A Curse of Blood and Wolves

Wolf Brothers #1

by Melissa McTernan

A dark and steamy fairytale re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood. Perfect for romantasy readers and lovers of smuttok Is it possible to be drawn to someone you’ve never met? When Ruby feels the eyes of a stranger in the woods, she knows she should be scared, that she should run away, but she can’t. Instead, she feels a thrill, feels drawn to this stranger who follows her in the woods. Yearns for his eyes on her every night as she walks home, hoping to hear the crunch of leaves under his feet that signals he’s there. Will he ever reveal himself? After all, fate doesn’t make mistakes . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy Romance, Adult

325 pages, Hardcover

First published April 11, 2024

About the author

Melissa McTernan writes sweet and steamy romantasy. She loves grumpy heroes, sarcastic heroines, and grown-up fairy tales. She won the Stiletto award in 2022 for her Christmas novella and the first book in her new trilogy The Wolf Brothers series will publish in 2023.
When she’s not writing, she’s most likely reading or wrangling her kids as a stay-at-home mom. Melissa lives in upstate New York with her husband, kids, cats, puppy, and full bookshelves. She writes romance to keep her sanity.


For exclusive content, sneak peeks, and plenty of pet pics, sign up for her newsletter at melissamct.com

Reviews

[christinac_reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

Go girl, give us nothing!

Summary of book:
Prologue - growl - growl - growl - growl WE ARE MATES growl - growl - growl - growl - The End

My thoughts:
Wow. This is the kind of book that ChatGPT would churn out with the prompt “write me a cis het yt wolf shifter romance.” This was unbelievably boring and the spice was HELLA cringey. Maybe this might be good for some but hell no not for me. There wasn’t anything unique about this AT ALL, there was zero character development for the most generic of characters, and non existent world building. She’s not like other girls and he’s oh so big and yummy and they’re mates no they’re not oh yes they are he’s so big growwwwllllll. It was all just a blur of words on a page. DEFINITELY skipping my May Fairyloot Romantasy sub.

[Nadine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I decided to pick up A Curse of Blood and Wolves because it’s the May pick for Fairyloot’s Romantasy subscription box. I hope Fairyloot starts picking better books because A Curse of Blood and Wolves was not it.

A Curse of Blood and Wolves follows Ruby as she walks home from work every night through the woods. She feels a presence watching her but can’t help but feel exhilarated by it.

McTernan’s writing was juvenile and unpolished, consequently making the characters all one dimension and the world building messy.

Ruby is not like all the other girls because she’s the weird goth girl who’s into the morbid because her parents died at a young age. Ruby was needlessly sexualized.

Rafe’s personality boiled down to he was a big sexy werewolf who growls more often than not.

There’s an interesting world buried underneath the poor writing and character work. Unfortunately, readers are left with a world full of magical creatures that are just sort of there with multiple mysteries left unresolved.

Halfway through the novel, the little plot the book had disappeared in favour of spice. The cover promotes the novel as being a 4 chili pepper spice level, however I strongly disagree. I would rate it a generous 3. With the added spice comes Rafe’s indecision. Buddy couldn’t make a decision and stick to it to save his life. It was incredibly annoying.

The novel randomly ends with no resolution and with an epilogue from another character’s perspective implying that the next novel will follow a different set of characters. While I was happy to leave Ruby and Rafe’s perspectives, this change was unexpected and, as mentioned previously, there is a lot left unresolved.

Overall, A Curse of Blood and Wolves was a disappointing read with one dimensional characters and messy world building that lacked direction.

[Booked and Busy]

I’m not really rating books these days but this was an easy one star read. 10/10 do not recommend.

[jagodasbooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

"fate doesn't make mistakes", but I sure as fuck did, when I picked this book🤡

absolutely atrocious, one of the worst books I've ever read

I'll summarize it for you so you don't have to read this:
growl, growl, stalking Ruby makes me horny, growl, growl, Ruby is sad crazy emo girl, who would fuck ghosts, growl, I'm an animal, growl, growl, I'm a beast, growl, after one meeting she brings wild wolf to her home, he turns into naked man overnight, tells her he's werewolf and she's like "I'm not scared of him, he's so hot", growl, I'm a monster, growl, growl, my father bad, growl, growl, growl, we hunted people and got horny, when they pissed themselves, growl, growl, wanna fuck Ruby, growl, growl, I'm an alpha, growl, growl, growl, fuck Ruby, growl, he's so big and solid, growl, growl, Ruby I want you so bad🥺, growl, growl, growl, mates, growl, we need to break up, cus I'm bad for you🥺, it's for your protection🥺, her heart is missing, she's hollow, she'll forever miss what they could have, growl, everything good, can't live without you, growl, growl, fuck Ruby, growl, the end

idk who let this be published and who picked this for fairyloot

[CatsBnB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

What a fabulous dark and twisted fairytale that is a recreative story of Little Red Riding Hood!! It's a sweet and spicy paranormal romance with 🐺werewolves, seers, woodland nymphs and 🧙‍♀️witches, grumpy overprotective alpha MMC, sassy/strong FMC, fated mates, touch her and die and filled with slow burn, hot tension and sizzling chemistry🔥❤️‍🔥!! OH MY!! The rich character development, atmospheric setting, perfect pacing and incredible plot all attribute to this AMAZING book! This is my first read by Melissa McTernan and I am a HUGE fan already! I absolutely loved this book so much!! ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Ruby (Little Red) could feel someone watching her as she walked home from work through the woods. She is drawn to him and finds herself unable to resist his temptation. Rafe (big bad wolf) cannot get Ruby out of his mind so he follows her through the woods each night. Will he ever reveal himself to her?

I loved that fate doesn't make mistakes!! No matter their issues the two of them are destined to be together. All of the secondary characters (Rafe's family and Ruby's sister) were fantastic as well! However, I do wish there would have been a little more world building which I have a feeling will be divulged in the next book. Please be aware that it does end on a CLIFFHANGER!! 😩

Overall, I was completed captivated from start to finish! If you love a romantasy fantasy with a steamy fairytale then this is the book for you! I highly recommend and cannot wait for book two!! 💫💫💫💫

[Alicia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I simply do not even know where to begin with this review. This was terrible.

Personally, I'm just irritated that I spent $35 on a FairyLoot Edition of this book and then turn out a complete and utter mess. It has beautiful artwork and has good design... but MY GOD what a WASTE. Please forgive me, I am truly not trying to sound like an asshole and I don't want to put down an indie author, but I'm always honest in my reviews and this was one of the greatest fumbles I've ever seen in a romantacy.I'm almost... angry?? I now understand why there are people who chuck books across the room.

This is marketed as a spicy little red riding hood with wolf shifters. I am so dead serious when I say this... there is absolutely NO plot. NONE!! No plot. No character development. Like we know nothing! We randomly find out that this takes place in Maine by like page 60 something? All we have is this **I'm Not like other girls** dumbass and this doofus idiot of a **I'm dangerous and I'm a monster and I am a bad guy** MMC... then all of a sudden they are all IT'S TRUE LOVE YAY WE MATES! The End. THAT IS THE STORY. If this guy were ugly, none of this crap would've happened. The only reason why Ruby even is okay with him being around is because he is hot. Cringey writing. Secondhand embarrassment. Plot timing, relationship development, world building, introducing characters, descriptions of body parts and looks, writing the romance - CHEAP. If I am scowling, rolling my eyes, saying "STFU", and wanting to die of embarrassment... it's not good.

Guys.... like.... this is just so so bad. I TRIED to find redeeming qualities, I TRIED. The only good thing is that the book is short and at a 7th grade reading level, but with spice that wouldn't even raise the eyebrows of a Catholic nun. The idea and the premise sounded like this would've been fun! I don't know any red riding hood romantacy books! It could've been dark, dreamy, spooky or eerie. It could've made me believe that these characters truly had complex and difficult pasts. It could've made me feel like I was transported to this world and got excited to learn about the wolves and different mythical creatures! It could've given me butterflies as the two main characters got to know each other more. It could've given me side characters to be curious about and be interested in getting to know more of. It could've done literally ANYTHING else and it would've made it a better experience.

My rage could be coming from buyers remorse or it could just be that I've fallen into the trap of being entranced in a premise only for it to completely miss the mark. This one hurt though. Ugh. I mean this was just NOT it. I'm sorry, but this is a 1 star.

[Vita Wirt · Rating 1 out of 5]

There’s no plot to be found, the spice is cringe and the only open plot point hasn’t been resolved 🤝

[thenovelcourt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review 💛

I toyed between giving this book a two or a three star throughout reading it, so you may consider it a two and a half.

The strongest parts of this story for me were the premise and the easy-going storytelling. I think the writing style suited the story and the characters well and helped make it an enjoyable experience to get through.

Unfortunately, I struggled with understanding the way the plot was paced. Since I read the majority of the story in one sitting, I felt that the flaws in the pacing were more obvious to me and I mostly fault this over the fact that this books tries to follow a pattern more commonly seen in contemporary romances, where each book follows a different couple. Unfortunately- whilst admitting that I cannot completely consider myself as disinterested in the other couples in this world- this meant that everything had to happen quickly (in two weeks, to be precise) in order for it to be wrapped up for that couple. This being said, some other paranormal romance books I've read in the past have managed to successfully write beautiful books using this structure, so I encourage the author to experiment further with it to help find that happy balance.

Further, where one would expect world building and an atmosphere of anticipation, this book simply breezed through and used a sense of "normalcy" amongst characters as an excuse. Even more noticeably, most reveals in the plot were anticlimactic and fell flat.

Despite this, I will still be keeping an eye out for the rest of the series as I do believe it has the potential to get better. Thank you once again to Net Galley for the opportunity.

[Klara Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was it good? No. Did I like it? Yes.
Okay, guys hold my hand for this one. I know this book is really awful but..I kind of ate it up. I read it in one day in less than 7 hours. What does that say about me? I don't know, I'm scared. Usually, I include a quote in my reviews but there just weren't any good ones because this book is so ass!

We follow Ruby, an edge lord "goth" bartender who is super weird because her parents died and she won't shut up about it. Rafe is a tall stalkerish werewolf with major daddy issues. DID YOU KNOW THEY ARE MATES? IN A WEREWOLF BOOK? WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT? At the beginning of this book, I wanted to beat the shit out of Ruby but I'll admit, she grew on me. Somebody does need to tell her that wearing black does not make her goth, though. Worldbuilding is mediocre at best.

BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN I DID NOT EAT THIS UP!!! Yeah, I was a little invested. The whole time I knew this book was shit but that did not stop me from devouring it like a ravenous dog. Hah, get it? I was rooting for Ruby and Rafe the whole time, and I was upsettingly invested. I will be reading the next one against my will. (I desperately want the next one)

[Yvonne (the putrid Shelf) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My foray into Fantasy Romance is rather new thanks to the craze of Tik Tok. However, I am obsessed. I didn’t know that a whole different sub-genre of fantasy awaited me. It’s fun, exciting, and definitely brings something new to the genre. The Curse of Blood and Wolves had me entranced from start to finish and I read cover to cover in about a day and a half. I usually take a lot longer with my fantasy reads.

I am a huge fan of the darker side of fiction (regular readers of the blog will know this) and I love a deeper, darker retelling of those famous fairy tales. This story stripped back the basic nature of Red Riding Hood and it took on arms and legs, monstrous ones. Just for a moment imagine the big bad wolf and Red Riding Hood, her skipping through the woods and then imagine the version we are faced with in The Curse of Blood and Wolves. It’s so dark it oozes blood from its spine, so dark you need a light on to read it.

Ruby has always believed in the occult, ghosts, and haunted houses, much to the frustration of her sister Lena. The sisters are orphans after their parents die in a car crash. Lena is the much lighter sister, whereas Ruby is a bit of a goth girl -black skirts, dark hair, pale makeup, black eyeliner and kick up the arse boots. She works in the town’s bar and often walks through the dark woods. It’s during these walks that she’s always felt a presence watching her, stalking her. She knows she should run away but her feet just won’t move.

I enjoyed the story but there was only a couple of things that stopped me from rating this five stars. One being the lack of world-building, I wanted and needed more. I wanted to know more about the wolves’ backgrounds, more than just a few past POV’s would have been good, I just felt they really lacked substance, I love a good backstory and it just felt like a missed opportunity.

I know this was an arc so I fully expect the book not to be perfect but there was quite a few grammatical errors which more than likely will be rectified in the final edits, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story thankfully.

The Curse of Blood and Wolves is a great start to a new series and I’m looking forward to seeing where book 2 goes.

[Annabelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am slowly reading & rating the Fairyloot Romantasy books in order to see whether or not the sub is suited for my taste in Romantasy.

Short Review:
He is so big. His hands are so big and she is not like other girls. She is crazy. He stalks her. She knows it, is afraid but oh so turned on (because he is big). Wtf. 🙄 Oh and he growls a lot. The plott was jumping too much and sometimes I didn't know if it was past or present... Ruby or Scarlet are interchangable. I see no difference. Super boring plott and the writing didn't even make for a good "guilty pleasure" read besides the plott.

Fairyloot Romantasy 2024

04 Lore of the Wilds ⭐⭐
05 A Curse of Blood and Wolves ⭐
06 Nectar of the Wicked ⭐⭐
07 The Wren in the Holly Library ⭐⭐⭐⭐
08 Bonded by Thorns ⭐⭐⭐
09 The Half King
10 The Coven ⭐⭐⭐
11 A Fire in the Sky
12 Heavenly Bodies

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | excellent
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | enjoyed
⭐️⭐️⭐️ | good read
⭐️⭐️ | ok but just not for me
⭐️ | DNF/very unpleasant read

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 53%

Picked this up to see if I want the FL Romantasy book.

God it was so boring. I wasn’t invested in any of the characters. They were so one dimensional, and for the record giving them trauma doesn’t make them more dimensional. It was instalove and there’s zero tension between them.

The plot itself was sooooo slow and there world building was nonexistent. The entire book was 50% growling 20% fmc in “danger” 18% I love you but idk why 10% bad smut 2% OoOo we’re fated (who would’ve thought)

I lost hope that the book was going to get better at the end.

[Katrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you’ve seen new moon this book is it except the whole book is if we can hear Edward saying he needs to leave but doesn’t every single chapter

[book bruin]

DNF at 57%

I wanted to like this and kept hoping it would get better, but I’m over halfway through and nothing has really happened. The pacing is too slow and I don’t feel invested in the characters at all. The world building is pretty nonexistent and I can’t bring myself to continue.

PS - I don’t understand why this is being promoted as a Little Red Riding Hood retelling. Her name being Ruby and Rafe being a wolf is stretching it for “retelling”. Also, why of all the names available, did Rafe’s ex have to be named Scarlet?

[Ingerlisa]

DNF at page 132 … because I cannot bear it any longer.

✧.* Poorly written, terrible pacing, insta love and irritating characters.

✧.* I need to stop picking up romantasy debuts.

[mck boe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Curse of Blood and Wolves, a dark and twisted Little Red Riding Hood retelling is the perfect werewolf romance. Ruby always feels like someone is watching her while on her way home in the woods, although it doesn't make her afraid- she feels thrilled. Rafe can't get her out of his mind, he needs to follow her.

I really enjoyed this paranormal romance, their romance was super sweet. The way fate destined them to be together, even though they both had personal yhings to work on was beautiful.

The book was most definitely a page turner, the plot was extremely entertaining- I wish there was some more focus on it, and the author's writing style was simple and easy to get through. There was a lot of good dialogue as well, it was very engaging.

The novel did end on a cliffhanger, and although I normally enjoy these, it seemed very abrupt in this book.

Overall this steamy romance novel was a delicious read. I would definitely recommend if you're in the mood for a werewolf romance. Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and the author for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review

Publication Date: 1 October 2023

--- 🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Britney ☆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took a little while to get into this but once it got going man did it get going!
There were a few parts where I felt like the actions could have been explored more, or gone further into the world building, but in the grand scheme of the book I found those minor.
The dialogue was really funny. There were a lot of parts where I laughed along with them. The FMC wasn't a damsel in distress which I appreciate. Love me a self sufficient girlie. The spice was definitely spicing 👀
Definitely a solid choice if you're looking for a spicy fantasy that can be read in a day.

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 43%
This is gonna be a nope from me I'm 43% in and I'm bored to tears. I thought I was going to love this I mean it's described as a spicy red riding hood retelling what's not to like I was so easily sold. Unfortunately it's not grabbing my attention in any way. 

The characters feel one dimensional. Rafe has one personality growly mixed with surly and Ruby is described as that weird goth girl just because she was sad that her parents died and she was sent to live with a relative. The sister Lena also has no personality other than she might be a seer oh and she's meant to be the popular perfect sibling. She just mooches around in the background serving no purpose other than as a plot point.

