This was such a fun one! I’ve been wanting to try this author for a while and when I saw this new release, I decided to jump in! This is a paranormal This was such a fun one! I’ve been wanting to try this author for a while and when I saw this new release, I decided to jump in! This is a paranormal romance (she’s a witch, he’s alpha of a wolf pack), has a marriage pact (with a magically bound twist), childhood best friends turned rivals to lovers, knotting, “it’s always been you”!
The story kicks off with Violet’s 16th birthday, her and her best friend Silas make a pact to marry one another if they’re both single at 30. Right after that, Violet gets whisked away from the home/orphanage she and Silas were living in by her grandmother who came out of seemingly nowhere. Apparently there was a spell cast on Violet that lifted when she turned 16, which is how her family was finally able to find her and take her away. She wasn’t given time to say goodbye to Silas at all so there was definitely some hard feelings/feeling abandoned.
The story then cuts to years later! She’s thriving with her coven and Silas is the newly appointed Alpha of the local shifter pack. And now they realize that pact they made is actually magically bound and has to happen. Only one problem, the Celestial Coven and the Moon Walker Pack have had an ongoing feud for generations and are rivals. Now these former best friends turned sworn enemy have to marry and deal with one another.
I had a great time with this one and loved the setup and the twists and reveals and just seeing how the story played out. Thorin (his wolf) was super enjoyable as well!...more
Feral Sins is the first book in the Phoenix Pack series and this was my first time reading Suzanne Wright. I saw this whole series was available in KUFeral Sins is the first book in the Phoenix Pack series and this was my first time reading Suzanne Wright. I saw this whole series was available in KU with the read and listen feature so I decided to jump in to this paranormal, wolf shifters series.
This was just a fun time, slightly longer than I think the read needed to be, but also a lot steamier than I expected too. The story kicks off with Taryn waking up realizing she’s been drugged and abducted and meets Trey and his pack. He has this wild idea for them to pretend to be mates and for Taryn to move in with his pack. Trey is alpha of the Phoenix pack, a pack he started after taking on and dueling his father when he was just 14. He’s looking for valuable political allies and it’ll help her get out of an arranged mates situation being forced upon her. But things get complicated because of course pretending to be mates confuses their wolf shifter forms who want to complete the mate bond.
I thought there were some interesting things happening in this story, they both lost their mates in the past, she’s a healer, they’re both alphas. But on the other hand, the plot wasn’t super interesting all the time, this book was written in the 2010s and it feels like that for sure, Taryn is constantly full of snarky quippy moments, and the length of the book was definitely felt. If you want a paranormal wolf shifters romance that’s real steamy (like all the time, too often for me personally), then this is definitely that book. I still might check out the rest of the series sometime just because they are all available with KU read and listen, but it’s not a priority if that makes sense....more
This is the fourth book in the Five Packs series and I’ve been loving this wolf shifter, rejected mate series from Cate C Wells. This one is probably This is the fourth book in the Five Packs series and I’ve been loving this wolf shifter, rejected mate series from Cate C Wells. This one is probably my next fav in the series after book 1.
In here we follow Flora and Alec. They’ve actually been sorta secretly hooking up for years and Flora definitely feels used and kept as a secret. But she’d also love for him to be her mate. She’s also curvy and her body and shape seems to be seen as less-than in their pack and community so she gets a lot of hate and is made fun of from the rest of the pack. She does end up going into her first heat when her and Alec realize they are actually mates and they end up taking off together.
This one just has some surprisingly sweet moments that were sprinkled into the story. I liked seeing Flora find her strength and confidence along the way. This one definitely deals with a lot of angsty moments, the whole series kinda has these heartbreaking moments throughout. But it does definitely make the HEA that much more satisfying at the end.
