What do you think?
Rate this book
Enemies Ever After #4
Hunted by Wolves and Shadow
*He's a monster in need of redemption.
*She's the granddaughter of a witch, out for revenge.
*Their paths might lead to each other... but a wolf and a witch were never meant to be.
Emi has visited Grandma’s cottage often before, but this time the Mist is thicker, the beasts are too close . . . And the handsome stranger who answers her frantic knock is definitely NOT her Grandma Ruby.
Wolf had one job. Kill the witch and end the curse plaguing his found family. Instead, the forest feels more menacing than ever when a fiery redhead comes screaming out of the Mist.
Trapped together by the dangers outside the door, Emi and Wolf find unexpected chemistry sparking between them. But when explosive secrets come out, their bond shatters.
While Emi struggles to face her family's sordid truth, Wolf fights to keep his protective instincts under control. He needs to figure out what went wrong, not deal with this fiesty new problem who gets under his skin. Neither trusts the other, but if they hope to break free from the Mist, they'll have to learn to trust their hearts. Because the fate of every lost soul in these cursed woods depends on it...
______________________________________
HUNTED BY WOLVES AND SHADOW is one of ten books in the Enemies Ever After series, a collection of standalone short novels featuring enemies-to-lovers fairy tale retellings with a touch of steam.
*She's the granddaughter of a witch, out for revenge.
*Their paths might lead to each other... but a wolf and a witch were never meant to be.
Emi has visited Grandma’s cottage often before, but this time the Mist is thicker, the beasts are too close . . . And the handsome stranger who answers her frantic knock is definitely NOT her Grandma Ruby.
Wolf had one job. Kill the witch and end the curse plaguing his found family. Instead, the forest feels more menacing than ever when a fiery redhead comes screaming out of the Mist.
Trapped together by the dangers outside the door, Emi and Wolf find unexpected chemistry sparking between them. But when explosive secrets come out, their bond shatters.
While Emi struggles to face her family's sordid truth, Wolf fights to keep his protective instincts under control. He needs to figure out what went wrong, not deal with this fiesty new problem who gets under his skin. Neither trusts the other, but if they hope to break free from the Mist, they'll have to learn to trust their hearts. Because the fate of every lost soul in these cursed woods depends on it...
______________________________________
HUNTED BY WOLVES AND SHADOW is one of ten books in the Enemies Ever After series, a collection of standalone short novels featuring enemies-to-lovers fairy tale retellings with a touch of steam.
261 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 29, 2024
25 people are currently reading
742 people want to read
About the author
Jo Holloway
19 books145 followersJo Holloway is a chocolate-loving, soup-phobic, dog-adoring writer of fantasy novels. She'd much rather spend time in fantastical worlds than this one most days.
She has a degree in Microbiology, and worked in public health and IT before becoming an author, something her Clark Kent alter ego continues to do in her day job.
When not writing, you can find Jo out walking her Eurasier (yes, that's a dog breed) or cozied up with a book at home.
She has a degree in Microbiology, and worked in public health and IT before becoming an author, something her Clark Kent alter ego continues to do in her day job.
When not writing, you can find Jo out walking her Eurasier (yes, that's a dog breed) or cozied up with a book at home.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
November 3, 2024
I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.
Haunted by Wolves and Shadow is a Red Riding Hood retelling with dark twists and spice.
Emi sets off to visit her grandmother through the mist that engulfs the forest for as long as she can remember. But this time, it's thick and ominous and obscures the path to the cottage. When Emi gets chased by a huge beast and finally reaches the cottage, she meets a hot male called Wolf, but her grandmother is nowhere to be seen. When she discovers that her grandmother was a witch (and an evil one, too) and then learns Wolf killed her, Emi wants to kill him, and the pair find themselves shut up together in the same place out of the mists reach.
I was drawn to this book for the Enemies to Lovers trope, and it didn't disappoint. Emis journey is filled with self-discovery and enlightenment, and the growth of her character from the start to the end of the book was beautiful. It's definitely a book to read if you love retellings, shifter-romance, and enemies to lovers like myself.
Haunted by Wolves and Shadow is a Red Riding Hood retelling with dark twists and spice.
Emi sets off to visit her grandmother through the mist that engulfs the forest for as long as she can remember. But this time, it's thick and ominous and obscures the path to the cottage. When Emi gets chased by a huge beast and finally reaches the cottage, she meets a hot male called Wolf, but her grandmother is nowhere to be seen. When she discovers that her grandmother was a witch (and an evil one, too) and then learns Wolf killed her, Emi wants to kill him, and the pair find themselves shut up together in the same place out of the mists reach.
I was drawn to this book for the Enemies to Lovers trope, and it didn't disappoint. Emis journey is filled with self-discovery and enlightenment, and the growth of her character from the start to the end of the book was beautiful. It's definitely a book to read if you love retellings, shifter-romance, and enemies to lovers like myself.
May 24, 2024
arc copy provided in exchange for honest review.
this didn’t hit as hard as i thought…
honestly skim read the last 20% of it, i just wasn’t captivated. the mmc was less flynn-rider-cocky (which i love) and more smarmy, and i DESPISE smarminess. his ego needed a serious blow.
and i know it was a novella, but the actual enemies-to-lovers progression seemed so rushed?? even though their enemies phase was so unrealistic and mild??
overall i just didn’t love this one :// though the retelling aspect was interesting, and the actual plot was decent. thanks to netgalley anyway!
this didn’t hit as hard as i thought…
honestly skim read the last 20% of it, i just wasn’t captivated. the mmc was less flynn-rider-cocky (which i love) and more smarmy, and i DESPISE smarminess. his ego needed a serious blow.
and i know it was a novella, but the actual enemies-to-lovers progression seemed so rushed?? even though their enemies phase was so unrealistic and mild??
overall i just didn’t love this one :// though the retelling aspect was interesting, and the actual plot was decent. thanks to netgalley anyway!
May 19, 2024
I can't really say that this book blew me away because it didn't, it was just lacking something that i can't quite put my finger on.
The red riding hood aspect as a retelling was very intriguing, and i did really like the way the author played around with the stereotypes and made the story more their own, and the magic system was very well done! I really liked that all of the witches were classified as gemstone witches, all kind of related to each other, and that the coming of age aspect with their magic stems from the very first wish that they make. I also really liked all of the subtle connections between the names of the witches and the different types of powers that they have, for example Emi is the emerald witch and she decides to help people, whereas her grandmother is the ruby witch and deals in curses and pain.
Like i said before there was just something lacking when i was reading this and i think that it might have been a lack of detail/world building or build up & foreshadowing. I'm not saying that every book has to have these things in order to be a good book, far from it, but this story just seemed a little unfinished and less descriptive. The plot however was perfect as well as the pacing, everything seemed to move and progress just right, there were plenty of twists and turns, and i wasn't really bored, it was just missing the background detail that would have made this a knock out book for me. I mean that there were a lot of times i couldn't really imagine what characters and places looked like because there wasn't too much of a description, just a general overview.
I also quite enjoyed how Emi and Wolf interacted with each other, and even more so how Wolf was the one to fall first and realise that he was in trouble, i mean after all he was supposed to hate all witches. The budding romance and teasing/flirting was also adorable, and even sweeter when they revealed how they felt to each other!
Honestly though, and i don't say this very often, but i think this story also didn't need the intimate sex scenes, or it could have just been fade to black. I know its meant to be a romantasy book and they usually have tonnes of sex in them, but this story seemed so much more about the plot and finding a way to break curses & awakening magic that it was a little bit jarring to have a sex scene and then go straight back into the action.
Overall, i did enjoy this book, i just know that it could have been even better.
The red riding hood aspect as a retelling was very intriguing, and i did really like the way the author played around with the stereotypes and made the story more their own, and the magic system was very well done! I really liked that all of the witches were classified as gemstone witches, all kind of related to each other, and that the coming of age aspect with their magic stems from the very first wish that they make. I also really liked all of the subtle connections between the names of the witches and the different types of powers that they have, for example Emi is the emerald witch and she decides to help people, whereas her grandmother is the ruby witch and deals in curses and pain.
Like i said before there was just something lacking when i was reading this and i think that it might have been a lack of detail/world building or build up & foreshadowing. I'm not saying that every book has to have these things in order to be a good book, far from it, but this story just seemed a little unfinished and less descriptive. The plot however was perfect as well as the pacing, everything seemed to move and progress just right, there were plenty of twists and turns, and i wasn't really bored, it was just missing the background detail that would have made this a knock out book for me. I mean that there were a lot of times i couldn't really imagine what characters and places looked like because there wasn't too much of a description, just a general overview.
I also quite enjoyed how Emi and Wolf interacted with each other, and even more so how Wolf was the one to fall first and realise that he was in trouble, i mean after all he was supposed to hate all witches. The budding romance and teasing/flirting was also adorable, and even sweeter when they revealed how they felt to each other!
Honestly though, and i don't say this very often, but i think this story also didn't need the intimate sex scenes, or it could have just been fade to black. I know its meant to be a romantasy book and they usually have tonnes of sex in them, but this story seemed so much more about the plot and finding a way to break curses & awakening magic that it was a little bit jarring to have a sex scene and then go straight back into the action.
Overall, i did enjoy this book, i just know that it could have been even better.
