Tag: werewolf

Categories
Fantasy Romance

Read The Wolf and the Wallflower

Read The Wolf and the Wallflower (Wolves of the Ton #1)

Lord Jasper Thorne is the most eligible bachelor of the season, but he chafes against the expectation to marry a suitable lady and forge a strong alliance for his pack. Acting polite and proper at balls makes him want to take his wolf form and flee into the woods. Then he meets shy wallflower Ambrose and suddenly social events are much more tolerable.

Ambrose Linfield is hopelessly smitten the moment he meets handsome, charming Jasper. They discuss books they aren’t supposed to be reading, chat with each other at balls when Jasper should be dancing with ladies, even shift together under the full moon.

When Ambrose takes a bold chance and Jasper discovers the truth of his own feelings, everything changes. Secret kisses and stolen moments consume them, but the end of the season draws closer. Soon Jasper will have to do his duty, unless both of them are willing to defy their parents, their packs, and all of society.

This was cute, I’d read another from the series. It was pretty light and relatively low angst till the ending, so perhaps could have been a bit shorter since a lot of the scenes were similar, at balls or at the club. I liked the wolf culture but wished it could have been delved into deeper, especially how wolves and humans fit together.

Categories
Fantasy Romance

Read The Alpha Experiment

Read The Alpha Experiment (Mismatched Mates, #3)

Studying shifter genetics takes brains, patience…and sometimes simulating mating rituals with your alpha-werewolf bestie. You know, for science…

Brilliant geneticist Newton McEwen, the only human in a family of werewolves, has devoted his life to researching the scientific key to shifter magic. Now he’s being blackmailed and his life’s work is threatened if he can’t produce results.

Alpha werewolf Colin Kimball is a newly-minted pack leader with a mountain of responsibilities, but when his lifelong best friend tells him he needs help, Colin drops everything to run to his aid. But Newt’s not just looking for a brawny bodyguard to watch his back—he needs help with an experiment, one he can’t carry out alone.

Out of academically approved methods, and desperate to accelerate his research, Newt’s trying a last-ditch approach, with himself as the test subject. And the very alpha Colin as the catalyst.

Determined to succeed, Newt’s willing to get up close and personal with Colin as many times as it takes. Only feelings weren’t a variable logic-minded Newt took into account. Now not only is Newt’s career on the line, his most important relationship is at stake. Can they outwit Newt’s blackmailer and move on from their experimentation…or will they lose the friendship that means everything to them?

I should have bailed on this. The setup was ridiculous and the main character made it weird. The POV character did not really come to grips with his desires/ self, it was just kind of explained in a brush-off sentence at the end?

Categories
Fantasy Romance

Read Wilder’s Mate

Read Wilder’s Mate (Bloodhounds, #1)

Wilder Harding is a bloodhound, created by the Guild to…

The heroine was in a tough spot but I still found her attention to the hero a little self-motivated, wanting a protector so she wouldn’t have to become a prostitute, which, fair.

Kinda steampunk, kinda post-apocalyptic, kinda Weird West, kinda paranormal romance. The plot could have used a bit more, but it was a short book so didn’t have time for a lot of scenes.

Categories
Fantasy Romance

Read Wolf’s Lady

Read Wolf’s Lady

The only mistake Lady Adelle Thornber ever made turned into a scandal that rocked London and saw her banished to Scotland, the reluctant bride of a reclusive baron. But Lord Henry MacAulay isn’t what she was expecting: he cares deeply for his barony and for her.

As the sole heir to the Roseheath title and werewolf alpha, Henry knew that he had to take a mate someday. He just didn’t expect to find her in a disgraced noble’s daughter forced into marriage with him. But as he falls more deeply in love with Adelle, he can’t bring himself to tell her what he really is. But when he can, it isn’t his werewolf nature that may tear them apart.

Another loose Beauty and the Beast retelling with werewolves. This worked as a novella but didn’t have much room to develop the characters’ personalities and histories like a full novel would. The hero’s decision not to tell her things was obviously dumb, and the heroine’s actions during the climax were foolish though her reasoning was explained.

Categories
Romance

Read Bella and Her Beast

Read Bella and Her Beast

The clock is ticking for Greyson Devereaux and life as he knows it will soon come to an end. A man by day and owned by the moon at night.

There is only one option—find his one true mate or be bound to the beast for eternity. For years he searched, hoped to find her but his efforts have come up short…until now.

With only three months remaining, how can he convince Bella that she’s the one and how can she tame the beast within?

I liked the first half well enough to keep reading, but wasn’t thrilled about several things in the second half. I think the pacing and stakes didn’t quite match, maybe? Like, this guy has a month to convince this woman to fall in love with him but still can’t bring himself to talk to her…then when he does ask her on a date, she invites him in and he says no? Then he goes on an unexplained trip when he has one week left to win her over? So the slow pacing made the stakes feel lower.

I did like the concept of making the Beast a werewolf rather than all-the-time beast.

Some of the dialogue / internal narration felt a little awkward.

The hero coming on full millionaire (midway) felt weird to me. It felt kinda skeezy that he’s sucking up to her with expensive gifts.

The librarian kept reading on her shift — and also doing the page’s job and shelving books? Wasn’t like that when I worked at the circulation desk 🤷‍♀️

Categories
Fantasy Romance

Read The Sumage Solution

Read The Sumage Solution (San Andreas Shifters, #1)

Max fails at magic, relationships, and life. So he works as a sumage, cleaning up other mages’ messes. The job sucks and he’s in no mood to cope with redneck biker werewolves. Unfortunately, there’s something irresistible about the sexy muscled Beta visiting his office for processing.

Bryan is gay but he’s not out. There’s a good chance Max might be reason enough to leave the closet, if he can only get the man to go on a date.

Everyone knows werewolves hate mages, but Bryan is determined to prove everyone wrong, even the mage in question.

I was tickled that this was set in Marin, with a scene at the Civic Center. Turns out Gail Carriger was originally from Bolinas!

Interesting setup. It feels almost as if it’s the second book in the series because a recent new relationship is mentioned so prominently, but apparently that was covered in a prequel novella.

I was frustrated by the mage’s self loathing attitude and at the end wasn’t convinced the conversation he had would be enough to bring about a change of heart.

The bigger picture had a tie-in explanation to a steampunk history, which was intriguing but not explained very much — I presume that’ll be explained more in future books.

I don’t really read much urban fantasy / paranormal romance but these guys get after it pretty quick 😂

I do want to read more about the drag queen kitsune 🦊 so I may check out her novella — though the author recommends reading all the other books first so 🤷‍♀️

Categories
Fantasy Romance

Read Witches Get Stitches

Read Witches Get Stitches (Stay a Spell, #3)

Violet Savoie has a plan. A dream, rather. To open her own tattoo shop, which caters to supernaturals in need of permanent charms. As a powerful Seer, she has the potent magic to cast every kind of spell. Except the kind to give werewolves control over their beastly side. And her business partner Nico needs help in the worst kind of way.

Nico Cruz has a secret. A motive, rather. To subtly stalk and seduce Violet until she finally recognizes they are fated to be together. Ever since their heated encounter in Austin on New Year’s Eve two years earlier, he’s been dying to get his hands—and his tongue—back on her body. He knows a woman like Violet can’t be courted in the usual way. Luckily, Nico has no scruples about misbehaving to get what he wants.

But when his former pack roams into town, and an old friend is far too interested in Violet, his focus shifts to the threat venturing into his territory. Nico may come across as the quiet, broody one, but the intruders are about to regret stepping foot in New Orleans.

Liked this although the heroine was very irritating at the beginning, and their problems came from her stubborn stupidity in not asking for a second opinion. I found the ending a bit contrived but it worked out.

Categories
Fantasy Romance

Re-read Mating the Huntress

Read Mating the Huntress (Monsters and Mates, #1)

Chastity Adofo knows a monster when she sees one. As soon as Luke Anthony wanders into her family’s coffee shop, she recognises the evil lurking beneath his charming smile and fantastic arse. The handsome werewolf is determined to have her—but she’s determined to cut out his heart.

Little does she know, Luke’s plans for her are far more pleasurable than murder. And when the full moon rises, all bets are off…

Re-read this for Halloween. Funnier than I remembered! The werewolf is so desperate to convince his mate to be with him that he thinks it’s cute when she stabs him in the chest and tries to kill him for being a monster. It’s a little much that she would try to kill someone who’s clearly a person, but I guess she’s been indoctrinated by her family all of her life. At the climax, the way she showed him she accepted him as who he was, not in spite of being a werewolf, is clever and fun. There’s a weird reveal at the end that her older siblings have been stalking her to make sure she’s safe at the end, but I’ll headcannon that out.

Categories
Fantasy Romance

Read Wolf Gone Wild

Read Wolf Gone Wild (Stay a Spell, #1) by Juliette Cross

What’s the worst thing that can happen to a werewolf? Unable to shift for three months, Mateo Cruz knows all too well. His wolf has taken up residence in his head, taunting him night and day with vividly violent and carnal thoughts. Convinced he’s cursed, he needs the help of a powerful witch before he literally goes insane.

​Evie Savoie has always obeyed the house rules of her coven — no werewolves. They’re known for being moody and volatile. So, when a distempered, dangerous werewolf strolls into the bar and almost strangles one of her late-night customers, she’s ready to bounce him through the door. But the desperation in his eyes when he begs her to help him softens her heart and convinces her to bend the rules.

​What Evie doesn’t know is that Mateo’s wolf has a mind of his own. And now that she’s in his sights, he wants only one thing. Her.

Fun and lighthearted. At first the werewolf’s inner voice “Alpha” irritated me but then I was able to just be amused by him. The geeky stuff felt a little forced at first but continued to be integrated into the story. A tarot reading seemed like a big deal but wasn’t tied in well. The sister’s change of heart about werewolves wasn’t explained. Worldbuilding-wise, it seems like the leaders of the magic community should be too busy to have the siblings running both a shop *and* a restaurant, down to being the cook and wait staff. Overall, I enjoyed this and would probably try another book in the series. (I do find it an odd choice that the couple that was set up isn’t until two books after this, and the next couple is barely mentioned.)

Categories
Fantasy Romance

Read Mating the Huntress

Read Mating the Huntress (Monsters and Mates, #1) by Talia Hibbert

This Halloween, love bites back… hard. Chastity Adofo knows a monster

I love the idea of a Halloween special. I don’t like Christmas but love Halloween, apparently unlike most other romance readers in the world who want to read sweet Christmas love stories.

This was a fun quick fated mates story, with werewolves, fitting for Halloween. Cute and funny and hot. I like her take on werewolves.

A few minor things I noticed that I think were due to this being her first PNR. At first I thought the story was like ancient Greece because the prologue character was named Victory, and the way she described her family of women hunters felt like PNR Amazons — then she dropped that she was wearing her sister’s hoodie! Then a different character takes the lead in the first scene and I kept waiting for the werewolf to realize there’d been a switcheroo and he actually wanted the other sister. And I got the feeling all the kids were teenagers which seemed a little weird to have hooking up with a thirty something guy, but one of the brothers dropped that he had a PhD, so now I guess the weird part is why fourteen adult children seem to be living at home still?