpiece--The Fates, go and read it.

Now that he's returned home from an eight month security detail out of town, Eli is determined to finally claim his mate. It's been a long time coming, and in the time he's been gone, she's been attacked not once, but twice. Twice, her life has been threatened, and he couldn't be there to protect her. He'll do whatever it takes to claim Nikki for his mate and protect her against all threats. But first, he has to tell her he is a shape shifter... Nikki has loved Eli for years, but never thought her brother's friend returned those feelings. She especially never thought he'd want her now, with her face still scarred from the first attack. But since his return, Eli looks at her like he's a wolf intent on eating her up, and for the first time she starts to wonder if those far-fetched rumors about the Graham twins are true... If you have already read Annmarie McKenna's first shape shifter story, Seeing Eye Mate, then you must be panting like wolf for the sequel to that story, Checkmate! McKenna did a fine job of teasing us thoroughly with just enough about Caelan's identical twin brother, Eli, to leave us salivating for more! And she does not let the readers down with Checkmate. Both Eli and the plot far surpassed my greatest expectations, and left me hungry for yet another sequel! Nikki is strong, yet almost broken after two brutal attacks. You can feel her fear and pain as she struggles for a life resembling some kind of normalcy while her attackers are still unidentified and remain at large. Her despair over whether Eli could ever look at her the same way again, much less feel romantic love for her after the attacks is enough to break your heart. Of course, when Eli arrives on the scene, he picks up the pieces of both Nikki's and the readers' hearts right quick, as he sweeps Nikki off of her feet and into his world. Watching an Alpha Male like Eli in full-out protective mode take care of the woman he loves is enough to put butterflies in any woman's tummy, but the sensitivity with which he treats Nikki is enough to make your knees wobble! With Checkmate, Annmarie McKenna proves once again that she has a decided flair with romantic suspense as she weaves an intricate plot sure to keep you on the edge of your seat! Series Order: Seeing Eye Mate (Mates, Book 1) Checkmate (Mates, Book 2)

I see that someone has tagged this book as a menage. It is not. In fact, Eli even threatens his own brother for touching Nikki's arm. However, the decription at the top is very accurate. This was a very good shapeshifer read. Lots of very steamy love scenes. Also some very graphic violence on the part of the bad guy. If you like your erotica with lots of hearts and flowers...this ain't it. But if you like your men to be alpha's ...There's none better than an Annmarie McKenna hero!!!

I baught the electronic version of this book and it is a fantastic. If you liked Seeing Eye Mate then you will love this sequel. Fans of Annmarie McKenna will find this a must for their library.