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Kincaid Pack #1
The Alpha and His King
When Kai flies out of a shed, swinging a rake, Rick’s life flips upside down.
As alpha, Rick’s dedication to his pack has never wavered—until Kai. The pull he feels toward the younger man is more than a simple distraction, but Rick won’t let himself lose focus. Not while a hidden enemy is drawing near.
Moving in with the grumpy alpha who saved him is a big change for Kai, and it isn’t long before he begins to ache for something he can’t have. As a half-human shifter responsible for his three younger siblings, he knows he can never be Rick’s mate.
Pushing aside their doubts and insecurities, they grow closer. But when the pack’s enemies strike, bringing their fears to fruition, Rick and Kai have to decide if they’re willing to risk it all to be together.
The Alpha and His King is the first book in the Kincaid Pack series and features a quick-tempered and possessive alpha; a sweet and feisty alpha-mate; shifters, seers, and witches galore; massive amounts of hurt/comfort; and a happily ever after.
As alpha, Rick’s dedication to his pack has never wavered—until Kai. The pull he feels toward the younger man is more than a simple distraction, but Rick won’t let himself lose focus. Not while a hidden enemy is drawing near.
Moving in with the grumpy alpha who saved him is a big change for Kai, and it isn’t long before he begins to ache for something he can’t have. As a half-human shifter responsible for his three younger siblings, he knows he can never be Rick’s mate.
Pushing aside their doubts and insecurities, they grow closer. But when the pack’s enemies strike, bringing their fears to fruition, Rick and Kai have to decide if they’re willing to risk it all to be together.
The Alpha and His King is the first book in the Kincaid Pack series and features a quick-tempered and possessive alpha; a sweet and feisty alpha-mate; shifters, seers, and witches galore; massive amounts of hurt/comfort; and a happily ever after.
380 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 24, 2020
816 people are currently reading
2075 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 568 reviews
November 7, 2022
This wasn't awful, but it was a *slog* and I ended up skimming the back half of the story.
I've read a LOT of gay shifters in my time, like a lot, and it takes a lot to impress me. The Alpha and His King just didn't have it.
First of all, was I the only one skeeved out by all of the "pups" happening? Growly alpha calling his traumatized, abused, underfed love interest a "pup" over and over... I just didn't like it. I felt like there were some weird power imbalances that weren't kinky but just icky. I also felt like the relationship development sputtered and flailed and then got eye-roll worthy.
I originally had the second book lined up on my Kindle but I already sent it back to KU unread. I don't think this series is for me.
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I've read a LOT of gay shifters in my time, like a lot, and it takes a lot to impress me. The Alpha and His King just didn't have it.
First of all, was I the only one skeeved out by all of the "pups" happening? Growly alpha calling his traumatized, abused, underfed love interest a "pup" over and over... I just didn't like it. I felt like there were some weird power imbalances that weren't kinky but just icky. I also felt like the relationship development sputtered and flailed and then got eye-roll worthy.
I originally had the second book lined up on my Kindle but I already sent it back to KU unread. I don't think this series is for me.
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September 27, 2023
Reread September 2023
This annoyed me more this time. If this was the first time I'd read it, I'd rate it lower. Rick is an ass.
Originally read January 2020
Rick is the alpha of his pack and strives to do what is best for them all. But he will not tolerate anyone stealing from the pack. When he goes to get reparation from a couple in his pack, he discovers not only are they thieves but abusers as well and just maybe he's found his mate.
Kai will do anything to protect his siblings from the big bad alpha everyone has warned him about. When they are rescued from an old shed they've been forced to live in, Kai must step up and become who he is meant to be, an alpha's mate.
This is a debut book by a new author. Despite numerous misunderstandings, miscommunication, and just plain old dumb-as-shit alphas, (looking at you Rick), I actually enjoyed this. I was surprised it was a new author. It's a slow burn, and it was a long book but didn't seem long. There's lots going on in the pack as Kai and his siblings adjust to being part of a pack as well as just coming into their own. Did Kai cry a lot? Yes...annoying. Was Rick stupid and did I want to slap him? Yes, and again...annoying. But somehow, the author won me over on both characters and I ended up hoping they would get their HEA.
I'm really looking forward to the next one. It's a cliffy as far as the storyline goes and HFN for Rick and Kai.
This annoyed me more this time. If this was the first time I'd read it, I'd rate it lower. Rick is an ass.
Originally read January 2020
Rick is the alpha of his pack and strives to do what is best for them all. But he will not tolerate anyone stealing from the pack. When he goes to get reparation from a couple in his pack, he discovers not only are they thieves but abusers as well and just maybe he's found his mate.
Kai will do anything to protect his siblings from the big bad alpha everyone has warned him about. When they are rescued from an old shed they've been forced to live in, Kai must step up and become who he is meant to be, an alpha's mate.
This is a debut book by a new author. Despite numerous misunderstandings, miscommunication, and just plain old dumb-as-shit alphas, (looking at you Rick), I actually enjoyed this. I was surprised it was a new author. It's a slow burn, and it was a long book but didn't seem long. There's lots going on in the pack as Kai and his siblings adjust to being part of a pack as well as just coming into their own. Did Kai cry a lot? Yes...annoying. Was Rick stupid and did I want to slap him? Yes, and again...annoying. But somehow, the author won me over on both characters and I ended up hoping they would get their HEA.
I'm really looking forward to the next one. It's a cliffy as far as the storyline goes and HFN for Rick and Kai.
March 30, 2021
I'm a little unsure on how I felt about this book. I think it is edging towards my knowledge, or desire to read, certain tropes. Like, is this considered a hurt/comfort book? Plus, the age gap and power gap was uncomfortable. And, then there were some kinks that I'm not into being talked about or touched on and I was nervous that it was going down that road - but it didn't.
I feel ya, Genie. I keep adding to my "hell no" list because people are the worst.
On the other hand I was interested in the world and pack dynamics. I really like the young hero, Kai, and many of the side characters. The other hero, Rick, was kinda a dick. Too alpha for me. He growled and lost his temper way too much. He needed a good bop in the nose with a rolled up newspaper or whatever.
Step off, Rick, you presumptive assclown.
So, conflicted. Am I reading the next one? You know the answer to that.
I feel ya, Genie. I keep adding to my "hell no" list because people are the worst.
On the other hand I was interested in the world and pack dynamics. I really like the young hero, Kai, and many of the side characters. The other hero, Rick, was kinda a dick. Too alpha for me. He growled and lost his temper way too much. He needed a good bop in the nose with a rolled up newspaper or whatever.
Step off, Rick, you presumptive assclown.
So, conflicted. Am I reading the next one? You know the answer to that.
September 10, 2020
Audio 5 Stars
Story 3 Stars
Story 3 Stars
September 11, 2023
I had zero expectations going in, but the high ratings aren't a fluke. I seriously could not stop reading this book.
The mystery/suspense plot is the main focus, but Rick and Kai are given enough page time together to make their romance believable.
The secondary characters are crucial to the story.
I especially loved Samantha, Kai's fierce sister; Vanessa, tiny bit mighty; Beth, the housekeeper who's everyone's grandma; Bennett, the sexy, gentle giant; and Drake, who better be getting his own HEA.
This book does end with a major cliffhanger, but Kai and Rick's relationships is solid (mate bite and all).
I'm beyond excited to revisit this world in book 2
The mystery/suspense plot is the main focus, but Rick and Kai are given enough page time together to make their romance believable.
The secondary characters are crucial to the story.
I especially loved Samantha, Kai's fierce sister; Vanessa, tiny bit mighty; Beth, the housekeeper who's everyone's grandma; Bennett, the sexy, gentle giant; and Drake, who better be getting his own HEA.
This book does end with a major cliffhanger, but Kai and Rick's relationships is solid (mate bite and all).
I'm beyond excited to revisit this world in book 2
January 14, 2025
✅ Narrator
✅ 2 POVs
✅ Pace
✅ Shifters and magic
✅ Smut
✅ Plot more complex than it appears
✅ Found family / Pack
✅🆗 Age gap
✅🆗 Romance
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: mentions of child neglect and child abuse (not graphic), explosion, amputation, attempted murder, car crash
When Rick and his enforcers confront the Kings because they stole money from the pack, they discover their 4 kids living in a shed. Rick knows he can't leave them with the Kings so he takes them back to his manor. As the four of them slowly learn what it means to be part of a pack, Rick finds himself unable to stay away from the eldest, Kai, but as Rick's enemies circle the pack, he needs to remain focused on his pack and keeping them safe, and cannot allow himself to be distracted.
There is a plot besides the romance, which I appreciated, but parts of it felt underdeveloped. The McAllister plotline feels like a useless added drama that was resolved too easily and quickly to truly have an impact on the plot… Unless it is not completely resolved, that part is unclear. Veronica McAllister is the stereotypical mean and spoiled girl used to get everything and is overconfident in her physique, to the point where she is dumb and oblivious. I think she was supposed to add tension between Kai and Rick, but it failed. She was just a nuisance, and it was obvious from the start that Rick would get rid of her quickly and she would not be there long enough to cause real trouble.
It was sweet and adorable to see how much Kai cared for his siblings, and heartbreaking at the same time because the reason why he felt so protective of them was because of past abuse and trauma. Still, they were cute together, and Callie was irresistible. I hope she will be in the next book, and I also hope that Sam will thaw a little bit and that we will see more of her. I do think that she could be an interesting character, but we didn't see enough of her in this book for me to care that much about her, other than because she is Kai's sister.
Rick is your typical good and protective alpha, but he does seem to have a little temper problem. He mostly snarled and sneered at people, and I was expecting a little more from the respected and adored alpha of a 300-member pack, but maybe my expectations are too high? I was hoping that the grown man, the leader everyone looks up to would be able to control himself a little more, and would be less dumb when it comes to relationships.
The romance between Kai and Rick was okay, but not amazing. There is an age gap between them, but I can’t remember how old Rick is, so I can’t say how big of an age gap. Now, I don’t mind age gaps, but it was just weird for Rick to call Kai “pup” as if he still considered him to be a child, then turn around and lust after him and want to mate him. It’s really the “pup” thing that made it weird for me, and it made it hard to get behind their relationship and feel any real sexual tension or chemistry between them. Almost any other term of endearment would have been better.
There is, of course, some romantic drama and angst between them, but sadly it fell flat. Even worse, it annoyed me and made me want to slap both men. Here is what happened:
- Rick had to intervene after a pack member’s house got bombed, and he didn’t text Kai for the whole day, because he was taking care of the bombing situation.
- Kai of course understood immediately that it meant Rick didn’t care about him anymore and that he was done with him. 🙄
- Good old miscommunication once Rick got back, leading to Kai leaving the manor, but it was obvious to everyone that they would be back together in no time.
Seriously, they were both dumb, and this drama did add some angst, but it was not good angst. It was a pointless and shallow drama that was out of character for Kai because he’d been selfless and very understanding until then, and didn’t portray Rick as a mature leader at all.
The next book follows a different couple in the Kinkaid pack, but it’s clear that there are still loose ends so I am pretty sure the plot of the next book will pick up where this one ended. I am not in a hurry to read it, because this book was good, but not extraordinary, and the romance was weak overall, but it was still enjoyable enough for me to give a try to the sequel eventually.
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✅ 2 POVs
✅ Pace
✅ Shifters and magic
✅ Smut
✅ Plot more complex than it appears
✅ Found family / Pack
✅🆗 Age gap
✅🆗 Romance
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: mentions of child neglect and child abuse (not graphic), explosion, amputation, attempted murder, car crash
When Rick and his enforcers confront the Kings because they stole money from the pack, they discover their 4 kids living in a shed. Rick knows he can't leave them with the Kings so he takes them back to his manor. As the four of them slowly learn what it means to be part of a pack, Rick finds himself unable to stay away from the eldest, Kai, but as Rick's enemies circle the pack, he needs to remain focused on his pack and keeping them safe, and cannot allow himself to be distracted.
There is a plot besides the romance, which I appreciated, but parts of it felt underdeveloped. The McAllister plotline feels like a useless added drama that was resolved too easily and quickly to truly have an impact on the plot… Unless it is not completely resolved, that part is unclear. Veronica McAllister is the stereotypical mean and spoiled girl used to get everything and is overconfident in her physique, to the point where she is dumb and oblivious. I think she was supposed to add tension between Kai and Rick, but it failed. She was just a nuisance, and it was obvious from the start that Rick would get rid of her quickly and she would not be there long enough to cause real trouble.
It was sweet and adorable to see how much Kai cared for his siblings, and heartbreaking at the same time because the reason why he felt so protective of them was because of past abuse and trauma. Still, they were cute together, and Callie was irresistible. I hope she will be in the next book, and I also hope that Sam will thaw a little bit and that we will see more of her. I do think that she could be an interesting character, but we didn't see enough of her in this book for me to care that much about her, other than because she is Kai's sister.
Rick is your typical good and protective alpha, but he does seem to have a little temper problem. He mostly snarled and sneered at people, and I was expecting a little more from the respected and adored alpha of a 300-member pack, but maybe my expectations are too high? I was hoping that the grown man, the leader everyone looks up to would be able to control himself a little more, and would be less dumb when it comes to relationships.
The romance between Kai and Rick was okay, but not amazing. There is an age gap between them, but I can’t remember how old Rick is, so I can’t say how big of an age gap. Now, I don’t mind age gaps, but it was just weird for Rick to call Kai “pup” as if he still considered him to be a child, then turn around and lust after him and want to mate him. It’s really the “pup” thing that made it weird for me, and it made it hard to get behind their relationship and feel any real sexual tension or chemistry between them. Almost any other term of endearment would have been better.
There is, of course, some romantic drama and angst between them, but sadly it fell flat. Even worse, it annoyed me and made me want to slap both men. Here is what happened:
- Rick had to intervene after a pack member’s house got bombed, and he didn’t text Kai for the whole day, because he was taking care of the bombing situation.
- Kai of course understood immediately that it meant Rick didn’t care about him anymore and that he was done with him. 🙄
- Good old miscommunication once Rick got back, leading to Kai leaving the manor, but it was obvious to everyone that they would be back together in no time.
Seriously, they were both dumb, and this drama did add some angst, but it was not good angst. It was a pointless and shallow drama that was out of character for Kai because he’d been selfless and very understanding until then, and didn’t portray Rick as a mature leader at all.
The next book follows a different couple in the Kinkaid pack, but it’s clear that there are still loose ends so I am pretty sure the plot of the next book will pick up where this one ended. I am not in a hurry to read it, because this book was good, but not extraordinary, and the romance was weak overall, but it was still enjoyable enough for me to give a try to the sequel eventually.
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February 29, 2020
I hate it when I read a long book that has its moments so I expect it will start getting really good any moment, only to read on and on, and then end up with a book that's only meh..... :(
I really liked Kai and how much he cared for his siblings. I liked how the relationship between Kai and Rick started, and how careful Rick was with Kai. I did not like that the relationship never really took off for me. I kept wanting them to declare their feelings or to just jump headfirst in the relationship, but that didn't happen. They were kind of struggling til 70% when we got the dreaded break-up for stupid reasons . And then they only got back together at 90% and it wasn't even all that special a reconciliation.
Meanwhile we did get a decent storyline, but I couldn't enjoy that because I simply wasn't that interested in it. I wanted more feelz, not pack politics.
So I totally get why lots of people will like this book. The writing was pretty solid and there was even a plot besides the romance. But I still wanted something more out of the romance, so I can't give this more than 2.75 stars
I really liked Kai and how much he cared for his siblings. I liked how the relationship between Kai and Rick started, and how careful Rick was with Kai. I did not like that the relationship never really took off for me. I kept wanting them to declare their feelings or to just jump headfirst in the relationship, but that didn't happen. They were kind of struggling til 70% when we got the dreaded break-up for stupid reasons . And then they only got back together at 90% and it wasn't even all that special a reconciliation.
Meanwhile we did get a decent storyline, but I couldn't enjoy that because I simply wasn't that interested in it. I wanted more feelz, not pack politics.
So I totally get why lots of people will like this book. The writing was pretty solid and there was even a plot besides the romance. But I still wanted something more out of the romance, so I can't give this more than 2.75 stars
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May 6, 2021DNF
This one is fucking boring. The lack of romance killed my vibe.
This one is fucking boring. The lack of romance killed my vibe.
March 19, 2024
4.5 Stars
The hurt-comfort in this book!! The growly possessive alpha. The initially timid, but strong mate. The pack dynamic. The secondary characters!! The found family vibes!!!!
**chef’s kiss x a trillion billion**
How this series has eluded my awareness until now is BEYOND ME. I’m angry at myself for my shameful obliviousness. I’m kinda salty at my GR friends who read it and didn’t personally tell me about it. Seriously, guys, not cool. LOL.
If you follow me, you probably know I’m a sucker for a shifter romance. The growlier, more protective the alpha, the better. Fated mates? Sigh me up! Scent marking. Claiming. Knotting. Biting… Shut up and take my money!
This series opener introduces the Kincaid Pack of shifters and follows the delicious hurt-comfort, age-gap romance between the formidable but kind alpha Garrick ‘Rick’ Kincaid and sheltered, half-wolf shifter Kai King.
Their romance was sweet and tender, with enough push-and-pull to keep the relationship interesting. Despite this being a shifter romance featuring mates, there was (refreshingly) no insta-love. Instead, the insta-lust and insta-awe was palpable on both sides, but circumstances and personal experiences allowed for a slower burn than one usually gets in this type of book, and I was damn appreciative of that fact.
Beyond the romance, where the story truly shone was in the quality of writing and the wider cast of characters.
The plot was layered, with lots happening (but not too much as to cause confusion), and although it was a large cast of characters, everyone was deftly drawn, playing unique and specific roles, and playing off each other’s dynamics to perfection. Loving everyone involved, simply made the pages fly by, because it didn’t matter who was sharing page time with our MCs—every moment was sweet, amusing, exciting or heart-meltingly comforting because every character was engaging.
Kiki Clark is a wholly new-to-me author and I am stoked to have finally discovered her wonderful new take on M/M shifter romance. I’ll now undoubtedly proceed to attack-read her entire backlog of books and be delighted to do so.
For now, onward to book two, which continues the larger story arc and romantically focuses on the pack’s second in command, Bennett the Bengal tiger shifter, and Kieran McAllister, the new refuge wolf shifter from a warring pack.
The hurt-comfort in this book!! The growly possessive alpha. The initially timid, but strong mate. The pack dynamic. The secondary characters!! The found family vibes!!!!
**chef’s kiss x a trillion billion**
How this series has eluded my awareness until now is BEYOND ME. I’m angry at myself for my shameful obliviousness. I’m kinda salty at my GR friends who read it and didn’t personally tell me about it. Seriously, guys, not cool. LOL.
If you follow me, you probably know I’m a sucker for a shifter romance. The growlier, more protective the alpha, the better. Fated mates? Sigh me up! Scent marking. Claiming. Knotting. Biting… Shut up and take my money!
This series opener introduces the Kincaid Pack of shifters and follows the delicious hurt-comfort, age-gap romance between the formidable but kind alpha Garrick ‘Rick’ Kincaid and sheltered, half-wolf shifter Kai King.
Their romance was sweet and tender, with enough push-and-pull to keep the relationship interesting. Despite this being a shifter romance featuring mates, there was (refreshingly) no insta-love. Instead, the insta-lust and insta-awe was palpable on both sides, but circumstances and personal experiences allowed for a slower burn than one usually gets in this type of book, and I was damn appreciative of that fact.
Beyond the romance, where the story truly shone was in the quality of writing and the wider cast of characters.
The plot was layered, with lots happening (but not too much as to cause confusion), and although it was a large cast of characters, everyone was deftly drawn, playing unique and specific roles, and playing off each other’s dynamics to perfection. Loving everyone involved, simply made the pages fly by, because it didn’t matter who was sharing page time with our MCs—every moment was sweet, amusing, exciting or heart-meltingly comforting because every character was engaging.
Kiki Clark is a wholly new-to-me author and I am stoked to have finally discovered her wonderful new take on M/M shifter romance. I’ll now undoubtedly proceed to attack-read her entire backlog of books and be delighted to do so.
For now, onward to book two, which continues the larger story arc and romantically focuses on the pack’s second in command, Bennett the Bengal tiger shifter, and Kieran McAllister, the new refuge wolf shifter from a warring pack.
February 18, 2020
Now that I'm finished - update - This got better as it went on but I still maintain that Rick just generally sneered, snarled, growled, etc way way way too much. I don't find a sneer attractive so every time that word came up I was like cringing. Ugh. Villains tend to be more with the sneering and glowering.
Also so much smirking. And giggling - from grown men. Let's try laughing as a different way to state it. Again there are just some word choices that either indicate immaturity or personality types that I just don't enjoy. Others might.
Rick's temper never seemed to go away and Kai spent a ton of time thinking that he wasn't afraid of him. The very fact he repeats this to himself so.many.times tells you enough about how Rick comes off. Everyone seems to either be cowed or just dismiss his anger and I was not having it. You can certainly be upset but he was a like a rocket going off. Did not enjoy that at all and it totally diminished my liking the story as much as I wanted too. I am looking forward to the next story though as neither of those guys seems to have this temper issue that Rick's got going on. It may not bother others but, having lived with someone with anger issues, it was a complete trigger for me. Still think some of the editing needs tightening up with opting for some different word choices, getting rid of the repetition (Kai's inner voice kept saying the same thing at times), and making a character like Rick more multi faceted such that he can be an alpha and "rule" but not be "ruled" by his anger. YMMV. There is great talent here IMHO and, for an initial effort, this is got some great components. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.
Original notes at 25% of the way in: I guess I'm the only one picking this up but what is the deal with Rick? All he does is snarl, growl, etc. He's an ass even if he is an alpha with the responsibilities of this position. I'm really struggling with how angry he is ALL.THE.TIME. It seems to be excused but I'm just not loving him. I know the blurb says quick tempered but I think he needs some therapy.
Combined with an overly descriptive and repetitive writing style this is way tougher than I expected to read - this is right up my alley too - abuse/hurt/comfort, protecting kids -- all good. I'm continuing but this needs a good editor who can recommend tightening up the writing and a little less of the constant snarls, growls, glare's and so on.
Also so much smirking. And giggling - from grown men. Let's try laughing as a different way to state it. Again there are just some word choices that either indicate immaturity or personality types that I just don't enjoy. Others might.
Rick's temper never seemed to go away and Kai spent a ton of time thinking that he wasn't afraid of him. The very fact he repeats this to himself so.many.times tells you enough about how Rick comes off. Everyone seems to either be cowed or just dismiss his anger and I was not having it. You can certainly be upset but he was a like a rocket going off. Did not enjoy that at all and it totally diminished my liking the story as much as I wanted too. I am looking forward to the next story though as neither of those guys seems to have this temper issue that Rick's got going on. It may not bother others but, having lived with someone with anger issues, it was a complete trigger for me. Still think some of the editing needs tightening up with opting for some different word choices, getting rid of the repetition (Kai's inner voice kept saying the same thing at times), and making a character like Rick more multi faceted such that he can be an alpha and "rule" but not be "ruled" by his anger. YMMV. There is great talent here IMHO and, for an initial effort, this is got some great components. I'm looking forward to seeing what comes next.
Original notes at 25% of the way in: I guess I'm the only one picking this up but what is the deal with Rick? All he does is snarl, growl, etc. He's an ass even if he is an alpha with the responsibilities of this position. I'm really struggling with how angry he is ALL.THE.TIME. It seems to be excused but I'm just not loving him. I know the blurb says quick tempered but I think he needs some therapy.
Combined with an overly descriptive and repetitive writing style this is way tougher than I expected to read - this is right up my alley too - abuse/hurt/comfort, protecting kids -- all good. I'm continuing but this needs a good editor who can recommend tightening up the writing and a little less of the constant snarls, growls, glare's and so on.
October 5, 2024
Everything about this book is enjoyable, it has a lot of the tropes I liked reading about during my shifters fanfic phase. The strong sweet alpha, a mate who stands up for himself and doesn’t fold at the first apology, slow burn true mates, interesting pack dynamics, hurt-comfort, found family vibes, overall intriguing mystery, pack rivalry and magic! I liked the side characters and am very excited about Bennet’s story!!!
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June 19, 2020
Dnf @ 39%
I looked forward to reading this debut author, largely because other authors I've read and enjoyed (Nash Summers, Amy Aislin) had mentioned this book and author in positive terms. If I'm not misinformed, Clark have experience as an editor, which added to why I was heading into this story with quite high expectations. What a treat to read a paranormal romance that isn't part of the current flood of ghostwritten, content-factory produced books!
The opening scenes held several of the key ingredients why paranormal shifter stories appeal to me; the strong but man-of-few-words pack leader, an abused but not spiritually broken love interest. I was looking forward to see sparks of chemistry, overcoming trust issues and the pair growing closer.
It took me a while to realise not much of the story that came after that initial scene worked for me. I found it a increasingly boring reading about cute kids, eating sandwiches and learn unimportant details about the many side characters. I turned to skimming trying to find scenes with interesting and witty dialogue between the two MCs, or some chemistry and spark scenes at least. I ended up not finding any, instead the large cast of side characters continued to get a lot of page time.
In a romance novel the interactions between the protagonists are key for me, and here they didn't work, so I reluctantly had to give up on this story.
I looked forward to reading this debut author, largely because other authors I've read and enjoyed (Nash Summers, Amy Aislin) had mentioned this book and author in positive terms. If I'm not misinformed, Clark have experience as an editor, which added to why I was heading into this story with quite high expectations. What a treat to read a paranormal romance that isn't part of the current flood of ghostwritten, content-factory produced books!
The opening scenes held several of the key ingredients why paranormal shifter stories appeal to me; the strong but man-of-few-words pack leader, an abused but not spiritually broken love interest. I was looking forward to see sparks of chemistry, overcoming trust issues and the pair growing closer.
It took me a while to realise not much of the story that came after that initial scene worked for me. I found it a increasingly boring reading about cute kids, eating sandwiches and learn unimportant details about the many side characters. I turned to skimming trying to find scenes with interesting and witty dialogue between the two MCs, or some chemistry and spark scenes at least. I ended up not finding any, instead the large cast of side characters continued to get a lot of page time.
In a romance novel the interactions between the protagonists are key for me, and here they didn't work, so I reluctantly had to give up on this story.
October 11, 2024
Wow, that was SUCH a comfort (audio)book.
It’s giving gentle and possessive alpha, it’s giving major hurt/comfort, it’s giving lovely tension, amazing side characters, beautiful found family, great world building, nice mystery/suspense and such cool pack dynamics. I‘M HOOKED!
Also, I’m converted. Never really cared for Kirt Graves as a narrator, but he did an amazing job here and I can’t wait to dive into the other audiobooks (which are included in the audible subscription fyi).
My only niggle is, that the bad guys were a little too one-dimensional and eye roll-inducing evil. But other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Thanks Reemi for the rec 🫶
It’s giving gentle and possessive alpha, it’s giving major hurt/comfort, it’s giving lovely tension, amazing side characters, beautiful found family, great world building, nice mystery/suspense and such cool pack dynamics. I‘M HOOKED!
Also, I’m converted. Never really cared for Kirt Graves as a narrator, but he did an amazing job here and I can’t wait to dive into the other audiobooks (which are included in the audible subscription fyi).
My only niggle is, that the bad guys were a little too one-dimensional and eye roll-inducing evil. But other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Thanks Reemi for the rec 🫶
June 10, 2020
I hope my attitude improves soon. I don’t feel like putting much effort into reviewing anything these days. This will have to suffice.
Although the story was mildly entertaining, I didn’t care for the writing style. Mainly too much tell and not enough show. Too little action. Too much repetition. The critical altercation toward the end was beyond disappointing. Something that should have been a nearly epic pivotal point just... fizzled. Over in what felt like a matter of seconds. What a wasted opportunity.
The other issue that bothered me to no end was the alpha’s view of Kai as a child as evidenced by constantly calling him “pup”. Yes, he is some nebulous age over 18 but after being isolated most of his young life, the mature alpha’s interest in him didn’t sit well with me. Nor did having sex with our young protagonist shortly after a vicious attack in the pack house. Sex is rarely if ever a cure-all.
Although the story was mildly entertaining, I didn’t care for the writing style. Mainly too much tell and not enough show. Too little action. Too much repetition. The critical altercation toward the end was beyond disappointing. Something that should have been a nearly epic pivotal point just... fizzled. Over in what felt like a matter of seconds. What a wasted opportunity.
The other issue that bothered me to no end was the alpha’s view of Kai as a child as evidenced by constantly calling him “pup”. Yes, he is some nebulous age over 18 but after being isolated most of his young life, the mature alpha’s interest in him didn’t sit well with me. Nor did having sex with our young protagonist shortly after a vicious attack in the pack house. Sex is rarely if ever a cure-all.
February 17, 2023
Sterek feels :')
June 5, 2024
look… sometimes a girlie just needs her comforting trashy mm paranormal romance, with a shirtless man on the cover and some loveable characters who’re fully obsessed with each other. and this hit the spot!
November 26, 2022
Kai y sus hermanos han vivido escondidos toda su vida, con miedo a su padre y a su madrastra, pero cuando el Alfa de la manada los rescata y los lleva a vivir con el, su vida da un vuelco de 180°. Pero la atraccion que siente por su Alfa puede ser cualquier cosa, solo el miedo a enfrentarlo a ser rechazado, como siempre en su vida, es mas grande, ademas tiene que tener en cuenta a sus hermanos, el debe protegerlos. Sin embargo, poco a poco se va a acostumbrando a la vida en la manada y en la casa del Alfa, comienza a tomar cada vez mas y mas responsabilidades, y comienza a sentirse seguro con el Alfa.
Pero cuando una amenaza cae sobre la manada, el debera hacer todo lo que esta en su poder para buscar entre sus nuevos amigos y su nueva confianza, la forma de sobrevivir y lograr que tanto el Alfa como su nueva manada puedan volver de nuevo a la normalidad.
Es una lectura bastante sencilla, una trama que he leido en varios libros, asi que su final es totalmente predecible, a excepcion del tipo de manada que maneja el Alfa Rick, todo lo demas lo he leido anteriormente. Por esa razon el libro me resulto aburrido, largo y repetitivo, pero esperaba que los personajes me atraparan mas, pero ni los principales ni los secundarios los senti interesantes. La forma como se manejo la trama tampoco me parecio original, por cada capitulo que leia me venia a la mente por lo menos 2 libros mas donde lei lo mismo.
Asi que no voy a continuar la serie en este momento, quizas mas adelante quiera volver a saber de los personajes, pero por ahora lo voy a dejar hasta aqui.
Pero cuando una amenaza cae sobre la manada, el debera hacer todo lo que esta en su poder para buscar entre sus nuevos amigos y su nueva confianza, la forma de sobrevivir y lograr que tanto el Alfa como su nueva manada puedan volver de nuevo a la normalidad.
Es una lectura bastante sencilla, una trama que he leido en varios libros, asi que su final es totalmente predecible, a excepcion del tipo de manada que maneja el Alfa Rick, todo lo demas lo he leido anteriormente. Por esa razon el libro me resulto aburrido, largo y repetitivo, pero esperaba que los personajes me atraparan mas, pero ni los principales ni los secundarios los senti interesantes. La forma como se manejo la trama tampoco me parecio original, por cada capitulo que leia me venia a la mente por lo menos 2 libros mas donde lei lo mismo.
Asi que no voy a continuar la serie en este momento, quizas mas adelante quiera volver a saber de los personajes, pero por ahora lo voy a dejar hasta aqui.
July 26, 2024
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.
“Once I’m gone, I want you to remember one thing.” “Okay,” Rick croaked out, his throat clogged with pleas for Kai to stay. “I never asked you to change.”
Not really sure what to say about this one. I love Kiki Clark and this book has all the right ingredients that I usually love, but somehow I still didn’t love it. I’m not sure I can accurately say why. It was just a little underwhelming, and the plot relied heavily on a lack of communication which didn’t help.
There were some cute moments and I do want to continue the series, but overall not my favorite by this author, unfortunately.
Also, I have a real bone to pick with shifter books where there’s little to no shifting. What’s the point then?
Kirt Graves did a good job with the audiobook tho.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Mates
Pack leader
Wolf shifters
Found family
Size difference
Past trauma
Hurt/comfort
Grumpy alpha
Virgin MC
Assumed age gap
Scent marking
Knotting
Claiming
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
MC and SCs held captive/locked away
Underweight MC due to neglect
Parental neglect and abuse
Domestic abuse (past, MC’s parents)
Death of parent due to birth trauma (some details)
Graphic violence
MC physically attacked
Hand-collaring/mild breath play
Attempted murder on MC
Knotting
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: A female side character wants Rick for herself because of probable political/social reasons. He is not interested at all.
Breakup: Yes
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Paranormal shifter romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: Not specified
Series: Interconnected series, overarching plot
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 362
Happy ending: Yes
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
“Once I’m gone, I want you to remember one thing.” “Okay,” Rick croaked out, his throat clogged with pleas for Kai to stay. “I never asked you to change.”
Not really sure what to say about this one. I love Kiki Clark and this book has all the right ingredients that I usually love, but somehow I still didn’t love it. I’m not sure I can accurately say why. It was just a little underwhelming, and the plot relied heavily on a lack of communication which didn’t help.
There were some cute moments and I do want to continue the series, but overall not my favorite by this author, unfortunately.
Also, I have a real bone to pick with shifter books where there’s little to no shifting. What’s the point then?
Kirt Graves did a good job with the audiobook tho.
⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Mates
Pack leader
Wolf shifters
Found family
Size difference
Past trauma
Hurt/comfort
Grumpy alpha
Virgin MC
Assumed age gap
Scent marking
Knotting
Claiming
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Explicit sexual content
MC and SCs held captive/locked away
Underweight MC due to neglect
Parental neglect and abuse
Domestic abuse (past, MC’s parents)
Death of parent due to birth trauma (some details)
Graphic violence
MC physically attacked
Hand-collaring/mild breath play
Attempted murder on MC
Knotting
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: A female side character wants Rick for herself because of probable political/social reasons. He is not interested at all.
Breakup: Yes
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Paranormal shifter romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
Main characters’ age: Not specified
Series: Interconnected series, overarching plot
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 362
Happy ending: Yes
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
September 5, 2021
Awesome beginning to a new series!
Wow... This was quite the rollercoaster ride! Incredible characters and plenty of suspense! Can't wait to see where book two goes next!
Wow... This was quite the rollercoaster ride! Incredible characters and plenty of suspense! Can't wait to see where book two goes next!
May 29, 2020
Pleasantly surprised by The Alpha and His King
This is much better than most shifter stories. Though it still seams I will forever be looking for a shifter story rivals The Wolfkin Saga by S.J.Himes. Sigh. I really wish writers who write about Shifters would step up their game, but alas this was much more enjoyable than most I've read *shudders from memory *
I throughly enjoyed the world-building. I got such a clear picture of the pack, the enforcers, the alpha's role, the shifter council, the variety of shifters in the pack, the ceremonies ...
Wow, really and truly Kiki Clark put her best foot forward when she created the world for her characters.
She also created dynamic secondary characters that had their own air to breath. No flat character to be seen. Even the villains were well developed.
The writing itself, though it's not the best, it is by far better than most writing in Shifter stories. It didn't distract me from the story.
The chemistry between the MC's is solid. The tension ever present. And it didn't fall into a lot of the same shifter traps that exist instead Kiki Clark swerved from them creating a much more fresh take on circumstances.
I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised. Can't wait to read the next book in the series!
This is much better than most shifter stories. Though it still seams I will forever be looking for a shifter story rivals The Wolfkin Saga by S.J.Himes. Sigh. I really wish writers who write about Shifters would step up their game, but alas this was much more enjoyable than most I've read *shudders from memory *
I throughly enjoyed the world-building. I got such a clear picture of the pack, the enforcers, the alpha's role, the shifter council, the variety of shifters in the pack, the ceremonies ...
Wow, really and truly Kiki Clark put her best foot forward when she created the world for her characters.
She also created dynamic secondary characters that had their own air to breath. No flat character to be seen. Even the villains were well developed.
The writing itself, though it's not the best, it is by far better than most writing in Shifter stories. It didn't distract me from the story.
The chemistry between the MC's is solid. The tension ever present. And it didn't fall into a lot of the same shifter traps that exist instead Kiki Clark swerved from them creating a much more fresh take on circumstances.
I was genuinely and pleasantly surprised. Can't wait to read the next book in the series!
June 12, 2020
I have mixed feeling on this book. Over all it’s a good entertaining read but..
While I enjoyed most of it there were parts I didn’t like. I loved Kai. Rick blew a bit hot and cold for me. And I wasn’t too keen on the cartoon like villainess. Even if she thought it was a done deal it was way OTT.
But I’m moving straight onto the next book now. So cross your fingers for me.
December 2, 2021
3.5 stars.
This book was soooooo long. Not that it's a bad thing per se, but at times I really felt that it you know. Especially when there was a lot of explaining and world building going on, taking away from the love story between the two MC's. I get that it's needed for a series like this, but I just found myself being bored from time to time. With other words this is very, very slow burn.
But Rick and Kai were very interesting MC's though and I enjoyed them together as well as I enjoyed quite a few of the secondary characters and the settings.
Let's talk about Rick for a while. He's supposed to be this alpha type, yet very caring, smart and understanding. Most of the time I really enjoyed that. However, suddenly towards the end he lost all that and got all bad at communicating and did some things that didn't fit his character. I don't know what happened there, but I didn't like it.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this start of the series, and I'm interested in seeing where the story of the Kincaid pack is going. I can tell that there's a lot of things brewing under the surface.
This book was soooooo long. Not that it's a bad thing per se, but at times I really felt that it you know. Especially when there was a lot of explaining and world building going on, taking away from the love story between the two MC's. I get that it's needed for a series like this, but I just found myself being bored from time to time. With other words this is very, very slow burn.
But Rick and Kai were very interesting MC's though and I enjoyed them together as well as I enjoyed quite a few of the secondary characters and the settings.
Let's talk about Rick for a while. He's supposed to be this alpha type, yet very caring, smart and understanding. Most of the time I really enjoyed that. However, suddenly towards the end he lost all that and got all bad at communicating and did some things that didn't fit his character. I don't know what happened there, but I didn't like it.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this start of the series, and I'm interested in seeing where the story of the Kincaid pack is going. I can tell that there's a lot of things brewing under the surface.
May 28, 2022
When the bar is so low for M/M shapeshifter books that the first thing I noticed was "how weird, it has important female characters without misogyny". I had to stop and appriciate it for a minute.
I also loved that
- it had a pretty good plot
- other queer people were included, not just gays
- the side characters were not there just for background noise, they had personality and purpose
- the main focus was not on the romance but on the found family
The only problem I had was with the main couple. They were not toxic, but still made me uncomfortable. I don't like age-gap on default, especially with power imbalance, but on top of that the mc was 19 I think and the love interest was idk but I imagined him around 30. And he called the mc pup, that could have been cute, if they weren't romantically involved, because if he truly saw him as a kid, then why... just why?
The next books are about actual adults, and one of them has a poly relationship, so I really want to continue, because the found family side is pretty good and comforting.
I also loved that
- it had a pretty good plot
- other queer people were included, not just gays
- the side characters were not there just for background noise, they had personality and purpose
- the main focus was not on the romance but on the found family
The only problem I had was with the main couple. They were not toxic, but still made me uncomfortable. I don't like age-gap on default, especially with power imbalance, but on top of that the mc was 19 I think and the love interest was idk but I imagined him around 30. And he called the mc pup, that could have been cute, if they weren't romantically involved, because if he truly saw him as a kid, then why... just why?
The next books are about actual adults, and one of them has a poly relationship, so I really want to continue, because the found family side is pretty good and comforting.
May 14, 2020
For me, this was sort of strange in that it had too many elements and felt like it jumped all over the place especially in regards to the emotions of the characters. It also felt like there was a lot of words but not much really happened.
Honestly, it was just fine for me. I don't know if I would want to continue on with this series or not. It does seem like it's been well-received so it's probably more a "it's me, not you" situation.
Honestly, it was just fine for me. I don't know if I would want to continue on with this series or not. It does seem like it's been well-received so it's probably more a "it's me, not you" situation.
July 2, 2020
5 stars audio
4.25 stars story! Can't wait for book 2!
4.25 stars story! Can't wait for book 2!
Read
March 11, 2020I gave up reading this somewhere around 30%. I have to admit that I was lured in by the blurb and the nice cover. But, and that's a big BUT, isn't enough to make me overlook a certain underlying theme.
Submitting to a dominant, isn't a cure after being abused for months or years. Abuse is a serious matter and no domeneering bully ordering the formerly abused around is helping them. That is just another totally unhealthy relationship.
And before someone tells me, that is normal in a shifter story, think again and check my shelves. I've read a ton of PNR and shifter stories and the good ones don't need the "submission cures abuse" shit.
I'm not raiting this.
Submitting to a dominant, isn't a cure after being abused for months or years. Abuse is a serious matter and no domeneering bully ordering the formerly abused around is helping them. That is just another totally unhealthy relationship.
And before someone tells me, that is normal in a shifter story, think again and check my shelves. I've read a ton of PNR and shifter stories and the good ones don't need the "submission cures abuse" shit.
I'm not raiting this.
April 19, 2020
3 stars!
I'm struggling with my review on this one because there were parts of this book that I absolutely liked and at the same time, there were other parts I wished something different to happen.
I'll start with the things I liked:
First and foremost, I loved Kai's character. He warmed my heart with his protectiveness and pure love towards his younger siblings. Although scared of everything that has happened with his family, he was so brave.
Second - the secondary characters. I especially liked every one of the Kings family, Kai's younger siblings. I liked their strong connection and the way the author invested them in the story. Also, the people who were closest to the Alpha were very interesting as characters.
Third - the beginning of the book It was well written, with enough details and there were parts of the story that were unique. The very beginning where the Alpha found the Kings kids was great. I couldn't wait to read more.
Fourth - the connection between Rick and Kai. It was strong and powerful and I thought the chemistry between the two of them will be explosive.
With that said, the things I didn't like, which made the story from 5-star to 3-star for me:
- Although the world-building was good, somewhere along the way it became all about the pack politics and there were a lot of details which were not so interesting to me.
- Something happened with the strong chemistry between Kai and Rick and in the second half of the book I felt confused. I was waiting for something to happen but it never quite did.
- The end of the book - I kept hoping that the reunition after the break would be more emotional and heartwarming but it wasn't. So I felt disappointed.
Overall, a very good book with a lot of potentials but something changed in the storyline and I just wanted more of Kai and Rick after the very promising start.
I'm struggling with my review on this one because there were parts of this book that I absolutely liked and at the same time, there were other parts I wished something different to happen.
I'll start with the things I liked:
First and foremost, I loved Kai's character. He warmed my heart with his protectiveness and pure love towards his younger siblings. Although scared of everything that has happened with his family, he was so brave.
Second - the secondary characters. I especially liked every one of the Kings family, Kai's younger siblings. I liked their strong connection and the way the author invested them in the story. Also, the people who were closest to the Alpha were very interesting as characters.
Third - the beginning of the book It was well written, with enough details and there were parts of the story that were unique. The very beginning where the Alpha found the Kings kids was great. I couldn't wait to read more.
Fourth - the connection between Rick and Kai. It was strong and powerful and I thought the chemistry between the two of them will be explosive.
With that said, the things I didn't like, which made the story from 5-star to 3-star for me:
- Although the world-building was good, somewhere along the way it became all about the pack politics and there were a lot of details which were not so interesting to me.
- Something happened with the strong chemistry between Kai and Rick and in the second half of the book I felt confused. I was waiting for something to happen but it never quite did.
- The end of the book - I kept hoping that the reunition after the break would be more emotional and heartwarming but it wasn't. So I felt disappointed.
Overall, a very good book with a lot of potentials but something changed in the storyline and I just wanted more of Kai and Rick after the very promising start.
April 30, 2020
I’d give this 3.6 stars! All of the shifter books that I’ve read so far have been meh. I mostly just tolerated them. But I actually really enjoyed this one and it’s shocking me.
Starting off, I LOVED the pacing of this book. Several characters have been abused and the audience gets to see them overcome that and slowly begin to trust again. The pacing of the relationship between the two main characters was also fun. They had enough trials and tribulations that the outcome felt earned and I enjoyed getting there.
Furthermore, there is a healthy amount of diversity in this book and I was pleasantly surprised. A lot of characters that are POC and women. This is something I heavily pay attention to when reading and I enjoyed that the author took the time to include them.
I would say the complaint I had is that this book has a very big tendency to super whiny. At certain moments I felt like I was reading the diary of a high schooler.
Anyway, the sequel to this book will certain around a different couple. Even though I get annoyed when authors change main characters, I had fun enough with this book that I could came back for the next installment
Starting off, I LOVED the pacing of this book. Several characters have been abused and the audience gets to see them overcome that and slowly begin to trust again. The pacing of the relationship between the two main characters was also fun. They had enough trials and tribulations that the outcome felt earned and I enjoyed getting there.
Furthermore, there is a healthy amount of diversity in this book and I was pleasantly surprised. A lot of characters that are POC and women. This is something I heavily pay attention to when reading and I enjoyed that the author took the time to include them.
I would say the complaint I had is that this book has a very big tendency to super whiny. At certain moments I felt like I was reading the diary of a high schooler.
Anyway, the sequel to this book will certain around a different couple. Even though I get annoyed when authors change main characters, I had fun enough with this book that I could came back for the next installment
February 2, 2020
Love this!
***4.5 stars***
So love this new author! Seriously, we have a STORY as well as sexy times :). Oh, and even though the two MCs do get their HEA, there is a bit of a cliffhanger regarding the story. So excited for the next book 🎉
***4.5 stars***
So love this new author! Seriously, we have a STORY as well as sexy times :). Oh, and even though the two MCs do get their HEA, there is a bit of a cliffhanger regarding the story. So excited for the next book 🎉
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