If she doesn’t accept our mating bond, I will go feral like every unmated male in Black Forest Ridge.
I’ve spent years looking for my fated mate once I got out of the military. Every Alpha needs their Mate. I never expected to find her in the Ridge looking for a job as the chef at my mother’s B&B.
When she finds out she’s a shifter too, her entire world flips upside down.
Whatever it takes to show her that fate (and a mating spell) brought us together, I’ll do it, even if that means waiting until it’s too late. Protecting my mate is my primary objective. It won’t be long until she sees our community of witches and shifters as the acceptance and family she’s always needed.
She's a match for me in both body and mind – a true alpha female. I will do everything to be worthy of her.
Shifters of Black Forest Quinn is a standalone with a happily ever after in this spicy small-town shifter romance series. Each book focuses on a different pair of fated mates. You’ll enjoy this series if you like shifter romance with fated mates, forbidden love, a band of brothers, growly protective former military alphas, and hilarious heroines.
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Sedona Venez lives in New York City with her hot ex-military hubby--hooah--and their fur babies. She loves writing sizzling, sexy intricate stories about strong but broken characters who push limits, overcome their fears and risk it all for love.
Want a text alert when Sedona has a new release? Text "SedonaVenez" to 33222 Or if you prefer by email, Sign up for her Naughty Romance List to get all the newest hot releases, sales, great giveaways and a FREE Wolf Shifter Romance--> CLICK THE LINK TO JOIN THE SV TRIBE!
I felt like the character s growth could have been more detailed and in depth it felt rush I tried to connect to the character but it was hard. Overall not terrible but not great either
DNF at 18%. The writing is all tell, the fated mate attraction is totally overplayed with no actual chemistry, and I’m not interested enough to continue.
WOW! “Shifters of Black Forest Ridge: Quinn: a Fated Mates Paranormal Romance” is the first book in the series - Shifters of Black Forest Ridge Romance by Sedona Venez. It is a breathtaking, imaginative, creative, intriguing and amazing story from start to finish! Where do we find love? Sedona Venez shows us to keep an open mind, reach beyond our barriers and we will not only find love but we will embrace it and our lives will be enriched. We are introduced to Imani, heading towards a new job and new location to live. She has packed all of her belongings into her old car and followed the directions to Black Forest Ridge, Alaska given to her from Piper Bane who had posted the job for an executive chef position at the Bed and Breakfast, she was opening. She desperately needs the job and the money. Quinn is an alpha wolf, mayor of Black Forest Ridge and leader of his Bane pack. Imani is his fated mate but she is a hybrid which elicits prejudice from full blooded shifters. She doesn’t know that she might be a shifter or that she is the fated mate to Quinn. She doesn’t even know that shifters exist! Are you intrigued, yet? There is so much chemistry, comedy and suspense in this story. I couldn't put it down. The story is impressive, fantastic and a beautifully told romantic tale. Through the author’s wonderful talent, we are shown how the characters learn about themselves, each other, relationships and that together they grow stronger and can realize a brighter future. Sedona Venez gives us a wonderful, amazing SciFi series that is sweet, hopeful and filled with lots of suspense!
Welcome to Black Forest Ridge, where shifters have backwards values and treat outsiders like dirt. Imani heads to this town that is protected by a magical barrier that wipes the town off the map. Pure luck brings her to her destination only to find out the reason is there because of a mating spell that called her.
She instantly has an attraction to Quinn, but later finds out she is a hybrid shifter. But her shifter side is unknown to her. The struggle to find her place in a new town for a period unknown makes Quinn’s and Imani’s relationship struggle. But friendships evolve and loyalty grows.
Sedona Venez does a wonderful job, creating a character like Imani. She is a strong-willed woman that doesn’t take crap from no one. Grown up in the foster care system makes her worry about trusting those around her, but that journey was fun watching. She makes friends easily, but love is a different story.
I loved reading the dominant struggle between Imani and Quinn. One will overbear the other, but they still feel for each other. The way they fight to the end to be at one’s side, even out of fear of losing themselves, is worth reading. The other characters that make up the relationship between town help create a world building that is believable.
I was super happy with this book and really look forward to reading further along in the series. If I had to rate this book out of five stars, it would be 5/5. Highly recommend to readers that love steam, stubborn females and dominant males. Oh, and some crazy witches that make you love them, even if they are a little bizarre.
Imani has a background that doesn't cultivate trust, love and home. She's nomadic and scared to commit. Quinn, the town mayor and pack alpha, does what is necessary to look after his pack. Even if that means using a witch to cast a spell for their mates. Why? Because the town keeps losing unmated men to the feral sickness.
I liked the concept. I liked Imani's growth, though some of it was a leap rather than a learning realization for her. I liked Quinn's character, and the fact that he had some growing to do as well. I liked how the ladies rallied around each other in support, giving Imani something she never thought possible.
The writing was repetitive. The characters had little depth. There were some inconsistencies...There was a scene at the beginning that felt like Imani was being toyed with, though it was never stated. There is no way she could have outrun the danger otherwise. There were moments in the story that could have been better with more details.
For a quick, late night read, this was not bad. It is not a book that gripped me and wouldn't let go. It is not a book that had me pondering it's depth. It was an escape read into Black Forest Ridge. I'm curious about the other mates and if the storytelling will strengthen as the series progresses.
The Black Forest Pack has a serious problem. The unmated males have been going feral at an alarming rate. The Alpha, Quinn is at his wits end. As a last resort he asks the head of the witches coven to cast an ancient spell that is supposed to bring fated mates for the males. She is strongly against it because a spell that strong is hard to control and frequently doesn’t work. But with no other options she finally agrees.
Imani was raised in the foster system. She has had to grow up hard and fast. She has yet to work anywhere that feels like home so when she gets board at her current job she moves on. When she sees an add for a chef at a new bed and breakfast in Alaska something tells her to go for it! Driving across country she arrives late at night almost hitting a huge wolf in the road and wrecking her car.
When Imani stumbles into Quinn’s ranch house, wet, muddy and scared he immediately recognizes her as his mate. Finally, after over a year there is a sign that the spell has started to work! But not everyone in town is happy with her presence. Quinn is going to have his hands full protecting her and convincing her to stop running.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
First and foremost, I absolutely despise Imani. She comes into this shifter town and she immediately is reasonable and says she should leave due to the hatred she receives from the people and the genuine desire to not be in a relationship.
She gets drunk once with a few of the ladies of the town, and her entire attitude shifts and she now wants to live in the town with all of the people who hate her.
She denies Quinn, then she decides to stay in the town, then she decides to go to him after a few convincing words and nothing else.
There was no growth in this story. There was no true development. There was nothing worth noting. Questions were left unresolved like why her shifter type couldn't be found out initially. This entire story was just trash in my opinion. I want a strong female character who is reasonable and skeptical, not one who just blindly decides everything is okay after she meets a few nice people. She wasn't strong, she was an idiot.
One fucking star. I spent 99 cents on this shit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Sedona Venez really gets the ball rolling with this look into Black Ridge Forest and its community. We see Imani, a strong-willed drifter looking to belong and for somewhere to feel safe. After running for her life from a scary monster, the first person she looks to for safety is Quinn, the town mayor. Immediately, they feel an undeniable pull and thrill for each other. Poor Imani has been through so much in her life, ever since her mom abandoned her at such a young age. And Quinn is edging closer and closer to going feral as he searches for his fated mate. Is it really Imani? And what if her past is too much to overcome, and runs? I love seeing the physical and mental connection bring these two together. I do like how Imani was terrified, but was also willing to discover if this could finally be home.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Alpha Quinn is worried about the unmated shifters under him. If they don’t mate, they will go feral, himself included. When he asks the leader of the local coven to cast a spell for mates to come to their secret town, he’s not very optimistic. Until a woman shows up claiming to have spoken to Quinn’s mother about a job. A woman his mother has never heard of asking about a job she never posted. Could this be what everyone has been hoping for?
Imani was abandoned by her mother in a grocery store, and she had to grow up in the foster system. To say she has trust issues is an understatement. When everything is explained to her, she’s skeptical to say the least. But when more and more things are proven to her, she thinks she may have found her people.
This book was ok. I think it was good at setting up the world and even potential future books. But I didn't feel at all connected to Quinn and Imani. There is very little background for Quinn and 90% of it comes through other characters. And Imani is a bit all over the place. I found her incredibly frustrating until the end where she managed to calm down and have an actual conversation. It felt like her background was created for her to have trouble trusting. But her hesitance was only directed at Quinn for no reason that I could understand.
Overall, I didn't quite get these two, but I would definitely look into the next book to see if there is less world building and more character/relationship building.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Imani, a hybrid who will stir up hostility from the snobby full-bloods, is arriving in Black Forest Ridge to apply for an executive chef position at a B&B. Quinn is an Alpha wolf concerned for the pack having trouble finding mates. If they fail to find a mate, their wolves will turn feral.
So Quinn gets a local coven to ask them to cast a spell and draw possible mates to them. He didn’t realize that his own mate will be among those to arrive. But she knows nothing about shifters. Will she accept him as her mate? Will the pack accept her since she is not a full-blooded shifter? If he cannot get this resolved, he will run out of time and will be overcome by the feral madness he is trying to save the pack from.
I hoped book #2 was about the blood mate for the vampire council member! I will be patient. I know his turn is coming!
Quinn and Imani were fire 🔥 hot! The story was different than most paranormal shifter stories, which I appreciated. Quinn was all in from the beginning. Usually, the fated mate is all in as well. Imani took on a different direction. She needed convincing. I loved that. Something I didn’t understand was if Imani was a hybrid, how did she shift fully? That’s just me being curious! I loved the introduction of different others and their origin stories, specifically the vampire!
Ms. Venez's town of Others has kept itself pure, no halfbreeds or humans. Just pure blooded shifters and such. But the town's Alpha, Quinn, had the Witches cast a spell to call in the fated mates of all the town's unmated males, and the first response is Imani. Imani is half human and half shifter, and she's Quinn's fated mate. She just isn't sure she believes in love, and she has a very hard time trusting anyone. Once the magic of the shifter world starts to do its thing and Imani becomes aware of her inner beast, things start to change for her and for Quinn. And it takes a fight for her place to bring everything into focus. Recommended.
Okay, although this was listed as a multiracial story and it technically was because Imani was dark complected, it mostly was about the prejudice of her being a hybrid, not because she had dark skin. Her darker skin really didn't play a part in the story at all other than used to describe her.
I liked the characters in this book and can see them all having their own stories in future books. The personalities were diverse and really drew you into life in Black Forest Ridge. I enjoyed the visuals the author was able to convey as she laid the groundwork for this series and am looking forward to seeing where it goes from here.
Welcome to Black Ridge Forest, a town full of other beings.
Quinn and Imani are the perfect pairing.
Quinn alpha male and mayor of the town would do anything to save it, including casting a spell calling all fated females of the towns males to come and find them.
Imani, a human shifter, is strong, independent, and takes no shit. She came to town looking for a seasonal job in a small town. No one has ever heard of Alaska and finds the love she didn't know existed.
Together, they take on the towns' opinions on human Shifters and an ex trying to challenge them. Together, they grow stronger and help the town realize half human Shifters aren't all that bad.
There is a conflict in how i read the book. There is a woman who needs love and find trust. Either one is great but together for her is a way of survival. So the alpha, Quinn, the alpha and his pack in dire need of going feral. So story line guides you through their relations. Not so similar and opposite attract. It’s a decent story to start the series if this is the angle. Storyline continues but no cliffhanger.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a great introduction to a new series. The shifters of Black Forest Ridge are in danger of going feral if they don't find their fated mates so the local coven cast a spell to draw the fated mated to town. The first mate to show up is a hybrid and the town is divided on accepting her, even though the alpha is her fated mate and won't let anybody hurt her. Imani has a lot to learn about Others but she fits in really well and eventually shows she is a perfect mate for Quinn. There is conflict and romance with heat. I can't wait for the next book in the series.
This book focuses on Quinn and Imani. Quinn is the Alpha and his pack is going feral at an alarming rate because they don’t have their fated mates. He isn’t immune either, he will go feral if he doesn’t find his soon. Quinn makes a deal with the head witch of the local coven to cast the unstable mate spell which brings the fated mates to the shifters.
Imani applies for the head chef position at the B&B and Quinn knows she is his mate. She has trust issues stemming from her past so she is leery of what Quinn is saying. Some of the townspeople aren’t happy with Imani’s presence. Will Quinn be able to protect her?
When Imani comes to Alaska for a job, she is introduced to a world she didn’t know existed. Alpha Quinn has resorted to desperate measures to find his fated mate and the fated mates of others in his town.
When Imani comes into town his prayers have been answered but folks aren’t happy.
This was a fine read. I like the characters and supporting cast. While this story didn’t reinvent PNR novels, it was an easy, enjoyable read.
Interesting story. This is a little different from most of the books I read. I’ve read other shifter stories, but not one where all of the paranormal beasts live together. It also mixes in the military (post-military) love stories that now abound bookstores and reading sites. I haven’t decided how much I like it yet. I wish I could give it a 3.5 or 3.8. I’m going to read the second book in the series to see how it goes.
While I liked the story, the lore and worldbuilding and the characters, I didn't love it. It's okay, the story flows and I'm happy it featured characters in their 40's finding love, but I felt like I've read this story countless times before and didn't feel a special connection to it. But that's on me, not on the book. It's a nice, quick story and as someone who loves reading about shifters, it was a nice time.
Imani and Quinn’s story has them posting a position in his town at a B&B. She applies and is moving there but there’s more going on since he used magic to attack the mates for his makes on the pack. They are losing them to the feral sickness. But when Quinn finds out she’s his fated he has to take it slow but not to slow since he’s coming upon his time. It’s a good story with likable characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was an easy book to read And had so many emotions within it
If you'd never lived in a foster home you don't really understand What 1 of the main characters went through. Setting that aside the author must have some knowledge of it? However it's not only being in foster homes it was all the others circumstances in the book that kept me readingPeriodic character even prudence in the book. Brought a different point To this book.
The author has given us a wonderful start to a new series as we are pulled into the lives of Quinn and Imani, as well as being introduced to various members of the Pack. The story keeps us turning the pages with magic, danger, trust issues and love.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Shifters of Black Forest Ridge: Quinn: A Fated Mates Paranormal Romance (Shifters of Black Forest Ridge Romance Book 1) By Sedona Venez. loved this story Imani is pulled in to a world she never thought existed. Although, she always felt unwelcome in her human life. Quinn is the Alpha as many in Black Forest Ridge they need their true mate. It’s a great book and I recommend it.
He was the alpha of the town and pack he will never let them down, but when a women comes knocking at his door saying Bigfoot is chasing her, you have to wonder. She didn't know what it was that kept pulling her to look for her forever home, but again she left a good job in NY to take a job at an B and B.