All Ruby has done so far is travel back and forth to work and watch some TV in bed with Rafe in wolf form keeping her company. I mean I suppose she was kinda attacked that once but not really as they never got any way near her and the aftermath of Rafe being a wolf wasn't even a blip because wait for it "If the worst has already happened what's to fear" anyway, that's Ruby's reasoning. So of course she doesn't care that her mysterious shadow turned out to be a werewolf. He's a total stranger who happens to change into a wolf and she's just instantly chill.

The world building itself is lacklustre and magical creatures keep being introduced but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere fast. I'm losing my mojo and seriously bored and I think it's time to admit defeat.

I can kinda see something maybe developing in the background. Maybe with Rafe's old pack and the backstory that's being frustratingly dripfed regarding his past and Scarlet. But honestly I'm over it and can certainly live without knowing the outcome. This is going to be a no from me.

[Devika · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Curse of Blood and Wolves is a fantasy romance by Melissa McTernan. As the title might suspect this book will be about wolves, werewolves. In addition this book is the first in the Wolf Brothers trilogy. A Little Red Riding story mixed with werewolves, this sounds just like a typical fantasy retelling, but what will make this book stand out? What will I think of this title?

I really liked this storyline. It is unique and has a nice vibe. This book is really a fantasy romance which I enjoyed. I loved the way the whole story was built and everything made sense in the storyline.

Check out my full review on my blog Boekensteeg

[Alesha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5, it close to a 4. This was little Red Riding adjacent so once I reset my expectations I was hooked.

There is a mystery and a romance. I was as invested in the mystery, other characters, as the romance. I assume there will be 3 books for the 3 brothers. Theo’s book is next and I’m excited to read it.

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 43%
This is gonna be a nope from me I'm 43% in and I'm bored to tears. I thought I was going to love this I mean it's described as a spicy red riding hood retelling what's not to like I was so easily sold. Unfortunately it's not grabbing my attention in any way. 

The characters feel one dimensional. Rafe has one personality growly mixed with surly and Ruby is described as that weird goth girl just because she was sad that her parents died and she was sent to live with a relative. The sister Lena also has no personality other than she might be a seer oh and she's meant to be the popular perfect sibling. She just mooches around in the background serving no purpose other than as a plot point.

All Ruby has done so far is travel back and forth to work and watch some TV in bed with Rafe in wolf form keeping her company. I mean I suppose she was kinda attacked that once but not really as they never got any way near her and the aftermath of Rafe being a wolf wasn't even a blip because wait for it "If the worst has already happened what's to fear" anyway, that's Ruby's reasoning. So of course she doesn't care that her mysterious shadow turned out to be a werewolf. He's a total stranger who happens to change into a wolf and she's just instantly chill.

The world building itself is lacklustre and magical creatures keep being introduced but it doesn't seem to be going anywhere fast. I'm losing my mojo and seriously bored and I think it's time to admit defeat.

I can kinda see something maybe developing in the background. Maybe with Rafe's old pack and the backstory that's being frustratingly dripfed regarding his past and Scarlet. But honestly I'm over it and can certainly live without knowing the outcome. This is going to be a no from me.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was personally a good place for me to start delving into the world of supernatural romance. The writing was simple enough that I found it easy to get into the story and this was helped along by the main characters being quickly introduced in the first few pages.

I did have a few issues with the repetition in the dialogue - specifically, the cliched descriptions when describing the size of the two main characters were rather grating (i.e. the male character was ‘huge’ and the female character was ‘tiny’). However, this was minor enough in my mind that it didn’t take me away from the story.

What I liked the most was that the FMC wasn’t portrayed as helpless or completely under the control of the MMC. Ruby knew her own mind; worked tirelessly for herself & her sister; and demanded respect from Rafe, her werewolf love interest, from the very beginning. I am often put off reading paranormal romances because of the elements of control & abuse, but this one was softer and was therefore much more palatable.

Rafe was also a surprisingly mixed character. The author chose not to focus too much on the territorial aspects of his wolf alter ego, and instead focused more on his self-critical attitude & his desire to nurture Ruby, rather than intimidate her. He did still have the protective instincts that are to be expected in a supernatural romance, but they didn’t feel overly stifling.

The romantic connection between Ruby & Rafe was super sweet - they were both respectful of each other and I never felt uncomfortable reading about it. I really enjoyed the ‘chase’ part of it as I love seeing a relationship slowly blossom, along with the frustration & anticipation of the build-up.

I was admittedly the most absorbed in that part of the story; however, that is purely from a personal perspective. Rafe’s family background and the plot around Ruby’s seer sister were interesting, and the tale as a whole was very well-rounded. The ending was predictable, but left the reader on an intriguing cliffhanger.

Whilst this book would be a great first step for fantasy & supernatural beginners, I think that veterans of the genre would be disappointed by the simplicity of it. Either way, I would be interested in reading the next in the series.

[Carly Rushforth · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨My Thoughts✨

Ruby knows she should walk the long way home after her shift at the bar but she walks through the dark woods because she knows HE will be watching, she can sense him with every step she takes.

Rafe knows he shouldn’t be following an innocent woman through the woods but her scent consumes him and even though he tries he can’t stop thinking about her.

This kept me reading all night long, it’s hot as hell and filled with werewolves, small
town vibes, mystery and so much more than you could ever dream of.

Ruby is so feisty and relatable, I was rooting for her and Rafe all the way through, I was living for the touch her die and vibes from Rafe.

Who knew Fated Mates could be so sexy?
The spice in this was off the CHAIN!.

I can’t wait for the next in the series.

✨Favourite Quote✨
“ He tasted like vanilla and summer and home”

[Julotlinde · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mmmh you know what in the end this book was not as horrible as I thought it would be in the beginning. Still bad but just not shitty as I thought it would be.

I love shifter romances and that is why it got 2 stars. The suspense of the couples was nice and I did like the storyline. But omg the maincharachters were the worst. Ruby is so different from other people and so special, b fucking for real. Rafe is this all big amazing man but damn he was stupid and just an asshole tbh. Also the pacing in this book is weird, the beginning was so fast and then it just slowed done to almost boring. She met this dude and invited him in, in the first 50 pages and then the next 300 pages was them just arguing whether yes or no to date.

It was not a good book, it was very cringe and the story could have been better. But it was also entertaining in some way.

[justinejustreads · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @30%.

It took me way too long to figure out the setting for this book, and I really dislike when I can't tell early on if a book is supposed to be modern or set in the past. The worldbuilding just isn't there. By the time it made sense I realised I wasn't particularly invested in the characters. Sadly, this is just not for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Joanna Owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light fun read, burnt through in one evening and enjoyed!

[Katerine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I would like to start with there was nothing wrong with the book. I’m just not in my werewolf era. So sadly dnf’ed - I will deffo give this book another try and hopefully get past chapter 5!

[Beckee❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

[Becca · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book must be getting one hell of a rewrite for Trad Pub, because in its current state, it is terrible.

The writing was boring, there was NO plot. And sometimes, I can absolutely move on from this and accept it if the spice is good. But it isn’t, it’s dull and there is way too much “will they / won’t they”. Which isn’t even enjoyable to read, just immensely infuriating.

There’s like a tiny cliffhanger at the end, clearly this is going to be a planned series but a cliffhanger for what? Characters which are monotonous and uninteresting?

There’s Ruby, the ✨goth girl, but I’m different because I secretly like colourful nail polish ✨, sister, Lena, who has no personality or even a decent description to picture her with and then Rafe, the burly but sensitive MC who is the most indecisive, tedious, man I’ve had the misfortune to read about.

One star for an attempt at spice (the teasing at the beginning was fairly enjoyable)

The second star is because of the probable Twilight reference where she describes having a werewolf has been a fantasy of hers for a long time (and then confirms it later with a #TeamJacob joke). It was so cringe it made me laugh out loud at the awkwardness of it.

[Miranda Linton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into it it’s extremely low expectations which helped. I got this from a fairyloot subscription and based on the other reviews I can whole heartedly say I wouldn’t have picked it up otherwise. The idea was there but the execution just wasn’t and it gave major whiplash. This felt like someone saw a werewolf tv show/movie as a teenager, had an awakening, and wrote this. I howled (😏) with laughter a couple times cause it was so ridiculous.