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Rutledge Werewolves #1
Scent of Passion
Book 1 in the Rutledge Werewolves series
Sophie Briggs threw caution to the wind for one night, and found herself six weeks later staring at a scary line on her positive home pregnancy test. Now the biggest problem she has to face is whether or not to contact the father, a man she hardly knows. He may not know about her and the baby, but she is learning lots about him. Her nightly dreams are hot enough to ignite the bed sheets!
Artemais Rutledge, as Alpha Werewolf for his Pack, had been searching for his True Mate for more years than he cared to think about, and felt certain he had found her that one night with Sophie. His biggest problem is claiming her and making her his for all time.
When Artemais finally catches up with her, the sparks certainly fly, but she isn't as pliable as he believed. All he needs is to marry her and settle her in his house with their baby, explain he's a werewolf, and try to stop his brothers from finding out what a tough time he's having of it all.
He's certain it will be a piece of cake, if he could simply stop wallowing in her scent and get his head (the one on his shoulders) screwed on straight for more than a few seconds at a time.
Sophie Briggs threw caution to the wind for one night, and found herself six weeks later staring at a scary line on her positive home pregnancy test. Now the biggest problem she has to face is whether or not to contact the father, a man she hardly knows. He may not know about her and the baby, but she is learning lots about him. Her nightly dreams are hot enough to ignite the bed sheets!
Artemais Rutledge, as Alpha Werewolf for his Pack, had been searching for his True Mate for more years than he cared to think about, and felt certain he had found her that one night with Sophie. His biggest problem is claiming her and making her his for all time.
When Artemais finally catches up with her, the sparks certainly fly, but she isn't as pliable as he believed. All he needs is to marry her and settle her in his house with their baby, explain he's a werewolf, and try to stop his brothers from finding out what a tough time he's having of it all.
He's certain it will be a piece of cake, if he could simply stop wallowing in her scent and get his head (the one on his shoulders) screwed on straight for more than a few seconds at a time.
196 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2004
41 people are currently reading
938 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Lapthorne
83 books62 followersElizabeth Lapthorne has been writing professionally since 2002. She regularly goes to the gym to chew over her ideas; many a book has begun or been worked through while cycling on the bikes. She also loves to read, eat chocolate and talk for hours with her friends. Elizabeth loves to hear from her fans and can be emailed at elapthorne999@hotmail.com
For all currently available titles visit: https://elizabethlapthorne.weebly.com/
For all currently available titles visit: https://elizabethlapthorne.weebly.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
April 6, 2013
Alpha Artemais Rutledge has not been able to put the one night he spent with human Sophie Briggs out of his mind. He has spent years searching for his mate, wishing it was Sophie but a true mate is the only one he can conceive a child with and he wants to spare her feelings in the future. Instead he invades her dreams filled with erotic thoughts of all the wonderful things he would like to do to her body, until he realizes she is pregnant.
Sophie can't stop staring at the blue line she is wondering if it is a test malfunction, how can one night with a man lead to pregnancy? She has no clue on what to do, but she doesn't have to wonder much longer when Artemais shows up knowing that she is pregnant and making plans to spend the rest of their life together. The path to claiming his mate is not going to be as easy as he had hoped, for Sophie is sassy, has a mind of her own, and can be a bit grumpy in the morning.
I had been waiting for this book for awhile and it did not disappoint. Has a lead into Williams story, which I will need to reread so I can finish the series. I liked Artemais a lot, he is clueless on a couple of things with Sophie and as the Alpha who should know everything is grasping at straws on what to do with her and really doesn't want to turn to his brothers who will mock and laugh at him. Very fun read.
Sophie can't stop staring at the blue line she is wondering if it is a test malfunction, how can one night with a man lead to pregnancy? She has no clue on what to do, but she doesn't have to wonder much longer when Artemais shows up knowing that she is pregnant and making plans to spend the rest of their life together. The path to claiming his mate is not going to be as easy as he had hoped, for Sophie is sassy, has a mind of her own, and can be a bit grumpy in the morning.
I had been waiting for this book for awhile and it did not disappoint. Has a lead into Williams story, which I will need to reread so I can finish the series. I liked Artemais a lot, he is clueless on a couple of things with Sophie and as the Alpha who should know everything is grasping at straws on what to do with her and really doesn't want to turn to his brothers who will mock and laugh at him. Very fun read.
February 27, 2008
This Alpha finally found his mate. Now all he has to do is convince her that: a-he loves her, b-she loves him, c-she should accept him, his brothers, and his pack, AND d-he really is a werewolf...
Medium heat, warm story, all around feel-good book!
Medium heat, warm story, all around feel-good book!
September 2, 2009
O no, no, no. There went my streak of choosing good books. Nearly every single thing I dislike about romances/eroticas is in this book. I'm severely disappointed.
April 8, 2011
Sorry,
but what was the book meant to be about? I kept reading it to see if something interesting would happen...and was sorely disappointed when I finished it.
Every few chapters, a whole 8 pages of sex. It kinda got annoying after a while. Was hoping maybe Roland would be some bad guy or something might happen to Sophie or something interesting. But nope, nothing. Dont pick it up if you want to read something that holds your attention other than sex.
Im sorry, I really enjoy reading books but this one was a big no-no for me. Im sure Lapthorne's other books are better, but I know I wouldnt be contiuing the series.
but what was the book meant to be about? I kept reading it to see if something interesting would happen...and was sorely disappointed when I finished it.
Every few chapters, a whole 8 pages of sex. It kinda got annoying after a while. Was hoping maybe Roland would be some bad guy or something might happen to Sophie or something interesting. But nope, nothing. Dont pick it up if you want to read something that holds your attention other than sex.
Im sorry, I really enjoy reading books but this one was a big no-no for me. Im sure Lapthorne's other books are better, but I know I wouldnt be contiuing the series.
December 21, 2014
2.5 Stars for good writing. However, I wasn't a fan of the plot.
I didn't enjoy the romance or the erotica.
Why? There wasn't any.
An argument could be made that there was an element of erotica. Although the story included crotchless underwear...there was no real detail/foreplay/sizzle to me.
And lets be honest....why else would you read this type of book?
The story was of Artemais & Sophie. Artemais is the eldest of his brothers and is eagerly trying to find his mate. He will know his mate because she is the only one he will be able to get pregnant. Great romantic endeavor, right?
(insert eye-roll)
The story opens with Sophie taking pregnancy tests and thinking back on her night with Artemais.
She quits her job and is coming home when Artemais shows up and literally inserts himself into her life.
The Rutledge guys are more like a Rugby team than a sweet comforting family. All discussion of Sophie is less of her being a sought after mate, and more like an accessory to make Artemais' life complete.
Sophie moves in with the brothers at the drop of a hat. Artemais mate bites her without telling her and then doesn't explain why all the brothers are laughing and high-fiving him the next morning.
Even the marriage proposal was weak. "Why?" "Because you're having my baby."
A hero that is an emotionally ignorant cave man is soooo ordinary!
(sigh) So not really recommended unless it's free.
I didn't enjoy the romance or the erotica.
Why? There wasn't any.
An argument could be made that there was an element of erotica. Although the story included crotchless underwear...there was no real detail/foreplay/sizzle to me.
And lets be honest....why else would you read this type of book?
The story was of Artemais & Sophie. Artemais is the eldest of his brothers and is eagerly trying to find his mate. He will know his mate because she is the only one he will be able to get pregnant. Great romantic endeavor, right?
(insert eye-roll)
The story opens with Sophie taking pregnancy tests and thinking back on her night with Artemais.
She quits her job and is coming home when Artemais shows up and literally inserts himself into her life.
The Rutledge guys are more like a Rugby team than a sweet comforting family. All discussion of Sophie is less of her being a sought after mate, and more like an accessory to make Artemais' life complete.
Sophie moves in with the brothers at the drop of a hat. Artemais mate bites her without telling her and then doesn't explain why all the brothers are laughing and high-fiving him the next morning.
Even the marriage proposal was weak. "Why?" "Because you're having my baby."
A hero that is an emotionally ignorant cave man is soooo ordinary!
(sigh) So not really recommended unless it's free.
October 17, 2012
The story is about this shapeshifter (werewolf) who had an one-night stand with this woman who he KNEW to be his mate. She got pregnant - whoops! But this man was really happy because it meant that she was definitely his mate as only true mates can get pregnant. They face it together, much to the woman's dismay, who wasn't ready for him to show up out of blue. She met his family who consisted of 3 big, macho brothers. They argued about the gender of their baby and decided to keep it a surprise. It was a cute story.
After I complete the book, I asked myself - would I feel motivated to continue the series? My answer: I'm not sure. If I'm not sure, then probably a good chance that I wouldn't continue the series unless I'm really in mood. However, I thought the story was cute... I'm used to the story being predictable in this type of genre. A big villain, but that's not the case. It's more of an emotional battle between the Alpha and his Mate.
So it's a little different than what I'm used to but I liked it. I wasn't sure if I would continue the series because of how it was written. In some scenarios, it sounds a little strange and I couldn't relate to these. I normally can relate to people in any genre, especially paranormal so when I can't exactly relate to the characters in the book, it's eh on my part.
After I complete the book, I asked myself - would I feel motivated to continue the series? My answer: I'm not sure. If I'm not sure, then probably a good chance that I wouldn't continue the series unless I'm really in mood. However, I thought the story was cute... I'm used to the story being predictable in this type of genre. A big villain, but that's not the case. It's more of an emotional battle between the Alpha and his Mate.
So it's a little different than what I'm used to but I liked it. I wasn't sure if I would continue the series because of how it was written. In some scenarios, it sounds a little strange and I couldn't relate to these. I normally can relate to people in any genre, especially paranormal so when I can't exactly relate to the characters in the book, it's eh on my part.
February 7, 2012
Summary:Sophie Briggs threw caution to the wind for one night, and found herself six weeks later staring at a scary line on her positive home pregnancy test. Now the biggest problem she has to face is whether or not to contact the father, a man she hardly knows. He may not know about her and the baby, but she is learning lots about him. Her nightly dreams are hot enough to ignite the bed sheets!
Artemais Rutledge, as Alpha Werewolf for his Pack, had been searching for his True Mate for more years than he cared to think about, and felt certain he had found her that one night with Sophie. His biggest problem is claiming her and making her his for all time.
My Review: I really enjoyed the book. The characters were easy to love and adore. It was a page turner for me. If you don't like reading about sex a lot, don't read this book, it has many pages of sex (which was a bit annoying here and there) but overall really liked it. 18+ since it has sexual situations
Artemais Rutledge, as Alpha Werewolf for his Pack, had been searching for his True Mate for more years than he cared to think about, and felt certain he had found her that one night with Sophie. His biggest problem is claiming her and making her his for all time.
My Review: I really enjoyed the book. The characters were easy to love and adore. It was a page turner for me. If you don't like reading about sex a lot, don't read this book, it has many pages of sex (which was a bit annoying here and there) but overall really liked it. 18+ since it has sexual situations
August 31, 2016
Okay where to start.....i was sooo disappointed in this book. I had such high hopes for it after reading the blurb and downloaded it immediately. It started really interesting and i was starting to get into it but the it just kept getting worse and worse while i was waiting for something ANYTHING to happen. This book is why majority of people think that paranormal romances are just porn for us women. Don't get me wrong i love a good sex scene every now and then but that's all this book consists of. There is no real plot of any character development. All it basically was was Artemais and Sophie banging every 2 seconds. This book had such great potential to be a good book and I wish the author would have focused more on the world she created outside the bedroom.
January 31, 2012
I was sadly disappointed in this book. I kept expecting some sort of bloody external conflict to pop up and instead there was a lot of internal soul searching and little to no action. As someone who enjoys werewolves to an embarrassing degree, this saddened me. I'm also unclear as to whether Roland's inclusion in the book is supposed to be setup for a later book or just a plot line that wasn't fully explored.
December 29, 2018
Typical shifter romance. There's often an emphasis on them having heightened senses, including smell. But the lead's fascination with his girl's scent is a bit weird at times. Nothing interesting enough for me to read the rest of the series.
Read
January 1, 2022DNF @ 39%
Read
June 20, 2022DNF. Was not good
Read
August 29, 2022DNF @ 39%
January 15, 2024
This was short and sweet at just over 200 pages. :)
March 9, 2017
Confused
I think this book was written by two different people. It seems the first half of the book was written by somebody from England. I say this because of the word choices: crockery, cot, rucksack, satchel, clean [her teeth], cupboard, rashers.
And of course, 'bloody'
Oh, and smelt wasn't used properly.
The book took place in Montana. The second healed of the book was missing the odd choices in words. I was distracted by this otherwise I wouldn't be writing about it.
Lastly, I'm not a fan of when you mention people for the sole purpose of another book. William and Roland. It should stand alone. Like back door television pilots. Can't stand them!
I think this book was written by two different people. It seems the first half of the book was written by somebody from England. I say this because of the word choices: crockery, cot, rucksack, satchel, clean [her teeth], cupboard, rashers.
And of course, 'bloody'
Oh, and smelt wasn't used properly.
The book took place in Montana. The second healed of the book was missing the odd choices in words. I was distracted by this otherwise I wouldn't be writing about it.
Lastly, I'm not a fan of when you mention people for the sole purpose of another book. William and Roland. It should stand alone. Like back door television pilots. Can't stand them!
March 1, 2017
only thing i didnt like was the main males name pronounced art-te-may-is instead of artemis because apparently having a recognisable name isn't unique or special enough so his mum decided to slightly change the spelling and pronounciation to inconvienience everyone. like being a werewolf alpha isnt unique enough. besides this ends up being a stupid reason when you see his brothers names - such as william. well i read it as artemis anyway it was a bit annoying having to be constantly reminding my brain to read the name either the stupid way or the usual way while looking at the "unique version". should have changed the name to something that suited the character or just used art through the rest of the story bar the first intro.
March 24, 2015
Rutledge Werewolves - Scent of Passion By Elizabeth Lapthorne Book 1 in the Rutledge Werewolves series
Sophie Briggs threw caution to the wind for one night, and found herself six weeks later staring at a scary line on her positive home pregnancy test. Now the biggest problem she has to face is whether or not to contact the father, a man she hardly knows. He may not know about her and the baby, but she is learning lots about him. Her nightly dreams are hot enough to ignite the bed sheets!
Artemais Rutledge, as Alpha Werewolf for his Pack, had been searching for his True Mate for more years than he cared to think about, and felt certain he had found her that one night with Sophie. His biggest problem is claiming her and making her his for all time.
When Artemais finally catches up with her, the sparks certainly fly, but she isn't as pliable as he believed. All he needs is to marry her and settle her in his house with their baby, explain he's a werewolf, and try to stop his brothers from finding out what a tough time he's having of it all.
He's certain it will be a piece of cake, if he could simply stop wallowing in her scent and get his head (the one on his shoulders) screwed on straight for more than a few seconds at a time.
Sophie Briggs threw caution to the wind for one night, and found herself six weeks later staring at a scary line on her positive home pregnancy test. Now the biggest problem she has to face is whether or not to contact the father, a man she hardly knows. He may not know about her and the baby, but she is learning lots about him. Her nightly dreams are hot enough to ignite the bed sheets!
Artemais Rutledge, as Alpha Werewolf for his Pack, had been searching for his True Mate for more years than he cared to think about, and felt certain he had found her that one night with Sophie. His biggest problem is claiming her and making her his for all time.
When Artemais finally catches up with her, the sparks certainly fly, but she isn't as pliable as he believed. All he needs is to marry her and settle her in his house with their baby, explain he's a werewolf, and try to stop his brothers from finding out what a tough time he's having of it all.
He's certain it will be a piece of cake, if he could simply stop wallowing in her scent and get his head (the one on his shoulders) screwed on straight for more than a few seconds at a time.
August 13, 2019
Whilst this book is not my favourite, I do enjoy this series and the brothers.
As much as I love this whole series, this one is probably the hardest to like as it introduces the way things work in this world.
This is partly due to the way Artemais doesn’t pursue Sophie until he knows she is pregnant, even though he thinks she is his true mate.
He could have dated her to see what was between them and let Sophie get to know him. Makes me think his feelings are not true and if Sophie hadn’t been pregnant, would he have still wanted her.
Artemais explains why he acts this way but it seems selfish.
He is quite happy to have sex with strangers but will automatically love whomever he gets pregnant.
Liked Sophie and was glad she stood up to Artemais and didn’t accept everything without having her own input.
All the other characters in this series are interesting too. Loved the brothers’ antics.
Having read all the rest of this series I can put up with this book as I know what happens further on with the brother’s stories.
Have owned this book for many years but original review is missing.
I pick this series up every now and then for a reread.
Surprised and good to see this series in KU so am reading it that way but not expecting any changes.
As much as I love this whole series, this one is probably the hardest to like as it introduces the way things work in this world.
This is partly due to the way Artemais doesn’t pursue Sophie until he knows she is pregnant, even though he thinks she is his true mate.
He could have dated her to see what was between them and let Sophie get to know him. Makes me think his feelings are not true and if Sophie hadn’t been pregnant, would he have still wanted her.
Artemais explains why he acts this way but it seems selfish.
He is quite happy to have sex with strangers but will automatically love whomever he gets pregnant.
Liked Sophie and was glad she stood up to Artemais and didn’t accept everything without having her own input.
All the other characters in this series are interesting too. Loved the brothers’ antics.
Having read all the rest of this series I can put up with this book as I know what happens further on with the brother’s stories.
Have owned this book for many years but original review is missing.
I pick this series up every now and then for a reread.
Surprised and good to see this series in KU so am reading it that way but not expecting any changes.
February 29, 2012
I really would have preferred to give this 2.5 stars, but rounded up because I like the relationship between the brothers.
Plot moves pretty quickly, and the main character Sophie has a decent amount of back story. The author tried to weave in another storyline about a half werewolf that is just finding out who he is and what happened to his mom, however I don't think this was done particularly well. In fact, it seems like it was added to make the story seem like it had more depth.
The four brothers were fun to read about; protective, manly, good looking, loving...all around good package.
I don't think this story was thought out very well, and it shows. Easy read with romance and a good amount of detailed sex (though it seemed to get kind of repetitive). Did not have a clear myth as to how/why there are werewolves, which was a bit disappointing.
Plot moves pretty quickly, and the main character Sophie has a decent amount of back story. The author tried to weave in another storyline about a half werewolf that is just finding out who he is and what happened to his mom, however I don't think this was done particularly well. In fact, it seems like it was added to make the story seem like it had more depth.
The four brothers were fun to read about; protective, manly, good looking, loving...all around good package.
I don't think this story was thought out very well, and it shows. Easy read with romance and a good amount of detailed sex (though it seemed to get kind of repetitive). Did not have a clear myth as to how/why there are werewolves, which was a bit disappointing.
January 2, 2013
After a one night stand Sophia is stunned to find out she is pregnant. Artemais is sure Sophia is his mate so when he see's in her dreams she is pregnant he goes and finds her. Once Artemais finds Sophia he knows he needs to convince her that they are destined to be together and that he is a werewolf. Sophia is shocked to see Artemias and more shocked to find out that he wants to be with her and his child so she agrees to go to his home and get to know each other, as their relationship continues to grow Artemias knows he can't keep the truth of who he is from Sophia. This was a good story the characters were great especially Artemais's brothers they were hilarious. My only problem was that at times I found it hard to connect with the main characters and I'm not sure why because at times I found myself enjoying this book then skimming. Overall this was a fast ok werewolf book.
January 16, 2012
I really liked this book...It caught me from the beginning and I didn't put it down until I was done.... She's a relatively new author to me and the series is brand new to me as well... There were aspects of it that were iffy at times such as the Ronald character... I thought he was going to be trouble for Sophie and the pack but I'm glad I was wrong. I LOVED Artemais's brothers... A lot of the stuff they said and pulled gave me a few LOL moments. It has the potential of being a really great series so I can't wait to read the rest of the books and see if they were as good as I found this one....
February 10, 2012
This was an OK story with not enough conflict in the plot to hold my interest. The characters were shallowly drawn and pleasant enough folks. There was a light humor throughout.
I think the heroine, when told that the father of her child is a werewolf, came too easily to accept that this could be so. I'd have been shitting bricks.
The subplot was too divorced from the main plot, it should have been in a separate book.
The sex scenes were good but not great, and did not serve to forward the plot.
I think that what bothered me most was the lack of a theme. Most stories have one.
A nice way to spend an evening, I got it as a freebie, I wouldn't recommend buying it.
I think the heroine, when told that the father of her child is a werewolf, came too easily to accept that this could be so. I'd have been shitting bricks.
The subplot was too divorced from the main plot, it should have been in a separate book.
The sex scenes were good but not great, and did not serve to forward the plot.
I think that what bothered me most was the lack of a theme. Most stories have one.
A nice way to spend an evening, I got it as a freebie, I wouldn't recommend buying it.
March 3, 2012
Such a fun read! Really do not understand why anyone would complain that there is not enough sex in it. I felt it was a perfect amount to go with the story. I enjoyed each character and the humor that accompanies each one of them.
Everything was perfectly paced and it was very refreshing to read a book that does not have a horrific, crazed or violent criminal (type) in it and still hold intense curiosity of what will happen next. Loved, loved, loved and loved all of the brothers and their sexy personalities. Their striking good looks helped too (wink).
Cannot wait to read the rest of the series. You have a new fan Elizabeth!
Everything was perfectly paced and it was very refreshing to read a book that does not have a horrific, crazed or violent criminal (type) in it and still hold intense curiosity of what will happen next. Loved, loved, loved and loved all of the brothers and their sexy personalities. Their striking good looks helped too (wink).
Cannot wait to read the rest of the series. You have a new fan Elizabeth!
February 6, 2012
Technically there wasn't anything wrong with the writing but I had trouble with the story keeping my interest. Truthfully, I found myself skimming in places and I hated doing that. I like the concept of the four brothers being left after a portion of their family and pack being culled years before. And the personalities of the brothers was interesting and I liked their bantering but their wasn't any conflict, making the overall plot a little dull.
September 6, 2016
Interesting introduction to this author's world of werewolves . . . reminded me of my favorite Sherrilyn Kenyon book, which is Night Play, although this does not come up to the standard of the Dark Hunter series.
I enjoyed it enough that I will probably try to get the stories of the other brothers--this story featured Artemais, the oldest brother in the family who finds his mate, Sophie, when she comes to hear The Howlers play at a local bar.
I enjoyed it enough that I will probably try to get the stories of the other brothers--this story featured Artemais, the oldest brother in the family who finds his mate, Sophie, when she comes to hear The Howlers play at a local bar.
January 31, 2012
As one other reviewer noticed nothing ever happens in this story. Adding a werewolf to the mix doesn't make my neighbors more interesting.
Stories are driven by conflict: here there's nothing. But sex of course. Plenty boring. Why introducing some twist and plot elements if they do not move the story forward? What is the point of Roland?
Even in erotica there's better.
Stories are driven by conflict: here there's nothing. But sex of course. Plenty boring. Why introducing some twist and plot elements if they do not move the story forward? What is the point of Roland?
Even in erotica there's better.
February 2, 2012
Despite what i read on the first couple reviews of this book i really enjoyed it. It was a sweet story and though it didnt have any big drama, besides the baby and him being a werewolf, not all stories have to be action packed or in this case packed with sex either. It was a good read and will probably read it again in the future when i need a simple good story.
February 5, 2012
This is a relaxing, good weekend read. The alpha in the book is an oddity in the world of alpha weres, a guy that admits his feelings with little urging and one who will give up some control. The heroine is a bit much for my taste but I really enjoyed the book and will buy the others in the Rutledge series.
March 20, 2012
Ok book all around... The characters were likeable but not very complex. The story line went along but did not have any twists or surprises. I felt like at the end of the book nothing had happened. Problems were solved with little or no effort from the characters. Often things that were discussed as a possible story twist were just magically solved within a few pages. Erotica was ok.
April 24, 2019
this was a very enjoyable book to read i loved the concept of them only being able to concieve with their true mate. the overprotectivenes was romantic but a little annoying as she isnt a child but its because they care. i loved the community spirit. i also really enjoyed her being right all along with the gender of the baby. a very enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews