Full Blooded (2012) (edit title/settings)

• Rated 5 stars

“Jessica wakes to severe pain and the one thing she never thought would happen to her. She's changing...into a werewolf. There are no female werewolves, except Jess. Females don't change, except now Jess has. Now Jessica has to worry about controlling her wolf half or not be allowed to live, not a good sign to have a wild wolf and her first unexpected change doesn't go so well. Jessica is already rare as a female in the wolf world but to shift, unheard of. Just being female has stirred up the people in the supernatural world, spreading rumors and myth she is evil and will bring down the pack. Now? Jessica will fight that it's not going to happen, but now things might change with Jessica's shift...along with her human life she's fought to have.

When Jess changed she tore up her apartment, bad. Of course the police were called and Nick, her business partner and best friend, made it look as a break in instead of a break out. But the cop on the case is not a fan of hers, and suspicious of her physical talents. She needs to keep the secret of being full-blooded werewolf from others as they believe her to be Cain's daughter, yet her newly born wolf is strong and ready to take the lead. Jess can't stay at the compound with her father and the pack as that would stir the pack wolves up and more suspicious, and has to get back to her alias life away from the pack, as Molly Hannon, hoping no one suspects her being Jessica McClain.

I feel for Jessica as her human world collides with the supernatural world, with the wolf she's becoming. Stirring up trouble that only can be handled by humans but caused by wolf strength, which is difficult to explain. Jessica keeps getting deeper as she learns how powerful and special her wolf is. There are many great secondary characters added to the mix. Danny. He's so loyal and knows his place, yet he says things that are fun to lighten Jessica and make her smile. I loved meeting him in Blooded, and still love him here. We have Tyler, her twin brother. Very strong, and similar to their dad. James... aw, he is special and I can't mention much more other than he's Jessica's dads number two, and close with the family. Then we have a hired hit men as well...and the one and only Rourke. Um, I'll stop there as you will want to see what happens with these two, as it's unexpected for both.

I REALLY like the wolf world created! The old lore's and connection to Lycans. Great set up, and finesse in playing the story out. We learn through the book of the werewolf ways and history as we go. It's given in pieces at exactly the right moment, not over told in a long history class. Which makes this read a fast one, along with the action and movement going on.

This story is full of action and pounding. I wasn't sure where the story would unfold to with Jessica's first change, but found I greatly liked the way things were playing out. Jessica tries to uphold her human persona while it's falling apart with the knowledge of her change. And that there just might be more to her, a lot more, than anyone had ever thought. Everything in Molly Hannon's simple human life is changing, as Jessica McClain comes into her own on all levels.

This is one Pack I'm definitely following and howling with. In the end we are left with our mouths hanging open, and scrounging for the next book. So many wants in the end. And Hot Blooded is a must read as soon as it's available!

Amanda has definitely figured out the right combination of information and action to keep a story fast forward and the reader drawn to flipping pages.”

• Rated 3 stars

“My Rating:
3.5 stars: Liked it - recommend (B+)

Our story opens with a huge proverbial BANG, and may I add a big surprise to me, when our heroine, Jessica McClain begins to shift into a wolf. For those that read the novella, Blooded, it may be a bit of a shock to find out that Jessica is now 26 years old and has been living away from the Pack since the end of the novella (when she was 19 years old). Oh, and that the once human girl is now the only female wolf shifter in existence. Many of the questions I had after reading the novella disappeared by the end of the first chapter! Personally, I really liked the idea that she was “only a human” among the supernaturals; however, I quickly adapted my mindset and found Jessica’s new situation equally as compelling.

Jessica’s unexpected shift causes major damage to her apartment, so friends are called in to make it look like a break in. Unfortunately, they couldn’t take care of everything, and the police are a little suspicious about what really happened. To further her problems, Ray Hart, the police officer handling her “break in,” has a long-standing personal grudge against Jessica. He dogs her relentlessly, poking holes in her alibis and functioning as a major pain-in-the-ass.

