How to Tame a Hellhound (Hellhounds of Paradise Falls Book 3) by Shannon Mae

Book 3 in the Hellhounds of Paradise Falls series brings us the story of Aiden, one of the rescued humans Dexter so lovingly rehomed. Aiden has a lot of healing to do after being held prisoner by an evil man for a year and Atlas aka Fluffy is the perfect hellhound to help him on his way.


From the How to Tame a Hellhound blurb:

Aiden
Apparently, the trauma from being kidnapped doesn’t end when you’re rescued, although I’m doing better. I have a roommate who has become family, and we’ve been adopted by a pack of otherworldly creatures who protect us. I’m still a little jumpy, and most people make me uncomfortable, but baking, therapy, and my daily walks are all helping. The sweet guard dog who follows me around in the woods helps, too. I can tell him anything I want—even how scared I am of my own family. I’m afraid to bring trouble to my new family’s doorstep, but I can’t end up caged again.

Atlas (aka Fluffy)
I have never belonged. I never knew my parents, and I grew up with a pack of wolves. (Yes, I was literally raised by wolves. Believe me, I see the humor in that too.) Wilder found me and adopted me, and I have a pack and a good life. People still make me uncomfortable, though, unless I’m torturing and killing them (only hellbound people—I’m not just some random serial killer). I just like solitude. But there’s something about Aiden that calls to my hellhound, and I can’t help wanting to protect the sweet human. I’ll even put up with being nicknamed Fluffy so long as I get to stay close to him. When I find out he’s in danger, I know I can’t sit back any longer. The only problem? How will my traumatized human react to finding out I’m not just a guard dog?

Tags: Both characters have tragic backstories and need lots of comfort; Aiden loves cuddles and Fluffy is totally cuddle material; Atlas kind of likes being called Fluffy by his human, but he’ll maim anyone else who tries it; there’s torture and death (but only of really bad people); hellhounds have tails, and they know how to use them.

Jacqueleen the Reading Queen's review:

"𝙸'𝚖 𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚍, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙸 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚊𝚔𝚎, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚍𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚒𝚝?

"𝙸 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞."

I'm so happy that sweet Aiden finally got his HEA with Atlas aka Fluffy. Atlas is different from his pack brothers in that his hellhound is more sentient. It reminds me of how many shifter books the animal and human are separate, but one. Atlas could converse with his hellhound which the pack think stemmed from spending so much of his young life in that form. After all, he was raised by actual wolves.

I adored how Aiden was able to bond with Atlas' hellhound before he ever met the man. I think it helped Aidan that he already had a sense of him in his heart. Plus, Aidan wasn't afraid of cuddles with the large beast. Atlas was only too happy to comply. He was understanding of Aiden's healing journey and wanted to give him time. After all, it's not every day you find out you're a hellhounds mate.

I was so excited to finally meet the last member of the pack, though we didn't get to see too much of him. What we did get was a pretty solid indicator of who ends up with who for the final books. It also helped that book 4 How to Trust a Hellhound already has a blurb and is up for pre-order. October cannot come soon enough!


SNik's review:

Third in series (Hellhounds of Paradise Falls), best if read in order. Paranormal. Found family. Hurt/comfort. Slow burn. Dual POV. Heed content warnings. 

Aiden is still processing his past captivity, but he has a group of found family that helps him and a special guard dog that listens to his every conversation on their daily walks. Sure, Aiden thinks Atlas is just a dog, but Atlas (AKA Fluffy) knows they are mates and being patient with Aiden until he is ready to trust another person is perfectly fine, Atlas likes being in his fur most of the time anyway. 

Another thoroughly enjoyable read with hellhounds capable of violence and torture yet they are entirely cinnamon rolls when it comes to their special person. Aiden is so courageous in working through his trauma and knows his personal limits and Atlas is there for being a companion, a shoulder to lean on, and a protector if needed. Everything about them together was sweet, and this found family is absolutely the best with interesting characters, unwavering loyalty, and tons of love to go around. Really enjoying this series.


How to Tame a Hellhound is currently available as an e-book and paperback and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription