Once Upon a Wolf Duet - Book OneWhen a woman falls into a beastly world that sinks its claws into her, she must adapt to belong and quickly choose between two fated mates.
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Zoey Porter's life is not a fairytale. She isn't your typical love interest or the object of desire—someone else is the main attraction. Her best friend has a 'hottest than the sun' boyfriend, who she claims likes howling at the moon occasionally and happens to be a bloodthirsty creature.
Zoey doesn't believe in bedtime stories, only hard-core facts! She certainly doesn't believe in such things as werewolves. After her best friend receives an invitation to visit her long-distance boyfriend, Zoey reluctantly tags along. To her dismay, she finds herself surrounded by a strange, impolite, hot-looking group of humans.
But something peculiar happens around the unfamiliar forest, especially at night when the moon is at its peak. Growls echo in the darkness. Grizzled brutes move in the shadows. The people act more primal than usual... more beastly.
Zoey slowly starts to believe in bedtime stories, but when she comes face to face not only with the big bad wolf himself, but another mysterious werewolf who watches her amidst the forest, her world takes a savage turn.
How will she navigate this unknown, savage world she has no escape from when it wasn't her chosen world to begin with?
She's only the tagalong.
A paranormal romance filled with werewolves, forbidden romance, slow-burn chemistry, and close proximity.
Liezl Joy is addicted to writing anything romance with a dash of spice! (Sometimes contemporary, a lot of fantasy, a little paranormal… and a touch of dark.)
When she’s not raising her four-year-old daughter and writing, she’s daydreaming about plot twists and happily-ever-afters that don’t come easy.
This was a fast read, but I can’t wait for part 2. Zoey is a science major finishing up college when her best friend Alice asks her to go with her as she meets her boyfriend Brett’s family. Zoey isn’t thrilled about it, but what are besties for? So she goes to the middle of nowhere to meet Brett and his whole family. Zoey thinks they’re a cult. She’s about to learn it’s so much more. She doesn’t believe in fairytales but she finds herself surrounded by werewolves. I won’t say more bc I don’t want to give spoilers.
The world building was interesting, this pack hates humans and they’re not happy Alice brought a friend unannounced. It took a bit to pick up but once it does, you’ll find yourself turning pages quickly wanting to figure out what’s happening. It ends on a cliffhanger but hopefully book 2 will be out soon. Alice, Poppy, and the twins are good characters that I enjoyed and Brett’s mom. Brett and Savina are good bad guys. Maddox and Serafina are puzzles.
This book had decent bones and ideas. The overall plot was interesting with the werewolf society built well into the story. It took awhile for the plot to get going but when it did I felt like it had a decent pace. The beginning put much focus on the friend instead of the main character and I think that was part of what made it so slow to start.
The main characters in this immediately rubbed me the wrong way with how they talked and their inner dialogue. It felt sort of immature for two women who were supposed to be in their early twenties. The side characters and MMC were alright. A but abrasive in personality but with how they felt about humans it made sense.
What really made me rate this book lower was I personally did not enjoy the writing style. I felt there were a lot of choices made in the story telling that put me off of it. I almost DNFed it at the very beginning when butt sniffing was mentioned because that was just a lot for me. And mind you I read a decent amount of shifter romances. Overall I think partly this one just wasn’t for me and partly the plot/characters were just a bit too undeveloped for what I like to read.
The ending of this book felt like it stopped in a really weird place and was very abrupt. While curious about how everything will work out I don’t think it’s enough for me to read the second book.
*thank you to the author Liezl Joy for the honor of providing me an e-ARC*
It is an excellent and amusing werewolf story that has some fresh twists and turns. It's exciting refreshing, and I could not put it down.
Zoey accompanies her best friend Alice on a trip to meet her boyfriend (Brett) and his family. Instead of one house, the girls find a whole commune where they are never quite welcome. Zoey starts to ask questions and ends up uncovering some supernatural answers. Mix in mate bonds, love triangles, witches, and the full-moon, and that only the beginning of Zoeys furry little problem.
The issue with many wolf books is that the settings and character development can often feel one dimensional - thankfully, this story does not suffer from this infliction. I love Zoey. She is smart, unsure about herself, but still tries her hardest. Maddox is more than just a broody male. We are treated to a well-developed background that explains why he is the brooding type. Hector is well all kinds of mysterious. Even the bbfs are fun and not completely intolerable. So what's the negative? That freakin tease of and ending wtaf! I need book 2. And I needed it yesterday. Solid 3.75 will definitely recommend this book!
Wolf Kissed by Liezl Joy Available on Kindle Unlimited ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ✨ 4.5/5
Zoey Porter doesn’t believe in bedtime stories—especially not the kind involving monsters lurking in the dark. But when she tags along with her best friend to visit her long-distance boyfriend (who supposedly likes to howl at the moon), Zoey finds herself in the middle of something far more unsettling than a bad vacation.
From the moment they arrive, things feel… off. The people are a little too intense, the forest a little too alive, and the night a little too full of growls and shifting shadows. The deeper Zoey is pulled into this strange, primal world, the harder it is to deny the impossible. Especially when she finds herself caught between a mysterious, brooding werewolf and the big bad wolf himself.
Liezl Joy delivers a fast-paced, atmospheric paranormal romance with just the right balance of tension, mystery, and simmering attraction. Wolf Kissed is an addictive read that pulls you in with its eerie setting, sharp-witted heroine, and the undeniable thrill of the unknown. If you love werewolves, fierce heroines, and stories that keep you on edge, this is one to sink your teeth into.
I haven’t read a paranormal romance in a while, and this was a fun and easy read that had just the right amount of plot twists in it to keep it interesting.
The book starts off a bit slow to set up the characters and world. It becomes important later to better understand the characters and the struggles each one is going through.
From being a science girly to getting used to living with paranormal creatures, Zoey had to cope with big changes and made the best of the situations that were thrown her way.
At first, she was a fragile and insecure character, she avoided danger at all costs and she kind of reminded me of a scaredy cat. But when an accident completely turned her life upside down, she had no option but to become stronger, and it was refreshing to see her being able to roll with the punches and accept her new fate.
And that ending? It left so many doors open that I’m already looking forward to reading the second book!
Thank you, Liezl Joy, for allowing me the opportunity to be an ARC reader of her book!
This book should have hit all the right spots for me but I was barely into the first chapter before I was cringing. The main character falls into the I'm not like other girls trope almost immediately and there seems to be some confusion about when DVDs were popular. Despite introducing her best friend there's nothing on the page to suggest she actually likes this girl other than talking about her having a bikini models body. The characters are bland and one dimensional and there's no real spark between the mmc's and the lead.
It's a werewolf romance but why is a character sniffing anyone's butt? I almost stopped right then and that was chapter one.
I unfortunately wouldn't recommend this one.
I was given an arc copy so that I may provide an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
**SPOILER ALERT** **ARC Review** Self-published novel by Liezl Joy was just that, a joy to read. An easy-to-read paranormal romance set in a werewolf community in the PNW follows Zoey on her journey into self-comfortability and lots of flirting. Character development starts out slow then once Zoey’s life is flipped on its head, she becomes stronger and more secure; confident in herself and accepting of her new fate. The spice was a little low, but the slow burn was nice. The angry tension between the characters was drawn out in a tantalizing fashion that kept the pages turning. The world building fed into my need to keep reading but some of the dialogue threw me off at times. But the CLIFFHANGER had me…get me book two.
The book starts out at a slower pace but don’t let that hold you back for continuing forward. There are important parts during those pages. Following friends Alice and Zoey, we are thrown into a journey that’s both mysterious and life changing. Alice who is so enamored by Brett convinces Zoey to join her on a trip to Brett’s family’s lodge but this trip is nothing they would have expected. Thrown into a world so unlike their own they are faced with challenges as they navigate this new journey. If you enjoy slow burn, grumpy alpha male, strong-willed female, and wolves… don’t skip over this one! The take one werewolf lore is incredible and I enjoyed how it all unfolded.
You just wanted to be a good friend. You came along on a trip to Oregon, to of the woods, what felt like the middle of nowhere. Just to be a supportive best friend, whose friend was visiting her boyfriend for two weeks.
Well Zoey got more than what she bargained for. Some people are nice, some are downright rude. Others are asking the strangest questions. Nothing feels right and it’s setting off all kind of alarms in Zoey’s mind.
Zoey wants to go home but her friend Alice wants to stay. Everything changes when Zoey has an unfortunate encounter.
Wolf Kissed is filled with banter, tension, a build of spice that you think this is it, it’s finally going to happen then nope. I can’t wait for the duet because it ended in a triangle and I need to know what happens.
I loved the twists and turns of this story. It doesn't have much spice, but with this ending, I have a feeling Liezl will have some excitement coming soon enough.
ZOEY never thought something so insane could happen to her. She was warned and didn't listen. Don't go to the mountains, people don't come back. But, how do you keep your best friend safe when she hellbent on spending time with her annoyingly rude boyfriend? Stay with her and endure it. Adapting to a new life that was forced upon her wasn't on her bingo card.
A captivating blend of slow-burn world-building and a refreshing take on werewolf lore. The first half of the book is a bit slower, taking its time to establish key plot points and set the stage. However, the pacing picks up in the second half, where the tension builds steadily and the story grabs hold of your attention and doesn’t let go. I was hooked until the very last page. I’m already looking forward to the release of book two.
If you like paranormal romance with some twists then this is for you. Zoey accompanies her best friend Alice on a trip to meet her boyfriend Brett and his family. Thrown into a world so unlike their own they are faced with challenges as they navigate this new journey. They uncovers a whole lot from mate bonds, love triangles, witches, and the full-moon, and that only the beginning. 4/5 recommend it
Amazingly written. Great story building throughout. Definitely a page turner till the end. Not a typical shifter book, and definitely something different. I cannot wait to find out what Zoe will decided for her fate. Team Maddox, team hunter, or the mystery person… I wonder who it could be. I cannot wait for the next book to find out. Amazing first book!
Following Zoey and her friendship with Alice, filled with excitement, apprehension, mystery and dare i say love?.. What a fresh and inviting take on a werewolf series!
This book sort of shocked me! I haven’t read a wolf shifter book in a few years, and I wasn’t super sure how I would feel. It started a little slow to build it up, but it definitely had me hooked about halfway through, even in my reading slump! Very excited to see where book 2 brings us!!
This is the perfect book to get you out of a book slump and back into reading. The tension in the book practically leaps out at you, forcing you to imagine exactly what's happening in the best way possible. I was excited to come home from work every day and read more of this book for sure!
Zoey is for sure not your typical FMC, and I’m here for that! She’s the tag along, but quickly becomes the center of attention. The world that Leizle Joy has created here was fun, mysterious, and altogether a joy to read!
I throughly enjoyed this book; I couldn’t put it down. It was slow going at first but when i say the plot thickens and i stayed up late until i finished the book. The twists and turns had me glued to my kindle. If you like slow burn, fated mates, love triangles with hot brooding alphas then this book is for you. Im so glad i received and ARC and i cant wait for part 2! 10/10 would recommend!
Once I found my hook I could not put this book down! I was so caught up in the story I didn’t even realize I finished the book! So thankful I was approved to read this as an ARC and I cannot wait for book 2!
Honestly been a minute since I read about werewolf’s I loved it though. The twists had me going and the ending is leaving so much to speculate on. I can’t wait for the next one and this one isn’t even out yet🥲 (received this as an arc) overall this story is really good and I kind of hate Alice for being so self centered but Zoey is also a little dumb at times lol. It makes it more interesting to me though. Easy read and for sure kept me up at night.