ARC Review: Figure of Speech by Dana Marie Bell

“It was all very…nice and civilised; they had the chemistry of friendly acquaintances, not mates” ~ Under the Covers

Chloe Williams has waited a long time for her human mate to claim her, put off by their age difference, her once human mate Jim has not acknowledged their bond, even when she was hospitalised after receiving a beating. A beating that has left lingering effects. But, Jim, now turned to a wolf shifter has come to claim his mate, bringing a surprise with him. But the danger that put Chloe in the hospital seems to have returned to Halle, and is not only after Chloe, but Jim as well.

This is why you should never start a book that is mid-series, sometimes, I admit, it can work out well, in this case it didn’t. I want to preface this review saying that I have not read any other books in this series, although I have read one of her books from Dana Marie Bell’s connected series Halle Pumas. Thank God. Without knowing a little background I would have been completely lost.

Even being a little confused about the background story in Figure of Speech I was fully prepared to enjoy the romance. However, either a majority of the actual ‘romance’ aspect and the relationship build happened in the previous books, or it was glaringly absent. Jim and Chloe had been separated for 4 years, both longing for the other, Chloe had 4 years of mating dreams, which I guessed were erotic dreams about your mate (it never explained exactly what they were) and yet I never felt that chemistry, that i-have-been-waiting-so-long-and-need-you-right-now sizzle. It was all very…nice and civilised; they had the chemistry of friendly acquaintances, not mates.

I will keep this short, suffice to say, the blurb which intrigued me didn’t really live up to my expectations. Maybe I need to read the previous books in the series, but Figure of Speech hasn’t really inspired to try them out.

*ARC provided by publisher