Red

Everdark Tales #1

by Riley C. Smith

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:
*NEWLY UPDATED AND FULLY EDITED VERSION (as of December 30th, 2024)*

She never could have predicted that visiting her sick grandmother would change her life forever. If she knew from the start how it ends, would she still make the same choices? Did she ever even have any choice to begin with?

Prey
Once again, I get a feeling like someone is watching. It may be only my imagination playing tricks, but there’s a captivating energy in the air. My heart skips a beat—I can swear I’m not alone. If I glance toward the windows, will I see a silhouette emerging in the dark? The thought of unknown eyes lingering on me should make my skin crawl in fear. Instead, it’s the most excitement I’ve felt in months. I catch myself adoring this thrill coursing through my veins, and I immerse in the fantasies of my stalker…

Predator
As I stand in the complete blackness of the night, hidden away from the moonlight by the tree shadows, an overwhelming wave of guilt crashes over me—a tide forceful enough to pull even a beast like me under. I know I shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t be watching, but there’s no help for myself. It’s an addiction, a compulsion that I’m powerless to break free from. The animal in me is much stronger than any of the decency I have left of my humanity. I continue to spy, unable to tear my eyes away from her…

RED is a dark and spicy reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood, where the villain doesn’t just chase the girl—he gets her. Brace yourself for a campy, fast-paced prequel to the Everdark Tales series, packed with twists, turns, and steamy monster heat. Book 1 in Everdark Tales series. Carefully read the author's note first. You can also visit the author's website for additional info

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Romance, Fantasy, Dark, Retellings, Shapeshifters, Paranormal

237 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2024

About the author

Riley C. Smith is a millennial multigenre indie author of dark romance, monster/paranormal romance, and horror erotica. When she’s not crafting twisted storylines and imperfect characters, Riley enjoys traveling, experimenting in the kitchen, spoiling her beloved fur baby, and getting lost in a good book.
To learn more, visit Riley’s website and don’t forget to follow her socials for new releases, sneak peeks, character art, and giveaways—everywhere @riley_c_smith

Reviews

[Noriboo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spice level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Amusing, quick short read.
The ending felt a bit rushed, but the writing was decent, and I laughed a couple of times throughout the story. The mc's are pretty self-aware, which makes for funny conversation.

The one thing I didn't like is that breasts were referred to as 'boobies' and 'globes'. Other than that, the spice was spicin'.

Edit 22-02:
The author took the feedback and made changes to the final edit of the book before release.

•••

I received an ARC from the author. My opinions are my own.

[thebeespot72 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when I start a brand new book, and I know I will enjoy it. Did I just read a dark, modern Red Riding Hood retelling? A stalker romance? A human and monster-fated mate's trope? Did this werewolf do what I think he did while in complete form? Yes, to everything, and I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment.

" Red" is a prequel and does quite a bit of world-building while incorporating an insta-love/lust storyline between the two main characters. Alex is known as the "predator," and Julia is known as the "prey." There are many a-ha and twist moments as the story evolves and gets more complex.

The spice scenes are through the roof. They are pretty detailed. As a werewolf, Alex detects things that may lead to baby-making, if you like that. There are things that wolves do that are common in the story, such as biting and things that rhyme with potting. "Red" was a good time.

[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5, rounded up for Goodreads

This started off strong, but by the halfway mark, the dialogue got pretty repetitive. The ending was packed full of action, but it felt so over-the-top that I couldn't really get into it. I enjoyed elements of this story, but I won't be continuing the duology.

[Darkest Bellé · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars! This was a fantastic little red riding hood inspired story, I ate it all up, the dark vibe, umm can you say knotting done right ;) the primal chase is chef’s kiss, never a dull moment in this storyline it’s my first Riley C. Smith book and I’m excited to continue I am a fan of the writing!

[Kimberly J. Nash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love the concept and idea around this entire book, but the ending came to quick, I need another daddy monster book like yesterday.

I fell in love with Alex so much. He's a beautiful beast, and honestly, he was just giving big dick energy, and I'm all for that.

There is some really interesting world building which I think could definitely be explored more in other books based in this world. I want to know more about the other world they end up in, I want more on the other creatures.. I will definitely be sticking around this author to see where we go next.

Also, I wanna know about these elites, hunters, that could be really interesting.

Riley, congratulations on your first book, I hope you get all the praise and recognition you deserve it 🥰❤️

[Lana *Best left alone with books and snacks* · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too lovey-dovey for me. I was expecting more monster for my monster smut. Maybe I'm just spoiled 🤷🏻‍♀️

Over and out

[Grace Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Red

I read this book twice. The first time around I felt it had a *lot* going on all at once, especially toward the end. However, on the second reading, I felt less overwhelmed by it and could take in everything that was happening better. I read fast and this is a novella, so it's probably best to slow down to absorb everything going on.
I like the main characters. Alex is, whew, something for sure. The best way to explain it is kind of like a train wreck you can't look away from. And I mean that in that he does some weird shit but in a way that you have to find out what he does next. He's a stalker and he's obsessed with Julia. Good thing she's into that kinda thing. 😉
Julia's inner monologue is so funny. Even she knows how weird it is to be into a stalker watching her. When she finds out he's a werewolf, she's even more into it and also finds that weird about herself, which I think is hilarious. This story handles the fated mates trope well. It is instalove, but done in a way that isn't annoying. Alex is drawn to Julia and immediately obsessed, but he knows what's going on the entire time so it makes sense he'd be that way. Julia doesn't know why she's acting the way she is, but just kinda goes with it anyway. She very much has a "fuck it" attitude, figuratively and literally and I like that about her.
I also like the overall plot of the story. It's kind of dystopian in a genocidal government that craves ultimate power way and that's right up my alley. So I'm interested to see what happens in the series next.

[Athanasia ♥︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

mmhhmmm... i loved it *goes to bath in holy water*

This book might not be for everyone, but it was for me. Funny, entertaining, and intriguing with a solid plot, especially for a novella. 


Tags:
Paranormal MMC👻👹😈
Found family 👩🏽‍👨🏽‍👧🏽🏡💗
Omegaverse/Alpha,beta,omega dynamics 🅰️🅱️🅾️
Insta love-matehood❤️‍🔥 ❤️
Learning intimacy💁👌😍
Interesting anatomy❤️‍🔥🍆🦴
Blood play/blood sharing💉 🩸🪒
Gore/ Murder👀🩸🔪
Stalking🪓 🔪🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
Dubious consent☠️😈👹
Birth control tampering💊 💉 ⚗️
Death💀🪔⚰️
Violence🛑 ⛔️ 📛
Monster smut👺👾🤤

[Amber York · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very enjoyable. I did have a hard time with how fast the mfc came around to the fact that the mmc was her mate. It seemed a little rushed. But all in all I enjoyed the characters and the plot. Alex is swoon-worthy. Also there is a mirror scene that I just couldn't get enough of! 🥵

[Kerri-louise Whitham Your_bookish_fantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

**𝓝𝓞 𝓢𝓟𝓞𝓘𝓛𝓔𝓡𝓢**
⚜️𝔻𝕖𝕥𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 𝕠𝕗- Red by Riley C. Smith

⚜️ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤-
(out of 5 stars, my rating scale is at the end)
* 📚 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5
* 🌡️ 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲 MF 🌶🌶🌶🫑 / 5 -𝑐ℎ𝑒𝑐𝑘 𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝐺𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑠 𝑠ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑡𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑟𝑜𝑝𝑒𝑠
* Which books have I also given this same rating? (𝑠𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑦𝑙𝑒𝑜𝑓 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛)
5⭐️ Fourth wing / Bound by inked flame / Anathama / The Lies of Lena / Of silver and Curses
4.5⭐️ Bitten / The Female / Quicksilver / Bride / Lights Out / A Bargain so Bloody
4⭐️ ACOTAR/ Spellcaster / One Dark Window / From Blood and Ash / Phantasma / Butcher & Blackbird
3⭐️We Who Will Die / The Wolf King / Daughter of No Worlds / The Ex Hex


⚜️𝕂𝕖𝕪 𝕀𝕟𝕗𝕠:
* Genre- Dark Paranormal Romance / Monster Romance / Little Red Riding Hood Retelling
* 📖 235 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀
* 𝐹𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 Solo 𝗣𝗢𝗩
* 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲- February 9, 2024
* 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁 or 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 driven? 𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒶𝒸𝓉ℯ𝓇
* 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲 & 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗻𝗼- EVERDARK TALES SERIES Prequel novella
* 𝗔𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 on 𝗞𝗨? ✅𝒴ℯ𝓈.
* 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝗲- ℱ𝒶𝓈𝓉
* 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲? ✅𝒴ℯ𝓈! ℐ 𝓌𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝓇ℯ𝓂ℯ𝓂𝒷ℯ𝓇 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓋𝒾𝒷ℯ𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒻ℯℯ𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝓁ℯ𝒻𝓉 𝓂ℯ 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽!
* 𝐀𝐧𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? (Disability, plus size, mental health etc...)✅ plus size FMC
* ℳℴℴ𝒹𝓈; 𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑦, 𝐷𝑎𝑟𝑘, 𝑊𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑦, 𝑇𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒, 𝑀𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠, 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑠𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑓𝑦𝑖𝑛𝑔
* 𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝒾 ℯ𝓃𝒿ℴ𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈?✅
* 𝒲𝒾𝓁𝓁 𝒾 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓃ℯ𝓍𝓉 𝒷ℴℴ𝓀 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝓈ℯ𝓇𝒾ℯ𝓈?✅
* 𝒲ℴ𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝒾 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝓎𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔 ℯ𝓁𝓈ℯ 𝒷𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓈 𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒽ℴ𝓇?✅
* 𝖂𝖍𝖔 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖎 𝖗𝖊𝖈𝖔𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖙𝖔? Monster-romance readers who want a filthy, fast little Red Riding Hood retelling with fated mates, stalking, possessiveness, paranormal creatures and enough actual plot surrounding the smut to keep things interesting.



🚨🅲︎🅷︎🅴︎🅲︎🅺︎ 🆃︎🅷︎🅴︎ 🆃︎🆆︎!🚨


⚜️𝕊ℙ𝔼ℂ𝕀𝔼𝕊 𝕀ℕ 𝕊𝕋𝕆ℝ𝕐:
💋𝐻𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑠
⚰️𝑉𝑎𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑠
🧙‍♀️𝔚𝔦𝔱𝔠𝔥𝔢𝔰
🌕𝑊ℴ𝓁𝒻 𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠
🦴S҉ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠
🧬 𝐻𝑦𝑏𝑟𝑖𝑑𝑠


⚜️𝕊𝕡𝕚𝕔𝕖 𝔽𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕤:
🥵𝒟𝒾𝓇𝓉𝓎 𝒯𝒶𝓁𝓀
😍IᑎՏTᗩ ᒪOᐯᗴ / ᒪᑌᔕT
👩‍❤️‍👨𝙵𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚜
🌡𝕐𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝔸𝕟𝕘𝕤𝕥, 𝕋𝕖𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕠𝕟
💦𝐓𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐨 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐬/𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬
☔️ Squirting
🩸 Blood play / blood sharing
🐺 Monster ‘romance’
🖤 Dubious consent
🚨 Birth control tampering
🍆ᏦᏁᎾᎿᎿᎨᏁᎶ
🫠𝒱𝒾𝓇𝑔𝒾𝓃 ℳℳ𝒞 ish…
🙏𝐻𝑒 𝑓𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡
👀𝘝𝘰𝘺𝘶𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘮


⚜️𝕋ℝ𝕆ℙ𝔼𝕊
👩‍❤️‍👨 𝙵𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑀𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑠
👀 𝑆𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑒𝑟 𝑅𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒
☠️𝕋𝕠𝕦𝕔𝕙 𝕙𝕖𝕣 𝕒𝕟𝕕…
💪𝒜𝓁𝓅𝒽𝒶 ℋℯ𝓇ℴ
🧸𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦
🎭 𝑆𝑒𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑡 𝐼𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑦
😈𝕊𝕖𝕔𝕣𝕖𝕥𝕤 & 𝔹𝕖𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕪𝕒𝕝𝕤
🏛️ 𝑅𝑒𝑑 𝑅𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐻𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑅𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔
🪧 𝐺𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑦
🥊 𝑉𝑖𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 / 𝐺𝑜𝑟𝑒
🪦𝕳𝖔𝖗𝖗𝖔𝖗 𝕰𝖑𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖘
🧐Aɢᴇ Gᴀᴘ (but not played on)
🧩𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒙𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒚
💈 ᗷᗩᑎTᗴᖇ
🍼🍭Bratty 𝔽𝕄ℂ


✨ TᕼᗴᗰᗴՏ ✨
Obsession • Identity • Prejudice • Power • Survival • Control • Belonging • Fated connection • Government persecution

📝Cliff Notes Review-
I don’t normally read novellas. They’re almost always one of two things for me: either so quick and inconsequential that I finish wondering what the actual point was, or I absolutely love them and become annoyed that nobody gave the author another 200 pages to properly flesh the bloody thing out. Red is firmly option two.

I read this entire thing in one sitting, only pausing to pee, and somehow found myself awake until 2:45am because apparently sleep was less important than discovering what happened to Julia and her suspiciously cuddly stalker monster. 😂

It’s a dark modern Little Red Riding Hood retelling featuring Julia and Alex, a mysterious predator who has been watching her from the shadows. We get stalking, fated mates, monsters, violence, government conspiracy and absolutely filthy spice. And while this is unquestionably smutty, I really liked that the spice actually belonged within the story rather than the plot being three pieces of Sellotape holding the s3x scenes together. It’s smut with a plot. Best of both worlds.

The characters were great and the monster-romance element was particularly well done even if it was in a more cuddly form than I expected. Unfortunately, Alex was introduced as this dangerous, primal, brooding predator and what I actually received was considerably closer to a giant supernatural puppy who could kill you. 😂 I liked him! But I felt slightly conned by the initial presentation because I was expecting something much darker and more threatening from him.

My biggest frustration came towards the end. Suddenly this little novella throws open the doors to a much bigger paranormal world and introduces several fascinating new characters and ideas almost simultaneously. I loved what was being revealed, but LET THEM BREATHE! I wanted the how, when, where and why. I wanted to know these characters rather than shake their hands while sprinting towards the final page.

And that’s basically my entire relationship with this novella: I really enjoyed what was there. I just wanted it developed properly.


😥 𝕎𝕙𝕪 𝕟𝕠 𝕗𝕚𝕧𝕖 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤?
Because this desperately needed another editing pass and more room.

The fact that Red has been published for quite some time and still contains so many grammatical errors, typos and fractured sentences really annoyed me. A couple slipping through happens. A small army of them marching across a published book is something else entirely, and they became distracting enough to repeatedly pull me out of the story.

There was also a noticeable wobble at around the latter part of the book where the writing didn’t feel as consistent, and the ending tries to do far too much in far too little space. The new characters and expansion of the world were some of the things I found most exciting, which makes their rushed introduction even more frustrating.

This wasn’t lacking ideas. It had too many good ideas fighting over too few pages.

🌍 𝕎𝕠𝕣𝕝𝕕 𝕓𝕦𝕚𝕝𝕕𝕚𝕟𝕘, 𝕨𝕣𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕡𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕘:
Surprisingly, the minimal worldbuilding worked extremely well for most of the novella. I didn’t need a forty-page history lesson about werewolves before somebody got naked. 😂 We were given enough information to understand the immediate world, paranormal elements and dangers without bogging down such a short story.

It’s only when the wider mythology begins opening up that the balance changes. Suddenly there are more creatures, bigger implications, government involvement and new characters, and that’s when minimal stopped being enough. It felt less like a satisfying ending and more like somebody had accidentally opened the door to a much larger book just before the credits rolled.

The pacing explains why I stayed awake until ridiculous-o’clock finishing it, so clearly something worked! But fast pacing isn’t necessarily good pacing throughout. The final section needed considerably more room.

And then there’s the editing. Please. Proofread this book again. The story deserves it.

🧝‍♂️ ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕣𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕤:
Julia was entertaining and I enjoyed her inner monologue, particularly the fact that even she occasionally seems aware that her response to discovering she’s attracted to the monster stalking her probably isn’t the standard response. 😂 She has that wonderful well, fcuk it then attitude which works particularly well in something this short.

Alex was also genuinely likeable and the monster side of his character was handled really well. His different forms, instincts and connection to Julia give the romance its paranormal identity rather than him simply being a normal romance hero who occasionally sprouts fur.

However, I wanted the Alex I was initially promised. His introduction suggested something much more primal, threatening and morally dark than the character he ultimately became. He’s possessive and obsessive, certainly, but underneath it all he’s surprisingly sweet. Big cuddly murder-puppy wasn’t quite what the advertising had me preparing myself for.

And then the ending dropped a whole collection of new characters into my lap whom I immediately wanted to know more about… approximately twelve seconds before the novella ran out of pages. -Rude!

⏳ 𝕎𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕚 𝕣𝕖-𝕣𝕖𝕒𝕕 𝕠𝕣 𝕣𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕?
Yes, with reservations. I’d recommend it to readers who love monster romance, fated mates, stalking, possessive MMCs, dark paranormal stories and very high spice, particularly if they want something they can inhale in one evening.

Would I reread it? Yes. And I’d absolutely read an expanded/re-edited version if the author ever went back to it. There is a bigger, better book trapped inside this novella and I’d happily buy a ticket to watch somebody set it free.

🪧𝔽𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕥𝕙𝕠𝕦𝕘𝕙𝕥𝕤:
This was the good kind of frustrating.
Not “why did I waste my evening reading this?” frustrating.
More “WHY DIDN’T YOU GIVE THIS ANOTHER 150 PAGES?!” frustrating.
The premise works. The characters work. The monster romance works. The spice DEFINITELY works. The restrained worldbuilding works beautifully until the story suddenly expands beyond what the novella has enough space to contain.

Give me more time with those new characters. Give Alex’s initial darkness room to actually develop. Explain more of the creatures, Elites, Hunters and wider conspiracy. Stretch that ending out. Fix the grammatical errors and give the whole manuscript another ruthless edit.

Because underneath those problems is a wonderfully filthy little monster romance that kept someone who doesn’t normally enjoy novellas awake until 2:45am because she couldn’t put the bloody thing down. That has to count for something. 😂

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5, but frustratingly close to something much better.


𝐹𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑢𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠;

𝕋𝕚𝕜𝕋𝕠𝕜
https://www.tiktok.com/@your_bookish_...

IᑎՏTᗩ
https://www.instagram.com/your_bookis...

 

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𝕄𝕪 ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕊𝕪𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕞𝕤:
⭐️ DNF

⭐️⭐️
I managed to finish it but it was rubbish. I won't keep a physical copy and won't recommend it, but  it's a shame as the plot could have made a good book in another author's hands

⭐️⭐️.5
It was OK. I wish I didn't start this one as it didn't do it for me as I struggled to read it. It had an interesting premise that fell flat but I had to see what happened in the end.

