What do you think?
Rate this book
Jagged Rock
Dear Author,
Meet Will and Connor.
[Photo Description 1]
Will: So, a couple things. I’m a werewolf. I met my mate back in middle school, at the time I didn’t quite understand why I was so drawn to Connor, why I was so protective of him and couldn’t stand being apart. Now that we’re older I get it. I feel like a guardian angel sometimes, making sure he’s never hurt and always happy. The thing is, he has no idea that werewolves exist, let alone his best friend is one. Man, I’m not looking forward to that conversation or the fact that eventually (soon) I’m gonna have to bite him and claim him (that part I’ll admit I’m excited for :)).
[Photo Description 2]
Connor: Hi, I’m Connor, I’m known to be kinda shy. Let’s see, I’m in a band, I drum. I’m a freshman and share a dorm with my best friend Will. We’ve basically been inseparable since middle school. Will sings for our band and is amazing. He’s always been there for me, from the second I moved to our hometown all those years ago, he took me under his wing. The problem? I’m so totally in love with him. I’m so not looking forward to that conversation, but I feel like the time’s coming to tell him, before someone else grabs him up.
Photo Description:
Photo 1: A young man with tattoos and short hair looks away from the camera, dressed in black pants low enough to show underwear, and a black leather hooded jacket open to show his well-defined chest.
Photo 2: A tattooed and well-defined young man with diamond stud earrings looks at the camera, posed shirtless on a chair.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
Meet Will and Connor.
[Photo Description 1]
Will: So, a couple things. I’m a werewolf. I met my mate back in middle school, at the time I didn’t quite understand why I was so drawn to Connor, why I was so protective of him and couldn’t stand being apart. Now that we’re older I get it. I feel like a guardian angel sometimes, making sure he’s never hurt and always happy. The thing is, he has no idea that werewolves exist, let alone his best friend is one. Man, I’m not looking forward to that conversation or the fact that eventually (soon) I’m gonna have to bite him and claim him (that part I’ll admit I’m excited for :)).
[Photo Description 2]
Connor: Hi, I’m Connor, I’m known to be kinda shy. Let’s see, I’m in a band, I drum. I’m a freshman and share a dorm with my best friend Will. We’ve basically been inseparable since middle school. Will sings for our band and is amazing. He’s always been there for me, from the second I moved to our hometown all those years ago, he took me under his wing. The problem? I’m so totally in love with him. I’m so not looking forward to that conversation, but I feel like the time’s coming to tell him, before someone else grabs him up.
Photo Description:
Photo 1: A young man with tattoos and short hair looks away from the camera, dressed in black pants low enough to show underwear, and a black leather hooded jacket open to show his well-defined chest.
Photo 2: A tattooed and well-defined young man with diamond stud earrings looks at the camera, posed shirtless on a chair.
This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.
This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
251 pages, ebook
First published July 26, 2014
158 people want to read
About the author
Willow Scarlett
15 books65 followersWillow Scarlett is a queer romance writer from New Zealand.
Willow's greatest joy is in creating holistic romances, bringing characters through friendship and lust to consuming, eye-opening, world-fulfilling love. Willow's stories often feature punks, rebels and misfits.
When not writing or reading compulsively, Willow drums in a queer-friendly metal band, works at a call center, and skateboards.
Willow's greatest joy is in creating holistic romances, bringing characters through friendship and lust to consuming, eye-opening, world-fulfilling love. Willow's stories often feature punks, rebels and misfits.
When not writing or reading compulsively, Willow drums in a queer-friendly metal band, works at a call center, and skateboards.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
August 29, 2015
Just as I finished complaining at 55% that there is no sex to be found anywhere and turned the page, all kinds of lovemaking exploded right in my face and at such length and frequency that I had to skip at least half of the rest of the story. Yep, that makes it a quarter.
I've been going back and forth with the rating. I liked the story, the way it's written, the MCs, but more than a few things seemed inconsistent.
Will's parents freaked me out. Whatever their motives were, common sense and having a brain had nothing to do with it. And the rest of the pack... WTF, people? A star and a half off for that.
On a positive note - loved how great Will and Connor were together. Loved how the wolves (not werewolves, but the common, non-shifter kind) were described, and with such affection!
***********************
Go wolves! ;)
SORRY SORRY! I MEAN
*************************
The book was fun, will definitely read Willow again!
I've been going back and forth with the rating. I liked the story, the way it's written, the MCs, but more than a few things seemed inconsistent.
Will's parents freaked me out. Whatever their motives were, common sense and having a brain had nothing to do with it. And the rest of the pack... WTF, people? A star and a half off for that.
On a positive note - loved how great Will and Connor were together. Loved how the wolves (not werewolves, but the common, non-shifter kind) were described, and with such affection!
***********************
Go wolves! ;)
SORRY SORRY! I MEAN
*************************
The book was fun, will definitely read Willow again!
September 12, 2014
Offered for FREE from the M/M Romance Group's Love's Landscapes event. Thank you too all the amazing authors who participated!
3.5 stars I really like the bones of this story. Conner and Will were great characters, their fun and playful dynamic was a joy to read. And I liked the slow friends-to-lovers as they were both scared to admit their feelings. What I wasn't a fan of, was the time jump.
The story begins with the boys playing a gig while Freshman in college. Then does one large jump back to explain how their friendship began and show it developing from middle school to junior high and high school. I enjoyed that part, however, part of what I love in romance is that anticipation of when it's finally gonna happen. Will Conner slip up and let his feeling show? Will Will admit that Conner is his mate? But since I already knew they were still only friends Freshman year of college... no surprises there.
Also, while I liked the slow burn, it was reeeeeally slow. And I had a hard time figuring out how Conner could be that good at hiding his feelings from a werewolf. They covered some of it , but in every shifter book I've ever read they can smell arousal. He's a teenage boy, even I think about sex probably 50 times a day. A teenage boy?! Yeah, he would be so busted.
There was a side plot of pack politics which I both liked and disliked. It was shitty, and made me not like the pack. Which sucked , but I appreciated a different look at packs than I've seen before. The problem is that I didn't think the romance and the side plot flowed together. They felt separate. Not as an author choice because Will was keeping them separate, but just because they story didn't meld them seamlessly.
So I think this could benefit from a bit of editing/cleaning up, but I really liked it and it's awesome that the author wrote a full length for this free event!
July 31, 2014
A few quibbles but a pretty solid 4 stars I think.
This author took the prompt and ran...in an excellent triumphal marathon. Not a short story but a fully fleshed and realised book, the length of which for the free event is marvelous. I loved the idea of the wolves relationship to the werewolves; Will and Connor are so sweet together, very believable in their young love and insecurities and yearning. The background and world building were very good and the quibbles were quite minor . I also appreciated the distinction between mating attraction and love - so often with shifter books the mating is an all inclusive super-duper insta-love, so this take was quite refreshing. It was actually a pretty damn good book and I'm off to search out more by the author.
This author took the prompt and ran...in an excellent triumphal marathon. Not a short story but a fully fleshed and realised book, the length of which for the free event is marvelous. I loved the idea of the wolves relationship to the werewolves; Will and Connor are so sweet together, very believable in their young love and insecurities and yearning. The background and world building were very good and the quibbles were quite minor . I also appreciated the distinction between mating attraction and love - so often with shifter books the mating is an all inclusive super-duper insta-love, so this take was quite refreshing. It was actually a pretty damn good book and I'm off to search out more by the author.
July 30, 2014
A good YA story, but maybe too YA for me.
There was a lot of story. With maybe too much setting up? I liked the flashback, but it was really long. The whole storyline could have been tightened up as it dragged a bit and was a little confusing at other times.
I liked Will and Connor, though. Their friendship was sweet and fun to see. Will was an awesome character, if a little too perfect. I loved how protective he was about Connor, and how concerned he was that Connor was comfortable, happy. And Connor was a cutie, too, a good match for Will. They were adorable together, although it sometimes got a little too sugary sweet for me.
There were a few moments of eye rolling... My soul cries out for these trees and mountains, and too many of the characters introduced were like shadow figures, with no depth, but the drama with the pack is where it really went haywire for me. I didn't understand Will's parents at all and the change in the pack after Joseph didn't make any sense, even considering the affects of an alpha. It was too extreme and it made me angry.
Another thing that didn't make sense... There were a lot of inconsistencies like that, things not made clear. Several plot points brought up, then dropped or ignored. And some plot points made no sense at all...
The timeline was also confusing. We start with them as freshmen in college, then flash back to junior high/highschool for a long time, then jump back to college, without a clear explanation of when, so I assumed it was back in their freshmen year, where we started. Then we get some hints it might actually be a few years later (away from the pack for years). No idea how many, though. But then it sounds like it is still their freshman year (three months in Minneapolis), oh, wait maybe it is a couple years later (Will remembers a conversation with Will from eight years ago, but they didn't meet until they were twelve), no, there is confirmation they are still eighteen. I was lost. And crabby.
But here's the thing, I'd be irritated with the story and then Will would say something that made me laugh out loud or he'd do something that made me want to hug him, and I'd forget about the continuity issues.
So, I really liked the main characters and their band mates, but the story itself just didn't work for me.
Side notes:
What happened to Connor's parents? And Will's father?
I liked the dual POVs, and they were well marked, but the constant back and forth was a little disorienting.
I'm the first one to want people to be happy, but Will's insistence that Connor never be sad was a little silly. Life can be sad sometimes, it isn't something you need to avoid at all costs. (Says the one who avoids sad books and movies...but that's because RL is sad enough)
There was a lot of story. With maybe too much setting up? I liked the flashback, but it was really long. The whole storyline could have been tightened up as it dragged a bit and was a little confusing at other times.
I liked Will and Connor, though. Their friendship was sweet and fun to see. Will was an awesome character, if a little too perfect. I loved how protective he was about Connor, and how concerned he was that Connor was comfortable, happy. And Connor was a cutie, too, a good match for Will. They were adorable together, although it sometimes got a little too sugary sweet for me.
There were a few moments of eye rolling... My soul cries out for these trees and mountains, and too many of the characters introduced were like shadow figures, with no depth, but the drama with the pack is where it really went haywire for me. I didn't understand Will's parents at all and the change in the pack after Joseph didn't make any sense, even considering the affects of an alpha. It was too extreme and it made me angry.
Another thing that didn't make sense... There were a lot of inconsistencies like that, things not made clear. Several plot points brought up, then dropped or ignored. And some plot points made no sense at all...
The timeline was also confusing. We start with them as freshmen in college, then flash back to junior high/highschool for a long time, then jump back to college, without a clear explanation of when, so I assumed it was back in their freshmen year, where we started. Then we get some hints it might actually be a few years later (away from the pack for years). No idea how many, though. But then it sounds like it is still their freshman year (three months in Minneapolis), oh, wait maybe it is a couple years later (Will remembers a conversation with Will from eight years ago, but they didn't meet until they were twelve), no, there is confirmation they are still eighteen. I was lost. And crabby.
But here's the thing, I'd be irritated with the story and then Will would say something that made me laugh out loud or he'd do something that made me want to hug him, and I'd forget about the continuity issues.
So, I really liked the main characters and their band mates, but the story itself just didn't work for me.
Side notes:
What happened to Connor's parents? And Will's father?
I liked the dual POVs, and they were well marked, but the constant back and forth was a little disorienting.
I'm the first one to want people to be happy, but Will's insistence that Connor never be sad was a little silly. Life can be sad sometimes, it isn't something you need to avoid at all costs. (Says the one who avoids sad books and movies...but that's because RL is sad enough)
July 27, 2014
LOVED IT! So this is the story based on my prompt and it was amazing and followed my prompt perfectly! I could not have asked for more. Willow did an amazing job giving this story such depth, and I feel like I know these characters. Will's personality is larger than life, and totally fit with being an alpha, but I just loved his caring compassionate side too. Connor's character is perfect. I love how shy he is but he is not a pushover, he has such an inner strength (getting the tattoo). He tries to avoid conflict and has such a sweet personality. I loved how we got to see them grow up together and how close of a bond they had as best friends. I could go on, and on about all the scenes I loved in this story. Oh and a huge surprise I am so very happy with this story and I truly appreciate all the time that went into it (96,000 words!) So big THANK YOU to Willow and to the MM Romance group for having this event! I can't wait to read it again and savor it this time :)
P.S. I definitely want a Matt/Bren story and I would love to learn more about Dave
P.S. I definitely want a Matt/Bren story and I would love to learn more about Dave
July 29, 2014
3.5 stars
Jagged Rock is a very detailed shifter story, and at 251 pages, I'm in awe at the amount of work that the author did for this event.
Will and Connor meet when they are 12, but it isn't until 2 years later that Will begins to realize that Connor is his mate. He's all for bitting Connor, claiming him as his mate and living happily ever after, but it isn't until the pack omega, Bren talks to him and really explains what a mating bond is that Will decides to take it slow. He loves Connor, and so, decides to wait until they turn 18 to tell him about werewolves and mates.
For those who like their shifter stories with depth, detail, and politics, this story has it in abundance. Adding wolf (actual wolves) practices and it's a lot of information. There were some really interesting takes on traditional werewolf aspects that are unique: Loyalty as power, the mating bond and what it means to be an omega (specifically Bren). Even the aspect of Werewolves being protectors of the local wolf population was different and refreshing.
There were a few things that will bother some readers: there are several different writing styles within the story, and as such you may find it flow at different paces. There's also a lot of information, and sometimes it repeats. I also found that the behavior of young Connor and Will were far beyond their years.
