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Canis Clan #1

Bride of the Wolf

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Commanded to marry the son of Lord Canis, a powerful ally of her father and King Edward, Aurelia knows she is about to venture into a den of wolves. For the men who live at Blackens Gate are no ordinary men, able to change at will into enormous, bloodthirsty beasts... and as a mere human, Aurelia is a reviled outsider.

When the wolves escorting his brother’s bride to Blackens Gate turn on her, Sir Raf Canis finds himself in the unlikely position of rescuer. After losing his leg—and his place in the pack—Raf refuses to bring himself further shame by failing to deliver the lovely Aureilia. But the innocent maiden proves to be a temptation even he cannot resist.

Within the dark, dangerous forest, a love begins that neither can deny. To protect Aurelia, Raf must betray everything he has come to believe about his life among wolves, and risk death to save the only woman ever to touch his wounded soul.

117 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 5, 2011

11 people are currently reading
138 people want to read

About the author

Abigail Barnette

63 books1,278 followers
Abigail Barnette is the pseudonym of Jenny Trout (alias Jennifer Armintrout, an author, blogger, and funny person. Jenny made the USA Today bestseller list with her debut novel, Blood Ties Book One: The Turning. Her American Vampire was named one of the top ten horror novels of 2011 by Booklist Magazine Online. As Abigail Barnette, Jenny writes award-winning erotic romance, including the internationally bestselling The Boss series.

As a blogger, Jenny’s work has appeared on The Huffington Post, and has been featured on television and radio, including HuffPost Live, Good Morning America, The Steve Harvey Show, and National Public Radio’s Here & Now. Her work has earned mentions in The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly.

She is a proud Michigander, mother of two, and wife to the only person alive capable of spending extended periods of time with her without wanting to kill her.

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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for Dev (ClumsyCoquette).
81 reviews2 followers
March 26, 2013
Hello I am The Clumsy Coquette and I have a guilty pleasure and it's paranormal romance.


And while I could say that I had been reading paranormal romance books for years and years, it just isn't true. Last year I was introduced to paranormal romance after being told I HAD (yes even in caps) to read Jennifer Armintrout's Blood Ties Series. And now I have had a slight addiction to paranormal romance. Oh, and if you haven't read those books, you HAVE to. They are great.


After reading the books, more than once, I started following Jennifer Armintrout on Twitter and found out that not only is she an awesome writer she is an awesome person also. I also found out through her tweets that she has an alter ego named Abigail Barnette. While Jennifer focuses more on romance, Abigail gets to be sultry and write a little more erotic.


"Bride of the Wolf" is a historical romance that focuses on shifters. The story starts with meeting Auriela. She is a modest maiden and while she has always wanted to escape her father she has no clue about the life he has set her up for. Her father gave his daughter to Reddick the son of Lord Canis. He did this to order to keep the alliance between himself and Lord Canis. Unfortunately he didn't subject his daughter to a life of bliss and luxury.


A group of shifters are sent to fetch Auriela and bring her to the Blacken Gate, home of Lord Canis and the werewolves. One of the men/wolves sent to get her is Raf, Reddick's brother. Raf is missing a leg and has been labeled weak and cripple in the pack. When Raf left on this mission he didn't know how fate was going to play in his favor.


Due to an unexpected situation, Auriela and Raf are forced to fight for their lives in harsh weather and journey to Blacken's Gate in rush. During this journey each of them learn more about themselves than they ever thought was possible.


The book is beautifully written and tells a story that anyone would instantly be addicted to. The characters have their own very distinct personalities and play their roles perfectly. The love story is beautiful and the romance is hot. Add this book to your must-read list.

Profile Image for Gretel.
338 reviews61 followers
November 13, 2016
I think 2.5 stars might be more apt.
Abigail Barnette, who is also known as Jenny Trout, has written the Boss series, which I really like. She's a great writer and knows how to handle erotic scenes. If I'm not mistaken, this book here was published before the Boss series and it shows. She is already very crafty and I have nothing against her skills. But it lacks plot.
I find the idea intruiging - werewolves are part of British society and Aurelia is betrothed to a werewolf 'prince', etc. - the problem is that for more than 60% of the book not much happens. The book and characters always emphasize how shitty life with werewolves is because they're so tough and don't accept the weak. They kill easily and without remorse. Unfortunately, the first attack comes of as forced and for me it was hinting to more going on behind the scenes. But nope, the werewolves ordered to get Aurelia really wanted to kill her because she was a dirty, stupid human. Kinda anticlimactic, if you ask me.

Then Aurelia and Raf get a long from the start and after what, two or three days in the woods they have sex and love each other. It was a stretch, I must admit. I think their journey could have set the foundation for feelings but immediate sex and declaration of eternal love are over the top.

When we finally get to the castle and meet Lord Canis and Roderick, Raf's younger brother and the one officialy betrothed to Aurelia, I was disappointed. I was hoping for tension and more fleshed out characters. The thing is that there were hints on deeper possibilities. Morsels that with time could have grown into a juicy and fat roasted pork.

There was not enough conflict. Or better yet, not the right amount of fear from my side because I knew things would turn out well. Raf fell in love easily and he was so freaking honorable and nice and kind and [...] that it destroyed the idea of portraying the werewolves and evil. Roderick could have been an incredibly complex character but the portrayal stayed superficial. Lord Canis was boring as fuck. Aurelia was meh. Didn't hate her but I also won't be sad to see her go for the next book.
I would've loved to see Raf be still too wolfish to fall in love with her and Aurelia be more cautious and less...saintly. Their feelings should have evolved over a longer period and the time at the castle should have been longer. As it is, it felt like a side note, which really took away any feel of danger. Roderick could've been less...clichéed and more complex.

I was so bored that I started skimming pages towards the end and that makes me sad because I like the author and her work. She's a fantastic writer and has a talent for sex scenes. I don't want to judge this book too harshly since it is an earlier work and the author matured and got better.

The novel was okay. I think there is a lot of potential left and it certainly inspires for own stories/fanfics.
Profile Image for Cyndi Marie ☆★Audiobook Addict★☆.
1,621 reviews159 followers
July 16, 2019
🎧 Audio Review 🎧

This book was very different from most shifter books and I enjoyed it very much. Aurelia is human and she is given to a Wolf Alpha's son for marriage by her father. When members of the pack are sent to bring her to her new husband including her soon to be brother-n-law her life takes a different direction. She is an innocent girl who grew up with everything she needed and has never seen the bad in the world but she finds an inner strength even she didn't know she had. Raf is the alpha's eldest son but he is not the favorite. He is a good guy and will do anything to protect her. These characters are unique and imperfect which makes them even more likable. I enjoyed the story line but do wish it was longer because it's hard to feel the love between them when they have only known each other a few days. I am not a fan of insta-love but extra points for no cliffhanger!

Tatiana Sokolov did a fabulous job with this book. I always love her work but in this one she does an accent that I thought was fabulous!
Profile Image for Tanya Eby.
Author 985 books253 followers
Read
March 16, 2016
I was totally enchanted by this.
Profile Image for Drmgrl99.
100 reviews70 followers
November 3, 2011
For those of you who don't know, Abigail Barntte is the alter ego of USA Today Best Seller Jennifer Armintrout (I didn't know this!). Jennifer is more popularly know for her vampires but as Abigail she is able to get a little naughty and write erotic romance.


Bride Of The Wolf is a historical/shifter story. Yes, I know it sounds a bit weird or an odd mix -something you don't normally hear mixed together BUT, let me tell you I really enjoyed it! I have just recently have realized what a shifter fan I am but I have been a closet historical fan for awhile now :) So this was a very interesting mix - Thank you.


Aurelia is being married off to Reddick Canisto ensure her father's alliance with Lord Canis and his wolf-men. The modest maiden has no clue what she is in store for, she has heard rumors - but those can't be true. When her escort from Blacken's Gate comes to collect her she is now sure the rumors she has heard are true, but she will not dishonor her family - she will do her duty and marry.


On the way to Blacken's Gate she quickly sees a glimpse of the savage cruelty she is in store for. But when Raf, the brother of her soon to be husband comes to her protection she is surprised. Raf is the eldest of the Canis sons, but due to him being a cripple he is looked upon as weak and useless just as she is for being human.


Due to Raf's actions of defending Aurelia they are now on the run to see who can reach Blacken's Gate first. During their journey both Aurelia and Raf form a trust, friendship, and respect for each other which then leads to something deeper and much more meaningful.


Raf realizes he can't turn Aurelia over to his brother. He will do whatever it takes to keep her whether that means going against his family, his traditions, or even his life.


This story had a great pace, wonderful imagery, intrigue, and a sweet HEA. I recommend this read! Abigail Barnette did an excellent job on this book and I can see why it was recommended to me. I will definitely be picking up more books by Abigail Barnette.
Profile Image for Katje van Loon.
Author 6 books88 followers
September 11, 2012
An enjoyable fantasy erotic romance with strong, complex characters, hot sex scenes, realistic exchanges between lovers, a realistic build-up to falling in love despite the shortness of time passing, and all the other things that make a romance story strong and likeable. Not once did I say "Oh jesus christ are you fucking kidding me" which, honestly, I usually say at least once with most romances I read. Barnette doesn't shy away from using, you know, actual words to describe genitalia, too, which was refreshing and appreciated. No "down theres" in this book, for which we can all say a fervent "Thank Aphrodite".

My only complaints? The savageness of the wolf-men seems to be blamed on their animal sides, but those of us who live with wolves or wolf-dogs know that the savageness of men needs no help, and that wolves are much gentler, loving creatures than we humans are. Also, the book didn't really pass the Bechdel test. There are two parts where Margaret Lackey says something to Aurelia that isn't directly about a man, but since they're not two-way conversations and are incredibly short, they're pretty iffy for passing the test. (The Bechdel test was created to measure the presence of women characters in fiction and has three criteria: 1. there must be two women characters who are /named/; 2. they have a conversation; 3. said conversation does not involve a man. I realize that with this sort of setting -- a very patriarchal culture -- it can be very difficult to pass the test, but it's still something I watch for.)

Regardless, I'll be picking up more of Barnette's work. Overall very enjoyable.
Profile Image for Jen Davis.
Author 7 books726 followers
February 27, 2013
Aurelia's father has given away her hand in marriage to Roderick, the heir to the Canis clan of wolves. As a human, she only knows what rumors say about the fearsome shifters. She is afraid of what her husband will be like, and she is justified in her fears.

A small band of wolves, led by Roderick's brother Raif, is sent to collect Aurelia from her father. One of the men attacks her on the way back to the Canis keep and Raif must fight him off... which is no small task, since Raif is missing one of his legs. He rescues Aurelia and spirits her away, intending only to do his duty and bring her to his brother safely. But along the way, he falls for her himself.

I really enjoyed their love story. Raif is a damaged hero, but he is fierce and protective of Aurelia. They do fall in love a bit quickly, but given their circumstances I can see why each could be swept away. Raif has been alone so long. To be seen as a worthy man again is wonderful, terrifying, and overwhelming for him. And as for Aurelia, Raif is this knight in shining armor, gentle yet loyal and strong in his own way. Their romance is satisfying and it was impossible not to root for them to be together, despite the overwhelming odds against them.

Even though this is a novella, it was definitely a complete story. It never felt thin or superficial. It's a good, solid, shifter romance. It has a little heat, and a lot of heart.

*Book provided by author for review
Profile Image for Terri.
351 reviews13 followers
June 29, 2025
"My, What Big Teeth You Have" (Audiobook)
Bride of the Wolf is a lovely historical, shifter, romantic fiction with a bit of erotica. (try to say that three times quickly). Aurelia's father plans to marry her off to the head of the regional werewolf pack, Reddick Canis, in exchange for their protection. Those escorting her to her future husband include his brother, Raf Canis. I will simply say that things do not go as planned on the journey there.

Abigail Barnette offers us a wonderfully written story and shows us that even prim and proper young ladies know how to claim and protect the man they want as well as themselves. Aurelia, you little vixen hellcat (good for you).

Interesting factoid, Abigail Barnette is a pseudonym that Jennifer Armintrout uses when writing erotica. Personally I think the pseudonym is used in this case so her vampire characters do not get jealous because she is writing about werewolves. Armintrout is best know for her urban fantasy series Blood Ties.

Tatiana Sokolov brings this story to life with vocals, inflections, and even just the right amount of accent. I would definitely listen to other books she has narrated.

This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher in exchange for an unbiased review.
Profile Image for Elena Johansen.
Author 5 books29 followers
September 17, 2019
One of Barnette's earlier works, which I picked up when she reacquired the rights and republished it. It definitely shows that she wasn't as far along her journey as an author--it was blander than I expected from her.

The novella format was large enough for the abbreviated love story she was telling--this is definitely InstaLove here--but not really to encompass the premise that her tidbits of world-building hinted at. A medieval-era Britain where werewolves were not only real, but were living (somewhat) freely beside humans and were incorporated into the feudal power structure? I want to see more of that world! But it's mere window dressing for a "I'm kidnapping you to save you from something worse" romance plot that doesn't do a lot to develop either the world in any more depth, or even its own main characters.

I see there's a second work in the series, novel-length this time, and it's about Henry, a side character from this novella whom I liked, at least as much as I could given the small amount of page time he got. But as tempting as that would normally be, I'm just not convinced it's going to be enough better to give a try.
Profile Image for Trejon Dunkley.
51 reviews8 followers
October 18, 2016
Listened to the audiobook.
The narrator had a great voice, loved the slight Russian accent.
Story was great, I don't usually like paranormal, but the historical context was fun, and it wasn't egregiously werewolf-y. The world was well-built, in that it explained just enough to let me know what was happening really seamlessly, and not a whole lot of "as you know" exposition.
Can't wait for book two!
Profile Image for Brenda.
326 reviews
May 15, 2016
I had the honor of receiving a gift of this audio. It was very good. Loved the narrator. She made the story come to life. I've never read an historical/shifter book before so this is a first for me. I really enjoyed it. Story was great.
Profile Image for A.M..
Author 7 books57 followers
October 7, 2018
When I started this I was like… what? It’s medieval England but with werewolves. [I think they live to the north, like furry Scottish heathens.]
It’s clear Aurelia’s father doesn’t care about her that much. He’s accepted an offer of marriage from the wolf prince Roderick. He just hands her over to a party of Roderick’s knights led by his brother Raf. But they are no ordinary knights, they’re werewolves. Even the female with them.
And worse, Sir Raf is a cripple; one of his legs has been replaced with an iron peg leg.
Aurelia is expected to ride on the baggage cart and in a final insult, she has no warriors of her own to protect her and make sure she arrives safely.
It doesn’t take her long to work out that the other knights don’t much like Raf. They growl (literally) at taking orders from him. The first time they camp for the night, Sir Jeoffrey decides he’d like a piece of her. Raf saves her, but says it’s because she’s his brother’s.
“She belongs to my brother!” Raf pushed Aurelia farther behind him. “He has bested you both in combat time after time, and you’ve never earned the right to his property.”
“She isn’t a proper woman,” Clement explained patiently, as though Raf were a child to be soothed. “She is a lower being. Why are we hunting game when we could easily have her for a meal? Claim she run off, or drown in the river?” (Kindle Locations 126-129).

They want to eat her? *blinks*
Whispers *I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore, Toto*
It becomes increasingly apparent that these wolves think taking orders from a three legged wolf is below them as well.
Unable to fight them all, Raf scoops her up and runs for it.
By the time they are hunted down by Lord Canis, Raf’s father, he doesn’t want to lose Aurelia.
He might have to stand on his one leg and fight for her.
***
Ticks a few tropes: forced proximity, and shared body warmth (yessss)
Aurelia is not a pushover and she fights back.
The pack has some strict rules for combat at the Prince level and Raf is actually the firstborn.
It was pretty good paranormal romance. Certainly a bit out of the usual box.
4 stars

Oooh and there’s a book 2. Neat, I liked Henry.
Profile Image for kat.
571 reviews92 followers
July 6, 2017
I bought this because I liked something the author blogged, I think. I was hoping it would be sort of like Anita Blake, but it is... a very un-weird romance story. It was okay, just not what I was hoping for.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
161 reviews6 followers
March 20, 2017
This was a really fun, quick read. The Kindle edition unfortunately had a few typos in it, but that was only a minor distraction the few times they came up. I enjoyed the two leads and seeing them get to grow a bit in the short time that the book covers.
Profile Image for Pam Nelson.
3,813 reviews124 followers
July 20, 2016
4 Wolfy Stars

First I loved, loved, the narrations for this book, I have listened to this narrator before and I have loved everything I have heard she brings the book to life. I love it.
When asked what books I like I always say all romance but historical but I realized after this book that, that’s a lie because I have read and listened to other historical romances and loved them. Same goes for this book I loved it.
I enjoyed watching Aurelia become a strong will character. Not just letting things pass her by. Sure she was scared out of her mind but she overcame and I really enjoyed how it all came to pass.

Also love that Sir Raf Canis isn’t the “likely” hero but he so it. And truly to overcome how you feel about one’s self has to be powerful. But to actually like yourself even with your deformities, I really enjoyed this part of the story.

So yes I love romance/ historical and shifter.. Bring it on baby 
1,271 reviews2 followers
April 26, 2012
A woman is "sold" to a pack of wolf-men. When they come to collect her, the soldiers turn on her and she is rescued by the cripple. The cripple turns out to be the brother of the wolf-man she is suppose to marry. Things get a little heated up in the process of the rescue and the brothers end up pitied against each other (challenge for rightful ownership).
Profile Image for Venus.
4 reviews1 follower
June 21, 2016
It is good. But not as good as The Boss.

Just being fair, The Boss series is my favorite series by this author. While willing to try something different as a reader, it just didn't do it for me.
Profile Image for Carolin.
Author 1 book13 followers
August 28, 2013
I liked it. A easy read, a little predictable but sweet and with good sexscenes.
Profile Image for Jessica Albrecht.
3 reviews
March 1, 2016
A very simple and easy to follow book. Only took me 24 hours. Romantic story and very face paced, so there isn't much buildup in forming relationships between the characters.
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