Wolf.e

The Soldiers of Bedlam #1

by Paisley Hope

Always ride faster than your angel can fly.
-Gabriel Wolfe

As president of the Hounds of Hell motorcycle club, my life has been infused with darkness and trauma since the day I was born. Chaos is my birthright. I crave it to feel stable. Secure. Whole.
The only people I care about are the ones who don my cut.
Women are just a tool.
Never to covet, only to use, each face blending into the next.
The formula I live by is simple.
Death is always at my door.
I am a soldier of bedlam.

Until a little hummingbird flies into my crosshairs, and I’m forced to feel something I haven’t felt for as long as I can remember…alive.

Let the hunt begin.

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Audiobook, Dark, Forced Proximity, Spicy, Enemies To Lovers

419 pages, ebook

First published September 19, 2024

About the author

Paisley Hope is a USA Today and Sunday Times Bestselling author of spicy contemporary romance. Her books are full of found family, dreamy settings, swoony moments and happily ever afters. She also writes darker romances that will keep your pulse racing.
Paisley spends all her free time with her husband and kids. She loves to bake, garden and travel.

Reviews

[Marianna Moore · Rating 1 out of 5]

That’s it. I’m jumping off a cliff.

[SK · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I'm re-born in your name, Brinley Rose. And you in mine..."

Stoppp this turned out to be so good? This was a whole cinematic experience. It's nowhere near perfect. Hell, it's annoying and trashy most of the times but in the best ways cause it keeps you entertained and hooked. This is so easy to binge and super addictive. The pacing is fast and it's an easy to immerse yourself sort of read.

I won't lie, the only reason why it's not five stars for me is the first half. The first half was pretty rocky for me with a lot of ups and downs. It had seemed like I would not like it at all but the middle and second half was so exceptionally well done, I'm in love.

Brinley is someone who takes time to get used to. She comes across as extremely judgemental at first and sort of pick me imo. There are also some second hand embarrassing moments. But there is genuine character growth here. She did mature and learns to put differences and judgements aside and I love that sort of character development.

Wolfe, fucking hell.. I don't even know how to talk about this man without getting flustered. He's possessive, gruff and so rough around the edges. And I appreciated he's not soft. He stays true to his character. The backstory is pretty good and makes sense. He's got a filthy mouth that will have anyone blushing.

The dark romance and plot is pretty amazingly executed. But mind you, it starts as very insta lusty. So if you're looking for slow burns and yearning? You won't find it in here. But if you want good action sequences, training montages, heated spice and lots and lots and lots and lots of smut? This is it. The chemistry between Brinley and Wolfe is amazing. The spice is just perfect. Like we're talking the filthiest sort 😩🥵 I was concerned how they'll make it work with the insta lust but surprisingly it did.

The ending was badass and fierce. Loved it. But the sweetest was the epilogue. It's been a while since I read an epilogue so sweet and it warmed my heart, made me fall in love with them. I can't wait to read the next one, already placed an order for the paperback 🤭

"God, if I remember any one feeling for the rest of my life, please, let it be this, falling apart with Gabriel Wolfe between my thighs."


~•~•~
I should probably read something from my physical tbr as well, been a while. All I know about this one is its spicy and dark? Guess we'll find out

[Larissa Cambusano]

DNF at 30% FOR NOWWWWW!!! i’m gonna be back for this when i’m more in the mood. I don’t think I was vibing with the insta lust, spicy vibe right now.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

'You’re the only light I’ve ever let in, little hummingbird.'

Okay, I did not expect to be blushing my way through a motorcycle club romance, but here we are. Wolfe is everything your mother warned you about and everything your heart secretly wants, broody, dangerous, tattooed, and just the right kind of sinful. And Brinley? She’s the perfect mix of soft and strong, a hummingbird who learns she can spread her wings even in a world full of wolves.

This book is dark, gritty, and a little wild, but oh my goodness, the chemistry? Off the charts. One second I was fanning myself, the next I was biting my lip, muttering “Brinley, girl, don’t you dare walk away from him!”

If you love an antihero who’s rough around the edges (okay, rough everywhere) and a heroine who surprises you with her fight, this one is going to keep you up way past bedtime. Consider me thoroughly claimed by this story.

I Highly Recommend.

[sara ‹3 · Rating 1 out of 5]

sorry this was so cringe 😭 and why the hell does she even like him??

[Yasmine · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ — 4,5/5 🕊️✨🧡

“You’re the only light I’ve ever let in, little hummingbird.”

I didn’t expect to get as invested in this book as I did 😮‍💨. One chapter turned into five, then into “just one more,” until I finished it in one sitting.

Was it perfect? No
Did that stop me from enjoying it? Not at all 🤭

✦ inside the chaos of this story ✦

The motorcycle club is the central setting that determines structure and power dynamics.
Events escalate through action sequences, shifting loyalties, and conflict between characters.
Relationships within the group are shaped by obsession, pressure, and shared circumstances.

⸻

Brinley begins the story disoriented and unprepared for the environment she is placed in 🫣
She adapts through repeated exposure to situations that force her to respond rather than retreat.
I especially enjoyed watching her grow into someone capable of making her own decisions and becoming more self-reliant 😌

Gabriel Wolfe is established through reputation before direct interaction.
He operates with authority that affects every scene he enters, and his presence remains consistently dominant throughout the story 🫠
His actions toward Brinley introduce protective behavior without altering his core traits.
I can completely understand why he’s a character people still talk about long after finishing this book 🥹

⸻

✦ the fire between them ✦

Their connection builds on immediate attraction and steady tension that doesn’t ease as the story progresses 🙂‍↕️
This is not a slow-burn dynamic, as their relationship moves quickly into a physically driven connection.
The chemistry between them is intense, with the spicy moments playing a noticeable and consistent role throughout their relationship 🔥

✦ after it all ended ✦

The story combines dark, dramatic, and chaotic elements with strong readability.
The ending provides closure.
The epilogue presents a softer final perspective.
I loved getting that final glimpse of their future 🥺
Gabriel Wolfe remains a central defining presence of the book.

My rating of The Soldiers of Bedlam Series:

1. Wolf.e — 4.5 ⭐️
2. Dove — TBR
3. Foxx — NYP

❀⊹⊱ 𝓟𝓻𝓮-𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓭 ⊹⊱❀
⤿ me: i’m definitely reading one of the books i had in mind next 🙆🏻‍♀️
also me: starts this instead 👀

wish me luck 🤡

[Shaz ♡ · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Was this good or was I just ovulating? 😏 I guess we’ll never know 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

I had so much fun!! I went into it expecting a smutty good time and that is exactly what I got!!
Did the smut overpower the plot? Absolutely. 
Did I care? Not even for a second. 

I absolutely loved Gabriel, he was a man obsessed, unhinged, intense, dominant and with a dirty mouth. He was so protective over Brinley and I loved that he taught her how to fight. Also, I really loved how he was with his men and the way he run the MC. 
Brinley kind of got on my nerves at the beginning, but she did grow on me. She had a hard time accepting the world she found herself in, after the way she was raised, and I enjoyed seeing her growth. She found her strength and I loved the way she became the true version of herself by the end. She truly earned her patches. 
They were honestly perfect for each other, I really enjoyed their moments. I loved seeing them connect emotionally even do their physical connection had a more prominent role. The spice was amazing and while I don't always enjoy insta-lust, it worked here perfectly. There were a lot of spicy moments, but I was here for it, so I didn't mind that it overshadowed the rest of the book a little. This is a dark romance and while this was very mild for me, I do encourage you to check the content warnings if you don't usually read dark romances. It's a bloody good time, emphasis on bloody!! 

There was action and suspense and a betrayal and a wedding. I'm actually so excited to read how the story of Sean and Layla began. 
The pacing was inconsistent at times and the dialogue was a little cringe, but it didn't really bothered me honestly.

That epilogue was so adorable, I love when authors do that!!

.·:*¨ ¨*:·.

I heard this is very smutty and honestly I'm here for it!!
I got an ARC for the second book, so I thought it would be fun to read this first!

[Céloise · Rating 2 out of 5]

☆2 DNF 52% He enjoys long prowls in the woods and putting his blood in your vajayjay. 🥰

In other words, he ain’t for me lol. Gabriel’s one of those assholes that I just don’t enjoy; he gets off on the h’s fear of him. But not really in a primal kink kinda way, more like threats to her life. As for Brinley, she’s a bit of a 1-dimensional debutante with BBS. I just didn’t really like them. I have the feeling that the author wants you to wait and grow to like them later, but at the halfway mark I’m pretty sure it’s going the other direction for me. 😏

[Matea ☽ [ia] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gabriel Wolfe revved the engine and I revoked my rights 🏍️ 🫡

[Laura Greenhalgh · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was fun! very spicy with a dark, brooding, SUPER OBSESSED, dominant MMC. slightly too insta lust for me but still a fun time and a good dark romance for people wanting to get into the genre.

[ᨳଓ clementine · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

𖤐 ˚₊‧꒰ა wolf.e ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

꒰ა a hummingbird & her favourite kind of trouble ໒꒱

ꕤ the biker obsession is REAL 🏍️

okay, so apparently i saw a man on a motorcycle, heard he was the president of an mc club, and immediately decided that my sons of anarchy obsession had found its next fictional victim. 😭🖤 i am nothing if not predictable when it comes to a broody biker man, questionable life choices and a little bit of danger. and honestly? gabriel wolfe had me INTERESTED. i went into this expecting a filthy little biker romance with all the tension, attitude and morally questionable men my heart could possibly desire, and whilst i did get some of that, i also found myself wishing this book had given me a little more of everything except the bedroom scenes. because girl, we were BUSY.

ꕤ first impressions & filthy little fantasies ♡

first things first, the opening had me feeling pretty optimistic. brinley finds herself having to rebuild her life, ends up back in her hometown, and somehow gets tangled up with a motorcycle club and its very intimidating president. meanwhile, gabriel is absolutely not the sort of man you’d expect to fall for someone like her. the contrast between them had SO much potential, and i was genuinely excited to see where things would go. give me the dangerous man who has everyone else walking on eggshells but somehow finds himself completely gone for one woman. give me the protective instincts, the possessiveness, the unexpected tenderness. give me the jax teller energy. i had expectations, okay?! 🏍️

୨୧ gabriel wolfe, unfortunately you’re my type 🖤

and gabriel? well, i can certainly understand the appeal. a tattooed, dangerous mc president with a softer side hidden beneath all that darkness is practically catnip to me. there is something about a man who looks like he could ruin someone’s entire existence but still has the capacity to be gentle with the person he loves that will ALWAYS get my attention. i liked seeing the glimpses of the man underneath the intimidating exterior, especially when gabriel let himself be vulnerable rather than relying on threats and possessiveness to communicate his feelings. those quieter moments were where he really started winning me over, because give me emotional intimacy alongside the attitude and the tattoos, please and thank you. 🥀

୨୧ chemistry, chaos & questionable decisions ❦

one of my favourite aspects of their dynamic was the contrast between these two. brinley and gabriel are very different people, and that initial clash made their chemistry particularly entertaining. there was definitely an attraction between them, and the tension in the earlier parts of the book had me turning pages because i wanted to see how their relationship would develop. i don’t necessarily need every romance to spend four hundred pages building up to a first kiss, so the fact that things moved quickly wasn’t automatically a problem for me. sometimes instalust is exactly the kind of ridiculousness i’m in the mood for.

my problem was never the instalust. it was what happened when the plot started taking a backseat. ♡

ꕤ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

OH MY GOD, THE SPICE. girlies, when i say this book knows exactly what it wants to do, i mean it has apparently never met a quiet moment that couldn’t be interrupted by something happening between these two. i went in expecting a spicy biker romance and came out feeling like i’d accidentally enrolled in a very intensive extracurricular activity. 😭 there is plenty of heat, plenty of possessiveness, and absolutely no shortage of moments designed to make you clutch your kindle. but somewhere along the way, the frequency started working against the impact for me. when everything is turned up to eleven, those moments that should feel particularly intense don’t always get the chance to stand out. i wanted the spice to complement the story, not occasionally feel like it had taken over the entire building.

ꕤ where did my mc drama go? 🏍️

and this is where my rating starts making sense. the first half had me much more invested in the direction of the story, and i really wanted the mc side of things to be explored further. there were so many opportunities for club drama, conflict, danger, loyalty and those complicated relationships that make this particular romance setting so addictive. i wanted to get properly immersed in the world gabriel belonged to, understand the dynamics within the club, and watch brinley find her place in a world that was so unfamiliar to her. whenever the story leaned into those elements, i found myself remembering exactly why i’d picked this book up in the first place.

THE POTENTIAL WAS RIGHT THERE. i just wish we’d spent more time exploring it. 🥀

୨୧ the emotional damage i actually wanted ♡

the second half was where my feelings became a little more complicated. i still enjoyed parts of the story, but the pacing began to feel less consistent, and i found myself wanting more substance between the big moments. the romance had established its physical side, but i wanted more conversations that revealed who these characters were when they weren’t caught up in their attraction. i wanted more of gabriel letting his guard down, more of brinley discovering what mattered to her, and more of the two of them learning how to exist together beyond the immediate intensity of their relationship. the vulnerability was there, and i wanted SO MUCH MORE OF IT. give me a scary biker man getting all soft about something personal and suddenly i’m kicking my feet like i’ve never read a romance in my entire life. ❦

୨୧ brinley, babe, let’s talk 🕊️

now, brinley. darling girl. we need to have a little chat. 😭 i didn’t dislike everything about her, and i could appreciate that she had room to grow, but there were definitely moments when her judgement and some of her decisions tested my patience. watching her make assumptions about a world she didn’t fully understand could be frustrating, especially when it felt like she was determined to stick to those assumptions rather than take a breath and reconsider them. i wanted to shake her shoulders a little and tell her that curiosity is fine, but perhaps breaking into someone’s personal space to investigate things isn’t the greatest strategy when you’re surrounded by dangerous people.

BABE. PLEASE. 💀

i was rooting for her to find her footing, but there were moments when i also desperately wanted her to stop making everything harder for herself.

ꕤ character development, where are you? ❁

that said, i did appreciate seeing some development in her character. i don’t need my female main characters to be perfect, agreeable little angels who never make a questionable decision, and i actually enjoy a heroine who has to confront her own assumptions. what matters to me is whether that journey feels meaningful, and there were parts of brinley’s progression that helped me warm to her more than i initially expected. i particularly liked the possibility of her becoming more open-minded and discovering that the people she’d judged weren’t necessarily what she’d imagined. i just wish that growth, along with her emotional development, had been given a little more room to breathe throughout the book. there was something worthwhile to explore there, and i wanted to connect with her more deeply by the end. 🕊️

୨୧ big feelings & bigger declarations 🖤

one thing i will say for gabriel and brinley is that their relationship certainly wasn’t lacking intensity. these two were committed to the DRAMA, the declarations, the possessiveness and the grand gestures. subtlety had apparently left the group chat. 😭 sometimes i was completely here for it, and other times i found myself wishing the romance would take a step back and let a quieter moment do the talking. i love an intense fictional man as much as the next girl, but one of my favourite things about a darker romance is discovering that the man who seems impossible to reach has a very human side that he only gradually learns to share. the moments that hinted at that softer side were the ones that made me care most about gabriel, and i would’ve happily sacrificed a few spicy scenes for more of them.

let him be a little vulnerable and suddenly i’m his biggest supporter. it’s actually embarrassing. ♡

ꕤ a little editing wouldn’t hurt 📖

i also have to mention that the writing and editing occasionally pulled me out of the story. there were moments where the flow didn’t feel as polished as i’d have liked, and i found myself noticing the writing rather than being completely absorbed in what was happening. it wasn’t enough to make me abandon the book, but it did contribute to that slightly uneven reading experience. when a story has such an entertaining premise, compelling character contrasts and a setting that could deliver so much tension, i want the execution to keep me immersed. i wanted to fly through the pages because i was desperate to know what happened next, not occasionally pause because something about the delivery wasn’t quite working for me.

୨୧ the epilogue got me, actually 🥹

BUT THE ENDING. i really did have a softer spot for the way things wrapped up, and the epilogue gave me that lovely little glimpse of happiness that can make a romance feel worth the journey. for all my complaints about the pacing and the balance between plot and spice, there was something genuinely sweet about getting to see these characters reach their happily ever after. it reminded me that beneath all the chaos, the danger and the ridiculously high temperatures, there was a romance here that i wanted to enjoy. i love finishing a book and getting that final little moment with the characters, especially when it lets me imagine them finally settling into the life they’ve fought to build together. 🥹♡

ꕤ so… did i love it or not? ❦

overall, wolf.e was a mixed bag for me, but not one that left me completely disappointed. there were elements i genuinely enjoyed: gabriel’s broody biker appeal, the chemistry between the main characters, the mc setting, and those glimpses of vulnerability that made the romance feel more meaningful. there were also elements i wanted much more from, particularly the club storyline, the emotional development and the pacing in the second half. i think this could have been a stronger read for me if the plot had been allowed to take up a little more space and the relationship had been given more opportunities to develop beyond the physical attraction. the ingredients were there. i just wanted them mixed together a little differently.

୨୧ will i be returning to the mc? 🏍️

would i read another book in this world? honestly, i’m not ruling it out. the motorcycle club setting still appeals to me, and i’m curious about the other characters and the trouble they might get themselves into. i can appreciate a chaotic romance when i’m in the right mood, and this definitely delivered some entertaining moments along the way. it just didn’t quite become the all-consuming biker romance i’d hoped for when i first picked it up. i wanted more grit, more club drama, more emotional vulnerability and a little less repetition in the spice department.

apparently, even my fictional biker men need to remember that foreplay can include a heartfelt conversation. shocking, i know. 😭🖤

꒰ა final thoughts ໒꒱

a messy, spicy, occasionally sweet biker romance with an appealingly dangerous mmc, chemistry that caught my attention, and a plot i wish had been given more room to shine. not quite the sons of anarchy-inspired obsession i was hoping for, but entertaining enough to earn its place on my shelves.

gabriel, you had potential, sir.

i simply needed a little more wolfe and a little less wolf.e after dark. 🏍️🥀

♡ tell me i’m not the only girl who sees an mc president and immediately forgets all common sense.


pre-read ramblings ⛓️🏍️

AHEM. can we PLEASE take a moment for that cover??? because HELLO???? 🫠🖤 after insatiable and the predator, apparently i’ve discovered that i have a type and that type is men on bikes who probably come with a million red flags and absolutely zero intention of letting me know peace. listen, i’m a simple girl with simple needs, i like sons of anarchy, and when you tell me the mmc is the PRESIDENT of an mc club??? suddenly i’m seeing jax teller vibes and i fear i may already be seated. 🏍️⛓️ we’re not here to make sensible decisions, we’re here for the morally questionable men, the leather jackets, the motorcycles and whatever chaos paisley hope has decided to unleash upon me. life is too short to only read serious books; sometimes you just need a fictional biker man to ruin your life for a few hours and honestly??? i support that lifestyle wholeheartedly.we’re here for a fun time, not a long time, babes. so please excuse me while i ignore every warning sign, admire the cover for the millionth time and prepare to make yet another questionable fictional man my problem.

br with pri because i made her read with me ꨄ 💜

[Poppy Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

Well let’s start by saying I was NOT prepared for how spicy this was! Some of the best spice I’ve read in a longgg time 😮‍💨

tropes are

MC club (darkkkk mc club)
good girl x bad boy
opposites attract
kidnapping
primal play
forced proximity

Brinley breaks up with her hot shot rich boyfriend who’s super bland but ‘safe’ and moves back to her hometown to restore her parents house, and figure out what she wants to do. When she moves back she bumps into her childhood best friend who’s marrying into the MC club, and gets introduced to the club. That’s where she meets Wolfe who is the complete opposite of her, intimidating and a bit arrogant. She witnesses a murder and he ‘keeps her’ at his for her safety because the club want her unalived as she can’t be trusted- but really he’s so intrigued by her he doesn’t want to let her go

This was super fun, darker than I expected and different to what I’ve been reading! For some reason I didn’t connect to Brinley & Wolfe as much as I’d hoped, I loved reading about Wolfe he’s such a red flag but for 70% of the book I thought he was too far that way and it was kinda putting me off him! I also did think it was a bit insta lovey, otherwise I would’ve rated it higher but it was still the best mc romance I’ve read and the spice was 10/10

[DIVINITY🌙 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m giving 2 stars because the cover is beautiful but this story ain’t it

[Rain · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a dark, motorcycle-club–meets–Robin-Hood romance featuring a morally grey, ex-soldier, former manwhore MC president (who’s slept with half the club and two of the FMC’s friends). She’s the good girl who falls into this world of violence, vengeance, and primal play.

She’s too good. She’s too pure, and all I want to do is corrupt her.

I might have liked this one better had I not just finished one of the best primal play stories I’ve read in a very long time. Willing Prey.

The chemistry is there, the lust is instant, and the sex is steamy, explicit, and plentiful. But with everything going on, ex-military trauma, club politics, vigilante justice, small-town drama, instalust, and a heroine who transforms from sweet girl to total badass, it sometimes felt like the story didn’t have room to breathe. Just like that sentence.

I enjoyed it, but it was oddly easy to set down, something just wasn’t quite clicking on the emotional level.

Overall, I’m torn. There were parts I liked and parts that didn’t work for me.

Tropes/themes:
MC contemporary straight romance
Small town
Age gap, 32H/24h
Lots of gruesome violence
Primal play
Jacob's ladder piercings
Former manwhore
Me man, you woman
Missing character depth
HEA, 17 yr later epilogue

The fact that he calls her Hummingbird was one of the best parts of the story.

[꧁ ༺Minne༻ ꧂ (Back :)) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I need you to crave me the same way I crave you.”

This was such a wonderful palate cleanser. I loved it. I know a lot of people preferred the second book, Dove but I enjoyed this one more because it felt richer.

I read some reviews which called the heroine, Brinley annoying and self righteous. I’m glad I read those because I can't stand annoying main characters but knowing beforehand instills a level of patience in me that I wouldn’t have had if I hadn’t known. As it turns out, I liked Brinley - though she did irk me a little. Brinley is a reserved, level-headed woman who grew up in a religious household. She isn’t big on adventures and cares a little too much about what people think of her. She has a long term boyfriend who is boring and perfect for her and she can’t wait to get married and have perfect little boring babies with him. In short, she’s your typical "good girl." Though I consider myself a good girl too



But of course, in the privacy of her thoughts where no one (but the reader) is listening, Brinley dreams of having a wild romance that will consume her and sweep her off her feet. She knows it will never happen with her preppy boyfriend but he’s perfect and perfectly made for her. The problem is preppy boyfriend isn’t onboard with Brinley’s plans, so Brinley ends things with him and leaves to attend her childhood friend, Layla’s wedding. There, she meets the big bad Wolfe, the man who makes the dreams she’s being dreaming come true.

Wolfe is…something. I don't typically like MMCs like him so I’m surprised by how much I loved him. He is the president of a biker club, The Hounds of Hell. He is brash, dangerous, self-assured and everything Brinley was taught not to want. When he meets Brinley, the sparks fly immediately (insta lust for the win) and he is intrigued by her. He sees the woman behind the good girl facade and tries to bring that woman to the surface. But alas, it can’t be that easy. Brinley defies and resists his charms. Or at least that’s what she tells herself. The reader always knows better. She tries though.

❤️‍🔥 Some of the things I enjoyed about this story
➤ I liked the push and pull between Wolfe and Brinley.
➤ I love how we see Brinley shed the persona she’s been hiding behind for years. Personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being “a good girl". But Brinley gets taunted severally for this because in Wolfe’s world, it’s seen as a sign of weakness.
➤ I love how Wolfe fights his growing affection but can’t help but be vulnerable with her.
➤ I love the spice that their relationship grows into something more with time. Don’t get me wrong, the spice is there and it's a-plenty. I skipped two scenes because things got a bit too heated for me.

I read another dark romance before this and that one was the stuff of nightmares. It was not for me AT ALL. This however, restored my faith in dark romance. It left me smiling and internally screaming



If you need a palate cleanser, go for it. My advice: don't take the book too seriously.

Tropes: grumpy/cold hero, biker hero, cold/sassy heroine, forbidden attraction, bad boys, insta-love

[Brittany Ferraro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m absolutely fucking loving Paisleys Dark side because she really came through with a possessive, unhinged, bad boy MMC with a blood kink who loves primal play?!? MY FAVORITE THINGS?!? IN ONE BOOK.

I think I tabbed this book 300 times.

A micro trope that I absolutely love is when nobody can lock down the MMC, he’s never been in a relationship or in love, he’s a player the hit and quit type… BUT THEN he fucking folds for the FMC. Like he needs to have her. Hes possessive and obsessed at first glance. And then when he falls, he’s absolutely burn the world, head over heels for her. AHHHH I eat that shit UP.

I am fucking obsessed with Wolfe(Gabriel) everything he said, and did I was on my knees. As soon as he was described, as similar to Jason Momoa, there was no turning back for me, it was love at first growl. This man has me in a full on chokehold. I didn’t stand a chance.

I fell in love with Brinley more and more as the story went on, and by the end of it I was screaming yes Queen!!!! She went from such a goodie, naïve woman to such a headstrong bad ass that takes what she wants. I love the confidence she’s gained by the end of this book and I loved how Wolfe brought it out of her. These two were really such a top tier couple.

MC romances are becoming my new favorite thing.
I love me a badass deadly biker and I love the found family that the MC gives me.

I knew pretty early on that I would be giving this 5 stars. Perfect combination of plot/story with some of the hottest toe curling spicy you’ll ever read.

[Reina Lectura · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What scares you? When I say that you’re mine or that you aren’t safe?” he asks in a low voice.
“Both.” I gulp. “I’m not sure what scares me more. Being with you or being away from you,” I answer honestly.”

This wazzz yummy, so refreshing to read such a unique plot, this made me question some thingssss, but it 🌶🌶🌶🌶 to read, I mean woah, Gabriel is practically a wolf, plus he does make primal and blood play, feel sooooo awesome 😈😂.

Brinley girl, I felt so related to her, the way her upbringing customed her to say yes and please everyone, well until Gabriel fix that up for good, I need that sorta man too now.

Guys the cover page seems innocent to me now. 😝😝

Pre read:

The cover page had me 😈😭♥️....

[Kayla | Kayla Reads Smut · Rating 5 out of 5]

All I am going to say is this is a Fan-fucking-tastic book! Hands down one of my top reads of the year for me. Gabriel Wolfe has me in a damn chokehold. I’m gagged. Knees are weak. Put a fork in me because I’m cooked. Everything little thing that came out of this man’s mouth turned me into a blushing mess of a puddle. Straight to the book boyfriend list he goes!

I'm not going to lie, I was hooked immediately with this book. I loved the plot. I loved the spice. I loved Brinley. I loved Gabriel Wolfe. There is not one thing I did not love. The bad boy x good girl dynamic had me craving more. The suspense element had me on my toes wondering what was going to happen next. The spice had me blushing. In fact there are so many scenes in this book that will be living rent free. Nope, scratch that, this WHOLE book will be living rent free.

So if you have not read this book please do yourself a favor and add this to your TBR. You will not be disappointed and you will thank me later! This one gets infinite stars and I will be thinking of this one for eternity.

You should most definitely read this book if you like:
- Motorcycle Club Romance
- Dark Romantic Suspense
- Morally Grey MMC
- Bad Boy x Good Girl
- Forced Proximity

[Nerlie౨ৎ (ia) 🎧📚 · Rating 2 out of 5]

⋆˚࿔ review𝜗𝜚˚⋆
2⭐️

This was just… underwhelming. I went in expecting more and got a mess instead. It felt like the author just threw a bunch of things together, hoping it would work, but it didn’t. The writing style didn’t help everything felt short, choppy, and flat.

The chemistry? Nonexistent. Even the so-called “badass” moment from the FMC landed with a meh. Bland is really the only word I can use to describe this book. Stuff happened, sure, but it was all so lifeless that it barely left an impression.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ pre read ⋆. 𐙚 ˚
The cover is stunning but I can’t get over the name Wolf keeps reminding me of Ginny & Georgia 😭

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hands down, I really enjoyed this book even if Brinley did annoy me at first with her attitude. So he warned, going in, you'll shake her a few times with how snobbish she acted. But then again, she was a good girl from how she was raised. And trying to shake that good girl image into a normal one is kinda hard. So when she breaks up with her boyfriend and heads home and reconnects with an old bestie, that's when she's slowly entering the biker scene, and like I said, she judges lol. Her first meeting with Wolfe was funny even if she was pure white as snow he wanted her. He loved the fear he brought on her. The connection they had with that was good until she saw him do something she wasn't supposed to see that had her being "Taken" by him. Even as a taken person, she had freedom to go home work and all that the banter between them was delicious and the spice was even more!!

Wolfe had his moments from his dirty mouth to help train Bri he wanted to make sure that even if he wasn't around, she would be able to protect herself.  And the training i loved! It was brutal, but turning a sweet good girl, Bri, into knowing how to defend herself was such a good character build.

Don't worry. We also have betrayal and drama. I didn't see coming so good to that author. I had a thought but didn't see the betrayal.
Idk if others are going to have books? I would love to see Mason book. He seems less of a manwhore in the crew.


Saftey- MMC past hookup are mentioned few of the club girls fucked him. We have a ow drama twice with the same ow H is faithful he tries once to get h to admit she wants him so he says something and h is like "I don't care fuck her" my baby h tossed down that bluff. Nothing happens between the ow and H at all. No scenes with ow.

No om drama/tiny ow, no cheating, secondary characters, drama, sexy times, no virgins

Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5

Prologue
Slowinsta
Age gap 9 years apart
32H/24h
Push/pull on both sides
Torture
Gun violence
Murder
Discussions of sexual assault of a sixteen-year-old (nothing descriptive nothing on page-talk of past occurrence). Flashback of domestic abuse and death of a family member
mild alcohol and drug use
Fear play
Blood
breath
No condom
knife play
anal sex
sex in a religious setting
sex that feels ritualistic
consensual non consen
Degradation
borderline captor/captive setting.
Hea
Epilogue

[Meagan✨]

I’d like to say thank you to Paige for recommending this book to me.


The cover 😍😮‍💨

[✨Julie✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✩ 4 stars ✩

What to Expect:
➼ Morally Gray MMC
➼ Age Gap (9 years)
➼ MC Club President MMC
➼ Forced Proximity
➼ Bad Boy x Good Girl
➼ Dark Romance
➼ Duet Narration by Sean Masters & Meg Sylvan
➼ First Person POV

Why is Hummingbird such a good pet name?! Overall I had a good time with this and the audiobook narration was 5 stars, but my brain never shuts up enough for me to truly enjoy dark romance. I’m not trying to yuck anyone’s yum but it feels harmful to perpetuate some of these ideas. She sees something she shouldn’t see and then he basically claims ownership of her. Her options were either belong to him or die and even outside of that, consent felt very gray.

As the reader, we have the benefit of her POV to know that she is interested, but he doesn’t and he never asks permission. I get that this is par for the course for dark romance, and of course in the end it works out for everyone because he’s super hot and obsessed with her and she’s into all of it, but it still feels dangerous to downplay the removal of consent to any degree.

It’s interesting because their motorcycle club was after some rival bikers for r*ping someone, but then he would turn around and rip off her clothes without a conversation or initiate intimate encounters with her when she was drunk. I think the author wanted the reader to think he was somehow so in tune with her that he knew what she want, but I’m of the opinion that if it’s not a very clear and verbal yes, it’s a no.

Thinking about it sends me on a very confusing spiral of thoughts because I’m against banning books, but I worry about the possible ramifications of normalizing these kind of ideas. Anyway, this is why I usually stick to regular romance. 😆 If you don’t share my issue of overthinking, I’m sure you will really enjoy this. I tried to remove my personal concerns from my rating. I definitely think it was a good book for the genre and I think it will be a big hit with any Sons of Anarchy fans out there.

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Pre-read: This feels like the perfect read to start my summer! I’m pretty behind on my reading goal atm… we’ll see if I can catch up now that I’m off work! 🙃

≪ ◦ ❖ ◦ ≫

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[Rose · Rating 2 out of 5]

The best part about the book is the cover.

The big issue I had was that I never connected to the h so it made this one boring. Shes not a very emotional character. It felt like who we were being shown and the character the author is telling us we have were two completely different people.

The relationship was very insta and I felt like their chemistry was lacking. She fights, he pushes, over and over again. It’s a dynamic that can work for me but it just didn’t here. I guess because of the instaness? Idk, there was just not enough emotion in the writing to carry all the h*te f*cking type of vibes. I don’t know why these two liked each other.

The action scenes were bland, the suspense wasn’t built well. The H was the damsel in distress in this one and the h his knight in shining doc martens. Blah. Not my thing. There was no subtlety and it was all so tropey.

[Maria Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡VAMOS DE DECIR LAS COSAS TAL Y COMO SON😱!

Aquí hay mandanga de la buena…🔥

Lo siento, es así🤭

Y no lo digo porque me esté quejando, al contrario, porque la historia se disfruta, y mucho.

Es más, ni te imaginas el grado de enganche que he tenido. Vamos, para que te hagas una idea, el libro me duró menos que un helado en pleno agosto🍦

Y es que tiene la mezcla perfecta para encandilar a las lectoras de dark romance: una historia romántica bastante oscura, un toque de suspense y un grupo de moteros que, de existir, saldrías corriendo en dirección contraría❤️‍🔥

(AVISO de ultimísima hora: te atraparían😱 Te lo digo para que no malgastes tu energía corriendo…, o si, eso ya depende de cada una😏)

Pero volviendo al libro, si estás en modo búsqueda y captura de una historia que te haga suspirar y, sí, también morderte el labio inferior, acabas de encontrarla✨🔥

Eso sí, vigila, porque el segundo libro está a punto de caer y necesitarás devorarlo ya mismo…🍒

Una saga que promete mucha pasión y también su punto de oscuridad.

[Lina · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 / 5 stars
Well, this was my trying to justify my purchases so I went back and listened to it on audio and I finished. The audio was solid. The female narrator was great. The male narrator basically did the same voice for all the male voices so it was hard to distinguish them. It was a duet narration which was fun.

What I liked:
- I liked the training montage.
- I liked all of the logistics of their motorcycle club. LOLOL to me wanting to see excel sheets to understand how their business actually runs.

What I didn't like:
- Much like I previous issue, I still don't think we got an actual reason as to why Gabriel likes Brinley. She'd ask him, "why me?" and he'd be like "BECAUSE!" So that is not satisfying at all. Didn't make me believe their love at all either.
- I kept trying to understand the power dynamics and how I felt about them and I don't think I like them. I feel like the only control or influence Brinley had over Gabriel had to do with sex or her body, which I don't love.
- I wanted more plot. It is like 50/50 on plot and sex scenes and I felt like there could have been more plot. I am all for sex scenes if they advance the characters and their relationships and here only maybe half the sex scenes did that.

I'm glad I finished. I also reordered the second book in my ovulating state so I will listen to the audiobook for that one too as some point. Also to note: there is primal play, knife play, and a lot of blood play.
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November 2025: DNF at 35%. Ya'll the cover got me. It sucked me in and played on my weaker base instincts and honestly, that one is on me. I have no one to blame but myself for now owning this book. But this is a DNF for me for right now.

My issues are two fold:
1) There were quite a few sentences that I had to re-read because they just didn't flow (they were grammatically correct but were hard to follow if that makes sense) and that takes me out of the story. I am trying to turn my brain off, not stumble over parts.

2) I didn't really get Wolfe's logic about what he liked about Brinley. I get that Brinley likes Wolfe because he makes her feel (like literally feel anything) which her previous boyfriend did not do, but Wolfe's thought process was confusing. He likes her because he can rattle her good girl facade? Or he likes when she pushes back? Don't those feel diametrically opposing? Maybe the joke is on me for trying to understand when I should have just let the smut watch over me but I needed the basics to buy in and at 35% in, I just haven't been sucked in.

Life is too short to not read stuff that you love so for now, this books goes back on the book shelf for my eyeballs to admire, but not for my brain to process.
____________________________
More Pre-Read Thoughts: It's that time (of month - JK JK LOLOLOLOLOL). I just need a book that will hopefully have a lot of bang for its buck (pun very much intended) and I am ready for this book to deliver.

Pre-Read Thoughts: I bought this months ago during a pre-order sale and it arrived yesterday. I am certain two things were true when I ordered it: 1) I needed to hit the free shipping minimum purchase and 2) I was ovulating 😂😂😂. I guess I will be reading motorcycle smut very soon.

⋆ ೀ ⋆ Follow me on Instagram @book.recs.by.lina for book recommendations and general fun times ⋆ ೀ ⋆

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The things that came out of Gabriel’s mouth.. 😮‍💨😮‍💨😮‍💨

This was a fun one! While I enjoyed the storyline I do think the spice outweighed the plot for me in this one. There are some pretty iconic scenes, not going to lie.

Also- I freaking loved the epilogue SO MUCH!! 🥹

Moments:
“Mistake number three: Underestimating my fucking queen.”

“The sight of your blood breathes life into me. I want every single drop of you,” THIS SCENE GOT ME OK

“Fuck, I’ve been dreaming about tasting you for hours. Drown me, Brinley.” JESUSSSS 🤯

“It’s fine. She can be mad at me while she does what she’s told.”


- dark mc romance
- possessive mmc
- touch her & die
- morally grey mmc
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[rosie [exams - trying to keep up!] · Rating 2 out of 5]

ʚɞ wolf.e by paisley hope ⋆.˚

⋆.˚ 25/3/26 — 21/4/26

⊱ ۫ ׅ book no. 51 of 2026 ── .✦

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

𑣲 ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ɪᴍᴘʀᴇꜱꜱɪᴏɴꜱ/ᴘʀᴇ-ʀᴇᴀᴅ:

this is one of the most gorgeous covers i’ve ever seen, so i’m hoping it’s not baiting me 🤞

₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚

╰› (⭐2)

❝ in a crowd of ten thousand, you’re the only one i see. ❞

⋆.˚ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:

okay, wow. so this was a lot harder to rate than i thought it would be!

first of all, let me just say that i’m not the biggest fan of dark romance (this is like the third one i’ve ever read), so that definitely had a part to play in me not being able to take this book seriously 😭

another factor in that, though, was simply the amount of grammar errors. this book has been out for approximately 2 years, and the e-copy still has countless typos and missing commas?? brother 🫠

wolfe was less of a ‘hot, daring, dangerous man’ to me, and a bit more of a creepy edgelord. he even said “what is love?” at some point. like damn, should we start putting depressed bart simpson memes in here too then? 😭 and i have zero issues with swearing, but this man could not go a single sentence without saying the word ‘fuck’. i’m being so serious, ‘fuck’ comes up in the book a total of 471 times. FOUR HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-ONE TIMES.

brinley was fine, i guess… she was a little bit of the stereotypical goody two shoes, though. on her first day in the small town instead of the city, she woke up saying “day one of a new life,” like she’s on the disney channel. girl PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER 😶

also i know dark romance is typically lustful and raunchy, but damn these guys were horndogs. wolfe literally gets the snot beaten out of him at some point and moments afterward, he’s thinking about all the ways he can do it to brinley. guys… 😭 come on.

the whole blood thing was just plain nasty. and unhygienic. one of them deffo caught some kind of disease from that.

the last ~35% of plot is why i bumped this up a star, because omg i was lowkey invested? it was actually super interesting and the plot twist came out of left field! i lost track of all the names by the end but it still surprised me!! 🙂‍↕️

this book was really easy to read, and i am honestly really tempted to continue this series just because of the covers. again. i’m an absolute masochist guys 🫠 every time i continue a series i dislike, i feel like that picture of spongebob in cuffs with his toothpick-thin arms. i literally do this to myself 😭🤞

・・・・・

[Alya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. Couldn't care less. Repeat but onto book 2 from experience I know it'll deliver

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[Kristie (read_between.the_wines) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has no business being as good and hot as it was.


It was VERY spicy. But their chemistry was like palpable. I honestly loved it

Dark MC with a badass FMC who finds herself and learns it’s okay to be bad.

Love