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Wolves of Crookshollow #1
Digging the Wolf
Anna
It's been five months since my boyfriend was tragically killed in a climbing accident. I didn't think I was over him ... until Luke walked on to the archaeological site.
Tall, dark, sexy, tattooed, funny, dangerous. Everything I want in a man.
But he's hiding something. He acts strangely in the moonlight. He won't tell me anything about his life. And I caught him trying to destroy an important find.
My body aches for him, but my heart tells me I'm not ready to make myself vulnerable again, especially not for a guy who isn't being straight with me.
If only ...
Luke
Anna Sinclair - archaeologist, geek girl, totally and utterly delectable.
I knew from the moment her intoxicating scent wafted across my wolf senses, she's meant to be mine. And that knowledge is terrifying.
The last thing I expected was to find my fated mate on an archaeological site. Whenever I'm near her, all I want to do is claim her.
But she's broken. The last thing she needs in her life is a werewolf out for revenge. I'm here to destroy the site, to keep my family's past buried forever.
If Anna finds out the truth, she'd never speak to me again.
But I can't deny the bond between us. I'll do anything to make her mine.
Digging the Wolf is a standalone paranormal romance by USA Today bestselling author Steffanie Holmes. Read on if you love archaeological mysteries, badass wolves, a broken heroine, and a hero so hot he'll have you howling for more.
It's been five months since my boyfriend was tragically killed in a climbing accident. I didn't think I was over him ... until Luke walked on to the archaeological site.
Tall, dark, sexy, tattooed, funny, dangerous. Everything I want in a man.
But he's hiding something. He acts strangely in the moonlight. He won't tell me anything about his life. And I caught him trying to destroy an important find.
My body aches for him, but my heart tells me I'm not ready to make myself vulnerable again, especially not for a guy who isn't being straight with me.
If only ...
Luke
Anna Sinclair - archaeologist, geek girl, totally and utterly delectable.
I knew from the moment her intoxicating scent wafted across my wolf senses, she's meant to be mine. And that knowledge is terrifying.
The last thing I expected was to find my fated mate on an archaeological site. Whenever I'm near her, all I want to do is claim her.
But she's broken. The last thing she needs in her life is a werewolf out for revenge. I'm here to destroy the site, to keep my family's past buried forever.
If Anna finds out the truth, she'd never speak to me again.
But I can't deny the bond between us. I'll do anything to make her mine.
Digging the Wolf is a standalone paranormal romance by USA Today bestselling author Steffanie Holmes. Read on if you love archaeological mysteries, badass wolves, a broken heroine, and a hero so hot he'll have you howling for more.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 21, 2016
1379 people are currently reading
1307 people want to read
About the author
Steffanie Holmes
87 books1,345 followersSteffanie Holmes is the author of steamy historical and paranormal romance. Her books feature clever, witty heroines, wild shifters, cunning witches and alpha males who get what they want.
Before becoming a writer, Steffanie worked as an archaeologist and museum curator. She loves to explore historical settings and ancient conceptions of love and possession. From Dark Age Europe to crumbling gothic estates, Steffanie is fascinated with how love can blossom between the most unlikely characters.
Steffanie lives in New Zealand with her husband and a horde of cantankerous cats. Learn more about Steffanie at her website: www.steffanieholmes.com. She also writes dark science fiction under the name S C Green.
Want to be informed when the next Steffanie Holmes paranormal romance story goes live? Sign up for the mailing list! http://eepurl.com/ZrowD
Before becoming a writer, Steffanie worked as an archaeologist and museum curator. She loves to explore historical settings and ancient conceptions of love and possession. From Dark Age Europe to crumbling gothic estates, Steffanie is fascinated with how love can blossom between the most unlikely characters.
Steffanie lives in New Zealand with her husband and a horde of cantankerous cats. Learn more about Steffanie at her website: www.steffanieholmes.com. She also writes dark science fiction under the name S C Green.
Want to be informed when the next Steffanie Holmes paranormal romance story goes live? Sign up for the mailing list! http://eepurl.com/ZrowD
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
November 18, 2019
I have mixed feelings about this book. I think the concept was a good one and I really liked the first meeting with Luke. He appeared to be a good looking, put together, man with a little mean about him. He was aloof and it appeared he was not going to take any crap from the head archeologist. This facade didn't last long once he was alone in the cave with Anna. By the end of the book he acted more like a hormone driven teenager than a fairly mature wolf. Evidently finding his mate made him regress.
There is a mysterious black wolf running around causing havoc, but I didn't have much trouble picking out who that was. I thought Anna embraced the whole supernatural being thing pretty quickly too, but I suppose watching your male fantasy turn into a wolf right in front of you will do that.
All in all the book was OK. There was some sex, but not too much. There was some conflict and at least one unpleasant girl to dislike. I could also see the possibility for some sequels. If you like paranormal romance with some humor thrown in you will probably like this book.
I voluntarily received a free copy of this book to read. The opinions are my own.
There is a mysterious black wolf running around causing havoc, but I didn't have much trouble picking out who that was. I thought Anna embraced the whole supernatural being thing pretty quickly too, but I suppose watching your male fantasy turn into a wolf right in front of you will do that.