With Jessica now a full-blooded werewolf, her father, the Pack Alpha, must decide how to hide Jessica from the Supernatural community for fear she will be hunted and destroyed. Unfortunately, word got out quickly that she shifted, and there are some powerful beings tracking her down. When her true nature is revealed, sides are drawn, and the Pack will never be the same.

Full Blooded is a busy book. The first part starts with Jessica’s unexpected transformation, and the subsequent focus on how to keep her cover as a human (and deal with Ray). Since shifting is new to Jessica, we learn more about the wolves and Pack as it is explained to her by her father, brother and other shifters. The world-building is fairly intense, but easy to follow. However, sometimes, the discussions felt forced or knowingly a setup for later storylines. I use the example of a discussion Jessica has with her father’s second, James, on true mates. The conversation felt out of place to me, like I was being set up for something that would happen later. And sure enough... that’s what happened.

To read more of this review go here: http://www.twimom227.com/2012/09/blog-tour-review-full-blooded-by-amanda.html”

• Rated 5 stars

“I'm going to make this quick and will no longer repeat all those rave reviews you've probably seen in Goodreads and the blogosphere. If the person gave a 4 or 5 star review for FULL BLOODED by Amanda Carlson, I agree with them and support their thoughts 100%.
Amazing werewolf myth.
There are MEN, lots of MEN. Drool worthy wolves running around charging the story with testosterone.
Jessica McLain is no whining heroine and never for a minute make the mistake of thinking she's a damsel in distress.
Callum McLain reminds me of my other werewolf lover, Bran Cornick (Mercedes Thompson, Alpha & Omega) so that's a good sign.
The vampire siblings, Eamon and Naomi, is reminiscent of Alec & Jane Volturi (Twilight Saga).
I call dibs on Tyler, Jessica's twin and maybe a little Danny Walker on the side.

Jessica McLain 0.5
owned copy
Buy from Amazon | B&N

Let me start with the prequel, BLOODED, first. The story takes place seven years before the events in FULL BLOODED. Here we see how Jessica is being constantly harassed by Pack members who live in the compound with them. It is here that Jessica was finally able to convince her father that she's no longer safe and that she needs to move away with a new identity to boot. It is IMPERATIVE that you read the novella so you can better understand Jessica and appreciate her character.
Hacking up body parts and tossing them off balconies was hardcore. It was going to take some getting used to.
Both stories open with torn flesh, much gore and a lot of blood. Which I like. As for comparisons with Patricia Briggs' werewolf series, and I do see it but unlike Mercedes Thompson, we won't be left sexually frustrated so that's a plus in my book. However I remain faithful to Adam and Bran despite how hot Rourke, Callum and his Pack are.

ACarlson owe me a good night's sleep. It was a mistake reading this late in the day because I was still up by 3am last night and no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to get my mind off Jessica. My eyes were begging for mercy but every time I try to give them their much needed rest, something else happens that spikes my adrenalin. I think I need to read something lulling to give my poor glands a break.”

• Rated 4 stars

“4.5 Stars
UTC Group Review & posted at Under the Covers Book Blog

http://underthecoversbookblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/arc-review-full-blooded-by-amanda.html

Jessica McClain is one of a kind; a female werewolf the first one ever born unfortunately the rest of her race doesn't view this as a miracle, instead thinking she is the daughter of evil and will destroy their race. Until now though she has been living in relative obscurity under an alias to keep her safe, but her first change hits her and all hell breaks loose as different sects of the supernatural world seem to want to get their hands on her, including the very sexy but extremely dangerous Rourke...

Both myself and Annie wanted to read this after having read the novella Blooded, but I managed to beat Annie down, Jessie style, and grab the book of course I also decided to let her have a peek being a nice girl and all, so here is our combined review!

Describe this book in three words

Annie: I. WANT.MORE.

Suzanne: Action packed mayhem!

What do you think of the newest UF heroine on the block - Jessica McClain?

Annie: I loved Jessica! I thought she was fun and smart without being too snarky or cocky. She was kickass even when she wasn't fighting and I loved that there is still a lot to learn about her. As the token woman of her pack, she's going to be in the spotlight a lot. So it will be interesting how she handles it!

Suzanne: I know Annie loved her, and I did like her, I like that she wasn't overplaying the bad ass chick thing all the time and instead was a good balance between attitude and sense. But, I didn't feel like she was anything original or new, she was likable and I will read the next book, but she doesn't stand out in the crowd of heroines that are cram the UF section.

The author, Amanda Carlson said that humor and action are her two biggest passions while writing. What did you think of the balance of humor and action?

Annie: I can definitely see the emphasis on both the humor and the action. There was a great balance that fit Carlson's writing style. I think Jessica's character definitely held the most appeal to me in terms of humor. I loved her witty comebacks and spit-fire attitude. And the action? I was blown away by how fast-paced this read was. I finished it almost immediately.

Suzanne: There was definitely a lot of action in this book, which I loved, it kept the book moving at a nice fast pace that had you dying. Ow what would happen next. The humour was good as well, it stopped the book from getting bogged down with blood 'n guts, I especially liked the interactions between Jessica and her wolf, especially when it came to a very sexy werecat.

What are you most looking forward to in the next book?

Annie: I want to learn more about Rourke! That guy is sex on a stick! Hopefully, we get some sexy time too :P

Suzanne: I am 100% with Annie, I want more Roarke, and especially nekkid Roarke *starts panting*

*ARC provided by author
”

• Rated 5 stars

“Very strong start for a new series. I loved how much information was given throughout the book. Poor Jessica had a really rough couple of days and I loved reading every minute of it :)”

• Rated 5 stars

“Life has never been easy for Jessica McClain. As the only female to ever be born to a werewolf clan, a race full of superstitions, she is reviled and feared. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that she is the Alpha's daughter, she probably wouldn't have lived far past her birth. Yet in the past few years, she has managed to form herself a life away from most of the pack and its scrutiny. But that carefully constructed life comes tumbling down when she makes the first change to a wolf years past when she should have. Suddenly everyone wants a piece of her, and with the attacks coming from all sides, it is only a matter of time until someone succeeds in their goal of eliminating her permanently.

I absolutely adore Jessica's character. She is just so sassy and fun, as well as fiercely loyal to her pack. This is especially impressive due to the fact that vast majority of them have shunned her, and otherwise made her life incredibly miserable due to their superstitions. Granted, she is the only female werewolf to ever have been known to exist, but that should have made her something to be treasured rather than despised and mistrusted. It really is amazing that she didn't turn bitter due to her treatment, and that only made her more admirable. I was also incredibly impressed with the way she handled everything that was thrown at her in the very short time after she experienced that first change. Of course, she did have a few moments of panic when things became overwhelming, but she regained control in no time flat. Not only was Jess an amazing character, but the rest of the cast was pretty spectacular as well. Each and every single one, both good and bad were fully fleshed out, making them very realistic. I won't get into any more specifics as this book and characters deserve to be experienced directly, but suffice it to say they were awesome.

The mythology in Full Blooded was absolutely amazing. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the wolves, with the alpha structure, as well as the telepathy aspects between Jess and her twin as well as her father the alpha. It was nice to see that while the Alpha did hold most the power, he wasn't above reproach, and had to be careful especially in regards to Jessica. In addition to the wolves, there were also many other types of shifters as well as witches, vamps, and sorcerers, making for a very interesting variety. I especially liked to see the way those dynamics played out, especially as politics between clans played a part. I have a feeling those politics will be playing an even larger role in future books especially as each clan still clambers to get their hands on Jessica.

I haven't enjoyed a werewolf story this much since the first time I read Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. I can hardly believe this is Amanda's debut novel as everything flows like she has countless books under her belt. With her writing being this good right out of the gate, I am incredibly excited to see where things lead. Granted, she does already have a bit of that evil author tendency with the nasty cliffhanger ending, but that is easily forgiven in light of how amazing the rest of the book was. That being said, I am incredibly desperate to get my hands on the next installment. In fact, Full Blooded has easily earned itself a place as one of my top reads for 2012. Considering the very large volume of books I read (300+ per year), this is no small feat. Full Blooded is an absolute must read for fans of Urban Fantasy. Trust me, you won't want to miss this fantastic debut!”

• Rated 5 stars

“With Blooded being the appetizer; Full Blooded is the main course.

Jessica is a one of a kind, being the only female to be born to a male werewolf. She is even odder since she didn’t shift once she hit puberty like the other werewolves. Jessica lived her first 26 years of life as a human that was raised by wolves.

But after leaving the Pack life and living a normal human life for the last 7 years she finds herself in the middle of a very painful shift in the late hours of night in her bed.

No one including Jessica’s dad the Alpha of the North U.S. Pack has no idea what this means and why it’s taken so long for the shift to happen especially since they have no guide book to go by with her being the only one of her kind….. a female werewolf.

Jessica finds herself in a whole new world. Yeah sure she lived with the Pack but because she was human and female she was very much not wanted by most of the wolves. She knows the basics of wolf life but there is so much she doesn’t know. So she is learning the rules as she goes. And she does a kick ass job of it. But she’s not all alone. She gets help from her father, brother and a small group of friends from the pack and her witchy secretary.

Carlson does an excellent job with her world building and character development. I would have to say that one of my favorite characters is Jessica’s wolf. That chica is one saucy wolf. And the inner monologue that Jessica has with her wolf is just awesome. If the wolf was to run the show they would be one slutty duo.

I totally approve of the Jessica’s wolf picks for lovers. There is some hot wolf action and a smoking cat that enters their life.

Fans of Rachel Vincent's Faythe Sanders from the Shifters series will LOVE Jessica McClain!

I can't wait for Hot Blooded to release in Spring of 2013.


”

• Rated 5 stars

“ISBN: 9780316205665
Publisher: Orion
Pages: 368
Formats Available: Kindle, Paperback.
Release Date: 6th September 2012

BLURB from Goodreads
Born the only female in an all male race, Jessica McClain isn’t just different—she’s feared.

After living under the radar for the last twenty-six years, Jessica is thrust unexpectedly into her first change, a full ten years late. She wakes up and finds she’s in the middle of a storm. Now that she’s become the only female full-blooded werewolf in town, the supernatural world is already clamoring to take a bite out of her and her new Pack must rise up and protect her.

MY REVIEW
I received an arc of this book, which was arranged by Amanda Carlson, so thank you!
I like this cover, though I also love the cover of my Arc copy. So the differences in the covers, are my Arc doesn't have Jessica on it.....trying to describe just isn't working is it? so I have taken a pic of my arc cover so that you can see the difference for yourself.
Well, as I had read Blooded, the Jessica McClain Novella, I did know a little about Jessica and her relationships with the other characters. Having said that, you learn about everyone in this book too so, I would say you don't absolutely have to have read the novella to enjoy this book.
We learn more about Jessica, who has been living her life as she wanted to away from the compound and under an alias. Jessica had thought that although her father and brother were full changing Werewolves, that she would never change.You see there has never been a full changing female werewolf. Not only is Jessica now a Full changing werewolf she is also rather special too. I will leave you to find out what else she is/can do.
I love the relationships between those in the pack. Jessica's father is the Alpha so everyone should obey him without question. But is that still the case when we find out that someone is after Jessica. Do they want to kill her? kidnap her? Who wants Jessica? Is it a fellow pack? Or something/someone else entirely?
I love the character of Jessica, she was a kick butt female before she could turn into a werewolf, now she can, wow she can certainly fight her own battles! I would compare this book to Rachel Vincent's Shifter series, and it also reminds me of Kelley Armstrong's Women Of The Otherworld Series.
If you like action packed, with a little romance added, and some extra surprises/shocks thrown in,then this book is for you! I was instantly hooked into the book, I was so engrossed I didn't realise how far through the book I was, and when the end came I was kind of "I want the next book now!" It ends on one really big, cliff hanger as other "characters" are introduced into equation. I won't say which character, as I want you to have the wow feeling like I did whilst reading.
So did I enjoy the book? Definitely! Would I recommend it?Yes, especially to Shifter book lovers, Rachel Vincent & Kelley Armstrong Fans. Would I read more by Amanda Carlson and more in this Book Series? Yes to both!”