Wicked Ruby: A Shifters of Northpeak Novella

by Allie Maddox

Ruby Winters thought she was close to the finish line, close to being out of this hellhole.
That after having her entire family murdered, and being forced to become a contract killer, she would be free from everything evil in this world.
Until Savannah Bowen stalks into her life and acts like she belongs there.
And Ruby finds she is more than willing to let her stay.
Even if Savannah is hiding more beneath that sleek black coat than she’s letting on.
And even if it means Ruby’s downfall.

Authors This book is a DARK paranormal romance and is intended for 18+ audiences. Please be advised there is a trigger/content warning list that can be found on the author's website. This book is a standalone and does not need to be read in order with the other Shifters of Northpeak books.

143 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 13, 2024

About the author

Allie lives in Massachusetts with her husband, two children and two dogs. She is a lover of all books, especially romance, sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal and thriller books. A Tale of Love & Bones is her debut novel and the first in the Daughters of the Keeper series.

Reviews

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review:

Wicked Ruby by Allie Maddox

Welcome to the world of shifters. Ruby thought she was close to the end, planning her escape and ready to gain freedom. After loosing her whole family and being forced into a life of crime she’s ready to make a new life for herself when Savannah prowls into her life and acts like she’s home.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Troupes:
Hate to Love
Demon Shifter FMC
Leopard Shifter FMC
Forbidden Romance
Sapphic

This dark, paranormal sapphic romance is everything I needed to get in the Halloween mood and more. Ruby is the sort of girl you want to be and want to be with while Sav is her perfect counterpart. Sexy, sapphic and extremely graphic, the spice level in this story is off the charts. Ruby and Sav are a match made in heaven and this quick novella gives you the perfect insight into their shifter world and their journey to finding each other.

[Tonya ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

**Full ARC Review**

This was such a fun, spooky read and it was perfect for Halloween!!

I'm still getting into reading Paranormal Romance & I thought this book was another really good introduction to it. I've never read about a shifter that wasn't a Wolf so that was very new and I liked it.

I thought Ruby's & Savannah's chemistry was HOT ASF. Also my first sapphic romance too so I'm just checking off all the boxes here. Overall I really did enjoy this book & would read more from Allie!

Tropes>>
❤️‍🔥Sapphic/FF
❤️‍🔥Spicy Novella
❤️‍🔥Halloween/Spooky Season
❤️‍🔥Demon/shifter
❤️‍🔥Hate to Love - insta-love

[Leilani]

Wicked Ruby
by Allie Maddox
⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I usually only read novellas that go with a book series I'm obsessed with. This is the first Allie Maddox book I've read. As a novella, it felt rushed, but I also don't know anything about the Shifters of Northpeak world. I would have loved to see this novella fleshed out a bit more with more detail, longer backstory, and more characters.
It does make sense that - because its a novella- that there are less characters and
This novella is both light and DARK.

Sapphic
SPICY
Shifter romance
Demon × Panther
Gore
CNC
Stalking
Enemies to Lovers

So many trigger warnings including SA, necrophilia, cannibalism

[Corrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just fell in love with Jasper and Bryar, but Allie decided to drop Savannah & Ruby in my lap, and now I'm a hot writhing mess for the Shifters of Northpeak 🫠😮‍💨

Instant obsession, darker than the others in the series but absolutely amazing 👏🏾 Don't sleep on this series!

[tati · Rating 5 out of 5]

full review coming

[Stephanie Bell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is dark, hot and hotter. Read the trigger warnings first! This book made me question my sanity because damn I shouldn’t have found it so hot 10/10 perfect for Halloween time

[Lindsey Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

If you have read my reviews at all, you already know I am hardcore Allie fan! I will devour anything she writes and then rave about it to anyone who will listen. I love her ability to weave dark romance with swoony moments, heartwarming love stories, and MCs that just keep giving. She entwines humor and passion into her dark romance so well. Her newest book DID NOT DISAPPOINT and I loved it!

From page one, we are hit with action and suspense. Ruby is a fierce shifter, who won’t let anyone stand in her way of gaining the freedom she has craved for so long. She has been alone in this world after tragically losing her family and has closed herself off to others. Get the job, do the job, move on. This is her life, until her next job introduces her to Savannah.

Savannah is just as fierce as Ruby, but her heart isn’t closed off in the same way. She has a great relationship with her brother Hunter and bestie Dahlia, but still knows something is missing. When she meets Ruby, they both skirt around the underlying attraction they have for one another, but just can’t help themselves. With the book only being 144 pages, a lot is packed into a short amount, but Allie does it brilliantly!

Did I love this book? Yes! Could it have been longer? Yes, I would gladly read a full length novel of Ruby and Savannah (but this interconnected series is all novellas). Did Allie outdo herself with this book? Yes, Yes, YES! With such a short read telling so many stories, it never felt rushed, muddy, or unorganized. I love how easily one can see Allie’s heart in reading her stories. She takes so much time when developing them, ensuring their stories make sense, but also staying on brand for her. 1000% recommend!!

As always, review any author notes before reading.

Tropes:
👿Hate to Love
🔫Demon Shifter FMC
👿Leopard Shifter FMC
🔫Forbidden Romance
👿Sapphic
🔫Novella

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sapphic paranormal novella for Halloween? Yes please.

Wicked Ruby follows Savannah, a leopard shifter, who is out for revenge because someone killed her mates. All signs point to Ruby, a half demon hitwoman for a wolf shifter pack. Sav tries to keep her growing feelings for Ruby inside, but that doesn’t last for very long.

This novella packs a lot of action, plot, and worldbuilding into its 144 pages. When I start a paranormal book, I always worry that things won’t be explained enough, but that was not the case here. You learn about the magic and world as you go, but it’s done in a very concise way. This world of shifters and their spooky festivities are flawlessly depicted.

I really loved all the characters in this, not just Savannah and Ruby with their tumultuous dynamic. Sav’s brother Hunter, and Ruby’s bestie Dahlia play very large roles and you get enough glimpses in their character to grow invested in them. I’m hopeful we might see more of them eventually. Sav and Ruby are very give and take and they have a constant vibe of “I like this person but I don’t want these feelings” but I found it more endearing than anything. Even the villain is given enough time for you to really despise him, despite it being a short read.

All in all, if you want a short and spicy novella for this Halloween, you should absolutely check this out. Make sure you check the TW as always!

[Nicole Graythorne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 3.8 rounded to a 4 because this novella feels like it needs a couple more chapters to round it off. Overall it feels like it should be the middle of a longer novel.

Based on the trigger warning list, I expected this story to be closer to horror erotica than dark romance, however it wasn't that bad in relation to the main characters. There is SA on page with a secondary character that's not a throw away character. Almost all of the characters are morally gray to black with the villain being a solid sauve monster.

Ruby and Savannah have an unlikely romance that's built on knives and red flags. They are a spicy sapphic pairing, both determined to get what they want, no matter the cost. It would be interesting to see how their lives mesh after this book. The secondary characters are setup for multiple story arcs to develop. The main story is fast paced and kinda convoluted with multiple crossing plot lines

There is a disgusting pit of despair which is brought up a couple of times which isn't for the faint of heart or for those with sensitive stomachs.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is between a 3-3.25 ⭐️ for me. It’s a novella, so a SUPER quick read and shorter story. For me, this left some opportunity to develop all characters and dialogue a bit more. I think had this novella been a tad longer, or the scenes part of a full Northpeak Shifters novel-it would be closer to 5 stars. I enjoyed the authors other novels and will continue to follow her work, pick up her books!
Ruby and Sav were intriguing, morally gray and spicy mains, with some decent story support from side characters-Hunter and Dahlia. I wanted more to the dialogue and storyline-there were some moments where I reread the text because I felt I’d missed something…a conversation, a transition. With that said-it’s a fast-paced story with FF steamy scenes, villain drama, unique shifter pairing, angst, some ick, & Halloween fun-all rolled into the novella.
I do appreciate that the authors stories feel original and unlike the many other shifter paranormal dark romances out there! I received an advanced copy of this EBook for honest review and will be on the lookout for new releases.

[MamaKittyG · Rating 4 out of 5]

🚨ARC REVIEW🚨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Shifter romance that is both dark and light!! Definitely check your trigger warning as not every book is for everyone!!

Ruby and Savannah have an unlikely romance, as both are definitely badass in their own right and I love that they both have their own bestie;
Sav has Hunter and Ruby has Dahlia.
In this fast paced novella you follow a world of shifters and revenge!! This is my first read with two female main characters, that get a “little” 😉🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️spicyyy.
I love that this had a nice Halloween vibe and moments as this was a perfect time to read a book such as this one!!

I do wish there was more to the story but since I’m not a writer myself I can’t really pinpoint what more I’d really want to see. Since this is a novella I know there is only so much an author can indulge into before the book would be considered to big and have to be a series!

Overall I enjoyed this story and as my first book with this specific author I do have to say I will be looking into their other stories!!

Happy reading!!! 📖

[Rosalyn McGill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was read as an ARC read, for an honest review. I actually loved this novella. The book had enjoyable characters that you learn to either love or hate. The plot was well thought out and kept me wanting to know what will happen next. The only thing for me and this is a personal thing i have not read any of this authors other work so not sure if there is more of a back story for these characters. Overall, I was extremely salty at the end of the book until the epilogue. Which is why it’s always important to read them!!! This allowed for a nice wrap up for the characters in the way I was wanting for them. This was an overall good read. I am going to ad some other books from this series now due to love the world that was created! Also the spice in this book was great there was just the right amount without it being too much for a short novella.

[Alyssa Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute story!

I haven't really read anything like this before. I wish it would have been a little longer so the character development had a bigger punch, but the story was cute. Insta love doesn't really do it for me, but otherwise - the story is amazing.

The banter between the two was fantastic. The way things went down with Aiden was awesome, though I wish Ruby could have been involved with that since it felt like she had big beef with him (ya know, with him having her heart and everything). I love how Sav won Ruby back, and saved Dahlia.

I wish I had more of a connection to the brother so Ruby's assignment meant more to me. I wish there was more of the party since it seemed to be a bigger part of the story with Aiden.

Overall, good story and would recommend.

[Rachel's Reads & Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wicked Ruby
By: Allie Maddox
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4/5
Spice level: 🖤🖤🖤🖤4/5

This intriguing dark paranormal romance features a demon and a panther shifter. It is a FF and very spicy for its short length. I had never read a sapphic romance until this week, and now I have read two. I love it just as much as I love my morally grey stalker masked men. With a touch of an enemies-to-lovers plot, I couldn't have asked for more.

This is the third installment in The Shifters of Northpeak series, but it can also be considered a standalone. I didn’t read the two prior books before this one, and there wasn’t a moment when I felt confused about what was happening. I may have missed some mentions or connections to the other stories, but it didn’t detract from my experience personally. I will definitely be adding the rest of the series to my ever-growing TBR.

[Bookshelfenigma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many thanks to Allie for the ARC. In return 👇here is my honest review.

Read this if you like:
Spooky👻/ Halloween🎃
Demon👹/Shifter
Sapphic/FF
Spicy Novella 🌶️
Enemies🤬->Lovers 🥰

Great Halloween read! 🎃 I already loved her characters from Northpeak, but Sav and Ruby might be my new favorites.🥰 This novella had me feeling all the emotions. I didn't move off of the couch until the book was finished. I may have to start making character sheets and list the pros and cons to see who is on top 😂 . Allie's unique storytelling keeps me hooked, and Wicked Ruby is another fantastic book in her arsenal.

[Emily Dubois · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was dark, it was fun and it was sexy.
I don’t dip my toe in the supernatural / shifters world too often but I am extremely happy u had the chance to do it with this one. This “Little Cub” and fire demon really brought sexy back. They also brought on some things that made you think, “that’s super weird but strangely… I’m into it.” If you’re looking for a little spooky novella with some spice and a festival you’re kind of jealous you didn’t get an invite but also super happy you didn’t… this one is for you.

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

For what this book was, a short sapphic novella with a revenge plot, two equally feisty, strong and dominating FMCs, and two side characters that I would very much want to know more about, it hooked me. I enjoyed the plot, the spice, and the banter. I rooted hard for these FMCs to find their peace and HEA. I thought the brother was more of a silent yoda character which I was here for and the best friend was someone I was rooting just as much for her revenge. My only complaint was I felt confused at times with the world building and who was speaking. Check your trigger warnings.

[Caitlin Ruiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't go into this book expecting much but I ended up having such a fun time reading it! Wicked Ruby is a half demon who kills for a living and Savannah is a shifter who is after her but the two of them end up unexpectedly falling for each other. Their story is short but quite the ride. The writing in this was great and I really appreciated the description of Ruby being a thick girl with tattoos. Overall all I'd recommend this one if youre looking for something quick and entertaining.

[Jess Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this novella ! The spice was perfect and the story line sucked me in like it was trying to steal my soul.
Enemies to lovers, revenge sex, slight BDSM, DARK romance tropes
Ruby is a shifter demon who is a forced hired assassin (who I connected with almost instantly). Sav is a shifter panther looking to avenging her slain mates. It’s amazing how the heart can force you to do things you never thought possible.
All in all loved this quick Halloween read

[Tessa Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review. Demons, Shape shifters, and Vampires oh my. This little paranormal novella was a good time. Both of the FMCs were strong and quick witted and we love to see that. The spice was spicing 🌶️🌶️ the plot was there. It wish it would have been a little longer so we could have had a little more detail but overall I enjoyed it. I love a good revenge plot. Ruby killed Sav’s mates and Sav is out for revenge. However Sav finds Ruby deliciously hot and can’t help herself.

[Rachel Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love how quickly novellas move and it’s so much story packed into less pages! I have read Allie’s other Shifters of Northpeaks books but you can read this one on its own too. I did have a bit of a hard time keeping track of who was who and in what gang and things like that in this book. It’s just a lot of side characters in one short book.
This book is very spicy!🌶️ Definitely be aware of the trigger warnings too! I loved it though 😂. More shifters of Northpeak books please!

[Kayla Kaupp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great novella! Allie Maddox had me hooked from the beginning. I loved the story line and will definitely be reading the rest of the books in the series. Although this is a standalone novella, it has me intrigued and ready for more.

[Sarah Barker Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wicked Ruby is the third book in The Shifters of Northpeak. I loved Ruby and Savannah. This novella was a bit darker. It was very fast paced and had me hooked the whole time! Lots of tension and obsession in this one. I definitely recommend this Halloween novella!

[Tay (Read With Tay) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I loved this book! Allie’s books are just amazing. I really enjoyed her exploration into F/F and it was done so well. She really knows how to give the spice but also balance that with a plot that leaves you wanting more.

[Miranda Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know what Allie puts in these shifter books, but I’m absolutely addicted! Wicked Ruby is a short, spicy, DARK novella perfect to get your spooky season going. It truly has it all; a sapphic love story with not one but TWO morally grey/black, fierce FMC’s, a spooky Halloween ritual, fantastic plot progression that left me holding my breath as it all played out and just an overall good a** time. Check your triggers, but for those who like their stories on the darker side, you won’t want to miss this one.

[S.E. Schaefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wicked Good Time

Wicked Ruby kept me on my toes the entire time. It’s a short novella that I got through in less than 48 hours.

The characters are well written and their stories are intertwined perfectly. This is a good quick read to get you ready for spooky season.

[Stephanie Conry · Rating 5 out of 5]

ruby & sav are my new favorite duo 🥵 my first FF novella and shit was it spicy 😈 once again allie has done it with this northpeak shifter novella. as soon as i started it, i couldn’t put it down!

spice level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Aura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay but this was everything. I became obsessed with both Sav and Ruby so fast. I left a little piece of my heart there. I guess now is time to read the other books in the series!

[Deja · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw an ad on insta and was sold instantly... I'm counting this as one of my birthday gifts.

**received an arc, thanks Allie/her team

[Tracie.Reads📚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this as an ARC Read. This is a perfect Halloween spicy Enemies to lovers short story. The storyline sucked me in right away and I can’t wait to read most of this series!!! A must read!!!!