⭐️⭐️⭐️
I don't regret reading it, and I will read the next one, but this one did have a few flaws. [These could be repetitive writing, gaps or plot holes, better character growth or world building, areas needing more detail]
Generally, the book lacked depth and became confusing. The plot resonated with me even though it annoyed me on the whole.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I'm glad I read it. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to the right people, but I wanted more! Sadly, it's easily forgettable with a few issues I just couldn't overlook/get past.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good book! I loved it, but... I needed more! I really did enjoy it, but it had a few parts that needed more detail or added history/background or lore. But that's because the story or characters were memorable, and the plot was strong with brilliant twists. I would re-read if I needed to catch up for the next book and would recommend.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Great book! I truly wish the story had been thought about more, or the author had been given more time as this book is so close to brilliance! I will likely read again and will definitely be recommending it to all!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
WOW! Absolutely amazing book! Well written with great characters and a plot so memorable that it will stay with me. I will definitely read this again, I will be recommending it and sharing it with the whole world! Also- I NEED A PHYSICAL COPY!

🔥⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🔥
This is my God level tier. The book must be perfectly memorable. Even after reading 50+ more books, I will remember character names and emotions along with the plot. If there is a special edition, then I need to own it! If there is a conversation on books- I'm talking about this!

 SPICE SCALE:
🌶️– segsual language and a little on-page action / fade to black

🌶️🌶️– a lot of segsual language and some on-page open door action, may be occurring a couple of times

🌶️🌶️🌶️– a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently with 2/3 lurvers

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – super graphic and explicit, occurring 4 or more times, can be more grey and taboo themed.

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ – Kinks and Fet!shism, explicit and super graphic. It is likely to be tushy play, toys, playrooms, and more

[Alina Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received and ARC from the author but my opinions are my own💕
Review:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 🌶🌶🌶🌶
While I wish it was longer just to get more of the story it was a great short read and the spice was up there! The story follows our FMC Julia who comes back to her grandma's town when she is sick and then decides to live in that house once her grandma dies despite her mom's disagreement. Alexander, a werewolf comes to inform Julia of some secrets from her family's past only to realize that she is his mate. Once that happens nothing can keep him away from her except himself as he takes control of his beast while stalking her🤭. While I do love some drama in books, some action I hate it when it's dragged on for too long, and thankfully this book didn't do that, instead it relieved me of my stress pretty fast while still bringing in some unexpected turns through the story. The story has a happy ending and we get to see our little red fall in love with the big bad wolf while having a lot of fun🔥🌶🥵.

[₊⋆ Nyxia ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this novella was AMAZING!

Ahh if I go run in the woods will a monster come find me?? Seriously Alex was wow! Morally grey, and swoon worthy. I absolutely loved him!

"𝒴𝑜𝓊 𝓈𝒽𝑜𝓊𝓁𝒹 𝓀𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝒷𝓎 𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝒽𝑜𝓌 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝐼 𝓁𝒾𝓀𝑒 𝒾𝓉 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝓇𝓎 𝓉𝑜 𝓇𝓊𝓃 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓂𝑒."

Julia was great too. She was fierce and funny. I loved them together.

The plot was so great! Twists and turns. The spice was so so hot. I could have read so much more. This author did an amazing job, can’t wait to read more from them. ♡

"𝕀 𝕨𝕒𝕟𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝕕𝕖𝕧𝕠𝕦𝕣 𝕪𝕠𝕦, 𝕝𝕚𝕥𝕥𝕝𝕖 ℝ𝕖𝕕."

[Staci Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read many of PNR by various authors. I often find myself quitting the author one MAYBE two books into their series because there just isn't enough to keep me there. Only a few PNR authors have been allowed to continue to grace my Kindle, but I can confidently say I will be coming back for more!

The pace of the novella was quick. The characters were self-aware, which made for some quick humor hits (note: not lmao funny but like a snort of laugh). Spice level is good, not a slow burn (I read a LOT, so it takes quite a bit these days for me to say something is SPICY-spicy).

Yes, the MFC gets past the "shock" of learning about the paranormal being real, but to be honest if I was in her shoes there really wouldn't be a whole lot of shock it would be more like I F-ing knew it! And Riley mentions in the MFC's history she loves to read romance (pretty sure PNR was mentioned (I have two toddlers so memory isn't always the best lol)) so I wouldn't expect there to be a large shock.

One aspect I did LOVE is that Riley wrote the MMC as his natural state being more what lore would say a werewolf is and that he can shift into both wolf and human form. I feel like in too many "werewolf" PNR books, the person is either wolf or human, and there is no true werewolf form. So I really enjoyed having that be included in this.

There are some parts that felt slightly rushed, but when you take into consideration this is meant to be a prequel novella and not a full-length story, it fits.


I received an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

For anyone who is reading some of the early reviews please keep in mind when deciding if this book is for you Riley edited out "boobies" which was a major cringe for a lot of readers so don't let that deter you!!

[MsRHReviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a story that was very, very loosely inspired by Little Red Riding Hood.
A young woman goes to help her sick grandmother, who passes away shortly after. She inherits the old house her Granny lived in and, while there, starts seeing a man named Dean. She can't get the feeling that someone's been watching her, however.
Later, a large dog makes himself known to her. She had just been talking to someone about getting a dog, so she decided to take it in. What she didn't realize was that the dog was actually a wolf... a werewolf. One who has announced that she is his mate.
He tells her things that made her realize there was a whole world she knew nothing of and tells her that her life is in danger.
There's twists and turns in this book that you don't expect. It ends in a happily ever after, but it certainly isn't the same ending as the Little Red Riding Hood that you grew up with!

This book has:
- Shifters
- Primal Play
- Spicy scenes that you will love! (While he's in his regular shifter form)
- Stalking (which even he finds twisted!)
- Morally grey character
- Big, protective MMC!
- Size difference

After this, you'll want your own wolfy man!

[♡Angelica♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where to start, ok so this is the first book I've had the pleasure of reading from Riley and I must say it was a nice different short read for me. That being said I love the different aspects that were put into the book in the form of the world building involved, I can't go into that too much though without spoiling some things and I'm never one to intentionally do so ha.
I liked that there were a few plot twists thrown in to keep it interesting along the way. I think one of the few issues I had with the book overall was that it seemed a little too fast paced? I'm all for not dragging things out just to lengthen a story but the climax and a few other parts seemed a little too rushed, especially with the onslaught of new characters popping up ya know? Outside of that this was a fun and cute read with spice sprinkled all throughout it, well done Riley and I look forward to any future books that gives us more insight to other characters from here hopefully! ^-^

[Matthew Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

i knew id love tis because not only is it a red riding hood retelling but it has stalking and dark vives and the wolf can shift through three different phases . however i didnt expect to laugh so much because of how alex and Julia are with each other , omg that scene where she catches him walkeing towards her ! 😂😂, how alex teaches her the lure of his kind is new and amazing and so is how and what our kind does to his and where he ends up taking her is amazing. alex's family are brilliant !, how they treat Julia too , but what you find out about her family ! whats brilliant is how Riley only kinds of nods towards red riding hood and makes this completely her own , and the final part of the book is epic! i cant wait to see what happens in future books .

[Christine Fancher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lust, love, betrayal, family, and more! A red riding hood retelling with a much different light on the big bad wolf! The majority of the book is very smutty and animalistic, giving it a 4 spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ for me! There is some romance and action as well, along with a deeper ending than I expected. The last several chapters were my personal favorite!
If you're looking for something full of dirty smut and less of a huge world building story, this is great! I finished it in two days, as a slow reader and very much enjoyed it!
Trigger warnings: smut, death, mention of unwanted touching, animalistic bed play, monster attraction etc.
This book is not for everyone, but it is great!

[The Tiny Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella, a reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood, is an absolute gem deserving of five stars. From its captivating pace to its delightful twists and turns, I found myself utterly engrossed, unable to set it aside. The banter between the characters is charming, peppered with moments of genuine laughter. The romantic tension sizzles with just the right amount of spice, adding depth to the narrative. And let's not forget the mirror scene—a standout moment that exemplifies the author's skillful storytelling. In conclusion, I am eagerly anticipating the possibility of Riley expanding this novella into a full-fledged series, as the world created here begs for further exploration.

[Kez Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark and steamy red riding hood inspired story, with a deliciously possessive, morally grey and obsessed werewolf MMC, and a feisty curvy FMC.
This fast paced dark fairytale spices things up between Red and the werewolf, adds some creative family twists, and brings the action with supernatural hunters.
Enjoyable twisted fairytale with a HEA.

Tropes: fated mates, villain gets the girl, touch her and die, he falls first, fairytale, morally grey.
Dark romance themes: stalking, breeding, primal chase, dub-con, praise, knotting, monster smut.

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want short, sweet and steamy as heck this is a perfect book 🥵🥵

As a debut novella, this was a good book. I'm all for insta-love/lust so no complaints from me there.

Plot wise I think it was a little rushed, I personally started to paragraph jump a little during the last 10-15%. And the battle kinda came out of left field for me.

Another 50/60 pages with the information a bit more spread out would have made this a 5⭐ read

All in all, great read, that could use a little more fleshing out in places. Would recommend for anyone wanting a short spicy read.

Thanks Riley!

[Destiny Imperati · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did not disappoint!! Red is a loose retelling of little red riding hood, where the MMC Alex is morally grey and super dreamy❤️‍🔥 Did I mention he's also a werewolf? 🤣 Never thought I would be in love with a werewolf, but here we are! I was laughing so hard at some parts! The things that come out of Alex's mouth are wild🤣🤣 If you're into dark romance, with a bunch of spice, and a sexy werewolf, then you'll want to add this book to your tbr! 🖤

[ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in LOVE with this book❤️❤️ the author’s writing style: chefskiss🤌🏻 i dont know what she put in there but It’s addictive 🥴 i Need more 😩 I laughed, I blushed, I fell in love. Every page had something that I just couldn't stop reading. A masterpiece!! And ALEX 🥵🫠GOD😳 i fell in love with a werewolf

[Jessy Beckett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obsessed

I instantly became obsessed with these characters! The absolute best Little Red retelling I've ever read but this story was really a whole different one on its own. I have been in an awful reading slump and this snapped me right out of it. Five stars isn't enough. Impeccable writing and plot and don't even get me started on the perfection of this spice 😍

[Kathy Aquinas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book!!! What a page turner!! The twists and turns had me gasping as I didn’t expect them!! Spicy, thrilling and different paranormal creatures! The big bad wolf can stalk me anytime!!
Looking forward to reading more from this author!
Please read Trigger Warnings!

[Kenzlie Andresen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this spin of the classic story of little red riding hood! The connection between Alex and Julia is amazing and makes you melt. I’m hoping there might be a continuation of their story or even another couple in the same world. Love this!🖤

[Maryse Marullo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big bad (wolf)??? YES PLEASE! It was really good, quick and spicy 🥵 Riley made a very good debut novel.

[Jolene Pregent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sexy, erotic, and a possessive werewolf fated mate love story. Bad guys, fantasy creatures and found family. Five on the spicy meter. Loved every minute of it.

[rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book the sex scenes are something else. But I agree with others that the ending was rushed. Overall it's good. He is stalking her he knows she's his mate. They do have some people after them. Enjoyed it

[La'Jacinth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Retelling Twist

Oh, this Red is not for the faint of heart.

"Alex" and Red are at the center of this retelling, but the story evolves and encompasses a world in which we (humans) think the tales we are told are just that.

I love how Riley encompasses biblical characters and mythology into a story and how each "myth" is explained...sooo believable.

I am looking to more from her!!!!

[❤️Emma Book Lover ❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Red Riding Hood retelling
stalker romance
human and monster-fated mates
werewolf (in complete form) smut