Wolf's Blessing

The Shifter Brotherhood #1

by Blake R. Wolfe

It was just supposed to be a simple mercenary job. Instead, I fell in love with the enemy.

Ronan

I’ve been told I was a monster since the moment I could walk. Werewolves aren’t kindly accepted in this world, and I keep my true identity. But our strength and shifting abilities make us good mercenaries. In fact, it’s the only job I can do without getting arrested just for being me.

So, when I take a job guarding a cleric who wants nothing more than to kill me in my sleep, the last thing I expect is to fall in love with him. Not only does he guard my back while we delve deep into the earth to slay a giant worm, but he saves my life more than once as well. Just as we realize how special we are to one another, we’re torn apart.

And I have to wonder, will he come back for me? Or did I just make the biggest mistake of my life?

Dante

Being a Cleric of the Twilight comes with a lot of perks, which is why I took the job in the first place. Being promoted to full cleric means I’ll never have to worry about anything again. The order will take care of me. But the job isn’t as simple as it sounds. I have to protect and heal a group of monsters.

One monster in particular, a werewolf, is a special thorn in my side. However, when he nearly sacrifices himself to save me, I begin to question everything I’ve been taught. Is he really a monster, or just a man with a curse? Private moments turn into heated nights as we delve deeper underground. But the moment we return to the surface, we’re torn apart.

Now, I have to choose between a life of ease and saving the man I love.

standalone, high fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, monsters, size difference, force proximity, fated mates, forbidden love, hurt/comfort, and HEA

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Shapeshifters, Paranormal, Enemies To Lovers, Magic, Romance

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 29, 2023

About the author

Blake R. Wolfe has adored werewolves and monsters since he was a child growing up in a small rural Michigan town. Now he lives near the shores of Lake Michigan with his two partners, two cats that need to be fed every three seconds, and a dog that is very spoiled. He spends most of his free time hiking through the nearby forest, thinking up the next great romance story for his readers.

Blake writes under three separate Pen Names:

--Blake R. Wolfe -- Gay Paranormal Romance

--Atreus Rosewood -- Gay Contemporary Romance

--Eoghan R. Cunningham -- LGBTQ+ Fantasy

Sign up for Blake’s newsletter for exclusive discounts and special editions at www.blakerwolfe.com

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www.patreon.com/blakerwolfe

Reviews

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ouch…

In a world without lube…one tiny twink of a cleric struggles to over come his learned prejudice and take everything his massive new werewolf lover has to offer… and I mean EVERYTHING.

Oh, and along they way they fight some goblins, kill a worm, and land the first blow in a war against an evil church.

I thought it all could use some work, but at lease some of it was fairly original.

[Sunny Groves · Rating 2 out of 5]

ok full disclosure I basically skimmed the last half of this, it was simply not for me. spoilers ahead bc idc

-I get that Dante is like, religiously indoctrinated and shit but the way he kept pushing the clerics' rhetoric started to feel pretty forced real quick. like the second a "monster" is nice to you, you should probably get on board huh? you can't think for urself? (I get it. I get it I get it I get it. but I hated it also). plus the main reason he really started to believe that the clerics were lying was that the goddess literally visited him and told him so?? so it wasn't even really that he came to that realization by himself, which was pretty unsatisfying ultimately.
-neither of the MCs really had consistent characterization, it was so hard to get a handle on who they actually were because they kept making decisions or statements that kinda made no sense to me??? also it was like, VERY abrupt from them hating each other to them starting a relationship. like HATED each other. like Dante calling Ronan a dumbass and a beast and a monster etc then fucking him like...that night? it's just weird man
-BOTTOMING WITH NO PREP OR LUBE?????????? WHEN THE DUDE IS TWICE UR SIZE???? literally nothing will take me out of a story quicker
-maybe I just didn't vibe with the book in general but I got SO ANNOYED trying to read the last half...idk maybe I just don't want to read a story about a race of people having to convince everyone else that they're people who deserve to be treated like people? maybe it's just not that fun in this day and age for me?

I fear this author is not for me ultimately. which is a shame bc we love a shifter romance in this house

[Kyndra Hawkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great plot; needed more storyline

Honestly I was so excited to read this book by Blake. I think I would give it more of a 3.75. The world this takes place in has so much potential that I feel was lost. The beginning of MCs where they hated each other was fine, that’s the point of an enemies to lovers storyline. I just didn’t see where Dante actually fell in love with Ronan. I feel like there was something missing in their love story, at least in the beginning half of the book. After they left, the cave is where I feel like the story could have been AMAZING, but it felt rushed, and then the last chapter gave us a taste of what this world be, but nothing behind it. I will read the second one. I hope the next main characters get to travel more, so that we can see more of the world I believe Blake is working to create.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing specific really stood out to me, but once I got past the sample, it felt like the book needed another round of editing for polish and consistency. For example, it's clear from Dante's superiors that his promotion to cleric is contingent on this mission being a success, except there are several times when Dante refers to himself as a cleric and when Ronan thinks he's a cleric. Maybe there's a difference between the rank of cleric and simply being part of the clerical order, in which case the need was an edit for clarity.

[wordsandblankspaces · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Overall, I enjoyed the story. There were parts that weren't super great for me but nothing bad. I wish there was more action and less of the main characters in their heads doing the should I/shouldn't I/does he/doesn't he dance. I am unsure of the ending and since the next book takes place with different characters, I'm unsure how the Temple story arch will be finished. I will most likely check out the next book.

[Jasmine Wilkes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great plot and characters - enemies to lovers, grumpy werewolf x sweet human who is very blind to the world around him. I loved the start of this story, the banter was on point, but the ending of this book seemed rushed. I would have loved to of known more about the characters and the side characters.

[Jezzi Belle (Jess) · Rating 5 out of 5]

epic high fantasy shifter story!

This story has absolutely everything I love:

High fantasy ✅
Shifters ✅
Sassy & cheerful MMC ✅
Grumpy MMC✅
Banter ✅
Enemies to lovers ✅

I cannot recommend it enough! I loved the story and the amount of times it made me gasp from a plot twist! 10/10 recommend!

[Duncan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very enjoyable to read and savor. Love the couple’s dynamic—very Derek/Stiles from Teen Wolf. However, I feel that Dante got a disproportionate amount of time as the narrator compared to Ronan. And I thought that the sex scenes, as well-timed and believable as they were, could have had them focus on other parts of their bodies as well. But still a good read.

[Jimbo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not the biggest fan of urban fantasy or fantasies in general (probably because I read so many of them). But this was sweet and fun and I am glad that the story ended with positive things happening. Whether I'll read the next book in the series - - I'll wait and see.

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not What I Expected

A much darker themed shifter/mage combination than expected. The storyline is well laced with violence and some rather drastic conflicts. Love is mentioned, but it was far overshadowed by the grim scenes.

[Darryl Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG Blake R Wolfe is one of my new favourite authors. He weaves fantasy stories so damn well. I totally need more “monsters” in the shifter brotherhood series ….. nobody ever does a griffon creature hint hint lol

[Nike Leader · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was good

It was shorter than I expected. It had a similar plot to another book by the same author. It was enjoyable to read, but I would have liked to see more of his werewolf form.

[Valeria Orlando]

This should be a stand alone but the ending is more HFN than HEA

[Richard Hletko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grumpy werewolf

Hot, grumpy werewolf plus cinnamon roll cleric who needs a bit of eye opening.
Great start to a new series.

[Jason Kivela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great new series by Wolfe! Loved the world and looking forward to more in this series. Very well done erotic scenes and believable character development.

[Maya Lorenzo · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Angelica Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

solid 4 stars

I became very invested in this story very quickly. The two conflicting personalities and how Ronan and Dante make it work just drew me in.

[LOLA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the story.
Some parts were obvious.
Good adventure.

[Auric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ultimately a little short. The world has a lot of potential, and I'd love to their story continue.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ronan is a hot giant werewolf, Dante is an acolyte with hopes of becoming a cleric. They have to kill a worm to find their freedom and each other.

[Liz Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gigantic adorable werewolf falls for stroppy twinky priest man. Will probably read the next one.