3.5 stars! I have loved this series and was excited to see that books 3 and 4 have audios out now. These just work for me so well, paranormal/wolf shi3.5 stars! I have loved this series and was excited to see that books 3 and 4 have audios out now. These just work for me so well, paranormal/wolf shifters, the rejected mate trope, the angst and grovel and pine that comes with that, and second chance situations! In this one we follow Mari and Darragh, who we have seen kind of teased in the previous books. I wasn’t as wolf on their dynamic and relationship, but still another solid addition to this series! Wolf shifter romances always just hit right for me! I did wish we got a little bit more in the end with this couple, but I am excited for book 4!...more
I was really hoping to enjoy this one more than I did. The plot sounded really good and I think it had potential. I know this was the author’s debut, I was really hoping to enjoy this one more than I did. The plot sounded really good and I think it had potential. I know this was the author’s debut, so I’d be curious to try again if they wrote more books in the future with this world.
This was recommended to me because it is a werewolf/shifter romance between two people who had both had mates in the past (and lost them in different ways) and now find themselves mates to one another. The hero is also a single father to his daughter. I did like how they meet in this: Grace is the head warrior of her pack and Ryne is an alpha who shows up from a different pack, they realize quickly they are mates but she’s confused since she was already mated and lost him. She ends up leaving to go with Ryne to his pack and to meet his daughter.
From there is when the story started to lose my interest. There were parts of the story I felt like needed more info from and some parts kind of dragged or felt out of place for the story. The relationship didn’t really have a lot of buildup and we don’t see them fall for one another, first they keep their distance and then she kind of suddenly changes her mind and is open to more and they’re instantly a family from there. There is steam in here but it just didn’t work for me since I was invested in the characters or plot. ...more
This is the final book in the Shadow Pack trilogy. The series started super strong, book 1 was entertaining and fast-paced and I enjoyed the characterThis is the final book in the Shadow Pack trilogy. The series started super strong, book 1 was entertaining and fast-paced and I enjoyed the characters and plot. The series just kind of went downhill for me with each book, but I kept reading for the overall plot and wanting to know how the story would unfold.
I am glad we got to see Adrienne and Phoenix’s HEA, this book did feel like an extended epilogue for them, with multiple flash forwards as well. I wasn’t a big fan of the intro of Dee (her sister) and Kaz’s POVs in book 2 or this one too. But not gonna lie the ending kind of had me interested in the setup for their spinoff book. ...more
This is the second book in the Shadow Pack series and it follows the couple we already meet in book 1, so definitely read in order. I didn’t enjoy thiThis is the second book in the Shadow Pack series and it follows the couple we already meet in book 1, so definitely read in order. I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as I enjoyed book 1. But it is still a fast-paced, easy to fly through, and an entertaining enough series.
Basically this is a wolf/shifter romance series and we are following the adventures of Adrienne and Phoenix, who are moon-fated mates. This picks up right where book 1 left off. I will say I wasn’t invested at all in Adrienne’s sister Dee and her POV. This series does bring lots of steam. There are some kinda odd parallels to ACOTAR/ACOMAF in both this book and book 1. But for a wolf shifter series it’s just fun. ...more
Shadow Wolf is the first book in the Shadow Pack trilogy. This is a rejected mates, wolf/shifter, paranormal romance series! Includes: knotting, nestiShadow Wolf is the first book in the Shadow Pack trilogy. This is a rejected mates, wolf/shifter, paranormal romance series! Includes: knotting, nesting, marking, clawing, and alpha/omega relationships. And ok this was so fun! It definitely is fast-paced and gives ACOTAR/ACOMAF vibes, but I enjoyed it enough and will continue on in the series.
Adrienne is from the more “traditional” Willow Creek pack and has always been told the Shadow pack is a wilder, lawless, more brutal pack. She’s been raised to be obedient and refined and is betrothed to her childhood best friend, who is next in line to be alpha. In their world, fated mates is super rare. So imagine Adrienne’s surprise when Phoenix shows up, the brutal alpha of Shadow pack, and they realize they’re moon-fated mates. Phoenix shows up for a treaty renewal and once he realizes Adrienne is his mate, but notices she isn’t wanting to upset her family and life, he publicly rejects her and leaves back to his land. Shortly after, Adrienne realizes a lot about her life has been a lie and filled with secrets and she has no where to turn but to her rejected mate.
This was just fun and super fast-paced. The chemistry between Phoenix and Adrienne is fun and I just love a shifter/werewolf romance, so this delivered for me. There is the possessiveness, enough plot and secrets being revealed, and “touch her and die” vibes. ...more
3.5 stars! I enjoyed this one more than the first book in the series, but that is personal preference for sure. This series just gives cozy vibes to m3.5 stars! I enjoyed this one more than the first book in the series, but that is personal preference for sure. This series just gives cozy vibes to me, but also there is high stakes and fun. Basically the heroine ends up tossing a drink, it hits the hero and was spiked with a love potion. Now he’s absolutely smitten with her and she’s just trying to break the spell. ...more
Alpha’s Burden is the first book in the Rejecting Fates series! This is a fated mates, paranormal, enemies to lovers, shifter romance with the rejecteAlpha’s Burden is the first book in the Rejecting Fates series! This is a fated mates, paranormal, enemies to lovers, shifter romance with the rejected mates trope!
“Fate chose the worst possible mate for me…my enemy.”
Avery has felt like an outsider to her wolf pack for some time. After something her father did, her family has been seen as enemies and she’s had to look after her sisters on her own. She is also considered “broken” since she’s Wolfless and the only packmate unable to shift. So when a mate bond kicks into place with the pack’s alpha, Caden Blackburn, Avery is shocked! Caden and Avery were close growing up but since the showdown between their fathers years ago and Caden busy with becoming alpha, their friendship slipped away. He ends up publicly rejecting her and their bond, but for some reason his wolf form still wants to protect and be close to Avery…
“I found my way back to you and I’ll never let you go. I’ll always take care of you, Avery. You’re mine to protect. Mine to love.”
I love wolf shifter romances and the rejected mates trope so I definitely had high expectations with this book. I liked how he’s still possessive and protective even after rejecting her. His wolf still wants her and eventually Caden realizes he’s the unworthy one of her (love to see it)! We get grovel from Caden, mostly in the form of caretaking, building her things, buying her things, fixing things around her house, and genuinely looking after and providing for Avery. We also get some “who did this?” moments which is always fun to see! I really liked seeing the side characters and other packs in this world already, can’t wait to see where the series goes from here!
I received an ARC from the author, all thoughts in this review are my own!...more
3.5 stars. I loved the first book in this series so I definitely went into this one with high hopes. This book I did end up enjoying in the end, but i3.5 stars. I loved the first book in this series so I definitely went into this one with high hopes. This book I did end up enjoying in the end, but it took me a while to get into it. This is a rejected mate, shifter series, and this one has an accidental/surprise pregnancy (in the synopsis).
Cadoc is the heir apparent and Rosie is a scavenger, her people are so low in the pack that they don’t even rank. Cadoc ends up rejecting Rosie as his mate but can’t help trying to protect and care for her….in his own way. When she becomes pregnant, both of their lives get a lot more complicated.
One thing I love about this series is the groveling of sorts we get from the heroes after rejecting their mates. I also just love the protectiveness and the caretaking and this series has been such a delight to read. Like I mentioned, this book did take me longer to get into. It’s much more drawn out in the beginning and more slow burn of a story. It didn’t help that the chapters were soo long too, but the last half of the book I really did enjoy! ...more
The Tyrant Alpha’s Rejected Mate is the first book in the Five Packs series by Cate C Wells and I am absolutely obsessed! I had originally not been inThe Tyrant Alpha’s Rejected Mate is the first book in the Five Packs series by Cate C Wells and I am absolutely obsessed! I had originally not been interested in picking up more from this author after not enjoying their other book (Run Posy Run) but was in the mood for a shifter series and decided to give this a try.
And omg, this book had me hooked just in the first chapter and I can’t wait to read more now! This is a werewolf/shifter series with rejected mates, I had no idea this was a trope or a thing but now I really want to read more.
We meet Una, who is unmated, unprotected, has an injured leg, and has never gone into heat…therefore has never shifted. At 27, she’s way behind going into heat but she can feel her wolf inside her waiting. One day she’s around Killian, alpha of the pack, and realizes he’s her mate and shifts when another female is around him and touching him. She is confused why her wolf would pick him as their mate and even more confused when he pushes her away saying he doesn’t feel the mate bond she’s claiming they have. She’s seen as weak and undesirable, so he can’t believe they’d be paired as mates and rejects/embarrasses Una in front of the whole pack. But I loved how instead of pining for him, she ends up going to a sort of wise woman who is able to “pull” the mate bond away and gets back to her daily life of surviving. Soon after, Killian starts feeling super pulled to Una and becoming super protective. He doesn’t understand why since he’s convinced she’s not his mate! And I loved how he becomes the one trying to earn/win her!
I was just so invested in this and really want to binge the rest of the series now! Apparently I’ve been missing shifter/werewolf romances and need to read more. This pack in particular was super interesting. The Quarry Pack is ruled by strength, not blood, and any male can challenge for rank at any time. Besides having the biggest wolf in the five packs, Killian’s a flip-shifter, meaning he can change from skin to fur and back again whenever he wants, without effort, in the blink of an eye....more
I loved The Nanny from this author earlier this year, so when I got the ARC of The Fake Mate, I had to jump in! And omg I loved this one so much. It wI loved The Nanny from this author earlier this year, so when I got the ARC of The Fake Mate, I had to jump in! And omg I loved this one so much. It was so different from the author’s previous book as far as tropes, but the romance and characters and writing hit just as right for me. This has wolf shifters who are both doctors, fake dating/fake mates, alpha/omega, knotting, dual POV, and tons of steam! I swooned over Noah and Mackenzie together.
The story starts with Mackenzie exhausted from terrible dates and her Gran desperately wanting her to settle down. It’s not that she doesn’t want to someday, but her last few dates have not gone well to say the least. So she ends up telling a little white lie and says she’s seeing someone at work…and then names the resident grumpy doctor as her boyfriend. Mackenzie is an ER doctor in the hospital and Noah is a cardiologist at the hospital. He also has quite the reputation of a surly grump who keeps to himself and never smiles. To appease her grandmother (who raised her), Mackenzie ends up asking Noah for a selfie together to prove to her Gran that they’re “dating”. After she explains the situation to him, Noah ends up flipping the script on her and asking if she’ll pretend to be his fake mate!
Noah is a shifter like Mackenzie, and had been keeping it a secret that he’s an alpha. It’s rare nowadays, but it still has a lot of stereotypes surrounding the designation, and the hospital board would be more at ease if he was a mated alpha as they’re supposedly more docile and easier to manage. Mackenzie agrees to help him out and thus begins their fake mate situation at work! Once they start spending more time together and he realizes she’s an omega, things get even more complicated… Then she thinks a friends with benefits idea will go fine, I mean why not right?
I just loved every minute of this read! While wolf shifters, they only shift once in the story and I feel like if you’re new to wolf shifter romances it’s easy to not feel lost in this one. Humans and shifters live and work together in this world and it’s easy to see this as a coworker/hospital romance. I loved their chemistry together and couldn’t get enough of how perfect they were. He’s more serious, while she lightens him up. I loved seeing it turn into real feelings, he gets possessive, we have tons of knotting ...more
First off, I love paranormal romances. So much, especially vampires and werewolf/wolf shifters. So when I saw Ali Hazelwood was doing her first pub’d First off, I love paranormal romances. So much, especially vampires and werewolf/wolf shifters. So when I saw Ali Hazelwood was doing her first pub’d PNR with an arranged marriage between the two…I was excited! While her contemporary romances have been hit and miss for me, I always find myself willing to try again with her books and I felt like this one could be so different!
But sadly, this was just so boring and not it. I went into this one with high hopes and it was honestly just a slog to get through. Basically, Misery (yes that’s the heroine’s name) is a vampyre and Lowe is the alpha of the weres. Their kinds have feuded for generations, so to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance, Misery and Lowe are to marry. They meet on their wedding day and it kind of goes from there. Misery has always been collateral, she literally was sent to be raised amongst the humans in some sort of political swapping their world does with sending children from powerful families to be raised amongst others in order to keep the peace. So she’s already “different than other vampires” because of this and is now off to live with the werewolves.
If you’re already a PNR reader/fan, I feel like this one will be disappointing. But maybe if you’re new to it courtesy of your fav contemporary romance writer, you might like this. It just didn’t do enough for me with the paranormal of it all and the world building/how the politics work here was just a lot of tell not show. I also just didn’t feel any chemistry between Lowe and Misery. I think that is maybe because they’re barely around one another and we don’t really get to know them as actual characters. Like it’s obvious what’s happening in the first scene with them, but then it turns into a drawn out/barely around one another/barely talk until the last 20% of the book. ...more
Ensnared by the Werewolf is the newest addition to Lillian Lark’s Love Bathhouse monster romance series. I have adored the previous books in the serieEnsnared by the Werewolf is the newest addition to Lillian Lark’s Love Bathhouse monster romance series. I have adored the previous books in the series: Stalked by the Kraken, Found by the Lake Monster, and Deceived by the Gargoyles. This read includes: witch/monster pairing, chasing/primal, knotting, rejected mate, and breeding. This story is actually an extended version of what was originally shared in the Into the Woods multi-author anthology, now with dual POV.
This is a shorter read and takes place the same night as the previous book in the series, Found by a Lake Monster. If you’ve read that story, then you know Belinda was originally headed out on a date setup by the matchmaker with the hero of that book, which of course everything worked out perfectly since he found his perfect match in his story and now we find out what kept Belinda from showing up for the date…and who was following her.
We flashback to one month prior to the night Belinda is out. Belinda is a witch and owns her own magic shop when one day Jack walks into her shop needing help. Jack is currently stuck between forms, while he was trying to shift back into human form something strange happened and he’s kind of in between a human and a wolf now. Now unable to shift and feeling wary of his monstrous form, Jack has been frequenting many witches for help when he shows up at Belinda’s shop. Upon meeting, Belinda realizes immediately that she’s found her mate and just wants to help Jack any way she can.
This was a super sweet, slightly angsty monster romance. While both Belinda and Jack realize they’re mates right away, he’s very apprehensive about starting up any relationship with her when he sees himself as just a “monster”. While she’s helping him, they start to go out on coffee dates and lunch dates and just spend time together. He tries to push her away and doesn’t want to give her any false hope of a future while he’s trapped in this in-between form. You definitely see some angst of seeing him almost give in and then pull back. I liked the fun little cameo of the Bramblewick gargoyle family and an update of how they’re doing.
Thank you to the author for an e-ARC. All thoughts in this review are my own. Ensnared by the Wolf has a publish date of October 16, 2022....more
Sanctum is the first book in the Blackwater Pack series by Hannah McBride. This was the author’s first book and she is relatively new since this was pSanctum is the first book in the Blackwater Pack series by Hannah McBride. This was the author’s first book and she is relatively new since this was published in 2020. I didn’t realize before going in that this is a YA paranormal series, so while I had been expecting this to be an adult shifter romance I also was easily invested in the story and thought it was a great read!
Skye Markham is a 17-year old shifter and she and her mother have lived as less than within their abusive wolf pack. Skye, her mother, and 2 others have been living in the Omega house which is basically treated as a brothel and the 3 adults there are used to “service” the pack however they see fit. When their Alpha passes, who was Skye’s grandfather, her uncle becomes the new Alpha and decides that going forward Omegas can be declared at 16 instead of 18…which means Skye will be introduced to everything that comes with being an Omega in their pack. Skye and her mom end up escaping New Mexico that night and head for sanctuary with the Blackwater pack in Washington. Shortly after moving there and being accepted into their pack, Skye heads out to Granite Peak Academy in Montana, a high school for shifters. There she meets her new pack and Remy, the next alpha in line for the Blackwater pack.
Skye was quite sheltered in her previous pack, so while bonding with new friends she also learns about Netflix, true mate bonds and how rare they are, gets comfortable with shifting, and learns how female shifters are a rare commodity nowadays in packs. This was predictable, but like, I still enjoyed it for what it was. I’m a sucker for a mate bond so this was fun, even if I do wish it wasn’t YA. ...more
This was a fun and steamy Little Red Riding Hood inspired/reimagining! I read The Beast, another novella from this author and it delivered on the fairThis was a fun and steamy Little Red Riding Hood inspired/reimagining! I read The Beast, another novella from this author and it delivered on the fairy tale, monster, erotic vibes like it promised so I couldn’t wait to read this one. Basically the premise for this read is, “what if the big bad wolf kidnapped Little Red Riding Hood solely for his pleasure?” These are deliciously fun novellas where the monsters stay monsters.
The story starts with Marcella at her grandmother’s funeral, Marcella was raised by her grandmother and they were always so close. After the funeral, Marcella sets out to Alaska to a cabin in the woods to reconnect to nature. And quickly there after the Wolf finds her and knows Marcella is his mate. This jumps right off from there, one night he breaks into her cabin and finds her asleep in a sleeping bag, unzips it and “marks her” all over with ya know, his fluids. A few days later they meet in the woods, she runs, he’s into it, tells her their mates and takes her back with him to his place. So a bit of a captivity situation going on but she’s pretty attracted to him right from the start too and they have a lot of fun. His protectiveness was great! I did like The Beast a little more, but this series is a fun time....more
Moon Blooded Breeding Clinic is the 3rd book in the Cambric Creek series. I’ve enjoyed the rest of the books in this series and then whole community tMoon Blooded Breeding Clinic is the 3rd book in the Cambric Creek series. I’ve enjoyed the rest of the books in this series and then whole community that has been created, but this book was just not it for me. I never skim read and found myself doing that a lot through this one because there is just so many unnecessary details and time spent.
Basically Lowell is a globetrotting, photographer werewolf who has to return home to Cambric Creek after the pandemic shuts down most of the world and the human population. He was the only one in his family in two generations to ever leave Cambric Creek, so he definitely carried a bit of guilt and familial drama around that choice. Moriah is a human woman who went through a bad divorce and desperately wants a baby of her own. She had lots of fertility issues in the past which lead to her marriage breaking up and the reproductive incompatibility with her other species husband. When one of her friends who also has fertility issues in the past shows up pregnant, Moriah has lots of questions about the clinic that helped her. The clinic is a place to help interspecies couples achieve their goals of natural childbirth, who have been unable to have a child together due to reproductive incompatibility. Instead of just a sperm bank, it’s an actual breeding clinic with werewolves providing themselves for the process. There is synching up to the moon cycle and knotting involved to increase the chances.
While this sounds super straight-forward, this story meanders so much. The couple doesn’t meet until 33% in to the story and there is just so much filler information about random characters, random family drama, loads of inner thoughts and monologue. Time jumps mid-scenes, a few times where info is relayed again in the next chapter, just a whole mess. When the couple is together it’s good, but we just don’t see enough of that. The breeding clinic kind of became a non-thing since they meet off-site first to “break the ice” but end up hitting it off, she wants to see the goods, they decide to kiss and go to a hotel room so as to not make things awkward their first time in the clinic. The hero was very immature to me and while he enjoys praise and lots of “good boy” times, that just wasn’t really working for me for this story. I got weird vibes with the setting being during the pandemic, some of the ways things were discussed or handled felt odd and them the hero just so bored with having to stay in his house. I also wasn’t a fan of some of the choices the heroine makes and doesn’t make him privy to until a lot later and then it’s just kind of brushed aside. ...more
Mating the Huntress is a super charming, fated mates, Halloween-centered romance between a werewolf/space shifter and a huntress heroine. Talia HibberMating the Huntress is a super charming, fated mates, Halloween-centered romance between a werewolf/space shifter and a huntress heroine. Talia Hibbert always delivers on cinnamon roll heroes and I loved how adorably sweet this read is!
Christi (christireadsalot)
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