And a few things regarding plot:
There were some personal niggles for me: the flip flopping of loyalty , especially from family and the band . But there were some really great moments in this book: it's written so that it can easily expand into multiple books as a series. It stays true to it's NA genre, was written well and had really good characters. Because of the amount of detail, the world building is very well done. I'd love to read about Bren and Matt in the future.
There were some very sweet moments between Will and Connor, and I loved how fiercely loyal they were to each other. I especially enjoyed witnessing their mating bond. So, this story has a little bit of something for every one, and for those who like shifter stories, I'd say give it a try, as it's a step in a different direction from the mainstream.
My thanks to the author for their time and participation in this event.
Jagged Rock is a very detailed shifter story, and at 251 pages, I'm in awe at the amount of work that the author did for this event.
Will and Connor meet when they are 12, but it isn't until 2 years later that Will begins to realize that Connor is his mate. He's all for bitting Connor, claiming him as his mate and living happily ever after, but it isn't until the pack omega, Bren talks to him and really explains what a mating bond is that Will decides to take it slow. He loves Connor, and so, decides to wait until they turn 18 to tell him about werewolves and mates.
For those who like their shifter stories with depth, detail, and politics, this story has it in abundance. Adding wolf (actual wolves) practices and it's a lot of information. There were some really interesting takes on traditional werewolf aspects that are unique: Loyalty as power, the mating bond and what it means to be an omega (specifically Bren). Even the aspect of Werewolves being protectors of the local wolf population was different and refreshing.
There were a few things that will bother some readers: there are several different writing styles within the story, and as such you may find it flow at different paces. There's also a lot of information, and sometimes it repeats. I also found that the behavior of young Connor and Will were far beyond their years.
And a few things regarding plot:
There were some personal niggles for me: the flip flopping of loyalty , especially from family and the band . But there were some really great moments in this book: it's written so that it can easily expand into multiple books as a series. It stays true to it's NA genre, was written well and had really good characters. Because of the amount of detail, the world building is very well done. I'd love to read about Bren and Matt in the future.
There were some very sweet moments between Will and Connor, and I loved how fiercely loyal they were to each other. I especially enjoyed witnessing their mating bond. So, this story has a little bit of something for every one, and for those who like shifter stories, I'd say give it a try, as it's a step in a different direction from the mainstream.
My thanks to the author for their time and participation in this event.
May 18, 2015
The relationship between Will and Connor was rather sweet, but the werewolf lore on the whole just didn't make any sense. Everything was generally very contradictory and people kept changing personalities more often than clothing. Will's mother's motivations made also zero sense and were unreasonable and very much contradicted what we had learned of his parents before. She had dedicated her whole life before to taking care of wolves but is suddenly fine with killing them? She has been the leader of the pack for decades but doesn't mind them being in massive pain just to teach her son a lesson, and when that fails she abandons him too? An alpha leader's mate has equal position in pack to the alpha but has absolutely no say in any decisions? Pack members cannot go against their leader's commands even though they can change their loyalty at will? Alphas can't decide to disregard the barely-even-a-beta leader's commands any more than omegas can but they're still somehow more powerful? What is the point of alphas in that case? What is the point of the whole pack if they're all just mindless drones to act as a deranged leader's army? Why leave injured animals in the care of the very people who were on a murderous rampage to get rid of all said animals? How does a band with no name get any following or even gigs? Ugh, I have so many more questions left but I think I've gone on for far too long already. I've got other things to do today.
All in all, a very disappointing read except for the growing relationship between the main pair. Although I did keep wondering how on earth Will never cottoned on to the huge boner his bff had on him, even with all of his superior senses and ability to read Connor's feelings.
All in all, a very disappointing read except for the growing relationship between the main pair. Although I did keep wondering how on earth Will never cottoned on to the huge boner his bff had on him, even with all of his superior senses and ability to read Connor's feelings.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2014
Contemporary paranormal, novel length
Connor hasn't had the best of childhoods so when he and his parents move to Jagged Rock and he becomes friends with Will life starts looking up. Will and his family have lived there for years, and his mother is the alpha of the local werewolf pack. Will discovers that Connor is his mate, but after talking to the pack's omega about what this really means for Connor he goes against expectations and refuses to change him. As the pair leave school and go away to college the pack changes leadership and ethics. It's up to Will to work things out with Connor and fight to take his position as alpha.
I enjoyed this story, the characters are well written (I really liked the other band members) and the story is well done, just a few niggles that stopped it from getting a higher rating.
Connor hasn't had the best of childhoods so when he and his parents move to Jagged Rock and he becomes friends with Will life starts looking up. Will and his family have lived there for years, and his mother is the alpha of the local werewolf pack. Will discovers that Connor is his mate, but after talking to the pack's omega about what this really means for Connor he goes against expectations and refuses to change him. As the pair leave school and go away to college the pack changes leadership and ethics. It's up to Will to work things out with Connor and fight to take his position as alpha.
