Red and Her Wolf: A Steamy Wolf Shifter Romance

by Deja O.Grey

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?

After her life falls apart, Emily O'Hara inherits her grandmother's summer cabin in the woods. As she explores the surrounding small town life and her sinfully attractive neighbour remains ever-mysterious despite his hot kisses, Emily is drawn into a magical whirlwind that threatens to take her very life.

Little does she realize that she possesses a wild magic all her own.

Genres: Retellings, Dark, Paranormal

406 pages, Paperback

Published December 5, 2021

About the author

Deja O.Grey loves writing passionate fantasy & paranormal romance, with strong heroines and heart-wrenching bad boys. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her many plants and extensive sticker collection

Visit my website at: www.dejaogrey.net

Reviews

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!!

A fun spicy take on a red riding hood retelling, but with witches and wolf shifters! There were a few plot holes but loved the spicy scenes!

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/28/2023)! 🎁

[Gumiho Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contains: Profanity, Sex, Abuse, and Violence

A Little Red Riding Hood spicy retelling.

Red and Her Wolf: A Steamy Wolf Shifter Romance by Deja O.Grey was a red hot steamy romantic love story. A burnt out, stressed, and recovering Red, Emily, has moved into her grandmother’s cabin, which was left to her after her passing. But upon moving in, she instinctively meets her neighbor, Kade, who awakes a part of her that she didn’t even know was asleep. Turns out, he is a wolf and witch and he wants her as much as she wants him, but with their potential relationship comes definitely danger for all.

It was great exposure to mental breakdowns, familial control, abuse, and living life after being abused, all within this one story. Although people experienced different things that harmed them in one way or another, that pain could be used as their power. It was great to see empowerment surfacing out of dark places. Having the wolf side be a metaphor for taming the beast in regards to abuse, was beautifully executed. Let’s not forget the insanely hot sex dreams! Deja was able to put you right in the middle of how Red and Kade felt at any given time and it was amazing.

There were a few times that it felt like things jumped rather than flowing smoothly. Aside from that, this was a fantastic story and brought such deep and adult life to a children’s tale.

If you are into hot steamy adult versions of your childhood fairy tales, this is for you!

I look forward to more retellings from Deja O. Grey!

*This was an honest review for a complimentary copy of Red and Her Wolf from Deja O. Grey via BookSirens

[Tanja Glavnik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

So overall, this is a fairly simple plot which we've seen before in other paranormal/shifter romances: girl moves to new place / girl meets boy next door / boy next door is kind of a bad boy / girl and boy can't resist each other but boy says he's bad for her / boy's family member comes to howl around the corners / girl and boy run off together / boy inevitably decides to send girl away / girl gets in trouble with his family member / boy and girl team up for a showdown and get their happily ever after.

In essence, this is a formula that works and has been utilized in many, many books up until this point, and I don't mind it. I wanted a light and easy read that wouldn't boggle the mind when I picked it up, so in that sense, Red and Her Wolf definitely was that and more.

The problem I had with this book is that it all felt a little bit glossed over. Kade and Emily were insta-lust that I never felt really developed into love throughout the book. On their own, they didn't exactly stand as strongly as individual characters, though seemed to hold down okay when together as a couple, which is problematic given they're supposed to be separate individuals for most of the book.

The lore was also very hastily penned down, though I liked the dark forest addition which you don't usually see, as the wolf is normally the bad guy - here, the forest is the thing to fear.

The villain was a little too villain-y that was almost comical, and a lot of things are kind of left unexplained, like, why EXACTLY didn't Phoenix just burn his ass when he showed up? Did the mom and Kade know who set the wards, because it's never made clear? Was the Grandma also psychic or what is this?

I feel like this was the beginning of a story that could be explored more deeply, so it's a little bit wobbly as a standalone, however, it WAS enjoyable for what I wanted, so three stars it is.

[tattooedbooknerdgirl35 (Amanda Lynn) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this advance copy for free and I am leaving an honest review voluntary

***Trigger warning: Profanity, Sex, abuse and violence**

I have to say I really enjoyed this steamy shifter romance. I enjoyed all the magic that was surrounded in this book. I have to say it really sucks you in its world of magic, shifters and witches. It is just such a wonderful book and has so much interesting stuff to read. There really isn't a part of this book that drags on or is boring.

A little bit about the book:

Emily always done for others and has gotten burnt out, she was in a job she hated and going to school to be a lawyer and she hated it. When her grandma died she left Emily a house and some money and her sister Ray a boat and money also. Ray is bringing Emily to her cottage in the woods. They were surprised how rundown and dirty it was inside and out. Emily was determined to get it in living ready. She cleaned for hours before she passed out. She wakes up to someone or something chopping wood and she is so tired she goes to see who's doing that and finds Kade. She asks him to stop and she goes back to bed. Over the course of the book they spend time together and something in the woods (The Brethren) is stalking Emily, Emily is in danger and Kade thinks he can save her by not falling for her making her important which would put her in danger. Come check it out and see how Kade and Emily deal with all the danger around them and how Emily finds out about Kade being a witch/Shifter and how she isn't exactly fully human herself. Her dreams she takes people into and all the other magic this book has to offer, it is such a great read.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This might be a retelling of the classic Little Red Riding Hood story in today's paranormal romance. I'm enamored with the characters, relationships, and how the author approaches magic and supernatural beings. The book takes a few twists and turns but eventually comes full circle. Emily and Kade are a steamy and hot couple, and I love the epilogue of this book. I like that the author added in her take on this paranormal fiction she created with lots of action and adventure, magic, and interesting characters.

Emily is on her way to her grandmother's cottage. The cottage is run down and needs some TLC. She meets her neighbor Kade after a frighting gift in this rural cottage. He nicknames her Red. I wonder if he is the big bad wolf?

Wow, she is already having steamy dreams about her neighbor. This gets interesting as the neighbor interact, and more information is dropped. Dream melding is supernatural. I'm not used to what are they, and they speak of the Brethren? Oh, he puts us out of our misery and reveals his heritage.

I didn't expect that, to be honest. We got back and forth on perspectives, and the authors' descriptions of the steamy scene are for a mature audience. Then the author time jumps back in time.. we get a vivid memory of Kades' youth and a lot of information about his paranormal person. He is a little hot and cold toward Emily, who he affectionally calls Red. However, the paranormals start to come out of the woodwork in this book, first with Kade, then his sister, and now this creepy guy Blake. Emily is bombarded with questions and thoughts or after-effects she doesn't quite understand.

This book gets a taste of horror as a blast from Kade's past causes trouble. He does the right thing but knows he must tell her his secrets, and he does, and she is surprisingly not running for the hills. However, life isn't peachy for them as they battle their internal struggles and doubts. A lot of action ensures, and this book comes full circle, but it was a great read. I love this ending and how amazing Red became when she embraced her magic and her skills. The relationship between Emily and Kade is hot and steamy but also a little tortured.

[Piros OlaSz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rates for me between 2,5-3. The plot itself is not bad. I like retellings and (nomen est omen) I was really intrigued by a Red Riding Hood rewrite. This one is not bad. I liked the idea of the witch-wolf Kade and maybe aome potentials to Emily? However I wasnt fully into Kade and found Red dramatizing a bit too much. I absolutely felt her running after her crush with no pride at all. And Mr Crush rude. Im also rather a Satie type than blues. And honestly I dont think in 21st century a 26yrs old is so lacking technical skills (no sm?!). So all in all I was in rather team Ash (not the serial killer vibe but rather badboy vibe and looks). And honestly I found it strange to have the wood cocnlusion as it was. If this is so simple why the flame couldnt go up earlier?! And strange ending for me with the main characters are not really gave much but rathet Phoenix was the solution.
Anyway overall good toughts and magic built (I really liked that) but wasnt totally engaged. If there is a book on badboy Ash with a more modern vibe I may pick it up…

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Bookish Mom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A whole lotta nothing. This is not exactly a book I would pick up again and read. There was a lot of surface story, but nothing in depth enough to enjoy the book. For that reason there were definitely parts that dragged on. The villain was so terrible it was almost comically bad. When he used mind control on Emily he made her do things that could be very triggering for people. There is also profanity, sex, and violence on top of all that. I just hated that this scene in particular had so much description and detail, but the scene with Kade’s mother talking to Emily about magic was non-existent. Not much related to the original tale and so many things went unanswered or were glossed over. But it’s steamy? I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

[Fran · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a pretty good book. It's a different play on Red riding hood with Red being the new neighbor and when Kade meets her he immediately warns her off. Red doesn't know Kade is a shifter and Kade's brother is the alpha of the pack called the Brethen and he is a bad shifter and pretty worthless. He is why Kade wants to protect Red, so they won't use her to get to him. This is a different play on red riding hood and it is a good shifter book. Kade and Red are steamy hot together and I this was a good read. I enjoyed it.

I received an advance copy for free and am I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Patricia Kieffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red and Her Wolf by Deja O. Grey

This is one great story. Emily (Red) inherits a house in DreamHill and her sister Ray inherits money from their grandma. Right next to Emily is a house with a very handsome man (Kade) living there with his sister Phoenis. Right from the start Emily and Kade are attracted to each other but fight the feelings. I really enjoyed reading this story and I am already starting the next book. I recommend this book. It is a page-turner. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[thewoollygeek (tea, cake, crochet & books)]

This was a nice and spicy read, but I just had a few issues with it, our MCs Kade and Emily were insta-love and didn’t develop but lust , even individually they didn’t feel strong characters, only when together. The bad guy was like a pantomime villain to me, way to camp for me to take seriously. The story i feel could have been so much more, I enjoyed it but would have liked more exploration, but I still enjoyed the read, I just wanted more from it.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Story of My Life?

This book had so many similarities compared to my real life, I absolutely loved how connected I felt with it. From Ray and Em being sisters, to my best friend Rachel, in real life being my soul sister. The fact my name is also Emily and the mmc is a huge lovable asshole just like my own husband. I loved the storyline, the writing was impeccable, and the connection I felt to this book felt as if it was written to be read by me only, I would absolutely reread this book. #FuckBlake

[MBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! I found myself quickly invested in the characters and the plot moved at a nice pace. The “steamy” scenes that were promised were well written and they definitely picked up in the second half of the book. I would gladly read more of this series and other books by this author based on how good this one was! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dogsandbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has some version of the fairytale but not much. Plot was pretty basic, insta love but the author tried to add on additional elements to make it seem less so but they didn't mesh in my opinion. I was left wanting to know more about their magic and the Red was a little too Mary Sue half way through the book. Would give 3.5 stars. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ 75%

Really disappointed. I LOVED the beginning of the book and Emily and Kade’s interactions in the cute little town. I was hooked. Then when they “escaped” and went south, it felt like a different book. The coziness was gone. Kade had a massive dickhead moment where he lost his temper and purposely scared Emily. And the author had Emily act apologetic and like it was her fault. Lost me completely after that.

[Veronica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a retelling of sorts of red riding hood. Add in some witches and loads of spice you have the story. I enjoyed the emotions packed into this fast paced book. Betrayal and love stabs at you from every page. Be sure to check all trigger warnings. I received this book as an ARC for my honest review. I wish I could give it 3.5 stars. Not quiet a 4 star but almost.

[Vixen Cameron · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
The FML was honestly not using her brain worth sh*t
The male lead was bland for a wolf…. And from what I skipped forward to see if this got better, he turns out to be massive dickhead for no reason. So… cool I guess…
The brother???? 😒👍 cool bro you have power issues with a bro complex….
The sister was a witch….
I honestly rolled my eyes more than once….

[Rach3l · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a decent book. I enjoyed the supernatural aspects since it involved shifters and witches. It was an interesting read even though it was a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.

Side note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review

[Mrs. Rein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its an overall good book an easy to read. Read the book on 1 evening. Only reason I couldnt put a 5 star, is beacuse I strugle with the timeline in the book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Di · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book one in the Dream Hill Shifters Series, a quite promising one may I say. Very enjoyable read with well-developed story line and characters. It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention the whole time. Twists and unexpected turns keep you breathless.

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a cute story!! A new little spin on Little Red Riding Hood 🐺🎀

I feel like I didn't really see that Kade was southern and it didn't come out in his voice until later in the book, so that transition was a bit weird for me. Didn't really seem natural. Other than that, I enjoyed it!

[ballerinareads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was steamy and I enjoyed every second of it

[Cory Whittam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is certainly a wide ride, kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to keep turning the pages

[Mikou · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, BookSirens and the author. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I chose this book because I was in the mood for a mix of romance and dark fantasy and because I like fairytale/folklore retellings. This book fulfilled that list but didn't live up to my hopes. The story felt a bit...empty. There were other characters besides the hero and heroine, but their development was superficial. There were hints of a supernatural organization, but I got no real sense of its scope or its purpose. The heroine accepts her new discovery of the supernatural too easily, in my opinion. The villain needed fleshing out. He was too one-dimensional to be interesting.

And a large portion of the story was spent in the thoughts of the heroine and hero. Their almost instant love and their self-flagellation and doubts made me tired.

Once in a while, there was a hint of what could have made the story more interesting for me. However, in the end, it was an okay read, at best.