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Shifters of Grey Ridge #2
The Alpha's Inferno
Marcus is the new sheriff, tasked with keeping law and order in this wolf town. The tough grizzly is determined to prove he's moved on from his troubled past and notorious family. Looking for an easy life and a fresh start, his infatuation with the local doctor is a distraction he doesn't need. Even if his bear is telling him otherwise.
Leila has a reputation as the wolf pack princess. To be seen, but definitely not to be touched. She's worked hard to carve out a life for herself as something other than the Alpha's daughter. When she meets her fated mate, a bear shifter who's the opposite of what she expected, she wants passion and fireworks, but the grumpy sheriff has other plans.
All of which involve staying far, far away from Leila Jones.
When an old enemy resurfaces in Grey Ridge, tragedy hits their small mountain town, putting both their lives in danger. Will it bring them together or tear them further apart?
This is Book 2 in the Shifters of Grey Ridge paranormal romance series. Expect a happily ever after, grumpy men, strong women, and lots of steam. Grumpy sunshine, fated mates, second chance romance, bear shifter, wolf shifter
Leila has a reputation as the wolf pack princess. To be seen, but definitely not to be touched. She's worked hard to carve out a life for herself as something other than the Alpha's daughter. When she meets her fated mate, a bear shifter who's the opposite of what she expected, she wants passion and fireworks, but the grumpy sheriff has other plans.
All of which involve staying far, far away from Leila Jones.
When an old enemy resurfaces in Grey Ridge, tragedy hits their small mountain town, putting both their lives in danger. Will it bring them together or tear them further apart?
This is Book 2 in the Shifters of Grey Ridge paranormal romance series. Expect a happily ever after, grumpy men, strong women, and lots of steam. Grumpy sunshine, fated mates, second chance romance, bear shifter, wolf shifter
363 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2024
1933 people are currently reading
1246 people want to read
About the author
Reece Barden
51 books499 followersReece is a steamy paranormal romance author writing wickedly wild romance. She is currently working on the shifter romance series, The Shifters of Grey Ridge and the Steel Pack Alphas.
She loves creating steamy stories about hot, growly alpha men and the women who love and torment them.
She writes for people just like her who love a little light-hearted fun with their naughty heroes and edge-of-your-seat storylines.
She loves creating steamy stories about hot, growly alpha men and the women who love and torment them.
She writes for people just like her who love a little light-hearted fun with their naughty heroes and edge-of-your-seat storylines.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 191 reviews
January 29, 2024
The Alpha's Inferno is the second book in the Shifters of Grey Ridge series and features Marcus and Leila. Marcus is a bear shifter and the local sheriff and is attracted to Leila. Due to his past he doesn't want to get involved with Leila but doesn't realize that she recognizes him as her fated mate.
Marcus drove me BATSHIT....
Like this guy was dumb as a brick lol. BUT he was hella hot in bed so I give points for that. Leila could have fixed all this nonsense by just being honest and communicating.
So while this book was action packed and hot...it also drove me a little batty. I am enjoying the series though!
Marcus drove me BATSHIT....
Like this guy was dumb as a brick lol. BUT he was hella hot in bed so I give points for that. Leila could have fixed all this nonsense by just being honest and communicating.
So while this book was action packed and hot...it also drove me a little batty. I am enjoying the series though!
August 25, 2022
9/10 ⭐️
3.5/5 🔥
MF/pnr/shifters/dual pov/HEA/virgin FMC/fated mates
Book 2 in Shifters of Grey Ridge. This is an interconnected standalone series, and while it is not required to read book 1 first, it would make for a better reading experience. [Plus you really need Cooper in your life 😉]
I’ve been waiting on Marcus and Leila’s story’s since we met them in book 1. We found out in book 1 that Leila and Marcus were fated mates, but Marcus didn’t know. This story back tracks some and we find out why Leila keeps it a secret 🤫 Since he’s a bear shifter and Leila is a wolf shifter, they feel the mate bond differently. Wolves mate for life, bears not necessarily.. and with the sordid history of Marcus’ father plaguing him, he doesn’t feel he’s good enough to be her ‘chosen’ mate. He’s determined to let Leila find her fated mate and life a happy life.
This is where I wanted to smack some sense into Marcus and call him a big ole grumpy idiot. 😂 Also I understood why Leila didn’t want to tell him, she wanted him to be with her because he wanted her, not because he felt a duty to uphold the mate bond…(another reason she didn’t tell him) but I was like dangggg girl, he totally wants you! This was definitley one of those books where you’re talking to the characters and yelling at them to get their shit together. 😝 but when they finally do…. woahh 🔥🔥
This book was sooooo good! I love Reece’s writing! I enjoyed getting to see more of Hayley and Cooper and still being a part of some big moments for them too. Marcus went through a lot of different feelings and Leila just held on with both hands even when she was away from him. She loved Marcus and gave him the space to figure it out on his own… even if it took awhile to get there. There was some big suspenseful things going on in this book and not all of our questions get answered.. so I’m impatiently waiting for the next book. [Also the mentions of Rex in the past two books have me dying for his HEA 🥺]
-ARC Review-
3.5/5 🔥
MF/pnr/shifters/dual pov/HEA/virgin FMC/fated mates
Book 2 in Shifters of Grey Ridge. This is an interconnected standalone series, and while it is not required to read book 1 first, it would make for a better reading experience. [Plus you really need Cooper in your life 😉]
I’ve been waiting on Marcus and Leila’s story’s since we met them in book 1. We found out in book 1 that Leila and Marcus were fated mates, but Marcus didn’t know. This story back tracks some and we find out why Leila keeps it a secret 🤫 Since he’s a bear shifter and Leila is a wolf shifter, they feel the mate bond differently. Wolves mate for life, bears not necessarily.. and with the sordid history of Marcus’ father plaguing him, he doesn’t feel he’s good enough to be her ‘chosen’ mate. He’s determined to let Leila find her fated mate and life a happy life.
This is where I wanted to smack some sense into Marcus and call him a big ole grumpy idiot. 😂 Also I understood why Leila didn’t want to tell him, she wanted him to be with her because he wanted her, not because he felt a duty to uphold the mate bond…(another reason she didn’t tell him) but I was like dangggg girl, he totally wants you! This was definitley one of those books where you’re talking to the characters and yelling at them to get their shit together. 😝 but when they finally do…. woahh 🔥🔥
This book was sooooo good! I love Reece’s writing! I enjoyed getting to see more of Hayley and Cooper and still being a part of some big moments for them too. Marcus went through a lot of different feelings and Leila just held on with both hands even when she was away from him. She loved Marcus and gave him the space to figure it out on his own… even if it took awhile to get there. There was some big suspenseful things going on in this book and not all of our questions get answered.. so I’m impatiently waiting for the next book. [Also the mentions of Rex in the past two books have me dying for his HEA 🥺]
-ARC Review-
January 4, 2023
even shifter men are so dumb and i love them for it. he was ready to claim her baby not knowing they were fated mates 🥹 even though it’s his baby. what a big dumb, stupid, sexy man. i think my favorite thing about this series so far is that the men aren’t hoes! the only reason it’s not 5 stars for me is that a lot of the first half was very fast paced but also slow? it might be because i literally finished the first book yesterday so a lot of it was redundant. i want every side character to get a book, i love them all so much
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2025
I absolutely love Leila and Marcus, but man were they frustrating! There was a lot more pining and angst in this one. But more importantly… BEAR shifter!? Why is this so adorable to me. Especially when he kept mentioning “his bear”.
Things I enjoyed:
- Bodhi and Natalie
- More Cooper and Hayley
- Alpha Steel
- How feral and grisly Mountain Man Marcus is 🔥 (bears seem more primal and brute?)
Also, Animal by Neon Trees nails this book down to a TEE👌In fact, if you want a summary of the book, just listen to the song.
And yes, I will be returning to Grey Ridge.
Things I enjoyed:
- Bodhi and Natalie
- More Cooper and Hayley
- Alpha Steel
- How feral and grisly Mountain Man Marcus is 🔥 (bears seem more primal and brute?)
Also, Animal by Neon Trees nails this book down to a TEE👌In fact, if you want a summary of the book, just listen to the song.
And yes, I will be returning to Grey Ridge.
