Mercy is back in a heart wrenching addition of the Mercy Thompson series. Do not get me wrong, this was one amazing read but from the start you quickly learn all is not well between Mercy and Adam. I have to say this was a big concern for me that Briggs was messing with this dream and long-lasting pairing. I am leaving it to Brigg’s to know what works best for artistic creations...but, please don’t break something that was so masterfully already created.

That being said…

Mercy is facing a mystery monster that might have ties to Underhill. She must uncover the identity of this murderous creature before it not only destroys her but the people around her. I must admit trying to uncover the identity was exciting for me as a reader and kept me guessing till the very end.

Smoke Bitten is a fresh new direction with a wonderful mind-twisting mystery, heart-wrenching moments and packed full of the characters we’ve all come to love.

I received this ARC copy of Smoke Bitten from Berkley Publishing Group - ACE. This is my honest and voluntary review. Smoke Bitten is set for publication March 17, 2020.

My Rating: 4.5 stars
Written by: Patricia Briggs
Series: A Mercy Thompson Novel (Book 12)
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Ace (March 17, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0440001552
ISBN-13: 978-0440001553
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Smoke-Bitten-M...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/smok...
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Absolutely wonderful! The pacing of this book was just the right speed- quick enough to keep me on my toes but not too fast that I couldn't pick up on the finer details. The romance was made my heart swoop and the action kept me guessing what would happen next.
All in all another great addition to a wonderful series.

Recommended Read, 5 Hearts!
SJ, Romance Junkies

Patricia Briggs, New York Times bestseller, has done it again with SMOKE BITTEN, her outstanding twelfth novel in the Mercy Thompson series. Mercy, a coyote shifter, car mechanic, and married to the alpha of the local werewolf pack, once again lands in trouble when a monster starts murdering innocents on her territory. 

Though this book can be read as a standalone, it's much better read as part of the series, as several consequences of the previous book (STORM CURSED) are found in this one.

Something is going around possessing and killing people, which in itself is a bad thing. But when it infects members of Mercy's pack, then Mercy herself, she needs to find out who they're up against and why. Unfortunately, the enemy turns out to be a fae prisoner who escaped Underhill (a sentient fae land that has no concept of morality or playing nice.)

As if all that wasn't bad enough, there's trouble in the pack. Specifically, in Mercy's bond with her mate, Adam. Something's broken, and it's going to take all her power to save her marriage, her mate, her pack, and herself.

But as usual, Mercy is not alone. She has friends who can help, as well as some surprise appearances from characters we've met before. There are rogue werewolves, witches, a curse, and the monster roaming the pack's territory to keep Mercy more than occupied and the reader rushing through page after page to see what happens next..

Briggs' depiction of Mercy's relationship with Adam continues to grow, never stagnating, and it's refreshing to see a couple flourish while also suffering some extreme downs. There are also pack relationships changing, and that's where Briggs really shines, keeping the characters fully fleshed out. Some continue to make the same mistakes while others mature, making different ones. All in all, the characters feel incredibly real, and you can't help but to root for them.

A must-read for Mercy Thompson fans, and a Recommended Read from Romance Junkies!

Smoke Bitten (Mercy Thompson #12). By Patricia Briggs. 2020. Ace (ARC eBook).

Car mechanic and coyote shifter, Mercy Thompson, responds to a disturbance at neighboring house and discovers that a dangerous fae has escaped Underhill. If it bites you, it controls and ultimately kills you in order to grow in power. It can also look like anyone, or animal, is chooses. And it turns out that this chaos could not have erupted at a more inconvenient time. There is an outside werewolf pack attempting to take over Adam’s territory, Adam has cut off his and Mercy’s mate bond and the changing pack dynamic is creating some tension. And a vampire named Wulffe is amusing himself stalking Mercy. And what else might Underhill be up too?

This series seems to have slower vibe compared to some other Urban Fantasy series that I have/am read(ing); and that is not necessarily bad, but this book’s plot seemed to be plod with a whole lot of filler. Still, the series has interesting lore and the mystery behind the “smoke” monster was a new take on a fairy tale.

Smoke Bitten takes place roughly a month after the terrible events of Storm Cursed, where it seems like the relationship between Adam and Mercy has taken a beating and the pack is unraveling. Add to the everyday stress, it seems like the Fae home Underhill has created a doorway into Mercy's backyard, Mercy has herself a self-proclaimed scary vampire stalker, and a new kind of creature is on the prowl. It is just another day for the pack...

Anyone that knows me, knows that Mercy is my girl. She can do no wrong and escaping into a book in this series is the highlight of any day. Before the book came out, the author released the first chapter to read on her website and the facebook fan pages I am a member of were up in arms about the story. It did make me super nervous to actually start the story but I finally gave into my Mercy withdrawal and started the story. Ok, sure the first chapter started with some angst but the story in general had all the most compelling angsty and twisty moments and resolved in the best of ways. The author is always able to make such well-rounded plots, where the hurt and mystery gets counter balanced by the paranormal crazy and humor, causing me to not be able to put the story down. I read through it once quickly because I could do nothing else, but then I instantly reread the story slowly to draw out the book and savor the moments. Yes that seems intense but every minute spent in this Urban Fantasy world is worth it.

Overall this was a fantastic installment in one of my favorite series. Mercy is one of the best Urban Fantasy characters and I loved seeing her in action as well as the group dynamic for all side characters that I have come to love. I would change nothing about the book, except maybe the unreasonable hope to have another new book to read right now.

This is book 12 in the Mercy Thompson series and it's another winner. Mercy and her husband's wolf pack are in a war with witches and a Fae who has escaped Underhill. You probably want to read some of the previous books in the series to fully understand all the paranormal politics. Patricia Briggs knows her fans and gives them exactly what they crave. Each ending is a new beginning for the next book in the series. This book lets you escape your quarantine isolation into a world of fantasy and mystery. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

It is always a pleasure to have a new Mercy Thompson book to read and Smoke Bitten doesn't disappoint.

Another solid entry in the Mercy Thompson series. I couldn’t put it down until I was finished. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Already the 12th installment of the Mercy Thompson Series. As always an engaging, suspenseful, and fast-paced story. Full magical characters like werewolves, vampires, witches and now creepy Smoke Demons.

I think it is fair to say that the famous Pack from this books have their hands full. To get to the dept of this series it is important to read the entire saga in order to understand the dynamics and the characters and what has happened to this point. There have been too many character and a lot of world building that has already taken place to just jump in with book 12.  But lucky for us we are all up to date :)

All with all Smoke Bitten did not disappoint. The latest installment Smoke Bitten was a little gritty in the beginning. The smoke monster was only a medium interesting story plot and didn’t keep me turning endless pages. There were some hints that spoke of marriage problems between the two main characters. I hoped that there would be some groveling and making up. But instead we where being pulled in the rest of the story-line and again the romance problems where being kept in the background like one big tease. The groveling in the end didn't came as satisfying as that I thought. Instead the main character Mercy did al the legwork in the relation and that was just right down disappointing for a kick-ass character like her. 

We look forward to the next installment.
Special thanks to the publishers for sending this ARC to me in exchange for an honest review.

Mercy and Adam return in another installment. This time a strange creature appears at the same time as a group of werewolves threaten the pack. ARC from NetGalley.

Patricia Briggs has another hit on her hands. Mercy and Adam's mate bonds are being tested in this new entry to the Mercy Thompson series. As if the tension between she and her mate isn't enough, there is a shape shifting enemy and rogue werewolves that the pack must deal with. In the beginning of the novel, I was a little apprehensive because Mercy was not her usual sarcastic, witty self. However, as soon as she meets the new enemies, our old Mercy is back and ready to jump into action. By the end, she saves the day and gets her man. Even though Mercy is the protagonist of this story, Wulfe stood out more to me. I hope that Patricia Briggs goes more into his story and his fascination with Mercy. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment.

I've kept up with and love the Mercy Thompson books from the start but I have to say, I struggled a bit with Smoke Bitten. I think there was almost TOO much going on in this book and rather than keeping me on the edge of my seat, I was often confused. 

I could tell this book was pulling on past events from vague recollections but without re-reading all the previous books fairly recently, making the connections was a bit more difficult and a bit of a headache. The number of subplots going on kept the pages turning and I appreciated how everything connected in this world. At the same time, I didn't remember enough for those subplots to have their full effect.

I did really enjoy the Underhill aspect of this installment. I have a slight obsession with the lore and found the inclusion a fun surprise. But I don't want to say much more without spoilers because this book is so far in the series. I can add that Briggs masterfully handles these characters book after book and I love Mercy as much as I did in Moon Called. I'm also curious to see where the story goes next because more conflicts were left unresolved compared to usual so I wonder how many more books we can expect in the series.

I expect most people interested in Smoke Bitten have read some or all of the preceding books. Smoke Bitten is the twelfth in an urban fantasy series about Mercy Thompson,  part-time coyote, full-time auto mechanic, Volkswagon owner, seer of ghosts, and neighbor to a werewolf alpha.

So if you're checking reviews because this book looks interesting, you're right! It is!

I always recommend starting at the beginning of any series as well=established as this one--or at least with a book closer to the beginning.  That said, if this is the only Mercy Thompson book you can find, it's a great chapter in the ongoing saga, and a decent introduction to the complex, entertaining dynamics between members of an ever-increasing cast.

Honestly, any plot summary without spoilers would be either redundant or too vague to be useful. The important points. First, as with most other books in the series, the events in Smoke Bitten take place over a very short time frame.  Second, the action is local, and the stakes more personal than world-changing.

The plot shines brightest when Mercy is dealing with her friends and family. Often she's making hard choices between people and rules, between principle and practicality. In this book, a problem arises from the solutions to problems resolved in previous books.

It's a tangle of big personalities, old grudges, and buried mysteries, with all the emotionally satisfying, complicated I've come to expect from this author.

Love Love Love. This was such an amazing addition to the Mercyverse. I feel like we are setting up for another complication and I can't wait for it.

You can't not read this entry of you're a fan... But I do wonder if or when the series will end despite how much I love the characters.

A good entry but not the best

We’re deep into the Mercy Thompson world with Patricia Briggs’ newest addition, Smoke Bitten. Mercy is a mechanic, shapeshifter, and all-around trouble maker in the supernatural community. Or maybe she’s a trouble finder? Either way trouble surrounds her and her people in the form of a smoke demon from another world. With pack drama thrown in, its another wild ride with Briggs at the steering wheel.

Something has escaped from Underhill. Something with the power to assume control over anything with a single bite—and then take their form. It's up to Mercy to stop it, before it can kill anything else.

3.5 stars, rounded down—and I'm kinda sobbing to be admitting that I didn't love a Mercy Thompson book nearly as much as the rest of the series.

After the stunning previous two installations, this felt more like filler for a Big Showdown of Something.

The set-up for a Later Thing:

-Underhill established a door so that she can visit Aiden.
-The witches' curse on Adam is coming into power.
-Mercy is realizing the power of her pack bonds and how to use them.
-The relationship with the Marrock and everything else is being realized/established.
-Jesse decides to go to college close to home, instead of at the U of O near her mother (boooooo, Chrissy) or U Dub (because things are Shaking Up and she needs to be safe).
-Girl Power™ in the form of highlighting the female werewolves and their power.
-Stefan is out of action, as Stefan always is.
-Wulfe is weird and has a kink for Mercy, but every cishet man has a kink for Mercy so that's not new.

And really not much else happens. There is a lot of talk, a lot coordinating and double coordinating and running around trying to figure out what the fuck is going on and what is happening with Adam and much Congratulations about Mercy and Adam boning At Long Last So the Alpha Chills the Fuck Out.

The Big Bad is as nebulous as the smoke that curls out of its bites. That whole plot (and it's kinda ridiculous revelation???) felt more like something that should have been kept into a novella instead of expanded into a whole-length book.

Overall, there were good points, but most of the plot and reasoning went around its ass to get to its elbow and therefore it felt like very little was revealed or accomplished.

Here's hoping that something Big (and actually consequential) happens in the next book, because I will be very disappointed if this long-running series gets stale. And I hope that the next book has Big Things that happen that...actually change the dynamics of the world, because despite the Columbia Gorge crew being out of the Marrock's protection and on their own, nothing really has changed. And Adam's curse felt more like a gimmick than real angst and suffering.

Anywho, I'll read the next one because I love this series to death, but fingers crossed that there's an end in sight before it rehashes old plot points and stretches a tiny plot out into a novel.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

While the beginning was a little slow in places, the action picks up and it becomes impossible to put the book down—and the walking stick is back! It may be initially confusing for new readers, but they no doubt will enjoy it enough to read all the previous books as well.. As usual, excellent writing and world building, a very satisfying read.

Another fine addition to the Mercy Thompson series. Patricia Briggs delivers quality urban fantasy and believable characters.

Smoke Bitten was a fun romp in the world of the Mercy Thompson series. I liked the villain being something they couldn't immediately fight or control or even see. That was a new challenge for the characters to confront. I wonder where the series will be going next.