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Alpha Girl #1
Becoming Alpha
Tessa McCaide has a unique talent for getting into trouble. Then again, it isn’t easy for a girl with visions to ignore what she sees. Luckily Tessa and her family are leaving California and moving halfway across the country, giving her the perfect opportunity to leave her reputation as “Freaky Tessa” behind.
But Tessa doesn’t realize that kissing the wrong guy in her new Texas town could land her in far more trouble than she ever imagined. Like being forced to attend St. Ailbe’s Academy, a secret boarding school for werewolves.
Even if the wrong guy did accidentally turn her into one of “them” and doom her to attending the weirdest high school ever, Tessa can’t help her growing attraction to the mysterious Dastien Laurent.
When vampires attack St. Alibe’s and her visions pinpoint an enemy in their midst, Tessa realizes that boy drama and her newfound canine tendencies might just be the least of her problems.
But Tessa doesn’t realize that kissing the wrong guy in her new Texas town could land her in far more trouble than she ever imagined. Like being forced to attend St. Ailbe’s Academy, a secret boarding school for werewolves.
Even if the wrong guy did accidentally turn her into one of “them” and doom her to attending the weirdest high school ever, Tessa can’t help her growing attraction to the mysterious Dastien Laurent.
When vampires attack St. Alibe’s and her visions pinpoint an enemy in their midst, Tessa realizes that boy drama and her newfound canine tendencies might just be the least of her problems.
267 pages, ebook
First published December 17, 2013
1843 people are currently reading
16252 people want to read
About the author
Aileen Erin
25 books1,719 followersAileen Erin is half-Irish, half-Mexican and 100% nerd-from Star Wars (prequels don’t count) to Star Trek (TNG FTW), she reads Quenya and some Sindarin, and has a severe fascination with the supernatural. Aileen has a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at Austin, and an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. She lives with her husband, daughter, and mischievous mini bernedoodle in Texas, and spends her days doing her favorite things: reading books, creating worlds, and kicking ass.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,103 reviews
January 1, 2014
Stick to Twilight. This book is a fucking soap opera, y'all. You've got insta-love, a douche of a love interest, and a Mary Sue of a heroine that makes me sigh longingly for Bella Swan.
I don't know if you guys are familiar with US soap operas, but they're pretty ludicrous. They can be entertaining, if you're into that sort of shit, but frankly, I ain't got time for that. Ain't nobody got time for that.
Basically, they can stretch for like...20-30 years, and while the long-term plot is something like: WE MUST FIND OUT WHO KILLED THE DOCTOR'S WIFE'S LOVER'S BEST FRIEND IN THE INTENSIVE CARE WING OF THE HOSPITAL...the hows of getting there is pretty dumb. Essentially, in the process of finding the murderer, you'd have to see Lolita, Jezebel, and Delilah form an alliance against Charity and her sister, Compassion, while Charity is secretly in a relationship with the bad boy, Jett, but his twin brother Jaxx is fucking her in the wings (but he really thought he was screwing Compassion instead---what can I say, it was dark), and Jett and Jaxx's father, Brick is embroiled in a mess where he's being blackmailed due to his embezzling of the hospital's Orphan Fund, but one of the orphans is secretly his love child (who happens to be be Lolita's switched-at-birth sister, this family tree makes the Lannisters look normal) from a forbidden relationship he had when he was a young student in college.
I do actually have a point to make out of that stupid long-winded analogy. My point is that in a soap opera, the plot goes fucking nowhere, and what is supposed to be the actual fucking plot (in this book's case, a vampire invasion) is relegated to about 5% of the actual screen time. This book is so, so dramatic! It is so heavily romantic at the expense of a plot. It is filled with cat-fights, snarky bitchiness towards other girls, a girl who can't make up her fucking mind, and a douchenozzle of an alpha male (and Alpha wolf) of a love interest, who, runs hotter and colder than the fucking Katy Perry song (but at least with the song, I have the option of turning the station). It was such a fucking mess.
If you like Twilight with the melodrama and the romance and the stalking amped up to the nth degree, you will love this book. I'd take Bella---hell, I'd take fucking Edward Cullen over this book's so-called-swoonable dicksnozzle Dastien Laurent any day of the week. Ok, maybe not Thursday. Thursdays always finds me in a contrary mood.
Summary: Tessa's had a rough life. She's the pampered daughter of a major Hollywood lawyer and publicist who just happens to have famous movie stars and clients sidling up to him all the time, she's inherited her Latina mother's dark good looks, her family is affluent, her big brother adores his little sister. It's rough. Sooooooooo rough.
Oh, wait, it's rough because she seeeeees things, you see, Tessa has to wear gloves all the time. Without them, she seeeeeeeees things. Anything she touches, she feels "imprints" of its owner. It's really fucking vague, because there's supposed to be a fucking point to her visions, and they just seem to be random-ass crap things. This book tries to justify the visions, try to make some sense of out them, for example...
Because Tessa's life is so rough, because she's got to wear gloves all the time, Tessa can't fucking stay in a normal school for some fucking reason. She's been transferred all over the fucking place (and in Hollywood/West LA, that's a lot of fucking school she's got to choose from, trust me, I know). So her family decides to uproot themselves, and move to Nowheresville, Texas, where her father is going to give up his publicist/lawyer for the stars job to work for some crappy little private school called St. Ailbe's. But before they move there, Tessa has some viiiiiiiisions (oh, right, she can scry things, too, because she's a brujah witch by blood. She sees a young man, a handsome young man, who she's never seen before. But there's something about him!1!11 He sees into her soul! Despite having never met him before. Despite him being only a vision.
And then, she actually meets the boy from the vision. He's actually a man, a 20 year old man, a teacher at St. Ailbe's. His name's Dastien, and he's so fucking hot that it's a good thing that the laws defining statutory rape are extremely lax in Texas. Certainly, they have an instant connection. And it's so not weird that the second time they meet, he wants to kiss her. Nope, not weird at all. And that kiss. That fucking kiss. HIV might be less dangerous when transmitted.
Let me tell you something, when a guy you've barely met suddenly fucking grabs your face, kiss you, then bites you, then claws your shoulder, leaving you with 4-inch bloody gashes that give you a 108 degrees (that's 42.2 degrees Celsius for non-US peepz) fever that puts you in the fucking hospital suffering from excruciating pain and turns you into a werewolf, your first instinct should be to slap the living fuck out of him and yell "WHAT IN THE NAME OF SAINT MATTHEW'S HAIRY BALLS DID YOU DO TO ME, YOU HALFWITTED SON OF A MOTHERLESS TROLL", not think to yourself:
So Tessa's life is literally fucked. She has no future, because she is a werewolf. Tessa has to transfer to St. Ailbe's, which is somehow a school for werewolves because she cannot control her emotions, she is a danger to mankind.
What happens is a fuckton of Tessa being a fucking moron. Seriously, the dumb chick is given a book called...
You've got cat fights, cat fights, and MORE CAT FIGHTS (is it a cat fight if the girls are werewolves, too?) as the other girls resent the fact that Tessa is wanted and desired not only by fucking Dastien but all the fucking boys in the fucking yard. There are hot, hunky werewolf boys a la Jacob Black fighting themselves and wanting to claim Tessa as their mate! There's some vampire invasion somewhere in there. Maybe a few pages? I dunno.
The Characters: Why are you sooooo fucking special, Tessa?!
Tessa's not only a witch who sees things, but she's an extra-special witch because she can see visions without touching things as if her brain were a fucking TV. She's not only a werewolf, but she's an extra-special fucking werewolf, and even more special because she was able to be turned! Because it's soooooooo rare that a female gets turned through an actual werewolf bite.
All the boys fight over her! All the girls (except for one) everywhere she goes, at normal school, at St. Ailbe's---are slutty bitches who don't want her near their boyfriends! The amount of hormones in this book is just unbelievable.
The Romance: DEAR GOD, WHY? I felt like a counselor at a home for battered women reading this book! Dastien, or, as I like to call him in my head---Bastard-ien, is a fucking douche canoe. As I said, he fucking BIT her without her permission. By doing that (against the werewolf law, if I may add, and Tessa would have known that if she had READ THE FUCKING WEREWOLF BIBLE), he pretty much claimed her. Ruined her life. She has nowhere to go. She HAS to go to St. Ailbe's. College? Fuck that. A choice of a boyfriend? Fuck that. She is sentenced to being a werewolf for the rest of her very, very, very long life, and Tessa can't make up her fucking mind whether she's angry at him or not!!
Even her poor family knows better! Listen to this conversation! Her family has some sense!
His bite, his unlawful act of turning her into a werewolf, could have had dire consequences. Dastien could have killed her, because so few girls live through a werewolf's bite. But no! His inner fucking wolf called out to him! He couldn't control himself! No! That is NEVER an excuse!
I don't know if you guys are familiar with US soap operas, but they're pretty ludicrous. They can be entertaining, if you're into that sort of shit, but frankly, I ain't got time for that. Ain't nobody got time for that.
Basically, they can stretch for like...20-30 years, and while the long-term plot is something like: WE MUST FIND OUT WHO KILLED THE DOCTOR'S WIFE'S LOVER'S BEST FRIEND IN THE INTENSIVE CARE WING OF THE HOSPITAL...the hows of getting there is pretty dumb. Essentially, in the process of finding the murderer, you'd have to see Lolita, Jezebel, and Delilah form an alliance against Charity and her sister, Compassion, while Charity is secretly in a relationship with the bad boy, Jett, but his twin brother Jaxx is fucking her in the wings (but he really thought he was screwing Compassion instead---what can I say, it was dark), and Jett and Jaxx's father, Brick is embroiled in a mess where he's being blackmailed due to his embezzling of the hospital's Orphan Fund, but one of the orphans is secretly his love child (who happens to be be Lolita's switched-at-birth sister, this family tree makes the Lannisters look normal) from a forbidden relationship he had when he was a young student in college.
I do actually have a point to make out of that stupid long-winded analogy. My point is that in a soap opera, the plot goes fucking nowhere, and what is supposed to be the actual fucking plot (in this book's case, a vampire invasion) is relegated to about 5% of the actual screen time. This book is so, so dramatic! It is so heavily romantic at the expense of a plot. It is filled with cat-fights, snarky bitchiness towards other girls, a girl who can't make up her fucking mind, and a douchenozzle of an alpha male (and Alpha wolf) of a love interest, who, runs hotter and colder than the fucking Katy Perry song (but at least with the song, I have the option of turning the station). It was such a fucking mess.
If you like Twilight with the melodrama and the romance and the stalking amped up to the nth degree, you will love this book. I'd take Bella---hell, I'd take fucking Edward Cullen over this book's so-called-swoonable dicksnozzle Dastien Laurent any day of the week. Ok, maybe not Thursday. Thursdays always finds me in a contrary mood.
Summary: Tessa's had a rough life. She's the pampered daughter of a major Hollywood lawyer and publicist who just happens to have famous movie stars and clients sidling up to him all the time, she's inherited her Latina mother's dark good looks, her family is affluent, her big brother adores his little sister. It's rough. Sooooooooo rough.
Oh, wait, it's rough because she seeeeees things, you see, Tessa has to wear gloves all the time. Without them, she seeeeeeeees things. Anything she touches, she feels "imprints" of its owner. It's really fucking vague, because there's supposed to be a fucking point to her visions, and they just seem to be random-ass crap things. This book tries to justify the visions, try to make some sense of out them, for example...
Usually when I got one from physical contact with another person, I saw the last thing that affected them emotionally.Um. No. Not even close. I like visions, but if you're going to incorporate their use into a fucking book, it's gotta be consistent. Nothing about this book is consistent, so I should know better. Apparently, most people have their minds on sex, because I shit you not, the majority of the fucking visions within the book are of teenagers doing the horizontal tango and getting hot and heavy. Come on!
Because Tessa's life is so rough, because she's got to wear gloves all the time, Tessa can't fucking stay in a normal school for some fucking reason. She's been transferred all over the fucking place (and in Hollywood/West LA, that's a lot of fucking school she's got to choose from, trust me, I know). So her family decides to uproot themselves, and move to Nowheresville, Texas, where her father is going to give up his publicist/lawyer for the stars job to work for some crappy little private school called St. Ailbe's. But before they move there, Tessa has some viiiiiiiisions (oh, right, she can scry things, too, because she's a brujah witch by blood. She sees a young man, a handsome young man, who she's never seen before. But there's something about him!1!11 He sees into her soul! Despite having never met him before. Despite him being only a vision.
The younger one continued to stare in my direction. The look he gave me made my pulse race; it was like he was seeing through my soul. His muscles strained against his black T-shirt as he stepped toward me. His inky black hair made his amber eyes seem brighter.So Tessa and her family moves to Texas, where teenagers are dumb rednecks who falls for just about anything. They're in love with her because she's from Hollywood, and they haz keg parties, and they buy into the fact that wearing gloves is just the new fashion out of Hollywood...because surely, there's no such thing as the Internet and fashion blogs.
And then, she actually meets the boy from the vision. He's actually a man, a 20 year old man, a teacher at St. Ailbe's. His name's Dastien, and he's so fucking hot that it's a good thing that the laws defining statutory rape are extremely lax in Texas. Certainly, they have an instant connection. And it's so not weird that the second time they meet, he wants to kiss her. Nope, not weird at all. And that kiss. That fucking kiss. HIV might be less dangerous when transmitted.
Let me tell you something, when a guy you've barely met suddenly fucking grabs your face, kiss you, then bites you, then claws your shoulder, leaving you with 4-inch bloody gashes that give you a 108 degrees (that's 42.2 degrees Celsius for non-US peepz) fever that puts you in the fucking hospital suffering from excruciating pain and turns you into a werewolf, your first instinct should be to slap the living fuck out of him and yell "WHAT IN THE NAME OF SAINT MATTHEW'S HAIRY BALLS DID YOU DO TO ME, YOU HALFWITTED SON OF A MOTHERLESS TROLL", not think to yourself:
My mind was stuck on one thing. It had been an amazing kiss. The best I could ever imagine a kiss being. Even now, in pain, I’d do it again. No doubt. Something in the core of me needed him, and from the looks of him right now, the feeling was mutual.Girl, you've got to get your fucking priorities straight.
So Tessa's life is literally fucked. She has no future, because she is a werewolf. Tessa has to transfer to St. Ailbe's, which is somehow a school for werewolves because she cannot control her emotions, she is a danger to mankind.
What happens is a fuckton of Tessa being a fucking moron. Seriously, the dumb chick is given a book called...
“The Werewolf’s Bible. It’s basically a guide to everything about being a Were. It explains most of what you’ll be going through.”SHE DOESN'T FUCKING READ IT. SHE NEVER TOUCHES THE FUCKING BOOK. Half the fucking book could have been easily omitted if she had actually read the fucking thing so every. single. character. in the fucking school doesn't have to treat her like a fucking mentally-challenged 7 year old by reiterating the rules. IN THE BOOK THAT SHE DIDN'T FUCKING READ.
You've got cat fights, cat fights, and MORE CAT FIGHTS (is it a cat fight if the girls are werewolves, too?) as the other girls resent the fact that Tessa is wanted and desired not only by fucking Dastien but all the fucking boys in the fucking yard. There are hot, hunky werewolf boys a la Jacob Black fighting themselves and wanting to claim Tessa as their mate! There's some vampire invasion somewhere in there. Maybe a few pages? I dunno.
The Characters: Why are you sooooo fucking special, Tessa?!
It made one half-white, half-Mexican, part-werewolf, part-bruja woman want to scream. I didn’t fit into any nice little box in Los Angeles, and I sure didn’t fit into any of Mr. Hoel’s boxes now that I added a hefty dose of werewolf into the mix.
Tessa's not only a witch who sees things, but she's an extra-special witch because she can see visions without touching things as if her brain were a fucking TV. She's not only a werewolf, but she's an extra-special fucking werewolf, and even more special because she was able to be turned! Because it's soooooooo rare that a female gets turned through an actual werewolf bite.
Only one in a hundred guys can survive the transformation. And almost no girls live through it, more like one in ten thousand.You're one in a miiiiiiillion, Tessa!!!! I don't give a fuck.
All the boys fight over her! All the girls (except for one) everywhere she goes, at normal school, at St. Ailbe's---are slutty bitches who don't want her near their boyfriends! The amount of hormones in this book is just unbelievable.
The Romance: DEAR GOD, WHY? I felt like a counselor at a home for battered women reading this book! Dastien, or, as I like to call him in my head---Bastard-ien, is a fucking douche canoe. As I said, he fucking BIT her without her permission. By doing that (against the werewolf law, if I may add, and Tessa would have known that if she had READ THE FUCKING WEREWOLF BIBLE), he pretty much claimed her. Ruined her life. She has nowhere to go. She HAS to go to St. Ailbe's. College? Fuck that. A choice of a boyfriend? Fuck that. She is sentenced to being a werewolf for the rest of her very, very, very long life, and Tessa can't make up her fucking mind whether she's angry at him or not!!
Even her poor family knows better! Listen to this conversation! Her family has some sense!
Axel got in my face. “You can’t actually want to date that guy. He attacked you—”YOU KIND OF ARE, TESSA, YOU BIRDBRAIN! Dastien BIT YOU. Accident, my fucking arse!
My cheeks burned. “Attacked is a bit of a harsh word for what happened.” I couldn’t stand by and let them think that about Dastien. “It was an accident.”
“And the next time he hits you?” Mom asked.
My mouth dropped open. Holy crapola. They thought I was in an abusive relationship?
His bite, his unlawful act of turning her into a werewolf, could have had dire consequences. Dastien could have killed her, because so few girls live through a werewolf's bite. But no! His inner fucking wolf called out to him! He couldn't control himself! No! That is NEVER an excuse!
I could’ve died? Did Dastien even think about that?Dastien alternately ignores Tessa and acts like she's his property. He growls and punches and beats the living crap out of any guy who dares look at Tessa out of the corner of their eyes. Dastien is a fucking stalker. And Tessa likes it!!!!
“I wouldn’t let you out of my sight if I could manage it.”We've got a healthy relationship here, ladies and gentlemen!
I tugged on his hand. “Not cool. That’s more than a little stalker-ish, dude.”
He gazed down at me. “I thought girls liked that kind of thing.”
“Yeah. It’s kind of nice.” I grinned.
May 24, 2025
I stumbled upon this book and gave it an attempt with low expectations... unfortunately it didn't even meet those. *facepalm*
Despite her fear of attention, our heroine turns into a total special snowflake witch werewolf
“If my life were a movie, everyone would’ve noticed me walking through the parking lot and stared. Good thing I lived in real life and was blissfully ignored.”
If you want an angsty read then proceed. I definitely see the appeal of it and my book policy is always zero judgments. But I gotta be honest and say I have read lotta more dynamic fun werewolf books so to me, this was just a backburner shelf one
Let's review the facts, shall we...
Her parents actually introduce her to this magical life that she has nEvEr KnOwN about previously ... And then still refuse to tell her any fUcKiNg info on the WITCH side and its making me REALLY angry
They aint dead.they aint hiding. they just literally NOT TELLING HER SHIT WHILE LIVING IN THE SAME HOUSE, ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME
And yet despite the very fact she doesn't knowmuch anything about being a witch or a werewolf, she soon becomes a powerful alpha that struts around with absolutely no sense of consequences
“Blondie budged only enough to move off the planter, rising slowly.
I took another bite of my ice cream as the girl tried to stop the fight. Ice cream and a fight? Best mall trip ever.”
Not only is she a social butterfly, but she loves violence or more of watching others. She goes as far as to text her brother because she doesn't want him to miss it. This type of character is funny WHEN placed in situations of loving violence but willing to stick up for her people.
This chick was sadly... one-dimensional.
Secondary characters had good attempts but fell short and weren't really developed
“He paused. “I didn’t want to have to say this, but I double-dog dare you.”
that is a legitimate line written in the book. That was so stupid i laughed. And i get it, siblings are always hard to write in my opinion. The banter, attitudes back and forth must be just right. Somehow the brother isn't at all part of the witch werewolf family problem we going thru ??? or willing to help his sister work through the problems ?? or get his parents to share info ??? i mean da fuck is this bro doing all book??
The love interest was a perfect perfecty dude that was attempted to make less perfect through his constant fuck ups as a possessive asshole. How romantic.
Essentially took a wrecking ball between hot alpha and weird controlling stalker and at times he literally made everything harder and worse for our herorine during an ALREADY bad situation ... like wow great... thanks bruh....
That being said... there were pretty hilarious funny lines in here that I did appreciate and prevented me from DNF
“Anyone have a name of a good dermatologist? Anyone?” I paused. “Anyone?” Still got nothing. “Bueller?” I sighed. Wolves really had no sense of humor.”
Overall, the heroine really had an average funny personality that ultimately turned into just another special snowflake. The secondary characters were good attempt but made me sad because they were clearly not developed. The plot revolved around the heroine's uber magical different abilities that just quickly turned me off this. Maybe I was just in the wrong mood cuz it seemed right up my genre. This was one of those great ideas ... but the executions left you kinda disappointed
Despite her fear of attention, our heroine turns into a total special snowflake witch werewolf
“If my life were a movie, everyone would’ve noticed me walking through the parking lot and stared. Good thing I lived in real life and was blissfully ignored.”
If you want an angsty read then proceed. I definitely see the appeal of it and my book policy is always zero judgments. But I gotta be honest and say I have read lotta more dynamic fun werewolf books so to me, this was just a backburner shelf one
Let's review the facts, shall we...
Her parents actually introduce her to this magical life that she has nEvEr KnOwN about previously ... And then still refuse to tell her any fUcKiNg info on the WITCH side and its making me REALLY angry
They aint dead.they aint hiding. they just literally NOT TELLING HER SHIT WHILE LIVING IN THE SAME HOUSE, ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME
And yet despite the very fact she doesn't know
“Blondie budged only enough to move off the planter, rising slowly.
I took another bite of my ice cream as the girl tried to stop the fight. Ice cream and a fight? Best mall trip ever.”
Not only is she a social butterfly, but she loves violence or more of watching others. She goes as far as to text her brother because she doesn't want him to miss it. This type of character is funny WHEN placed in situations of loving violence but willing to stick up for her people.
This chick was sadly... one-dimensional.
Secondary characters had good attempts but fell short and weren't really developed
“He paused. “I didn’t want to have to say this, but I double-dog dare you.”
that is a legitimate line written in the book. That was so stupid i laughed. And i get it, siblings are always hard to write in my opinion. The banter, attitudes back and forth must be just right. Somehow the brother isn't at all part of the witch werewolf family problem we going thru ??? or willing to help his sister work through the problems ?? or get his parents to share info ??? i mean da fuck is this bro doing all book??
The love interest was a perfect perfecty dude that was attempted to make less perfect through his constant fuck ups as a possessive asshole. How romantic.
Essentially took a wrecking ball between hot alpha and weird controlling stalker and at times he literally made everything harder and worse for our herorine during an ALREADY bad situation ... like wow great... thanks bruh....
That being said... there were pretty hilarious funny lines in here that I did appreciate and prevented me from DNF
“Anyone have a name of a good dermatologist? Anyone?” I paused. “Anyone?” Still got nothing. “Bueller?” I sighed. Wolves really had no sense of humor.”
Overall, the heroine really had an average funny personality that ultimately turned into just another special snowflake. The secondary characters were good attempt but made me sad because they were clearly not developed. The plot revolved around the heroine's uber magical different abilities that just quickly turned me off this. Maybe I was just in the wrong mood cuz it seemed right up my genre. This was one of those great ideas ... but the executions left you kinda disappointed
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November 12, 2015
Becoming Alpha is book one in the Alpha Girl series by Aileen Erin. This seems to be the debut book by Aileen and WOW am I ever impressed. This book completely had me right from the first page and did not let go until the last.
Meet Tessa McCaide. She is 17 years old and lives with her brother and parents in Los Angeles. Tessa has always been the outcast at school because she has a gift but her peers perceive it as making her a freak. When she touches someone, she has visions of things they have done. She can’t turn it off so she wears gloves at all times. Her brother who is also her best friend is about to go off to college so her parents announce that they are moving to Texas. Her first few days at her new school seem to go alright until she attends a party and meets Dastien Laurent. She instantly feels a pull to him and sitting next to him she gets her first kiss. But this kiss changes her life. You see, Dastien is a werewolf, and he has chosen Tessa for his mate. He didn’t mean to, but when they kiss, he bites her. And the bite causes her to change into a werewolf as well.
Tessa is thrust into a new life with things she never knew existed. It seems as though werewolves aren’t the only mystical creatures walking our earth. There are also bad guys, very bad guys, vampires. And now she has to change schools again to a special school for others like her, St. Alibe’s. Here she can learn about her new way of life and the power she now has. But, not only is she trying to come to terms with what she now is, Dastien has a crazy effect on her whenever he is near. Can she forgive him for completely changing her life? Will she accept his claim that she is his mate? And what will happen with the visions she used to have? Will they be different now?
There is also someone in their midst that wants power, wants to be the alpha. And he is using the vampires to get it. All of the people that are important to Tessa are in danger. After the initial change, Tessa has not allowed her inner wolf to emerge. But she must find a way to help everyone.
I really loved this book. I instantly fell in love with both Tessa and Dastien and loved witnessing their slow growth as a couple. And when we first meet Tessa, we might perceive her as being weak. But as she accepts her new way of life and her feelings for Dastien, we see her inner strength emerging and her acceptance of her gifts. I loved that the book didn’t really end in a big cliff hanger but we still know there are many issues to be resolved and much more ahead for Tessa and Dastien. I can’t wait for the next book. Great job Aileen! This was a wonderful book!!!
Thanks to Netgalley, Ink Monster and Aileen Erin for allowing me the opportunity to read this book.
Meet Tessa McCaide. She is 17 years old and lives with her brother and parents in Los Angeles. Tessa has always been the outcast at school because she has a gift but her peers perceive it as making her a freak. When she touches someone, she has visions of things they have done. She can’t turn it off so she wears gloves at all times. Her brother who is also her best friend is about to go off to college so her parents announce that they are moving to Texas. Her first few days at her new school seem to go alright until she attends a party and meets Dastien Laurent. She instantly feels a pull to him and sitting next to him she gets her first kiss. But this kiss changes her life. You see, Dastien is a werewolf, and he has chosen Tessa for his mate. He didn’t mean to, but when they kiss, he bites her. And the bite causes her to change into a werewolf as well.
Tessa is thrust into a new life with things she never knew existed. It seems as though werewolves aren’t the only mystical creatures walking our earth. There are also bad guys, very bad guys, vampires. And now she has to change schools again to a special school for others like her, St. Alibe’s. Here she can learn about her new way of life and the power she now has. But, not only is she trying to come to terms with what she now is, Dastien has a crazy effect on her whenever he is near. Can she forgive him for completely changing her life? Will she accept his claim that she is his mate? And what will happen with the visions she used to have? Will they be different now?
There is also someone in their midst that wants power, wants to be the alpha. And he is using the vampires to get it. All of the people that are important to Tessa are in danger. After the initial change, Tessa has not allowed her inner wolf to emerge. But she must find a way to help everyone.
I really loved this book. I instantly fell in love with both Tessa and Dastien and loved witnessing their slow growth as a couple. And when we first meet Tessa, we might perceive her as being weak. But as she accepts her new way of life and her feelings for Dastien, we see her inner strength emerging and her acceptance of her gifts. I loved that the book didn’t really end in a big cliff hanger but we still know there are many issues to be resolved and much more ahead for Tessa and Dastien. I can’t wait for the next book. Great job Aileen! This was a wonderful book!!!
Thanks to Netgalley, Ink Monster and Aileen Erin for allowing me the opportunity to read this book.
March 21, 2022
March 2022 - If you had told me I would be rereading this book almost 9 years later I would have looked at you funny and moved on. BUT alas here we are! If I'm being honest I jumped at the opportunity to read this book because this was one of my one-that-got-away series. I absolutely loved it but after 3 books the main character changed and it was jarring enough that it turned me off the series as a whole.
All this time later, I can see what younger me loved about this series but I no longer feel a connection to it. I dislike Dastien as a whole this time around. I also didn't love how special Tessa was and all the implications that drummed up. I thought I would finish this book and want to continue on in the series to eventually get to the book that I was thrown by. That was a pipe dream and won't be happening. I won't change my rating for this book because it was what I felt at the time even though it doesn't represent how I feel about it today.
_________________
November 2013 -
Originally posted at:
Nocturnal Predators Reviews
*eARC was provided by the publisher in exchange of an honest review.
I loved, loved, loved this book! I stayed up until the wee hours of the night reading this! It was that good. It's not perfect, but it sure was entertaining and I am crazy for book 2 at the moment.
Tessa was a very forgiving (it become annoying how forgiving she was by the second half of the book), would-die-for-a-normal-life girl. The problem is she has to wear gloves/cover her skin at all times because every time someone touches her she has visions/reads emotions and it really takes a toll. That's probably why she tries so hard to fit in with a clique that has nothing to do with her interests and due to peer pressure decides to drink a shot of tequila at a party (P.S. She had never drunk alcohol before this).
Dastien was the hero. Tessa's and his relationship was also insta-love and just for that the book became your typical love triangle werewolf story.
It was a turn-off, but the story (apart from that) was pretty creative and well written so I continued on. Dastien is the all around nice guy with an ahhhmazing body and has an actual brain that functions. What I hated about him when he was introduced was that he ignored her and glued himself to Queen Bitch (Imogene - Even her name sounds Queeny to me -shudders-). Sure, we later found out it was at her parents request to give her "space", but all it did was add unnecessary drama to a very good action story.
I will admit that I was Team Chris in the beginning. Especially since I imagined him as Liam Hemsworth....Dreamy -sigh-.
He was there for her in the beginning unlike Mr. Insta-love.
Meredith is the BFF I will always want to have. She's caring, understanding and is always on your side. No. Matter. What. & Best of all she wasn't plotting to take Dastien away from Tessa, unlike Shannon.
The ending was nice. Sure, a little predictable and finished WAY too fast, but nice. If it were any other author she would have stopped the book with the kidnapping and leave everyone hanging. You know what? I respect Mrs. Erin because she didn't do that. She knows there are a lot of subplots to be resolved in the story still and she can always integrate another big bang at the end of book two. So it's a win-win.
Favorite Quotes:
"Yes. I want you to continue talking so I can finish eavesdropping."
"It was like I walked into a living Abercrombie Ad." (My thoughts: Why isn't my college like this? URGH...Real life sucks....=/)
"Do you believe in love at first sight? Or should I tackle you again?"
All this time later, I can see what younger me loved about this series but I no longer feel a connection to it. I dislike Dastien as a whole this time around. I also didn't love how special Tessa was and all the implications that drummed up. I thought I would finish this book and want to continue on in the series to eventually get to the book that I was thrown by. That was a pipe dream and won't be happening. I won't change my rating for this book because it was what I felt at the time even though it doesn't represent how I feel about it today.
_________________
November 2013 -
Originally posted at:
Nocturnal Predators Reviews
*eARC was provided by the publisher in exchange of an honest review.
I loved, loved, loved this book! I stayed up until the wee hours of the night reading this! It was that good. It's not perfect, but it sure was entertaining and I am crazy for book 2 at the moment.
Tessa was a very forgiving (it become annoying how forgiving she was by the second half of the book), would-die-for-a-normal-life girl. The problem is she has to wear gloves/cover her skin at all times because every time someone touches her she has visions/reads emotions and it really takes a toll. That's probably why she tries so hard to fit in with a clique that has nothing to do with her interests and due to peer pressure decides to drink a shot of tequila at a party (P.S. She had never drunk alcohol before this).
Dastien was the hero. Tessa's and his relationship was also insta-love and just for that the book became your typical love triangle werewolf story.
"The spark was Fourth of July-sized with Dastien."
It was a turn-off, but the story (apart from that) was pretty creative and well written so I continued on. Dastien is the all around nice guy with an ahhhmazing body and has an actual brain that functions. What I hated about him when he was introduced was that he ignored her and glued himself to Queen Bitch (Imogene - Even her name sounds Queeny to me -shudders-). Sure, we later found out it was at her parents request to give her "space", but all it did was add unnecessary drama to a very good action story.
I will admit that I was Team Chris in the beginning. Especially since I imagined him as Liam Hemsworth....Dreamy -sigh-.
"Chris was nice and funny and easy to be around and also hot."
He was there for her in the beginning unlike Mr. Insta-love.
Meredith is the BFF I will always want to have. She's caring, understanding and is always on your side. No. Matter. What. & Best of all she wasn't plotting to take Dastien away from Tessa, unlike Shannon.
The ending was nice. Sure, a little predictable and finished WAY too fast, but nice. If it were any other author she would have stopped the book with the kidnapping and leave everyone hanging. You know what? I respect Mrs. Erin because she didn't do that. She knows there are a lot of subplots to be resolved in the story still and she can always integrate another big bang at the end of book two. So it's a win-win.
Favorite Quotes:
"Yes. I want you to continue talking so I can finish eavesdropping."
"It was like I walked into a living Abercrombie Ad." (My thoughts: Why isn't my college like this? URGH...Real life sucks....=/)
"Do you believe in love at first sight? Or should I tackle you again?"
March 24, 2020
I'm a sucker for the werewolf genre and I could definitely sink my teeth into this book!
I became addicted to the story starting at page one. The characters were interesting and well developed. The romance held real chemistry and I was rooting for them through the whole book.
Overall, I just loved the book and can't wait for the next one out in May 2014. This book gets five glittery stars because, holy hot sauce, it was awesome!
I became addicted to the story starting at page one. The characters were interesting and well developed. The romance held real chemistry and I was rooting for them through the whole book.
Overall, I just loved the book and can't wait for the next one out in May 2014. This book gets five glittery stars because, holy hot sauce, it was awesome!
December 3, 2013
4.5 Wolferful stars!!
Loved Loved LOVED this book!
If you are a paranormal romance freak like I am you MUST read this!!!!
It has...
Vampires...(but not of the hot variety I must say)
Werewolves...(of the hot variety ;))
And Witches...(the nice kind)
Story starts with Tessa. A teenager with a ability to read glimpses of people's (and objects) past just by touching them. Cool right? She hates it. Wears gloves so that she doesn't have to read everything she touches. She was optimistic with a new start when her father announces he is taking a job in Texas. She is instantly attracted to Dastien (of course who wouldn't?)
Dastien is one hot alpha wolf. His mysterious and confident ways instantly attract Tessa but is it the other way around?
The bookstore suddenly lost its appeal. There is only one thing for a girl to do when she had a close encounter with a guy that hot. Ice cream. I needed lots and lots of ice cream.
Until the unforeseen (even to her) happens one night that leaves Tessa in the middle of a pack of wolves...alone. She instantly befriends of some of them as well as makes a few enemies. Oh and lot's of Dastien....grrrr.
This story is full of action and suspense. Beautifully written Aileen. I cannot wait until May 2014 for the next one!!!!
This book was given to me for a fair and honest review.
Read more on my blog Home Is Where the Wine Is Book Blog
Loved Loved LOVED this book!
If you are a paranormal romance freak like I am you MUST read this!!!!
It has...
Vampires...(but not of the hot variety I must say)
Werewolves...(of the hot variety ;))
And Witches...(the nice kind)
Story starts with Tessa. A teenager with a ability to read glimpses of people's (and objects) past just by touching them. Cool right? She hates it. Wears gloves so that she doesn't have to read everything she touches. She was optimistic with a new start when her father announces he is taking a job in Texas. She is instantly attracted to Dastien (of course who wouldn't?)
Dastien is one hot alpha wolf. His mysterious and confident ways instantly attract Tessa but is it the other way around?
The bookstore suddenly lost its appeal. There is only one thing for a girl to do when she had a close encounter with a guy that hot. Ice cream. I needed lots and lots of ice cream.
Until the unforeseen (even to her) happens one night that leaves Tessa in the middle of a pack of wolves...alone. She instantly befriends of some of them as well as makes a few enemies. Oh and lot's of Dastien....grrrr.
This story is full of action and suspense. Beautifully written Aileen. I cannot wait until May 2014 for the next one!!!!
This book was given to me for a fair and honest review.
Read more on my blog Home Is Where the Wine Is Book Blog
January 4, 2014
I bought this on a whim when it popped up on my Amazon recommendations thinking my wife would like it since she’s a YA librarian and on a werewolf kick lately. Strong characters and a unique spin made me order this just a few pages into the Kindle sample. I read a fair amount of YA but this easily eclipses most of the adult UF I read. The story takes its time getting to the werewolf elements, but the rich family life, school scenes make the journey well worthwhile. The dialogue is clever, realistic and has a touch of Whedonesque whimsy. Some of the characters and situations are familiar, but I really enjoyed how the author includes some here-to-fore social and cultural elements downplayed or ignored by a lot of UF writers. The big problem with a book like this is the wait for the next one in the series.
January 17, 2022
A fun paranormal romance with werewolves. I liked the diversity of the characters and having a boarding school for werewolves. There were some nice touches of humor as well.
Want to read
June 27, 2019*****Permanfree*******
Rest of the series is Free for KU subscribers.
Rest of the series is Free for KU subscribers.
February 8, 2016
Omigosh! I loved this book!
Oh how I wish I could binge on this series right now! I'm thrilled I gave this story a go. It hooked me right from the beginning and I devoured it in one day!
Tessa, a recent transplant to Texas, is about to start her senior year. She has issues making friends but is trying to be optimistic. See, Tessa can't touch anyone or most anything - even the slightest brush - without getting visions. She's never even had a boyfriend because what girl wants to know, in vivid detail, the inner workings of a teenage boy's mind? When she first 'meets' Dastien, it's altogether different. And then some things happen and Tessa finds herself attending yet another new school - and this one has an exclusive student body.
That's really all I want to say about what happens in the book because I think it'll work best if it's experienced. As I said, I devoured this story. It has a unique setup and I really liked Tessa as a heroine. She's tough and resilient. I liked her relationship with her family. Her parents and her brother, Axel, are loving, protective, and supportive. And I also liked how things were set up at St. Ailde's. It was fascinating learning about the world Tessa now inhabits right alongside her. And watching as she grows more confident in herself and her abilities, as she's working at solving a mystery and then dealing with the fallout over solving it was exciting. I liked how Erin wove in more adult issues with some typical teenage ones - it gave the story a more mature tone.
My only gripe is that despite that mature tone, there is some angst caused by something that could have been solved with better communication. However, I really adored this story and I'm sorry I can't binge on this series right away. I do plan on using some holiday loot on the rest of the series and I will get caught up in it soon!
Oh how I wish I could binge on this series right now! I'm thrilled I gave this story a go. It hooked me right from the beginning and I devoured it in one day!
Tessa, a recent transplant to Texas, is about to start her senior year. She has issues making friends but is trying to be optimistic. See, Tessa can't touch anyone or most anything - even the slightest brush - without getting visions. She's never even had a boyfriend because what girl wants to know, in vivid detail, the inner workings of a teenage boy's mind? When she first 'meets' Dastien, it's altogether different. And then some things happen and Tessa finds herself attending yet another new school - and this one has an exclusive student body.
That's really all I want to say about what happens in the book because I think it'll work best if it's experienced. As I said, I devoured this story. It has a unique setup and I really liked Tessa as a heroine. She's tough and resilient. I liked her relationship with her family. Her parents and her brother, Axel, are loving, protective, and supportive. And I also liked how things were set up at St. Ailde's. It was fascinating learning about the world Tessa now inhabits right alongside her. And watching as she grows more confident in herself and her abilities, as she's working at solving a mystery and then dealing with the fallout over solving it was exciting. I liked how Erin wove in more adult issues with some typical teenage ones - it gave the story a more mature tone.
My only gripe is that despite that mature tone, there is some angst caused by something that could have been solved with better communication. However, I really adored this story and I'm sorry I can't binge on this series right away. I do plan on using some holiday loot on the rest of the series and I will get caught up in it soon!
March 22, 2025
May I interest you in:
🐺 wolfs (good-ish guys), witches (tbd), and vampires (bad guys; not the hot kind)
🧙🏻♀️ teen romance
🧛🏼 boarding school
🐺 since POV
🧙🏽 hybrid
🐺 fated mate
Overall, an enjoyable read, which also includes a bit of feminism and self-respect (the whole, alpha male "you are mine" scenario plays out, but the MC questions it and tries (I repeat: tries) to resist it).
With this said, I just realized there are other 7 books - forget, this series is toooo long.
🐺 wolfs (good-ish guys), witches (tbd), and vampires (bad guys; not the hot kind)
🧙🏻♀️ teen romance
🧛🏼 boarding school
🐺 since POV
🧙🏽 hybrid
🐺 fated mate
Overall, an enjoyable read, which also includes a bit of feminism and self-respect (the whole, alpha male "you are mine" scenario plays out, but the MC questions it and tries (I repeat: tries) to resist it).
With this said, I just realized there are other 7 books - forget, this series is toooo long.
December 28, 2022
It's one thing to be considered a bruja, a powerful witch that can feel the memories of people based on items that were touched by them. It makes it so difficult to be around anybody, or any public place for that matter. One of the very few perks of being a bruja would be getting brand new items just for yourself, whether it's clothes or books or furniture. It's almost too much for Tessa to handle. So when her family gets relocated from busy California to rural Texas, she takes it a chance to start over, a chance to not be "Freaky Tessa".
It seems to be going well for her, with her getting invited to a party early on in her arrival, but something happened. Something that should have been a good thing for her, but ended up being so very wrong. See, Tessa ends up getting kissed by a boy that she met when first arrived, but that's not all she got. And when her so-called friends find out what happened, they basically abandon her and want nothing to do with her. How bad could that kiss be that this group of Tessa's friends would completely leave her? It all makes sense when Tessa has to attend the boarding school that her father recently got a job at the whole reason why Tessa and her family relocated in the first place.
It's one thing to be a bruja, but now Tessa has to deal with being a werewolf too. And if that's something surprising, it's also worth noting that this boarding school, St. Alibe's, is a boarding school completely made up of werewolves. Not only are there werewolves involved, even the mean girl werewolves that make high school such a wonderful place, but they have to go up against their mortal enemies - the vampires, and they are anything but nice.
This book honestly had such a fresh feel on the werewolf mythology. There are so many books about vampires and while this book still does pit them against werewolves, it's nice to read about the werewolves as the main species to root for rather than the vampires. This was the first book specifically about werewolves that I've read and I honestly really loved it. It also had witch mythology involved and having Tessa become an enigma to her kind, both a witch and a werewolf, making her one of the most powerful supernatural creatures in this world was a stroke of genius. I also really appreciated Tessa's attitude, and how no-nonsense she was. There were times when she would feel like all was lost, or at least felt like giving up, but she would always get back on the horse and figure it out. I honestly love when the main character is one with attitude, one that doesn't have everyone in the world loving her and her behaving like a dainty princess. I love the girls that can fight and hold their own, and Tessa is exactly that.
This is the first book in the Alpha Girls series, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. Tessa is honestly one of the main characters that I can actually get behind without completely losing all faith in her. I highly recommend this one for anyone who is into supernatural books, or wants to try out a new werewolf series.
It seems to be going well for her, with her getting invited to a party early on in her arrival, but something happened. Something that should have been a good thing for her, but ended up being so very wrong. See, Tessa ends up getting kissed by a boy that she met when first arrived, but that's not all she got. And when her so-called friends find out what happened, they basically abandon her and want nothing to do with her. How bad could that kiss be that this group of Tessa's friends would completely leave her? It all makes sense when Tessa has to attend the boarding school that her father recently got a job at the whole reason why Tessa and her family relocated in the first place.
It's one thing to be a bruja, but now Tessa has to deal with being a werewolf too. And if that's something surprising, it's also worth noting that this boarding school, St. Alibe's, is a boarding school completely made up of werewolves. Not only are there werewolves involved, even the mean girl werewolves that make high school such a wonderful place, but they have to go up against their mortal enemies - the vampires, and they are anything but nice.
This book honestly had such a fresh feel on the werewolf mythology. There are so many books about vampires and while this book still does pit them against werewolves, it's nice to read about the werewolves as the main species to root for rather than the vampires. This was the first book specifically about werewolves that I've read and I honestly really loved it. It also had witch mythology involved and having Tessa become an enigma to her kind, both a witch and a werewolf, making her one of the most powerful supernatural creatures in this world was a stroke of genius. I also really appreciated Tessa's attitude, and how no-nonsense she was. There were times when she would feel like all was lost, or at least felt like giving up, but she would always get back on the horse and figure it out. I honestly love when the main character is one with attitude, one that doesn't have everyone in the world loving her and her behaving like a dainty princess. I love the girls that can fight and hold their own, and Tessa is exactly that.
This is the first book in the Alpha Girls series, and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. Tessa is honestly one of the main characters that I can actually get behind without completely losing all faith in her. I highly recommend this one for anyone who is into supernatural books, or wants to try out a new werewolf series.
July 8, 2018
2.75*
The story had potential, but it turned into slut-shaming, ow/om drama, push-and-pull galore. The little world building and the action I thought the story had was overshadowed by this shitfest. The chemistry and the true mate trope between MCs was "shakes head". Not likable MCs either. It had a Twilight flavor, but the latter was way better. It almost made me want to read Twilight again.
I'm sad that this book didn't work for me. The 1st and 2nd book are currently free if you might give it a shot.
The story had potential, but it turned into slut-shaming, ow/om drama, push-and-pull galore. The little world building and the action I thought the story had was overshadowed by this shitfest. The chemistry and the true mate trope between MCs was "shakes head". Not likable MCs either. It had a Twilight flavor, but the latter was way better. It almost made me want to read Twilight again.
I'm sad that this book didn't work for me. The 1st and 2nd book are currently free if you might give it a shot.
October 28, 2013
I was fortunate to read a preview copy of this book, and I'm so glad I did! It was fun and edgy, and it put an interesting twist on what we've seen from werewolves in recent years. There is definite romantic chemistry between the two main characters, and who doesn't love that? It's also a quick read, but not in a bad way. Sometimes, it's nice to just snuggle up and read a good story! Looking forward to the next installment!
November 26, 2013
Tessa has a gift, though she would call it a curse. When she touches people or objects people have used, she is bombarded with visions. She goes through life avoiding touching anything that has been handled by others. Labelled as a freak, her family moves from California to Texas in the hopes of giving her a fresh start, but the town they have moved to is also home to a pack of werewolves.
After escaping a disastrous party, she gets her first kiss from Dastien, and then Dastien's wolf decides to claim her with a bite. Suddenly all her problems are multiplied ten fold with pack politics piling on top of schoolwork and being a new werewolf, and as an alpha strong enough to rival the other alphas in the pack she is definitely causing a stir.
Becoming Alpha is pretty damned good. It didn't always click and it occasionally felt a little rushed but overall it was very good young adult paranormal fantasy. It was quite easy to forgive the few missteps because the characters and story were so much fun.
Many thanks to Ink Monster LLC and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC
After escaping a disastrous party, she gets her first kiss from Dastien, and then Dastien's wolf decides to claim her with a bite. Suddenly all her problems are multiplied ten fold with pack politics piling on top of schoolwork and being a new werewolf, and as an alpha strong enough to rival the other alphas in the pack she is definitely causing a stir.
Becoming Alpha is pretty damned good. It didn't always click and it occasionally felt a little rushed but overall it was very good young adult paranormal fantasy. It was quite easy to forgive the few missteps because the characters and story were so much fun.
Many thanks to Ink Monster LLC and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC
October 29, 2013
*received arc copy for honest review*
I LOVED this book and was so glad to see it is going to be a series. I like it more than some very popular teen/young adult series (cough cough Twilight/Vampire Academy/mortal instruments) an he I know those are vampire and not werewolf, but her is what I liked.... Tessa was not a whiny weak heroine. She stood up for herself, and kicked ass. Even in the beginning when they talked about her being able to see visions she didn't like to touch people or objects, but at the same time it wasn't stewed upon and dragged out at all. This is definitely one I will recommend on my goodreads and Facebook page. I can't wait for the second and hopefully future books.
I LOVED this book and was so glad to see it is going to be a series. I like it more than some very popular teen/young adult series (cough cough Twilight/Vampire Academy/mortal instruments) an he I know those are vampire and not werewolf, but her is what I liked.... Tessa was not a whiny weak heroine. She stood up for herself, and kicked ass. Even in the beginning when they talked about her being able to see visions she didn't like to touch people or objects, but at the same time it wasn't stewed upon and dragged out at all. This is definitely one I will recommend on my goodreads and Facebook page. I can't wait for the second and hopefully future books.
June 1, 2017
Wow.
A whole weekend wasted.
Just like that. I could have done my laundry, I could have watched videos of cats on YouTube but instead I decided to give this book a chance.
Instant Love, you annoy me. This book is so full of cliches I am surprised at the five stars other readers gave. I am not even gonna bother with a review cause you know this story, the one constantly repeated in most YA books. Girl with super powers who is the one, who doesn't know shes the one, falling instantly in love with a boy she needs to stay away from blah blah. You get the idea, right?
A whole weekend wasted.
Just like that. I could have done my laundry, I could have watched videos of cats on YouTube but instead I decided to give this book a chance.
Instant Love, you annoy me. This book is so full of cliches I am surprised at the five stars other readers gave. I am not even gonna bother with a review cause you know this story, the one constantly repeated in most YA books. Girl with super powers who is the one, who doesn't know shes the one, falling instantly in love with a boy she needs to stay away from blah blah. You get the idea, right?
May 25, 2018
Looking at it objectively, Becoming Alpha is nothing special with a Mary Sue MC, instalove and stuff. But the writing is slightly addictive xD I had a hard time putting down this book those last few days. I had too much fun reading it to give this book anything lower than 4*
October 4, 2020
Now, I need to be a werewolf, a loving one actually
December 16, 2013
The only thing I knew about him was that we had the same odd taste in music and that his butt looked really awesome in those jeans.
I. Love. PNR. And when it’s well written, has great characters *cough* especially a great male lead *cough* and a female lead that’s not a pushover… SOLD!
Becoming Alpha is alllll of the above.
I received a copy of Becoming Alpha from Ink Monster LLC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I got the email with the notice about this book, I contemplated. A lot. I have a lot to read and more advanced copies than I can chew probably, but something about this book winked at me, batted its eyelashes and got me all flustered (I’m easy that way) so I requested and was approved (thanks again!) and here’s what I think.
I have one word that can summarize this review perfectly but I’m not saying it now.
Tessa is a 17 year old girl (yes, they’re all 17 years old in YA) and she’s special. She’s from a long line of witches, on her mother’s side, each with her own special gift of sight. Tessa can’t touch anyone or anything without seeing what they did and feel what they felt. Her best friend is her older brother and she’s about to relocate with her family from California to Texas, in the hopes life will be easier for her.
Leaving LA is a feat in itself, and upon investigating a little as to the real reason they’re moving, Tessa sees something she can’t explain and experiences her gift a little differently than usual. And then they arrive in Texas, where even warned to stay away from St. Ailbe’s students she manages to share a kiss with one. A kiss that changes her life.
Remember that word I can summarize the review with? Here it goes:
DASTIEN
He smiled, and his dimples showed.
Did I ever mention I’m a sucker for dimples?
I LOVE it when an author writes a great male lead, and Dastien is an excellent one. He’s hot, hot, HOT and every word I read regarding him made me all swoony. I’m quite positive that had I been hooked to an EKG machine my pulse would go nuts whenever his name appeared.
Dastien strode toward us. He wore sweatpants, no shoes, no shirt. I’d never seen anyone with a six-pack in real life before. My heart started pounding.
Personally, I’d just…
Back to the point: Dastien didn’t mean to bite Tessa and breaking a cardinal rule, he didn’t mean to hurt her and change the course of her life, but he did. And when Tessa wakes up changed, this story picks up and is one sweeping action tale sprinkled with the sweetest moments of first (and forever?!) love that keeps the reader enraptured.
Tessa’s character goes through several stages of growing up, from being almost completely isolated because of her gift to falling for an older boy in a completely new environment and everything in between. She is badass, determined, knows what she wants and knows her own value. That rarely happens with YA females and I loved it. Basically Tessa’s arc takes her from seclusion to fiercely protecting her friends and soulmate.
Dastien is everything. He is handsome (naturally), a charismatic leader, protective and romantic, and hot. I’ve mentioned that before, but really, that’s not a word one can overuse. And let’s not forget all the wolfy attributes; the jealousy, the agility and hot (see?) body it comes with, and all the alpha testosterone in this story… oh. my. god.
I’m recommending this story for anyone who’s a PNR fan, YA fan and especially of the combination. Anyone who’s not afraid to give a promising new author a shot and anyone who wants a great, well written page turner.
Becoming Alpha has a sequel due in a few months, Avoiding Alpha that is now highly anticipated by me. And if Becoming Alpha is any indication – it’ll be amazing. Also, the cover. I already announced I want to live in it.
This review and others can be found on The Book Hammock!
I. Love. PNR. And when it’s well written, has great characters *cough* especially a great male lead *cough* and a female lead that’s not a pushover… SOLD!
Becoming Alpha is alllll of the above.
I received a copy of Becoming Alpha from Ink Monster LLC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
When I got the email with the notice about this book, I contemplated. A lot. I have a lot to read and more advanced copies than I can chew probably, but something about this book winked at me, batted its eyelashes and got me all flustered (I’m easy that way) so I requested and was approved (thanks again!) and here’s what I think.
I have one word that can summarize this review perfectly but I’m not saying it now.
Tessa is a 17 year old girl (yes, they’re all 17 years old in YA) and she’s special. She’s from a long line of witches, on her mother’s side, each with her own special gift of sight. Tessa can’t touch anyone or anything without seeing what they did and feel what they felt. Her best friend is her older brother and she’s about to relocate with her family from California to Texas, in the hopes life will be easier for her.
Leaving LA is a feat in itself, and upon investigating a little as to the real reason they’re moving, Tessa sees something she can’t explain and experiences her gift a little differently than usual. And then they arrive in Texas, where even warned to stay away from St. Ailbe’s students she manages to share a kiss with one. A kiss that changes her life.
Remember that word I can summarize the review with? Here it goes:
DASTIEN
He smiled, and his dimples showed.
Did I ever mention I’m a sucker for dimples?
I LOVE it when an author writes a great male lead, and Dastien is an excellent one. He’s hot, hot, HOT and every word I read regarding him made me all swoony. I’m quite positive that had I been hooked to an EKG machine my pulse would go nuts whenever his name appeared.
Dastien strode toward us. He wore sweatpants, no shoes, no shirt. I’d never seen anyone with a six-pack in real life before. My heart started pounding.
Personally, I’d just…
Back to the point: Dastien didn’t mean to bite Tessa and breaking a cardinal rule, he didn’t mean to hurt her and change the course of her life, but he did. And when Tessa wakes up changed, this story picks up and is one sweeping action tale sprinkled with the sweetest moments of first (and forever?!) love that keeps the reader enraptured.
Tessa’s character goes through several stages of growing up, from being almost completely isolated because of her gift to falling for an older boy in a completely new environment and everything in between. She is badass, determined, knows what she wants and knows her own value. That rarely happens with YA females and I loved it. Basically Tessa’s arc takes her from seclusion to fiercely protecting her friends and soulmate.
Dastien is everything. He is handsome (naturally), a charismatic leader, protective and romantic, and hot. I’ve mentioned that before, but really, that’s not a word one can overuse. And let’s not forget all the wolfy attributes; the jealousy, the agility and hot (see?) body it comes with, and all the alpha testosterone in this story… oh. my. god.
I’m recommending this story for anyone who’s a PNR fan, YA fan and especially of the combination. Anyone who’s not afraid to give a promising new author a shot and anyone who wants a great, well written page turner.
Becoming Alpha has a sequel due in a few months, Avoiding Alpha that is now highly anticipated by me. And if Becoming Alpha is any indication – it’ll be amazing. Also, the cover. I already announced I want to live in it.
This review and others can be found on The Book Hammock!
October 28, 2013
I love me a good werewolf story!
So the story centers around Tessa a 17 year-old girl who has recently moved to Texas for her fathers job. She soon meets Dastien who takes a liking to Tessa and who Tessa can't seem to get out of her mind, at a party she agrees to go to so she can make friends she bumps into Dastien and the pair share a kiss that turns into a bite and scratch, leaving Tessa a werewolf. Now forced to go to St. Ailbe’s Academy, a boarding school for werewolves like her, Tessa has to try to come to turns with her new status while trying to fit in.
I loved Tessa and found witty sense of humor endearing and her not as annoying as some of the heroines in previous books I've read, who did nothing but sit around waiting to be rescued. I found her relationship with Dastien really cute and loved that he wasn't the perfect boyfriend who did everything right all the time. I wish I had friends like Meredith, Chris and Adrian they were so realistic and weren't just one dimensional like some secondary characters are.
Overall I freaking loved this book. There wassn't much not to love really it had hot werewolves, cute romances, good friendships and a pretty strong storyline. Can't wait for the next one to come out in May (:
So the story centers around Tessa a 17 year-old girl who has recently moved to Texas for her fathers job. She soon meets Dastien who takes a liking to Tessa and who Tessa can't seem to get out of her mind, at a party she agrees to go to so she can make friends she bumps into Dastien and the pair share a kiss that turns into a bite and scratch, leaving Tessa a werewolf. Now forced to go to St. Ailbe’s Academy, a boarding school for werewolves like her, Tessa has to try to come to turns with her new status while trying to fit in.
I loved Tessa and found witty sense of humor endearing and her not as annoying as some of the heroines in previous books I've read, who did nothing but sit around waiting to be rescued. I found her relationship with Dastien really cute and loved that he wasn't the perfect boyfriend who did everything right all the time. I wish I had friends like Meredith, Chris and Adrian they were so realistic and weren't just one dimensional like some secondary characters are.
Overall I freaking loved this book. There wassn't much not to love really it had hot werewolves, cute romances, good friendships and a pretty strong storyline. Can't wait for the next one to come out in May (:
January 21, 2014
I was surprised at just how much I loved this book! It got off to an interesting start with the main character Tessa's unique "gift" causing instant drama, and I continued to be drawn in by her inexplicable connection to werewolf Dastien, arising conflicts with frenemies around every corner, and never-ending plot twists & turns. There was enough predictability to make me feel connected without it becoming an eye-roller and enough surprises to literally keep me from putting the book down until I finished it. While the love-story portion was a bit of a roller coaster ride at times for me, I do think it stayed true to Tessa's interesting new "condition" and to how most teenagers would react at that age. The editorial quality was a bit lacking at times, but I loved the author's writing style and can not wait to read her next book in the series, Avoiding Alpha. The possibilities are endless for this story, and I can seriously see it hitting the big screen or becoming a TV series. I can't wait to see what Aileen Erin does next!
August 25, 2015
Has potential
I downloaded this book back in 2014 and I've no idea why it's taken me so long to actually get round to reading it, it happens sometimes.
There's already so many reviews so I'll skip my usual summary and get straight to my opinion.
There's a lot about this book to both like and dislike, hence the 3 stars, it was a good idea and had potential and I enjoyed a lot of it but I found it overlong at times and a bit slow and plodding in places. Tessa was annoying, incredibly so and it had a bit of a soap opera feel to it, some reviews have mentioned the 'insta love' now normally I'm not a fan of this but when it comes to shifters I love it, I like the idea of fated mates and the instant recognition of their other half.
