Dark Instincts (The Phoenix Pack Book 4)

This is currently the best book in the series. Marcus and Roni are their own characters who have their own personalities, no more copy and paste character types.Roni is a powerful female who isn't a girlie girl. She is the tomboy who doesn't know how to lean on another person; she sees it as a sign of weakness.Marcus is a dominant male who is so tortured by the examples of love set before him that he just skates through life, never to let himself get attached.Together, these characters teach each other that love can be beautiful and give you strength where it is needed.This was truly a beautiful read. I would recommend this book to everyone who enjoys reading about realistic personal growth.

I purchased and listened to the audio version of this book.I really liked Roni and Marcus' story. Both of them have had bad things happen to them in the past and both of them have hidden their true selves in order to cope. Fortunately, they will find, eventually, that they have each other and that is all they really need.All the favorite characters are still here and still great. Greta has met her match in Ronnie and she doesn't even know it. Roni and her brother also have a unique relationship that will crack you up more than once. I love Jill's narration and can't wait to listen to the next one.

Well, it looks like this is going to be a Three Star Series, with the potential for more.As in the previous books, the writing was good, but there were some flaws.First, the male lead is bisexual, so Roni feels jealous of his friend/male lover. I read paranormal steamy romance novels because I like to fantasize about the impossibly perfect male. I imagine what it would be like to live in that kind of world. For me to get really deep into the book, specifically as a romance novel, then I have to feel like the male lead is a heartthrob that appeals to me. There is a trend, recently, where romance authors will spontaneously insert a gay or bisexual male lead right in the middle of a series, not as a side character, but as the lead. But there are issues with that. This is a romance novel. There are so many genres where I have greatly enjoyed a gay male lead - Lord John Gray and the Private Matter comes to mind. I care deeply about those characters, love how they're written, applaud their successes and cry for their failures. But I don't want to be a voyeur into their romantic skills as the entire premise of the book. When an author writes a straight romance series, and then suddenly makes the next one bisexual, it's jarring to those who specifically were seeking out straight romance. No one needs to apologize for what they find sexy between consenting adults. If they want to try their hand at a variety of sexualities, I wish that authors would explore them in different series. It jerks me out of the story because I wouldn't be passionately attracted to a man who has sex with men. That's just not where my interest lies. If I remember correctly, wasn't it Marcus and Trick who made out in the lake in front of Taryn? Trick is referred to as Marcus' bed buddy in this book. That's just a big bucket of cold water right there. To be fair, Marcus is interested solely on Roni at the start of the novel, so there is no MSM sex in this book.The plot had a bit of a hole in it where the pack is stumped trying to access the SNM.com website. Why not just get Quinn's password and login?The author again jumps around from POV within the same page. It's not good writing, and she's eminently capable of more.Greta is a missed opportunity. She could have done so much more with this character instead of making her look foolish constantly putting down the females and getting crass insults in return. In this book, all it took for Greta to actually like a female character was for that character to acknowledge Greta's bond with the males.The author has serious issues with familial relationships. I cannot think of a single healthy parental relationship in any of the books. In the last one, Nick's mother, Kathy, seemed like a normal parent. However, in this one she ruthlessly put Roni down, taunted her, demeaned her, and otherwise ensured they had no relationship. She was Roni's only surviving parent, and she showed Roni zero affection. She valued strength, and that is what she installed in Roni. But she constantly taunted Roni as weak because of an effort to gang rape her as a child. After having made clear that she despised weakness, she kept treating Roni as weak. The later explanation was that Kathy was so hurt by the loss of her own mate that she wanted to make sure that Roni was independent enough that she would survive the loss of a mate, should it happen. However, the description of the true mate bond meant that there could be no walls between them. So, does that mean that Kathy did not truly bond with her own mate? Was she trying to ruin Roni's chances of completing a mate bond? As a mother, I was offended to the extreme at the explanation that Kathy, Roni's only surviving parent, rejected her, showed her no affection, told her she wasn't the daughter she wanted, that she wasn't good enough, because she wanted to toughen her up. That's not making someone resilient; it's abuse and neglect. People who survive such treatment are not resilient or independent at all. They usually chase love and get into abusive relationships. It would have made more sense for her to have a strong relationship with Roni, because it was ties to family that helped Kathy survive.The author even seems to have a problem with sibling relationships, because Nick had a personality change. In his own book, he was so sensitive to his mate's needs, accepting, and wise in what she'd need. And yet, he, too, openly treated Roni as weak. He acted so obtuse when he pushed her into changing into her wolf form, threatening to tell Kathy about the video upload, knowing that Kathy would treat her as weak. That would only make sense if he wasn't a wolf himself and didn't understand the dynamic. He interfered with Roni's happiness over and over again. And that stunt where he got Marcus drunk and passed out to deliberately ruin her mating ceremony night was extremely unfriendly. It was the most special night of his sister's life, the sister he felt guilty over for years, and he ruins it on purpose? That was being "overprotective"??? No, that was cruel and unfriendly and certainly disrespectful and unloving to his sister. Nick was not the same person at all as in his own book.Also, many shifter books use a claiming mark as a kind of permanent wedding ring. There will be a single decorative bite on someone's neck that remains visible while all other injuries magically heal. In this series, they heal just like we do, scars and all, just faster. And the shifters consider "marking" each other with their teeth and claws as "branding". The reality is that they would each be covered in claw and bite scars. The males talk about biting their female from head to toe. That doesn't sound like fun, like a love bit, but rather painful. If I saw someone with bite and claw marks all over their body, I would think they were in a toxic relationship. Marcus' mother was described as pathetic because she would be covered in bruises and wounds, but that's kind of how she describes the females - proudly covered in "brands". The difference, I suppose, is that Marcus' mother preferred fists to bites, and was addicted to self mutilation and masochism. I'm curious as to why there was no mention of getting her psychological help. That didn't seem to be an option in the shifter world.There is often mention about having a "role" within the pack. But the only role I am aware of is enforcer, IT, or Alpha pair. There do not seem to be any other jobs. So if someone is not on a security team, what do they do all day? How do they make money? The packs are often described as wealthy without having to do anything so bourgeois as actually work, except for Jaime, who works with rescue dogs. There was a brief mention of "investments" in Trey's book. It's kind of like the British aristocracy - they are allowed to passively make money but no more. How do they pass the time? Are they all on housecleaning staff? Because those lodges and underground bunkers would take all day to keep clean. The author did not flesh out the world as I would have liked. There have been no further updates on Jaime's progress with her traumatized wolf.Seriously, if ex lovers were going to be so problematic, then maybe the shifters should become extremely conservative and not sleep with anyone before they are mated. Because...damn. Yet another vengeful ex wrecking havoc and trying to interfere with a true mate bond.It is often remarked that the Alpha female has to be dominant or her position would be challenged. That is so important that Roni could understand why Quinn's mate tried to have her killed because she'd embarrassed her by holding her down and threatening her. And it was integral to Shaya's book. But that is not how her packs are written. The pack is protective of their dominant females, and especially their Alpha females. Shaya is not constantly fighting off challenges. Her character is more mothering. And if a dominant female did challenge an Alpha female, what would that mean to the pack? A mate bond is permanent, so it's not like she could usurp her plate with the Alpha male. They are not written as animals who have to enforce their every word with physical altercations. The males are protective of Roni, and when she is defeated by the male in the pool, she did not lose her respect or her place. Shaya did not lose face when she, being pregnant, did not fight at all in this book.And my final issue is how the author dealt with Marcus and Roni coming from separate packs. Nick and Kathy torment Roni in her pack, so the obvious answer was for her to join Marcus' pack. The two packs visit often enough that she would see her family plenty. Instead, they decided to split their time. Actually dividing time like that, half the week at one location and half at another, would actually suck. They'd be living out of suitcases in perpetuity, having to keep 2 of everything at their residences, and it would be a big pain when they have kids. It was no solution at all, but rather showed an inability to make a basic decision.Out of the entire book, the positives were that Roni was very well written, and that final fight scene in the basement was written with perfect tension. You were really on your seat to see what happened.The author's talent is there. She can do so much better. She really needs an editor, or a better editor, and some fierce criticism in her advanced reader copy.

