Love means sacrifice. And that’s what I’ve done: given everything to keep those I care about safe. Now, I’m back where it all began, trapped with the architect of my nightmares. And this time, I know he won’t stop until he breaks me. But my wolves won’t stop either. They’ll do anything to bring me home and end the one who has me in his sights. Only there are more monsters and enemies than we ever could’ve imagined, and when new secrets are revealed, it will take everything we have to defeat them…
Book Three in the Wolves of Crescent Creek Series. If you haven't met the wolves yet, their story begins in Crescent Kingdom.
I feel like every time I read Tessa Hale I can copy and paste my same review on the third book. spoilers ahead.
Okay, I will start with I really like the way that this author starts her series. There is plot, tension and some connection and it had me frothing at the mouth for more to come. The second book always has enough action and at least one hold out mate to keep me going, then we get to book three. Book three for me always feels like it's on fast forward just to race to a finish line and we lose all the tension the insane plot pieces and all the connection between characters and sadly this third book was not an exception.
Wren spends 247ish pages (on Kindle) being in love, training and hanging out at her house after she is rescued from her father's compound. Then there is a big battle sort of at the end that she wins in two seconds, and then the book ends with a "happily ever after yada yada". All I was aching for was some more depth this time. Maybe keep her at her dad's longer? Maybe we don't spend the whole book at the same location and having training montages? or idk not only have one sort of sex scene when she goes into an intense heat? how was that a missed opportunity?
Then as with the other third books our bad guy doesn't get his due justice. The man was essentially Satan. ruined countless lives, including wrens and he just has a heart attack? Maybe I read darker stuff normally but come on. How is that equal balance for all the horrid things he has done? it's not. And the mages! are you kidding? These big bad guys go down in twenty minutes? with no problems? It's just so anticlimactic.
Speaking of anticlimactic let's talk Ender. this argument could be copy and pasted from her dragon series but he sucked for two whole books and wasn't great at the beginning of this one, and no apology really, no groveling. He just kinda says 5 nice sentences and she bangs him and we move on. What is the point of all the tension and back and forth in these books to just not doing anything with it.
Now you may be asking yourself, if you have such strong opinions why do you keep reading her books? Well that's simple! She can start a series like a champ, just they end the same way, and I'm frustrated with the potential slowly burning out. I am sure I will be writing this again on another of her books, and I won't learn a lesson but overall not a horrible book she is still an intriguing and engaging author who has great ideas rolling around in her head. I am just BEGGING for the next series to have some closure that feels like it matches the build up.
This isn’t goodbye this is simply see you laterrrrrr🥹😭 no literally because these books are definitely going to be comfort reads for me. They’re super easy to fall into, laid-back, and bingeable in the best “TV show marathon” kind of way.
In this final book, Wren finally dives into her relationships with all five men and we’ve all been waiting for this moment. Especially to have Ender on his KNEES hehe I knew I’d love his grovel.
I listened on audio, and because it wasn’t full duet narration( this is an All-Star cast, though ) I did find myself questioning who was who sometimes since most of the chapters were from the FMC’s POV. So, for my reread, I’m going to pick up the physical copy so I can highlight, annotate, and really soak it all in.
One of my favorite parts of the series is the found family, not just with Wren and her wolves, but also with the people in town. It gave the whole book such a cozy, heartwarming feel. Everyone had each other’s backs, and it tugged at my little heartstrings in the best way.
The conflict in this book did wrap up a bit quickly, I do wish there was a little more depth there I was waiting for this big AHHH moment you know? But I still did enjoy it!
This series is full of complex characters with a lot of trauma which I love because I’m always here for breaking down walls and watching characters grow. Plus, Wren is a total baddie, and that’s always a win.
Overall, this series was just such a fun ride. I loved the characters, the setting, the mate bonds, and that big happy family energy. Finishing it was so bittersweet, but in the best way.
I will say I wish we dialed it up on the group scenes👀 but maybe that’s just me being greedy😂
Also we have a new character introduced and I fear he’s just my type🤭 give me moreeee
Rising Reign is the 3rd and final book in the Wolves of Crescent Creek series and ahh I loved this so much! Wolf shifters, fated mates, why choose, touch her and die vibes. This was action-packed right from the start and I ate it up!
I loved being back with Wren and her mates (Kingston, Brix, Ender, Locke, Puck)and after seeing where they left off in the 2nd book’s cliffhanger, I was so excited to see how it would all play out in this conclusion! We jump right back into the action from page 1 and I was hooked the whole book. Loved Wren and her guys, the “ink me” moment, Princess the cat, Hera, when the humans find out about them being shifters 🤭, Rhys! Very excited for what’s coming next from this author, her why choose always hit!
As always, highly recommend grabbing the audios for this author’s books because they are top tier and a fantastic ride! This series has a full cast narrating the characters: Vanessa Moyen, Connor Crais, Jason Clarke, JF Harding, Teddy Hamilton, and Shane East. Sooo good!
I received an audio ALC, all thoughts in this review are my own.
I am obsessed with everything Tessa Hale writes, and this was the perfect ending to the series!! The heroes would literally destroy the world to protect the heroine, and we had some pretty cool training scenes in here. We had so much more of other fun side characters as well, and I loved how they interacted with our main characters. (I'm looking at you, Rhys 👀) This was such a satisfying and action packed ending and I am dying for a vampire story from Tessa! I can't wait for next year!!
WTH did I read... Yet again Tessa Hale pulls out the same derivative BS that is in all of her books. Every single one of her books has the same formula! Furthermore it ENRAGES me that all of her books are less than 250 pages. Yet she drags out a book that could be wrapped up in a single book, but makes us wait six months between each book that is less than 250 pages!!! Plus EVERY single book ends on the same cliffhanger, with the main girl getting F*CKING KIDNAPPED by some random villain that everyone thought was dead!!! Do yourself a favor and read something other than this cesspool of a book! ✔️ Main girl is fragile and weak ✔️ One of her mates is an Grade A douche nozzle that hates the girl and refuses to accept her as a mate until the very end of the book. ✔️ Mean girl humiliates main girl because she wants one of her mates ✔️The main girl gets a cute nickname that always has the word Little in it. This is in case the reader forgets how "tiny" she is. ✔️ Girl is the most special girl that ever existed and has a special power that only comes around every 1000 years ✔️ She is constantly in danger from rivals who want her power ✔️ she is kidnapped or injured at the end of each book ✔️ one of the mates is nearly mortally wounded ✔️ Her mates always have to be touching her ✔️ she has a super special secret that she hides from her mates. This secret will inevitably come back to bite her in the ass. ✔️ She is in heat every freaking page ✔️ Every eating scene has to be erotic. Main girl cannot enjoy food without moaning like she's in a porno and arousing all of her mates ✔️ Every time she "fights" she ends up being gravely injured.
If you've come to the end of this arduous list, then congrats you have singlehandedly read all of Tessa Hale's books!
This was the perfect ending to the Crescent Creek series. All the evils Wren and this pack have experienced and they finally battle it out to their HEA. We are introduced to a handful of new characters who I adored, but what really shines is the pack becoming complete and all members figuring themselves out and what role they play in their bond.
The voice actors did amazing as per usual and truly loved that it’s a full cast. It just makes the story feel so much richer because in my mind it’s almost a movie.
If you enjoy why choose, shifter romance, or supernatural being romance in general with easy to follow plot and suspense, then you will enjoy this series!
Side note: I am absolutely hoping Tessa gives us a little story about a certain nosy vampire. Please please 🙏
A Satisfying Completion to the Wolves of Crescent Creek Series
If you love wolf shifters, alpha heroes, fated mates, and a good why-choose romance, Rising Reign delivers everything you're craving. It's the perfect palate cleanser-short, punchy, and guaranteed to leave you clutching your pearls while whispering, "more, daddy!"
What makes it even better is the multi-POV storytelling. You get to step inside each character's head, which adds depth and makes the fast-paced story even more engaging. It may be a quick read, but it's packed with spice, heart, and just the right amount of drama to wrap up the Crescent Creek saga in a way that's both satisfying and addictive.
If you're looking for a steamy, bingeable read with all your favorite shifter tropes, this is definitely one to grab.
Seeing our characters work through all the trauma and worries they had throughout the series was amazing. And getting to see them happy was even better.
A certain character in this book has me wanting more!! Iykyk😌
I'm sad this Trilogy is over, but I am so excited for what Tessa has next! If you haven't already, please start this series because you won't regret it.
I’ve really enjoyed the Wolves of Crescent Creek series so far, but unfortunately Rising Reign fell flat for me as a finale.
The story picks up with a promising setup—high stakes, danger, and emotional tension—but the payoff fizzles fast. The rescue from the Red River Crew happens almost immediately, and Marcelle’s “death” is reversed so quickly it barely lands. From there, it’s 50% of the same repeated emotional beats: each mate spirals, pulls away, and then comes back after the exact same “we’re stronger together” pep talk. Rinse, repeat.
New characters like Rhys and Clara get thrown into the core conflict with barely any setup, and when the final battle arrives, it’s rushed and underwhelming. Big bads are defeated in a blink, mates are saved again, and we get a heat scene that’s so glossed over it barely counts. For a trilogy with this much build-up, the lack of consequences and true emotional climax really let me down.
I wanted more grit, more payoff, and more earned resolution. Instead, it felt like a lot of potential—wasted.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
4.5⭐️ This has hands down been my favorite series from Tessa Hale, and the conclusion to Wren and her mates story was perfect!
Wren has lived her whole life of the run, and it felt so good to finally see her being able to live happy and free in this book. I can confirm I did pick a favorite, and of course it was Ender the broody, and tortured Cat Daddy!
These books are short, fast paced reads, with fantastic found family, fated mates, and we even get a vampire in this book. I love that the next series will be his story because he has me so intrigued! I don’t want to spoil anything because these are such short, quick reads. If you like wolf shifter romance this should definitely be in your TBR!
Thank you so much to Tessa Hale for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review, I’m so grateful to have been part of your journey with this series.
Tessa Hale wraps up the Wolves of Crescent Kingdom series with a finale that is equal parts engaging and frustrating. The characters are easy to like, the fight scenes are mapped out and satisfying, and Rhys’s mischievous arrival gives the back half a much-needed jolt of energy. I turned the pages quickly and enjoyed myself, but I was also left with the sense that this story could have been so much more.
The spice is a good example of this. Hale raised the stakes by including riskier content, even a DP scene, yet most of the intimate moments are so short they feel like fade to black. When a romance leans into fated mates and why-choose dynamics, the intimacy should be unapologetically front and center. Instead, it feels like the book hesitated at the very moment it should have leaned in.
Wren’s arc struggled in a similar way. I never fully believed in her ability to take down villains when most of her development centered on her role as an omega and submissive. The idea of Wren as a fighter never had enough weight behind it. The same can be said of the group as a whole. Each character technically reached an ending, but the arcs felt stunted. Hale’s shorter book lengths seem to limit her, keeping her from developing her cast as deeply as she could. If she gave herself permission to write a longer novel, the payoff would be far more satisfying.
The finale’s pacing made this even more noticeable. At eighty five percent the story slows with a chapter of quiet, and then the final twenty pages eliminate all the villains and leap five years into the future. Wren has graduated medical school and is pregnant, which should have been a victory lap, but the abruptness made it feel hollow. After so much build-up, I wanted the ending to breathe.
Compared to earlier books, this one feels thinner. Kingston, meant to be the central Alpha, had the weakest connection to Wren, while Rhys easily outshone him in personality and spark. I look forward to Rhys’s eventual book, but his presence also highlighted the unevenness of the core dynamics here.
I did like Rising Reign. Hale’s imagination is engaging, and her ability to craft sincere bonds between characters is her greatest strength. But I also think her writing has grown formulaic. At this stage in her career, she has the talent to create sprawling, emotionally layered novels that take risks and deliver stronger payoffs. I would love to see her push herself into a five hundred page book that allows her world, relationships, and themes to fully unfold.
For me, this one lands at three stars. It is enjoyable and worth finishing if you have come this far, but it is not the sweeping finale I had hoped for. If you want wolf shifters, found family, and why-choose romance with a side of action, you will find it here. Just do not expect the ending to linger once you close the book.
ARC/ALC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ “Nothing can keep me from you now, Kitten.”
There is light in the darkness! Wren and her mates earned their HEA, but boy, was it hard-fought. An absolute binge read, I consumed it in one day. I needed to see how they would overcome attacks from all sides.
Rising Reign was Ender's redemption arc. I didn’t know how he was ever going to get over himself and give in to his need for Wren. But when he FINALLY expressed his true feelings, I cheered. I did appreciate that Wren didn’t automatically bond with him. He still had some growth to reach the point where he deserved her. Grovelling and actions prove stronger than any hollow words.
The rest of Wren's mates continued their sweet ways. Brix remained my favorite. Give me the severed heads of my enemies, and I will fall head over heels in love!
Book three really brought on the heat. Expect lots of spice mixed in with the action: MF and sexy group time. Just wait till you get to CH 40... 🥵🥵🥵
This was a co-listen and read between the audiobook and ebook. The book is amazing in its own right, but even better in audio. The narrators knocked it out of the park. I am always impressed with Vanessa Moyen's performances, and each of the male VOs were perfect for their assigned MM. Vanessa Moyen, Connor Crais, Jason Clarke, JF Harding, Shane East, and Teddy Hamilton are an all-star cast.
Rising Reign is the third and final book in the Wolves of Crescent Creek series and it follows Wren, who has been on the run from her evil father, and her mates in their fast paced and action packed journey to solidifying their pack and mating bonds.
As usual, Tessa does a fantastic job with her why choose shifter romances and every main character has a unique personality and voice throughout the series. Each member of the Arcane pack grow and heal with and for each other.
I'm making my way through Tessa Hale's backlist (1 series left!) and I am just utterly obsessed with the worlds she creates.
Thank you so much Tessa and team for the ARC! I can't wait for everyone to read this epic series and for what's coming next!!!!
Also tysm for that epilogue.*chef's kiss*
Read if you love 🐺 enemies to lovers 🐺 wolf shifters 🐺 why choose 🐺 fmc in peril 🐺 fated mates 🐺 touch her and d!e vibes 🐺 found family 🐺 cliffhangers, but the series is complete!
They worked HARD for this ending and I'm so glad Wren and her boys finally got it 😭. They have been through so much together and they deserved this.
I loved that it started right where book two left off. It always makes it that much easier for me to get back into a series when the transition is seamless. I loved this series so much and I'm sad to see it end but I'm so happy they got the ending that they did. Definitely one of my top shifter series.
Another amazing Why-Choose series for the books! Now I am super toxic and always enjoy the tension and resistance between the characters that usually happens in the first couple of books, so typically the ending when they’re all happy isn’t my favourite. I mean, I do want a HEA…I just also want vast amounts of them resisting each other (bonus points if one of them is mean and then has to grovel🤭). Tessa Hale however always keeps me on my toes because she really has us WAITING for these groups to solidify. I’m not mad at it though😌 Anywho, this was a great ending to the Wolves of Crescent Creek series. I love a large why choose group and bonus points for fated mates who resist their bonds. I literally gobble that shit up every time. This ending gave me all the happy feels for Wren & her mates plus makes me curious if we’ll be getting any spin-offs with some of the characters we were introduced to!
I'm bummed. I enjoyed book one. It wasn't anything groundbreaking, but I thought it set up a series I could lose myself in for a few days. As it went on though, I was bored and frustrated. Books two and three had a bit of action in the beginning to deal with the cliffhanger from the previous book and action at the end. The middle was filled with Wren building or healing her relationships with her men, but it was missing something. Their emotional heart to hearts felt cringy and cliched. Ultimately, I was unsatisfied by the resolutions to the obstacles they faced to being together.
Brix was billed as this dark character who would never let anyone touch him till Wren, but they moved into lovey dovey territory very quickly. We are told he is dark and has issues but no time is taken to delve into them. He randomly freaks out in this book by the thought of having kids but after a 10-minute conversation with Wren and some spice everything is hunky dorey.
Kingston, after spending the last book avoiding Wren because he had a momentary lapse in judgement about her character, claims her in the first part of the book and that's it. We are happy and once again after a quick conversation and some spice everything is fine.
DON"T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON ENDER!! Even though he knows he treated Wren poorly he continues to do so for almost an entire book because "that's just the way he is." And she lets him. At one point he was talking to another character and they ask him if he has apologized and he says yes. WHEN??? Had I had a drink in my mouth I would have spit it out. No real remorse, no grovel. UNBELIEVABLE!
Puck was fine and Locke was my favorite.
Another issue, these guys are a supposed to be bad ass mercenaries whose name strikes fear but there was barely any mercenarying (that's a word!) And Wren is a super rare hybrid wolf caster who does almost no casting. It felt like the author wanted to give them these cool identities but dedicated no effort into making them real or relevant to the story.
If you loved this, I get it. It is incredibly consumable. It's a popcorn novel, but as my issues with the series piled up, I couldn't put myself into a place where I could let go and just enjoy.
Fun conclusion to The Wolves of Crescent Creek series. This was a quick and easy read to see if Wren and her mates were able to get their happy ending. I will say that the series started out a lot stronger than where it ended up for me. The last two books felt like the plot was missing quite a bit and some parts felt rushed overall. Personally, I feel like the series could have been condensed down to two books overall or even just one!
In Rising Reign, we are left with the aftermath of the end of book 2, which, in case you forgot, everything is terrible🫠. 💙 I don’t want to spoil anything, but this is a fast-paced, short and sweet book where everyone has their moment (yes, even sweet bb Ender) AND we are introduced to multiple new characters 👀. TH is excellent at differentiating our characters and ensuring they all have their own voices and personalities within the story. I love the way they all have their pasts and find their healing in each other. The guys’ love for Wren is so beautiful, despite who her family is and what her father has done to them. They love her for who she is and we love to see it 🥹🥹🥹. 💜 I was lucky enough to receive an ALC and I absolutely recommend the audio for this series. @voicedbyvanessa , @connorcrais , @jasonclarkereads , @j.f.harding , @narratedbyteddyhamilton , and @shaneeastreads are truly an all-star cast of narrators. They perfectly embody the characters, and they also perfectly embody each other when they are voicing the other characters 🤭❤️. This book was full of emotion and I wholeheartedly felt it from each of the narrators. 10/10 recommend going the audio route for this series!!! 🩵 Thank you so so much to the author for allowing me to read early with an eARC, ALC, and a physical copy?!? I am such a lucky girl. Thank you for this wonderful series! I can’t wait to read the next one 👀👀 💙
The final book in the series — and okay, it was an easy, fun read with spice and all that, but by this point, the story started to feel very samey. I honestly felt like I knew everything that was going to happen before it did.
It wasn’t bad — just predictable. I’d say the series overall sits at around 3.5 stars for me, but this book specifically? A 3-star read. I caught myself skipping parts, getting distracted, and even putting the book down a few times, which isn’t a great sign.
That said, I’m still glad I finished the series. It wasn’t amazing or life-changing, but it was a good, quick set of reads with a bit of heat and a familiar rhythm.
Would I recommend it? Maybe. Would I read it again? Nope. How would I sum it up? Predictable, spicy, and just okay.
This was the perfect ending to a great series. Normally the ending of a series leaves me wanting more because I feel like there are things that had been left unresolved, or simply brushed over, but Tessa didn't disappoint with the ending of this book and series!
This book picked up right after that cliffhanger ending of book 2, and we started out with a bang, and kept the momentum going the whole book. I really enjoyed seeing Wren and her mates, (all her mates because one of them finally got his head out of his ass...) and even though they went through some hard times in this book, they also had happy times as a group, and it was so heartwarming to see.
The conclusion of this book was everything I wanted it to be. Epic fights, some close calls, and of course justice. It was beautiful to see Wren's dad get what he deserved finally. The epilogue was my favorite part because we got to jump forward in time and see how Wren and her guys are doing. I won't spoil anything, but it was beautiful, and so deserved for all of them.
Man, I am such a sucker for this series 😭 It’s fast paced, has tons of action, and toe curling spice. This was such a good end to Wren’s story. I gotta say…Rhys may have stolen the show lol.
I have had the best time with this series!. The only thing that bothered me was the spice! I wanted more! It could have been so good, but it was a bit naff.
Thank you to Tessa Hale for an eARC and ALC to read and review.
I had so much fun with this series and felt as though Rising Reign brought closure to our wolf pack that made sense and was fitting. I truly enjoyed seeing all of the individual relationships with Wren develop. Tessa does a wonderful job of making each MMC distinctly unique in their characterization which lends itself to helping their relationships with Wren feel special and exclusive. Yet, they all worked together for the relationship of the pack as a whole.
And although I am excited for new characters introduced in this book, I was bummed that some of the MMCs (Locke) page time was reduced to accommodate for these new story lines.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the Wolves of Crescent Creek, and I can't wait to see what Tessa writes next.
At the end of Eclipsed Empire, Wren was left not in a great place. In true Tessa fashion it's action from the start and our men are doing everything in their power to get Wren out of this predicament.
These men (though a couple are still on the fence about completing the bond) will stop at nothing for her. And their love for her is what she needs after being on the run for so long.
Dealing with everything from her father and the threats to their pack you really see them band together and stand up for what they want to protect.
We were also introduced to a new character that will lead to the next series and I CAN NOT WAIT FOR THAT ONE!!!
Thank you Tessa for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!
This book had the potential to be a 4-star read, but truth is, I didn’t really care about the bonds, the pack, or Puck’s family. I wanted battles, action, betrayals, suspense, or at least a few jaw-dropping moments. But like most of the series, every struggle, kidnapping, or murder attempt was resolved in a matter of 5-10 pages. It felt rushed, and made the character development somewhat unbeliveable (like Ender’s love declaration = what?).
Overall, this series was fine as a palate cleanser, but the “why choose” romances just aren’t for me. I was only ever invested in Ender and didn’t really care about the rest, lol. The more you know!!