The Coyote’s Chance (Masters of Maria Book 4)

Blue Shapely is a coyote shape-shifter trying to escape his past. After being pledged to marry a woman he doesn’t know to clear his father’s debt, he signs on to be Alpha to a wild pack of coyote shape-shifters in the town of Maria – but the mysterious, frustrating Willa Matheson stands in the way of his true dominance.

Willa is a wreck. A demi-goddess on the run from her cruel father, she hides in the shadows and deals with torturous memories by burrowing deep into herself.  Fear of her father’s retribution keeps her from forming any relationships, let alone romantic ones. The arrival of Blue changes things – especially when he decides that Willa is to be his mate. But his decision lands him right in Apollo’s crosshairs. How can a mortal shape-shifter and a powerless goddess defeat a powerful, vengeful god?

“The Coyote’s Chance” is a slow-burn story of love, healing, and coyote-pack politics. Willa’s battle with anxiety is painfully realistic and Blue’s tender concern for her is touching, but the real star of this show is the detailed supernatural world that Ms. Trent builds in Maria. The last act of this story feels a little rushed and readers new to the series might have some difficulty reading this book as a stand-alone. It is well-worth the effort, however: this is a story that will suck the reader right in.

Janice Martin