Despite the above I feel this series has potential and I think I might continue on which is unusual for me with a 3 star read,
January 3, 2018
An under appreciated series that's really good!
December 1, 2013
This is a "speed-review" def: a "speed review" is a new feature on Pretty Little Memoirs consisting of shorter reads and eBooks that I've read in a quick and event-filled review.
Becoming Alpha is the first in the amazing new werewolf series by Aileen Erin, and just happens to be one of the first books I've read with the main character being a werewolf, except the Shiver series. I love shows like Teen Wolf, Vampire Diaries and The Originals, so the whole "werewolf" and "vampire" thing is pretty straight forward for me, and it's something I already know so many variants of.
Needless to say, I wasn't let down at all by the first Alpha Girl novel.
First up; the WOW plot! There aren't many authors out there that can pull off Vampires, Werewolves, a Romance within the story and not to mention all the spells going on and the gifted characters. It was just so addictive that I just got caught up in the plot so easily and ended up loving it for these aspects in particular. And the whole storyline of how Tessa became a werewolf is just so different to how it was in, like, Teen Wolf for example, which was also really refreshing.
Characters! Right. Tessa was extremely likeable and I connected really quick with her. She was one of those effortless types of main characters that was a true breath of fresh air, because there's nothing worse than not being able to connect with the person telling you the story. So that was really great. Dastien...okay, he did grow on me by the end, so he was a character-in-progress for me throughout the book. I wouldn't say I hated him or anything, but maybe I just connected with Tessa better?
Let's talk about that cover...the illustrated-type of cover is such a change from a usual cover, and makes it look all the more unique alike the story. Overall, I was just so happily lost in the world and got swept up with everything in awe. There's truly nothing like the first in the Alpha Girl series, and I can't wait to read the rest!
read more: http://prettylittlememoirs.blogspot.c...
Becoming Alpha is the first in the amazing new werewolf series by Aileen Erin, and just happens to be one of the first books I've read with the main character being a werewolf, except the Shiver series. I love shows like Teen Wolf, Vampire Diaries and The Originals, so the whole "werewolf" and "vampire" thing is pretty straight forward for me, and it's something I already know so many variants of.
Needless to say, I wasn't let down at all by the first Alpha Girl novel.
First up; the WOW plot! There aren't many authors out there that can pull off Vampires, Werewolves, a Romance within the story and not to mention all the spells going on and the gifted characters. It was just so addictive that I just got caught up in the plot so easily and ended up loving it for these aspects in particular. And the whole storyline of how Tessa became a werewolf is just so different to how it was in, like, Teen Wolf for example, which was also really refreshing.
Characters! Right. Tessa was extremely likeable and I connected really quick with her. She was one of those effortless types of main characters that was a true breath of fresh air, because there's nothing worse than not being able to connect with the person telling you the story. So that was really great. Dastien...okay, he did grow on me by the end, so he was a character-in-progress for me throughout the book. I wouldn't say I hated him or anything, but maybe I just connected with Tessa better?
Let's talk about that cover...the illustrated-type of cover is such a change from a usual cover, and makes it look all the more unique alike the story. Overall, I was just so happily lost in the world and got swept up with everything in awe. There's truly nothing like the first in the Alpha Girl series, and I can't wait to read the rest!
read more: http://prettylittlememoirs.blogspot.c...
August 9, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the Alpha Girl series and can't wait until Book 2.
Tessa and her family were living in LA but things went wrong and they decided to up and move to Texas where her dad got a new secret job.
Tessa
Tessa McCaide has visions which she gets from touching objects but also people. She tries to avoid getting visions by wearing gloves.
No touching!!!!
After Tessa starts her new school, she ends up running into a hottie named Dastien.
Dastien - mistery, sexy and…a werewolf.
They are both seemingly drawn together, so she gets her first kiss. But this kiss changes her life.
So a newly-werewolf girl dealing with werewolf guy, plus some vampires and witches thrown into the mix….yeeeyyyy!
I’m interested to see what comes next for Tessa, Dastien and the gang. This is a great addition to the young adult paranormal romance genre.
October 29, 2013
Of course I'm going to read the book if it has a pretty cover and I'm really liking this cover! Dastien I loved him at first he had to grow on me but once he did you couldn't shake him off, "I guess. Thing is I can't concentrate on the conversation right now because all I'm thinking about is kissing you-" I'm the boy is good looking, "I watching Dastien run toward the course with equal parts raw power and grace. He was wearing a pair of running shorts and nothing else." Tessa I loved her she doesn't take crap from anybody, not the school she's sent to, not her parent, and especially not Dastien, "well guess what. Chris is a friend. A very new, very fun friend." My blood boiled. "New flash: I haven't done anything wrong. You have no right to drag me out here and yell at me. Hello? You bit me. Now, I'm here struggling to keep my head above water. So you need to get your s*** together." Dastien he really doesn't share well, "Dastien's eyes flashed to gold. "She'll be mine." He's also one to worry about Tessa, "you smell...confused...annoyed...I don't know but I don't like it." I'm ready for the next book in the series!
December 23, 2013
I actually loved it. And that doesn't happen very often.
Tessa gets visions when she touches objects, called psychometry (those who have read the Mythos Academy series by Estep will find this book to be similar). Not that I found this story to be derivative: there were some funny references to Twilight, and while Tessa is an outcast, I love that she's comfortable with being "weird" while still anxious to make real friends. She and Dastien (the love interest) have the same taste in music and I loved the scenes where they test each other. I often have issues with how so many young adult/new adult novels portray familial relationships: too sweet/happy, too distant, or dysfunctional. Its hard to pull off the right mix of rivalry, love, ribbing, and humor but I thought Erin got it right. The fact that Tessa's dad originally works for celebrities in LA was refreshing: Tessa's family is pretty well off. Instead of portraying Tessa as spoiled, we find out that she prints pictures based on her favourite bands on her T-shirts. I recommend Becoming Alpha to anyone who likes the Mythos Academy series, Vampire Academy series, or the Twilight Saga.
Tessa gets visions when she touches objects, called psychometry (those who have read the Mythos Academy series by Estep will find this book to be similar). Not that I found this story to be derivative: there were some funny references to Twilight, and while Tessa is an outcast, I love that she's comfortable with being "weird" while still anxious to make real friends. She and Dastien (the love interest) have the same taste in music and I loved the scenes where they test each other. I often have issues with how so many young adult/new adult novels portray familial relationships: too sweet/happy, too distant, or dysfunctional. Its hard to pull off the right mix of rivalry, love, ribbing, and humor but I thought Erin got it right. The fact that Tessa's dad originally works for celebrities in LA was refreshing: Tessa's family is pretty well off. Instead of portraying Tessa as spoiled, we find out that she prints pictures based on her favourite bands on her T-shirts. I recommend Becoming Alpha to anyone who likes the Mythos Academy series, Vampire Academy series, or the Twilight Saga.
October 28, 2013
Whoa this book was just AMAZING. The story line was just sensational, the characters were just sensational, the whole book was just sensational.
The story line follows a young women called Tessa. she has always had a gift to see peoples memories wen she touches them. One night at a party she kisses a guy and her world changes. She becomes a werewolf.
I love Tessa as a character she is funny, smart and doesn't take orders from people. I loved the way she was herself even when her world was changing around her.
Dastien is just amazing. He is sexy as hell and he is just Dastien. I loved there story together and how it grows very slowly.
The book was very addicting from page one and had me hooked from the first words. The characters are very well developed and I didn't find it over done when other supernatural's were being brought into the story.
Overall the book was just amazing and I can not wait until the next one comes out.
5 stars out of 5
The story line follows a young women called Tessa. she has always had a gift to see peoples memories wen she touches them. One night at a party she kisses a guy and her world changes. She becomes a werewolf.
I love Tessa as a character she is funny, smart and doesn't take orders from people. I loved the way she was herself even when her world was changing around her.
Dastien is just amazing. He is sexy as hell and he is just Dastien. I loved there story together and how it grows very slowly.
The book was very addicting from page one and had me hooked from the first words. The characters are very well developed and I didn't find it over done when other supernatural's were being brought into the story.
Overall the book was just amazing and I can not wait until the next one comes out.
5 stars out of 5
November 16, 2013
Amazing new ya werewolf series!
Not only fun to read for the young adults, but adults will enjoy it also. I think its the best YA of 2013 i have read. Plus at the end of the book you see the other side of the cover (the back of the wolf, and the girl watching you. Great cover artist!!
Can't wait to read the next book.
Not only fun to read for the young adults, but adults will enjoy it also. I think its the best YA of 2013 i have read. Plus at the end of the book you see the other side of the cover (the back of the wolf, and the girl watching you. Great cover artist!!
Can't wait to read the next book.
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