All in all the book was OK. There was some sex, but not too much. There was some conflict and at least one unpleasant girl to dislike. I could also see the possibility for some sequels. If you like paranormal romance with some humor thrown in you will probably like this book.
I voluntarily received a free copy of this book to read. The opinions are my own.
November 4, 2018
2.5 Stars for an inoffensive but not terribly exciting PNR. Digging the Wolf falls into just about every trap such a book can:
- obvious villain (not so subtle breadcrumbs)
- instalove
- overblown insecurity from the heroine who is so easily offended, you'd be forgiven for thinking she was fourteen, not, what, a third year undergrad and supposed genius, speaking of which...
- *cough*special snowflake*cough*
-
- two protagonists with indistinct voices
- sweeping inconveniences under the carpet (if the heroine can't move away because of her mother, why can she suddenly a few months down the line
- characters who walk into obvious traps
- a need for proofreading
- men bragging about women cowering in fear at the sight of their dick as if that's somehow appealing
But, you know, it's not a terrible read. It's mildly entertaining as long as you don't set your expectations too high.
- obvious villain (not so subtle breadcrumbs)
- instalove
- overblown insecurity from the heroine who is so easily offended, you'd be forgiven for thinking she was fourteen, not, what, a third year undergrad and supposed genius, speaking of which...
- *cough*special snowflake*cough*
-
- two protagonists with indistinct voices
- sweeping inconveniences under the carpet (if the heroine can't move away because of her mother, why can she suddenly a few months down the line
- characters who walk into obvious traps
- a need for proofreading
- men bragging about women cowering in fear at the sight of their dick as if that's somehow appealing
But, you know, it's not a terrible read. It's mildly entertaining as long as you don't set your expectations too high.
August 13, 2017
Archeology has always interested me (what I wanted to study when I grew up) and I LOVE shifter novels. Digging the Wolf hit the top of my "to read" list. Reading it, however, left me ambivalent emotionally. The hero started out strong, determined, and sexy as ever. Then morphed into an almost irrational, clingy, desperate character. Emotional inconsistencies made it difficult to connect to other characters as well. The overall writing is good, but sadly, not enough to keep me interested if a series develops.
February 6, 2018
Digging around
This is nicely written and would have been so much better if it wasn’t so predictable. My only other thought is I can’t picture neolithic art with a stick figure in a pair of...shoes?
This is nicely written and would have been so much better if it wasn’t so predictable. My only other thought is I can’t picture neolithic art with a stick figure in a pair of...shoes?
May 19, 2021
The writing was very juvenile, our characters were immature and kind of annoying, and the story just odd. Overall not great.
February 5, 2020
One hopeful archaeology student. One ranger. One cave with secrets the university team could only dream of.
This novel adds a few of my favorite topics, deception, wit and misdirection. Holmes seems to point us in all different directions throughout this novel and we can't be sure which direction is the right one until right until the end. I love stories that keep you guessing and even when you are almost certain, you pause and wonder if you have made a mistake.
This novel adds a few of my favorite topics, deception, wit and misdirection. Holmes seems to point us in all different directions throughout this novel and we can't be sure which direction is the right one until right until the end. I love stories that keep you guessing and even when you are almost certain, you pause and wonder if you have made a mistake.
April 4, 2020
Digging the Wolf ~ Wolves of Crookshollow ~ Book 1
'Digging the Wolf' is full of family history, hot wolf shifters, a very smart archeologist, a friend's betrayal and a happy ending. The plot is interesting and exciting too.
'Digging the Wolf' is full of family history, hot wolf shifters, a very smart archeologist, a friend's betrayal and a happy ending. The plot is interesting and exciting too.
March 31, 2019
3.5 stars. There were some plot missteps, but overall it was a good read.
September 11, 2019
Ridiculously good read, the author is witty, funny and her characters are very endearing. The book is very exciting and filled with fun plots.
November 14, 2021
Juvenil, so much clichés...
November 30, 2018
Rounded up to 3 stars.
Promising premise (love an intelligent h), but some very predictable plot developments and some immaturity from the characters (like said heroine) that irritated me considerably. Also some proofreading needs and some story continuity issues (like making such a big deal about the mud in the cave, but then she follows Luke into the cave in her PJs? After which she crawls right back into bed?)
Insta-love (like probably 95% of all shifter romances) but somehow this one irritated me a bit with the marriage and baby at the end so soon, especially after all the fuss about claiming the territory. Between that and the quick resolution to her mom's grief... felt like the ending was pretty rushed.
Standalone, no cheating, HEA (although a rushed one). Entertaining read, but nothing too special and nothing that's really drawn me in to continue with the series.
Promising premise (love an intelligent h), but some very predictable plot developments and some immaturity from the characters (like said heroine) that irritated me considerably. Also some proofreading needs and some story continuity issues (like making such a big deal about the mud in the cave, but then she follows Luke into the cave in her PJs? After which she crawls right back into bed?)
Insta-love (like probably 95% of all shifter romances) but somehow this one irritated me a bit with the marriage and baby at the end so soon, especially after all the fuss about claiming the territory. Between that and the quick resolution to her mom's grief... felt like the ending was pretty rushed.
Standalone, no cheating, HEA (although a rushed one). Entertaining read, but nothing too special and nothing that's really drawn me in to continue with the series.
August 27, 2017
"Digging the Wolf" by Steffanie Holmes is a multiple point of view paranormal romance; the views are protagonist Anna and her love interest, Luke. Each point of view is clearly marked by the chapter headings as readers go back and forth, learning bits and pieces from both characters viewpoint. Anna seemed somewhat silly and a tad bit bitter from the beginning of the story; it takes some time before readers are given insight into the way her former boyfriend treated her, so much of Anna's moaning and grumbling comes across as repetitive - where this reader wanted to shake her and say, "Put your big girl panties on and get over it, already!" Luke was presented as a somewhat stereotypical alpha werewolf male, all for family honor and how dare his fated mate show up now...? This reader would have been far more pleased with more rounding out of the characters than what was presented, but it was still a cute story.
The settings were appealing and easily visualized, at times even drawing a shiver from this reader from the rain falling or wind blowing, as well as from the echo-y eeriness often associated with caves. Dialogue was believable and authentic to each character; secondary character Ruth earned some sneers from this reader for her overall cattiness towards Anna. The appearance of Luke's unknown cousin seemed convoluted within the plot, yet he was a likeable character as presented. This reader understands the next book, "Writing the Wolf" features cousin Caleb as the alpha wolf, and hopefully his character will be better detailed and less stereotypical than his cousin Luke's. This reader fully admits she is less than pleased with a tale when the characters are not developed enough to seem realistic, flaws and good points combined. This reader did not quite feel the exchanges between Luke and Anna were sensual, but were slightly spicy... perhaps it was their lack of true communication with one another or their total self-involvment with their own issues that felt like there was a bit of a barrier between the two.
While there were a few minor grammar, spelling and punctuation errors, it was not enough to toss a reader out of Holmes' world of Crookshollow. This story was more sweet than steamy, to this reader, and overall a fairly enjoyable read - albeit somewhat predictable at times. However, this reader will recommend the story and plans to read more of Holmes' stories in the future.
The settings were appealing and easily visualized, at times even drawing a shiver from this reader from the rain falling or wind blowing, as well as from the echo-y eeriness often associated with caves. Dialogue was believable and authentic to each character; secondary character Ruth earned some sneers from this reader for her overall cattiness towards Anna. The appearance of Luke's unknown cousin seemed convoluted within the plot, yet he was a likeable character as presented. This reader understands the next book, "Writing the Wolf" features cousin Caleb as the alpha wolf, and hopefully his character will be better detailed and less stereotypical than his cousin Luke's. This reader fully admits she is less than pleased with a tale when the characters are not developed enough to seem realistic, flaws and good points combined. This reader did not quite feel the exchanges between Luke and Anna were sensual, but were slightly spicy... perhaps it was their lack of true communication with one another or their total self-involvment with their own issues that felt like there was a bit of a barrier between the two.
While there were a few minor grammar, spelling and punctuation errors, it was not enough to toss a reader out of Holmes' world of Crookshollow. This story was more sweet than steamy, to this reader, and overall a fairly enjoyable read - albeit somewhat predictable at times. However, this reader will recommend the story and plans to read more of Holmes' stories in the future.
September 3, 2017
Wolfie, wolfie com out wherever you are
This was a good read for a change at some points it seamed slow but as it went I appreciated your weighting skills and was thankful that I was given this opportunity to truly enjoy your writing till the end
This was a good read for a change at some points it seamed slow but as it went I appreciated your weighting skills and was thankful that I was given this opportunity to truly enjoy your writing till the end
December 31, 2019
This book was hilariously atrocious. The sex scenes were thoroughly unarousing, the heroine’s backstory was stupidly tragic, and the love dodecahedron was of course absurd. I hope you get a laugh out of some of my highlighted quotes.
October 19, 2021
This review was originally posted at https://bit.ly/3n5KFhR.
It seems all Anna has been trying to do since she came of age was to escape Crookshollow, but something always kept her here. Her mother needing her after her father died so she stayed at university close to home. Her mother again when her boyfriend died. And now she was convinced by a professor to trade places with another girl for her archeological dig in Sicily to stay 20 miles from home at a cave in the woods. She couldn't catch a break. Now, there is a new Park Ranger who is breathing down their necks about safety regulations. A big, sexy park ranger. Too bad he is as much of an "arse" as he is hot. But, the unfollowed safety regulations are the least of this expeditions issues as werewolves fight for control of the caves.
I impulse bought this book on BookBub in 2018 because I have a huge soft spot for paranormal romances. Anyone who has been reading my reviews for a while knows this. They are my go to. When in doubt find something with a big, sexy man. Preferably one who is possessive and turns into an animal. It has seemed to work well for me time and again. Can't say I am disappointed with this book, either. I will let you know that this book is very British. Nothing wrong with that, at all, but I had to look up some words from time to time. And the spelling of some words is so odd to me since we use z's in certain words where they use s, such as visualise.
I seem to be on an unintentional foreign book reading binge and am curious how long it will last for. This book, the last book, and one of the books I am currently reading are all set in different countries. Interesting how other areas live. Back to the book. Luke is tall, dark, and sexy. I mean who doesn't love a tall possessive man who gets a little hairy? Yes, I am personally thinking of my husband when I write this, but lots of girls have similar fantasies and tastes in men. Luke is just a little messed up, but not enough where he is "damaged goods" he just needs a little TLC. Then there are the other wolves. I really really don't want to like Caleb, but I think that is more of a personal vendetta against gingers than anything else. Well, male gingers. I won't give away who the third wolf is, although it is painfully obvious throughout most of the book.
On to the only bad things I have to say about the book. One of them I listed above. The third wolf. I mean come on. It wasn't even well hidden. No big shock factor there. And I don't suspect we have seen the last of him by this author. The other thing was the sex scenes. I love a good sex scene as much as the next girl, but after a few pages of one sex scene it gets a little boring and I start skimming. Skimmed more than once in this book, that is for sure. No matter how good the sex is it really doesn't need to be described for so long.
This book really is good, though. Full of nerdy references, archeology, and the paranormal there is something here for everyone. My favorite character in this book is Luke. Yes, he comes off as a bit of an ass, but most everyone has the ability to be such. Besides, the best men are generally assholes at least part of the time. Where is the fun if they don't give as good as they get?
It seems all Anna has been trying to do since she came of age was to escape Crookshollow, but something always kept her here. Her mother needing her after her father died so she stayed at university close to home. Her mother again when her boyfriend died. And now she was convinced by a professor to trade places with another girl for her archeological dig in Sicily to stay 20 miles from home at a cave in the woods. She couldn't catch a break. Now, there is a new Park Ranger who is breathing down their necks about safety regulations. A big, sexy park ranger. Too bad he is as much of an "arse" as he is hot. But, the unfollowed safety regulations are the least of this expeditions issues as werewolves fight for control of the caves.
I impulse bought this book on BookBub in 2018 because I have a huge soft spot for paranormal romances. Anyone who has been reading my reviews for a while knows this. They are my go to. When in doubt find something with a big, sexy man. Preferably one who is possessive and turns into an animal. It has seemed to work well for me time and again. Can't say I am disappointed with this book, either. I will let you know that this book is very British. Nothing wrong with that, at all, but I had to look up some words from time to time. And the spelling of some words is so odd to me since we use z's in certain words where they use s, such as visualise.
I seem to be on an unintentional foreign book reading binge and am curious how long it will last for. This book, the last book, and one of the books I am currently reading are all set in different countries. Interesting how other areas live. Back to the book. Luke is tall, dark, and sexy. I mean who doesn't love a tall possessive man who gets a little hairy? Yes, I am personally thinking of my husband when I write this, but lots of girls have similar fantasies and tastes in men. Luke is just a little messed up, but not enough where he is "damaged goods" he just needs a little TLC. Then there are the other wolves. I really really don't want to like Caleb, but I think that is more of a personal vendetta against gingers than anything else. Well, male gingers. I won't give away who the third wolf is, although it is painfully obvious throughout most of the book.
On to the only bad things I have to say about the book. One of them I listed above. The third wolf. I mean come on. It wasn't even well hidden. No big shock factor there. And I don't suspect we have seen the last of him by this author. The other thing was the sex scenes. I love a good sex scene as much as the next girl, but after a few pages of one sex scene it gets a little boring and I start skimming. Skimmed more than once in this book, that is for sure. No matter how good the sex is it really doesn't need to be described for so long.
This book really is good, though. Full of nerdy references, archeology, and the paranormal there is something here for everyone. My favorite character in this book is Luke. Yes, he comes off as a bit of an ass, but most everyone has the ability to be such. Besides, the best men are generally assholes at least part of the time. Where is the fun if they don't give as good as they get?
September 7, 2017
I've been hunting for more interesting shifter books to get me in the muse-mind for writing my own, and I'm so happy Digging the Wolf started my journey.
Anna was a great lead character. As someone with a bioarch degree, seeing the few technical terms and some of the accuracy to actually being on site... I loved it! Anna seemed like an authentic, relatable heroine. I know she was described as kind of a nerdy, bookwormy type, but to me she just seemed normal. Her struggles with the grief of losing her dad and boyfriend rang true to me, and some of the issues she had with her mom in the aftermath really made me connect with her more. All in all, I'd love to read more about Anna in future books.
I generally struggle with alpha shifter males, because they're so possessive and ridiculous about their mates. Luke, however, was a nice blend of possessive and realistic, and that works just fine for me. He had his moments of being a bit face-palmy, but after all he went through in his life too, I can understand some of his quirks better.
Caleb was a welcome addition to the main romantic couple, and I'd be interested in reading about his journey to find love too! I was also weirdly obsessed with the fact it was always raining. I think the author did a great job describing the storms and the drizzles, and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside reading it at night in bed.
Some things I didn't necessarily vibe with were the big twist of the Bad Guy (I sort of figured it out, but the action was intense anyway), and the LET'S GET MARRIED after knowing each other for like a week? I know fated mates happen like that, and it is a very insta-love trope, but I would have preferred to see a bit more nuance with the relationship after all was said and done. I don't mind reading in an epilogue that they're getting married, but oi. It was so sudden and out of nowhere in the final chapter.
All in all, definitely a book I'd recommend!
Anna was a great lead character. As someone with a bioarch degree, seeing the few technical terms and some of the accuracy to actually being on site... I loved it! Anna seemed like an authentic, relatable heroine. I know she was described as kind of a nerdy, bookwormy type, but to me she just seemed normal. Her struggles with the grief of losing her dad and boyfriend rang true to me, and some of the issues she had with her mom in the aftermath really made me connect with her more. All in all, I'd love to read more about Anna in future books.
I generally struggle with alpha shifter males, because they're so possessive and ridiculous about their mates. Luke, however, was a nice blend of possessive and realistic, and that works just fine for me. He had his moments of being a bit face-palmy, but after all he went through in his life too, I can understand some of his quirks better.
Caleb was a welcome addition to the main romantic couple, and I'd be interested in reading about his journey to find love too! I was also weirdly obsessed with the fact it was always raining. I think the author did a great job describing the storms and the drizzles, and it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside reading it at night in bed.
Some things I didn't necessarily vibe with were the big twist of the Bad Guy (I sort of figured it out, but the action was intense anyway), and the LET'S GET MARRIED after knowing each other for like a week? I know fated mates happen like that, and it is a very insta-love trope, but I would have preferred to see a bit more nuance with the relationship after all was said and done. I don't mind reading in an epilogue that they're getting married, but oi. It was so sudden and out of nowhere in the final chapter.
All in all, definitely a book I'd recommend!
December 21, 2019
Loved this book
Thoroughly enjoyed this book first one I’ve read from this author and will be reading more. It was nice that the book was set in the uk. Anna is a student studying archeology and on a four week in field trip for her degree where she meets Luke a park ranger who is rude to her when they first meet but she attracted to him. Luke gets out of his Jeep and is met by Anna straight away he knows she is his mate but he needs to concentrate on his mission of keeping their secrets hidden. Luke tries to sneak into the caves one night not realising he was being followed he found the cave drawings but before he could do anything about them Anna announced herself his plan was halted. Anna wondered why Luke was going to the cave and followed him where she saw the drawings and told her professor and from their things escalated to news reporters coming out to the site as they appeared to be really old. Luke and Anna acted o their mutual attraction and chemistry between them Luke ends up showing what he is to Anna and why the drawings are important to him and why he was gong to destroy them. Anna needed to help Luke and prove the paintings where not as old as they thought also more wolves where their. Luke couldn’t believe he had a cousin but their was another wolf one that mask his scent and couldn’t be found. Anna gets kidnapped by her friend who also is a wolf but wants to wipe out Luke’s family and reclaim the land as his but as Anna is rescued by Luke and his cousin they end up in a fight with Derek who was Anna’s friend they win the fight Derek is forced out of the area. Luke proposes to Anna who accepts and puts her past pain where it belongs in the past.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book first one I’ve read from this author and will be reading more. It was nice that the book was set in the uk. Anna is a student studying archeology and on a four week in field trip for her degree where she meets Luke a park ranger who is rude to her when they first meet but she attracted to him. Luke gets out of his Jeep and is met by Anna straight away he knows she is his mate but he needs to concentrate on his mission of keeping their secrets hidden. Luke tries to sneak into the caves one night not realising he was being followed he found the cave drawings but before he could do anything about them Anna announced herself his plan was halted. Anna wondered why Luke was going to the cave and followed him where she saw the drawings and told her professor and from their things escalated to news reporters coming out to the site as they appeared to be really old. Luke and Anna acted o their mutual attraction and chemistry between them Luke ends up showing what he is to Anna and why the drawings are important to him and why he was gong to destroy them. Anna needed to help Luke and prove the paintings where not as old as they thought also more wolves where their. Luke couldn’t believe he had a cousin but their was another wolf one that mask his scent and couldn’t be found. Anna gets kidnapped by her friend who also is a wolf but wants to wipe out Luke’s family and reclaim the land as his but as Anna is rescued by Luke and his cousin they end up in a fight with Derek who was Anna’s friend they win the fight Derek is forced out of the area. Luke proposes to Anna who accepts and puts her past pain where it belongs in the past.
January 19, 2022
Five months after the climbing accident that killed her boyfriend, Anna Sinclair is not in Sicily like she planned but rather still in Crookshollow. She is caring for her mother and doing field work in a soggy cave for her archaeology degree. The ranger assigned to limit their environmental impact at the site is suddenly called away and Anna is surprised by her attraction to his replacement, Luke. Only she catches him trying to destroy cave paintings in the stealth of night. He begins ranting about how he is the last of the Lowe werewolf pack trying to protect his family legacy. Before she can call the authorities he proves part of his statement by transforming before her eyes. Meanwhile, news about the cave research has traveled and other wolves are arriving to claim the territory. Anna must decide who she can trust and if she is ready to love again.
This is a pretty standard paranormal romance entry. Two people bound by fate meet and are hot for one another. One reveals a great secret the other accepts readily. They must face a rival or past trauma before they can have their happily ever after. If that is all you need you will find it here. There's not an overwhelming number of sex scenes but they are regularly paced throughout the tale. There are a few typographical errors or repeated phrases where things were reworked by not fully edited. The mystery is not hard to figure out and the action is rather limited. Worse, I found Luke to be rather juvenile. Both leads are hormonally driven as per the usual formula but Luke is not good at general adulting. He doesn't respect boundaries, falls asleep during guard duty, picks fights, isn't grieving his father's death well, and lacks focus.
This is a pretty standard paranormal romance entry. Two people bound by fate meet and are hot for one another. One reveals a great secret the other accepts readily. They must face a rival or past trauma before they can have their happily ever after. If that is all you need you will find it here. There's not an overwhelming number of sex scenes but they are regularly paced throughout the tale. There are a few typographical errors or repeated phrases where things were reworked by not fully edited. The mystery is not hard to figure out and the action is rather limited. Worse, I found Luke to be rather juvenile. Both leads are hormonally driven as per the usual formula but Luke is not good at general adulting. He doesn't respect boundaries, falls asleep during guard duty, picks fights, isn't grieving his father's death well, and lacks focus.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2019
A Wonderful Story Over 18 Reading
Anna is a young archaeology student working on site at a cave when she discovers some paintings on a wall of the cave . The paintings seems to tell a story the about a wolf shifter but werewolves aren't real,are they? Luke is a new ranger assigned to make sure they do no damage to the cave, not his only reason for him to be there as he has secrets of his own. After Luke tries to explain things to Anna, she decides to ask about books to see what she can find out about werewolves. She finds a woman who seems to know a lot about shifters in general, and a lot about wolf shifters as she makes some pills that helps them control their animal side on the full moon. Though she makes enough for her regular customers all these new wolves have taken all her supply and they aren't happy that she can't make more till she can get more supplies to make more. But there will be two other wolf shifters wanting the paintings and Anna as unknown to her she has the right DNA to be a mate. One will be a surprise to Luke who thought his father was the only survivor of their family pack when his family was murdered. The other is a danger to all as he is from a very old,powerful family with abilities the others don't have. Can he be defeated? Can they save Anna? Who will she choose?
Anna is a young archaeology student working on site at a cave when she discovers some paintings on a wall of the cave . The paintings seems to tell a story the about a wolf shifter but werewolves aren't real,are they? Luke is a new ranger assigned to make sure they do no damage to the cave, not his only reason for him to be there as he has secrets of his own. After Luke tries to explain things to Anna, she decides to ask about books to see what she can find out about werewolves. She finds a woman who seems to know a lot about shifters in general, and a lot about wolf shifters as she makes some pills that helps them control their animal side on the full moon. Though she makes enough for her regular customers all these new wolves have taken all her supply and they aren't happy that she can't make more till she can get more supplies to make more. But there will be two other wolf shifters wanting the paintings and Anna as unknown to her she has the right DNA to be a mate. One will be a surprise to Luke who thought his father was the only survivor of their family pack when his family was murdered. The other is a danger to all as he is from a very old,powerful family with abilities the others don't have. Can he be defeated? Can they save Anna? Who will she choose?
January 6, 2019
This was a free book I picked up after seeing the cover.
Anna lost her father and boyfriend she is also taking care of her mother. Between her mom and her schooling there is no time for much of anything. Anna gave up her dream job for another and stayed in Cookshallow to work on the archaeological site. Things were going great until a new ranger came to monitor the dig site. She has no interest in letting anyone else in so they can leaver her and crush her heart in the process.
Luke is the last of his clan but when archaeologist start digging in his cave he needed to stop anyone from finding his secret. He had to protect his land from others and didn't need to distraction that Anna could bring. However, he just could not resist her. She was his mate and was going to be his. Can he catch the black wolf before he hurts Anna.
The chemistry between Anna and Luke was great. Seeing Anna get riled up by Luke just because he like to see her get mad and flustered was fun. I enjoyed this story line. There was a few twists and it kept my interest. I'm intrigued to find out what Calebs story is and what type of female is his mate.
Anna lost her father and boyfriend she is also taking care of her mother. Between her mom and her schooling there is no time for much of anything. Anna gave up her dream job for another and stayed in Cookshallow to work on the archaeological site. Things were going great until a new ranger came to monitor the dig site. She has no interest in letting anyone else in so they can leaver her and crush her heart in the process.
Luke is the last of his clan but when archaeologist start digging in his cave he needed to stop anyone from finding his secret. He had to protect his land from others and didn't need to distraction that Anna could bring. However, he just could not resist her. She was his mate and was going to be his. Can he catch the black wolf before he hurts Anna.
The chemistry between Anna and Luke was great. Seeing Anna get riled up by Luke just because he like to see her get mad and flustered was fun. I enjoyed this story line. There was a few twists and it kept my interest. I'm intrigued to find out what Calebs story is and what type of female is his mate.
October 19, 2023
Anna
It's been five months since my boyfriend was tragically killed in a climbing accident. I didn't think I was over him ... until Luke walked on to the archaeological site. Tall, dark, sexy, tattooed, funny, dangerous. Everything I want in a man. But he's hiding something. He acts strangely in the moonlight. He won't tell me anything about his life. And I caught him trying to destroy an important find.
Luke
Anna Sinclair - archaeologist, geek girl, totally and utterly delectable. I knew from the moment her intoxicating scent wafted across my wolf senses, she's meant to be mine. And that knowledge is terrifying. The last thing I expected was to find my fated mate on an archaeological site. Whenever I'm near her, all I want to do is claim her.
Digging the wolf was a fabulous book from start to finish and I found it very hard to put down. The main characters make the book very enjoyable and the story line as fantastic. This is the first time i had heard and read a book by Steffanie Holmes and wow was I blown way if you like shifter books i would recommend this book.
It's been five months since my boyfriend was tragically killed in a climbing accident. I didn't think I was over him ... until Luke walked on to the archaeological site. Tall, dark, sexy, tattooed, funny, dangerous. Everything I want in a man. But he's hiding something. He acts strangely in the moonlight. He won't tell me anything about his life. And I caught him trying to destroy an important find.
Luke
Anna Sinclair - archaeologist, geek girl, totally and utterly delectable. I knew from the moment her intoxicating scent wafted across my wolf senses, she's meant to be mine. And that knowledge is terrifying. The last thing I expected was to find my fated mate on an archaeological site. Whenever I'm near her, all I want to do is claim her.
Digging the wolf was a fabulous book from start to finish and I found it very hard to put down. The main characters make the book very enjoyable and the story line as fantastic. This is the first time i had heard and read a book by Steffanie Holmes and wow was I blown way if you like shifter books i would recommend this book.
February 28, 2019
If a dreary architectural dig is at the top of your list to read, then Digging the Wolf may be for you. If you're looking to read a paranormal romance, not so much.
Doormat Anna Sinclair trades her dig in beautiful Sicily for dreary Crookshollow Forest where she meets Luke Lowe, the ranger responsible for keeping her team safe on the dig. Luke knows Anna is his mate at first sniff but has business to take care of in the caves Anna and the team are excavating. Predictably, Luke and Anna cannot fight their attraction and eventually come together after Luke reveals his secret to her.
No other way to say it...Anna and Luke are BORING. Their story is boring. The intimacy between them is clinical and boring. This story lacks suspense or adventure with poorly defined characters, horrendous grammatical errors and errs on the juvenile side in content and poorly written. Not a good start to a series however I will continue on to Writing the Wolf since it came along with Digging the Wolf. I don't expect it to be any better but miracles never cease.
On my Were Scale of Hotness, 2 stars.
Doormat Anna Sinclair trades her dig in beautiful Sicily for dreary Crookshollow Forest where she meets Luke Lowe, the ranger responsible for keeping her team safe on the dig. Luke knows Anna is his mate at first sniff but has business to take care of in the caves Anna and the team are excavating. Predictably, Luke and Anna cannot fight their attraction and eventually come together after Luke reveals his secret to her.
No other way to say it...Anna and Luke are BORING. Their story is boring. The intimacy between them is clinical and boring. This story lacks suspense or adventure with poorly defined characters, horrendous grammatical errors and errs on the juvenile side in content and poorly written. Not a good start to a series however I will continue on to Writing the Wolf since it came along with Digging the Wolf. I don't expect it to be any better but miracles never cease.
On my Were Scale of Hotness, 2 stars.
February 5, 2022
Great story ... Could use a copy editor
The characters (both main and peripheral) are fun and the story is interesting. Sadly, this book is largely about the sex more than the storyline. Of course if you are just looking for some"mommy-porn" it's a great read.
If you have any significant grasp of the English language, the grammatical errors are distracting and will likely pull you back out of what is a potentially engrossing world.
This is the first book in a 4-book series, so hopefully the writer finds a decent editor for the next book. Also ... she leaves out whole sections of development in all her character arcs that REALLY are noticably missing. Perhaps she wasn't certain how to develop the people who inhabit the story without giving away the ending? ... I'll be reading the next book to find out.
The characters (both main and peripheral) are fun and the story is interesting. Sadly, this book is largely about the sex more than the storyline. Of course if you are just looking for some"mommy-porn" it's a great read.
If you have any significant grasp of the English language, the grammatical errors are distracting and will likely pull you back out of what is a potentially engrossing world.
This is the first book in a 4-book series, so hopefully the writer finds a decent editor for the next book. Also ... she leaves out whole sections of development in all her character arcs that REALLY are noticably missing. Perhaps she wasn't certain how to develop the people who inhabit the story without giving away the ending? ... I'll be reading the next book to find out.
December 12, 2017
Paranormal romance with protected sex. This is the 1st book in a 4 book series. I got it as a dollar deal on Amazon.
So I wavered between 3 & 4 stars. Finally went with 3 because both the H/h displayed some TSTL tendencies. Not over the top, but enough to annoy me.
Luke has come to a remote forest in England to destroy some cave paintings his grandmother drew decades ago. Anna is an archeology student working at the cave. She has had a recent loss. Her boyfriend whom she loved was killed in a rock climbing accident. Luke has recently lost his dad.
They find themselves in danger from many sides as they try to figure out their relationship & what to do about the drawings.
An ok read. I liked it, but it wasn't fabulous.
So I wavered between 3 & 4 stars. Finally went with 3 because both the H/h displayed some TSTL tendencies. Not over the top, but enough to annoy me.
Luke has come to a remote forest in England to destroy some cave paintings his grandmother drew decades ago. Anna is an archeology student working at the cave. She has had a recent loss. Her boyfriend whom she loved was killed in a rock climbing accident. Luke has recently lost his dad.
They find themselves in danger from many sides as they try to figure out their relationship & what to do about the drawings.
An ok read. I liked it, but it wasn't fabulous.
May 22, 2018
An English werewolf love story that takes place in the forest at an archeological dig site. Luke comes back to the family pack lands when he finds out the local college is doing a dig in his families cave. Anna, one of the students on the dig is his fated mate, who mistakenly locates wall art in a crevice when she follows Luke, who is the park ranger watching over the dig site. Luke shows Anna he is a werewolf and he mate marks her. They are both in great danger, for there are two other werewolves lurking in the forest and wanting to claim Luke's pack lands. They have both lost people they loved dearly and they could end up losing each other if they cannot stop the other wolves from destroying them.
January 15, 2019
Very good book. This is about Anna, who is an archeologist. She lost her boyfriend 5 months ago tragically in a climbing accident. She is working on site and comes across some cave paintings. Luke walks onto the site to inspect the site to see if they are safe and doing what is expected and not cutting corners. He is also a wolf shifter and when he sees Anna, he knows she is his mate. He is not really happy about it at first, especially when he is really there to ruin the cave paintings as they tell a story of the wolf clan that they don't want getting out to the humans. He is really in a quandary as to how to go about all this and keep his mate, who is also still mourning her boyfriends death. Great plot, very easy read and passion. Recommend.
May 1, 2019
A good plot - archaeologist student finds paintings during digs, paintings which the sole descendant of the wolf shifters once dwelling there would do everything to destroy.
Unfortunately, at least in my opinion, the narration style, the storytelling did not do it the justice it deserved; to be quite honest, I found the book quite boring, overdramatic (and repetitive in the drama portion), and the sex scenes seemed out of place and would perhaps been better at different parts of the story. The protagonists were overdramatic, the occurrences a bit far-fetched, and the whole scenario very sombre.
I am sure this book will be liked by lots of readers, it is not bad as such, it just did not meet what I personally like in a book. Sorry.
Unfortunately, at least in my opinion, the narration style, the storytelling did not do it the justice it deserved; to be quite honest, I found the book quite boring, overdramatic (and repetitive in the drama portion), and the sex scenes seemed out of place and would perhaps been better at different parts of the story. The protagonists were overdramatic, the occurrences a bit far-fetched, and the whole scenario very sombre.
I am sure this book will be liked by lots of readers, it is not bad as such, it just did not meet what I personally like in a book. Sorry.
January 16, 2021
The description of the Anna is totally me, a geeky bookworm who loves anthropology and would rather read than interact with people. That's probably why I liked this more than I should have. The writing was kind of choppy, I didn't mind the jumping perspectives because I've read books like that before but the order of events was kind of weird. I also didn't understand some of the decisions the characters were making. Lastly, I've read quite a few shifter romance novels but this one certainly has the shortest timeline, which made it hard to feel like the relationship was more than lust. Usually you have a couple weeks at least, here they get engaged within a couple days and 6 months laterarried and pregnant.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 5, 2021I was so interested in this book. Love an archeologist romance. Plus ated mates? Sign me up. Unfortunately, the characters and plots were muddled from the beginning. I really enjoyed the discussion of the dirty, day to day aspects of the dig site.
Anna (the heroine) was too timid, too submissive, for the role this book required, especially as an archelogy student. And Luke's alphahole tendencies because he was attracted didn't feel like a romance. Felt like a scene you saw at every bar before 2020.
I DNFed 11% in. So no star rating level. There's a mystery plot line about some cave paintings but I stopped when the bat attacked her hair in the middle of the night. Dig sites aren't for midnight rendezvous points.
Anna (the heroine) was too timid, too submissive, for the role this book required, especially as an archelogy student. And Luke's alphahole tendencies because he was attracted didn't feel like a romance. Felt like a scene you saw at every bar before 2020.
I DNFed 11% in. So no star rating level. There's a mystery plot line about some cave paintings but I stopped when the bat attacked her hair in the middle of the night. Dig sites aren't for midnight rendezvous points.
January 17, 2019
Lovely Story
I would recommend this book to all my friends that are mature enough, considering that I might be a bit below the age that is required. Well back to how amazing this book is! It's so descriptive and helps the reader to imagine everything that the authors is trying to describe. This is such a heartwarming but at the same time sad story, the background of the characters goes super well with each character and matches them all so well that you can tell how much hard work was put into it. So thank you very much Ms. Holmes for the amazing and living story that you have written.
I would recommend this book to all my friends that are mature enough, considering that I might be a bit below the age that is required. Well back to how amazing this book is! It's so descriptive and helps the reader to imagine everything that the authors is trying to describe. This is such a heartwarming but at the same time sad story, the background of the characters goes super well with each character and matches them all so well that you can tell how much hard work was put into it. So thank you very much Ms. Holmes for the amazing and living story that you have written.
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