I enjoyed this story, the characters are well written (I really liked the other band members) and the story is well done, just a few niggles that stopped it from getting a higher rating.
July 27, 2014
Ended up skimming huge sections, the flow just seemed to be off. And it was almost a DNF, the mother stood by and let an entire pack be butchered? By the bully SHE put in place? I was looking forward to seeing her tossed out of the pack and THEN she throws her loyalty behind the son she betrayed, yeah stopped reading there. Went back and finished but it wasn't enough for me. Did she get banished? I wanted to SEE that.
Nice concept, really liked Connor but overall this was not for me.
Nice concept, really liked Connor but overall this was not for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2014
This was a lot more than I was expecting-in a good way. I definitely liked the music angle that was added. And while it did follow traditional find mate-that's the one-the only one it did it in a way that wasn't at all forced. As a reader it felt as though bonding was a natural step because they had bonded already before the "bonding". Did that even make sense? Anyway, thank you for this! Solid story with some definite heat :)
September 27, 2014
This is one of the stories I was waiting for and it didn't disappoint me. I followed Willow's tumblr page and enjoyed her updates. I was really looking forward to the wolve's photography.
Jagged Rock was a sweet YA story with a lot of detail and a nice plot. All the main characters were great, and the reader gets to hate the bad ones. The book has great opening for more books to be added.
Jagged Rock was a sweet YA story with a lot of detail and a nice plot. All the main characters were great, and the reader gets to hate the bad ones. The book has great opening for more books to be added.
August 5, 2014
If you like shifter stories and like to get caught up in pack politics,etc then you will most likely enjoy this book. Well written, both MCs are cute and the back story was interesting. I would say this was entertaining.
January 4, 2016
Awesome werewolves' story. Not the typical mate meets mate and bam HEA. I really enjoyed it. Slow burn, friends to lovers, pack politics, strange families, Alpha, Omega, great MCs, great secondary characters...
It has some flaws but only minor for me and not in the way of my joy.
It has some flaws but only minor for me and not in the way of my joy.
event-stories-unread
May 27, 2015[NOTE: I rate most writing event stories (free reads) 4 or 5 stars because of my appreciation of the author's participation and gift.]
July 27, 2014
Loved it!! Great prompt Carey. Great writing Ms. Scarlett!!
honestly-ill-never-get-around-to-it
July 27, 201496,000 words!
gonna have to save this one for next weekend.
gonna have to save this one for next weekend.
August 4, 2014
Warm fuzzies, this gave me warm fuzzies. *nods* I needed those today. I'm just gonna go cuddle this story in a corner, don't mind me. :)
August 22, 2014
Amazing story. Very long and satisfying. Fantastic.
September 7, 2014
Lots of back story in this story.
I enjoyed this a lot though. It's a really long build up to their relationship but I found their friendship really sweet to read.
I enjoyed this a lot though. It's a really long build up to their relationship but I found their friendship really sweet to read.
November 24, 2017
This was an odd shifter story with a lot of inconsistencies. They said that only alphas have mates and implied that the pack was small (around 7 members) but there were aunts, uncles and cousins including Joseph, his brothers and other cousins? The age timelines seemed strange. Will and Connor came across as much older than the 14 or 15 they were supposed to be at the time. Pack leader at 15? Really? What about education? What would Will do? Don’t pack leaders have jobs too? Mother “stepping down” as pack leader; i.e., retiring. Hmmm, how human of her! After all the explanations of pack hierarchy but being born an alpha, it made no sense that Will’s mom just suddenly chose Joseph. And considering how Will had stated how his parents loved him and respected the choices he made, it really didn’t fit with how they actually treated him. What happened to Connor’s parents after he went to college? Also, Will’s werewolf abilities allegedly included him being empathic. He can read emotions but couldn’t tell Connor was in love with him?
There was a sweet love story in there but this was way too long. Too many scenes dragged on and on and on. Ok, we get that they love each other, but scene after long scene...enough already.
There was a sweet love story in there but this was way too long. Too many scenes dragged on and on and on. Ok, we get that they love each other, but scene after long scene...enough already.
May 25, 2018
“Then it’s a deal. Wherever you go, I go too.”
Connor and Will were perfect together. Just perfect. Their love was so true and sweet 😍 And they were so right together from the start that there was no angst. They always put each other first, no matter what they had to sacrifice to do so.
The main characters themselves were wonderful too. Connor was sweet, kind and shy. Will was cocky, funny and caring. And you weren’t just told that they were that way. You felt it all through the book. Scarlett is a very talented story teller that paints a picture with words that makes you feel like you are in the picture yourself.
