Big Bad Wolf by Suleikha Snyder
This book was very clearly, the author even states it in her afterward, a way to process the 2016 US election and all the racist BS surrounding the president at the time. Suleikha Snyder invented a possible post-2016 America that doesn’t look very different from our own, with one exception: outed supernaturals. Layering into the racial tensions of the time, adding supernaturals adds another layer of commentary on “humanity” and “keeping people in cages”.
The romance at the center of this story is between (mostly) Neha, a Punjab woman who works as a psychologist/lawyer. She is acting as co-counsel for Joe, a blue-collar, werewolf vigilante, who killed six Russian were-Mobsters. Joe has a lot of hang-ups about himself, his self-worth, but he cannot stop thinking about Neha. He feels drawn to her and his clumsy, gruff, inappropriate flirting does it for her.
When, at a pre-trial hearing, a hit is attempted on Joe, he and Neha escape and go “underground” in Queens, hiding among the Middle Eastern community there. They, along with allies known and unknown, have to figure out how to take out the Russian mobster before he kills them both.
Joe and Neha have a lot of intense sex before even really getting to know one another, Joe always keeping Neha at arms length emotionally. The sex scenes are mostly FTB (fade to black), but there are a few more explicit ones.
Another unique thing about this book is that it’s not just from Neha & Joe’s perspectives. We also see Neha’s co-worker, the sister of the Russian mobster, and the NYPD officer who loves her, which, to a reader like me, seems to be setting up some future books I’d for sure read. —Ford
—
I came to Suleikha Snyder from reading Tikka Chance on Me. I liked her voice and her very "take no shits" leading lady. So I was stoked to find out that she was writing a full-length paranormal novel with a killer cover. (Shout out to the Graphic Artist on that!).
The book is an interesting mix of politics, romance, supernatural intrigue, and Russian Mafia. There is a lot to unpack here, and ultimately not all the things worked for me.
The Russian Mafia - the well-developed infrastructure of this world, the nuanced research into the Little Odessa underbelly, are very well executed. I loved the addition of the Bear-Shifter into the mix of how scary these people can be.
The current politics as presented in this magical world - almost X-Men-esque expulsion policies, side-by-side with the actual bans and caged children that the administration was doing in real life, were shockingly believable, mostly because it is not a stretch to imagine this kind of oppression.
The Apex Initiative and Third Shift - Extremely fun and engaging. I need a second book about these people (there is a hint in the afterword that this is happening, squeeee!). These side characters stole the show for me. This could be an episodic show or a movie about supe-spies or just more and more books in this world. I NEED the Nate-Clare-Finn thruple story!
Neha and Joe - the central love story, was the least effective for me. Their insta-lust was somewhat believable, but the insta-love that followed did not hold water for me. He just kept repeating the same self-loathing mantra over and over while she kept telling him that she needs him inside her. It just didn't work and I am usually all about the sex.
I am definitely going to be on the lookout for book two in hopes that it is about the other operatives of Third Shift. -Sky.