February 21, 2023
Another 2.5 stars
It would have been a solid 3 maybe 3.5 but I really disliked Marcus and his poor excuses and cowardly unsheriff like behaviour. It also suffered a dry middle but not as much as the first book
Once I hit 68% and there was no grovelling I skimmed the rest
I loved the cast of side characters with the addition of Natalie and Bodhi and can’t wait to continue the series to see if I’m right about Blake’s mate
It would have been a solid 3 maybe 3.5 but I really disliked Marcus and his poor excuses and cowardly unsheriff like behaviour. It also suffered a dry middle but not as much as the first book
Once I hit 68% and there was no grovelling I skimmed the rest
I loved the cast of side characters with the addition of Natalie and Bodhi and can’t wait to continue the series to see if I’m right about Blake’s mate
July 31, 2024
If you do not want to read my opinion totally trashing this book stop reading now. This review will not be nice or kind or understanding about how hard it is to be an author and put yourself and your creative work out in the world. Would I be a good writer? No, but I am still going to say exactly how I feel about this book. This angry stream of consciousness writing explains why I hate this book. I admit if I wasn't so hungry right now I might be nicer about it but I am so it is what it is.
I enjoyed the heck out of the first 60% of the first book in this series. The final 40% was extremely difficult to get through and left me disliking both Hayley and Cooper. However against my better judgment I decided to get the second book because I liked Leila and Marcus in the first book and wanted to see them get together. This was my first mistake. I should have gone with my first impulse which was to put this series on my do not read list and move on. Unfortunately for us all I did not. My second mistake was reading the whole book. I should have dropped it before the halfway mark. Maybe then my dislike would not have bloomed into hatred.
The beginning of this book was decent. Maybe the first 20% or so. After that the miscommunication between Leila and Marcus grew to ridiculous levels. The back and forth and all the constant angst was not amusing plus even with all the effort to not be into each other they manage to grope/fuck each other multiple times. Then there is more seemingly endless angst and boom of course Leila is pregnant. Then there is the fire designed to bring them back together and create even more angst and miscommunication between 2 people who can't tell each other anything of substance anyway. Then there is the bear sibling drama designed to make Marcus realize he wants Leila as his mate which was just stupid. Then Hayley has to come in and do her little Mary Sue special human thing and admit she meddles in everything and lies to everyone but no one is going to do anything about it because she is just so cute and special. This also leads to far too many instances of Cooper saying he is going to
"punish" or "talk to" Hayley and then she blushes and everyone knows that apparently this means that her antics lead to weird sex with Cooper and now we all know that super unnecessary extremely disgusting detail. At 70% or so Leila and Marcus are reunited, mated and they mark each other. They also visit her family and make nice with everyone. Should that have been the end of this book? Absolutely yes it should have. The angst from here on out is replaced by wildly inappropriate sexual innuendo and many sex scenes. Would I have overlooked this if I wasn't already so done with the book at this point? Yes, but when I hate all of the characters things like that grate on me a lot. The focus then moves on to trying to catch Toby. A very obvious trap is laid he instead chooses to try and kidnap Leila. Which ok I guess but it felt super contrived at that point that his target switched over to Leila. He is stopped super easily by Bodhi and a random sub plot of their evil father is exposed that does not make a whole lot of sense and then Toby is taken into custody. We do not find out the identity of the pack traitor which is incredibly irritating. Then we move full on into Hayley and Cooper's wedding which is nauseating and of course includes more sexual things we did not need to know. And of course Hayley is pregnant because why wouldn't she be? She's known Cooper for 5 whole months at this point they are way behind on the baby making. At the reception Marcus takes Leila out to the woods to have sex and asks her to marry him during. What is with all the characters having all these massively life changing conversations while they are having sex? I don't recall if there were more chapters between the end of the wedding and the epilogue but by the epilogue I was so done that I probably would have hated anything in it. It's like 4 or 5 years later and Marcus is coming home from work to greet the family. Bodhi is also there and this could have been super cute. Guess what ruins it? Of course more inappropriate sex innuendo and groping in front of the children and Bodhi which was not cute or fun or sexy it was fucking disgusting. Leila and Marcus have 2 kids at this point and apparently she is pregnant again with twins of course. I was really left wondering what Leila actually does in her life besides cry, have sex and get knocked up. This woman is a fucking doctor and this book reduced her to an angst ridden, sex crazed baby machine.
I should not have read this book. I am clearly not the target audience and it really isn't badly written it just really isn't to my taste. I really hope I learn a lesson from this but I am a sucker for werewolf/shifter/fated mate novels lately and they can be so hit or miss. I hope that next time I hate nearly half of the first book in a series I won't pick up the second book.
I enjoyed the heck out of the first 60% of the first book in this series. The final 40% was extremely difficult to get through and left me disliking both Hayley and Cooper. However against my better judgment I decided to get the second book because I liked Leila and Marcus in the first book and wanted to see them get together. This was my first mistake. I should have gone with my first impulse which was to put this series on my do not read list and move on. Unfortunately for us all I did not. My second mistake was reading the whole book. I should have dropped it before the halfway mark. Maybe then my dislike would not have bloomed into hatred.
The beginning of this book was decent. Maybe the first 20% or so. After that the miscommunication between Leila and Marcus grew to ridiculous levels. The back and forth and all the constant angst was not amusing plus even with all the effort to not be into each other they manage to grope/fuck each other multiple times. Then there is more seemingly endless angst and boom of course Leila is pregnant. Then there is the fire designed to bring them back together and create even more angst and miscommunication between 2 people who can't tell each other anything of substance anyway. Then there is the bear sibling drama designed to make Marcus realize he wants Leila as his mate which was just stupid. Then Hayley has to come in and do her little Mary Sue special human thing and admit she meddles in everything and lies to everyone but no one is going to do anything about it because she is just so cute and special. This also leads to far too many instances of Cooper saying he is going to
"punish" or "talk to" Hayley and then she blushes and everyone knows that apparently this means that her antics lead to weird sex with Cooper and now we all know that super unnecessary extremely disgusting detail. At 70% or so Leila and Marcus are reunited, mated and they mark each other. They also visit her family and make nice with everyone. Should that have been the end of this book? Absolutely yes it should have. The angst from here on out is replaced by wildly inappropriate sexual innuendo and many sex scenes. Would I have overlooked this if I wasn't already so done with the book at this point? Yes, but when I hate all of the characters things like that grate on me a lot. The focus then moves on to trying to catch Toby. A very obvious trap is laid he instead chooses to try and kidnap Leila. Which ok I guess but it felt super contrived at that point that his target switched over to Leila. He is stopped super easily by Bodhi and a random sub plot of their evil father is exposed that does not make a whole lot of sense and then Toby is taken into custody. We do not find out the identity of the pack traitor which is incredibly irritating. Then we move full on into Hayley and Cooper's wedding which is nauseating and of course includes more sexual things we did not need to know. And of course Hayley is pregnant because why wouldn't she be? She's known Cooper for 5 whole months at this point they are way behind on the baby making. At the reception Marcus takes Leila out to the woods to have sex and asks her to marry him during. What is with all the characters having all these massively life changing conversations while they are having sex? I don't recall if there were more chapters between the end of the wedding and the epilogue but by the epilogue I was so done that I probably would have hated anything in it. It's like 4 or 5 years later and Marcus is coming home from work to greet the family. Bodhi is also there and this could have been super cute. Guess what ruins it? Of course more inappropriate sex innuendo and groping in front of the children and Bodhi which was not cute or fun or sexy it was fucking disgusting. Leila and Marcus have 2 kids at this point and apparently she is pregnant again with twins of course. I was really left wondering what Leila actually does in her life besides cry, have sex and get knocked up. This woman is a fucking doctor and this book reduced her to an angst ridden, sex crazed baby machine.
I should not have read this book. I am clearly not the target audience and it really isn't badly written it just really isn't to my taste. I really hope I learn a lesson from this but I am a sucker for werewolf/shifter/fated mate novels lately and they can be so hit or miss. I hope that next time I hate nearly half of the first book in a series I won't pick up the second book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 4, 2022
I really enjoyed reading The Alpha’s Inferno, the second book in the series of interconnected standalones, Shifters of Grey Ridge. It was my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last. I plan on going back and reading the previous book, The Alpha’s Saviour, to catch up on Cooper and Hayley’s story. This is Marcus and Leila’s story.
Leila and Marcus are fated mates who meet in a bar, though only Leila feels the bond as a true mating bond, while Marcus attributes her pull to extreme attraction. Not wanting to mess up his new job by hooking up with the alpha’s daughter, he denies the pull, leaving both shifters unfulfilled and heartsore. But it is a small town, and as Marcus is the sheriff and Leila is the alpha’s daughter, the two constantly come into contact. Leila doesn’t want to pressure Marcus into a bond he might not want, so she never tells him of their connection. Marcus continues to deny his pull to Leila even as his bear tells him, “mine.”
I loved the unrequited love part of this story. Two people who are obviously fated to be together are too stubborn to communicate their feelings, both thinking they are only protecting the other person by keeping silent. And they are miserable. As painful as it was to experience their misery, I love books with that angst. It makes the resolution that much sweeter. When these two finally get on the same page, sparks fly!
Marcus and Leila’s story ends with a HEA but not every question is resolved at the end of this book. The following book is Rex’s story. Hopefully, he will finally get his HEA.
Leila and Marcus are fated mates who meet in a bar, though only Leila feels the bond as a true mating bond, while Marcus attributes her pull to extreme attraction. Not wanting to mess up his new job by hooking up with the alpha’s daughter, he denies the pull, leaving both shifters unfulfilled and heartsore. But it is a small town, and as Marcus is the sheriff and Leila is the alpha’s daughter, the two constantly come into contact. Leila doesn’t want to pressure Marcus into a bond he might not want, so she never tells him of their connection. Marcus continues to deny his pull to Leila even as his bear tells him, “mine.”
I loved the unrequited love part of this story. Two people who are obviously fated to be together are too stubborn to communicate their feelings, both thinking they are only protecting the other person by keeping silent. And they are miserable. As painful as it was to experience their misery, I love books with that angst. It makes the resolution that much sweeter. When these two finally get on the same page, sparks fly!
Marcus and Leila’s story ends with a HEA but not every question is resolved at the end of this book. The following book is Rex’s story. Hopefully, he will finally get his HEA.
September 14, 2022
This was a quick, enjoyable read. This was an MF instalove, shifter, miscommunication, unrequited love, fated mates romance. Instalove is not one of the tropes I gravitate towards, but I do enjoy fated mates romances which is why I enjoyed this one.
Marcus and Leila are two different types of shifters. Marcus is a bear shifter with a sordid familial history and Leila is a wolf shifter. Wolf shifters mate for life, however, bear shifters don’t necessarily do that. Marcus and Laila are fated to be together and the attraction between the two is strong, however, the differences in their shifters and how they feel the bond kept them away from each other. Once the tension between the two reached a peak and they finally came together it was explosive!
I love the protective alpha male in shifter romances and Marcus did not disappoint! I was all here for his grumpy protectiveness! Marcus also had demons he had to overcome and Leila was there for him in every way. I really loved the way she went about their relationship despite knowing they were fated to be together.
Overall, this was an interesting read and I’d love to read more from this author!
Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Marcus and Leila are two different types of shifters. Marcus is a bear shifter with a sordid familial history and Leila is a wolf shifter. Wolf shifters mate for life, however, bear shifters don’t necessarily do that. Marcus and Laila are fated to be together and the attraction between the two is strong, however, the differences in their shifters and how they feel the bond kept them away from each other. Once the tension between the two reached a peak and they finally came together it was explosive!
I love the protective alpha male in shifter romances and Marcus did not disappoint! I was all here for his grumpy protectiveness! Marcus also had demons he had to overcome and Leila was there for him in every way. I really loved the way she went about their relationship despite knowing they were fated to be together.
Overall, this was an interesting read and I’d love to read more from this author!
Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
September 11, 2022
I liked this one right from the start.
I absolutely love a shifter romance because I adore that over protective alpha male vibe - and this book did not disappoint in that case.
The only drawback for me was there was a lot of repetitive inner monologues from our two characters which felt it dragged the book out ever so slightly. I definitely think they could have communicated a bit better and maybe shed 30 or so pages from the book.
But besides that I still really enjoyed it. It’s got a great cast of characters - main and side ones included - and it was a quick, easy, enjoyable read.
The added sense of danger to the story was ace too to add a little drama but also to let us witness those overprotective alpha moments in full force 😍❤️🔥🔥
Really want to read the next in series too!
Tropes:
Fated Mates
Shifter Romance
Accidental pregnancy
Steam:
🔥🔥🔥.5/5
I absolutely love a shifter romance because I adore that over protective alpha male vibe - and this book did not disappoint in that case.
The only drawback for me was there was a lot of repetitive inner monologues from our two characters which felt it dragged the book out ever so slightly. I definitely think they could have communicated a bit better and maybe shed 30 or so pages from the book.
But besides that I still really enjoyed it. It’s got a great cast of characters - main and side ones included - and it was a quick, easy, enjoyable read.
The added sense of danger to the story was ace too to add a little drama but also to let us witness those overprotective alpha moments in full force 😍❤️🔥🔥
Really want to read the next in series too!
Tropes:
Fated Mates
Shifter Romance
Accidental pregnancy
Steam:
🔥🔥🔥.5/5
January 3, 2023
Reread on 1/3/23
This book gave me Suzanne Wright vibes and I’m totally here for it! You all know she is my go-to for shifter romances.
I loved the push and pull between Marcus and Leila. Marcus has past demons to overcome and Leila is there every step of the way. I also really appreciate that Leila wasn’t naive even though she was innocent. Nothing makes me roll my eyes more than a grow ass adult acting like a 14 year old.
I really need Bodhi’s story asap. He’s so big and broody. I just know he will tug at my heart strings.
If you love shifter romances I highly recommend this one! I’ll be continuing the series.
This book gave me Suzanne Wright vibes and I’m totally here for it! You all know she is my go-to for shifter romances.
I loved the push and pull between Marcus and Leila. Marcus has past demons to overcome and Leila is there every step of the way. I also really appreciate that Leila wasn’t naive even though she was innocent. Nothing makes me roll my eyes more than a grow ass adult acting like a 14 year old.
I really need Bodhi’s story asap. He’s so big and broody. I just know he will tug at my heart strings.
If you love shifter romances I highly recommend this one! I’ll be continuing the series.
January 31, 2024
This series just got better
This is book two (and I recommend reading them in order given the carryover from book one) and I loved the way the first book overlapped into the second. We get more of Cooper and Hayley’s story intertwined with Marcus and Leila. For some series, there is a stop from one book and then a start to the next. I liked that this didn’t. Hayley still played a role and not just as a cameo. I am looking forward to book three. 🔥🔥🔥🔥.5/5
This is book two (and I recommend reading them in order given the carryover from book one) and I loved the way the first book overlapped into the second. We get more of Cooper and Hayley’s story intertwined with Marcus and Leila. For some series, there is a stop from one book and then a start to the next. I liked that this didn’t. Hayley still played a role and not just as a cameo. I am looking forward to book three. 🔥🔥🔥🔥.5/5
September 3, 2024
I enjoyed this book but not as much as the first. So many of issues could have been resolved if they just spoke to each other!!!
January 3, 2025
Virgin FC totally too stupid to live
This is the last book I’ll purchase from this author. She tends to make her Face very young and very very childlike.
This is the last book I’ll purchase from this author. She tends to make her Face very young and very very childlike.
September 1, 2022
I was lucky to happen upon this author, and her second novel, and as such I initially read the series out of order. When I was sent an arc copy, I was delighted to read the final version, having now also read the final version of book 1.
Both this book and the series so far are exceptional. The writing is excellent and fluid, which is a rarity for this genre. Each book has an excellent stand alone story but with clever interlinking themes and characters. The main characters are all really endearing and addictive and I would recommend the series be read in chronological order to add to the experience of getting to know them.
The standout quality of these books is that the stories are really interesting, each includes tales of love and woe, with a heavy helping of steam and drama, all climaxing with an interesting sometimes exasperating twist.
What really sets these books apart is that they work as romance-thrillers in their own right, with the added bonus of the shifter world adding to both the magic and spice of the novels. The author has truly created a world you want to run away to join and once you delve in you will struggle to pull yourself away. Absolute page turners, that will really get under your skin!
A must read for shifter fans! But also great for newbies to the genre, as all characters are slightly older, mid 20’s plus, and the stories aren’t hugely masochistic, too dark or completely far fetched.
Both this book and the series so far are exceptional. The writing is excellent and fluid, which is a rarity for this genre. Each book has an excellent stand alone story but with clever interlinking themes and characters. The main characters are all really endearing and addictive and I would recommend the series be read in chronological order to add to the experience of getting to know them.
The standout quality of these books is that the stories are really interesting, each includes tales of love and woe, with a heavy helping of steam and drama, all climaxing with an interesting sometimes exasperating twist.
What really sets these books apart is that they work as romance-thrillers in their own right, with the added bonus of the shifter world adding to both the magic and spice of the novels. The author has truly created a world you want to run away to join and once you delve in you will struggle to pull yourself away. Absolute page turners, that will really get under your skin!
A must read for shifter fans! But also great for newbies to the genre, as all characters are slightly older, mid 20’s plus, and the stories aren’t hugely masochistic, too dark or completely far fetched.
September 4, 2022
I love a good fated mates shifter romance especially if they’re of different species too. What I enjoyed about this one is that because Leila is a wolf shifter and Marcus is a bear shifter, their views on mates is different from each other so it wasn’t like an insta love but like an insta attraction. There is a lot of miscommunication here as well between the 2 characters which easily could have been solved but I think it went well due to their different species and Marcus’s upbringing as well, but it still made me want to pull my hair out 🥲 I also liked that even though Leila knew they were fated mates, she didn’t try to force her thoughts and feelings onto Marcus even though it hurt her to do so.
August 31, 2022
We go back to the Grey Ridge pack in book two of this shifter series.
This time, reading the pov's of Leila, the Alpha's daughter, and Marcus, the town's sheriff and grumpy grizzly shifter. Little crumbs were left in the first book about these two that had me wanting to read their story. And boy, what a ride!
A slow burn with miscommunication, that made me yell at my Kindle, at these two stubborn characters. The chemistry between them is palpable, but they are both so afraid to act on it. When they finally come together, it's everything and more.
I enjoyed seeing more of Hayley and Cooper in this sequel, how their relationship progressed after book one. Can't wait for Rex!
This time, reading the pov's of Leila, the Alpha's daughter, and Marcus, the town's sheriff and grumpy grizzly shifter. Little crumbs were left in the first book about these two that had me wanting to read their story. And boy, what a ride!
A slow burn with miscommunication, that made me yell at my Kindle, at these two stubborn characters. The chemistry between them is palpable, but they are both so afraid to act on it. When they finally come together, it's everything and more.
I enjoyed seeing more of Hayley and Cooper in this sequel, how their relationship progressed after book one. Can't wait for Rex!
September 3, 2022
This was a good book. I will say, I didn’t necessarily like how 6 months and then another like 6 weeks passing was just briefly mentioned and seemed overlooked. I think it should have been acknowledged more that that much time was passing after Marcus and Leila’s encounters. But other than that this was a great story. My heart hurt for Leila and Marcus. And I also wanted to lock them in a room together to stop all the lack of and miscommunication. The suspense was killing me plus all of the Toby drama. The drama and suspense had me full of angst in the best way. I needed to keep reading to see what would happen. I can’t wait to read what comes next.
August 18, 2025
2.5 to be honest, I feel like pieces of this story are missing and it's frustrating.
spoilers.
So this entire book hinges on her not telling him they are mates. A whole book focused on them being into each other and not saying they are mates. It got old so so fast, and he did not grovel enough.
I also felt like we just glazed over things and were missing keys points of the story which made it hard to care more.
spoilers.
So this entire book hinges on her not telling him they are mates. A whole book focused on them being into each other and not saying they are mates. It got old so so fast, and he did not grovel enough.
I also felt like we just glazed over things and were missing keys points of the story which made it hard to care more.
August 28, 2022
How can a relationship progress when one of them seems so hellbent on self-sabotage? Alpha's Inferno is so frustrating in that I want to drag Marcus by the hair, sit him down in front of Leila and then bump their heads together so that they could both FINALLY talk and get on board the fated mate train and start making pups/cubs.
The story is so interesting that despite the frustration factor, I still kept on reading. This story definitely falls under "slow burn" and it does get pretty hot so I would still recommend it. Let me know if you get frustrated with Marcus as well, lol! #mustread #bookreview #shifterromance
The story is so interesting that despite the frustration factor, I still kept on reading. This story definitely falls under "slow burn" and it does get pretty hot so I would still recommend it. Let me know if you get frustrated with Marcus as well, lol! #mustread #bookreview #shifterromance
September 4, 2022
This book can totally be read alone without the previous. The nice thing is, each chapter is told in the person's view, and you even get story from the last book without it being hard to follow. Definitely a great series and you can see where it has potential to branch off into others!!!!
November 5, 2022
Awesome Read! I couldn't put it down!
I just finished the first book and this one was a must for me because these two were hinted in book one. Reece Barden doesn't disappoint and I loved this book ❤️! Leila is a strong loving sister and the way she supports her family and cares about others is admirable. The hardest part for me was all the time these two took to get their happiness but again there is so much revealed in this book its a Must Read! I'm so excited to read Rex's story, I've been intrigued about him since book one and I can't wait to read All of Reece Barden's books!
I just finished the first book and this one was a must for me because these two were hinted in book one. Reece Barden doesn't disappoint and I loved this book ❤️! Leila is a strong loving sister and the way she supports her family and cares about others is admirable. The hardest part for me was all the time these two took to get their happiness but again there is so much revealed in this book its a Must Read! I'm so excited to read Rex's story, I've been intrigued about him since book one and I can't wait to read All of Reece Barden's books!
December 2, 2023
I preferred the first book, but this one is good as well.
August 29, 2022
Received an ARC and could not put my phone down. The series was beautifully continued following the story of Cooper’s sister Leila. You will fall in love with the characters and probably be waiting on edge for the next book like I am.
September 3, 2022
Loved this one as well!!!! Although i got a bit frustrated with the main male character. He was not the smartest. Really cool book.
August 28, 2022
Unlike most, this werewolf romance is actually well written! You know exactly what the writer is trying to say instead of trying to figure it out from context.
May 17, 2024
This book was the perfect secondary to the first book and the novelette. It is the same time frame but just another couples perspective of the events that took place.
There is heart brake, spicyness, and thrill.
Leila and Marcus
There is heart brake, spicyness, and thrill.
Leila and Marcus
August 6, 2022
Read on Radish. Beautiful story and I love how the characters from story before. Can’t wait to read Rex’s story.
December 8, 2022
Great book
Loved Marcus and Leila’s story
Also enjoy hearing updates from Cooper and Haley
Loved Marcus and Leila’s story
Also enjoy hearing updates from Cooper and Haley
September 12, 2022
📚Delightful ARC Review📚
Hey Chaotic Lovelies!
I want to thank #smuthood for the opportunity to read this ARC of The Alpha’s Inferno by Reece Barden!
⭐️5
🐻Fated Mates🐺
🐺Leila is ecstatic when she realizes the new bear shifter in town is not only the new sheriff; but her mate!
🐻Marcus feels strong a strong attraction to Leila when he meets her his first night in town at the local bar. His bear starving for a taste of Leila but Marcus is determined to not cause trouble with the Alpha of the new town.
🐺Leila realizes too late that Marcus doesn’t feel the mating bond like she does. Her first instinct is to run away because she doesn’t want to risk him rejecting her.
🐻Yet, Marcus’ bear is fighting him to go after Leila. But Marcus’ past has clouded his judgement on what he knows about mates. She is a doctor who helps her community and he is a sheriff set with keeping the peace.
Can Marcus overcome his troubled family past? Will Leila tell him he is her fated mate? Or will their story end before it has a chance to begin?
This story is full of angst and smut! I loved it! My only downside is that I hated that Leila didn’t tell Marcus as soon as she found out he was her mate. I do realize that the story has to have a problem to achieve but it felt childish of her. She acted like a child by running from her problems instead of facing them head on, they both did. It felt so good at the ending to see how the author helped each character develop within themselves. I also had such fun with Marcus’ siblings 😍
Hey Chaotic Lovelies!
I want to thank #smuthood for the opportunity to read this ARC of The Alpha’s Inferno by Reece Barden!
⭐️5
🐻Fated Mates🐺
🐺Leila is ecstatic when she realizes the new bear shifter in town is not only the new sheriff; but her mate!
🐻Marcus feels strong a strong attraction to Leila when he meets her his first night in town at the local bar. His bear starving for a taste of Leila but Marcus is determined to not cause trouble with the Alpha of the new town.
🐺Leila realizes too late that Marcus doesn’t feel the mating bond like she does. Her first instinct is to run away because she doesn’t want to risk him rejecting her.
🐻Yet, Marcus’ bear is fighting him to go after Leila. But Marcus’ past has clouded his judgement on what he knows about mates. She is a doctor who helps her community and he is a sheriff set with keeping the peace.
Can Marcus overcome his troubled family past? Will Leila tell him he is her fated mate? Or will their story end before it has a chance to begin?
This story is full of angst and smut! I loved it! My only downside is that I hated that Leila didn’t tell Marcus as soon as she found out he was her mate. I do realize that the story has to have a problem to achieve but it felt childish of her. She acted like a child by running from her problems instead of facing them head on, they both did. It felt so good at the ending to see how the author helped each character develop within themselves. I also had such fun with Marcus’ siblings 😍
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