Big Bad Wolf

by Suleikha Snyder

Overview

They call him a monster. More wolf than man—more dangerous than any predator.

They have no idea.

Joe Peluso has blood on his hands. He took out the mobsters responsible for killing his foster brother, and that one act of vigilante justice has earned him countless enemies in New York's supernatural-controlled underworld. He knows that shifters like him deserve the worst. Darkness. Pain. Solitude. But meeting Neha makes him feel human for the first time in forever.

Lawyer and psychologist Neha Ahluwalia knows Joe is guilty, but she's determined to help him craft a solid defense...even if she can't defend her own obsession. Just one look from the wolf shifter makes her skin burn hot and her pulse race. When a payback hit goes wrong, Neha's forced to make a choice: help Joe escape or leave him to his fate. Before long they're on the run—from the monsters who want him dead, from their own traitorous hearts, and from an attraction that threatens to destroy them.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728214979
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	01/26/2021
Series:	Third Shift , #1
Pages:	312
Sales rank:	656,108
Product dimensions:	4.70(w) x 7.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Suleikha Snyder is a bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary and erotic romance, whose works have been showcased in Entertainment Weekly, BuzzFeed, The Times of India, and NPR. An editor, writer, American desi and lifelong geek, she is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusivity in media of all kinds.

Suleikha has lived in big cities like New York and Chicago, but her true home is the internet. Visit her website at www.suleikhasnyder.com and follow her on Twitter @suleikhasnyder.

Editorial Reviews

11/16/2020

Snyder’s pulpy, suspenseful debut shocks, surprises, and titillates, but the love story lags behind the worldbuilding. In an only slightly more dystopian near future, New York City is home to vampires, shifters, and sorcerers—as well as rampant organized crime. Criminal defense attorney Neha Ahulwalia knows that her new client, wolf shifter Joe Peluso, is a killer, but she’s inexorably drawn to him anyway. Instinct tells her that “Joe Peluso was the monster in the closet, the creature you were warned about in fairy tales... and still, somehow, not the scariest white man Neha had encountered while doing her job.” She’s certain there’s more to his story, and she’s right: Joe is a vigilante and the six mobsters he dispatched were very bad men. Joe and Neha fall in lust at first sight, then fall in love on the run after fleeing a shoot-out at the courthouse. The remainder unfolds somewhat unevenly, delivering an ungainly mix of visceral thrills; explicit, fevered coupling that leans heavily on the idea of fated mates; and repetitive, sometimes awkward exposition that sets the stage for future volumes at the expense of the present. Snyder easily charms the reader into wanting more from this world, but the romantic relationship pales in comparison. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Handspun Literary. (Jan.)

Publishers Weekly

"Adventure and romance kick in full blast in Snyder's engrossing and diverse tale of paranormal romantic suspense." — Booklist

"In a lusciously dark urban fantasy, Suleikha creates an impossible love story that will have you holding your breath from the first to the very last page. A thrilling feast with a diverse, complex heroine, a badass anti-hero, and a meticulously designed story that will have you begging for more. I could not get enough of this book!" — Award-winning author Nisha Sharma

"Fast, gritty, and insanely sexy." — Award-winning author Sonali Dev

"Big Bad Wolf is a perfect urban fantasy for the times: clever, romantic, heroic, and filled with hope for a better future. Suleikha Snyder has crafted an amazing world. I literally couldn't put it down." — Award-winning author Alisha Rai

"Refreshingly diverse and engaging…an extraordinarily gripping world." — Kirkus Reviews

"Incredible. Unforgettable. Suleikha Snyder is a star, and Big Bad Wolf is intense, riveting, and utterly glorious. Come for the world-building. Stay for the engaging characters. This book is for anyone who wants their romance with an edge, served piping hot with a side of danger." — NYT & USA Today best-selling author Ann Aguirre

From the Publisher

2020-10-14
A jaded New York werewolf who's been branded a criminal has little hope for his future until he crosses swords with his take-no-prisoners lawyer.

While there's little doubt that ex-Marine Joe Peluso has killed six Russian mobsters, psychologist and lawyer Neha Ahluwalia is determined to look for nuance that will help mount a defense. However, Joe, who has killed the bear-shifters to avenge the death of his foster brother, refuses to disclose any details. Joe's abrasive reticence aside, Neha is fighting battles on several other fronts in a country rocked into political chaos by the revelation that supernatural beings walk among ordinary citizens: She must beware of the nefarious links between New York’s Russian underworld and its government, duck the surveillance drones forever circling the city, and contend with social prejudices that deem her wolf-shifter client a monster. Even as Joe and Neha are trying in vain to fight an uncomfortably strong sexual attraction, they are thrust into a battle for survival when Joe is attacked in jail. Cornered by dangerous predators, they turn to the Third Shift, a powerful security organization trying to restore justice in a deeply polarized society. In the inaugural installment of the Third Shift series, Snyder builds a compelling universe, evocatively describing everyday life in a world where social structures are fractured by prejudice and fear. In the process, she alludes to several contemporary realities, including the difficulties associated with measuring varying experiences of marginalization and oppression against each other. While Joe and Neha are engaging personalities, the progress of their relationship feels abrupt and lacks emotional heft. But the cast of secondary characters is so refreshingly diverse and engaging that it's easy to overlook the protagonists’ penchant for going around in circles.

A familiar romance set in an extraordinarily gripping world.

Kirkus Reviews

Shiloh Gray expertly narrates a paranormal romance filled with snarky humor and biting social commentary. Joe Peluso is on trial for a murder he undeniably committed and has no remorse for. Lawyer and psychologist Neha Ahluwalia feels drawn to Joe, despite the obvious danger. When the two are forced to go on the run together, their relationship ignites. Gray perfectly captures both the humor and the heat that sparks between Joe and Neha, as well as the more serious aspects of their situation. While Gray’s accents occasionally falter, her portrayals of the many diverse characters are to her credit. Every character, even those who are secondary, is voiced in a distinctive and believable way. A gripping performance. K.M.P. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2021 - AudioFile