What do you think?
Rate this book
The Pinewood Pack #1
Beginnings
Can love transcend the boundaries of humanity?
Werewolves don’t exist. I was certain of that fact.
Until Alpha Ethan Sullivan of the Pinewood werewolf pack inserts himself into my life, and my heart.
With his dominating presence, charismatic allure, and untamed power, he commands the entire room, but his intentions are very clear.
He only wants me.
He transforms me in ways I never could have imagined.
My instinctive attraction to him is like an intoxicating drug, and with one otherworldly kiss, my morals and desire collide.
He ignites a passion within me so hot no other man will ever be able to extinguish the flame. Not even my fiancé.
Ethan is unwavering in his insistence that I, Olivia Newman…an ordinary human, am his fated mate. He will stop at nothing to draw me into his world.
The power of the mate bond brought us together, and Ethan has vowed never to allow anything to tear us apart…even the dangers of his own world.
Trigger Captivity and confinement, drugging, stalking, physical assault
Werewolves don’t exist. I was certain of that fact.
Until Alpha Ethan Sullivan of the Pinewood werewolf pack inserts himself into my life, and my heart.
With his dominating presence, charismatic allure, and untamed power, he commands the entire room, but his intentions are very clear.
He only wants me.
He transforms me in ways I never could have imagined.
My instinctive attraction to him is like an intoxicating drug, and with one otherworldly kiss, my morals and desire collide.
He ignites a passion within me so hot no other man will ever be able to extinguish the flame. Not even my fiancé.
Ethan is unwavering in his insistence that I, Olivia Newman…an ordinary human, am his fated mate. He will stop at nothing to draw me into his world.
The power of the mate bond brought us together, and Ethan has vowed never to allow anything to tear us apart…even the dangers of his own world.
Trigger Captivity and confinement, drugging, stalking, physical assault
- GenresParanormal
338 pages, ebook
Published April 2, 2024
61 people are currently reading
113 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
dnf
April 9, 2024Leah's review sums up my thoughts well!
DNF At 38%
and the hero keeps on repeating how much of an alpha he is as if it's going to convince me. This was also very slow paced, which isn't bad but didn't work for me with this story.
DNF At 38%
and the hero keeps on repeating how much of an alpha he is as if it's going to convince me. This was also very slow paced, which isn't bad but didn't work for me with this story.
March 7, 2024
It was a slow and back forth start for me but I still loved the book. Again this is just for me, if you love that then this book will be perfect for you. However, I was sucked into the storyline in the later half of this book! I needed to know what happened next and how the characters evolved with each other. Bridget why did you leave me with that ending 😭. I can’t wait for the next book and honestly if you love a good soulmate love story then this book is for you!
March 4, 2024
I have to start by saying, that for a debut novel, this was amazing! Thank you so much to Bridget Nicole for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is my first ARC review, and I didn't know what to expect. So I was pleasantly surprised!
- My first impression of Ethan was not the greatest if I'm being honest. He didn't take no for an answer and would not back off. I get that she's your mate, but DUDE, no means no. As the story progressed, I understood that this was an instinctual alpha trait and had to keep reminding myself that he's not actually human. The jealousy and bipolar-ness were getting to me at some points where I was yelling at Ethan to STFU. But again, not human, okay okay.
- I did love Olivia, for the most part, as she seemed very strong-willed. Of course, there were moments where I was like, "You can't forgive him THIS easily." But the part where she tells him off when he has a jealous freak out again was perfect. COMMAND THAT RESPECT, GIRL. And when she said that she was willing to show the pack what she's made of. BADASS.
- I truly love Olivia's relationships with Chloe and Nick. It's so genuine and they are how friends should be. Real ride-or-dies. When Nick tells off Ethan because he upset Olivia.. this is how it should be! Even Chloe's dad is great!
- At first, I didn't like Caroline. I get that Ethan's her son and she wants the best for him and blah blah blah, but ugh. However, she redeems herself when she FINALLY realizes how badass Olivia is and how serious she is about Ethan. I mean, she almost died for him, so. And I did love how she tells off Ethan and Edwin when they were complaining about Vanessa going on a date with Austin. She will not tolerate double standards!
- Ian's an ass.
- There was a good amount of spice, but not overly so.
I'm, obviously, going to continue with this series. If you enjoy fated mates and "touch her and I'll kill you" tropes, with a good amount of spice, I HIGHLY recommend this. I rate this 4.5, rounded up. I'm only docking .5 because I felt like everything happened way too fast, lol. I thought this was a span of AT LEAST a few months, so I was shocked when Chloe mentioned how different Olivia's life was just a few WEEKS ago. I get that werewolves' timelines are different, but that went 0-100 real quick, lol. Overall, I enjoyed this so much and am so so grateful for this being my first ARC review!