May 23, 2024
This was by far the cutest retelling of little red riding hood that i have read! I loved that it took the classic fairytale and made it into a witchy romance! It gave all the classic feels of the original fairy tale while bringing in new light to the loved story. I loved every minute of it (and that there was a witch with my name!) and that the story ended with a line you would get from the classic telling of the story! I also loved that the fmc had a strong character growth and learned to be who she was and learned to love who she was as the story progressed. This story also shows how a found family can feel more like family than your own and that you dont have to settle for less when there are others out there who will make you see and feel differently and show you that youre worthy of a true family and love and care. Overall this story was just the right pace and just the right amount of every little twist and turn that was needed to give it that true fairy tale vibe while incorporating such a bigger story! Honestly loved it!
April 11, 2024
I love Fairytale retellings and in my opinion, there aren't enough about Red Riding Hood so when I find one I snatch it up. This is my first Jo Holloway book and it's an interesting one. Close enough to the original tale that it's recognizable while having enough of a unique take that it's most definitely its own story.
I mean come on, the story starts off at the "My what big teeth you have grandma" part of the story only things take a wildly different turn. Riding Hood is a grandma and possibly a witch, there's a cursed forest with deadly creatures and a hot guy who most definitely shouldn't be trusted. At times the story moved a little slowly but not enough to detour me. I enjoyed the familiar feeling of the story as well as the new aspects like gemstone witches and a creepy Mist.
My heart goes out to Emi, she's the outcast for reasons beyond her knowing and she has the sweetest soul even if a bit naive. Emi is stronger than she seems. She has to face a lot but somehow manages to find out who she really is. The MMC, Wolf, I had conflicting feelings about at first, (I'm sure it was written that way) but he grew on me. It was so slowly I didn't realize it happened but my heart goes out to him as much as it did for Emi.
Hunted by Wolves and Shadows was a good read. I enjoyed Holloway's take on the fairytale an enemies-to-lovers with witches, shifters, magic, and more. It was very entertaining and left me craving even more retellings.
I mean come on, the story starts off at the "My what big teeth you have grandma" part of the story only things take a wildly different turn. Riding Hood is a grandma and possibly a witch, there's a cursed forest with deadly creatures and a hot guy who most definitely shouldn't be trusted. At times the story moved a little slowly but not enough to detour me. I enjoyed the familiar feeling of the story as well as the new aspects like gemstone witches and a creepy Mist.
My heart goes out to Emi, she's the outcast for reasons beyond her knowing and she has the sweetest soul even if a bit naive. Emi is stronger than she seems. She has to face a lot but somehow manages to find out who she really is. The MMC, Wolf, I had conflicting feelings about at first, (I'm sure it was written that way) but he grew on me. It was so slowly I didn't realize it happened but my heart goes out to him as much as it did for Emi.
Hunted by Wolves and Shadows was a good read. I enjoyed Holloway's take on the fairytale an enemies-to-lovers with witches, shifters, magic, and more. It was very entertaining and left me craving even more retellings.
May 25, 2024
***I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review
Emi never has a problem visiting her Grandma's cottage in the woods, but this time the mist is so thick that it swirls around her ankles, and the path isn't clear. When a shadow-y beast chases her to the cottage, she runs inside and right into the arms of,,,,,,someone who isn't her Grandma. This handsome stranger named Wolf is there to try to end the mist that is changing his friends into monsters. He never expected a young witch like Emi to run into his arms, but she may be just what he needs to destroy the mist. Emi has no idea she is a witch, and refuses to believe it when Wolf tells her. When Wolf tells her what happened to her Grandma, she is bent on revenge. Since neither one can leave the cottage, they must learn to co-exist, while working together to destroy the mist, keep from destroying each other, and fight the attraction that is slowly growing between them.
This is billed as a retelling of Red Riding Hood with mild spice, ad that describes it perfectly. I loved the evolution of both Emi and Wolf, seeing their characters make a complete 180 in how they viewed each other and their situation. I also enjoyed seeing Emi as she came into her powers and how she dealt with them, especially when it came to her sister. I love reading fairytale retellings and this is first one I have read about Red Riding Hood. It was fresh & exciting, and if you enjoy fairytale retellings like I do, you are going to love it.
Emi never has a problem visiting her Grandma's cottage in the woods, but this time the mist is so thick that it swirls around her ankles, and the path isn't clear. When a shadow-y beast chases her to the cottage, she runs inside and right into the arms of,,,,,,someone who isn't her Grandma. This handsome stranger named Wolf is there to try to end the mist that is changing his friends into monsters. He never expected a young witch like Emi to run into his arms, but she may be just what he needs to destroy the mist. Emi has no idea she is a witch, and refuses to believe it when Wolf tells her. When Wolf tells her what happened to her Grandma, she is bent on revenge. Since neither one can leave the cottage, they must learn to co-exist, while working together to destroy the mist, keep from destroying each other, and fight the attraction that is slowly growing between them.
This is billed as a retelling of Red Riding Hood with mild spice, ad that describes it perfectly. I loved the evolution of both Emi and Wolf, seeing their characters make a complete 180 in how they viewed each other and their situation. I also enjoyed seeing Emi as she came into her powers and how she dealt with them, especially when it came to her sister. I love reading fairytale retellings and this is first one I have read about Red Riding Hood. It was fresh & exciting, and if you enjoy fairytale retellings like I do, you are going to love it.
June 1, 2024
Not that long ago I promised myself to request less review copies and to focus on reading the books I bought and the books that are rotting away on the shelves for years already. But every time I browse Netgalley after submitting a review I discover more books I either already pre-ordered or just sound too awesome to ignore. This was one of the latter ones. I love retellings of Little Red Riding Hood and luckily the author granted me a review copy via Netgalley.
In a way this is a very atypical retelling and in a way it's also not. The author amazingly blends elements of the familiar fairytale with new and original story elements. And despite the fact that it's quite clear from the start how this story is gonna end, it's amazing to watch these characters fall from each other, to see them exploring their own powers, to see them finding answers and eventually saving a little part of the world.
The author also really made me curious about the future books in this series. In a very natural way we're introduced to heroines and heroes of future installments and although this story doesn't give much away concerning their stories, there are enough small little hints to give us an idea of what might be waiting for us. I'm especially looking forward to the future Romeo and Juliet retelling! The premise of that story presented in this tale sounds awesome!
And I hope the romance will be just as good as this one. I like how these characters dare to challenge each other from the start. Just like they see each other truly, especially the parts the other can't or refuses to see. I also really loved that the main conflict in this relationship wasn't some big fight or big lie that came between them. It was believing that the other could never fall in love with someone like them. Even though we all knew they were perfect for each other.
In a way this is a very atypical retelling and in a way it's also not. The author amazingly blends elements of the familiar fairytale with new and original story elements. And despite the fact that it's quite clear from the start how this story is gonna end, it's amazing to watch these characters fall from each other, to see them exploring their own powers, to see them finding answers and eventually saving a little part of the world.
The author also really made me curious about the future books in this series. In a very natural way we're introduced to heroines and heroes of future installments and although this story doesn't give much away concerning their stories, there are enough small little hints to give us an idea of what might be waiting for us. I'm especially looking forward to the future Romeo and Juliet retelling! The premise of that story presented in this tale sounds awesome!
And I hope the romance will be just as good as this one. I like how these characters dare to challenge each other from the start. Just like they see each other truly, especially the parts the other can't or refuses to see. I also really loved that the main conflict in this relationship wasn't some big fight or big lie that came between them. It was believing that the other could never fall in love with someone like them. Even though we all knew they were perfect for each other.
May 22, 2024
This book was SO GOOD! I finished it last night (okay, this morning) and I can't put into words how much I loved it. I've really enjoyed all of the Cursed Globe short stories I've read and having a full length novel set in the world was just fantastic. It's tied together a lot of those short stories while telling an entire story of its own.
And now, Emi and Wolf: the BANTER! ☠️ threats as flirting. Yes. I just love them both and their individual growth too. Emi really comes so far in this book.
And now, Emi and Wolf: the BANTER! ☠️ threats as flirting. Yes. I just love them both and their individual growth too. Emi really comes so far in this book.
May 24, 2024
A retelling of Little Red Riding Hood but with twists from the original fairy tale that make it an entirely different story!
Emi is despised by her sister, father and the people in her town no matter what she does. Her only friend is her grandmother but one day she arrives at her cottage after being pursued through the thick mist by beasts to find a stranger there. Later he tells her he killed her grandmother because she caused the curse of the mist and people who got lost in it changed into animals, like he and his friends have become. Her grief and anger at what he’s done is all consuming and she doesn’t believe him until she witnesses him change in the mist. She is saved by another and when he is gravely injured she wishes to heal him and her magic finally awakens and does so. He returns her and she finds the wolf gravely injured and heals him and meets others who have been changed because of the curse of the mist cast by her grandmother. With the aid of another witch and these other people who have been changed into beasts because of the mist they bond together to fight against the mist and the shadows and creatures
within it to banish it to restore it to how it was before
the curse originally took place.
This is a story of redemption, of forgiving yourself for
feeling inferior and unworthy of love and respect. To
let go of the past and hold on to those who see you for who you truly are!
I was moved by this book and shed tears by Emi’s treatment by those who should have treated her with love and kindness growing up but didn’t. Loneliness and ridicule and bullying are a horrible way to grow up. Unfortunately it happens all too often in our society and I only hope if someone knows of it and or sees it happening that they’ll step in to stop it or tell some one who can!
I enjoyed this book and give it an enthusiastic thumbs up recommendation as a book I think you’ll
enjoy reading. It’s hard to read of the suffering Emi
had to endure but she survives and in the end is a
better woman and gives with love as a result to those
who she helps.
Jo is a great author whose stories tug at your heartstrings! I invite you to check out her other
books as well for you’ll find them just as captivating as this book was!
Emi is despised by her sister, father and the people in her town no matter what she does. Her only friend is her grandmother but one day she arrives at her cottage after being pursued through the thick mist by beasts to find a stranger there. Later he tells her he killed her grandmother because she caused the curse of the mist and people who got lost in it changed into animals, like he and his friends have become. Her grief and anger at what he’s done is all consuming and she doesn’t believe him until she witnesses him change in the mist. She is saved by another and when he is gravely injured she wishes to heal him and her magic finally awakens and does so. He returns her and she finds the wolf gravely injured and heals him and meets others who have been changed because of the curse of the mist cast by her grandmother. With the aid of another witch and these other people who have been changed into beasts because of the mist they bond together to fight against the mist and the shadows and creatures
within it to banish it to restore it to how it was before
the curse originally took place.
This is a story of redemption, of forgiving yourself for
feeling inferior and unworthy of love and respect. To
let go of the past and hold on to those who see you for who you truly are!
I was moved by this book and shed tears by Emi’s treatment by those who should have treated her with love and kindness growing up but didn’t. Loneliness and ridicule and bullying are a horrible way to grow up. Unfortunately it happens all too often in our society and I only hope if someone knows of it and or sees it happening that they’ll step in to stop it or tell some one who can!
I enjoyed this book and give it an enthusiastic thumbs up recommendation as a book I think you’ll
enjoy reading. It’s hard to read of the suffering Emi
had to endure but she survives and in the end is a
better woman and gives with love as a result to those
who she helps.
Jo is a great author whose stories tug at your heartstrings! I invite you to check out her other
books as well for you’ll find them just as captivating as this book was!
April 16, 2024
Very interesting take on the classic Red Riding Hood. Emi and Wolf made great characters, and I ended up liking all of the quirky residents of the enclave. I was glad that Jade ended up getting what she deserved, also.
Overall, I enjoyed this story!!
Overall, I enjoyed this story!!
May 5, 2024
Jackson Pearce’s Sisters Red meets Once Upon a Time series - this rollercoaster ride was unputdownable!
Ooh, this is one of the best Red Riding Hood retellings I’ve read in a while! Once Upon a Time, move over! I absolutely adored Emi’s and Wolf’s enemies-to-lovers rollercoaster tale, down to and especially the schmexy (but not overly descriptive) scenes - could not put it down. The hate, the guilt, the feels, the assassination attempts! I loved Emi’s self-discovery journey and the way one comes into their magic in this world. Also, Grandma Ruby, you dark, selfish horse. Loved meeting old acquaintances - Locke and Juliet from the short story in Enchanted Flames and Amber and the Mist were familiar from the What’s in a Name anthology series. I do hope the tales continue with Jules and her mystery man’s adventures (anyone from the Mont’Ague’s, by chance? :)) and also hope to see more of Robin and her new hood.
The “glimmers” as in opposite to triggers: loved the vibe of both protagonists wrapping their head around their feels and the fact that Wolf is a cinnamon-roll. Awww. Brill!
“Witches are dead useful”, indeed.
Recommended for lovers of retold fairytales with a twist, of battered but headstrong heroines and rollercoaster emotional enemies-to-lovers romances.
Ooh, this is one of the best Red Riding Hood retellings I’ve read in a while! Once Upon a Time, move over! I absolutely adored Emi’s and Wolf’s enemies-to-lovers rollercoaster tale, down to and especially the schmexy (but not overly descriptive) scenes - could not put it down. The hate, the guilt, the feels, the assassination attempts! I loved Emi’s self-discovery journey and the way one comes into their magic in this world. Also, Grandma Ruby, you dark, selfish horse. Loved meeting old acquaintances - Locke and Juliet from the short story in Enchanted Flames and Amber and the Mist were familiar from the What’s in a Name anthology series. I do hope the tales continue with Jules and her mystery man’s adventures (anyone from the Mont’Ague’s, by chance? :)) and also hope to see more of Robin and her new hood.
The “glimmers” as in opposite to triggers: loved the vibe of both protagonists wrapping their head around their feels and the fact that Wolf is a cinnamon-roll. Awww. Brill!
“Witches are dead useful”, indeed.
Recommended for lovers of retold fairytales with a twist, of battered but headstrong heroines and rollercoaster emotional enemies-to-lovers romances.
May 18, 2024
I absolutely adore Little Red Riding Hood retellings, especially when the wolf is the MMC! I’ll take the morally-grey wolf, you can keep the virtuous huntsman 😈
This was such a unique romantasy that I gobbled up in less than a day; I couldn’t help it, I wanted to see our FMC grow stronger (✅), our MMC send more flirtatious smirks her way (✅), and how they were going to solve the problem of the Mist (✅)!
I also enjoyed seeing some other fairy tales entwined in this book, namely Jack and the Beanstalk.
Here are some of the goodies to expect:
🐺Little Red Riding Hood Retelling
🐺Witch x Shifter Romance
🐺Enemies-to-Lovers
🐺Forced Proximity
🐺Found Family
🐺Mild spice
My overall rating: 3.5 stars
Hunted By Wolves and Shadow is part of the Enemies Ever After series, a collection of standalone short novels featuring enemies-to-lovers fairy tale retellings with a touch of steam. Each book is written by a different author and the books can be read in any order! See the full series at this link: www.enemieseverafter.com
Thank you to NetGalley and Jo Holloway for the opportunity to read this book. The opinions expressed above are honest and my own.
This was such a unique romantasy that I gobbled up in less than a day; I couldn’t help it, I wanted to see our FMC grow stronger (✅), our MMC send more flirtatious smirks her way (✅), and how they were going to solve the problem of the Mist (✅)!
I also enjoyed seeing some other fairy tales entwined in this book, namely Jack and the Beanstalk.
Here are some of the goodies to expect:
🐺Little Red Riding Hood Retelling
🐺Witch x Shifter Romance
🐺Enemies-to-Lovers
🐺Forced Proximity
🐺Found Family
🐺Mild spice
My overall rating: 3.5 stars
Hunted By Wolves and Shadow is part of the Enemies Ever After series, a collection of standalone short novels featuring enemies-to-lovers fairy tale retellings with a touch of steam. Each book is written by a different author and the books can be read in any order! See the full series at this link: www.enemieseverafter.com
Thank you to NetGalley and Jo Holloway for the opportunity to read this book. The opinions expressed above are honest and my own.
July 1, 2024
I really adored Emi and Wolf’s story! It was really wholesome even given that they were living under a curse. It starts enemies to lovers, with the shifters finding the witch, specifically Emi’s family line, the enemy. But once Wolf realizes that Emi hasn’t come in to her power yet and really doesn’t know anything about the mist curse, things change. Especially the longer they’re stuck together in the cottage, waiting out the mist. He starts teaching her how to defend herself, leading to her trying to stab him a lot, and she’s finding it harder to hate him for taking her grandmother’s life; especially as she learns more about the evil of the curse. Emi does her best to redeem her family’s name and show that not all witches are bad.
Thank you to the author and Book of Matches Media for the copy!
Thank you to the author and Book of Matches Media for the copy!
May 27, 2024
This was not what I expected to say the least… Something was lacking in this book and I’m not quite sure what it was.
I liked the retelling of the little red riding hood but felt like the enemies to lovers was missing that spark, that chemistry, that angst. It felt like the switch from enemies to lover was very sudden. I found myself skimming the all the spicy scenes ( which is very unlike me).
I did really like the writing, I found it quite enjoyable to read even if the plot wasn’t my favourite.
Overall, I wouldn’t say it was the best fantasy retelling I’ve read but definitely a fun read.
Thank you Netgalley for a free copy in exchange of an honest review.
I liked the retelling of the little red riding hood but felt like the enemies to lovers was missing that spark, that chemistry, that angst. It felt like the switch from enemies to lover was very sudden. I found myself skimming the all the spicy scenes ( which is very unlike me).
I did really like the writing, I found it quite enjoyable to read even if the plot wasn’t my favourite.
Overall, I wouldn’t say it was the best fantasy retelling I’ve read but definitely a fun read.
Thank you Netgalley for a free copy in exchange of an honest review.
July 3, 2024
Hunted by Wolves and Shadow
Loved it!! A fantastic retelling of Red Riding Hood with witches, shapeshifters, curses, monsters and so much more!
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters! Emerald was a feisty character who really grew into herself and became the best version of herself.
Wolf was dashing and protective. I loved him!
Then their banter together and the love-hate… so worth it! All that shimmering tension was fun to read.
This story was full of exciting tropes like; enemies to lovers, found family, forced proximity, protective MMC, witchy FMC, banter, love/hate, touch him/her and xxx, and so much more!!
Loved it!! A fantastic retelling of Red Riding Hood with witches, shapeshifters, curses, monsters and so much more!
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters! Emerald was a feisty character who really grew into herself and became the best version of herself.
Wolf was dashing and protective. I loved him!
Then their banter together and the love-hate… so worth it! All that shimmering tension was fun to read.
This story was full of exciting tropes like; enemies to lovers, found family, forced proximity, protective MMC, witchy FMC, banter, love/hate, touch him/her and xxx, and so much more!!
May 26, 2024
I absolutely love fairytale retellings. This is the first Red Riding Hood retelling I've read and I absolutely loved it. The characters were enjoyable, I absolutely loved Emi, the premise was great and kept me intrigued the entire time. Definitely recommend this book.
April 23, 2024
Loved the story. The dynamic between em and wolf was so good.
April 24, 2024
I just finished Hunted by Wolves and Shadow, and the most moving part was the final remarks from the author herself. Writing this book itself was an act of healing & a celebration of friendships.
I’ve read numerous fairytale reimaginings and enjoyed Halloway’s approach here with Red Riding Hood: it was the spark for an initial scene, but not so much the focus of the plot. Emi and Wolf had great chemistry and I liked them both as individuals, too. I found myself skimming through some scenes as the characters worked through their inner conflicts, but the sections did make sense for the characters’ emotional journeys.
I would have liked more information about the magic system, but I suspect that will be addressed in future books. I’d like to know more about certain characters as well. Fodder for future stories?? I hope so. The only thing that I am really frustrated about is never learning “someone”’s motivations. (So phrased to reduce the spoiler.) That… will keep me awake tonight.
Overall: enjoyable light read.
I’ve read numerous fairytale reimaginings and enjoyed Halloway’s approach here with Red Riding Hood: it was the spark for an initial scene, but not so much the focus of the plot. Emi and Wolf had great chemistry and I liked them both as individuals, too. I found myself skimming through some scenes as the characters worked through their inner conflicts, but the sections did make sense for the characters’ emotional journeys.
I would have liked more information about the magic system, but I suspect that will be addressed in future books. I’d like to know more about certain characters as well. Fodder for future stories?? I hope so. The only thing that I am really frustrated about is never learning “someone”’s motivations. (So phrased to reduce the spoiler.) That… will keep me awake tonight.
Overall: enjoyable light read.
May 31, 2024
This is my first Red Riding Hood Retelling and I greatly enjoyed it. The banter between Emi and Wolf was top notch. Emi was such a relatable FMC with her over-thinking tendencies and Wolf giving Emi tips on how to kill him was so entertaining. You can't beat the main characters trying to kill each other. I'm very excited to see what other fairy tales the author writes as she continues the series.
Tropes:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Witches & Shifters
- Forced Proximity
-Found Family
Tropes:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Witches & Shifters
- Forced Proximity
-Found Family
May 29, 2024
Little Red Riding Hood NEVER looked like this brilliant rendition! This was WOW! It was so incredibly well twisted from the original, but I was always aware it WAS that particular tale! With a HUGE twist!
The ugly duckling in this story is Emerald, Emi for short, well, she feels she is, compared to her gorgeous sister, Jade. Emi is on her usual walk to her grandma, who, of course, didn't live in the village. Oh no, to get to grandma's house, Emi had to go through a scary forest. She thought she had My heart cried for Wolf! Struck off a curse, the mists are encroaching and turning his people into mindless beasts. He's so caring of his people, he takes it upon himself, puts himself in danger to eradicate the threat and curse before all of his people, him included, succumb to the mist. The heart wrenching dilemmas Wolf faces, the desperation he feels are palpable. Ms Holloway ensnared me with the that particular fear, I mean, grandma DID give her a hooded green cloak to keep her safe.... But this trip felt different, her unease compounded with the mist and what she senses from it, something staking her but she makes it to grandma's cottage, intact and straight into the arms of a stranger, Wolf. Who's not what he seems, who soon has her mouth spewing insults and her body reacting like a traitor! The churning emotions she feels around Wolf are a total contradiction to her need to avenge her grandma.
And there started her "awakening". It took her a while, denial and disbelief a constant until she could no longer deny the facts. Not only that she'd been lied to, finding out grandma wasn't exactly who she thought she was, finding out about witches and curses should have been enough to give anyone a brain aneurysm but discovering she and Wolf were trapped by the mist, discovering Wolf had killed her grandma, had Emi loathing him with all her might. But did she really..... I certainly fell head over heels for Wolf! Who wouldn't???? My heart cried for Wolf! Struck by a curse, the mists are encroaching and turning his people into mindless beasts. He's so caring of his people, he takes it upon himself, puts himself in danger, to eradicate the threat and curse before all of his people, him included, succumb to the mist. The heart wrenching dilemmas Wolf faces, the desperation he feels are palpable. And then Emi appears and throws his entire purpose into turmoil!Ms Holloway ensnared me with these two characters, drawing out every feasible emotion. I simply adore both of them!
Backtracking a bit...Emi had spent her life feeling insignificant, craving affection and love from those closest to her, her family and receiving absolutely zilch. Her only solace is the grandma she visits regularly. All this changed, dramatically! First by feeling of danger from the forest, then being confronted by a gorgeous hunk who got her knickers all twisted up, then clinging desperately to all she thought true. But chip by chip her illusions and delusions fall from her eyes until she can deny it no longer. Emi really comes into her own in a big way, initially in denial, once she embraces the truth, good golly, she's like a butterfly who's emerged from her restrictive cocoon, spreading her wings and flying high in all her beauty! And a beauty she is, kind, compassionate, generous but with a fire that bursts from her every once in a while. The recipient of her verbal and (lacking) physical attacks, being Wolf. Her metamorphose is complete when she finally confronts her sister. I wasn't sure if I wanted to giggle at what Emi did to Jade, yes, Jade definitely deserved it but maybe Emi's compassion just got the better of me, because I actually felt sorry for her.
This excellent retelling is one of personal growth, which I delighted in, showing even the most trodden on can rise above the hurt, above the lies, above the doubt and rise to heights never imaginable. This tale has it all, an outstanding rendition of enemies to lovers, a slow burn that ignites into a roaring inferno, a tale where uncertainty and preconceptions are slowly eroded away, a tale that portrays humanity, a tale of friendship and worthiness. This author teases and titillates, pulls and releases, all the time spinning her web into a shiny perfectly tailored image of beauty that's impossible not to admire, that's impossible not to want to nestle in and face whatever dangers head on! I was left feeling : "nooooooo! I want more!" And I have an inkling I will be getting it....
The ugly duckling in this story is Emerald, Emi for short, well, she feels she is, compared to her gorgeous sister, Jade. Emi is on her usual walk to her grandma, who, of course, didn't live in the village. Oh no, to get to grandma's house, Emi had to go through a scary forest. She thought she had My heart cried for Wolf! Struck off a curse, the mists are encroaching and turning his people into mindless beasts. He's so caring of his people, he takes it upon himself, puts himself in danger to eradicate the threat and curse before all of his people, him included, succumb to the mist. The heart wrenching dilemmas Wolf faces, the desperation he feels are palpable. Ms Holloway ensnared me with the that particular fear, I mean, grandma DID give her a hooded green cloak to keep her safe.... But this trip felt different, her unease compounded with the mist and what she senses from it, something staking her but she makes it to grandma's cottage, intact and straight into the arms of a stranger, Wolf. Who's not what he seems, who soon has her mouth spewing insults and her body reacting like a traitor! The churning emotions she feels around Wolf are a total contradiction to her need to avenge her grandma.
And there started her "awakening". It took her a while, denial and disbelief a constant until she could no longer deny the facts. Not only that she'd been lied to, finding out grandma wasn't exactly who she thought she was, finding out about witches and curses should have been enough to give anyone a brain aneurysm but discovering she and Wolf were trapped by the mist, discovering Wolf had killed her grandma, had Emi loathing him with all her might. But did she really..... I certainly fell head over heels for Wolf! Who wouldn't???? My heart cried for Wolf! Struck by a curse, the mists are encroaching and turning his people into mindless beasts. He's so caring of his people, he takes it upon himself, puts himself in danger, to eradicate the threat and curse before all of his people, him included, succumb to the mist. The heart wrenching dilemmas Wolf faces, the desperation he feels are palpable. And then Emi appears and throws his entire purpose into turmoil!Ms Holloway ensnared me with these two characters, drawing out every feasible emotion. I simply adore both of them!
Backtracking a bit...Emi had spent her life feeling insignificant, craving affection and love from those closest to her, her family and receiving absolutely zilch. Her only solace is the grandma she visits regularly. All this changed, dramatically! First by feeling of danger from the forest, then being confronted by a gorgeous hunk who got her knickers all twisted up, then clinging desperately to all she thought true. But chip by chip her illusions and delusions fall from her eyes until she can deny it no longer. Emi really comes into her own in a big way, initially in denial, once she embraces the truth, good golly, she's like a butterfly who's emerged from her restrictive cocoon, spreading her wings and flying high in all her beauty! And a beauty she is, kind, compassionate, generous but with a fire that bursts from her every once in a while. The recipient of her verbal and (lacking) physical attacks, being Wolf. Her metamorphose is complete when she finally confronts her sister. I wasn't sure if I wanted to giggle at what Emi did to Jade, yes, Jade definitely deserved it but maybe Emi's compassion just got the better of me, because I actually felt sorry for her.
This excellent retelling is one of personal growth, which I delighted in, showing even the most trodden on can rise above the hurt, above the lies, above the doubt and rise to heights never imaginable. This tale has it all, an outstanding rendition of enemies to lovers, a slow burn that ignites into a roaring inferno, a tale where uncertainty and preconceptions are slowly eroded away, a tale that portrays humanity, a tale of friendship and worthiness. This author teases and titillates, pulls and releases, all the time spinning her web into a shiny perfectly tailored image of beauty that's impossible not to admire, that's impossible not to want to nestle in and face whatever dangers head on! I was left feeling : "nooooooo! I want more!" And I have an inkling I will be getting it....
May 27, 2024
4 ⭐️ out of 5
1.5 🌶️ out of 5
Tropes:
🐺 forced proximity
🐺 enemies to lovers
🐺 found family
🐺 dual pov
🐺 prophecy
Summary:
A fun, and kind of cozy (with some spice), retelling of little red riding hood.
Emi sets out, just like any other day, to visit her grandmother, Grandma Ruby, far from the village in a secluded cottage in the misty, foggy woods. While she journeys into the woods, she notices the misty fog seems a bit thicker than usual. And unlike the many times she’s made this trip, she finds herself running for her life from a huge, bloodthirsty wolf. She manages to run and fling herself into her grandmother’s cottage just in time to escape the wolf, only to find a strange, yet handsome, man occupying the cottage. Emi assumes the stranger is her grandmother’s gardener, but she soon finds out Wolf is more than meets the eye. And Emi is on a trajectory to find out that her life is more than she ever realized.
A Deeper Read:
There are some excellent recurring themes. There’s a theme of self realization to complacency and willful ignorance to the “outside” world’s (others’) suffering. Emi at one point laments that she has been so self absorbed in her own worries and anxieties that she has completely ignored the pain and suffering of others. This is such an important theme and lesson for people today with what’s happening in various parts of the world.
There’s also a main theme of self discovery and self acceptance. Emi makes a choice to no longer let her past influence her future. She accepts a new part of herself (her magic) and she chooses to no longer let fear hold her back.
Selfishness versus selflessness is a consistent theme throughout the story. It ties into both Emi’s story and Wolf’s story. Wolf openly struggles with his own anxiety about being “enough” to tie his found family together and help them to not only survive, but also thrive during the harsh conditions of the fog.
Critiques:
The initial dialogue between Emi and Wolf is a bit juvenile for how old the characters are supposed to be. The general writing is very good, but the characters’ “banter” dialogue comes off just a bit too young for their age. The dialogue does improve greatly about a third of the way into the book.
Emi doesn’t seem nearly as worried as she should be when she first doesn’t see her grandmother anywhere. It seems strange, and a bit out of character compared to how she is in the rest of the story, that she was so accepting when she first meets Wolf, who is a complete stranger at the time.
I didn’t love the non-cursing, cursing. Example: a person in their twenties calling someone a “wart-head.” Not the worst, but not the best. I’ve seen it done in other books effectively. The way it was done here came off childish for how old the main character is supposed to be. I think the reason it was done was to perhaps highlight the fact that Emi was so isolated from her peers and mainly interacted with her seemingly elderly, sweet, and kind grandmother. However, the language seemed out of place and took me out of the story at times. Thankfully, it’s not done too often to be too greatly annoying.
Standout magic features:
There is a particularly cool, and fairly unique, magical element featured in this novel. It is the concept that a witch’s magical power is solely determined by the first thing she wholeheartedly wishes for in life. For example: if a witch’s first true, wholehearted wish is to kill someone, that witch will end up with the power of death magic. I have not personally come across this particular type of “coming into one’s powers” yet, so I found it fun and refreshing.
I’ve seen cursed fog before, but the people who turn into animals with the potential to turn into rabid forms of those animals is new to me. Loved that twist.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing the ARC.
1.5 🌶️ out of 5
Tropes:
🐺 forced proximity
🐺 enemies to lovers
🐺 found family
🐺 dual pov
🐺 prophecy
Summary:
A fun, and kind of cozy (with some spice), retelling of little red riding hood.
Emi sets out, just like any other day, to visit her grandmother, Grandma Ruby, far from the village in a secluded cottage in the misty, foggy woods. While she journeys into the woods, she notices the misty fog seems a bit thicker than usual. And unlike the many times she’s made this trip, she finds herself running for her life from a huge, bloodthirsty wolf. She manages to run and fling herself into her grandmother’s cottage just in time to escape the wolf, only to find a strange, yet handsome, man occupying the cottage. Emi assumes the stranger is her grandmother’s gardener, but she soon finds out Wolf is more than meets the eye. And Emi is on a trajectory to find out that her life is more than she ever realized.
A Deeper Read:
There are some excellent recurring themes. There’s a theme of self realization to complacency and willful ignorance to the “outside” world’s (others’) suffering. Emi at one point laments that she has been so self absorbed in her own worries and anxieties that she has completely ignored the pain and suffering of others. This is such an important theme and lesson for people today with what’s happening in various parts of the world.
There’s also a main theme of self discovery and self acceptance. Emi makes a choice to no longer let her past influence her future. She accepts a new part of herself (her magic) and she chooses to no longer let fear hold her back.
Selfishness versus selflessness is a consistent theme throughout the story. It ties into both Emi’s story and Wolf’s story. Wolf openly struggles with his own anxiety about being “enough” to tie his found family together and help them to not only survive, but also thrive during the harsh conditions of the fog.
Critiques:
The initial dialogue between Emi and Wolf is a bit juvenile for how old the characters are supposed to be. The general writing is very good, but the characters’ “banter” dialogue comes off just a bit too young for their age. The dialogue does improve greatly about a third of the way into the book.
Emi doesn’t seem nearly as worried as she should be when she first doesn’t see her grandmother anywhere. It seems strange, and a bit out of character compared to how she is in the rest of the story, that she was so accepting when she first meets Wolf, who is a complete stranger at the time.
I didn’t love the non-cursing, cursing. Example: a person in their twenties calling someone a “wart-head.” Not the worst, but not the best. I’ve seen it done in other books effectively. The way it was done here came off childish for how old the main character is supposed to be. I think the reason it was done was to perhaps highlight the fact that Emi was so isolated from her peers and mainly interacted with her seemingly elderly, sweet, and kind grandmother. However, the language seemed out of place and took me out of the story at times. Thankfully, it’s not done too often to be too greatly annoying.
Standout magic features:
There is a particularly cool, and fairly unique, magical element featured in this novel. It is the concept that a witch’s magical power is solely determined by the first thing she wholeheartedly wishes for in life. For example: if a witch’s first true, wholehearted wish is to kill someone, that witch will end up with the power of death magic. I have not personally come across this particular type of “coming into one’s powers” yet, so I found it fun and refreshing.
I’ve seen cursed fog before, but the people who turn into animals with the potential to turn into rabid forms of those animals is new to me. Loved that twist.
Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing the ARC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 10, 2024
3 stars. Shimmering sunbeams and sunny skies I’m just not 100% sold on this one for cloud’s sake. (Yes those are some real examples of swear words used in this book).
It didn’t quite hit home for me or blow me away in any way. For the right fairytale-loving person though, I would recommend this. It was a cute, loose re-telling of Little Red Riding Hood that brought in more magical elements and had a witchy twist to it.
The world building has a darkish, spooky feel with mystical creatures and a deadly mist that strung me along for the first bit.
The magic system was really unique with all the witches labelled by gemstones and each of them had their own varying types of powers.
Now to get into a few nit-picky details of what I felt went wrong:
It just felt a bit lacking in emotions and super lacking in maturity. I would have loved a MUCH darker vibe, but instead it felt very YA and childish.
The way they acted didn’t feel realistic. Half the book is Emi’s pathetic attempts to kill Wolf lol It just wasn’t intense or emotionally charged enough for me to be believable. She acted like a child throwing a temper tantrum.
And the banter they had was so immature. It read more like the movie Elf when he calls someone a Cotton Headed Ninny Muggens./ Not the darkish vibes I was expecting.
Our FMC says things like:
"Sour-faced moldworp"
"Liar. Killer. Swine."
"You cream-brained loon."
And then she proceeds to just burn his food because trying to kill him isn't working. Legit full toddler-meltdown mode.
It was all just a bit cringe to me. I’m sure others would find that kind of talk endearing but it definitely was not my jam.
I’m also all for cute pet names but the pet name he uses for her - “kitten” - gave me the ick and at one point he even calls her HONEY BUNNY ahhhh no no nooooo lol This is not the alpha-male, big, bad wolf energy I came here for.
Again it’s just super immature for a darkish romance. I need something hotter than “kitten” and “honey bunny” pleeeeeease!
Okay so saying alllllllll of that we now get some open-door smut thrown in. I’m all for smut - but given this was reading like a super YA novel, the spicy scenes felt like they came out of left field and were very shocking. For this book, I feel like they definitely needed to be kept closed door or fade to black to keep the book feeling consistent.
Their romance went so fast you almost didn't have time to catch up to it by the time it got to the spicy scene which is also why I felt so jarred by it. They needed to do more things together other than just being stuck in a small cabin for most of the book. The romance needed a more of a slow-burn build up with more depth and peeled-back layers to be believable.
Those are just some of my rambling thoughts. Of course don’t let this deter you from checking it out for yourself. I didn’t hate it but I just didn’t love it either ya know? That's a 3 star for me!
If you love fairytales and Little Red Riding Hood spinoffs... check this one out for sure.
Thanks so much NetGalley and the author for the copy of this one in exchange for my honest review.
It didn’t quite hit home for me or blow me away in any way. For the right fairytale-loving person though, I would recommend this. It was a cute, loose re-telling of Little Red Riding Hood that brought in more magical elements and had a witchy twist to it.
The world building has a darkish, spooky feel with mystical creatures and a deadly mist that strung me along for the first bit.
The magic system was really unique with all the witches labelled by gemstones and each of them had their own varying types of powers.
Now to get into a few nit-picky details of what I felt went wrong:
It just felt a bit lacking in emotions and super lacking in maturity. I would have loved a MUCH darker vibe, but instead it felt very YA and childish.
The way they acted didn’t feel realistic. Half the book is Emi’s pathetic attempts to kill Wolf lol It just wasn’t intense or emotionally charged enough for me to be believable. She acted like a child throwing a temper tantrum.
And the banter they had was so immature. It read more like the movie Elf when he calls someone a Cotton Headed Ninny Muggens./ Not the darkish vibes I was expecting.
Our FMC says things like:
"Sour-faced moldworp"
"Liar. Killer. Swine."
"You cream-brained loon."
And then she proceeds to just burn his food because trying to kill him isn't working. Legit full toddler-meltdown mode.
It was all just a bit cringe to me. I’m sure others would find that kind of talk endearing but it definitely was not my jam.
I’m also all for cute pet names but the pet name he uses for her - “kitten” - gave me the ick and at one point he even calls her HONEY BUNNY ahhhh no no nooooo lol This is not the alpha-male, big, bad wolf energy I came here for.
Again it’s just super immature for a darkish romance. I need something hotter than “kitten” and “honey bunny” pleeeeeease!
Okay so saying alllllllll of that we now get some open-door smut thrown in. I’m all for smut - but given this was reading like a super YA novel, the spicy scenes felt like they came out of left field and were very shocking. For this book, I feel like they definitely needed to be kept closed door or fade to black to keep the book feeling consistent.
Their romance went so fast you almost didn't have time to catch up to it by the time it got to the spicy scene which is also why I felt so jarred by it. They needed to do more things together other than just being stuck in a small cabin for most of the book. The romance needed a more of a slow-burn build up with more depth and peeled-back layers to be believable.
Those are just some of my rambling thoughts. Of course don’t let this deter you from checking it out for yourself. I didn’t hate it but I just didn’t love it either ya know? That's a 3 star for me!
If you love fairytales and Little Red Riding Hood spinoffs... check this one out for sure.
Thanks so much NetGalley and the author for the copy of this one in exchange for my honest review.
May 29, 2024
Rating: 4/5
I received an ARC audio for my honest opinion.
I enjoyed this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood by Holloway, and with this being the first book I have read by her I think she did a great job. You can still see the original tale, but the author has added her unique twists and turns in it that really made it pop and shine.
In this book you will meet Emi, who is on her way to see the only person that understands her and doesn’t treat her differently, her grandmother. She lives in a cottage that is in the woods, but these woods are full of mist that is so thick you can’t see in front of yourself, and if that isn’t scary enough there are beasts that live in the mist and only want one thing, to kill. When she gets close to her grandmother’s cottage the mist is hiding a very large beast and she must run for her life to get inside, but when she does, she finds out it's not her grandmother who is opening the door but a very handsome man. With her grandmother not in sight and for a few days she finds out the truth slowly, what exactly happened to her, and she finds herself not able to trust Wolf, the very handsome man. Wolf isn’t just your normal human, but he is a people that has been overtaken by the mist and is now cursed to live a shapeshifter, unless he can find the one that cursed them and kill her, but when her death doesn’t cure anything, he now must find a new way. He just hopes he finds that way before he turns into a beast right in front of Emi and kills her because even though he shouldn’t he starts to develop feelings towards her.
I really liked the fast pace of this book, I felt that the author did it just right. You still got a lot of information that you needed but there was always something next happening on the next page. I felt as though the questions that I had throughout the book were answered, but I still have more questions. lol I want another book about the other witch gems lol. I loved all the hints and gems that we could potentially get more books from, and I am so ready for them. I really enjoyed the magic system in this book, and the way that the witches come into their powers. I mean I would have been a toddler when I became a witch if this magic system was around right now lol. The book was easy to read and with some great characters in it. I really enjoyed getting to know more about Emi and Wolf. Emi is a sweet, kind, and caring character who just wants to find a place that she can fit into. She is strong, I mean you would have to put up with the village buttholes that call her names and treat her like she is dirt. With Wolf you will see a charming, handsome, and very flirty man. He just wants to help his found family of the shapeshifters by breaking the curse and give them back their lives, no matter what. I liked that both characters had growth in this book, and they were both different ways that they grew into, and I can’t wait to see what will happen with the next characters.
You will find tropes like found family, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, witches and shifters.
I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
I received an ARC audio for my honest opinion.
I enjoyed this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood by Holloway, and with this being the first book I have read by her I think she did a great job. You can still see the original tale, but the author has added her unique twists and turns in it that really made it pop and shine.
In this book you will meet Emi, who is on her way to see the only person that understands her and doesn’t treat her differently, her grandmother. She lives in a cottage that is in the woods, but these woods are full of mist that is so thick you can’t see in front of yourself, and if that isn’t scary enough there are beasts that live in the mist and only want one thing, to kill. When she gets close to her grandmother’s cottage the mist is hiding a very large beast and she must run for her life to get inside, but when she does, she finds out it's not her grandmother who is opening the door but a very handsome man. With her grandmother not in sight and for a few days she finds out the truth slowly, what exactly happened to her, and she finds herself not able to trust Wolf, the very handsome man. Wolf isn’t just your normal human, but he is a people that has been overtaken by the mist and is now cursed to live a shapeshifter, unless he can find the one that cursed them and kill her, but when her death doesn’t cure anything, he now must find a new way. He just hopes he finds that way before he turns into a beast right in front of Emi and kills her because even though he shouldn’t he starts to develop feelings towards her.
I really liked the fast pace of this book, I felt that the author did it just right. You still got a lot of information that you needed but there was always something next happening on the next page. I felt as though the questions that I had throughout the book were answered, but I still have more questions. lol I want another book about the other witch gems lol. I loved all the hints and gems that we could potentially get more books from, and I am so ready for them. I really enjoyed the magic system in this book, and the way that the witches come into their powers. I mean I would have been a toddler when I became a witch if this magic system was around right now lol. The book was easy to read and with some great characters in it. I really enjoyed getting to know more about Emi and Wolf. Emi is a sweet, kind, and caring character who just wants to find a place that she can fit into. She is strong, I mean you would have to put up with the village buttholes that call her names and treat her like she is dirt. With Wolf you will see a charming, handsome, and very flirty man. He just wants to help his found family of the shapeshifters by breaking the curse and give them back their lives, no matter what. I liked that both characters had growth in this book, and they were both different ways that they grew into, and I can’t wait to see what will happen with the next characters.
You will find tropes like found family, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, witches and shifters.
I want to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
May 24, 2024
Ratings
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️
Setting: 🌎🌎🌎
Characters: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
What to Expect
-Enemies to Lovers-ish
-Little Red Riding Hood Retelling
-Forced Proximity
Characters
Emi is disliked and treated poorly by the people in her town, a direct contrast to how her sister Jade is treated. She is very close to her Grandma Ruby. She is very gentle and kind, but has a strength to her that shouldn't be underestimated.
Wolf is very flirty and charming, trying to save his people from a curse. When he finds out who Emi is there is some serious beef. He is very flirty and drawn to Emi despite his reservations.
World/Setting
This is definitely an expansive world and I am so excited to check out the other books. I have so many theories on who could be who and can't wait to see how everything unfolds and if these stories intersect at all.
The different towns and worlds leaves the door open for so many things which makes me beyond curious to learn more!
My Thoughts
I really do love a retelling! Knowing the general story, but seeing the path and unique ways of getting there is just so much fun! I loved the hints at other potential characters and books to come and am very curious where this will lead and if my initial theories are spot on or not.
The pacing matches with most fairytales and this was a super easy and fun read! I liked that the story didn't get bogged down with mundane details and progressed at a reasonably steady pace.
The art details throughout the book were such a great touch and really added to the overall feel of the story.
My Favorite Quotes
“Emi removed her hooded cloak and hung it on the coat rack neaxt to one of ruby red. My stomach twisted, something ugly rising at how similar they were. That red hood had only every meant one thing.”
“My brain likes to torture me with all the things I could have done better, what I could have said to be funnier or smarter or more interesting. All the things I could have held back to be less annoying or boring, or not such a burden. It’s supid, I know. Trust me, none of it ever makes a difference.”
“I’d had enough. “Better a loon than a self-absorbed fool, looking through glass eyes, seeing only what suits you. No one is this naive, Emerald.”
“I was in trouble. Big… bad… trouble.”
Follow Me
Instagram
Lemon8
Thank you to Jo Holloway & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. 💕
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️
Setting: 🌎🌎🌎
Characters: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
What to Expect
-Enemies to Lovers-ish
-Little Red Riding Hood Retelling
-Forced Proximity
Characters
Emi is disliked and treated poorly by the people in her town, a direct contrast to how her sister Jade is treated. She is very close to her Grandma Ruby. She is very gentle and kind, but has a strength to her that shouldn't be underestimated.
Wolf is very flirty and charming, trying to save his people from a curse. When he finds out who Emi is there is some serious beef. He is very flirty and drawn to Emi despite his reservations.
World/Setting
This is definitely an expansive world and I am so excited to check out the other books. I have so many theories on who could be who and can't wait to see how everything unfolds and if these stories intersect at all.
The different towns and worlds leaves the door open for so many things which makes me beyond curious to learn more!
My Thoughts
I really do love a retelling! Knowing the general story, but seeing the path and unique ways of getting there is just so much fun! I loved the hints at other potential characters and books to come and am very curious where this will lead and if my initial theories are spot on or not.
The pacing matches with most fairytales and this was a super easy and fun read! I liked that the story didn't get bogged down with mundane details and progressed at a reasonably steady pace.
The art details throughout the book were such a great touch and really added to the overall feel of the story.
My Favorite Quotes
“Emi removed her hooded cloak and hung it on the coat rack neaxt to one of ruby red. My stomach twisted, something ugly rising at how similar they were. That red hood had only every meant one thing.”
“My brain likes to torture me with all the things I could have done better, what I could have said to be funnier or smarter or more interesting. All the things I could have held back to be less annoying or boring, or not such a burden. It’s supid, I know. Trust me, none of it ever makes a difference.”
“I’d had enough. “Better a loon than a self-absorbed fool, looking through glass eyes, seeing only what suits you. No one is this naive, Emerald.”
“I was in trouble. Big… bad… trouble.”
Follow Me
Lemon8
Thank you to Jo Holloway & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. 💕
May 21, 2024
"𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒎 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑰 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒕, 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖."
"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔."
Oh how I absolutely adored Emi & Wolf's story! We have a shorter but jam packed Red Riding Hood retelling where our Red (Emi) is a witch. There are rumors not to travel through the mist surrounding their town but her grandmother lives in a cottage out there & has always told her not to fear the mist so she goes to her often. Our story starts with her going there only to find Wolf instead of her grandmother. She finds out he killed her grandmother & while he has his reasons - she doesn't believe him. They are stuck in the cottage together, hating each other & they have to learn to trust each other to find a way to help each other break the curse of the Mist.
And if they fall in love along the way, well who can blame them? 🤭
I loved how fiery Emi was, every time she insulted Wolf had me in tears because they were so outlandish, clever & she had SO MANY insults ready. 😂 I loved their banter & how despite the fact Wolf had trust issues - the entire time his subconscious saw into Emi's heart & wanted to protect her. Emi's family treated her like dirt & I thought Wolf was truly her perfect other half. Him helping her see that she was deserving of love & kindness, that she was beautiful & worthy - ugh my heart. And Emi gave him a safe place, he always thought he had to take the burden of protecting all the cursed people alone, he was their protector & never allowed himself to relax or enjoy life, enter Emi. She gave him a safe place, a home, & showed him he too was deserving & more than just a beast.
We also meet some other interesting side characters from other famous fairytales/plays & I loved those little Easter eggs. I saw that the author has a series planned for more in this world where it's fairytales meet Shakespeare. How exciting!
Thank you Netgalley for sending me a copy.
I also want to share one of my favorite quotes but, I'll put it behind a spoiler just in case:
𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔:
🌶: 4/5
✨: 2.5/5
"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔."
Oh how I absolutely adored Emi & Wolf's story! We have a shorter but jam packed Red Riding Hood retelling where our Red (Emi) is a witch. There are rumors not to travel through the mist surrounding their town but her grandmother lives in a cottage out there & has always told her not to fear the mist so she goes to her often. Our story starts with her going there only to find Wolf instead of her grandmother. She finds out he killed her grandmother & while he has his reasons - she doesn't believe him. They are stuck in the cottage together, hating each other & they have to learn to trust each other to find a way to help each other break the curse of the Mist.
And if they fall in love along the way, well who can blame them? 🤭
I loved how fiery Emi was, every time she insulted Wolf had me in tears because they were so outlandish, clever & she had SO MANY insults ready. 😂 I loved their banter & how despite the fact Wolf had trust issues - the entire time his subconscious saw into Emi's heart & wanted to protect her. Emi's family treated her like dirt & I thought Wolf was truly her perfect other half. Him helping her see that she was deserving of love & kindness, that she was beautiful & worthy - ugh my heart. And Emi gave him a safe place, he always thought he had to take the burden of protecting all the cursed people alone, he was their protector & never allowed himself to relax or enjoy life, enter Emi. She gave him a safe place, a home, & showed him he too was deserving & more than just a beast.
We also meet some other interesting side characters from other famous fairytales/plays & I loved those little Easter eggs. I saw that the author has a series planned for more in this world where it's fairytales meet Shakespeare. How exciting!
Thank you Netgalley for sending me a copy.
I also want to share one of my favorite quotes but, I'll put it behind a spoiler just in case:
𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔:
🌶: 4/5
✨: 2.5/5
June 21, 2024
I haven't read many retellings in my life. Those who know me are aware that I'm quite hesitant, especially when it comes to mythology.
In this case, it’s a reimagining of one of the most well-known fairy tales in the world: Little Red Riding Hood. There are various versions, but the common elements are the girl, the grandmother, and the wolf.
And what if I told you that in "Hunted By Wolves and Shadow," the real villain isn't the wolf, but the grandmother... would you believe me?
Probably not, but then again, neither does Emi, the girl in question.
How could an old woman hide the evil that everyone accuses her of?
Emi's grandma is the only person who shows her any affection, welcoming her when everyone else calls the young woman a "witch."
So, despite the thick fog that covers the forest, Emi travels that path every time she wants to see a familiar and friendly face.
But this time, it’s not the old woman who greets her. Instead, the door is opened by a man with ash-blond hair and a seductive, silvery gaze.
The mysterious, dark mist hides beastly, bloodthirsty creatures, so despite the many questions that naturally arise, Emi decides to take refuge in the little house with this captivating stranger.
From this forced coexistence, many truths come to light, but it's not a symphony that Emi is willing to hear.
She will have to confront a reality she has been kept in the dark about for too long. She must take control of her life and turn the situation around to rediscover the best version of herself, a transformation that a certain character will help her achieve.
This book, which I want to call almost a short story due to its brevity and readability, kept me company on this engaging and thrilling journey.
I became terribly attached to the characters, so much so that it was truly satisfying to read the happy ending, as if I had been the one guiding them in that direction.
Emi is a woman who holds herself back to avoid bothering others, hiding her true self to stay unnoticed in a world that doesn't want her.
Wolf is a man on a mission: to save his family, keep them together, and deal with the damage caused by the fog. He'll do whatever it takes to get the job done.
What neither of them expected was that their meeting would change everything.
They both discover what it means to love and be loved. They learn that beneath the surface, things are different than they seem. And they find in each other the strength to become their best selves.
Read this book; you won't regret it!
In this case, it’s a reimagining of one of the most well-known fairy tales in the world: Little Red Riding Hood. There are various versions, but the common elements are the girl, the grandmother, and the wolf.
And what if I told you that in "Hunted By Wolves and Shadow," the real villain isn't the wolf, but the grandmother... would you believe me?
Probably not, but then again, neither does Emi, the girl in question.
How could an old woman hide the evil that everyone accuses her of?
Emi's grandma is the only person who shows her any affection, welcoming her when everyone else calls the young woman a "witch."
So, despite the thick fog that covers the forest, Emi travels that path every time she wants to see a familiar and friendly face.
But this time, it’s not the old woman who greets her. Instead, the door is opened by a man with ash-blond hair and a seductive, silvery gaze.
The mysterious, dark mist hides beastly, bloodthirsty creatures, so despite the many questions that naturally arise, Emi decides to take refuge in the little house with this captivating stranger.
From this forced coexistence, many truths come to light, but it's not a symphony that Emi is willing to hear.
She will have to confront a reality she has been kept in the dark about for too long. She must take control of her life and turn the situation around to rediscover the best version of herself, a transformation that a certain character will help her achieve.
This book, which I want to call almost a short story due to its brevity and readability, kept me company on this engaging and thrilling journey.
I became terribly attached to the characters, so much so that it was truly satisfying to read the happy ending, as if I had been the one guiding them in that direction.
Emi is a woman who holds herself back to avoid bothering others, hiding her true self to stay unnoticed in a world that doesn't want her.
Wolf is a man on a mission: to save his family, keep them together, and deal with the damage caused by the fog. He'll do whatever it takes to get the job done.
What neither of them expected was that their meeting would change everything.
They both discover what it means to love and be loved. They learn that beneath the surface, things are different than they seem. And they find in each other the strength to become their best selves.
Read this book; you won't regret it!
May 7, 2024
◦ I've received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ◦
⮞ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ⮜
Emi - In the beginning I thought she's a bit naive and acted clueless of what her gradma was, but when you slowly learn that she actually didn't knew about her grandma made the story even more interesting. I liked her character, and I felt sorry that her family was so weird towards her, but her arc was AMAZING. I loved how she teached her sister a lesson at the end, I was cheering her on so much. I also loved the lessons where she was learning how to protect herself. Overall she was such a beautiful character and loved her growth.
Wolf - He's misterious and is not the wolf you think he is. I liked his grumpiness and the mistery in him and towards the end when you get to see what's in his head was so delicious. Loved him.
⮞ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ⮜
Most of the story happens in the woods with the thick Mist so you get a lot of details of that side, but also a bit from other parts of the world and they were really nice and detailed. I loved the dark feeling the woods were giving, and also the magic system was so easy to understand.
⮞ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝/𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ⮜
The story was such a beautiful Red Ridding Hood retelling, but with a twist because grandma isn't the victim on this one, she's actually the evil one and I SO LOVED IT. I am a sucker for retellings so this hit the spot. The enemies to lovers, the mistery the found family and found secrets were so perfectly woved with the story. Is short and fast-paced and I had the time of my life reading it.
⮞ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞/TW ⮜
I'd say the spice is round 3 pepper flames because there are some sex scenes but not overly detailed, I found them to be nicely made and the overall romance in the story is very cute. Nothing that happened in the book triggered me, however, there is loss of a familiar, i'd say also a bit of family abuse considering how things were going with Emi and her family and also fighting with monsters, blood etc.
Follow me for more:
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok
Always open to read and review more books🠇
Review Policy
⮞ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ⮜
Emi - In the beginning I thought she's a bit naive and acted clueless of what her gradma was, but when you slowly learn that she actually didn't knew about her grandma made the story even more interesting. I liked her character, and I felt sorry that her family was so weird towards her, but her arc was AMAZING. I loved how she teached her sister a lesson at the end, I was cheering her on so much. I also loved the lessons where she was learning how to protect herself. Overall she was such a beautiful character and loved her growth.
Wolf - He's misterious and is not the wolf you think he is. I liked his grumpiness and the mistery in him and towards the end when you get to see what's in his head was so delicious. Loved him.
⮞ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝-𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 ⮜
Most of the story happens in the woods with the thick Mist so you get a lot of details of that side, but also a bit from other parts of the world and they were really nice and detailed. I loved the dark feeling the woods were giving, and also the magic system was so easy to understand.
⮞ 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝/𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐝 ⮜
The story was such a beautiful Red Ridding Hood retelling, but with a twist because grandma isn't the victim on this one, she's actually the evil one and I SO LOVED IT. I am a sucker for retellings so this hit the spot. The enemies to lovers, the mistery the found family and found secrets were so perfectly woved with the story. Is short and fast-paced and I had the time of my life reading it.
⮞ 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞/TW ⮜
I'd say the spice is round 3 pepper flames because there are some sex scenes but not overly detailed, I found them to be nicely made and the overall romance in the story is very cute. Nothing that happened in the book triggered me, however, there is loss of a familiar, i'd say also a bit of family abuse considering how things were going with Emi and her family and also fighting with monsters, blood etc.
Follow me for more:
TikTok
Always open to read and review more books🠇
Review Policy
July 31, 2024
A witch and a wolf were never meant to be.
People say that the Mist is cursed, but it's never hurt Emi, who travels through it to get to her grandmother's cottage. Isolated in a Mist-filled wood, the clearing has always been a safe space for Emi, who doesn't get along with her family. Only her Grandma Ruby seems to truly care for her, which is why Emi makes the trek, weathering the accusations of witchcraft from the other villagers. But one day she goes to her grandmother's cottage only to find a strange man at the house, a man only known as Wolf. He's there to kill the witch and end the curse....
This short novel is part of the ENEMIES EVER AFTER series, a collection of enemies-to-lovers retellings, with each book featuring a different fairy tale twist written by a different author. As you might have guessed, Hunted by Wolves and Shadow is a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. This was a quick read that I liked well enough, but it will likely to fail to stand out in the crowd of similar fantasy romances. 2.5 stars.
One of the great pros of this novel is that Holloway does well with the retelling aspect, changing up the story elements just enough to keep the plot interesting, but familiar enough that readers will recognize the original source material. Additionally, there's an interesting magic system that is both incredibly simplistic but also has a lot of room for exploration.
Emi has quite a character arc as she comes to terms with family secrets and how they've not only affected her, but the people around her. It's a catalyst that forces her to come to terms with who she is and who she wants to be. Wolf, on the other hand, feels like sometimes he's more monster than man... but he'll do anything to save his found family, even if that means giving in to darkness. The two of them had great chemistry, even if their relationship did progress unrealistically quickly.
Unfortunately, I think that the book was just missing that special spark. The first half of the novel was a little tiring in its repetitiveness; Wolf laments what he's become, Emi refuses to see the truth, there's a strange training montage... you get the idea. The second half really tied up the novel rather nicely, with a definitive end that leaves room for readers to imagine more.
November 20, 2025
A prophecy. A curse. Dark magic. Death
After escaping the monster in the mist Emi managed to find safety in her grandmother’s cottage . A cabin that sat deep inside the cursed woods. While the danger of the mist looms closer , thick and heavy , two strangers are forced together . But they are not what they seem . Secrets come to light , a mystery is close to being unravelled but will either be strong enough to kill the enemy? One is fighting for survival to lift the curse , the other is seeking revenge for her murdered grandmother .
Together in the small space of the cabin they worked together to try to end the curse . The intense battle of want and need was a powerful force within that close proximity of eachother . They had that sizzling tension and chemistry that was ready to burn at any given moment . Between the hate and feud there was banter , sarcasm and playful threats , that had me laughing! I mean , he was training her to kill him, even giving her tips ! Both trapped in a torment of the curse - one suffering from the pain of the grief , loss and the inevitable end and the other torn by regret of being bound to the blood of the curser. After her magic and power was awakened she promised to fight against the dark magic her family had placed .
Wolf was protective of Emi and all his family at the conclave . He fell first and HARD! But tried to push her away to keep her safe. I felt for him. He had everyone’s lives on his shoulders , he felt the pressure, the regret of not being able to save everyone and he was lost.
Emi, was stuck in her own head feeling unloved , unwanted and a constant pain but I admired her strength at overcoming her weaknesses and was brave to accept herself - her flaws, her insecurities and all negative parts of her. She knew she was worthy to love and be loved. A name she once hated , she wore with pride!
I love a fairytale retelling and I love a wolf shifters romance so this gave me the double scratch to the itch I was craving ! It’s a YES from me ! 🖤
After escaping the monster in the mist Emi managed to find safety in her grandmother’s cottage . A cabin that sat deep inside the cursed woods. While the danger of the mist looms closer , thick and heavy , two strangers are forced together . But they are not what they seem . Secrets come to light , a mystery is close to being unravelled but will either be strong enough to kill the enemy? One is fighting for survival to lift the curse , the other is seeking revenge for her murdered grandmother .
Together in the small space of the cabin they worked together to try to end the curse . The intense battle of want and need was a powerful force within that close proximity of eachother . They had that sizzling tension and chemistry that was ready to burn at any given moment . Between the hate and feud there was banter , sarcasm and playful threats , that had me laughing! I mean , he was training her to kill him, even giving her tips ! Both trapped in a torment of the curse - one suffering from the pain of the grief , loss and the inevitable end and the other torn by regret of being bound to the blood of the curser. After her magic and power was awakened she promised to fight against the dark magic her family had placed .
Wolf was protective of Emi and all his family at the conclave . He fell first and HARD! But tried to push her away to keep her safe. I felt for him. He had everyone’s lives on his shoulders , he felt the pressure, the regret of not being able to save everyone and he was lost.
Emi, was stuck in her own head feeling unloved , unwanted and a constant pain but I admired her strength at overcoming her weaknesses and was brave to accept herself - her flaws, her insecurities and all negative parts of her. She knew she was worthy to love and be loved. A name she once hated , she wore with pride!
I love a fairytale retelling and I love a wolf shifters romance so this gave me the double scratch to the itch I was craving ! It’s a YES from me ! 🖤
May 28, 2024
* Recieved from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *
Thanks to both the author and NetGalley for letting me read and review a free copy of this book. This has not altered my opinion on the book in any way.
The first thing I want to say in this review is that Emi and her backstory really resonated with me. As someone who had to take care of others when they were younger, I understood Emi's struggle and appreciated the author's exploration of her feelings in regards to her family and her town. I also loved how she worried about subconciously picking up on her family's bad behavior, an anxiety that is rarely depicted in literature--especially among female protagonists. I also loved the gemstone witches and their powers because it made the book feel very whimsical and fairytale like. The story about Emi finding her power and learning how to use it was very strong, and it was a plotline I deeply appreciated.
I feel like this book could have benefitted from having another round of editing, because certain plotlines, such as the overall nature of the curse and the setting, felt weak. I had no idea what time period this book was set in, and there was very little description of the world around the characters. This lack of worldbuilding made it challenging for me to get invested in the story because in fantasy novels especially, the setting needs to act almost like a character in order to feel believable. The relationship between Emi and Wolf also went from 0 to 60 with very little build-up. In order for their relationship to have depth, they needed to do something besides wander around Emi's grandmother's cottage. The book being longer could have helped remedy some of these issues, since I felt like the author didn't give herself enough space to fully explore her idea.
Thanks to both the author and NetGalley for letting me read and review a free copy of this book. This has not altered my opinion on the book in any way.
The first thing I want to say in this review is that Emi and her backstory really resonated with me. As someone who had to take care of others when they were younger, I understood Emi's struggle and appreciated the author's exploration of her feelings in regards to her family and her town. I also loved how she worried about subconciously picking up on her family's bad behavior, an anxiety that is rarely depicted in literature--especially among female protagonists. I also loved the gemstone witches and their powers because it made the book feel very whimsical and fairytale like. The story about Emi finding her power and learning how to use it was very strong, and it was a plotline I deeply appreciated.
I feel like this book could have benefitted from having another round of editing, because certain plotlines, such as the overall nature of the curse and the setting, felt weak. I had no idea what time period this book was set in, and there was very little description of the world around the characters. This lack of worldbuilding made it challenging for me to get invested in the story because in fantasy novels especially, the setting needs to act almost like a character in order to feel believable. The relationship between Emi and Wolf also went from 0 to 60 with very little build-up. In order for their relationship to have depth, they needed to do something besides wander around Emi's grandmother's cottage. The book being longer could have helped remedy some of these issues, since I felt like the author didn't give herself enough space to fully explore her idea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews