Claw’d (Evergreen Council Book 2) by Vin George

Claw'd the second book in the Evergreen Council series by Vin George and I bet I'm not alone in wanting more in this series after finishing book 2!

From the blurb:

“Conditioned to hate him but I can’t stop craving him.”

On the verge of bloodlust, vampire Sorley breaks into wolf shifter Gethin’s home. Gethin, who’s been indoctrinated to avoid and even despise bloodsuckers, wants to turn him over to higher ups in the Evergreen Council and forget about him. If only it were that simple! Sorley seems to be a victim of a mysterious attack, pinging Gethin’s protective instincts. He’s also devastatingly gorgeous, and Gethin is thrown by the attraction. As a wolf he has no business getting entangled with an immortal malevampire. Even if they give in to their desire, it can only ever be a fling.

Sorley just wants to go home and bury his pretty head in the proverbial sand, but however much he hates it, he needs Gethin’s help. He might even get some benefits out of the deal. The infuriating, furry hunk of a shifter has kind eyes, and his scent is unexpectedly delicious. He also, curiously, makes Sorley feel safe. But Sorley is definitely not developing any feelings for the man. That would be absurd.

When it becomes apparent Sorley is not the only victim of an unknown assailant, the entire Council must pull together to stop the attacks. Egos clash as tension rises, and you could even say there’s a lot at stake.

Claw’d is the second book in the Evergreen Council series, featuring a chaotic mess of a gay vampire and the closeted, long-suffering, wolf-shifter charged with keeping him safe. HEA. Can be read as standalone.

Jacqueleen the Reading Queen's Review:

"I can't bear the thought of anyone else even breathing on you, let alone falling in love with you. You're mine Princess."

I read the first book in the series, Fang’d, a little over a year ago so it took me a bit to get back into the world and remember who everyone was, apart from Charley - There is no way anyone can forget such a memorable MC as him. There was a lot going on in Claw'd. The MCs are another unusual interspecies pairing, where someone with vampirism falls for a shifter wolf. It's unusual because wolves tend to smell awful to vampires, which in turn leads to them to avoiding shifters for the most part. The exception, it seems, is for mates.

Gethin and Sorley's meet cute was definitely not one you'd brag about to your friends. In fact, poor Sorley wasn't even in his right mind at the time. Thank goodness the house he chose to break into was owned by Gethin, who works for the council, or the entire book could have turned out very differently. It wouldn't be illegal for a someone in the supernatural community to protect their home from an intruder with lethal force if necessary.

These two had a lot of hurdles to overcome in order to get their HEA, and I'm not just talking about the fact that Sorley was the victim of some deranged stalker who seems to not be done with their plans. There were long-standing prejudices, self-esteem issues, and even an old unrequited love. The one place these two definitely did not have any issues was the bedroom. This book was steamy AF, which made me one happy reader on that front.

"You look so pretty impaled on my cock."

I enjoyed meeting a lot of the side characters in this book. Alexander was a favorite, and I truly hope he has his own book in this series. He's just so kind. I want him to have someone who appreciates him for who he is, even if he insists he's happy alone. I'll also tell you this book was long. Like I said, there was a lot going on, though I'll be honest and say I do think this could have been a touch shorter without compromising the story. But I'm no author, so what the hell do I know? I still loved this book and enjoyed seeing Gethin and Sorley get the HEA they worked so hard to attain.

Rating: 5 Stars

Janet's Review:

Claw’d is the second in the Evergreen Council series. I had to do a quick reread of Fang’d just so that my mind was fresh with these characters. 

Seriously adored Sorley (although I thought he was kinda a jerk in the first book), he really grew on me. Gethin is a wolf shifter and is part of the council. He finds Sorley, who is a vampire, trying to break into his home, going through bloodlust. This sets off a chain of events that sucked me right into the story. 

Fantastic world building (lots of layers) with a lot of secondary characters, lots of spice, great banter and mystery to solve! 

If you loved the first book, you’ll love this one even more. The story is engaging and all-encompassing, pulled me into it and didn’t let go. 

Well written!

Rating: 5 Stars

Claw'd is available to buy as an ebook or to read with Kindle Unlimited subscription.