- My first impression of Ethan was not the greatest if I'm being honest. He didn't take no for an answer and would not back off. I get that she's your mate, but DUDE, no means no. As the story progressed, I understood that this was an instinctual alpha trait and had to keep reminding myself that he's not actually human. The jealousy and bipolar-ness were getting to me at some points where I was yelling at Ethan to STFU. But again, not human, okay okay.
- I did love Olivia, for the most part, as she seemed very strong-willed. Of course, there were moments where I was like, "You can't forgive him THIS easily." But the part where she tells him off when he has a jealous freak out again was perfect. COMMAND THAT RESPECT, GIRL. And when she said that she was willing to show the pack what she's made of. BADASS.
- I truly love Olivia's relationships with Chloe and Nick. It's so genuine and they are how friends should be. Real ride-or-dies. When Nick tells off Ethan because he upset Olivia.. this is how it should be! Even Chloe's dad is great!
- At first, I didn't like Caroline. I get that Ethan's her son and she wants the best for him and blah blah blah, but ugh. However, she redeems herself when she FINALLY realizes how badass Olivia is and how serious she is about Ethan. I mean, she almost died for him, so. And I did love how she tells off Ethan and Edwin when they were complaining about Vanessa going on a date with Austin. She will not tolerate double standards!
- Ian's an ass.
- There was a good amount of spice, but not overly so.
I'm, obviously, going to continue with this series. If you enjoy fated mates and "touch her and I'll kill you" tropes, with a good amount of spice, I HIGHLY recommend this. I rate this 4.5, rounded up. I'm only docking .5 because I felt like everything happened way too fast, lol. I thought this was a span of AT LEAST a few months, so I was shocked when Chloe mentioned how different Olivia's life was just a few WEEKS ago. I get that werewolves' timelines are different, but that went 0-100 real quick, lol. Overall, I enjoyed this so much and am so so grateful for this being my first ARC review!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 5, 2024
I've always been a fan of werewolves and fated mates stories since my early days on Wattpad. Anything I knew or had read from any of those stories did not prepare me for what was in this book. 🤔
A human mate that needed to be turned in order to become Luna?! How dare they put her life at risk just to prove a point. I thought mates were supposed to be sacred. Why would they risk doing something that's supposed to be private just because 3 people voted not to over turn an old law. What happened to majority rules?
I liked that Ethan did a proposal for Olivia because he didn't want her to miss out on something she was accustomed to. I almost yelled at him through the screen to get it together ❤️ 😭.
It was such a nice fast-paced read that when it ended and Ian's loco for coco self was still at large that I had to reread just to make sure I wasn't crazy 🙃 😅. I can't wait for book 2 to come out so we can finally see if Ian gets what he deserves.
A human mate that needed to be turned in order to become Luna?! How dare they put her life at risk just to prove a point. I thought mates were supposed to be sacred. Why would they risk doing something that's supposed to be private just because 3 people voted not to over turn an old law. What happened to majority rules?
I liked that Ethan did a proposal for Olivia because he didn't want her to miss out on something she was accustomed to. I almost yelled at him through the screen to get it together ❤️ 😭.
It was such a nice fast-paced read that when it ended and Ian's loco for coco self was still at large that I had to reread just to make sure I wasn't crazy 🙃 😅. I can't wait for book 2 to come out so we can finally see if Ian gets what he deserves.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2024
So Olivia, you're human, but you get this strong magnetic pull to blue-eyed, handsome man who locks eyes with you at a wedding reception while you're there with your fiance, but you can't ignore the pull. He kisses you and you return the kiss, then he says, "Mine" and you enjoy it! What do you do? You find reason and brush it off. That kiss was so damn good you can't stop thinking about it. There's something about this blue-eyed man that your bff sees it does something to you. You don't get this feeling from your fiance. In fact, he's doing everything to ignore you and treat you like you're not important. You run into blue eyes, and your bff tells you his name, and it's Ethan Sulivan. There's just something...MORE about him that keeps drawing you to him. In fact, both of you feel that pull to each other.
March 5, 2024
I rated this 4.5 ⭐️s
• The story of Olivia and Ethan. Olivia a human, Ethan the Alpha of the Pinewood Pack. Fated mates. Werewolf societies aren’t something humans are aware of. And Olivia knows nothing of them, before he walked into her life. Can Olivia accept it all and be with the man she’s truly meant to be with? You’ll have to read and find that out yourself. 😏
• Both the FMC and MMC are awesome in their own ways. I loved them both.
• I went through a good chunk of time being all about werewolf books, this one is really good! I was never bored while I read the ups and downs of their story.
• I’m hoping there’s more… because I need to know what happens next for them.
• The story of Olivia and Ethan. Olivia a human, Ethan the Alpha of the Pinewood Pack. Fated mates. Werewolf societies aren’t something humans are aware of. And Olivia knows nothing of them, before he walked into her life. Can Olivia accept it all and be with the man she’s truly meant to be with? You’ll have to read and find that out yourself. 😏
• Both the FMC and MMC are awesome in their own ways. I loved them both.
• I went through a good chunk of time being all about werewolf books, this one is really good! I was never bored while I read the ups and downs of their story.
• I’m hoping there’s more… because I need to know what happens next for them.
March 6, 2024
✨Beginnings✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This book started off running and never stopped! I literally read this book in a day because I couldn’t put it down. I do wish there was a little more character depth, however, this was a fun, easy read and I am excited to continue Ethan and Olivia’s story.
Disclaimer: this book has mature content. 18+
✔️Dual POV
✔️Alpha werewolf mmc
✔️Human fmc
✔️touch her and ☠️
✔️fated mates
✔️Engaged to someone else
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This book started off running and never stopped! I literally read this book in a day because I couldn’t put it down. I do wish there was a little more character depth, however, this was a fun, easy read and I am excited to continue Ethan and Olivia’s story.
Disclaimer: this book has mature content. 18+
✔️Dual POV
✔️Alpha werewolf mmc
✔️Human fmc
✔️touch her and ☠️
✔️fated mates
✔️Engaged to someone else
March 7, 2024
3.5 Stars
For me, this one started off well. I liked the concept of a shifter being mated to a human. And it did start exactly how I liked it. Olivia doesn’t believe he is a shifter werewolf and has a hard time believing her friends are the same. She thinks they are playing a big joke on her.
But then the story just dragged on and on and on. I could have skipped a bunch of chapters and not have felt like I was missing anything. This story was just okay to me.
For me, this one started off well. I liked the concept of a shifter being mated to a human. And it did start exactly how I liked it. Olivia doesn’t believe he is a shifter werewolf and has a hard time believing her friends are the same. She thinks they are playing a big joke on her.
But then the story just dragged on and on and on. I could have skipped a bunch of chapters and not have felt like I was missing anything. This story was just okay to me.
March 11, 2024
Received this as an Arc and for me the beginning waa a little slow i felt like i was missing somethibg but then the second half of the book i was sucked in and needed to know what happens next to the characters. Absolutely loved the dual pov and the character development throughout the whole book. I felt it was a very fast paced quick read but still had a great plot.
March 4, 2024
ARC REVIEW.
I got this as an ARC and absolutely devoured it. I finished it within 24 hours. I liked how fast paced the story was and how it was written. It is in Dual POV so you do get to see both sides of the story from the Fmc and MMC perspective. It did leave off in a cliffhanger so do keep that in mind.
I got this as an ARC and absolutely devoured it. I finished it within 24 hours. I liked how fast paced the story was and how it was written. It is in Dual POV so you do get to see both sides of the story from the Fmc and MMC perspective. It did leave off in a cliffhanger so do keep that in mind.
March 4, 2024
I really enjoyed this book. There’s plenty of spice and action. I was always wondering what was going to happen next! The second half of the book kept me on the edge of my seat. Definitely can’t wait for the second book because of that cliffhanger!
March 25, 2024
Summary:
Beginnings is a short paranormal romance that explores a surprise fated connection between two species - a wolf shifter and a human. Ethan will do anything to woo the mate he's been waiting his whole life for, a dark haired beauty who happens to be engaged to another. Olivia is about to have her world tilted on it's axis as she's swept off her feet by this tall, dark and handsome stranger she can't help but be drawn too. The connection is instant and he's relentless in his pursuit, but is she willing to give up everything she knows, everything she is, to be his?
Tropes - Fated mates, family drama, rare connection, love triangle, leadership hierarchy, politics/power dynamics.
Triggers: Stalking, Violence, kidnapping, Pregnancy, drugging, possessive MMC, sexual content.
Review:
I personally struggled a bit with this one. Although the overall plot was interesting, it was somewhat predictable. Pace was really fast, making for a quick read but also making it a bit difficult to really connect with the story and the characters. Given the fast pace as well, the relationship between the MMC and the FMC felt a bit rushed and awkward. The rapid shift between emotional highs and lows made for a bumpy read and the dialogue felt a bit robotic throughout. The ending does make it clear though that this book is part of a series, and with a lot of the world building and introductions out of the way in this book, the second book has potential to be less clunky.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, Beginnings was okay. The plot makes sense and the unresolved conflict we're left with at the end makes for a promising next installment in the series.
Beginnings is a short paranormal romance that explores a surprise fated connection between two species - a wolf shifter and a human. Ethan will do anything to woo the mate he's been waiting his whole life for, a dark haired beauty who happens to be engaged to another. Olivia is about to have her world tilted on it's axis as she's swept off her feet by this tall, dark and handsome stranger she can't help but be drawn too. The connection is instant and he's relentless in his pursuit, but is she willing to give up everything she knows, everything she is, to be his?
Tropes - Fated mates, family drama, rare connection, love triangle, leadership hierarchy, politics/power dynamics.
Triggers: Stalking, Violence, kidnapping, Pregnancy, drugging, possessive MMC, sexual content.
Review:
I personally struggled a bit with this one. Although the overall plot was interesting, it was somewhat predictable. Pace was really fast, making for a quick read but also making it a bit difficult to really connect with the story and the characters. Given the fast pace as well, the relationship between the MMC and the FMC felt a bit rushed and awkward. The rapid shift between emotional highs and lows made for a bumpy read and the dialogue felt a bit robotic throughout. The ending does make it clear though that this book is part of a series, and with a lot of the world building and introductions out of the way in this book, the second book has potential to be less clunky.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, Beginnings was okay. The plot makes sense and the unresolved conflict we're left with at the end makes for a promising next installment in the series.
March 19, 2024
*Arc review* The story was ok but kinda.. blah?, things felt very overdramatic and just couldnt hold my attention. One plot point (her ex) didnt go anywhere after the build up, maybe it would in the next book but it was a major part of the story in the beginning and then just disappeared. loll 😩 I did love her and her best friends relationship.
November 1, 2025
Quick Summary: A 0 to 50 to 75 to 100 supernatural romance
My Review: Beginnings by Bridget Nicole is book #1 in The Pinewood Pack series. It was released in 2024.
About the Book: "Werewolves don't exist. I was certain of that fact. Until Alpha Ethan Sullivan of the Pinewood werewolf pack inserts himself into my life, and my heart."
In My Own Words: A human and a werewolf meet across a crowded room and forge an inevitable mating bond. Unfortunately, not everyone is accepting of their joining.
About the Characters:
Ethan - > Pushy, alpha strong, driven, he falls first
Olivia - > Hot & cold, hesitant, she falls hard
About the Couple: Ethan and his mate were opposites. They had a magnetic meeting that would not be denied. Because of their peculiar union, there were some who were blatantly against them. Yet and still, there were other pack members who were hugely supportive.
About the Conflicts & Tropes: Presented content associated with the conflict arc and featured tropes included a love triangle, infidelity, touch her and die play, human x paranormal coupling, mate rejection versus acceptance, kidnapping, chemical and physical assault, and homicidal intent.
My Final Say: The challenge with setting up a series in a first book can be difficult. This novel does an okay job of it. It introduced pack members, key supports, antagonists, and obstacles to the couples happiness. Initially, it took a moment for the writing to warm up and for the characters to establish themselves, but a stride was eventually realized. By the end of the story, enough of a plot twist was dropped that reading book 2 was logical.
Other:
- I liked the story, but I was not a fan of the leads so much.
- The writing style was notably different in the first part of the book versus in the last part of the book.
- This book did have spice & steam, but it was repetitive and predictable.
- Potential readers should be mindful of content warnings. There are two or more triggering scenes.
Rating: 3.5/5 - > I had a time of it rating this book. I shifted between 3.5 and 3.75.
Recommend: Yes - > This book is well worth a look-see.
Audience: A
Status/Level: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Series: Yes
Thank you to the author, to the publisher (Shadow Trail Books, LLC), and to NetGalley for providing access to a digital ARC of this title. I appreciate the opportunity.
My Review: Beginnings by Bridget Nicole is book #1 in The Pinewood Pack series. It was released in 2024.
About the Book: "Werewolves don't exist. I was certain of that fact. Until Alpha Ethan Sullivan of the Pinewood werewolf pack inserts himself into my life, and my heart."
In My Own Words: A human and a werewolf meet across a crowded room and forge an inevitable mating bond. Unfortunately, not everyone is accepting of their joining.
About the Characters:
Ethan - > Pushy, alpha strong, driven, he falls first
Olivia - > Hot & cold, hesitant, she falls hard
About the Couple: Ethan and his mate were opposites. They had a magnetic meeting that would not be denied. Because of their peculiar union, there were some who were blatantly against them. Yet and still, there were other pack members who were hugely supportive.
About the Conflicts & Tropes: Presented content associated with the conflict arc and featured tropes included a love triangle, infidelity, touch her and die play, human x paranormal coupling, mate rejection versus acceptance, kidnapping, chemical and physical assault, and homicidal intent.
My Final Say: The challenge with setting up a series in a first book can be difficult. This novel does an okay job of it. It introduced pack members, key supports, antagonists, and obstacles to the couples happiness. Initially, it took a moment for the writing to warm up and for the characters to establish themselves, but a stride was eventually realized. By the end of the story, enough of a plot twist was dropped that reading book 2 was logical.
Other:
- I liked the story, but I was not a fan of the leads so much.
- The writing style was notably different in the first part of the book versus in the last part of the book.
- This book did have spice & steam, but it was repetitive and predictable.
- Potential readers should be mindful of content warnings. There are two or more triggering scenes.
Rating: 3.5/5 - > I had a time of it rating this book. I shifted between 3.5 and 3.75.
Recommend: Yes - > This book is well worth a look-see.
Audience: A
Status/Level: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Series: Yes
Thank you to the author, to the publisher (Shadow Trail Books, LLC), and to NetGalley for providing access to a digital ARC of this title. I appreciate the opportunity.
March 28, 2024
Beginnings by Bridget Nicole
The Pinewood Pack series book one.
At the start of the book, Olivia is attending a wedding with her Fiancé Colin when she meets Ethan. She is immediately attracted to him but feels guilty for her feelings because of Colin. Ethan and Olivia bump into each-other in a hallway when he declares that he is “the only man who will ever satisfy her from this moment on”. Olivia flees from him to return to the wedding party but Ethan will not let her out of his clasps so easily. As Olivia and Colin leave for the evening Ethan finds her once more and warns her that she needs to tell her fiancé what happened between them before he will and that she doesn’t understand their connection yet, but she soon will.
When we get to Ethan’s POV, we learn he is a wolf and despite Olivia being a human and knowing nothing about wolves, she is his mate. If you love a possessive alpha hero you’ll love Ethan. He always put Olivia first and gave her his all.
There was quite a bit of spice once they’d gotten together and I wish there was some more build up between Olivia and Ethan’s relationship but I understand the instalove as they mates. Lots of drama towards the end to leave you needing to know what happens next! I enjoyed the idea of the Alpha having a human mate and liked watching Olivia grow and do whatever she could to prove herself to her mate and the pack.
Rating 4/5
The Pinewood Pack series book one.
At the start of the book, Olivia is attending a wedding with her Fiancé Colin when she meets Ethan. She is immediately attracted to him but feels guilty for her feelings because of Colin. Ethan and Olivia bump into each-other in a hallway when he declares that he is “the only man who will ever satisfy her from this moment on”. Olivia flees from him to return to the wedding party but Ethan will not let her out of his clasps so easily. As Olivia and Colin leave for the evening Ethan finds her once more and warns her that she needs to tell her fiancé what happened between them before he will and that she doesn’t understand their connection yet, but she soon will.
When we get to Ethan’s POV, we learn he is a wolf and despite Olivia being a human and knowing nothing about wolves, she is his mate. If you love a possessive alpha hero you’ll love Ethan. He always put Olivia first and gave her his all.
There was quite a bit of spice once they’d gotten together and I wish there was some more build up between Olivia and Ethan’s relationship but I understand the instalove as they mates. Lots of drama towards the end to leave you needing to know what happens next! I enjoyed the idea of the Alpha having a human mate and liked watching Olivia grow and do whatever she could to prove herself to her mate and the pack.
Rating 4/5
April 12, 2024
This is a fated mate book that takes us through all the eyes of someone who has no idea werewolves exist at the starts.
Olivia is engaged at the start of the book. She's with a reliable guy who she could see herself spending a very dull rest of her life with. At a wedding of all places, she ends up meeting Ethan. There is instant chemistry and they even share a secret kiss. This one chance meeting ends up blowing Olvia's world apart. She's forced to take a leap of faith from her "normal" life into the world of werewolves and politics.
Since Ethan is the alpha, he's also very used to getting what he wants. Olivia, being a normal human woman, throws a bit of a wrench in his plans by questioning just about everything. What should, by normal werewolf rules, be a relatively simple fated coupling, ends up hitting many bumps along the way, including some troublesome family members, betrayal, and doubtful soon-to-be-mother-in-laws. As your standard fated mate book, we end up getting through all that to a nice resolution at the end. Does everything get truly resolved? No. In fact, a big part of the start of the book never ends up re-surfacing in this book. Who knows if it shows up in book 2? Either way, it felt a little unfinished by the end here.
Olivia is engaged at the start of the book. She's with a reliable guy who she could see herself spending a very dull rest of her life with. At a wedding of all places, she ends up meeting Ethan. There is instant chemistry and they even share a secret kiss. This one chance meeting ends up blowing Olvia's world apart. She's forced to take a leap of faith from her "normal" life into the world of werewolves and politics.
Since Ethan is the alpha, he's also very used to getting what he wants. Olivia, being a normal human woman, throws a bit of a wrench in his plans by questioning just about everything. What should, by normal werewolf rules, be a relatively simple fated coupling, ends up hitting many bumps along the way, including some troublesome family members, betrayal, and doubtful soon-to-be-mother-in-laws. As your standard fated mate book, we end up getting through all that to a nice resolution at the end. Does everything get truly resolved? No. In fact, a big part of the start of the book never ends up re-surfacing in this book. Who knows if it shows up in book 2? Either way, it felt a little unfinished by the end here.
April 4, 2024
𝔅𝔩𝔲𝔯𝔟: Olivia Newman is a human. She is thrown into the world of werewolves when Alpha Ethan of the Pinewood Pack comes into her life. He insists that she is his mate. Olivia is not so sure though. She is inexplicably drawn to Ethan, but she has a fiance and a life. Can she really give it all up for a man she just met?
ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴: I enjoyed Beginnings. If you love a good werewolf romance then you’ll enjoy it too. The story was interesting and the writing style made it easy to read. I loved getting to see Olivia and Ethan’s relationship develop. I did feel like some things were a little rushed and I wished we got to see more of the pack/wolves. There is definitely spice in this book though! The book is written in dual POV and I loved the way Bridget did it! It was absolutely seamless and I loved it. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the Pinewood Pack!
Thank you Bridget for providing me with an ARC copy of Beginnings!
ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴: I enjoyed Beginnings. If you love a good werewolf romance then you’ll enjoy it too. The story was interesting and the writing style made it easy to read. I loved getting to see Olivia and Ethan’s relationship develop. I did feel like some things were a little rushed and I wished we got to see more of the pack/wolves. There is definitely spice in this book though! The book is written in dual POV and I loved the way Bridget did it! It was absolutely seamless and I loved it. I can’t wait to see what happens next in the Pinewood Pack!
Thank you Bridget for providing me with an ARC copy of Beginnings!
April 16, 2024
I simple couldn’t put this book down! I stayed up all night I literally fell asleep with my kindle in hand. If I had fallen asleep, it would have been done! I would honestly say this was more like 6 star book for me!
I’m general so excited so continue the series! This is a werewolf paranormal romance and from the beginning you get that insta love from the MMC and it’s intoxicating! It doesn’t take long till the FMC follows suit! You have your romance, spice, plot, and enemy! The spice is so perfect! It’s not overly done but just enough to like get ya going and following the storyline, you just feel this need to know what will happen next! I would definitely say to be aware of the possible trigger warnings. But they are very mild in comparison to many dark romances. This truly is a book a would recommend over and over and I’m obsessed with it! I truly can’t wait for the rest of the series!
I’m general so excited so continue the series! This is a werewolf paranormal romance and from the beginning you get that insta love from the MMC and it’s intoxicating! It doesn’t take long till the FMC follows suit! You have your romance, spice, plot, and enemy! The spice is so perfect! It’s not overly done but just enough to like get ya going and following the storyline, you just feel this need to know what will happen next! I would definitely say to be aware of the possible trigger warnings. But they are very mild in comparison to many dark romances. This truly is a book a would recommend over and over and I’m obsessed with it! I truly can’t wait for the rest of the series!
June 20, 2024
This book really reignited my love for both werewolves and urban fantasy stories. Olivia and Ethan lock eyes across the room at a friend’s wedding. They feel a magnetic pull towards each other. Ethan is the alpha wolf of the Pinewood pack, and he’s finally found his mate. The only problem is she’s human and knows nothing about werewolves. Oh and did I mention she’s already engaged to someone else 😳. I loved the tension and banter. Such a fun read! This is the first book in The Pinewood Pack series.
Fav tropes:
Fated mates 💞
Mate bond ✨
Slow burn ❤️🔥
Spicy 🌶️🌶️
He falls first 😍
Feisty FMC 💪
Protective MMC 🐕
Banter for days 😏
Best friend bond 👯♀️
Secrets on secrets 🤫
Werewolf pack hierarchy 🐺
Politics 📜
Moving in together 🏡
Fav quote:
Okay I have two fav quotes actually.
“It’s you.”
“all of you…it’s all mine now.”
Fav tropes:
Fated mates 💞
Mate bond ✨
Slow burn ❤️🔥
Spicy 🌶️🌶️
He falls first 😍
Feisty FMC 💪
Protective MMC 🐕
Banter for days 😏
Best friend bond 👯♀️
Secrets on secrets 🤫
Werewolf pack hierarchy 🐺
Politics 📜
Moving in together 🏡
Fav quote:
Okay I have two fav quotes actually.
“It’s you.”
“all of you…it’s all mine now.”
September 8, 2025
This was a 2.75 🌟 for me...
While it was a well thought out storyline, it just really dragged on. Now, I'm a girl who likes the SPICY 🌶️ scenes but they really just overtook the whole book to the point I was just skipping through the spicy scenes altogether. And that is a shame. To be honest when every single chapter is a spicy scene it just loses something overall. Anyhoo it was just way too frequent spicy and I lost interest. Plus too much angst & talk and talk and talk between MC's. Yawn. 🥱
Overall-I am not sure if I want to go on to the next book but there are enough story loose threads that maybe it might be worth it.
Pros: very well thought out story, decent world building and interesting werewolf plot.
🌶️ was lost due to frequency
😈 villain.... so/so
🌟 2.75 but not sure if I want to continue series
While it was a well thought out storyline, it just really dragged on. Now, I'm a girl who likes the SPICY 🌶️ scenes but they really just overtook the whole book to the point I was just skipping through the spicy scenes altogether. And that is a shame. To be honest when every single chapter is a spicy scene it just loses something overall. Anyhoo it was just way too frequent spicy and I lost interest. Plus too much angst & talk and talk and talk between MC's. Yawn. 🥱
Overall-I am not sure if I want to go on to the next book but there are enough story loose threads that maybe it might be worth it.
Pros: very well thought out story, decent world building and interesting werewolf plot.
🌶️ was lost due to frequency
😈 villain.... so/so
🌟 2.75 but not sure if I want to continue series
March 7, 2024
Beginnings by Bridget Nicole
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: 2 April 2024
POV: Dual
Tropes: Omegaverse, fated mates, touch her and die.
Book one in The Pinewood Pack Series follows Olivia, a human, and Ethan, the Alpha of the Pinewood Pack.
I really enjoyed this book. Honestly, I’m a sucker for a story following a human, who’s blissfully unaware of another world/species, and having to understand and cope with it all. And what’s even better with this book is the fact that it’s dual POV and we get to see it from both characters sides. Characters who, if I’m being honest with you, are both strong characters which are so easy to love.
This book packed a punch that was heavy on the spice and action… and I loved it!
Waiting with bated breath for the next instalment!
March 15, 2024
I have a love hate relationship with the Alpha! I enjoyed reading this book and emerging myself into their story but on the other hand, the alpha possessiveness and lack of room for compromise mad me irrationally angry for Olivia. Olivia’s personality i connected with a lot of being a strong independent woman who does not like to be told what to do and especially not when she is stating her boundaries and comfort levels. Ethan on the other hand has the Alpha mentality, tied in with finding their mate and the mating bond fully pulling a him. I enjoyed their story and relationship and would be interested in how they fit in with the pack based off there this story ended, however i still would love for Olivia to set Ethan in his place regardless of alpha or not!
April 3, 2024
Book 1 and I am completely hooked on the Pinewood Pack series. I'm absolutely immersed in Ethan and Olivia's romance and can't wait for what comes next.
Olivia has been certain of one thing her entire life werewolves don't exist. That is until Ethan Sullivan, Alpha of the Pinewood werewolf pack, enters her life determined to draw her into his world. He declares Olivia... an ordinary human... to be his fated mate and with one kiss Olivia is unable to resist the undeniable power of the mate bond. Olivia could never have imagined the transformation her life is about to have or the dangers that this new world will pose. Will Ethan and Olivia's love be able to tracend the boundaries of humanity?
Olivia has been certain of one thing her entire life werewolves don't exist. That is until Ethan Sullivan, Alpha of the Pinewood werewolf pack, enters her life determined to draw her into his world. He declares Olivia... an ordinary human... to be his fated mate and with one kiss Olivia is unable to resist the undeniable power of the mate bond. Olivia could never have imagined the transformation her life is about to have or the dangers that this new world will pose. Will Ethan and Olivia's love be able to tracend the boundaries of humanity?
July 6, 2025
A werewolf romance where she's a human that knows nothing about werewolves and he's an alpha of a pack!? Yes please!
Olivia (Liv) is currently engaged but fate has other plans when she runs into a tall, dark and brooding man at a wedding. He's instantly attracted to her and becomes extra obsessed and possessive...oh hell yeah!
This book was interesting and intriguing. I enjoyed watching the whole situation play out. A human and alpha wolf pairing is one of my absolute favorite situations in a werewolf romance. Add in an extra obsessed and possessive alpha who needs to do some groveling...delicious!
This was a fun, steamy and spicy paranormal romance series with more books available. Check it out!
Olivia (Liv) is currently engaged but fate has other plans when she runs into a tall, dark and brooding man at a wedding. He's instantly attracted to her and becomes extra obsessed and possessive...oh hell yeah!
This book was interesting and intriguing. I enjoyed watching the whole situation play out. A human and alpha wolf pairing is one of my absolute favorite situations in a werewolf romance. Add in an extra obsessed and possessive alpha who needs to do some groveling...delicious!
This was a fun, steamy and spicy paranormal romance series with more books available. Check it out!
March 26, 2024
Am I a hypocrite? Yes, I am. I hate cheating but I let this one slide since Olivia kisses Ethan while she is engaged to another man. I like that in this universe you know when you have found your mate and that part doesn't drag. Welp, in this case, it did drag because Ethan isn't a person with lots of patience and was pushing Olivia to accept their bond even though she was human and knew nothing about the wolf stuff. So he kept pushing and she kept running, which is justified if we want to be honest. The book was everything I expected it to be. That's good and bad because if we want to be honest, I didn't have very high expectations of it. Olivia needed a stronger backbone because she was pushed around and taken advantage of too often in my opinion, but again, that fell into what I had in mind for this book, so it's all good. The ending was a little rushed, which is weird because the story didn't end in this book and there is definitely going to be a continuation which I will read.
September 18, 2025
The beginnings starts off fun but you’re introduced to multiple people, would have liked a little background of who they are at that moment, even just a brief description, as opposed to learning about them later.
Ethan does lean into obsessive bad relationship territory, there’s a specific line and a way to write a fated mates werewolf story that isn’t crossing a line of control. This teters that line at times which makes me hesitant to rate it higher. I want to feel the love, not being trapped or coerced.
My fav romance always will be tough guy but he’s sweet and romantic with her. This has this ten fold. I just feel like it could be tweaked a little better
2-2.5
Ethan does lean into obsessive bad relationship territory, there’s a specific line and a way to write a fated mates werewolf story that isn’t crossing a line of control. This teters that line at times which makes me hesitant to rate it higher. I want to feel the love, not being trapped or coerced.
My fav romance always will be tough guy but he’s sweet and romantic with her. This has this ten fold. I just feel like it could be tweaked a little better
2-2.5
March 11, 2024
I took a chance reading this book as it is not my usual genre and I was happy I did. Not only did the author kept it interesting, I liked how the author wrote the werewolves to live seemingly ordinary lives amidst us, yet didn’t dwell on this - the story is about a werewolf who falls for a human. Ethan had set his sights on human Olivia and he wanted her to be his Luna, which for some was a problem. Ethan seemed to hold her under a spell as she fought her attraction to him and her falling in love with him. This is a series and author I will be definitely following.
March 17, 2024
I received this as an ARC reader and was so excited about reading from a new author. Truly would give this 3.5 stars, so I rounded up.
I really like the story line in this book. An Alpha Werewolf finds his mate in a human woman and pursues her in this fast paced story. This story is heavily driven by the plot and I fear that the pace leaves me wanting more character development.
This is a debut novel by Bridget Nicole and I look forward to seeing what she has in store for Liv and Ethan as the series continues and she continues to grow as an author.
I really like the story line in this book. An Alpha Werewolf finds his mate in a human woman and pursues her in this fast paced story. This story is heavily driven by the plot and I fear that the pace leaves me wanting more character development.
This is a debut novel by Bridget Nicole and I look forward to seeing what she has in store for Liv and Ethan as the series continues and she continues to grow as an author.
June 7, 2024
I really enjoyed the plot of the story! It started off quick and immediately dove into the story, which was a nice change of pace. The middle of the book had a lot of extra fluff added in that I’m not sure was entirely necessary and the dialogue was a little off for me at some points. The writing style is more YA in my opinion, but I loved all the characters and read this book pretty fast. I got sucked into everything that was going on and can’t wait to read the next book!
If you like werewolves, spice, multiple POV’s, and gorgeous Male Leads, then this book is for you!
February 5, 2025
3.5 Stars
To be honest, I'm teetering between 3 and 4 stars. The idea for the plot was good it was just not executed very well, in my opinion. There was so much detail and some repetitiveness in some parts combined with a lack of action that caused the book to drag on. The spice was another problem. I absolutely love a good spicy book, but it outweighed everything else to a point it had me wanting to skip the scenes. Idk.. I am still curious, so I'm going to shoot for book 2. I guess we'll see!
To be honest, I'm teetering between 3 and 4 stars. The idea for the plot was good it was just not executed very well, in my opinion. There was so much detail and some repetitiveness in some parts combined with a lack of action that caused the book to drag on. The spice was another problem. I absolutely love a good spicy book, but it outweighed everything else to a point it had me wanting to skip the scenes. Idk.. I am still curious, so I'm going to shoot for book 2. I guess we'll see!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews