Never Prey

Bad Wolves #1

by Harper A. Brooks, Brea Viragh

Little Red Riding Hood had a big, bad wolf… I have four.

I didn’t even know werewolves existed. Or that the story my parents used to tell me about a mythical Moon Goddess was real.

But it’s true—all of it—and that means, the part about her gifting me with only twenty-five years of life is too.

With my final birthday looming, I'm on a mission to save myself, but that mission ends up throwing me in the middle of two warring werewolf packs.

Now, the rival alphas and their two betas have me in their sights.

Torin, Noble, Mathis, and Dax are sexier than sin, but they're hunters, killers, some of the most powerful men in the shifter and human world…

And they want a taste of me.

They’re in for a surprise: I might not be a wolf like them, but I’m never prey.

Bestselling authors Harper A. Brooks and Brea Viragh have created a world of magic, heat, and bloodthirsty wolves. In this paranormal romance series, the heroine will end up with more than one love interest.

Scroll up and 1-click to give into your animal side today.

Never Prey is book one in the Bad Wolves Series.

Genres: Paranormal, Shapeshifters, Romance, Fantasy, Why Choose, Paranormal Romance, Werewolves

264 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 13, 2023

About the author

Harper A. Brooks may be a Jersey girl at heart, but now she likes to hideout in the mountains of Virginia with bigfoot and all his little woodland friends. Even though classic authors have always filled her bookshelves, she finds her writing muse drawn to the dark, magical, and romantic. When she isn’t creating entire worlds with sexy shifters or legendary love stories, you can find her either with a good cup of coffee in hand or at home snuggling with her furry, four-legged son, Sammy.


RONE Award Winner
USA Today Bestselling Author
Amazon International Bestselling Author

Reviews

[Kaija · Rating 5 out of 5]

are you serious with that ending?!!! Like what happens now?! I have so many questions!

Not gonna lie I stayed up late reading this, like I tend to do with all of Harper A Brooks books, and this was also a first book of Brea Viragh

Why choose AND Little Red Riding Hood? Yes please! I LOVE Ren she’s such a bada$$ and (slight spoiler not too many details I promise) she will only live until her next birthday unless she can find something!

Now the men?! Wow
Torin
Noble
Dax
Mathis (I THINK he’s going to be my favorite)

Even before that ending (which again I have serious questions like WHAT THE H3LL HAPPENS NOW?!) I was obsessed with this book! I mean it starts out epic (bar fight) and just continues (kidnapping) and builds up to what I am positive is going to be an EPIC second book!
I really can’t wait to see what happens to Ren next!

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flaming hell what a way to kick off this series!!!

Human Ren (FMC) finds herself right in the middle of warring wolf packs when she's tasked by the Moon Goddess to recover the moonstone which is important to her. Bringing it back to the Goddesses temple is not as easy as it seems. More so with the addition of 4 thirsty (lol) wolves - Torin, Noble, Mathis and Dax. Who definitely cant keep their hands or anything else off of Ren. Only Ren is no pushover. She's sassy, strong and full of sarcasm. Which was funny for most of this book. Oh and that cliffhanger ending was just epic! The little red riding hood certainly kept me riveted to this book. I loved it.

[XxLaVampiresaAlexisxX · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never Prey is the first book in the Bad Wolves series. No matter how many shifter series I read, I always end up devouring them in one sitting. What an amazing start to this new series! There's mystery, suspense, rivalry, alphaholes, fantastic world building, chemistry. Ren is just so cool. She's fierce, a sassmaster, and DEFINITELY do NOT want to get on her bad side. I sooooo NEED more!! Looking forward to the next book!!

[Naurarwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great start to a new series by authors, Harper A. Brooks and Brea Viragh. Somehow, Ren, our FMC finds herself in the middle of a pack war between two rival sets of wolves. Wolf shifters, that she doesn't even know exist until now. She has her own goals, but so do they and it seems their goals all intertwine.

Ren is definitely my type of girl, she's smart, strong and sassy to boot. The perfect combination. The cliffhanger ending is a kicker and I'm all there for it and can't wait to see what happens in book two when it comes out.

[Adrienne McFarlane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Little Red Riding Hood on steroids. I enjoy a good take on classic fairy tales. Bringing them up to current times. Great premise for a story. The main character is sassy and a little badassy. Her harem is filled with distinct personalities. Good level of steam and action. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

[ajscenic · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deal was made to keep Ren alive and the price was to return the moonstone to the Moon Goddess but who had the help of her four saviours.
This is a great twist on the Red Riding Hood fairytale but what an ending. It builds and builds to an epic (cliffhanger - what the hec) ending. I CANNOT wait for the next instalment.

[Frankie Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ohhh where to start?! This book had me hooked! Ugh I needed a good werewolf book and this one did not disappoint!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

great

🐺 wolf shifter
❤️ RH
🐺 enemies to l0vers
❤️ dubc0n
🐺 retellings: red riding hood
❤️ fated mates
🐺 hero cheats with heroine

This is a great start to a new wolfshifter series with a little red riding hood twist. I look forward to reading the rest in the series.

[⭐️Risa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.75

[ajscenic · Rating 5 out of 5]

A deal was made to keep Ren alive and the price was to return the moonstone to the Moon Goddess but who had the help of her four saviours.
This is a great twist on the Red Riding Hood fairytale but what an ending. It builds and builds to an epic (cliffhanger - what the hec) ending. I CANNOT wait for the next instalment.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairytale Retellings have been popular for a while and I'm a big fan. However, there aren't too many of one of my favorite fairytales, Little Red Riding Hood. However, Harper Brooks and Brea Viragh have come together to start a new series, Bad Wolves. It's a modern version of a Little Red Riding Hood reverse harem but with a paranormal twist. Harper and Brea went all in with the purposeful Riding Hood references and it was a hoot.


Renee "Ren" Wexley is the main character and for a good chunk of the story she was sporting that red hood in the version of a red hoodie. Ren is a smart-alec, the sass is real and only to people who deserve it. I gotta give it to Ren, she may be dying but she isn't giving up. Going up against a bunch of wolf shifters (especially, alphas) is no small task. She's kinda desperate which makes her come up with the craziest plans and makes her very brazen. I'm honestly surprised that some of the stuff she pulled worked out but I have it to give it to Ren she held her own against the wolves.


I kinda feel bad for Ren, she's stuck with a bunch of A-holes in her harem which consists of two alphas from rival packs (Mathis and Torin) and their betas (Dax and Noble), they couldn't be more different. Don't get me wrong they also have similar qualities but not much. It's pretty obvious that the guys don't have a realistic picture of each other and since they all are jerks it causes more problems than anyone can believe but towards the end, they somehow manage to come together for one mission.


The story was fascinating. There is this Moon Goddess who seems just as harsh as the wolf shifters who worship her. She's not bad but she's not a hugger either. Ren's own fairytale beginning leaves a lot of questions that I want answered. I mean it's the reason for the quest that the goddess sends Ren on and then there are the guys' reactions to Ren and her's to them as well. The world-building was decent, and a good picture of the packs and the recent problems was given leaving me with more questions about the packs.


Never Prey was a fun read. I love the humor, the sass, and the sexy hijinks. While I liked Ren her harem could use a little work, I do like Dax, but he's the psycho so it's not surprising. Harper and Brea threw one heck of a plot twist at the end, it was all blood and mayhem. I don't know where the story is headed but I'm here for it.

[Sonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truth in Fairytales

This story grabs a hold of you from the very beginning and doesn't let up.

Imagine knowing that you have only 25 years to live and the only way to reverse the curse upon you is to find a mythical stone mentioned in Fairly tales? Imaging learning that said stone truly exist and it is in the possession of something else told in fairy tales?

Renee (Ren) is fed up with the hand life has dealt her. Her mother told her that a deal was made with the Moon goddess to give her life but it came at a price and that she had to find and return the Moonstone to the Moon Goddess before her 25th birthday.

Ren was a FMC you couldn't help but root for. She was determined, fierce, sassy and she didn't take any mess which is how she caught the attention of two rival packs Alphas and Betas. Not only are werewolves real but one particular Pack Alpha is in possession of the fabled Moonstone while another Alpha plans to use Ren's knowledge of it to his advantage.

One minute Ren is trying to bargain with Mathias, Dax, Torin and Noble and the next minute she is getting hot and heavy with them. Two rival packs who despise each other find themselves working together to help an annoying, irritating human woman find a stone both packs covet.

Danger is lurking in the shadows and Ren and her guys arent the only ones looking to return the Moonstone to it's rightful owner. The stakes are high and one human woman's life hangs in the balance. Decisions will need to be made and alliances formed. Will enemies become allies or destroy themselves and destroy Ren along the way?

I can wait to see what happens next with Ren's journey

[Annabelle Donnelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one had such a promising start—gritty small-town setting, mysterious alpha energy from Mathis, and a heroine caught in something bigger than herself. I actually liked the chaotic energy at first—it didn’t follow the usual paranormal romance blueprint, and that was refreshing.

But somewhere along the way, the chaos lost its charm.

At the halfway mark, I realized I still wasn’t rooting for any of the men. There was no real romantic connection to grab onto, just a lot of shifting POVs, confusing dynamics, and a quest for the Moonstone that felt more Indiana Jones than fated mates. I get the urgency—she’s dying if she doesn’t return it—but the emotional stakes just weren’t there for me.

Mathis? Torin? The fiancé? The beta? I had no idea who she was even supposed to want. And more importantly, I didn’t feel it either.

In the end, it felt like too much going on without enough to hold my interest. I wanted to care. I just didn’t.

[Sanna Mediha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had some trouble finishing this book. I didn’t like Ren and I definetily didn’t like the men. They were just very unlikeable. The guys were so aggresive with her, the poor girl got manhandled throughout the whole book! Maybe some people like to be treated that way, but I certainly don’t- that kind of made it hard for me to relate to the characters and the ‘romantic’ aspect of the book. Say what you will, but ‘Never prey’ was really well written. It just wasn’t for me :)

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ren has always known the date of her death. Her twenty-fifth birthday. Only a few short weeks away. Her parents had told her the story of her birth. Stillborn, her parents had trekked the dangerous path to the shrine of the Moon Goddess and begged for her life. She had been given twenty-five years to find the moonstone and return it to the goddess or she would die. Ren had had no idea if the moonstone was even real, much less where to look for it. Until the night three rowdy, troublemakers came into the bar where she worked and mentioned having the stone while trying to make a grab for her.

So, it was real and her only chance to retrieve it was to find Mathis, the man who had entered the bar and ordered the men out. There was the connection she needed. Before she could even form a plan, the next day Torin, the owner of the building, came in demanding to know what happened the night before in the bar. Ren told him what happened and even mentioned the moonstone. If he was mad before, the look in his eyes sent chills down Ren’s back, before he stalked from the building. Just heading up to her apartment after her shift that night, Ren was startled to see Torin and another man approach her, before she could do much, they grabbed her, throwing her into the trunk of their car. When the car finally stopped, she was hauled out. She came face to face with an even bigger shock. They had left the city, they were standing a wooded area with men and women gathered around a bond fire. The man Torin had come to see was Mathis. It seems both Mathis and Torin were the Alphas of a group of werewolves. Territorial, they were at odds with each other and on occasion at each other’s throats. It just kept getting worse. Adding to the situation, both Torin and Mathis found themselves drawn toward Ren, realizing there was more to her than her beauty and tough attitude but not quite sure what. Along the way Ren gathers two more admirers. Nobel, Torin’s Beta and Dax, a feral wolf, Mathis had taken up his wing years ago and made him Beta of the Grey Valley Pack, as the heat rises and the dangers around them grow.

Torin wanted the moonstone. He believed if he held onto Ren that Mathis would give the moonstone up, sensing that Mathis was attracted to her. Torin thought keeping Ren at his condo would give him leverage over Mathis. No way was Ren going to allow someone to control her final days or stop her from searching for the moon stone. She left the building without realizing that Noble, Torin’s Beta was following her, right into the Grey Valley Packs territory. If Mathis did have the moonstone Ren was going to steal it and take it to the moon goddess in exchange for her life. What she didn’t know was there was another pack that had every intention of taking over all the territory and would stop at nothing, including murdering humans to get what they wanted.

Ren is smart mouthed, independent, and tough with a lot of heart for those she comes to care about. She has lived her life wild and free, never expecting to live past her twenty-five birthday. She defied Torin, not only a powerful werewolf, but a millionaire with a lot of control in the city, when she ran from his home. She didn’t stop to think when heading to the wilderness to steal the moon stone from Mathis, another formidable wolf. Nor did the thought of a dangerous path to the shrine of the Moon Goddess once deter her.
Told from varying points of view the reader has the advantage of seeing the story from many sides. I began to care for the characters as I could see through their eyes. This is a dark paranormal tale with a bit of mystery, rivalry, bloodshed, steamy romance scenes and in the end, questions left unanswered. It had me sitting on the edge of my seat, reading with one eye open for fear of the next blow to come but, unable to close the book for fear of missing something. Be forewarned this is not a book for the faint of heart. There are explicit love scenes and violent action. However, as the story moves along there is also change, recognition that even leaders sometimes make poor choices that affect everyone, and love that comes from learning to care for someone more than you do your own safety. At the end of this first book in the duology it left me panting to find out what happens with Ren, her four protectors and the evil that has finally come out to claim the territory after ridding itself of the Alphas, their packs and anyone who stands in its way at the end of this book.

[Kimberley Fairchild · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️. ⭐️overall
3.5/5 🌶🌶🌶.🌶 spice
3.5/5 👩‍🦳👨‍🦰👸.👩‍🦳 characters
4/5 📘📗📕📓Plot

What to expect:
✨️ 1st person, shifting pov
✨️ Shifter Romance
✨️ Little red riding hood retelling
✨️ Medium burn
✨️ Mystery and magic
✨️ Primal play
✨️ Kinks/spice: knotting, dubcon, primal play
✨️ TW: dubcon, dying

"Two alphas, two betas and a dying human go to a shrine......it's the start of a bad joke except its my life"

Never Prey is the unconventional retelling of little red riding hood with a shifter twist. This book was a wild ride, with lots of action (in every sense of the word 😏) and a cliffhanger ending. This book has a good, solid plot however I found some of the writing, grammar and language a bit confusing and incongruent in the beginning, but it seemed to smooth out towards the end thankfully.


