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Redwood Pack #0.5
An Alpha's Path
Melanie Cross knew nothing of the world beyond her books and thought that was all she needed. When she finds herself on a blind date with a shifter who says she’s his mate, she finds out otherwise.Kade Jamenson knows one day he will be the Alpha of the Redwood Pack but first, he must find his mate. Somehow fate has put her in his path in the most unlikely of ways, but when another tries to block them before they can complete the mating bond, he’ll stop at nothing to keep Melanie safe.As temptation burns bright, two of them must overcome what they thought were differences and fight for something more than a mere fate.
59 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 2011
174 people are currently reading
2678 people want to read
About the author
Carrie Ann Ryan
256 books6,267 followersCarrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, paranormal, and young adult romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Talon Pack, Promise Me, and Elements of Five series, which have sold millions of books worldwide. She's the winner of a RT Book of the Year and a Prism Award in her genres. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over seventy-five novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not losing herself in her emotional and action-packed worlds, she’s reading as much as she can while wrangling her clowder of cats who have more followers than she does.
The Montgomery Ink World contains the following series, though each series is a stand alone and can be read in any order. Feel free to hop around:
The Montgomery Ink Series
The Gallagher Brothers Series
The Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs Series
The Whiskey and Lies Series
The Fractured Connections Series
The Montgomery Ink: Boulder Series
The Less Than Series
The Promise Me Series
Her Elements of Five Series is her Young Adult Romance series while her other series are all adult.
Her Talon Pack series is set in the same world as the Redwood Pack series, only 30 years later.
The Dante's Circle, Holiday, Montana, and Branded Packs series are all individual series as well.
The Montgomery Ink World contains the following series, though each series is a stand alone and can be read in any order. Feel free to hop around:
The Montgomery Ink Series
The Gallagher Brothers Series
The Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs Series
The Whiskey and Lies Series
The Fractured Connections Series
The Montgomery Ink: Boulder Series
The Less Than Series
The Promise Me Series
Her Elements of Five Series is her Young Adult Romance series while her other series are all adult.
Her Talon Pack series is set in the same world as the Redwood Pack series, only 30 years later.
The Dante's Circle, Holiday, Montana, and Branded Packs series are all individual series as well.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 341 reviews
May 10, 2020
Since this is a novella, I can't tell you much without spoiling you pretty much everything, so I will keep this first paragraph safe to read for everyone and pretty vague, and then in the next one I will talk about specific things why I think you can easily skip this one when starting this series… it’s a paranormal / urban fantasy story, set in a alternate version of our world where supernatural creatures exist, but most people don’t know about it… we follow along the stories of seven siblings of a werewolf pack and a bigger story arch with their pack facing an enemy… each couple gets not only their own book, but most often than not a novella as well, but they all appear in other stories, so it’s a pretty tight knit group :) this first novella follows along Kade, the oldest son and heir, who will one day become the alpha of the pack… he is set on a blind date with Melanie, who turns out to be his mate, and that’s all I can say without spoiling stuff… so before I dive into all my thoughts and feelings, let me quickly sum up… if it wasn’t for the fact that my sister already read, and really loved this series, I’m not sure if I would continue with it after this novella… the relationship was rushed, even for such a short story, the sex scene was absolutely cringy, and the writing style in general could have been better… basically, if you are new to this series, I would recommend to start with the first full length book instead of here…
XOXO
A
XOXO
A
November 5, 2014
2-2.5 stars
***warning, this review may get rather spoilerish so don't read it if you don't want possible spoilers***
This was a decent story but the sheer annoyance factor of the heroine, Mel, made me struggle to get through it. I actually found myself yelling at her about her stupidity while listening (I did this in audio) to the book. This is the first story I've read by this author and based off this I'm unlikely to try more of her work...at least unless I can be assured the heroine isn't the same type, the story itself was relatively good.
Mel is a chemist who just completed her PhD. She's gotten a position teaching that's starting soon, it being the culmination of a lot of hard work. She's been working so hard that she hasn't had a date in quite a while. Mel's BFF sets her up with a blind date for what's supposed to just be a one night stand.
Kade is an architect for the construction business he has with his family. He's also a werewolf and the oldest son of the pack alpha, making him the heir to the pack leadership. Kade thought he found his mate once but it ended up being a bad situation and she ended up with someone else.
So Kade and Mel are set up on a blind date that's also a hookup. They're in a restaurant in the ground floor of a hotel and have a room reserved for the night. Mel's freaked but does go in to meet Kade and they hit it off. Kade is surprised to find that his blind date is a possible mate. He's strongly attracted to her, much stronger than the last woman he thought might be his mate. Kade has always been a firm believer in giving his mate a choice in the matter so he decides he'll have to win Mel's heart and convince her to stay with him. Mel feels a strong attraction to Kade and they do end up in the room for the night. There's a halting start but they do have sex...a lot of sex. In the morning, Mel sees some things that freak her out and Kade ends up telling her what he is and what she is to him. Mel is too freaked to think so she gets his number and promises to call after thinking things out.
Here's where things get really dicey... As Mel's leaving the hotel, she meets another werewolf that tells her she's him possible mate as well and wants her to chose him over Kade. Mel has no interest in the new guy but doesn't want to admit she wants Kade so she doesn't tell the guy to bug off. For some reason Mel has the idea that she'll have to give up everything she's worked for to be with Kade and I'm not sure where she got that idea because I don't remember Kade telling her anything that would lead her to believe this. When it's found out that there is another possible mate, pack laws say they have to fight if she wont decide. Mel is disgusted by the thought of a fight and knows she doesn't want the other guy but yet she wont pick Kade so they don't have to fight. TBH, I just found Mel to be a real wuss. Yeah, she was being rushed in her decision making process, I get that. But through the whole story she was thinking to herself that she knew she didn't want anyone but Kade and how she missed him so much after one night. With all that crap I just couldn't help thinking that she didn't deserve Kade. Her actions were just so ludicrously stupid that I had a hard time believing that this woman had a PhD. The story does end with Mel and Kade working things out and starting their HEA.
I can't really say I enjoyed this story. There were parts I enjoyed but mostly it was ruined by my extreme annoyance with Mel. She was a wuss and there's not much I like about her except her turnaround at the end and even her actions there were a bit lackluster. Kade was a decent hero but he could have taken charge a bit more. I know he didn't want to force Mel in to anything but there's a big difference between force and standing back and letting her make all the decisions with little to no input from Kade. I have the second book already (I got it in a boxset) so I may try it one of these days if the reviews indicate the heroine is decent...
* note - I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator did a very good job.
***warning, this review may get rather spoilerish so don't read it if you don't want possible spoilers***
This was a decent story but the sheer annoyance factor of the heroine, Mel, made me struggle to get through it. I actually found myself yelling at her about her stupidity while listening (I did this in audio) to the book. This is the first story I've read by this author and based off this I'm unlikely to try more of her work...at least unless I can be assured the heroine isn't the same type, the story itself was relatively good.
Mel is a chemist who just completed her PhD. She's gotten a position teaching that's starting soon, it being the culmination of a lot of hard work. She's been working so hard that she hasn't had a date in quite a while. Mel's BFF sets her up with a blind date for what's supposed to just be a one night stand.
Kade is an architect for the construction business he has with his family. He's also a werewolf and the oldest son of the pack alpha, making him the heir to the pack leadership. Kade thought he found his mate once but it ended up being a bad situation and she ended up with someone else.
So Kade and Mel are set up on a blind date that's also a hookup. They're in a restaurant in the ground floor of a hotel and have a room reserved for the night. Mel's freaked but does go in to meet Kade and they hit it off. Kade is surprised to find that his blind date is a possible mate. He's strongly attracted to her, much stronger than the last woman he thought might be his mate. Kade has always been a firm believer in giving his mate a choice in the matter so he decides he'll have to win Mel's heart and convince her to stay with him. Mel feels a strong attraction to Kade and they do end up in the room for the night. There's a halting start but they do have sex...a lot of sex. In the morning, Mel sees some things that freak her out and Kade ends up telling her what he is and what she is to him. Mel is too freaked to think so she gets his number and promises to call after thinking things out.
Here's where things get really dicey... As Mel's leaving the hotel, she meets another werewolf that tells her she's him possible mate as well and wants her to chose him over Kade. Mel has no interest in the new guy but doesn't want to admit she wants Kade so she doesn't tell the guy to bug off. For some reason Mel has the idea that she'll have to give up everything she's worked for to be with Kade and I'm not sure where she got that idea because I don't remember Kade telling her anything that would lead her to believe this. When it's found out that there is another possible mate, pack laws say they have to fight if she wont decide. Mel is disgusted by the thought of a fight and knows she doesn't want the other guy but yet she wont pick Kade so they don't have to fight. TBH, I just found Mel to be a real wuss. Yeah, she was being rushed in her decision making process, I get that. But through the whole story she was thinking to herself that she knew she didn't want anyone but Kade and how she missed him so much after one night. With all that crap I just couldn't help thinking that she didn't deserve Kade. Her actions were just so ludicrously stupid that I had a hard time believing that this woman had a PhD. The story does end with Mel and Kade working things out and starting their HEA.
I can't really say I enjoyed this story. There were parts I enjoyed but mostly it was ruined by my extreme annoyance with Mel. She was a wuss and there's not much I like about her except her turnaround at the end and even her actions there were a bit lackluster. Kade was a decent hero but he could have taken charge a bit more. I know he didn't want to force Mel in to anything but there's a big difference between force and standing back and letting her make all the decisions with little to no input from Kade. I have the second book already (I got it in a boxset) so I may try it one of these days if the reviews indicate the heroine is decent...
* note - I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator did a very good job.
February 24, 2019
The only reason I won't rate this lower is that I'm one those rare readers today who love the soulmate trope. It's one of my favourites.
Also, there's an another aspect of the story - parts of it are quite entertaining; you know, when you read something hilarious and you don't hate it. Not much of an endorsement, but there you have it.
In short: a blind date turns out to be something a lot more serious for Kade than he expected. I found it strange that Mel decided to go to 'their room' instead of walking when he suggested it. Then he offers her to go and take a bath alone because she's nervous as if that's perfectly normal thing to do. I almost died laughing.
I'm annoyed by the summary, though. The 'he’ll stop at nothing to keep Melanie safe' is misleading and made me expect something else. There's no danger to keep her safe from. There's just a guy who appears out of nowhere and makes a move on her. Weird.
The thing is, I've decided to read more books from this world. Who knows what secret hilarious gems I could find there.
Also, there's an another aspect of the story - parts of it are quite entertaining; you know, when you read something hilarious and you don't hate it. Not much of an endorsement, but there you have it.
In short: a blind date turns out to be something a lot more serious for Kade than he expected. I found it strange that Mel decided to go to 'their room' instead of walking when he suggested it. Then he offers her to go and take a bath alone because she's nervous as if that's perfectly normal thing to do. I almost died laughing.
I'm annoyed by the summary, though. The 'he’ll stop at nothing to keep Melanie safe' is misleading and made me expect something else. There's no danger to keep her safe from. There's just a guy who appears out of nowhere and makes a move on her. Weird.
The thing is, I've decided to read more books from this world. Who knows what secret hilarious gems I could find there.
December 8, 2018
4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kade and Melanie
Since I decided to read thw Tattered Loyaltoes w/o any idea at all.. I didnt realize that there was a series for the Redwood Pack.. ☺
So here I am starting to read the prequel in the series 😏
A quick sweet read, Kade is such a sweetie how he fought and let Melanie go.. As for Melanie at first I'm a little annoyed on how he treated Kade but then all is well that ends well... 😏
Though I hope to hear more from these two as I go along the Redwood Pack Seried 😊
Kade and Melanie
Since I decided to read thw Tattered Loyaltoes w/o any idea at all.. I didnt realize that there was a series for the Redwood Pack.. ☺
So here I am starting to read the prequel in the series 😏
A quick sweet read, Kade is such a sweetie how he fought and let Melanie go.. As for Melanie at first I'm a little annoyed on how he treated Kade but then all is well that ends well... 😏
Though I hope to hear more from these two as I go along the Redwood Pack Seried 😊
March 20, 2016
Audiobook
February 3, 2018
Gah, this is some of the worst drivel couched as 'romance' I've ever read, I have a severe case of eye strain brought on by near constant eye rolling. Luckily this was only a novella, or I may have done permanent damage.
We have a shy and retiring human heroine, who is set up on a blind date with a gorgeous and sexy man (the titular Alpha werewolf - Kade) for a night of no strings attached sex. Said Alpha has already been burned by a potential mate, but desperately wants to settle down, so of course the author forgives him his deceptions and inability to have a straightforward conversation with a woman he's attracted to. He discovers his true mate in the delectable little human (our female protagonist- Melanie) and decides to not be honest up front, have lots of sex with her and start to initiate a mating with her, knowing full well from the beginning of their 'date' that he's not going to keep to the bargain of 1 night of no strings. In fact he's already considering babies!
Melanie is apparently a highly intelligent chemist, on her career path to lecture the next generation. She's got it all mapped out, but her work and shyness have prevented her from having meaningful sexual encounters and relationships. Because, we all know us weak women can't handle dedication to our work and a relationship at the same time!!! Hence the 'pimp date' set up by a terrible best friend, who knew Kade was a werewolf when she sets up the date and again declines to inform Melanie of his furryness.
Quite frankly Melanie as a character has zero backbone, she allows herself to be continually undermined, put down and backed into a corner by the supernaturals around her. When she expresses a modern human view of the stupid werewolf mating fights she is accused of not respecting their culture, even though they make no allowances for human culture whatsoever. Worse the female supe characters accuse her of not caring about Kade, because she wants to follow good human relationship principles of spending more than 1 night with a person befor drastically changing your life.
Most annoyingly though she second guesses herself and is a constant apologist to the supes, because she's not comfortable leaving her life and career, changing species and mating with one man for the rest of what will be an extended life based on one night of mind blowing sex and a half arsed explanation of his Wolfy state and her status as a true mate! Quite frankly any woman with a modicum of intelligence would ask for time, space and a period of 'getting to know each other better'. However, here the supes know best and apparently Melanie is acting like a spoilt teenager, for being sensible enough not to rush things.
Kade is made out to be an emotionally wounded, but good character because he doesn't just take her as his mate, even though other wolves do this apparently [mega eye roll]. At no point does he make any effort to reach out to Melanie so she can get to know him better. No, she has to decide and come to him. This style of relational manipulation is all the more insidious because the author couches it as being done for Melanie's welfare and paints Kade as the tragically jilted lover and wronged party. In the end all the responsibility is put on Melanie to make the relationship work, Kade makes no effort to talk to her and no consessions to change his life, no compromises for a more balanced relationship.
In the end of course [Grrr mega eye rolls]
We have a shy and retiring human heroine, who is set up on a blind date with a gorgeous and sexy man (the titular Alpha werewolf - Kade) for a night of no strings attached sex. Said Alpha has already been burned by a potential mate, but desperately wants to settle down, so of course the author forgives him his deceptions and inability to have a straightforward conversation with a woman he's attracted to. He discovers his true mate in the delectable little human (our female protagonist- Melanie) and decides to not be honest up front, have lots of sex with her and start to initiate a mating with her, knowing full well from the beginning of their 'date' that he's not going to keep to the bargain of 1 night of no strings. In fact he's already considering babies!
Melanie is apparently a highly intelligent chemist, on her career path to lecture the next generation. She's got it all mapped out, but her work and shyness have prevented her from having meaningful sexual encounters and relationships. Because, we all know us weak women can't handle dedication to our work and a relationship at the same time!!! Hence the 'pimp date' set up by a terrible best friend, who knew Kade was a werewolf when she sets up the date and again declines to inform Melanie of his furryness.
Quite frankly Melanie as a character has zero backbone, she allows herself to be continually undermined, put down and backed into a corner by the supernaturals around her. When she expresses a modern human view of the stupid werewolf mating fights she is accused of not respecting their culture, even though they make no allowances for human culture whatsoever. Worse the female supe characters accuse her of not caring about Kade, because she wants to follow good human relationship principles of spending more than 1 night with a person befor drastically changing your life.
Most annoyingly though she second guesses herself and is a constant apologist to the supes, because she's not comfortable leaving her life and career, changing species and mating with one man for the rest of what will be an extended life based on one night of mind blowing sex and a half arsed explanation of his Wolfy state and her status as a true mate! Quite frankly any woman with a modicum of intelligence would ask for time, space and a period of 'getting to know each other better'. However, here the supes know best and apparently Melanie is acting like a spoilt teenager, for being sensible enough not to rush things.
Kade is made out to be an emotionally wounded, but good character because he doesn't just take her as his mate, even though other wolves do this apparently [mega eye roll]. At no point does he make any effort to reach out to Melanie so she can get to know him better. No, she has to decide and come to him. This style of relational manipulation is all the more insidious because the author couches it as being done for Melanie's welfare and paints Kade as the tragically jilted lover and wronged party. In the end all the responsibility is put on Melanie to make the relationship work, Kade makes no effort to talk to her and no consessions to change his life, no compromises for a more balanced relationship.
In the end of course [Grrr mega eye rolls]
July 6, 2012
Eh. Thats how I feel about this one. Eh.
I thought the dialogue was corny sometimes. Or maybe just didn't make sense in some spots. I thought the characters got defensive and would spout out some harsh words too fast without much provoking. And the stuff they said didn't make much sense. For example the scene where Melanie meets Kade's sister Cailin. She gets all angry and starts swearing at her, when I think his sister had a right to be a little upset and worried about her brother. But I just didn't think that the way Melanie reacted was consistent with her personality through the rest of the story.
I thought their first date went WAY too fast. They were awkward and barley talked, while they ate. But they seemed to get over that a little too quickly, and all the shyness disappeared once Melanie decided what she wanted. She could barley put a full sentence together one minute and then 10 minutes later she was... well, open to all of Kade's suggestions. yuck. Too much.
Melanie annoyed the crap out of me. She KNEW from the start that she wasn't interested in Lance, that she definitely wanted Kade. But instead of voicing that she lets them fight it out. Which yeah, it was a cool scene, but it seemed like there should have been more to it. It could have been simple for her to speak up and say "Yeah I want Kade, Lance doesn't have a chance, BUT I need some time to process all this." Instead she stood there and watched when she KNEW she wanted Kade. I think it would have been better if she was racing to get there to stop it. But once she got there, the fight had already begun she wasn't allowed to step in to stop it or something like that. I just think by her standing there being all indecisive she looked like a coward, and weak, no better than Tracy, Kade's ex. I would think that an alpha would be attracted to someone who is strong and knows what they want, but whatever.
I thought the dialogue was corny sometimes. Or maybe just didn't make sense in some spots. I thought the characters got defensive and would spout out some harsh words too fast without much provoking. And the stuff they said didn't make much sense. For example the scene where Melanie meets Kade's sister Cailin. She gets all angry and starts swearing at her, when I think his sister had a right to be a little upset and worried about her brother. But I just didn't think that the way Melanie reacted was consistent with her personality through the rest of the story.
I thought their first date went WAY too fast. They were awkward and barley talked, while they ate. But they seemed to get over that a little too quickly, and all the shyness disappeared once Melanie decided what she wanted. She could barley put a full sentence together one minute and then 10 minutes later she was... well, open to all of Kade's suggestions. yuck. Too much.
Melanie annoyed the crap out of me. She KNEW from the start that she wasn't interested in Lance, that she definitely wanted Kade. But instead of voicing that she lets them fight it out. Which yeah, it was a cool scene, but it seemed like there should have been more to it. It could have been simple for her to speak up and say "Yeah I want Kade, Lance doesn't have a chance, BUT I need some time to process all this." Instead she stood there and watched when she KNEW she wanted Kade. I think it would have been better if she was racing to get there to stop it. But once she got there, the fight had already begun she wasn't allowed to step in to stop it or something like that. I just think by her standing there being all indecisive she looked like a coward, and weak, no better than Tracy, Kade's ex. I would think that an alpha would be attracted to someone who is strong and knows what they want, but whatever.
August 26, 2016
Seriously I paid .99 cents for this one and you know I wish I could request a refund.
The basic story is that a woman goes on a blind date with a guy who happens to be a werewolf, turns out they are mates but they cannot quite get to happily ever after.
Lets start with the heroine, wow just TSTL. A 25 year old with a PhD in Chemistry but no dates since I guess undergrad? Anyway she meets a hot guy, cannot eat her meal because she is nervous wants to get to know him but instead says lets go upstairs because apparently blind dates in the book are overnight date. He see she is nervous and suggests a bath then movies (??? who are these people??? I am not taking a relaxing bath with a man who makes me nervous in a strange hotel room??). Lets move on from that as it is one woman's subjective POV. Lets talk about the guy, he is supposed to be an alpha male but really he is kind of odd. He smells said mate honey and lavender I think ...what a weird combo there...but his lines really need work. I mean honestly I do not know much about him except he is a passive aggressive whiner.
Here is the thing the book actually has a lot of potential. The problem here is the book is illogical. For example you have the next alpha who sits on his hands and waits for his mate drawing their dream house instead of actively pursuing her. I am not saying he has to be like the stalker but come on send some candy, write her poems, call her, ask her out for coffee, but to sit in your forest and do nothing?? Then our heroine, she is supposed to be brilliant and feeling love at first sight but she allows her love interest to almost fight to his death because she does not want to say anything about the guy she cares nothing about. See what I mean illogical! On the other side of the story you have a woman who has busted her behind to create something for herself and she is supposed to give it all up for a quick roll in the hay and a man she has spent 5 hours with total??
Here is the thing I would never want to tell an author what to write but really a good editor could have made all the difference. The book could use some work with character and plot development. It could have also used editing to correct grammar and spelling mistakes. At the end of the day it feels unfinished and it just did not make sense.
The basic story is that a woman goes on a blind date with a guy who happens to be a werewolf, turns out they are mates but they cannot quite get to happily ever after.
Lets start with the heroine, wow just TSTL. A 25 year old with a PhD in Chemistry but no dates since I guess undergrad? Anyway she meets a hot guy, cannot eat her meal because she is nervous wants to get to know him but instead says lets go upstairs because apparently blind dates in the book are overnight date. He see she is nervous and suggests a bath then movies (??? who are these people??? I am not taking a relaxing bath with a man who makes me nervous in a strange hotel room??). Lets move on from that as it is one woman's subjective POV. Lets talk about the guy, he is supposed to be an alpha male but really he is kind of odd. He smells said mate honey and lavender I think ...what a weird combo there...but his lines really need work. I mean honestly I do not know much about him except he is a passive aggressive whiner.
Here is the thing the book actually has a lot of potential. The problem here is the book is illogical. For example you have the next alpha who sits on his hands and waits for his mate drawing their dream house instead of actively pursuing her. I am not saying he has to be like the stalker but come on send some candy, write her poems, call her, ask her out for coffee, but to sit in your forest and do nothing?? Then our heroine, she is supposed to be brilliant and feeling love at first sight but she allows her love interest to almost fight to his death because she does not want to say anything about the guy she cares nothing about. See what I mean illogical! On the other side of the story you have a woman who has busted her behind to create something for herself and she is supposed to give it all up for a quick roll in the hay and a man she has spent 5 hours with total??
Here is the thing I would never want to tell an author what to write but really a good editor could have made all the difference. The book could use some work with character and plot development. It could have also used editing to correct grammar and spelling mistakes. At the end of the day it feels unfinished and it just did not make sense.
August 12, 2016
An Alpha's Path (Redwood Pack #1)
This is the first book I've read by Carrie Ann Ryan, I love reading about werewolfs and thier mates. An Alpha's Path, is well written, short/fast and easy to read. I will continue on with the next book in this series.
This is the first book I've read by Carrie Ann Ryan, I love reading about werewolfs and thier mates. An Alpha's Path, is well written, short/fast and easy to read. I will continue on with the next book in this series.
January 25, 2012
An Alpha’s Path was a short and sexy escape into the world of werewolves.
Melanie is a career driven young woman who has spent way too much time working and not enough time playing. So when her best friend convinces her to go on a blind date Melanie reluctantly agrees. What could one night with no strings attached hurt? Nothing could prepare her for this tall stranger whose sensuality radiated off him in waves though.
Agreeing to this crazy hook-up by his brother, Kade is ready to blow off some steam. After losing one potential mate, one wild night with a beautiful stranger is looking pretty good to him right now. But as soon as Kade walks into the bar him and his wolf senses his mate is close, and surprisingly turns out to be his date for the night.
After experiencing the best night of their lives, Kade spills his secrets. But is it too much for this human woman to handle? When a potential rival for Melanie’s affections shows up, Kade’s future looks bleak. Will giving Melanie time to decide on a future with him bring her back to his arms, or will she end up in another’s?
An Alpa’s Path was a good read and a fun novella with a heart-throbbingly sexy alpha wolf. I felt Kade was wonderfully written and I was easily captivated by him. He see’s Melanie and knows she is the one for him but is understanding about her uncertainties and even though it kills him he gives her the space she needs, hoping that she will eventually come back to him. I wasn’t too keen on the heroine, Melanie, though or her indecisive ways but she was smart and quirky. Their one wild night of fun definitely didn’t lack in the sexiness department and is sure to get readers all fired up. The plot moved at a good pace, never a lull, while the supporting characters are appealing and left me wanting to read more of their own stories. All together, An Alpha’s Path was a nice introduction to the Redwood Pack and an entertaining quickie.
Melanie is a career driven young woman who has spent way too much time working and not enough time playing. So when her best friend convinces her to go on a blind date Melanie reluctantly agrees. What could one night with no strings attached hurt? Nothing could prepare her for this tall stranger whose sensuality radiated off him in waves though.
Agreeing to this crazy hook-up by his brother, Kade is ready to blow off some steam. After losing one potential mate, one wild night with a beautiful stranger is looking pretty good to him right now. But as soon as Kade walks into the bar him and his wolf senses his mate is close, and surprisingly turns out to be his date for the night.
After experiencing the best night of their lives, Kade spills his secrets. But is it too much for this human woman to handle? When a potential rival for Melanie’s affections shows up, Kade’s future looks bleak. Will giving Melanie time to decide on a future with him bring her back to his arms, or will she end up in another’s?
An Alpa’s Path was a good read and a fun novella with a heart-throbbingly sexy alpha wolf. I felt Kade was wonderfully written and I was easily captivated by him. He see’s Melanie and knows she is the one for him but is understanding about her uncertainties and even though it kills him he gives her the space she needs, hoping that she will eventually come back to him. I wasn’t too keen on the heroine, Melanie, though or her indecisive ways but she was smart and quirky. Their one wild night of fun definitely didn’t lack in the sexiness department and is sure to get readers all fired up. The plot moved at a good pace, never a lull, while the supporting characters are appealing and left me wanting to read more of their own stories. All together, An Alpha’s Path was a nice introduction to the Redwood Pack and an entertaining quickie.
December 4, 2011
Kade Jamieson is fresh off a break up and heir to the Redwood Pack which doesn't leave much time for socializing or dating. When his brother Jasper tells him he has set him up on a blind date Kade figures what the hell.
Melaine Cross has recently achieved her PhD in Nuclear Chemistry and has also had no time or made any effort to date. So when her friend Larissa sets her up on a blind date with a construction worker, Kade, she decides why not . At worst she has dinner, at best she gets a night to do a little misbehaving.
Both Kade and Melanie are trying doubting the blind date until they set eyes on each other. Kade instantly knows he wants Mel and Mel is thanking her friend for pressuring her into the date because Kade is one of the yummiest things she has ever seen. But just as all first dates go, especially blind dates - things are with held - sometimes VERY important things like... being a WEREWOLF!
Things escalate very quickly when a mate's scent is detected - sweaty bodies, strong emotions, secrets revealed, and decisions must be made. This 59 page short story had me panting for more. Carrie Ann Ryan has definitely created a fan outta me with her fast pace, humor, and scorching hot scenes.
I laughed so hard at this quote I nearly spit my soda out- HUGE Grease fan
QUOTE-
Jasper clasped his hands together and spoke in a high pitched voice, “Oh but Kade, you must tell me more, tell me more. Like did he have a car?”
Despite his ill mood, Kade burst out laughing. “Dude, you are so not Sandy or a Pink Lady. And you need to watch more TV so you can get more recent pop culture references. Grease? Really?”
Melaine Cross has recently achieved her PhD in Nuclear Chemistry and has also had no time or made any effort to date. So when her friend Larissa sets her up on a blind date with a construction worker, Kade, she decides why not . At worst she has dinner, at best she gets a night to do a little misbehaving.
Both Kade and Melanie are trying doubting the blind date until they set eyes on each other. Kade instantly knows he wants Mel and Mel is thanking her friend for pressuring her into the date because Kade is one of the yummiest things she has ever seen. But just as all first dates go, especially blind dates - things are with held - sometimes VERY important things like... being a WEREWOLF!
Things escalate very quickly when a mate's scent is detected - sweaty bodies, strong emotions, secrets revealed, and decisions must be made. This 59 page short story had me panting for more. Carrie Ann Ryan has definitely created a fan outta me with her fast pace, humor, and scorching hot scenes.
I laughed so hard at this quote I nearly spit my soda out- HUGE Grease fan
QUOTE-
Jasper clasped his hands together and spoke in a high pitched voice, “Oh but Kade, you must tell me more, tell me more. Like did he have a car?”
Despite his ill mood, Kade burst out laughing. “Dude, you are so not Sandy or a Pink Lady. And you need to watch more TV so you can get more recent pop culture references. Grease? Really?”
March 7, 2020
This was so awful that I just had to laugh - not in a good way.
Embarrassingly bad 🤦♀️
Embarrassingly bad 🤦♀️
April 25, 2012
After being solely focused on her work and getting her PhD, Melanie has wasted a lot of time. All work and no play makes Melanie a boring girl. Same goes for Kade, who threw himself into his work after losing a potential mate. So Melanie's friend and Kade's brother set them up on a blind date. Melanie is all for a no strings attached, one night of pure bliss sex. Little does she know, she is about to get thrown into the paranormal world. You see, Kade is a werewolf, who has just scented his mate. After a very pleasureable night in bed with Kade, he lets the truth out and Melanie has to decide if she can deal with it. Not only that, but there is another who claims to potentially be her mate as well.
This is the first book in the "Redwood Pack Series". At only 81 pages, it's a quick read, that you will be able to get through in one sitting or a day. Melanie was shy and sweet and a totally about her work, but when she lets her inhibitions down, she doesn't hold back. When it comes to finally getting down and dirty, Melanie has no restrictions. I loved Kade. It was great to see the debates going on between him and his wolf. Where the wolf is pure instinct to claim their mate no matter what, Kade is the essence of reason, with his human part talking the wolf into wooing Melanie. Who doesn't love a slightly wounded Alpha and hopes he gets what he deserves in the end. I will say, at times, Melanie made me want to scream with her nervous and indecisiveness, but made up for it at the end of the book. The love scenes were hot and I enjoyed my first experience into the "Redwood Pack". My only complaint is that it was too short. I would have loved it longer, but I think Ryan has something with this series. I can't wait to read "Taste For A Mate" and "Trinity" which are longer. Other than that, for an intro, it has a smooth flow, definite sexiness in the right areas, romance, some action and who doesn't love a wolf? Ryan has definitely gained me as a new reader.
This is the first book in the "Redwood Pack Series". At only 81 pages, it's a quick read, that you will be able to get through in one sitting or a day. Melanie was shy and sweet and a totally about her work, but when she lets her inhibitions down, she doesn't hold back. When it comes to finally getting down and dirty, Melanie has no restrictions. I loved Kade. It was great to see the debates going on between him and his wolf. Where the wolf is pure instinct to claim their mate no matter what, Kade is the essence of reason, with his human part talking the wolf into wooing Melanie. Who doesn't love a slightly wounded Alpha and hopes he gets what he deserves in the end. I will say, at times, Melanie made me want to scream with her nervous and indecisiveness, but made up for it at the end of the book. The love scenes were hot and I enjoyed my first experience into the "Redwood Pack". My only complaint is that it was too short. I would have loved it longer, but I think Ryan has something with this series. I can't wait to read "Taste For A Mate" and "Trinity" which are longer. Other than that, for an intro, it has a smooth flow, definite sexiness in the right areas, romance, some action and who doesn't love a wolf? Ryan has definitely gained me as a new reader.
December 13, 2015
Audiobook provided by author for an honest review.
3 Indecision Stars
Cade and Melanie are set up on a blind date by his brother, Jasper, and her best friend, Larissa. They've both spent the past few years focused on their careers. Cade thought he'd found his mate, but realized the woman he'd lost wasn't even close to being his mate until he met Melanie.
They spend a great night together, only for Mel to figure out that Werewolves exist and Cade wants to claim her as his mate. When she runs from him trying for the space to figure things out, she's approached by another man, Lance, who claims she's also his mate.
As these things dictate, they have to fight to the death for her, even if Mel doesn't want either of them.
Will Cade with the woman is wolf yearns for? Will Lance win the fight to the death? Will someone have to die, and will Mel pick the one who is left standing?
This was a very short book, but I liked the introduction to the Redwood Pack. I wished there was more. It seems to rush through, but I'm assuming this wasn't first intended to be a series.
The reader came across a little cheesy at times, but I would try him again.
I am looking forward to listening to the next book.
3 Indecision Stars
Cade and Melanie are set up on a blind date by his brother, Jasper, and her best friend, Larissa. They've both spent the past few years focused on their careers. Cade thought he'd found his mate, but realized the woman he'd lost wasn't even close to being his mate until he met Melanie.
They spend a great night together, only for Mel to figure out that Werewolves exist and Cade wants to claim her as his mate. When she runs from him trying for the space to figure things out, she's approached by another man, Lance, who claims she's also his mate.
As these things dictate, they have to fight to the death for her, even if Mel doesn't want either of them.
Will Cade with the woman is wolf yearns for? Will Lance win the fight to the death? Will someone have to die, and will Mel pick the one who is left standing?
This was a very short book, but I liked the introduction to the Redwood Pack. I wished there was more. It seems to rush through, but I'm assuming this wasn't first intended to be a series.
The reader came across a little cheesy at times, but I would try him again.
I am looking forward to listening to the next book.
September 17, 2012
The Redwood Pack Series
An Alpha's Path
Starts off with Kade and Melanie. They meet on a blind date. Kade is the Alpha of the Redwood werewolves, Melanie has no idea they exist. They meet and the sparks fly. An amazing night together, one that has both of them dreaming and wanting more. Kade has found a possible mate. But he has been through this before, she still has a choice. Melanie is also the possible mate to another. Will Melanie be able to accept that werewolves even exist? Will Kade's love be enough?
Even though Melanie is frustrating and we know she should just accept his love and forget everything else. I know if I were in the same spot, I don' know what I would have chosen. Melanie come form a science back ground and werewolves DO NOT EXIST in her world!! In the end a great start to a series. Kept me interested and wanting more.
come see this review and more on juliesbookreview.blogspot.com
An Alpha's Path
Starts off with Kade and Melanie. They meet on a blind date. Kade is the Alpha of the Redwood werewolves, Melanie has no idea they exist. They meet and the sparks fly. An amazing night together, one that has both of them dreaming and wanting more. Kade has found a possible mate. But he has been through this before, she still has a choice. Melanie is also the possible mate to another. Will Melanie be able to accept that werewolves even exist? Will Kade's love be enough?
Even though Melanie is frustrating and we know she should just accept his love and forget everything else. I know if I were in the same spot, I don' know what I would have chosen. Melanie come form a science back ground and werewolves DO NOT EXIST in her world!! In the end a great start to a series. Kept me interested and wanting more.
come see this review and more on juliesbookreview.blogspot.com
December 18, 2011
Okay. This book was good but not great for me.
First, I didn't like the heroine much. Second, I HATED her best friend. Hated. Their relationship felt wrong to me. Third, the reasons keeping our couple apart didn't ring bad enough for me. I felt that the heroine had enough sense to make her decision, and she kept waffling. Drove me bonkers.
However...this author has a way with a sexy scene. Very nice. Very.
I am cutting this one some slack since it was shorter, and because I dug the hero. But overall this one was a great way to pass some time. It was also a great way to scratch a shifter itch. I would read more by this author, but I won't be beating down the door.
First, I didn't like the heroine much. Second, I HATED her best friend. Hated. Their relationship felt wrong to me. Third, the reasons keeping our couple apart didn't ring bad enough for me. I felt that the heroine had enough sense to make her decision, and she kept waffling. Drove me bonkers.
However...this author has a way with a sexy scene. Very nice. Very.
I am cutting this one some slack since it was shorter, and because I dug the hero. But overall this one was a great way to pass some time. It was also a great way to scratch a shifter itch. I would read more by this author, but I won't be beating down the door.
January 8, 2012
I read this book in almost one sitting. I was drawn in from the moment I met Kade. Yum and yum some more. I think this book is a good fit for those who are not deep into paranormal reads, as I am not. I like contemporary romances for the most part. So as I sat down and read this, I didn't feel like I dived into a world I was going to have to flip back through pages and figure out. I loved Melanie's response when she learned Kade was a werewolf. I think I'd probably do the same thing.
Looking forward to the next one.
Looking forward to the next one.
May 10, 2013
You know, this wasn't a bad little story. I went into it worried because so many people nit picked it apart but I was able to get invested and really enjoy it. I believe there are some haters out there dropping nasty reviews about it not being edited or poor grammar but I found it to flow nice and be very well edited. The one thing that kept it from a five? I HATE when shifters of any kind can have a chat with their beast of choice. It is literally a PNR pet peeve of mine. But over all I liked the story I'll be reading the next for sure :-)
December 3, 2011
I was skeptical at first, but the book was a fun read. Great plot pacing. It didn't take itself too seriously with drawn out setting descriptions. Just a good romp of hot erotic romance that wasn't a sex overload, but tasteful sexy scenes mixed in with belieavable conflict.
Yummy Hero also!
January 10, 2012
And the award for Wimpiest Heroine with TSTL tendencies goes to Melanie Cross. Good Lord, she was dumb. And annoying.
The editing on this left a lot to be desired. Found myself having to reread things several times throughout the story.
The editing on this left a lot to be desired. Found myself having to reread things several times throughout the story.
May 7, 2012
This book introduced me to Kade & Mel, but also started an addiction that other books would have to feed. An addition for the Jamensons. Fell in love with Kade. This book was the perfect way to launch into all other stories in this series
January 4, 2021
This was a short novella introducing readers to the Redwoods Pack. It was really quick, really steamy, and didn't have a whole lot of meat to it. As a novella, there wouldn't be much time for world-building, but as the first book in the series that I have picked up I wanted a little more to it to get to know the characters and the world. I will probably pick up the first novel in the series to see if there is better world-building there.
June 8, 2017
An Alpha's Path is Book 1 in the Redwood Pack series by Carrie Ann Ryan. It was a great lead off to the series showcasing how Kade and Melanie met and became mated. It was very short so there wasn't a lot of room for character development or a more in depth plot. Overall, I did enjoy it immensely and look forward to reading more of this series.
March 2, 2021
The dialogue is stilted and unnatural. The plot is pretty uneventful, and the world building needs work. There’s also not much character development. However this is a short work, and it is an ok starting point. I’m going to continue onward.
October 19, 2021
Interested shifter world and an interesting shifter romance. I enjoyed the characters and story.
February 26, 2012
Melanie hasn't let her hair down, pretty much ever, and now after her friends ruthless pressure she'd said yes and is heading out to a blind date. Anxious and nervous she contemplates rationality of her decision.
Kade agreed to a blind date only to escape his Pack for a night, expecting to meet a cute girl and have a nice evening he's thoroughly shocked when he smell his mate in the restaurant, deciding to do the right thing regardless he walks to his date - only to discover that it's her, his mate.
Doing the stupidest thing possible to über-logical Melanie he confesses he's a werewolf and shape shift in front of her after a night of hot sex - only to find out she won't take nicely to it and walks out. And now someone else is sniffing around her as well, and the Pack Law promises blood will be shed.
I truly enjoyed this novella! I loved the whole aspect of a blind date bring werewolf to his mate, and I loved when he freaks the crap out of her. Melanie was so conservative and prober that when something so out of the normal happened she flat out froze and refused to deal with it - of course that is where I started to get angry with her, a good story always brings out strong emotions in a reader. I wanted nothing more than to see her with Kade, letting go of some of that hard-headed logic.
Kade, oh he was good! I loved how he blurted out he was a werewolf and got laughed at, and I echo his brother's Jasper's statement of "Are you kidding me?" no one should drop that bombshell of a first date! I liked how Kade was already wounded, having to have fought over a girl he had though might have been his mate, and now he had to face the fact that he might have to fight for Melanie as well. He was kind though, considerate and sexy but very much set on waiting for Melanie to come to him - giving her the choice to choose him, instead of forcing her to be his mate. I liked it, but it was frustrating! Strong emotions again.
This story was quickly read, An Alpha's Path was satisfying, romantic, entertaining, had action and threat! A great shifter story! I'd definitely read more on the series!
The cover is great, I loved the darkness and the moodiness which went perfect with the feel of the story, plus look at those abs, yum! The cover pulls you in, the blurb hooks you and the story keeps you reading!
Kade agreed to a blind date only to escape his Pack for a night, expecting to meet a cute girl and have a nice evening he's thoroughly shocked when he smell his mate in the restaurant, deciding to do the right thing regardless he walks to his date - only to discover that it's her, his mate.
Doing the stupidest thing possible to über-logical Melanie he confesses he's a werewolf and shape shift in front of her after a night of hot sex - only to find out she won't take nicely to it and walks out. And now someone else is sniffing around her as well, and the Pack Law promises blood will be shed.
I truly enjoyed this novella! I loved the whole aspect of a blind date bring werewolf to his mate, and I loved when he freaks the crap out of her. Melanie was so conservative and prober that when something so out of the normal happened she flat out froze and refused to deal with it - of course that is where I started to get angry with her, a good story always brings out strong emotions in a reader. I wanted nothing more than to see her with Kade, letting go of some of that hard-headed logic.
Kade, oh he was good! I loved how he blurted out he was a werewolf and got laughed at, and I echo his brother's Jasper's statement of "Are you kidding me?" no one should drop that bombshell of a first date! I liked how Kade was already wounded, having to have fought over a girl he had though might have been his mate, and now he had to face the fact that he might have to fight for Melanie as well. He was kind though, considerate and sexy but very much set on waiting for Melanie to come to him - giving her the choice to choose him, instead of forcing her to be his mate. I liked it, but it was frustrating! Strong emotions again.
This story was quickly read, An Alpha's Path was satisfying, romantic, entertaining, had action and threat! A great shifter story! I'd definitely read more on the series!
The cover is great, I loved the darkness and the moodiness which went perfect with the feel of the story, plus look at those abs, yum! The cover pulls you in, the blurb hooks you and the story keeps you reading!
December 18, 2011
This review was posted at Under The Covers
This was a pretty steamy, short shifter story and you know me, I can't resist a sexy shifter. There's just something about that big, drool-worthy, in-charge alpha male that calls to me. And that's exactly what Kade is all about.
Melanie is a bit of a recluse, she's very smart, she has everything she wants in life except a man. And she really doesn't feel like she needs one, but her friends set her up on a blind date and here she is waiting for the guy. Maybe not your typical blind date as it's more a hook-up date, they're meeting at a hotel and they have a room reserved. Hey, can't blame a girl, sometimes that's what you need.
And in comes beautiful Kade, who thought he would just blow off some steam and comes to realize he's standing in front of his mate. Was this a setup by his friends? Did they know? Of course sparks fly immediately and one thing leads to another and leads to some hot action under the covers.
I had a bit of a problem with what happens from this point on because I did not agree with the pack rules about mating and what Kade has to do to keep her, while Melanie was not even sure she wanted to pursue a relationship with him. But other than that this was a very entertaining, even though short, read!
This was a pretty steamy, short shifter story and you know me, I can't resist a sexy shifter. There's just something about that big, drool-worthy, in-charge alpha male that calls to me. And that's exactly what Kade is all about.
Melanie is a bit of a recluse, she's very smart, she has everything she wants in life except a man. And she really doesn't feel like she needs one, but her friends set her up on a blind date and here she is waiting for the guy. Maybe not your typical blind date as it's more a hook-up date, they're meeting at a hotel and they have a room reserved. Hey, can't blame a girl, sometimes that's what you need.
And in comes beautiful Kade, who thought he would just blow off some steam and comes to realize he's standing in front of his mate. Was this a setup by his friends? Did they know? Of course sparks fly immediately and one thing leads to another and leads to some hot action under the covers.
I had a bit of a problem with what happens from this point on because I did not agree with the pack rules about mating and what Kade has to do to keep her, while Melanie was not even sure she wanted to pursue a relationship with him. But other than that this was a very entertaining, even though short, read!
January 9, 2012
Eh. I just didn't fall in love with this one. It was a very quick read (short-story), but the plot just didn't work for me.
Melanie is a newly minted PhD in chemistry and has no social life. She is convinced to go on a blind date by her best friend (who they drop on you is a witch later) because she thinks Melanie needs to get some action. She is set up on the date with Kade, who happens to be a werewolf almost-Alpha of his pack. Kade gets a whiff of Melanie and realizes she is his mate. They go for a "walk" and end up in the room that was rented for them...uhhhh...that's not a blind date, that's a booty call. Just sayin'. Then it was all BLAM! Let's have marathon sex. Melanie leaves in the morning and runs into the hotel manager who ALSO is a werewolf and HE thinks she could be his mate. Whaaaaaaat? So then because Melanie can't decide between them (she really wants Kade, but thinks it is too soon to be making a permanent kind of decision), they must fight to possibly the death for the right to her. Kade wins. Melanie tells him she can't decide. Kade leaves. A month later Melanie shows up at his house and tells him she's ready to commit and they live happily ever after...
Melanie is a newly minted PhD in chemistry and has no social life. She is convinced to go on a blind date by her best friend (who they drop on you is a witch later) because she thinks Melanie needs to get some action. She is set up on the date with Kade, who happens to be a werewolf almost-Alpha of his pack. Kade gets a whiff of Melanie and realizes she is his mate. They go for a "walk" and end up in the room that was rented for them...uhhhh...that's not a blind date, that's a booty call. Just sayin'. Then it was all BLAM! Let's have marathon sex. Melanie leaves in the morning and runs into the hotel manager who ALSO is a werewolf and HE thinks she could be his mate. Whaaaaaaat? So then because Melanie can't decide between them (she really wants Kade, but thinks it is too soon to be making a permanent kind of decision), they must fight to possibly the death for the right to her. Kade wins. Melanie tells him she can't decide. Kade leaves. A month later Melanie shows up at his house and tells him she's ready to commit and they live happily ever after...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2012
A refreshingly well-written debut novel, An Alpha’s Path is captivating and enjoyable. The characters are so realistic, and even more important, so likeable. Reading this novel is like being a silent, invisible, observer, watching the events unfold, and cheering for both sides-because both sides are right, they just may not know that yet.
At age twenty-five, with a newly-minted Ph.D. and a guaranteed Ivy League Associate Professorship, Melanie is self-confident, self-assured, and capable-until her best friend starts matchmaking, pretending that she is only helping Melanie to find one blind date for one night’s pleasure-that’s all! But behind the scenes, Larissa and Jasper are setting up Melanie to mean Jasper’s gorgeous brother Kade, who just happens to be the Alpha male and heir to the kingship of the Redwood Pack. Kade, some years back, thought he had found his mate-but discovered his mistake. No mistaking it now, though, he sensed Melanie as mate even before he saw her-and he’s intending to make her his own and to mold her life to his.
If you enjoy this sexy, heartwarming story, you’ll be gratified to know Jasper’s story will be told in the next novel.
18+ for erotic sensuality
At age twenty-five, with a newly-minted Ph.D. and a guaranteed Ivy League Associate Professorship, Melanie is self-confident, self-assured, and capable-until her best friend starts matchmaking, pretending that she is only helping Melanie to find one blind date for one night’s pleasure-that’s all! But behind the scenes, Larissa and Jasper are setting up Melanie to mean Jasper’s gorgeous brother Kade, who just happens to be the Alpha male and heir to the kingship of the Redwood Pack. Kade, some years back, thought he had found his mate-but discovered his mistake. No mistaking it now, though, he sensed Melanie as mate even before he saw her-and he’s intending to make her his own and to mold her life to his.
If you enjoy this sexy, heartwarming story, you’ll be gratified to know Jasper’s story will be told in the next novel.
18+ for erotic sensuality
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