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In this urban fantasy novella set in New York Times bestselling author Eileen Wilks’s world of the lupi, a family holiday provides respite from an ongoing war—but not without a few skirmishes of its own...

Benedict would do anything to make Arjenie happy, even spend Christmas meeting her large, Wiccan, entirely human family. As a lupi warrior who’s lived most of his life at Clanhome, Benedict is more than a little nervous. He isn’t used to fitting in with humans, let alone a family who celebrates the Wiccan holiday of Yule.

Benedict even asked his brother for advice about clothes, hoping to create the right impression. So it's a shame that things go wrong from the moment he steps out of the car . . .

Originally found in anthology Tied with a Biow

126 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2011

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About the author

Eileen Wilks

128 books1,522 followers
Eileen Wilks’ first book, a Silhouette Desire published in 1996, hit the USA Today Bestseller List and was nominated for Romantic Times' Best First Short Contemporary award. Since then, her books have appeared consistently on national bestseller lists. With thirty two books in print and novellas in nine anthologies, she has been a finalist in the prestigious Rita Awards three times, as well as receiving several nominations from Romantic Times, including one for Career Achievement in Series Romantic Suspense.

Each book in her World of the Lupi series gains a larger audience. It was originally sold in the Romance section of bookstores, but more and more you will be able to find copies cross-shelved under Sci-Fi and Fantasy as the popularity of the series grows!

Eileen has lived in the West Texas town of Midland, TX for over 30 years--three years as a young teen, and the remaining years since she moved back here as an adult. When she first started writing over 10 years ago, it hit her like the first drink for an alcoholic . . . or the first kiss for Romeo and Juliet.

She came to writing romance in a roundabout way. Having read and loved science fiction for years, that’s where she first tried her hand when the writing bug bit. Somehow her stories always ended up having a strong romantic subplot, but she hadn’t read a romance since the early 80’s and didn’t think “those little books” were her kind of stories. But when a friend in her critique group began working on a romance novel, Wilks decided she needed to give the genre another try. She asked her friend to recommend some titles--and quicker than you can say “Jayne Ann Krentz,” she fell in love. The genre had been busy growing up while she wasn’t watching. These days, with romances comprising over 50% of the mass market books published in the U.S., there are romances to appeal to almost every taste--historicals, paranormals and contemporaries that range from romantic suspense to romantic comedy, from inspirational to sizzling.

Eileen covered a lot of territory before coming home to Midland, having lived in Canada and Venezuela as well as twelve U.S. cities in five states.

Profile taken from the author's site with her permission.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
Profile Image for Jilly.
1,838 reviews6,684 followers
December 9, 2016
So far in this series, the half-books have been really important. The events and new characters that are introduced become vital later in the series.

This is not one of those instances.

This book is more like an episode of Scooby Doo where Scoob and the gang head out to Uncle Clay's farm to spend the holidays and happen upon a mystery. A bear has kidnapped someone! Scoob and company have to catch the bear, along with help from the annoying Scrappy-Doo and some other country bumpkin cousins. Aw, it's the suspicious guy that appears for no good reason in the story but to give us a person we knew all along was in a bear costume!!

Profile Image for Jen Davis.
Author 7 books726 followers
July 14, 2016
Finally! I have been waiting for more Benedict and Arjenie since they first got together. And while I would have loved to get a full length book for them, this novella does the job quite nicely. These two are such a great pair. I love the way they compliment each other, they way they understand one another, and just… fit.

Here Benedict is accompanying his mate back home to visit her family for the holidays. It’s sweet to see this strong, stoic man, nervous to meet the people who matter to her. I really felt connected to him as he tried to make a good impression and to please the woman he loves so much.

Of course, nothing can go easy. As soon as they arrive, things go awry. Benedict is forced into his wolf. There is a strange force operating on Arjenie’s family land. And someone –or something– has gutted a man. Benedict and Arjenie team up with her Wiccan family and the local officials to get to the bottom of things.

The mystery is pretty good, an interesting mix of different mythologies. But where the story really shines is with the main characters. I simply love Benedict and Arjenie. They are so great together. The secondary characters are engaging too. Arjenie’s family is eclectic and fun, and I hope we get to see more of them in the future.

This story isn’t pivotal to the series, but fans won’t want to skip it.

Rating: B/B+
Profile Image for Laura (Kyahgirl).
2,347 reviews150 followers
March 27, 2016
4.5/5; 5 stars; A

It takes a lot of talent to make a novella as engaging and satisfying as a full length book. This novella is about Benedict and Arjenie, on a trip back east to spend time with the Wiccan in-laws, was really good. It had elements of wiccan and native magic, characters from the main series as well as new characters, all wrapped up in a 'feel good' holiday novella. The same novella is part of the Tied with a Bow anthology.
Profile Image for Carolyn F..
3,491 reviews51 followers
August 25, 2016
I started reading this as a stand alone ebook and then realized that I had read it before. Here's my previous review.

Arjenie and Benedict go to visit her family during the holidays and things do not start out great. In fact, her uncle pulls a gun on Benedict. Then they find out that her cousins may have unintentionally brought over a bad spirit that is out to get their family. Great story. I just love the Lupi series. *****
Profile Image for Sophia.
Author 5 books399 followers
June 5, 2016
Benedict and Arjenie! I love that the author tucked this novella in between the other books of the series with this pair as the main characters. It was a 'meet the family' style story when Benedict goes with Arjenie to spend Yule with her Wiccan relations.

This big, in charge alpha wolf is a tad nervous about making the right impression on the in-laws. Unfortunately, things go south almost from the moment they arrive. Magical trickery, suspicious relations, a dead body, a killer bear, and a whimsical surprise ally have Benedict and Arjenie scrambling for their lives and the lives of her family.

This was lighter than the novels and I found the suspicious relations and the unexpected 'guest' humorous. In true World of the Lupi fashion, though, there is an investigation and a lethal situation that finds the couple who thought to have a quiet holiday with the family.

I was happy to get the story that featured this pair because I thought their secondary story line in the series was a nice one and I just wanted more- to see how their new mating is doing. Benedict is a wolf who gets things done and naturally takes control, but he is so respectful and appreciate of Arjenie. He makes sure her relations understand clearly that he treasures her as his mate and partner even while she is disappointed that her family still sees her as the injured and grieving little girl. They both get some good scenes tackling the issue.

All in all, this quick novella was a fantastic interim story between the bigger, heavy-hitters of the series.
Profile Image for Emily.
2,050 reviews36 followers
September 6, 2021
There are so many pieces of short fiction for this series, and although it’s not chronologically the first, I chose this lovely novella about Benedict meeting Arjenie’s family as the first one to try. I loved the full-length novel where these two met, and I was delighted to find this novella about them available in the digital library, right at a time when I needed something short.
I would have loved to spend more time getting to know Arjenie’s family, but I enjoyed what I got in this novella. It was a decent mix of action, humor, romance, and family drama.
There are so many characters in the Lupi world, and I don’t care deeply about all of them, but B and A are two of my favorites.

2021 reread: So fun to revisit this series and just skip around my favorites. Benedict and Arjenie are two of my favorite characters, and this was the perfect comfort read before getting back to the books left on my to-read pile for 2021.
Profile Image for Dianne.
1,844 reviews158 followers
May 30, 2022
I am re-reading this novella for the second time in two weeks! So don't think I'm crazy when you see this posted twice. I read this out of order the first time. Now I'm back on track!
Profile Image for Trix.
1,355 reviews114 followers
May 14, 2018
Nice come back to Benedict and Arjenie. But the whole debacle, the link to Native powers and introduction to Wiccan philosophy was too complicated for me to follow. Not to mention the slew of people that made up Arjenie's family. I had a hard time following who was saying what, what their family tie was and what they had done to complicate the mess they were in.

Not a bad story. I just couldn't really get into it. Could be real life interfered or I wasn't that attached to the pair in this installment.
Profile Image for CB.
236 reviews12 followers
September 23, 2019
I’m a big fan of the World of the Lupi series, but this novella was a bit of a surprise for me in that unlike all the other books in the series I’ve read nothing much really happened here. Benedict and his Chosen, Arjenie, visit her family at Christmas, there’s an issue with a bear, The End. Well, obviously there’s more to the bear situation than that because it’s a WOTL book, but honestly, not much more than that really. And for a series that normally has such nonstop action and surprises, this was actually kind of boring. Love the focus on Benedict, though.
Profile Image for Selenity Jade (Coffee Addicts Book Reviews).
1,989 reviews17 followers
June 19, 2019
I read this as part of the Tied with a Bow anthology with Lora Leigh and Virginia Kantra. I haven't read any of the other Lupi novels, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one, even if I knew I was missing a whole lot of the story. Still, I'm intrigued and Eileen Wilk's Lupi series just made it to my to-be-read list!
Profile Image for Sarah.
162 reviews5 followers
September 25, 2021
Not as much of a comedy of errors as the summary implies. It's very much a paranormal detective-esque adventure, in the same vein as the other books in the series. The story stood on its own without the need for the little scene at the end, which I don't felt like really fit well with the rest. I did like getting to know Arjenie's family.
618 reviews16 followers
August 18, 2015
Originally released in 2011 in the anthology, Tied With a Bow, this story takes place after Death Magic. Benedict is somewhat nervous about meeting Arjenie’s entire extended family, not knowing if he’ll be accepted. But they are going for the Yule celebration and it’s important to her.

There is a mystery involving black magic that starts off fairly quickly and Benedict and Arjenie both get involved. Arjenie’s family gets to see a different side of her.

I’ve got to say first off that I’ve enjoyed all of the novellas in this series, but this is the one I’ve reread the most. Love the fact that you can now get these without the anthologies. Got to love Arjenie’s family and their dynamics, as well as how each of them initially responds to who and what Benedict is.

But this one will pull on your heart strings and will leave you feeling good. And one character we meet? I hope he shows up in a future book.

This is not a good place to start the series, but if you are reading the series, you really need to have at least gotten as far as Blood Challenged to really appreciate this story.
Profile Image for Melindeeloo.
3,268 reviews158 followers
June 13, 2024
Reread 2024 - I am doing a series reread in Graphic audio, but I did this short the old fashioned way. I still loved this extra slice of Benedict and Arjenie.

My review (2012,2011) for this World of the Lupi connected novella that was originally published in the Tie with a Bow Anthology ... Benedict goes home with Arjenie to meet her family and to celebrate Solstice and the "grand explosion of culturally sanction
ed greed" (aka Christmas ) - I never read anthologies in order, and being a huge Lupi fan I couldn't wait and jumped straight into the Benedict and Arjenie short - I love those Lupi males and Arjenie is charming in her own oddball way as well - this story had a nice amount of mayhem in the background and the pair's now solid bond made me want to go back and reread the last book, Blood Challenge(109 pages).
Profile Image for Lara.
Author 8 books9 followers
February 26, 2016
Arjenie's cousins, whose unsanctioned experiments allowed Coyote to enter this realm, are never dealt with/punished for how they treated Benedict as their family's guest. There is never a point at which they say, "Sorry we treated you badly and thought you'd put a spell on our cousin." In fact, although much is made about her aunt and uncle (and most others) treating her like a severely handicapped child, at no point does Arjenie stand up for herself, nor does anyone ever acknowledge that "gee, maybe she has grown up and can make adult decisions."

And when confronting the Big Bad, so much is made about "... surely this was (suspect) ..." that I was seriously expecting a big reveal that it was someone else. A little unusual to bait-and-switch without the switch.

Not the best of Wilks' writing, but I do enjoy the characters still.
Profile Image for Dr susan.
3,051 reviews51 followers
September 17, 2015
Not realizing I had read Human Error in Tied With a Bow, I requested it from the library. I love Benedict and Arjenie, and this novella highlights the best in this couple. Benedict's desire to fit in with Arjenie's family and Arjenie's desire to protect her mate from prejudice are only part of this couple's struggle to learn their place in human and lupi society.
Profile Image for Louisa.
8,843 reviews99 followers
January 12, 2019
Really enjoyed reading this story again, it's a great read, and I enjoyed her family!

*First read February 2nd, 2016*
Such a great story, of the meeting of family at Yule time/Christmas, and the mystery that ensues! Such a great and sweet story, and I can't wait to read more!
Profile Image for Gail.
Author 25 books216 followers
January 2, 2016
Great little novella, basically an adventure set in the midst of Benedict the lupus meeting Arjenie his mate's family at Christmas. Coyote shows up, and a bear, and Arjenie's twin cousins mix things up. Good stuff. Although anything Eileen writes is good stuff. So you should read it. ;)
Profile Image for Maura.
3,883 reviews113 followers
January 4, 2020
Benedict and Arjenie head to her home in Virginia to spend the holidays with her family, and Benedict is hoping to impress them with how normal he is. Only things don't go according to plan and before he knows it he's working with an invited Native American spirit, Coyote, to capture a skin walker with a hard-on for revenge against Arjenie's Wiccan family. On top of that he's also dealing with her family's unfamiliarity with lupi and their subtle disapproval of her choice and how it it limits her time with her family.

Not a bad story, but plenty of aspects I didn't love. I love Benedict and Arjenie and was hoping this would be a good delve into their relationship and work out some unanswered questions I had when they got together. This doesn't answer any of those questions, except apparently that Benedict definitely believes he can't marry her. Nor does this present any information about whether Benedict and Rule patched up their issues (regarding Rule's choice to marry Lily), but apparently they're speaking again, so maybe they solved it all off page. Mostly this focuses on Benedict and Arjenie and her family trying to stop the skin walker, which is actually a pretty decent little plot and involves a lot of her family...and there are quite a few of them. Arjenie's family I did not like at all. They treat her like a child, which Benedict often comments on, but they don't really do anything to solve it. They both just get over it and realize it comes from love I guess. But then Arjenie's family more or less disapprove of Arjenie's relationship with Benedict (because of how it affects them) and they treat her like she can't make decisions regarding love. Again, thsi doesn't really get resolved beyond Arjenie telling her aunt and uncle about the mating bond, which acts as a deus ex machina...because they never really end up trusting her, just the idea of the mate bond. And the rest of her family never deal with their disapproval and they don't know about the mate bond. So even though everything ends happily for them, it just sort of happens. This probably could have been a much longer story if all those ends had been tied up neatly instead of miraculously resolved. Don't get me wrong, this is enjoyable, but not really what I was hoping for when it came to these two.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Thenia.
4,405 reviews180 followers
August 20, 2022

Human Error on Books On Track



RTC

Previous book reviews:
✦ Death Magic (World of the Lupi, #8) ~ ★★★★ (23/07/2022)
✦ Blood Challenge (World of the Lupi, #7) ~ ★★★★ (23/07/2022)
✦ Blood Magic (World of the Lupi, #6) ~ ★★★★ (22/07/2022)
✦ Human Nature (World of the Lupi, #5.5) ~ ★★★★ (22/07/2022)
✦ Mortal Sins (World of the Lupi, #5) ~ ★★★★ (21/07/2022)
✦ Good Counsel (World of the Lupi, #4.2) ~ ★★★ (24/07/2022)
Night Season (World of the Lupi, #4) ~ ★★★ (15/10/2019)
✦ Inhuman (World of the Lupi, #3.5) ~ ★★★ (22/07/2022)
Blood Lines (World of the Lupi, #3) ~ ★★★★ (15/04/2017)
Mortal Danger (World of the Lupi #2) ~ ★★★ (09/08/2014)
Originally Human (World of the Lupi #1.5) ~ ★★★★ (29/12/2013)
Tempting Danger (World of the Lupi #1) ~ ★★★ (29/08/2013)
✦ The New Kid (World of the Lupi, #0.1) ~ ★★★★ (24/07/2022)
Profile Image for K.
1,157 reviews16 followers
May 17, 2019
A new character, Arjenie (1) was introduced in the last book, Death Magic. She is Benedict's (2) Chosen. She is bonded to him for life, thanks to the werewolves' Lady (3).

...this is a little spin-off story about the two of them.

This story can be found in Tied with a Bow. I do not recommend reading the other short stories in that book. My original review can be found here

1: half-elf with powers of stealth & hiding
2: werewolf who enforces his clan leader's wishes & is in charge of security
3. a demi-god who is at war with another demi-god of the She Shall Not Be Named type
Profile Image for Emilye.
1,550 reviews7 followers
June 23, 2018
I loved this book for its insights into Benedict, Rule's older brother, as he goes with Arjenie to meet the family she grew up with. Family pushes to understand inexplicable behavior, and they all have opinions of how this Lupi came to have such prominence in Arjenie's life. But Benedict and Arjenie are united in their acceptance and pursuit of their mating, and the understanding they have of each other makes this read satisfying!
Profile Image for Sally.
882 reviews
July 8, 2017
I love Benedict and Arjenie, and it was great getting to know her family and understanding more of her background. It was also fun seeing the Super tough Benedict feeling uncertain as he's presented to her world. A bit of excitement and a happy Christmas. A delightful novella in one of my very favourite series.
Profile Image for Virginia Daugherty.
189 reviews3 followers
December 4, 2018
a family made

This is one of the best spin off stories ever. Arjeanie and Benedict are two of my favorite characters in the Lipo series and to have her family come to like and appreciate Benedict not only as her husband but as a family member makes this story rock. To add in Native American folklore and Spirit Gods makes it even vetter. A must read for Eileen Wilks fans!
Profile Image for Marianne.
2,728 reviews
May 27, 2017
This was a nice little novella. I liked the focus on Benedict and Arjenie's relationship, and it was fun meeting her family. I'm curious as to whether or not Coyote will return in future books along with Sammy and Seri.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews

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