Josephine Lomax, accountant with dreams of excellence, found an incongruity in the books she was checking before a major audit at the firm she was working for. After an in-depth study, she concluded that something fishy was happening at one of the major factories, though the balance was adding up to the cent. She wanted to show the discrepancies to her boss, but the appointment was set after hours, in the park of all places. As an inveterate reader of police novels, she was feeling creeped by the darkness and she moved carefully to avoid making noise. Do not ask why-instinct? Too many novels? Suffice to say that she surprised her boss who was talking with a cop about making someone disappear-herself? Without waiting discovery and confrontation, Josephine decided to apply the best part of valor and to run out of town.

Three months later, still running from a nebulous threat, she met and fell in love with a gorgeous man. The only problem was that she could not trust him with her secret, and after a short time together; she again left without forwarding address.

William Rutledge, a young werewolf with a strange profession, had fallen hard for this young woman he met one evening while slumming with his brothers as "The Howlers"-a live singing act. The four brothers were the alpha males of their pack, and while Artemais, the oldest, was their leader, William, as the second born, was needed for their blood line to continue in case anything happened to Artemais. Their grandfather had explained to them two facts of werewolf life: First, an alpha male would never breed with a female other than his True Mate, and second, he would know when he found Her. For several years already, the brothers had had numerous sexual encounters, without any of them finding a True Mate, and by now they were mating without much concern, enjoying the women and the variation.

William had Joey Lane in his shack that very night and contrary to both their expectations, they had enjoyed it so much that William convinced Joey to remain by his side for two weeks more. And then, she simply disappeared. Left him one morning while he was still asleep.

At first hurt in his male pride, William ended up by recruiting his brothers to help find Josephine. They had come to know each other, and the night before she had disappeared she told him that her real name was Josephine, not Joey. All their research had brought only the discovery of her real name, as she was the only Josephine from Seattle to disappear from the city at about the right time. Josephine Lomax, accountant, wanted for pushing drugs. By now, William knew he had to find her, for she had to be his True Mate if he could not sleep without dreaming of her.

Josephine continued to move from town to town, from waitress position to waitress position, and by now she had found out she was expecting William's baby. She felt guilty for running on him, for not letting him know of the baby, but he was a cop, and the person who had suggested her disappearance was a cop, a bad one for sure, but who could guarantee that William would believe her and not a fellow policeman?

Only when, six months into her pregnancy, she found out that the baby was actually a set of twins, she decided to contact William, for her waitress income was not enough for a big family. Or maybe she just wanted to see him again?

They get together and the way they solved Josephine's problem is what makes the book worth reading. Steamy lovemaking and an intelligent plot keep you spellbound to the very end. Good for filling a cloudy afternoon, when going out holds no attraction.

Good for an evening with or without a date-will set your blood to boiling.

Reviewed By: Raluca Popov
© July 2004