book blogger – Advance Reading Copy

Lost Dogs Part I

Lost Dogs Part I – Last Fight of the Old Hound

by Nils Ӧdlund

Length: 156 pages

Self-published

Source: I was given a review copy of this ebook

Find it on Amazon US and Goodreads

Description:

Roy van Waldenberger faces the most difficult decision of his life: truth or loyalty?

On the one hand are the values he believes in, the moral code he built his life upon, and the promise he made to the woman he loves. On the other hand is the future of his best friend, and that of her children and her grandson.

Known to fans and admirers as The Wolf of the North, Roy has fought at the highest level of werewolf bloodsports for over a decade. He’s won more matches and titles than anyone alive, and he’s never thrown a fight. With the last match of his career just around the corner, a polite request is made for Roy to let the other fighter win, or else…

It’s not the decision that’s difficult – it’s accepting the consequences.

FOUR STARS

I discovered this author and book while cruising around WordPress. I believe I was searching the tag ‘writing.’

I saw the blog post and found the description so intriguing, I decided to download the sample to my Kindle. So good, the intro alone made want to jump right into the entire story.

Some authors have the gift of setting a scene, giving you mood, scents and a vivid feel for surroundings – Nils Ӧdlund does just that. Something as simple as a street or book shop is brought to life through his choice of words. So. Well. Done.

We follow Roy, The Wolf of the North, as he prepares for an upcoming blood sport event. He is the headliner, the defending champ. Winning against the young opponent should be easy, but there’s a catch…

I’ll admit, I love MMA. OK Mr. Ӧdlund, I am now really intrigued.

The character descriptions and personalities are really good. I loved the interaction between Roy and his coach, Jenny. Silly and fun, it showed how much they care for each other.

I wish there had been more backstory about Roy’s lost love, Toini. I also would have liked more scenes of training and the actual fight. (Did I mention I like romance and MMA?)

This is a quick read. It also just Part I of a series… Part I – so you will ~~need~~, want to buy the next title Lost Dogs Part II: Undeserved Second Chance. I see a third book already loaded to Amazon. Yay!

A wonderful discovery. I highly recommend this author.

Find it on Amazon US and Goodreads

~ Jenna

About Nils Odlund

nils odlund

Nils Odlund is a writing and fantasy enthusiast. He’s currently chipping away at a series of novellas about the adventures of two shape shifters and a paladin, while at the same time trying to crack open the secrets of storytelling.

Odlund is originally from Sweden but lives these days in Cork, Ireland. When not writing, he enjoys exploring the countryside on foot, and when the weather gets too bad he’ll stay home and play games on the computer (or write some more). You can follow Odlund on his blog where he mostly posts pictures of coffee, beer, and the Irish countryside, as well as the occasional update on his writing progress.

Also, it’s really Ödlund, but that’s a bit of a hassle to type on most non-Swedish keyboards.

AVOIDANCE is out today, August 1, 2018.

Book One in this series is Collision – you’ll want to read that one first. Trust me, you’ll really enjoy it. You can read my review HERE.

Description for Avoidance:

After the shocking return of her mother, Merritt Adams is faced with emotions that she had buried deep inside of herself for almost a decade. While the love of her life is busy fulfilling his dreams, Merritt is left to her own devices. Searching for solace in all the wrong places, her avoidant behaviors spiral out of control. If she doesn’t learn how to take responsibility for her actions, she could end up on rock bottom – alone.

T.J. Cutler is an MMA fighter who knows all too well what happens when one tries to run away from his problems. He may be the only person who can get through to Merritt, having lived through his own nightmarish childhood. T.J. can teach Merritt how to fight against her demons, but she needs to prove that she is committed to following his rules.

Life is full of choices, and Merritt needs to start making the right ones. It could mean the difference between life and death.

Avoidance is the continuation of Merritt’s story from Collision. Topics include family, love, romance, loss, death, tragedy, depression, anxiety, suicide, alcoholism, fighting, tattoos, and overcoming struggle.

About Kristen Granata

Kristen Granata was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1986. She moved to Staten Island with her parents when she was two-years old, and lived there for almost twenty years. Kristen attended community college, and became a teacher in 2012. She self-published her first novel, Collision, and is currently working on the sequel. She lives in Howell, New Jersey, with her wife and two step-daughters.