Dark Instincts is one of my favorites from this series, plus Roni and Marcus are just a great couple.Marcus is flirty and bossy, but he’s not the manwhore everyone believes him to be. He made his intentions for Roni clear from the moment he met her, and she saw a side of Marcus that others didn’t.Roni used her wolf to hide some of the pain she carried as a result of the attack she went through as a child. She came across as being confident and strong, but Marcus could sense when she was acting for those around them. Slowly Roni dropped the walls for Marcus and trusted him.Instead of fighting each other, Marcus and Roni were able to help the others and concentrate on the real threat to their packs. I’m excited about reading Ryan’s book next.

Roni and Marcus didn’t have a traditional finding of their mates. I like the attraction and the undeniable need for each other as well as their respect for each other

I will preface this all by saying I am a die-hard fan of Suzanne Wright's many series especially the Phoenix Pact series. Roni is such a fun character and Marcus compliments her well. I enjoyed getting to know Marcus better while exploring more of the other members of the Phoenix Pact. Although the romance is a plus I am really enjoying the main plot line of the human extremists and all that it entails. This is the first book with both the Phoenix and Mercury pacts interacting as established pacts. It is great to have the two packs now and the introduction of more characters. Another good job for Suzanne Wright!

I have the entire series, she is my favorite author. I preordered the book a few months ago and it took me 2 days to finish 😥... I LAUGHED so hard several times, the first when I was in an office waiting in the lobby for an interview, I was killing time by reading this book and I busted out laughing when Nick called out Trey for Sailor Joe and then Trey called out Dante for Firemen Sam.... I absolutely ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Suzanne Wright, each character is completely different and yet the same, I'm really good at picturing everything when I read and her details to places as well as what the characters are doing and wearing is what makes me feel of actually being there.......... I do have a strong wish of owning the Phoenix Pack series on hardcovers, I want to start my own book shelf of all my books.... I CANT WAIT TO READ DOM'S BOOK, he's my favorite ☺️☺️☺️☺️

These are my go to shifter reads. I love to revisit the personalities of the packs and of course see how all the families are growing.

I do love Roni and Marcus. She has such wonderful methods for dealing with situations that she isn't comfortable with and she is a seriously kick-ass shifter. Her way of dealing with Dominic is hilarious. The chemistry between Roni (Mercury pack Enforcer) and Marcus (Phoenix pack Enforcer) sizzles.This addition to The Phoenix Pack series also merges with The Mercury Pack series and spends time with both packs. We get to see all the wonderful characters that we have got to know through the previous books in this series. As with the other books there is drama, humour and romance in this fantastic addition to the series.

Someone is targeting the packs again, or perhaps just Kai. Roni protects the cub after a car crash and stops him from being taken by a group that want him for reasons unknown. The accident also injured Shaya and Tao, meaning that not only are the Phoenix pack out for blood, but the Mercury pack too. This leads to the packs banding together to track down those responsible, which is how Roni ends up saddled with Marcus. There sexual tension between the two is clear but while Marcus is doing everything he can to break down Roni’s walls, she pretends to be disinterested. It’s a battle of wills the dominant female isn’t prepared for.How many times can I type this when reviewing Suzanne’s books; get your tissues ready. As always you’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll be left eagerly awaiting the next book. What I love most about her books in general is just how different the stories are, while still maintaining elements of the familiar. Roni is undoubtedly one of my favourite shifter characters. I absolutely love her. She’s tough but vulnerable, outspoken yet socially awkward; in short, she’s amazing. It’s no wonder she has Marcus following her around like a puppy, determined to get what he wants from her. She needs the pushy male to break down her defences, as so few have ever done, or been willing to do in the past. I love how complex Roni is and from the moment I meet her in Carnal Secrets, I wanted to know more about her. Marcus has his own past to work through, and his past is quite something. I definitely wasn’t expecting him to have had such an awkward upbringing. Like all relationships, there has to be give and take and despite both wolves being incredibly dominant, it’s clear right from the start how well suited to one another they are. Everyone sees it but them. Or perhaps everyone’s just hopeful, as the females in both packs seem to be trying to push the two of them together. Their biggest supporter will come as a bit of a shock, but that’s all I’m saying about that.What I love most about this book, besides Roni being Roni, is how cute Kai is. He’s such a sweetheart. The kids always add a different dimension to the group. I also love the sibling rivalry between Roni and Eli; together they are pure comic relief. (In this book and others). Roni has a real evil streak. One that I for one can’t help but admire. This book had me giggling all the way through. I truly do love the characters and every time we get to see more of our favourite wolves too. What could be better? Of the seven shifter books currently available, in the Phoenix and Mercury pack series, this is probably one of my top three. It’s the blend of drama, intimacy, humour and heart-breakingly good story lines that keep me reading and re-reading Suzanne Wright’s books.Suggested Audience: Adult readers of Paranormal RomancePerspective: Third person, with a focus on Roni and MarcusProfanity: FrequentSexual content: Frequent and explicitViolence: Frequent and severeCautionary element(s): Kidnapping, rape and torture

Suzanne Wright's books just get better and better. Every book has higher standards than the last. Suzanne truly has a talent. Dark instincts hooks you in right from the first page I struggled to put it down at night and sometimes I just didn't . the storyline holds you captivated the whole why through its fast paced, steamy and not to mention hysterical at times. Marcus and roni's romance was a gripping one they both had their issues to over come and pushy slightly weird parents to deal with. They are also one of my favourite couples in the series so far they definitely deserve each other. The Phoenix pack books are hands down ones of my favorite series along with a few of Suzanne Wright's other seires. I highly recommend this read and can't wait to wait to read Ryan's story.

This is one fabulously delicious series with some seriously hot alpha males and kick ass females. I loved Roni's character, her little foibles made her adorable. Her absolute honesty (sometimes brutally so), self reliance, loyalty to those she loved, her need for solitude, and especially her unique way of getting rid of unwanted people made her a very interesting character. Her style of fighting was also unique, most female characters can hold their own but she was brutal in both her attitude and moves against an enemy, and deservedly so. Marcus had a hidden depth to his character that few saw. He appeared happy go lucky with an easy laugh and a bad reputation as a male slut, but beneath all of that were hidden past traumas and insecurities. There was no build up to the sexual attraction, it was instantaneous and sizzling. I loved that he had to do the chasing, and how persistent he was but then I would expect nothing less from a Pheonix Enforcer. Their reactions to each other in the beginning had me laughing out loud. Roni is not one of those lovey dovey, touchy feely types but when she finally conceded her feelings for Marcus you could feel just how much she loved him. As usual in this series we get to see all the previous characters that we've fallen in love with, which I love. Links are forged more tightly in this book which should make it even more interesting for future books to come. The last two chapters had me so tense and hanging on to the edge of my seat, it was brilliant. Wright is fantastic at creating a story that pulls you in and has you holding on for the ride. Along the way there is a strong storyline full of suspense, mystery, violence and battles, but also humour, laugh out loud witty dialogue, and wickedly sexy scenes that are so intense they'll melt your panties right off. More please!

★Review★Ok, so I liked this one more than book 3, but maybe slightly less than book 1 so it sits firmly at a 4.5.Again, quite similar characters, but the author does it well, and there is enough of a difference at the moment, that I am not fed up of it.And again my complaint I had in book 3, what is it with EVERY other female pretty much. They are all nasty. We had a nasty aunt, GF of one of the pack enforcers, a lying seer etc.....also, seems like Phoenix and Mercury pack are the only 2 decent packs in the world.But anyway, this was maybe a touch darker than previous books, just given the plot that provided the tension and suspense.Loved Roni and how awkward she was, and her random facts.Roni and Marcus together were awesome.However, I felt this a touch in book 3, and more so in this book, that the last 2 books have been basically set ups for The Mercury Pack series, and while I do plan on reading that, quite frankly for me, I want to stay with the Phoenix Pack, there are still so many intriguing pack members there, Trick, Tao, RYAN!!★Book Basics★Genre : - Paranormal RomanceSeries : - 4th in the seriesLove triangle? - NoCheating? - NoHEA? - YesWould I read more by this author/or in this series? - YesRating - 4.5 stars