4 STARS | Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Title: Bitten
Series: Women of the Otherworld #1
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Age Group: Adult
Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Elements: Werewolves
Publisher: Plume
Format: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN-13: 978-0452286030
Published: September 7th, 2004
Source: Library
Events: Women of the Otherworld Series Challenge
Rating: ★★★★

Elena Michaels seems like the typically strong and sexy modern woman. She lives with her architect boyfriend, writes for a popular newspaper, and works out at the gym. She's also a werewolf.

Elena has done all she can to assimilate to the human world, but the man whose bite changed her existence forever, and his legacy, continue to haunt her. Thrown into a desperate war for survival that tests her allegiance to a secret clan of werewolves, Elena must reckon with who, and what, she is in this passionate, page-turning novel.

Life's not easy when you're the only female werewolf in existence trying to live a normal human life. In Kelley Armstrong's Bitten, we meet Elena, a Canadian journalist just trying to lead a normal life and forget a past, and love, that's been haunting her since the fateful day she was bitten. But the past has come calling when the Alpha of her werewolf Pack asks for her to return home to Stonehaven to help with a mutt that's been causing some serious trouble that could endanger them all. Though reluctant to leave Toronto, Elena returns home to the Pack and Clay--the one who changed her life forever. With a mutt plot to take down the Pack set in motion, Elena has to put the past behind her, at least until this threat has been eliminated.

I love how imperfect Elena is as a heroine. She's had a tough life, but she does what she can to rise above the events of her childhood and not let it define who she is. I like that she stands up for herself and doesn't take crap from anyone--especially Clay.

What I love about Elena and Clay's relationship is that it's not new and perfect--it's got more than it's share of baggage. Elena has her issues and Clay wants what he wants. They are at each others throats most of the time. But when they can't resist the attraction anymore, they are explosive in a different way. They can't get enough of each other in these moments. I was really happy when Elena stopped fooling herself and admitted that she does love Clay--it took almost losing him, but I thought it has a big break-through moment for them.

I like to think of Elena as the "leader" of the Women of the Otherworld since the first book in the series is from her POV. Bitten is a great introduction into the world of the series, as well as the werewolf Pack itself. I couldn't help but love Clay, Jeremy, and the other members of the Pack. I can't wait to see what happens next in this amazing series.

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Kelley Armstrong has been telling stories since before she could write. Her earliest written efforts were disastrous. If asked for a story about girls and dolls, hers would invariably feature undead girls and evil dolls, much to her teachers' dismay. All efforts to make her produce "normal" stories failed.

Today, she continues to spin tales of ghosts and demons and werewolves, while safely locked away in her basement writing dungeon. She's the author of the NYT-bestselling "Women of the Otherworld" paranormal suspense series and "Darkest Powers" young adult urban fantasy trilogy, as well as the Nadia Stafford crime series. Armstrong lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, kids and far too many pets.

Disclaimer: This review was originally posted in 2012 to my book blogs, Zodiac Book Reviews and A Bibliophiles Thoughts on Books.