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Forbidden Entanglements #1
Midnight Whispers
A forbidden fated mate. A string of murders. And a town that hides more than just magic.
All Riley wants is a fresh start. After the unexpected death of his mother, all he wants is to move to Fortune Falls, attend college, and get to know his estranged father. But Fortune Falls is more than it seems. It’s filled with secrets and a sexy sheriff’s deputy.
Who knew magic existed? Not Riley. But there it is at his fingertips.
Cass’s pack alpha wants him to mate with another wolf shifter. Not his best friend’s sweet, funny warlock of a son. He doesn’t expect his murder investigation to be tied to his pack or for their lives to be at stake.
It’s not just Riley’s dad who can’t know Cass is his fated mate. Cass’s pack can’t either.
If you like love with an age gap, knotting, a small town filled with secrets and a troubled wolf shifter pack, and a murder mystery where falling for your fated mate could make you the next victim, you’ll love this sensual romance.
Buy Midnight Whispers and find out how Riley and Cass undo their tangles.
All Riley wants is a fresh start. After the unexpected death of his mother, all he wants is to move to Fortune Falls, attend college, and get to know his estranged father. But Fortune Falls is more than it seems. It’s filled with secrets and a sexy sheriff’s deputy.
Who knew magic existed? Not Riley. But there it is at his fingertips.
Cass’s pack alpha wants him to mate with another wolf shifter. Not his best friend’s sweet, funny warlock of a son. He doesn’t expect his murder investigation to be tied to his pack or for their lives to be at stake.
It’s not just Riley’s dad who can’t know Cass is his fated mate. Cass’s pack can’t either.
If you like love with an age gap, knotting, a small town filled with secrets and a troubled wolf shifter pack, and a murder mystery where falling for your fated mate could make you the next victim, you’ll love this sensual romance.
Buy Midnight Whispers and find out how Riley and Cass undo their tangles.
189 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 15, 2025
91 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
April Kelley
116 books221 followersLiving in Southwest Michigan, April resides with her husband and two kids. She has been an avid reader for several years. Writing her first story at the age of ten, the characters in her head still won't stop telling their stories. If April isn't reading or writing she can be found outside playing with the animals or taking a long walk in the woods.
If you wish to contact her email authoraprilkelley@gmail.com.
Please visit her website at authoraprilkelley.com
If you wish to contact her email authoraprilkelley@gmail.com.
Please visit her website at authoraprilkelley.com
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 17, 2025
A good book to read, I didnt love it because I had mixed thoughts about some scenes.
January 19, 2025
The beginning was promising, as was the blurb, but unfortunately the implementation was rather boring and halfhearted. There were passages that I liked, but the story would definitely have benefited from 100 more pages. The implementation is sloppy, full of logic errors, lack of communication, especially in the murder investigations, although "investigations" are actually already too much... The perpetrators were actually immediately identified and two people were questioned. The whole secretiveness of Cass and Riley was only half convincing. Here I somehow missed their connection, one or two dates, more emotions, more scenes, and I really wouldn't have needed two sex scenes. One would have been more than enough. In principle, I like the small-town feeling, Riley's relationship with his brother and father, Cass's grandmother, the inn owner, different people were mentioned a lot, but not really written out. So in the end it was a nice snack with potential, which unfortunately was not exploited. What a pity.
February 11, 2025
Seriously lacking
This book was seriously lacking for me and failed to evoke the emotion I'm assuming the author intended with the loss of his mother.
First, it felt like the author was trying to create this grief, and everyone grieves differently, but they failed to understand how truly this situation would have played out. He would have been relieved and felt guilty for being relieved. He would have been eager to take his dad up on their offer and craved being taken care of. He would have resented his mom, not been distraught and mournful of her death. And though this is not a true story, I love books that pull in a little bit of realism when it comes to things like diseases. That wasn't the case here. I felt like alcohol and drug addiction weren't researched in any way, just thrown in. So this longing for his mom is far fetched and very few situations would have played out this way. Because alcoholism, drug addiction and his grief were prevalent throughout the book and the reason we are to be endeared to Riley, instantly the story fell flat for me.
A story where his mom was a super affectionate person and teaching him to bake and then she fell Ill, was in the hospital wasting away for a little bit and he had to take care of everything on his own, and then she died would bring the level of grief that you see in this story, and it would also make it more real. Instead, I kept shaking my head thinking, that doesn't make any sense.
The author hints that the mom was a severe alcoholic and repeatedly we hear drunken stupor, that few and far between she was sober. Showed no affection, paid no attention, we hear talk of drugs. Where did she get the money since she wasn't a functioning alcoholic? ( alcoholics, who hide their disease well) was he inhibiting her by giving her money to get drugs and alcohol? If he wasn't helping her to get this, where was the struggle? How was he able to maintain an entire apartment? And she not wreck it, where was the violence? Typically, someone who is addicted to drugs and alcohol have a level of aggression or violence surrounding them. Unless they are filthy rich and have unlimited funds to be able to get their vices, they start stealing, they start being abusive verbally and even physically. Especially when they're drunk or high, depending on the drug. My point is, the author starts with something that's so heavy, but just throws it in there and to someone who has no knowledge, then, okay, awww poor Riley, but to someone who understands or has knowledge of these addictions, they can see the frivolity in how the author makes it look like she was a peaceful gentle drug user/alcohol who just drinks and then falls down and sleeps.
The ending....what was that? It seemed very unfinished and my first thought was the series continued with the same couple, but it doesn't, so the ending left unanswered questions.
Even before the end of the book, I found there wasn't really any world building or explaining done in this novel. we have this town what's special about the town? we know about warlocks, what's special about warlocks? Why do they have a blue flame when they meet their mate? Why are there some wolves who only have 2 forms, but others that have 3 forms? And ..and..and...we don't know anything about anything.
The fight seeing and subsequent capture of the bad guy. I found it laughable. First, riley is stumbling, not knowing really how to do any kind of magic and within a matter of 2 or 3 hours he has this magical power and knowledge and is able to do things that instinctively he would not have known how to do. If it was second nature he would have been able to do that for years, but all of a sudden, he arrives in the town and only then, after he finds out that he's a warlock, is he able to do things, why is that? he's able to turn sound waves into ice and then into sharp glass with a flick of his hand and knows exactly how to control them. It it was too fantastical. It may have sounded amazing in the author's brain but on paper, it felt like someone who can't swim learning how to float and kick in the pool one day, then deciding to wade into the ocean deep and swimming like a pro a week later.
This book was seriously lacking for me and failed to evoke the emotion I'm assuming the author intended with the loss of his mother.
First, it felt like the author was trying to create this grief, and everyone grieves differently, but they failed to understand how truly this situation would have played out. He would have been relieved and felt guilty for being relieved. He would have been eager to take his dad up on their offer and craved being taken care of. He would have resented his mom, not been distraught and mournful of her death. And though this is not a true story, I love books that pull in a little bit of realism when it comes to things like diseases. That wasn't the case here. I felt like alcohol and drug addiction weren't researched in any way, just thrown in. So this longing for his mom is far fetched and very few situations would have played out this way. Because alcoholism, drug addiction and his grief were prevalent throughout the book and the reason we are to be endeared to Riley, instantly the story fell flat for me.
A story where his mom was a super affectionate person and teaching him to bake and then she fell Ill, was in the hospital wasting away for a little bit and he had to take care of everything on his own, and then she died would bring the level of grief that you see in this story, and it would also make it more real. Instead, I kept shaking my head thinking, that doesn't make any sense.
The author hints that the mom was a severe alcoholic and repeatedly we hear drunken stupor, that few and far between she was sober. Showed no affection, paid no attention, we hear talk of drugs. Where did she get the money since she wasn't a functioning alcoholic? ( alcoholics, who hide their disease well) was he inhibiting her by giving her money to get drugs and alcohol? If he wasn't helping her to get this, where was the struggle? How was he able to maintain an entire apartment? And she not wreck it, where was the violence? Typically, someone who is addicted to drugs and alcohol have a level of aggression or violence surrounding them. Unless they are filthy rich and have unlimited funds to be able to get their vices, they start stealing, they start being abusive verbally and even physically. Especially when they're drunk or high, depending on the drug. My point is, the author starts with something that's so heavy, but just throws it in there and to someone who has no knowledge, then, okay, awww poor Riley, but to someone who understands or has knowledge of these addictions, they can see the frivolity in how the author makes it look like she was a peaceful gentle drug user/alcohol who just drinks and then falls down and sleeps.
The ending....what was that? It seemed very unfinished and my first thought was the series continued with the same couple, but it doesn't, so the ending left unanswered questions.
Even before the end of the book, I found there wasn't really any world building or explaining done in this novel. we have this town what's special about the town? we know about warlocks, what's special about warlocks? Why do they have a blue flame when they meet their mate? Why are there some wolves who only have 2 forms, but others that have 3 forms? And ..and..and...we don't know anything about anything.
The fight seeing and subsequent capture of the bad guy. I found it laughable. First, riley is stumbling, not knowing really how to do any kind of magic and within a matter of 2 or 3 hours he has this magical power and knowledge and is able to do things that instinctively he would not have known how to do. If it was second nature he would have been able to do that for years, but all of a sudden, he arrives in the town and only then, after he finds out that he's a warlock, is he able to do things, why is that? he's able to turn sound waves into ice and then into sharp glass with a flick of his hand and knows exactly how to control them. It it was too fantastical. It may have sounded amazing in the author's brain but on paper, it felt like someone who can't swim learning how to float and kick in the pool one day, then deciding to wade into the ocean deep and swimming like a pro a week later.
November 6, 2025
A nice read, though there were quite a few editing issues throughout. Explode instead of explore, caring instead of carrying; that type of thing, along with quite a few spacing issues.
I liked Iven, loved Cass and Griffin, and I guess Riley was okay. He was just way too immature. Normally, I'm all about age gaps, but it didn't work as well here as I'd hoped. He acted much younger than 24.
I think this is my first by this author.
Full review can be found at -
I liked Iven, loved Cass and Griffin, and I guess Riley was okay. He was just way too immature. Normally, I'm all about age gaps, but it didn't work as well here as I'd hoped. He acted much younger than 24.
I think this is my first by this author.
Full review can be found at -
January 31, 2025
Good story needs more
3.5 stars
It’s hard to tell if this story is in the same universe as author’s other works but different town or totally different. There are a lot of similarities to the Saint Lakes universe but if you start with this one, there could definitely be a lot of what is going on. Implications of fated mates are never explained, how Fortune Falls came to be filled with all paranormals (let alone what all the paranormals are), etc isn’t explained. Story was sweet but short and definitely could’ve been more
3.5 stars
It’s hard to tell if this story is in the same universe as author’s other works but different town or totally different. There are a lot of similarities to the Saint Lakes universe but if you start with this one, there could definitely be a lot of what is going on. Implications of fated mates are never explained, how Fortune Falls came to be filled with all paranormals (let alone what all the paranormals are), etc isn’t explained. Story was sweet but short and definitely could’ve been more
January 27, 2025
A NTM author and a story about a wolf shifter and a warlock who isn't trained and really doesn't know he is a warlock.
Cass, the wolf shifter and his boss sheriff Iven are investigating a murder and it looks as if they can be traced back to Cass' pack.
As well as the investigation, Cass realizes that Iven's son Riley is his fated mate and how do they tell the sheriff?
An interesting start to a new series and I guess the murder arc will continue in the next book.
Cass, the wolf shifter and his boss sheriff Iven are investigating a murder and it looks as if they can be traced back to Cass' pack.
As well as the investigation, Cass realizes that Iven's son Riley is his fated mate and how do they tell the sheriff?
An interesting start to a new series and I guess the murder arc will continue in the next book.
August 20, 2025
Whispers
I will give this book a 4/5. It is an easy read and it makes sense. Riley moves to his father's home to get a fresh start after his mother dies. His father does not tell him the town is mostly paranormal. Riley meets Cass a wolf shifter and they turn out to be fated mates. Cass is his father' s best friend. That will be an awkward explanation. But there is a killer on the lose. Cass has a lot going going on especially with Riley.
I will give this book a 4/5. It is an easy read and it makes sense. Riley moves to his father's home to get a fresh start after his mother dies. His father does not tell him the town is mostly paranormal. Riley meets Cass a wolf shifter and they turn out to be fated mates. Cass is his father' s best friend. That will be an awkward explanation. But there is a killer on the lose. Cass has a lot going going on especially with Riley.
January 23, 2025
This is a new series by an author I hadn't read before, and I enjoyed it. There were wolf shifters and warlocks along with fated mates and father's best friend tropes. The story seemed to set up the series well with things left open about how the pack will function with the drama going on, but I thought it was a good set up so far. I am interested in reading the next book in the series.
August 16, 2025
OK, but Could Have Been Better
The concept for the story was good, but the delivery and prose left much to be desired. There were facts which were known to the characters which were never shared with the reader and the reader was left guessing where to go. At least it ends on a promising note.
The concept for the story was good, but the delivery and prose left much to be desired. There were facts which were known to the characters which were never shared with the reader and the reader was left guessing where to go. At least it ends on a promising note.
January 18, 2025
good
This was a good book and start of series. It was a pretty mild forbidden mates. Looking forward to seeing what happens with the pack, and hope we get to see more of Riley and what he can do.
This was a good book and start of series. It was a pretty mild forbidden mates. Looking forward to seeing what happens with the pack, and hope we get to see more of Riley and what he can do.
February 3, 2025
Such a good book
I loved the family dynamics and interactions in this book so much, had me chuckling all the way through. The romantic aspect of the story is great as well, looking forward to the next books.
I loved the family dynamics and interactions in this book so much, had me chuckling all the way through. The romantic aspect of the story is great as well, looking forward to the next books.
January 15, 2025
This wasn't super interesting. There wasn't a lot going on, and everything was really easily resolved. The main characters were too powerful.
January 16, 2025
Great new series
This is a great start to this authors new series. Warlocks and wolves, and a HEA for our MC's .
This is a great start to this authors new series. Warlocks and wolves, and a HEA for our MC's .
February 2, 2025
An ok read, very predictable plot, until the story redeemed itself at the climax. Where Riley’s wizard powers came to full manifestation. That was a Wow moment.
February 12, 2025
Midnight Whispers
This was a great book full of action and family. I loved the Saint Lakes series by April Kelley and this new series is just as amazing! Definitely recommend
This was a great book full of action and family. I loved the Saint Lakes series by April Kelley and this new series is just as amazing! Definitely recommend
July 23, 2025
Interested in Riley's powers.
I was rooting for him and Cass.
Also was really rooting for Riley's father. He wanted to connect with Riley, and have them be close.
I was rooting for him and Cass.
Also was really rooting for Riley's father. He wanted to connect with Riley, and have them be close.
Read
September 1, 2025DNF
October 29, 2025
3.5 I like the characters
November 28, 2025
It's a short but still enjoyable read.
November 29, 2025
The main story was a warm and fast developing romance, between a two fated mates. I liked them both, Cass and Riley. Overall, a solid work by the author.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews