Love Binds

Tails from the Alpha Art Gallery #4

by Cynthia St. Aubin

Hannah Harvey returns in Love Binds, the fourth installment in the hilarious and steamy Tails from the Alpha Art Gallery series by USA Today bestselling author Cynthia St. Aubin!

For Hanna Harvey, happily ever is just the beginning…of a hot mess. Now mated to darkly dangerous but irresistibly seductive werewolf, Mark Abernathy, she’s finding that life isn’t the endless cheese and whisky fueled boinkfest she’d imagined it to be. Plagued by terrifying nightmares of a mysterious entity bent on her destruction and drowning in her new responsibilities as the alpha female of the werewolf world, she’s begun to doubt that she really is the heir. And she isn’t the only one.

When certain werewolf factions refuse to acknowledge Hanna's rule, what begins as a clan rivalry threatens to erupt into the first shifter war in centuries. Which is like, the worst. As is the return of Hanna’s former flame and neophyte vampire, Detective James Morrison. Bitter and out for blood (literally), he’s made it his business to exact his vengeance on all non-humans...Hanna included.

Hoping to stave off the shifter Apocalypse, Hanna and Abernathy travel to The Gathering, where a mysterious figure from Abernathy’s past reveals a closely guarded secret with the power to break not only her heart, but their sworn bond as mates. With the fate of the werewolf world resting squarely on her bony shoulders, Hanna must now decide to trust the wildness within, or abandon the shifter world forever.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Genres: Romance, Audiobook, Paranormal, Fantasy, Contemporary, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

316 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 26, 2021

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Cynthia St. Aubin wrote her first play at age eight and made her brothers perform it for the admission price of gum wrappers. A steal, considering she provided the wrappers in advance. Though her early work debuted to mixed reviews, she never quite gave up on the writing thing, even while earning a mostly useless master's degree in art history and taking her turn as a cube monkey in the corporate warren.

Because the voices in her head kept talking to her, and they discourage drinking at work, she started writing instead. When she's not standing in front of the fridge eating cheese, she's hard at work figuring out which mythological, art historical, or paranormal friends to play with next. She lives in Colorado with the love of her life and three surly cats.

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well I'm not even sure what to say I'll be honest. But this 4th book has really soured my whole opinion of the series.

Elements I loved about the previous 3 books unfortunately just felt over done. The quirky fun jokes became constant jokes about cheese and her not being skinny because of it (which obviously she is. So then it just turned into a weird shaming for people who love cheese) I almost didn't finish the book and i kinda wish I DNF'ed it because my least favorite part was the ending but I'll get to that in a second. Oh and a gratuitous baby poop scene which honestly everyone could do without.

So the first three books had a love triangle and I was genuinely shocked I didn't hate it. It was very well done and felt more like her struggle with choosing a life as a human or a life as a shifter and there was no cheating and the other man was very mature and everyone seemed to handle it like adults. But then this book. There was so little romance between the main characters, it felt like just sex and wow those scenes fell so flat for me. And then she kept pining for her ex for the guy she didn't choose and frankly that ain't cool. There was a scene where a God asked her what she wanted the most and what I thought she was going to want was the ability to break the curse and to shift properly. Nope! She wanted to save her ex. What in the hell?

And then the communication. What was funny and cute in the first books just kinda became toxic in this one. Yes it makes sense a werewolf wouldn't be able to talk to a human about his life, yeah makes sense. But then as his mate he still continues to never tell her anything, leaving her to learn about his past from a nasty farting side charcter. Gross and very not cool. And I cannot forget that Hannah also continues to not tell Mark (forgot his name, whoops.) Anything at all. So after having dreams where she talks to the literal devil she tells Mark nothing. Cool cool cool cool. Definitely couldn't have warned him or I dunno discussed anything with him. Though I guess it's an old dog new tricks situation right?

And then the ending. After spending a whole book worrying she won't be able to have kids because of this curse not allowing her to transform and imagining white bread Mark with their kids. She ends the book accepting and being happy never having kids. Which, hell yes girl I love a queen not changing for a relationship. And I love when there's open communication and understanding about the choice to not have kids. But to spend A whole book wanting kids and actively being afraid she won't be able to, to then just suddenly not want kids and not discussing it with her partner. What the hell? Not once did she actually talk to Mark about having kids, which is just so not cool. So chemistry between Mark and Hannah was gone. Yes there was sarcasm and biting responses but zero chemistry. It felt like a couple on their way to divorce court.

Yeah I wrote way too much about this. Imma end it here

[Sara J. Rader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent conclusion

Cynthia far exceeded my expectations and gave me a perfect ending to this series... There's a bittersweet happily ever after. Realistic in it's sadness and imperfection, but bathed in hope. I cried in some places and laughed hysterically in others. I highly recommend this series to anyone and everyone!

[Lorrie (Clockworkbookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 Reads #625/250

Read for the Sights of Sweden Challenge 2024-2025
September 20, 2024 - January 10, 2025

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[Mettesknit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook narrated by
Stella Hunter
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I laughed so hard that I had tears rolling down my cheeks!

I really recommend this series.

That being said.
I know there are two more books, BUT I'm not going to read them.
This is because I've read the blurb and wrinkled my nose, so I checked out some reviews and decided that if I read the last books, it would ruin the series for me.
So - this book has a natural ending, and I'll leave it here, still happy.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

“... he’s a stubborn, close-lipped information hoarder who enjoys blind-siding me with life-altering fuckery.”

This sums up Abernathy to.a.tee. It's becoming increasingly frustrating as the series progresses, for both me and Hanna. WHY is she always learning about everything from others? Just how long can/will he keep up the "I didn't tell you to protect you" or "I was trying to give you time to acclimate" reasoning for keeping her in the dark? It's repeatedly made clear to him that she needs to know. Trouble ensues and many times could've been avoided or impact lessened if he'd.just.TELL.HER! I cannot adequately express how frustrating he is to me at this point. But, hopefully some of what I was able to relay explains it enough.

Since finishing this installment, I've read all published to this point and yet he has done nothing to redeem himself in my blurred reader's eyes. Instead, he's reached "I wanna throat punch you" levels. 🤬

Why, then, do I keep reading? The little teaser endings, initially, led me to jump immediately into the next book to find out how the revelation or issue was received and handled. Later, it was the side characters, TBH. They are great! In many instances, they steal the show and grab hold of your heart.

It's been three months since Hanna and Abernathy's mating. Do ya think that, now that Hanna's his, he's decided to reveal all that he "couldn't" tell her before her decision was made? 1 guess is all you'd need -- NOPE! There are a number of instances where simply talking to her would've helped her and others.

That's enough of Abernathy's BS, onto better others. There's Morrison, poor Morrison, who's revealed to be Strigoi. “All Strigoi are vampires,” Crixus said, “but not all vampires are Strigoi.” They are that way because of their pain, their broken hearts, which drive them mad and lead them to hunt and kill those who broke their heart. Otherwise, they will eternally suffer. 😔. And, Hayden the dragon, who has a big heart and enviable peace within it. 🥰 The absolute funniest babysitting scene I've ever read! 🤣

If this was simply the Hanna and Mark show, honestly I think I'd have left the series by now. But, at this point, I'm fully invested, hoping (though I have no idea why, at this point) that Mark will pull his thick head outta his furry ass and wanting to know what will happen with/to the side characters I have become attached. (★★½)

[Terra Clotfelter G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the most captivating book in the series, but I felt more invested in this book than the third. The banter was better, and the story was more interesting. I like the way St. Aubin ties up this series. It’s not exactly what you would expect to happen but overall has HEA vibes.

[Ashley Yungbluth · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Love Binds" is book four of the "Tails from the Alpha Art Gallery" series by Cynthia St. Aubin. Hanna and Mark Abernathy are newly mated, and Hanna is having a hard time fitting in. Mark keeps telling Hanna she is everything he needs in a mate and to not worry about it. Her and Mark are watching the twins for her brother and sister in law when they feel like something is watching them. This book has a lot of laugh out loud parts, and the writing style Cynthia uses keeps you wanting more. I love the relationship between Hanna and Mark, and I absolutely love their characters. I will continue on in this series and also read others by Cynthia.

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to admit that I almost DNFd the 3rd book because the author decided to bring the love triangle back into play. I can accept a love triangle to a point but after Hanna seemingly chose Mark in the 2nd book, that needed to be it for me. Imagine if Mark had been sleeping in another woman's bed cuddling and using the excuse that they didn't have sex as it being okay. So, at that point, I realized this author and I were not going to have an ongoing relationship. If I don't trust your choices, I'm not going to keep reading your books. However, the jokes on me, because I did keep reading because I thought now that Mark and Hanna had actually mated at the end of the 3rd book, we'd finally get some answers to all the floating questions. NOPE. 

This book starts a few months later and although they did have time to build a whole new house (ridiculous), they didn't have time to have an actual conversation. At about the 75% mark, I realized that even though Hanna is now a werewolf, we still weren't going to get any answers, probably because the author just keeps throwing stuff out there that doesn't make any sense and doesn't want to have to explain it. The only time we get any info on Mark or werewolves in general is when some other character is sharing it, and it's never something good. Thanks for sharing that totally unnecessary and ick tale from his sexual past. It's like the author wants us to hate him. We're 4 books in and know nothing about Mark other than he's hot and apparently loved a lot of women, some of whom may have been Hanna in a past life, but let's not look too closely at that or expect an explanation. I mean, I'm sure we were all rooting for Mark but why didn't she pick Morrison? Mark sucks. All the magic from the first book is completely gone. The humor in these books has always been a little over the top for me but what made the first book fun was the rag tag group of quirky office mates and their little work family and that's been completely lost over the course of the series.

Someone is going to have to explain to me how any werewolves died in this book when we were told in the first book that the only way to kill a werewolf was to eat their heart. Or how Mark is the King of all shifters but doesn't even have a pack or a clan or more than one friend? Why is he even in power? What was the curse? What was that ghost thing trying to strangle Hanna? What happened to Mark's sister who he was protecting Hanna from? What was the deal with the past lives thing? Why does the author feel the need to kill off or sideline the best characters? Don't even get me started on that stupid epilogue reveal about kids.

One of my other issues with this series is all the copy editing errors that I didn't start noticing until the 2nd book. The double or missing words. The changing outfits in the middle of a conversation. The total lack of consistency. I remember in the first book thinking Hanna was about 40 because she kept making comments about getting too old to have kids and Mark looking a few years older than her, etc. and then we find out she's only 28. Who in the 21st century thinks 28 is too old to have kids? Also little things like remarking about how raw she likes her steak in the first book and then being grossed out by how raw a steak is in the second book. Maybe if I hadn't read the books back to back, all the inconsistencies wouldn't have been so glaring but honestly, get a new editor. RANT OVER.

[Suzanne Bourgeois]

what an emotional roller coaster. from morrison to allen, i just can even... though can you imagne being so insatiablely curious that death just says "nope, not dealing with you"? apparently curiosity only kills cats, not werewolves. This was really the best ending i could have imagined for this arc. I laughed, i cried, i wanted to smack abernathy... so par for the course, lol.

[Alexandria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this series so much. One of my favorite parts of this series is the relationship of Hanna and Abernathy. I laughed out loud at some of the things that came out of Hannah's mouth. There was one part at the end of the book that I enjoyed so much that I listened to it again. I was a big fan of the narrator for the audiobook. I'm looking forward to more of Cynthia's books.

[Mary Heron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hanna faces her destiny but it comes with a terrible cost.

Turns.out the events.of.the.last book where Hanna had to liaise with the Vampire hierarchy was not the extent of her.official duties as their she also has to.attend a.big werewolf gathering and be acknowledged their ruler. Easy peasy after everything she's been through you would think. Well, you'd be wrong, as per usual things are more complicated than Abernathy pretended, some of the werewolf factions.are.not prepared to believe Hanna is The Heir and if they find out she has been unable.to.shift it will give them the reason needed to reject her...............causing civil war to break.out among the wolves. Then there's Morrison, turned into a vampire in the last book he.should be acclimated to his new "life" by now but something has gone.badly wrong with his recovery.........another worry to add to the list........

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny but still kind of frustrating in how long it’s taking our heroine to figure things out. I don’t want her to wax poetic about cheese anymore. I want her to get beyond the hormonal (and the cheese) and be serious about trying to figure out her role in everything. And Abernathy needs to stop letting her find out things about his past from other people. The OW details were ick.

If Allan hadn’t told her everything she needed to know and without Crixus, of all characters, helping her along too, she’d be either dead or moving backward in her quest for any kind of werewolf/paranormal/shifter knowledge.

My favorite character of this installment: Crixus. I shock even myself. There was one improvement in this book, at least. She finally stopped being in love with two people. However, I’m done with this series. Too much swearing and too many intimate scenes for me.

[Lo (kipepeo) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh this was so fun (and also very sad). I love me some character development and Hanna is really coming into her own here. Hayden is such a phenomenal character and Allan 😭

**3.5 stars**

[Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love Binds jumps forward about three months after the conclusion of the third book. Hanna is packing up her apartment and moving in with Mark. Newly-turned vampire Morrison shows up trying to kill Hanna, but Crixus saves her, telling her Morrison is driven to kill her because she broke his heart. But that’s not all… The werewolf community isn’t accepting her as the heir and she must go to a coronation to prove she’s fit to rule. The only problem, she can’t shift.

I liked seeing Hanna learn to accept her wolf while maintaining her humanity. Also, there is a great twist that sets off the final chain of events. There are the makings of a solid story, but often I got confused. And either I accidentally skipped chunks of the story, or the storytelling has flaws including bringing up something only to drop it without resolution and continuity errors.

My biggest issue is the relationship between Hanna and Mark. I don’t see the pair growing as a couple. They don’t communicate unless they are forced to. Mark refuses give her information about her past or the situation so she can make her own decisions, but then he gives her a hard time when she makes a poor choice. She eggs him on to get a reaction rather than sharing her feelings or concerns.

Love Binds is better than the previous book, but I am still so frustrated with a few aspects, namely the romance. They aren’t growing, they are lusting and sexing and make-up sexing. There is forward progress, with unknowns. I feel like there are things that happened and aren’t fully explained.

My Rating: B-

[Rhiannon sullivan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Beyond frustrating (Long rant ahead sorry)

I have stuck out this series as the others had some really funny moments and for the most part enjoyable, I was really hoping to God that there would be some actual answers and some sense made in this book to warrant me continuing reading them. However, all books have contained errors, but this one takes the biscuit it's like the writer forgot what her story was and key elements! In the other books the heir is said to be a gene handed down through generation to generation through the female line, if the female hasn't transformed it gets past on, an unbroken pure bloodline, all her family had one daughter but Hanna's was an exception as she had a brother he was safe as his bloodline got polluted as an infant and the heir gene goes to the female. The whole heir scenario comes from a gene/bloodline making Lily like her great great great grandmother, and it even says that Mark moved to Cuxhaven to live near Lily and her human family, then in this book Hanna ask Allen if Lily had a family and he says 'No'?? Honestly confused, so like what is Hanna? A descendant or a reincarnation, because according to the original explanation of heir, it would make Lily her relative but then it changed to rebirth instead? Make up your mind on the subject or did the writer just forget her on plot? Equally frustrating is throughout the books Mark states he will explain everything when he can but still doesn't, I mean Hanna doesn't even confronted Mark and ask him questions when she discovers that she is number 4 and Mark has tried to mate with all versions of her, why? Why always seeking the heir from that bloodline? Again not explained, it's so vague. The whole Margaret curse storyline was ridiculous and thinner than the meats on Hanna's charcuterie board she's always harping on about. Even said Margaret's jealousy of Lily drove her to do it but Lily was 200yrs after Margaret had died, and how did she curse her when she wasn't a witch etc again nothing really explained. There were just so many inconsistencies, errors and cringe moments within this book, it would have been far better if the writer focused on one storyline at a time, like the curse and what exactly is Hanna's and Mark history instead of chucking everything including the kitchen sink at it; wolf war, rogue ex boyfriend vampire, dragon, animal attacks, Hades etc half of it is not needed, I just started skimming the book in the end. There were just so many errors and repetition, simple facts forgotten like how in the books it states werewolves can only die when their heart is removed (mainly eaten) and yet Joseph (from book 3) and Allen both died without this happening. Honestly I could rant for ages but think I've more than made my point 😂 Hate to be so negative but this series started out so promising and just ended up a big let down, I should have finished at book 1.

[Anne Gregor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Binds is out! This is the fourth book in Cynthia St. Aubin's Tales from the Alpha Art Gallery series. I awaited this book with excitement and dread. Excitement because I finally got to tune back into the Hannelore Harvey Inner Monologue Radio Station, and dread because it wraps up Hanna and Mark's story. Although, there are endless characters that desperately need their own stories (see *Note).

Hanna believed being THE female head cheese (😁) of the werewolf world would be all moonlit night runs, mate snuggles, a few rear-end sniffs, snack time, and minor squabble hearings, that is IF her body would cooperate with her inner howl. Unfortunately, the HH Dinghy is sinking faster than the Titanic. Mark Abernathy is the only thing keeping her afloat (he's amazing like that). Mark Abernathy is also the one making her go to The Gathering in Tipperary, Ireland where the heads of the ruling werewolf families decide whether or not they will accept Hanna as their alpha female (he can be a d!@k like that). Oh, and did I mention Hanna's former BF detective turned vampire wants her to pay (in blood) for his change of vocation?

You know, there is one thing that only a handful of authors perfect during their careers - sexy snacking... or snacking sexily... no matter, both writing styles require higher education and copious amounts of testing. Since The Great British Baking Show gets a Love Binds mention, it's a given St. Aubin takes her foodie research to the next level (btw, season 9 is out on Netflix...). I must also mention, and this is only supposition, that Meg Ryan's foodgasm scene in When Harry Met Sally made a LASTING impression on the author... no judgment... but seriously, I have to be right.

*Note - Needed Spin-Offs for fans (top 4 only, but I have quite a list): Hades of Hades, Crixus, River, and Olivia!

Kris
Whiskey & Wit Book Reviews

[Amy and Rae Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, to say I raced through this series would be an understatement. I stampeded.

Two things contributed to this: the incredibly entertaining, intelligent, masterful storytelling of Cynthia St Aubin, and the remarkable performance of said perfection by Stella Hunter.

In this fourth installment of what has become one of my favourite series, we are taken on a wild ride from Colorado to Ireland, learn what happened to Detective Morrison, uncover even more Abernathy secrets, meet the coolest dragon to grace the page, and watch what happens when an alpha hole werewolf meets his match with a pair of werewolf toddler pups. All are woven together with hilarious proficiency into this incredible story that I wish would continue forever. St. Aubin’s characters are delightfully quirky and wonderfully rendered. All this is peppered with the most wonderful descriptions of food, countryside, experiences, and even a few Star Trek references. It’s paranormal romance eminence.

Add to this the versatility of a narrator who can capture, slay and massacre hearts, breathe life, joy, sorrow, and lust into the words, and ultimately endear Hanna Harvey and her perpetual snacking, snarking and beautiful heart to me forever.

To my knowledge, this is the last book of the series, but I daresay St. Aubin left the door a little cracked with this ending, and I hope with all my heart there’s another story in Hanna Harvey’s future.

[Laura R · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hannah has chosen Mark and accepted the fact that he is her mate. But now, four months later, she hasn't been able to shift again, and her belief that she is the shifter Alpha is slowly dwindling. It doesn't help that James didn't just become a vampire but a strigoi and is out for her blood. Honestly, Hannah just doesn't feel like she deserves to be happy after everything that happened with Nero. But with a shifter gathering happening in Ireland, Hannah is determined to show face and prove that she is the alpha heir. With unknown enemies closing in and her shifting ability on the fritz, it's going to take a lot for her to convince everyone – even herself – that she really is the alpha.


I feel like this book is where the plot kind of crashed for me, because I missed the art gallery and the artists and dealing with everything there and now we're just dealing with shifter drama and it's starting to feel repetitive for me. I also feel like her choosing Mark over James really pissed me off and I didn't realize how much it pissed me off until this book. I will say I do like the way the spicy scenes are written, but I'm still pissed that she chose Mark because James was definitely better written and such a better character overall and I would have preferred her with him. And knowing part of the plot for the next book makes me unwilling to continue this series at this moment. I'll have to see how I feel about it in the future.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had spunk, sarcasm, and so much relatable inner monologue that I was nodding along the entire way. I'm sad I am joining at book#4, but happy to have met these wonderful characters.

So, as I said, I'm joining this series already in progress and a lot has happened. Turns out that Hanna is some head honcho in the shifter world, but not everyone is on board with that. She's got to convince them that she can shift (which she hasn't been able to do), that she is fit (not in the non-cheese eating sense), and that she has the heart needed to do the job. Oh, and she needs to go to some big event, too.

On top of all that, she's still navigating her relationship with Abernathy, the rich shifter guy who has a long standing history of loss that makes him a little bit overbearing. All these characters have clearly been well developed when I met them, so I am reaping the benefits of the first 3 books. Almost forgot - there's also the typical ex with a heart of gold (that is pretty smutty, too). He just so happens to be a vampire now, and probably wants to kill Hanna. So, yeah, there's a lot going on, but then there's chapters of them babysitting Hanna's niece and nephew. I'm so sad that this story arc ends here, but happy to have been exposed to the wonder that is Hanna.

[Keathe (RomanceBooksFan) Steigert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Binds is the fourth installment of the hysterical 'Tails from the Alpha Art Gallery' series, and like its predecessors, it does not disappoint!

Hanna Harvey is now mated to her werewolf boss, Mark Abernathy but everything is not the smooth sailing that she had hoped it would be. Detective James Morrison is now a Strigoi (which is a fancy name for a heartbroken vampire), and the only thing on his mind is killing the person who he is heartbroken over - namely, Hanna. Meanwhile some of the animal shifter community are doubting Hanna's claim to be the werewolf heir and are making things messy.

If you've read this series, you know that you are in for another laugh out loud, steamy paranormal romance (this time with a dragon shifter too!). Cynthia St Aubin is the kind of writer that is a joy to read if you like all things that go bump in the night. She seamlessly weaves together hilllarity, steamy scenes, and touching moments all in one. I loved this installment just as much as I've loved all the others, and enjoy watching the storyline developement book after book!

[ButtonsMom2003 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook Review:
Overall – 5
Performance – 5
Story – 5

Wonderful series ending!

It’s been almost a year since I listened to book three of this series but I was able to pick right back up when I started listening to this one. I can’t say enough good things about Stella Hunter’s performance of this audiobook. I’m certain I would have enjoyed reading this with my eyes but her performance elevated the story to something truly special.

One of the things I love about reading romance is how the stories make me feel and this book made me run through a whole host of emotions. It was witty and sometimes funny; it was heartbreaking in a few scenes and I shed a few tears; I was truly captivated by the story.

Hannah and Mark make a really great couple; the sexy time between them was 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥! The large cast of supporting characters was great and the voices that Stella used for them were fantastic. I’m a bit sorry to see this series end but it was so empowering to have Hannah come into her own and not be afraid to do what needed to be done.

[Brynn Gabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just because it’s fresh in my mind: am I the only person that understood that epilogue approximately 0%? I was extremely confused about the “knowing” she couldn’t have children thing, and even MORE confused about the Margaret thing. But all that aside.

I really did not mind the relative lack of world-building in the previous books in this series; however, at this point, it starts to catch up to us. I think it is still super unclear about the role of the heir; apparently she is werewolf “royalty” (like Abernathy), although we never see any examples of what power they actually hold. Also, introducing all these werewolf clans out of the blue and it suddenly being so important to impress them was a little strange. That was honestly most of it for me- I had a hard time getting into the plot when I honestly didn’t understand why any of it mattered in the first place.

I also thought this book did not have as many laugh-out-loud moments as the previous ones; however, I did manage to finish it, so three stars.

[Stephanie Herron · Rating 5 out of 5]

The snark is strong in this story. I found it hilarious and therefore easy to read. Hanna is unsure of her alpha status and is freaked about about going to The Gathering to meet all the other clans and their alphas. Hanna is right to be worried as things get challenging when she and Abernathy arrive. She is attacked and secretly put in the basement. Thankfully, her friend Hayden, the dragon finds her and takes her to help Abernathy and Allen with the battle that has erupted. The death of her close friend Allen, who was not only her tailor but a good friend, triggers her inner warrior. She puts a stop to the battle and wins the day.
There is so much humor and snark between Hanna and Abernathy as well as most every other character in the story, that there are times when you are laughing out loud. There is also some steamy scenes that can be skipped if that is not your thing. There is humor, snark and heartfelt moments mixed in the story that make this a real page turner.

[Jessi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book seems like an end to the series and that is probably okay since may of these characters have gone as far as they can go. Abernathy hasn't changed at all from the first book, Hannah has changed a little, and Morrison has grown the most but that's mostly because he's gone from a human in love with Hannah to a blood-thirsty vampire trying to kill her.
Hannah is supposedly the Alpha of all werewolves but she sure doesn't feel like it. In fact, she hasn't been able to shift since the first time. Plus, even though she dearly wants children, she's still not pregnant. Plus, she's having these weird dreams where the devil wants to wear her skin.
The weirdest part of this book was how Hannah and Mark are supposedly soul mates but they don't talk to each other. Hannah doesn't tell Mark about her dream or fears that Morrison has followed them across an ocean and he has secrets that put Hannah in grave danger.

[Banana plant · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review has low key spoilers. I really loved the first books in this series but this was a bit meh, not only is it not as funny (I didn't LOL once 😟) but also it has good character deaths in it which really spoiled the light reading for me. The story was good if predictable at times. Not gunna be a firm favourite for me. Kinda disappointed. I think I'm done with this series it's ruining it for me and I was so fucking obsessed with the first ones they were some of my top surprisingly good reads of last year.

More spoilers below.
Yay for dodging the pregnancy trope but done in the worst way possible. Spends the whole book wanting kids then at the end there is this rushed bit about how she can't have kids and is fine with it and never speaks to Mark about it.

The miscommunication is now just odd there is no need to hide shit. I wanted to see a much stronger relationship by this point it's not funny it's just sad.

[Christina Gizzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a different take on werewolves and the supernatural community that I fell in love with the story instantly. From the beginning, even though I had not read the first three books, I could understand what was going on and could immerse myself into the story. I loved the characters and how they all interacted with each other. Hanna was such a relatable character that it made it easy to sympathize with her and what she was going through. I loved the different settings and how characters were introduced. I found it very helpful that the author brought some of the plot of the first three books into it because I was able to understand how the characters had gotten to where they were without having read the first three books. I will be reading these books to piece everything together, but I loved how easy it was to separate the story from the other books.

[T.M. Cromer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect addition to a binge-worthy series.

If Cynthia St. Aubin writes it, I will read it. Period. Her colorful descriptions and laugh-out-loud snark are sheer brilliance. She can put together seemingly unrelated words to create the perfect imagery in a single sentence. I have never failed to get lost in one of Ms. St. Aubin's stories. And always, when I'm done, I go into mourning as I wait for another. This has all the elements of a great novel: steady character development, a well-rounded plot with the right amount of action and adventure, and off-the-charts chemistry between the main characters. You'll also find yourself falling in love with the support characters and secretly hoping they get a story of their own, too. If you want to be highly entertained, look no further than this author's books.

[Judy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cynthia St. Aubin has done it again! She has provided us with a clear winner in this 4th book in the series (which could be your first, but you'll want to go back and read the others). Hanna and Abernathy are absolutely perfect as is this story. Perfectly written with well-developed characters both main and background, this unputdownable book will give you EVERYTHING you hope for in a well-written book. Snarkiness galore and laugh-out-loud moments will keep you swiping the pages of your Kindle until the very end. Action abounds, some tense moments, and amazing chemistry with a heat level that will have you fanning yourself, but totally not smutty! If this is your first read by this author, it most certainly won't be your last, her other stories are just as remarkable as this one. ONE-CLICK NOW! You'll be glad you did!

[Dana Linde · Rating 5 out of 5]

St Aubin does not disappoint. You would think since Hanna has mated with Abernathy and accepted her werewolf heritage, all would be well. That's not the case. Now she finds herself unable to shift ever since the night of the mating, a psycho vampire is on her tail, some of the clan leaders are rejecting her as the pure heir, and babysitting her new niece and nephew isn't all it's cracked up to be. St. Aubin continues to use incredible humor and inventive dialog to take the reader through Hanna's unique experiences. One cannot help but laugh as Hanna finds herself- in one situation- being attacked by a squirrel, badger, raccoon, and fox. They represent the shifters who see her as illegitimate. Other memorable moments include Abernathy, a 6'5" tough-as-nails Alpha almost tossing his cookies as he tries to change a diaper. Can't wait for the next book to come out in December.

[Anima · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hanna and Abernathy are mated and as the heir Hanna is going to be coronated in a special event. While preparing for the event Hanna is trying to gain her confidence but she’s being stalked. The stalker is not really a surprise if you’ve read the series. As a couple, the two are attempting to do normal activities like babysitting. You’ll remember her brother, Steve, now has twin toddlers that are wrecking havoc as little Nere-were kids. There are a few scenes when they babysit that had me roaring. Hanna has really changed in this fourth book as she takes on the responsibility as the heir, learning about the alphas and traditions. She’s really quite impressed me with her bravery. I’m hoping we get more from Hanna and Mark. I’ve read an early copy and my review was written voluntarily.