The plot:
Ren (red riding hood) has been cursed since her birth and must find and return the mythical moonstone to the moon goddess temple before her 26th birthday in order to save her life.

Along the way she meets four shifters; 2 alphas and their 2 betas, who all want a piece of our little red. Although they are from feuding packs, the big bad wolves form a truce to help Ren on her mission, putting aside their differences for the sake of the women they all want. I personally felt like the shift in their feelings for her was a bit too sudden. One minute they were intrigued but non-committal, then the next they all showed up at her house and were demanding to accompany her on her journey. It just felt like it could have been eased into a little more than a sudden change.

Throughout the journey the men fall harder for Ren, who's health is rapidly failing. They finally reach the temple only to discover it in ruins and that they have walked into an ambush by another Alpha who is determined to ruin them all. The story ends on a cliff hanger when it's revealed that Ren is actually a shifter and had no idea, and is abducted by the new Alpha.


The characters:
Ren is our twenty five year old heroine, who has street smarts and a sassy attitude. I really appreciated that she wasn't written as a cliched damsel in distress or a virgin type character. She's fighting for her life and taking matters into her own hands instead of sitting back and just accepting her fate, so it makes sense for her character to be bold, brave and unashamed. She's is inexplicably drawn to the shifters with no logical reason why, until the final puzzle piece clicks into place just as the book ends, leaving us with one hell of a cliffhanger.

Mathis is the alpha of the grey valley pack who choose to live in the woods like their ancestors. Hes thoughtful, kind and protective of Ren from the very beginning.

Dex is Mathis' feral beta, and the wild card of the group. He has lived most of his life as a lone wolf out in the wild and never fully assimilated into pack life. He's wild but also protective of Ren, even putting his own body and life on the line to save her more than once. He oozes sexy, untamed and edgy energy and is the first to fully take his little Red.

Torin is the Alpha of the Steel Claw pack whom have left the woods and built an empire in the city. He comes off as aloof and controlled, keeping everyone at a distance. He shows up and saves Ren when Dac accidently looses control after a sexy rendezvous, and I gotta tell you. It's hot af.

Noble is Torins beta and the most calm and relatable of the group. He has a past with Dax, who accidently killed his sister, and struggles to put it behind him during their journey. He's the first one of the pack to have a mate bond with Ren.

The spice:
Ren likes sex and isn't afraid to say it, which is refreshing from the overdone virgin trope. She is drawn to the shifters, and we find out why at the very end of the book. There are plenty of sexy scenes throughout, with several dubcon moments. There is no sword crossing in this book, or group scenes as of yet. There is also knotting as you'd expect in a shifter romance and some primal play.


Summary:
After a few teething problems in the beginning I actually really enjoyed this book. I'm looking forward to Never Submit and seeing where this adventure takes our fivesome.

[Pipas Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Infinity Stars!
Holy crap, I loved this!!!

Ren (FMC)
Ren, a 24-year-old girl working at a dive bar, is on a mission to save her own life as her 25th birthday nears. She has to find the Moonstone and bring it to the Moon Goddess before her birthday or else... She had no hope of finding it seeing as she had no clue what it was or where just that she needed it. Until 3 rowdy guys walk into her place of work and mention the Moonstone. She has to find it. But she unknowingly got mixed up in wolf business, and now they won't leave her alone.

Torin (MMC): alpha of the Steel Claws pack
Being the alpha of the Steel Claws pack, Torin is a mix of composed and deadly. Always considering the outcome of everything to make sure it fits his agenda. His pack is more humanized, not meaning they kill less or are more empathetic, but they live in the city, their territory. Torin is a businessman, a CEO who has properties all over the city. He's engaged to Catarina, the daughter of the Briar Pack, to create an alliance between packs. When he comes in contact with Ren and she (unknowingly) tells him some information he has been looking for, he sees her as an advantage, a weapon to use against his enemy.

Noble (MMC): beta of the Steel Claws pack
As Torin's beta, AKA his second, Noble's job is to follow orders, to do as he's told without reservations, and he does. He lost his sister, Kelee, to a feral werewolf attack and now hates him with all his being. To me, he was kind of hard to figure out, since he seemed just as savage as all of them, but at the same time he was sweeter, more caring and he could be gentler with Ren, which we don't see in the others as much.

Mathis (MMC): alpha of the Grey Valley pack
Mathis is, in my opinion, very similar to Torin in the sense that he, too, is calculated and composed. But don't tell either of them I said that. They hate each other with a passion. It was kind of funny to see them interact, how they couldn't go 2 pages without throwing insults at each other. Mathis' pack, the Grey Valley wolves, is the opposite of Torin's. They live in the forest - which is their territory - embracing their animal side. Mathis has what both Torin and Ren want, having kept it a secret, hidden. He's the first to meet Ren.

Dax (MMC): beta of the Grey Valley pack
Dax is Mathis' beta. Mathis saved him and brought him into his pack, so Dax is truly devoted. We don't know much of his backstory. He's a feral wolf, "more monster than man" as they say in the book. He's gone off the deep end meaning, he stopped being in control of his wolf at times, and it happens in the book once. He's not great at human interactions or the social norm of behavior, as we see throughout the story. He's THE feral wolf Noble despises. Dax is the guy who gives us the primal play, the chase, the animalistic behavior, and honestly, I was here for it. Still, he protected Ren and had the instinct to even though he didn't understand why, just like the others.

This book gave so many mixed emotions about the guys, it was hard to choose if I hated them or not at least in the beginning and a bit throughout the story. But, damn it, the last few chapters made me change my mind completely.
It was so cool to see the character development throughout the book and how their views changed about each other, right along with mine. This is what I call ENEMIES-To-Lovers.
Also, when they have to work together for Ren's sake, it was sooo funny. They kept throwing insults but then would shut up when Ren told them to. 🎵 Walk 'em like a dog sis walk 'em like a dog 🎵
The chemistry, the push and pull, the smexy scenes, the PLOT TWISTS oh my lord, it was just so flipping good and I'm obsessed.

This is the first installment in the Bad Wolves series and what a beginning it was. The second book, Never Submit, comes out on July 27th. I'd never read from either of these authors before, but I'll certainly be doing some browsing of their other books. 100% recommend!!!

Triggers: dub-con, mentions of child loss/stillborn, primal play, knotting kidnapping, violence, murder.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Crystal Lobetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Renee (Ren) Wexler was stillborn, so her parents took her to the temple of the Moon Goddess who granted Ren life. Unfortunately, Ren was given twenty-five years until she had to return the Moonstone to the Moon Goddess or she would die, and her twenty-fifth birthday is just around the corner. Ren works in a rundown bar and lives in the apartment upstairs when three young men began to accost her verbally and physically. Ren is used to this type of treatment and didn’t let the men get away with it until one of them mentioned the fact that they had a Moonstone back at their home and getting it was all she could think about. The appearance of a tall handsome man advising the three men to leave got Ren’s juices flowing and she needed to find where this man lived. That night would change Ren’s life forever, but she had to find the Moonstone and hopefully she would have a life. Another man, Torin Steel showed up the next day wanting to know what had happened the nigjt before, Ren refused to tell him until she found out that he owned the building the var was located in. Torin is the Alpha of the Steel Claw wolf pack and Mathis the Alpha of the Grey Valley wolf pack and Torin wants revenge for the three Grey Valley wolves who entered his territory. Just as Ren was heading up to her apartment after her shift that night Torrin kidnapped her and made her go with him to Mathis territory to get revenge on the 3 werewolves that crossed into his territory the night before. Torrington and Mathis are both very territorial and were at odds with each other and on occasion at each other’s throats. It just kept getting worse. Adding to the situation, both Torin and Mathis found themselves drawn toward Ren, realizing there was more to her than her beauty and tough attitude but not quite sure what. Along the way Ren gathers two more admirers. Nobel, Torin’s Beta and Dax, a feral wolf. Torin wanted the moonstone and he believed if he held onto Ren that Mathis would give the moonstone up, sensing that Mathis was attracted to her. Torin thought keeping Ren at his condo would give him leverage over Mathis. No way was Ren going to allow someone to control her final days or stop her from searching for the moon stone. She left the building without realizing that Noble, Torin’s Beta was following her, right into the Grey Valley Packs territory. If Mathis did have the moonstone Ren was going to steal it and take it to the moon goddess in exchange for her life. What she didn’t know was there was another pack that had every intention of taking over all the territory and would stop at nothing, including murdering humans to get what they wanted.
I love how fiesty Ren is! She may only be a human, but she definitely knows how to hold her own. She is thrust between two warring packs and between two alphas and their two betas, but everyone soon realizes that they can't be without her. Ren cannot do what she has set out to do alone, so she has let her pride go a bit for help from these four wovles. It ends on a cliffhanger.. Definitely go read this book it is so good.I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Beba Andric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my! What an opening! I was excited to read this book but now, hells, I NEED to! As I, you'll never see Little Red Riding Hood the same again. Ever!

Ren is quietly working in a pub, feeling pretty helpless, biding her time, when all hell breaks loose. Yeah, an ill fated bargain her parents made, means a certain goddess intends to call in that bargain on Ren's upcoming birthday. Which is soon. Way too soon. I liked her feistiness, even when she has her back to the wall, she doesn't roll over. For anyone. As the title says, Ren is no ones prey... Not even for 2 opposing packs. Not even when she can't help feeling all melty and annoyed, all at the same time, when she encounters 4 very sexy guys. Guys who'd eagerly unalive the other. 2 alpha's, 2 beta's, and a whole lot of rawr!!!

Noble is just that, noble. He's sweet and gentle but with a vicious streak when necessary. Dax is hard, wild, but oh heck, I felt all sorts of compassion for him. It's Mathis and Torin that seem to be hiding the biggest secrets. They're pure Alpha toughness, at odds with one another, although, protection of their respective pack, is paramount. And then comes along this itsy bitsy little human, who shatters everything in them. None were prepared for the whirlwind that was Ren, none were prepared for the the sense of her "belonging', to them, to ALL of them. And then when put to the test, they can't resist the call. The authors gave a great account of what they were experiencing, told from different POVs, their characters, who they are, what they are, unfold before me. An untimely attack by a rival pack, who's only purpose is to take over all the other packs, shows their true strength. Not only physical, but their ability to fight as a cohesive unit to protect what's precious to them. That, much to their confusion, is Ren.

Bad blood, the pressure of keeping their packs safe, out of the clutches of the Blood Moon pack are all part of the story, as well as a strong sense of family and a very unlikely fated mate. Although, that ending threw me off the rails, I was NOT expecting that! Horror and elation in equal amounts, I'm off to read book 2! There's mucho sex, graphic, explicit, but there's a real story here too. A fasted paced read, a plot that undolds unexpectedly at times, loads of action, violence so and, of course, loads of yummy intimacy.

[Katelyn Livezey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me just start with this was such a great book to read. There’s some spice, although for my smutty butt not enough lol, suspense, drama, four guys: two alphas and two betas, and one feisty doesn’t take any bull human who of course they’re all into from the moment they meet her.

Renee ‘Ren’, is an almost 25 year old human who lives above the dive bar she works in. There’s a curse on her where she only has 25 years to live unless she can break the curse.

Skip forward to one night three men come into the bar and she can instantly tell there’s something inhuman about them. After starting a brawl, an alpha walks in. Mathis. Instantly there’s a pull there, he commands the men to leave. The next day another alpha walks in, the alpha that owns the bar and territory Ren currently works in. Torin. He demands to know what happened the previous night and any information. Unwittingly Ren gives him some vital information and attracts the notice of not one, but two alphas. Rival alphas. That night Torin kidnaps her with his Beta Nobel and brings her back to his place, but not before he dangles her in front of Mathis where she meets his beta Dax, a psycho, more beast than man.

She escapes Torin and finds herself in Mathis place, where she steals from him to save her own hide. While running from him she’s caught by Dax. When Nobel shows up and him and Dax fight, she flees. Only to be caught by Mathis. After one hot night with him, she takes back what she stole and flees. She hides out at her friends place, only to be caught by Dax, again. He goes feral and Torin shows up to intervene, saving her. But she got hurt and loses consciousness. When she wakes all four are there. They all agree to accompany her to the Goddess Temple to save her from this curse, even though Torin and Nobel don’t believe her at first, they just want to use this for their gain.

Skip forward to the end of dangerous journey. They were so close to succeeding…. But what happened? Well, read the book and find out!!! It ends on a cliffhanger that will have you gripping the end of your seat and cursing the author, but it’s worth it.

[Ines · Rating 5 out of 5]

I make the mistake of glancing down to see his girthy cock already stiff and bobbing in the warm water. When my gaze snaps back up, his eyes are molten amber. "It's big." He leers at me. "Better to fuck you with, my dear."

"Never Prey" is the start of a new urban fantasy RH series, losely based on "Litte Red Riding Hood", and I'm truly fascinated with the main characters. I always love some tension between the males in a harem, but the hate and resentment these men feel towards each other is something else... Still, faith is drawing them all to Ren in a way they can't seem to be able to escape. And maybe they don't even want to escape from it? I have to say I can understand why they feel attracted to Ren, even without faith interfeering. She's suffering from an unknown illness, but she's a true fighter who absolutely won't take any s... With four alphaholes sniffing around her, she'll need that fire!

Full disclosure: there are some minor parts within the storyline where I wouldn't have minded a little more body to the story. Even though these men truly loathe each other, it doesn't take them a lot of time to decide to help Ren as a made-up team. I can find some possible explanations to the development, but I would have appreciated a few extra pages so the explanation would be written instead of imagined. The reason I still sticked with five stars, is because it didn't fundamentally influence my reading experience; I still loved the story, but mostly because I really love the characters. With this story being multiple POV, I managed to connect with both the fmc and the mmc's, and I love the way they are even alphaholes in their own POV's!

So yeah; I truly recommend this story, especially if you like a female spitfire, and a bunch of alphaholes she needs to tame.

[HJ Doe · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG I enjoyed this book so much!

Ren was only allotted a finite number of years to live, and her final birthday is just around the corner. She’s trying to form a game plan to save herself when she’s thrust into a bad situation while doing her job as a waitress at a dive bar. Things rapidly go from bad to worse when Ren learns that the stories that she always believed to be myths are true: werewolves exist. And now she’s got the alpha & beta from two rival werewolf packs on her (non-literal) tail.

With only days until her fated birthday arrives, Ren literally has no time to get caught up in alpha-male shenanigans, pack wars, & the complications that these four werewolves are bringing to her doorstep – even if said guys are hot as sin and distracting as hell.

I won’t get into spoiler territory, but I loved Ren and the guys. They each have their own personality, story, & motivations. There’s a history between the guys & their rival packs that is hinted at a few times, and I’m interested to learn more about their pasts. I am also very excited to see how their relationships with Ren & each other continue to develop and change as the story progresses.
Ren’s friends and the other side characters are also intriguing - even those that have only been part of the story for a brief time - and I’m interested to see the parts they play in the future.

The book leaves us on a cliffhanger, but it won’t be long until book 2 is out! Even if you’re like me and hate being left on pins & needles, the book is so good that I have no regrets over reading it now despite having to wait!

[Book Life With Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of fairytale retellings, especially the big bad wolf and Little Red Riding Hood, then the first book in the Bad Wolves series, Never Prey by Harper A Brooks and Brea Viragh, is just the one for you!

Our fierce heroine Renee is clueless about the existence of werewolves, magic and all things paranormal, believing it was just needs stories her parents used to tell her. Until suddenly everything changes and she realizes that not only were they true…but she also doesn’t have long to live thanks to a curse of all things! So now she finds herself on a mission to save herself…and right in the middle of two warring werewolf packs. And right in the path of the hot sexy alphas and betas of those packs (Torin, Noble, Mathis, and Dax), so let’s just say things definitely heat up fast!!! And I know this is a why choose, and we don’t need to have favorites, but hello Dax!!! 🥵🔥🥵

What ensues next is a lot of heat, suspense, abductions, running and tons of hot sexy alpha/beta fun as they all try to get over their hatred and feelings for each other to try and work together to save Ren and let’s just say their entire journey will leave you begging for more!

Overall if you’re a fan of hot and steamy RH paranormal shifter romances featuring sexy alphas, a fierce heroine and tons of magic, suspense, explosive chemistry and bloodthirsty wolves then this is the one for you! Grab it now to see for yourself! Just be warned that it does end on an amazingly epic cliffhanger and that you will absolutely die anxiously waiting for the second book—but man is it worth it!!!

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of "NEVER PREY" OMG!!! What a fantastic start to this Dark Twisted Shifter adventure full of intrigue, suspense, secrets, danger, violence, steamy scenes, action, twists that keeps you turning the pages to the end.
Ren works at bar her 25th birthday is closing in she has to find the Moonstone to give to the Moon Goddess to survive, taken by two men ending up in the woods surrounded by people out her in a ad situation with two warring Alpha's Torin & Mathis with their packs.
Renee "Ren" Wexler is feisty,independent, sassy, human who learns the stories she thought were myths are true Werewolves really do exist Dax & Noble are beta to Alpha Mathis & Torin who are drawn to her but she's no ones prey & only has a few days left to find the stone.
I definitely recommend to get this riviting, unique, engaging read you can't put down dealing with dominant, territorial, Shifters Mathis, Torin, Noble Dax & Ren take you on quite the adventure, such great interesting characters that pull you right into all the intense drama.
I'm so looking forward to the next book after that cliffhanger I need it ASAP to see what happens next with Ren & her four protectors.
PHENOMINAL START THIS DARK TWISTED SHIFTER SERIES 🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

[Kayla Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love a good Steamy Paranormal Romance Fantasy then this is the book you didn’t know you needed in your life! When I tell you this had a grip on me I’m not lying and hours later I’m still thinking about Never Prey! I devoured this novel and it left my screaming for the next! Expect a cliffhanger hangover with this one! Why choose one bad wolf when you can have all 4! Ren is dying and needs a moonstone to offer the goddess but she doesn’t believe the tell her parents had told her about until she hears 4 rowdy guys in a bar. From there she sets out to get her hands on this moonstone and save her life but what she didn’t see coming is werewolves are real and now she has two clans and two alphas and betas attention and they are going crazy wanting her even though she’s human. She has fun with 3 of the 4 and I’m hoping the 4th happens in the second book. Dax is all the red flags, Mathis cares about his pack and connecting to the earth still. Noble is just that noble, kind, honest, the one you can fall for. Torin is the mystery and his empire is all that mattered until REN. Expect to be on the edge of your seat and loving every moment of Harper’s writing and descriptions! This is a 5 star read with a level 4 spice!

[Rebecca Carsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Start To New Series!! Can’t Wait For Book Two!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review

Fantastic start to a new series Bad Wolves by Harper Brooks and co-writer Brea Viragh who is a new author to me. I’m looking forward to checking out other books by Brea. I have absolutely loved everything I have read written by Harper so I instantly knew this was going to be fantastic, and she definitely did not disappoint.

Ren was gifted with 25 yrs of life when she was born stillborn and her mother approached the moon goddess with her. Now 25 yrs later and the only way to save her life is to find the moonstone and return it to the goddess. But she’s not the only one looking to return it to reap a reward. When she finds out werewolves are real she finds herself snagged between two rival warring packs Alphas Torin and Mathis, and their Betas Noble and Dax. These four are hot on Ren’s heels and the instant attraction and chemistry is off the charts.

This first part of their story is an absolute must read, it’s intense, action packed, dangerous, full of magic, heat, blood thirsty wolves and so so so much more. Ends on a cliffhanger but the wait will be so worth finding out what happens next. Can’t wait for book two. Highly recommend this new series!!

[Kfsilver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never Prey is a fun, short(ish), easy read. Pen, (human fmc, is sent on a hunt for a specific item by the moon goddess in order to save her life by her 25th birthday. Somehow, she stumbles into the middle of werewolf insanity. Two rival packs who can’t seem to work together and a brewing war with a third. Despite all the challenges, the wolves sucky attitudes towards her and each other, her attraction to all four of them is off the charts.

I really enjoyed the premise of the story, it’s what made me pick up the book in the first place. The authors did a really good job of telling Pen’s story and I loved her strength and perseverance. The guys have a lot of growing up to do - mostly because there are some kindergarten lessons they need to learn - but the have potential, which hopefully we’ll see in future books. There were also a few points where i would have like the authors to expand on or provide further backstory. There were also a couple times where I couldn’t quite wrap my head around why Pen was willing to sleep with them at that point.

Overall, the was a fun, quick, easy read and I’m looking forward to the next book.

[mspotts]

Some good concepts here and I liked the dark, gritty vibe of these wolf packs, but something about the writing was off. The characters would do or say weird things that took me out of the story.

Ren was an okay character. She kind of jumps around , mostly in survival mode, but also getting distracted by sex. A lot.

She doesn't really have a plan beyond getting the moonstone to the mountain in the vague hope it will cure her disease. The men were much more interesting than her, but I still wasn't feeling the chemistry in their interactions - probably because Ren often came across so bland.

Their need to claim her felt very contrived. I wasn't feeling much of a spark.

The steamy scenes were really good, though. I disliked the constant repetition of her "being aroused by fear". It just felt like she had poor self-preservation instincts.

I can see why people enjoyed this, but for me, there were some key gaps in the storytelling.

For example: at the start, Ren absorbed the reality of werewolves without any real pushback or denial. Which made no sense. She's been an ordinary human for all her life so the "reveal" should've been a significant development/plot point.

Another example. Why didn't Torin just steal the moonstone from her when she faints in her friend's house??

The men are both cruel to her and obsessed with her. Their sexual desire comes out of nowhere and for no reason beyond a few vague thoughts that she's distracting.

I think this book is best for smutty purposes but probably less good for a strong plot and or romance that isn't instalust+instalove.

I'm slightly surprised by the lack of any critical reviews....

[Jess McDaniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this one up on a whim due to the cover and the content and it did NOT disappoint! It is an amazing start to a new series! I couldn't put it down and I cannot wait for the rest of Ren's story.

I love how fiesty Ren is! She may only be a human, but she definitely knows how to hold her own. She is thrust between two warring packs and between two alphas and their two betas, but everyone soon realizes that they can't be without her. Ren cannot do what she has set out to do alone, so she has let her pride go a bit for help from these four wovles.

Let me tell you, I didn't know what to expect going into this one. I thought ok, book 1, it's going to be a lot of world building and character building and will be a tad slow. NO. It was NOT. It's action packed and a bit 🌶 I was pleasantly surprised that it hit the ground running and kept me glued to it.

There is a cliffhanger, a bit of a doozy, could have been worse, I was expecting a lot worse. With that being said, I cannot wait to find out what happens next with Ren and her men!!

[Angela Paton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t wait to jump straight into this paranormal RH, with wolf shifters. The FMC Ren never knew wolf shifters existed or that the a mythical moon goddess her parents used to tell her stories about was real. As it turns out it was all real including the goddess only gifting Ren with 25 years of life. With her 25th birthday fast approaching she is on an all out mission to save herself but that throws her straight into the middle of to packs at war. The two alphas and Beats’s all have Ren in their sights. But they are in for a surprise she will never be prey. The minute I started reading this book I just couldn’t put it down I loved every bit of it Ren is a complete surprise to me she is such a head strong FMC with a bit of sass thrown in to make her appeal all that much more. Dam the 4 guys in this.. I don’t even know how to describe them to do them any justice I love all 4 of them. What a book I couldn’t put it down from star to end completely gutted with that cliffhanger but really can’t wait for book 2