“How could I want anyone else when I know you?” And then he winked, he actually winked. All cocky and grinning while he said something that rocked my world—typical Will.
Will, with all his self-confidence and swaggering walk and sweetness, is definitely my favourite book character so far this year - maybe ever 😎
Connor and Will were perfect together. Just perfect. Their love was so true and sweet 😍 And they were so right together from the start that there was no angst. They always put each other first, no matter what they had to sacrifice to do so.
The main characters themselves were wonderful too. Connor was sweet, kind and shy. Will was cocky, funny and caring. And you weren’t just told that they were that way. You felt it all through the book. Scarlett is a very talented story teller that paints a picture with words that makes you feel like you are in the picture yourself.
“How could I want anyone else when I know you?” And then he winked, he actually winked. All cocky and grinning while he said something that rocked my world—typical Will.
Will, with all his self-confidence and swaggering walk and sweetness, is definitely my favourite book character so far this year - maybe ever 😎
June 20, 2017
This is the first book I've read by Ms. Scarlett. I'll definitely be reading more!
A paranormal, werewolf, shifter romance with a band! Lots of rough and tumble antics while growing up together. When Will is challenged by his cousin for leadership of their pack, Will has difficult decisions to make...one of which is whether or not he will 'turn' Connor in order to gather strength from him. Luckily he gains strength from another source. A HEA with lots of lovin' in a beautiful setting...perfect if you love these components!
A paranormal, werewolf, shifter romance with a band! Lots of rough and tumble antics while growing up together. When Will is challenged by his cousin for leadership of their pack, Will has difficult decisions to make...one of which is whether or not he will 'turn' Connor in order to gather strength from him. Luckily he gains strength from another source. A HEA with lots of lovin' in a beautiful setting...perfect if you love these components!
November 18, 2019
Connor is a human who is in love with his best friend Will. Will is an alpha werewolf who is in love with his best friend Connor, who also happens to be his fated mate. Neither dares to makes a move on the other in fear of messing up their friendship, until Will's mother forces Will to choose between his human friends and the werewolf pack he should be leading.
If you like YA novels, werewolves, fated mates, the friends to lovers trope and tentative exploration of love and sexuality, this is a book for you. Generally I feel pretty neutral about the friends to lovers trope, but this has to be the best book I've read so far with this particular romance trope. I'm the kind of reader who loves to collect books I've enjoyed and this one I'd really like to add to my collection.
There are some minor flaws; some redundant writing and a few question marks that are left hanging, such as what Connor's relationship with his parents is after he goes to college and what exactly Will does with his pack, and especially his mother, at the end of the story. Both of the main characters are interesting and agreeable characters that are easy to root for and I loved the wolves as well as Will acting like a big old dog at times. Adorable!
All in all I'd rate this book 4.5 stars because I really enjoyed it, but since goodreads doesn't allow halves there ends up being only 4 full stars.
EDIT: I keep thinking about it when I'm reading other books and truly, I think this novel has one of the best sex scenes I've ever read. It's super sweet and beautiful, exactly the kind I like the best.
If you like YA novels, werewolves, fated mates, the friends to lovers trope and tentative exploration of love and sexuality, this is a book for you. Generally I feel pretty neutral about the friends to lovers trope, but this has to be the best book I've read so far with this particular romance trope. I'm the kind of reader who loves to collect books I've enjoyed and this one I'd really like to add to my collection.
There are some minor flaws; some redundant writing and a few question marks that are left hanging, such as what Connor's relationship with his parents is after he goes to college and what exactly Will does with his pack, and especially his mother, at the end of the story. Both of the main characters are interesting and agreeable characters that are easy to root for and I loved the wolves as well as Will acting like a big old dog at times. Adorable!
All in all I'd rate this book 4.5 stars because I really enjoyed it, but since goodreads doesn't allow halves there ends up being only 4 full stars.
EDIT: I keep thinking about it when I'm reading other books and truly, I think this novel has one of the best sex scenes I've ever read. It's super sweet and beautiful, exactly the kind I like the best.
September 12, 2021
4.5 stars
This was a lovely friends to lovers, fated mate werewolf story with some angst and conflict but a great HEA. I loved Will and Conor and I loved their story!!
This was a lovely friends to lovers, fated mate werewolf story with some angst and conflict but a great HEA. I loved Will and Conor and I loved their story!!
August 16, 2016
Two Dull yet pleasant stars
I enjoyed it but it was boring. Scarlett really stretched the story which kind of put a damper on my patience. Since I love lengthy books, this one sure ticks that interest. But the story itself could have used more excitement and lively characters. Will was a very positive, confident, cool as a cucumber and an alpha through and through with no ounce of doubt on his abilities. But when it comes to fighting it is rather opposite. Maybe i have read so many shifter books and in my mind the concept of alpha is clear, true physical strength. Will failed in portraying that in both the fighting scenes. i expected more. But the concept of boosting strength by loyalty points seemed a new idea.
The romance between Connor and Will was sweet, sometimes sickly sweet and many times boring, over exaggerated and at the point of pulling out my own hair. Scarlett gave a good beginning and an expanded middle as well as the last part of the story. There is only one detailed sex scene in the whole book which only comes in the end. I found it again boring and sweet rather than hot. It was lacking passion. The band part and it's coming together only for Will's alpha abilities, I wasn't quite sold out on that logic. It was more like turning your friends into wolves to get extra loyalty points and very immature without any surprised or shock reaction when they all came to know about it. But since they are all teenagers and careless this can be reasoning in itself. But still I couldn't really connect to band characters, their role was there but hardly had any impact. Again a case of not framing interesting characters.
While Will and Connor romance was too perfect it lacked imperfection which was necessary. Their inner conflicts were the only conflict in the story which was irritating. I had to endure their second guessing and conflicting emotions till the end of the book and after that repetitive asking of biting and Will making sure that connor wanted it turned from genuine concern to portraying less confidence in connor real quick. There was huge potential in the story and with that beginning I had high hopes but because of elongating the romance, inner conflicts, the plot ... it lost its charm somewhere. The plot in itself was hollow in the middle. The only action I got to see was either in the beginning or at the end. So, only two stars for coming up with a concept that interests me.
I enjoyed it but it was boring. Scarlett really stretched the story which kind of put a damper on my patience. Since I love lengthy books, this one sure ticks that interest. But the story itself could have used more excitement and lively characters. Will was a very positive, confident, cool as a cucumber and an alpha through and through with no ounce of doubt on his abilities. But when it comes to fighting it is rather opposite. Maybe i have read so many shifter books and in my mind the concept of alpha is clear, true physical strength. Will failed in portraying that in both the fighting scenes. i expected more. But the concept of boosting strength by loyalty points seemed a new idea.
The romance between Connor and Will was sweet, sometimes sickly sweet and many times boring, over exaggerated and at the point of pulling out my own hair. Scarlett gave a good beginning and an expanded middle as well as the last part of the story. There is only one detailed sex scene in the whole book which only comes in the end. I found it again boring and sweet rather than hot. It was lacking passion. The band part and it's coming together only for Will's alpha abilities, I wasn't quite sold out on that logic. It was more like turning your friends into wolves to get extra loyalty points and very immature without any surprised or shock reaction when they all came to know about it. But since they are all teenagers and careless this can be reasoning in itself. But still I couldn't really connect to band characters, their role was there but hardly had any impact. Again a case of not framing interesting characters.
While Will and Connor romance was too perfect it lacked imperfection which was necessary. Their inner conflicts were the only conflict in the story which was irritating. I had to endure their second guessing and conflicting emotions till the end of the book and after that repetitive asking of biting and Will making sure that connor wanted it turned from genuine concern to portraying less confidence in connor real quick. There was huge potential in the story and with that beginning I had high hopes but because of elongating the romance, inner conflicts, the plot ... it lost its charm somewhere. The plot in itself was hollow in the middle. The only action I got to see was either in the beginning or at the end. So, only two stars for coming up with a concept that interests me.
August 9, 2021
Not a bad read but it felt overly long and bogged down in a few areas. However, both Will and Connor were great heroes and they were so cute together. I never wanted to stop reading because I really wanted to see these two figure things out and find their happiness. Their angst and drama is fairly low, just some worry over being in love with their best friend.
These two were too adorable and that’s the best way to describe them because they are also sooooo young and innocent. But I enjoyed how sweet they are with each other, how much they’re in love, and how much they are willing to sacrifice for the other. Light and fluffy, but I needed that right now. However, I just don’t get how these two didn’t figure things out about their relationship until they were 18. There were so many things that went beyond normal friendship (especially between guys if we’re following expected gender standards). Once Will and Connor figure things out they have great chemistry and these two were on fire.
The world of the werewolves and the dynamics of the pack were interesting. They definitely follow more traditional behaviors of wolves and this causes some problems with the health of the Will’s pack. I really liked Will’s brother, Dave, and would love to know more about him. Maybe it’s the tattoo artist thing (a favorite theme of mine) but he seemed like a really cool guy.
The transitions between time periods in the beginning was a little awkward. The book starts out with the present day when the guys are 18 and then flashes back to a long series of scenes where they meet and develop their friendship over the years. It then returns to the present day. I felt like some of the stuff included in the flashbacks wasn’t really needed because I wanted to get back to the present events.
These two were too adorable and that’s the best way to describe them because they are also sooooo young and innocent. But I enjoyed how sweet they are with each other, how much they’re in love, and how much they are willing to sacrifice for the other. Light and fluffy, but I needed that right now. However, I just don’t get how these two didn’t figure things out about their relationship until they were 18. There were so many things that went beyond normal friendship (especially between guys if we’re following expected gender standards). Once Will and Connor figure things out they have great chemistry and these two were on fire.
The world of the werewolves and the dynamics of the pack were interesting. They definitely follow more traditional behaviors of wolves and this causes some problems with the health of the Will’s pack. I really liked Will’s brother, Dave, and would love to know more about him. Maybe it’s the tattoo artist thing (a favorite theme of mine) but he seemed like a really cool guy.
The transitions between time periods in the beginning was a little awkward. The book starts out with the present day when the guys are 18 and then flashes back to a long series of scenes where they meet and develop their friendship over the years. It then returns to the present day. I felt like some of the stuff included in the flashbacks wasn’t really needed because I wanted to get back to the present events.
July 7, 2023
I’m a bit torn on this one, but I’d rate it somewhere around 2.5 to 3 stars maybe. I think it was a good idea and in general a fun book, and I definitely think the informal nature of it should be taken into account. I think it struggled a bit with telling rather than showing. It’s tagged as YA which makes sense with the writing (simplified villain and obstacles, etc), but I felt like the violence and sex got too explicit for that tag. I was really not a fan of “werewolves can’t be gay” being used. It added nothing to the story and was abandoned after that. I was also going to list the flakiness of most of Will’s pack as a negative, but I’ve seen way more people abandon their principles for much less, so I can’t fault it. The mating and pack bond were very mind-controlly and almost rapey with how they were described. I couldn’t quite believe that any of it was a good thing…
I did really like some of the unique takes on werewolves including Will’s love of natural wolves. That’s surprisingly not something I’ve seen before. I liked the background of Will and Connor’s relationship and the fact that they built their own friend group. I really liked the name of the book. It relevant and yet not a wolf pun.
All in all it was entertaining but I might be the wrong target audience for this. If you like the genre then definitely give this book a try.
I did really like some of the unique takes on werewolves including Will’s love of natural wolves. That’s surprisingly not something I’ve seen before. I liked the background of Will and Connor’s relationship and the fact that they built their own friend group. I really liked the name of the book. It relevant and yet not a wolf pun.
All in all it was entertaining but I might be the wrong target audience for this. If you like the genre then definitely give this book a try.
September 29, 2014
I was hopeful in the beginning, but by the halfway point, I realized that everything could have been conveyed in fewer words. And towards the end, I felt like random threads were pulled together with no logical or cohesion. Never mind the complete at the end.
Basically, nothing seemed realistic, even given the alternate universe of their world, though everything was described in great detail.
Basically, nothing seemed realistic, even given the alternate universe of their world, though everything was described in great detail.
December 22, 2014
Some Favorite Quotes:
"What if I was with you?"
I'd rather have him telling me that he was a werewolf and his whole extended family were werewolves than go a single day without him.
Love's weird.
"I'm here forever."
The panic rose up in me almost like bravery.
He was so intensely happy that looking at him was like basking in sunlight. "How could I want anyone else when I know you?"
and bask in the flower garden colors of joy radiating out of him.
floppy like a cat on a windowsill on a warm day.
"What if I was with you?"
I'd rather have him telling me that he was a werewolf and his whole extended family were werewolves than go a single day without him.
Love's weird.
"I'm here forever."
The panic rose up in me almost like bravery.
He was so intensely happy that looking at him was like basking in sunlight. "How could I want anyone else when I know you?"
and bask in the flower garden colors of joy radiating out of him.
floppy like a cat on a windowsill on a warm day.
March 15, 2020
Will was an alpha in all aspects of his life, not just with his pack. Matt eventually figured out his role as an omega, and that he was important to the band.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, the role Will played with the worlds of wolf, human, and werewolf.
My quibbles were with length and geography. I felt that there was half-again as much book as neded to tell the story. As a resident of Minnesota, I haven't encountered elevation that I would consider a mountian. Though there is a lot of up and down on the North Shore.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, the role Will played with the worlds of wolf, human, and werewolf.
My quibbles were with length and geography. I felt that there was half-again as much book as neded to tell the story. As a resident of Minnesota, I haven't encountered elevation that I would consider a mountian. Though there is a lot of up and down on the North Shore.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews