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Northern Shifters #1
Alpha Mate
[Siren Everlasting Classic Erotic Alternative Paranormal Romance, M/M, shape-shifters] Nathan is forced to flee to the northern forests to escape the urban development. When he stumbles across wolf shifter territory, the young fox is forced into hiding. The wolves prowling the forest would want nothing better than to exterminate him and his family. His entire life is a struggle, being the lowest regarded race amongst shifters. Jacob is a proud member of the Marcelle Wolf Pack. Their main goal is to protect and expand their rule over the forests. No mercy. No weakness. When he discovers the sexy blond he fell for at the local bar is actually a fox, his world tilts off its axis. Nathan brings out his protective instincts, and for once he can see a future beyond his duty to the pack. But Jacob's alpha condemns their mixed race mating, forcing them apart. Will Jacob choose love or loyalty to his pack? ** A Siren Erotic Romance
106 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 2011
2 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
Winona Wilder
8 books48 followersWinona Wilder enjoys delving into the human mind and exploring emotion. She savors the challenge of mixing smoking hot sex with lovable, complex characters.
When not spending time with her husband and children in the Great Canadian North, she's typing away at her next m/m romance.
She also writes bestselling erotic romance as Stacey Espino.
When not spending time with her husband and children in the Great Canadian North, she's typing away at her next m/m romance.
She also writes bestselling erotic romance as Stacey Espino.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 22, 2013
** using spoiler tags for tangential musings **
Oh, I’m so close to giving this a “didn’t like it”, which is a shame after hovering at “liked it” for a longish while. My opinion about this just kept going down and down.
The premise is not new, nor is it one I particularly enjoy. To have shifters bent on killing other shifter species because they’re supposedly inferior or prey… it depresses me. Racism is always ugly, but if coupled with physical assault and murder it gains a whole new level of horrifying. (And some of the guys perpetuating this are clearly going to be set up in their own volumes. I don’t think I want them rewarded.)
What I do like (to an extent) is how the mate thing is approached here. It’s the usual fated mates fare but not as straightforward, not as clear-cut. There is doubt and hesitation and second-guessing. Instant attraction and a connection, but with all that not throwing by the wayside the need to get to know one another. Which is funny, if you consider that, in theory, running blindly with the mating as you usually get would seem more animalistic, while in those books the animal side tends to be a lot less dire and harsh than here.
Okay, moving on to matters of logic. I can’t hold this back any longer. What happens to the clothes when they shift?
At the second shift there’s still no mention of clothes and we know at least for the second one the guy was clothed up to that moment, and we know he had to get dressed when shifting back to human earlier.
In the end we receive confirmation that clothes are… lost somehow, I guess, during a shift. Since no one ever seemed to care about that before, I’m guessing they’re just buying lots of clothes with the money they don’t have since no one seems to interact with humans in a significant or lucrative way.
Why not make use of the telepathy, by the way? This annoys me in nearly all stories that feature a mind radio. It seems as though a majority only uses it for mush or plot convenience but it gets ignored to facilitate plot whenever the author needs something specific to happen. This is more than sloppy.
So if in this variant telepathy only works short-distance, please tell us. Don’t assume. It’s not something we can use reality’s rules to determine.
As for the writing, there are some grammatical issues. The feel of the narrative differs from the overly casual prevalent in many shifter series, yet looking closely at it, a lot of the inner workings of the protagonists here consist in platitudes.
Often it’s not clear to whom the “he” in a sentence refers. I wish authors did not worry so much about just using a name again to avoid ambiguity. Yes, I have seen some readers complain about name frequency, but for coherence it seems justified. Just leave them out of direct speech for balance.
Emotionally… Well, I did feel awful for poor Nathan at one point. Yes, he’s a little naïve, but the few lines describing how he waits and loses hope sadden me. I suppose it does not take much for me to be sympathetic.
Because, let’s face it. By the end I am relieved to be done with this. I’m not taking away anything memorable or much in the way of fuzzy feelings. Guess I won’t be picking up the second volume then. *sigh*
Oh, I’m so close to giving this a “didn’t like it”, which is a shame after hovering at “liked it” for a longish while. My opinion about this just kept going down and down.
The premise is not new, nor is it one I particularly enjoy. To have shifters bent on killing other shifter species because they’re supposedly inferior or prey… it depresses me. Racism is always ugly, but if coupled with physical assault and murder it gains a whole new level of horrifying. (And some of the guys perpetuating this are clearly going to be set up in their own volumes. I don’t think I want them rewarded.)
What I do like (to an extent) is how the mate thing is approached here. It’s the usual fated mates fare but not as straightforward, not as clear-cut. There is doubt and hesitation and second-guessing. Instant attraction and a connection, but with all that not throwing by the wayside the need to get to know one another. Which is funny, if you consider that, in theory, running blindly with the mating as you usually get would seem more animalistic, while in those books the animal side tends to be a lot less dire and harsh than here.
Okay, moving on to matters of logic. I can’t hold this back any longer. What happens to the clothes when they shift?
At the second shift there’s still no mention of clothes and we know at least for the second one the guy was clothed up to that moment, and we know he had to get dressed when shifting back to human earlier.
In the end we receive confirmation that clothes are… lost somehow, I guess, during a shift. Since no one ever seemed to care about that before, I’m guessing they’re just buying lots of clothes with the money they don’t have since no one seems to interact with humans in a significant or lucrative way.
Why not make use of the telepathy, by the way? This annoys me in nearly all stories that feature a mind radio. It seems as though a majority only uses it for mush or plot convenience but it gets ignored to facilitate plot whenever the author needs something specific to happen. This is more than sloppy.
So if in this variant telepathy only works short-distance, please tell us. Don’t assume. It’s not something we can use reality’s rules to determine.
As for the writing, there are some grammatical issues. The feel of the narrative differs from the overly casual prevalent in many shifter series, yet looking closely at it, a lot of the inner workings of the protagonists here consist in platitudes.
Often it’s not clear to whom the “he” in a sentence refers. I wish authors did not worry so much about just using a name again to avoid ambiguity. Yes, I have seen some readers complain about name frequency, but for coherence it seems justified. Just leave them out of direct speech for balance.
Emotionally… Well, I did feel awful for poor Nathan at one point. Yes, he’s a little naïve, but the few lines describing how he waits and loses hope sadden me. I suppose it does not take much for me to be sympathetic.
Because, let’s face it. By the end I am relieved to be done with this. I’m not taking away anything memorable or much in the way of fuzzy feelings. Guess I won’t be picking up the second volume then. *sigh*
December 15, 2011
This one is a little diff. than of shifter stories in that, they live most of the time in their animal, I think, they live in the forest in dens or holes in trees but then once in side they shifter to human. (must be a big hole in the tree)
At times it was confusing if they were in animal form or human, since they can "talk" telepathically to the others in their packs. And clothes "magically" disappear when they shift. Then they walk around in the woods in human form naked, cause some only have clothes hidden away for town trips.
But when they drop off Nathan and his family off into the "city" they have clothes "magically", cause before they were living in a grass den as foxes without any clothes.
Not sure I really like shifter stories with them mostly in animal form and if human form they still live in animal conditions. I like a clearer picture and this really isn't very clear at times.
(And they only use spit or Nothing since their living accommodations are that of their animals, for those that care about that.)
At times it was confusing if they were in animal form or human, since they can "talk" telepathically to the others in their packs. And clothes "magically" disappear when they shift. Then they walk around in the woods in human form naked, cause some only have clothes hidden away for town trips.
But when they drop off Nathan and his family off into the "city" they have clothes "magically", cause before they were living in a grass den as foxes without any clothes.
Not sure I really like shifter stories with them mostly in animal form and if human form they still live in animal conditions. I like a clearer picture and this really isn't very clear at times.
(And they only use spit or Nothing since their living accommodations are that of their animals, for those that care about that.)
December 17, 2011
I enjoyed Alpha Mate, but there are some gaping holes in the story that spoiled my overall impression of the book. In particular, the wolves and foxes' lifestyle in the forest was absurd. Running around naked and living in dens does not really help earn a living, nor does it explain how the protagonists can blend in so well when they have to mix with humans. And then there was the clothing that kept appearing and disappearing -- that was both annoying and confusing.
October 3, 2015
How did the wolves have a big handful of cash?
I like the book, hate the world it's set in. It does sound more realistic and more natural but also depressing.
When did Jacob heave time to teach him anything?
I love that things aren't black and white, that the seemingly repulsive Redden had valid reasons for what he did, if misguided.
I like the book, hate the world it's set in. It does sound more realistic and more natural but also depressing.
When did Jacob heave time to teach him anything?
I love that things aren't black and white, that the seemingly repulsive Redden had valid reasons for what he did, if misguided.
April 14, 2012
3.5 Stars
May 26, 2012
a nice read, but I still had difficulties finishing the story, it was beginning nicely and at the middle of the book became a little messy and the end was casual.
Want to read
December 13, 2011TITLE: Alpha Mate
BUT...none of the main perso are alpha...
BUT...none of the main perso are alpha...
December 16, 2011
3.5 stars
December 17, 2011
3.75 stars
shifters are a bit feral, but a really good story
Cannot wait for the next one
Going to try something else by this author!
shifters are a bit feral, but a really good story
Cannot wait for the next one
Going to try something else by this author!
July 29, 2016
Fun, enjoyable story with a small cute fox shifter and his big tough wolf shifter lover. Plot is believable enough, and there's a happy ending. Perfect if you're in the mood for something light.
December 22, 2011
3.5 stars
It was a fun reading, but some parts anoyed me also. Like the Alpha who keeps changing his mind if they could be together or not. But it was entertaining.
It was a fun reading, but some parts anoyed me also. Like the Alpha who keeps changing his mind if they could be together or not. But it was entertaining.
December 26, 2011
Good start. Its interesting pairing wolf/fox but plot has his weakness to.
December 27, 2011
This story was simple and easy. The plot was to unrealistic for my own taste, but enjoyable enough.
July 4, 2012
3.5 stars.
July 17, 2012
3.5 stars
May 21, 2012
3,5 *
August 17, 2012
I enjoyed this light and sweet story. 3.5 stars
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews