His Curvy Rejected Mate: The Five Packs, Book 4

Five Packs #4

by Cate C. Wells

He had his chance. He blew it, and I’m out of here.

Flora

I’m at the bottom of the pack. I’m female, I have no family left, and everywhere a shifter is supposed to be hard, I’m soft and round. There’s one bright spot in my days—Alec Cameron. He’s hard in every way—so distant that he’s ice cold—but once in a while, he gives me a nod, and we sneak off to the woods. He’s not cold, then. Not at all.

I used to dream that fate would make it official, but after so many years, I’ve given up hope. Then, at a pack run, heat strikes. Alec Cameron is my mate. In front of everyone, he turns his back on me.

I didn’t know how cold he could be, but I do now, and I’ve got a choice to make. Do I hang around and deal with this messed-up pack like I always do? Or do I take my new wolf, break free, and forge a new path of our own?

Alec

This pack is falling apart. Literally. I spend my days patching together buildings that are inches from sliding down the mountain. In my free time, I have to compete with the other two males vying for Salt Mountain alpha, the world’s worst job.

I’m constantly holding everything together, and until the night of the last full moon run, there was at least one bright spot in my days.

Then Flora Ritchie goes into heat at the worst possible time and place, and in all the chaos and revelations, I lose my grip. And my temper.

In the blink of an eye, my mate is gone.

I know how to fix things, not feelings, but if I don’t figure it out quickly, I’m going to lose it all.

His Curvy Rejected Mate is the fourth novel in the Five Packs series, but it can be listened to as a stand-alone story. No cheating. HEA guaranteed. Intended for adult listeners only.

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Shapeshifters, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Omegaverse, Werewolves

Audible Audio

First published April 27, 2023

About the author

Secret question: what is your favorite thing about this time of year?

CATE C. WELLS writes gut-wrenching paranormal and contemporary romance. Whatever the world, readers can expect character-driven stories that are raw, real, and emotionally satisfying. Cate's into messy love, flaws, long roads to redemption, grace, and happy ever after, in fiction and in life.

As well as books, Cate has collected a husband, two daughters, and a cat along the way. She lives in Baltimore when she’s not out exploring with the family.

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Reviews

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Smut Scale Stars

As a reminder, smut scale stars are the nutritional equivalent of garbage.

I mean, this is basically a Twinkie in book form.
A Book Twinkie.
Bookinkie?



Oh well. As I was, I digress.

I am a complete trash panda for this series and I offer no apology. I shall merely pine for the next one.

[Namera [The Literary Invertebrate] · Rating 3 out of 5]

⤅ 2.5 stars rounded up. Not bad, but pretty unsatisfying.

Wells's Five Packs series has a great premise going for it; all the books are about werewolf heroes who screw up with their mates and have to grovel their way to forgiveness. Or at least, that's what they're supposed to be about. Only the first one really delivered, and unfortunately none of the other three have managed to live up to it.

Flora Ritchie is an orphaned werewolf at the bottom of the pack pecking order. Largely, this is because she's not just a single female, but also an oxymoron: a fat shifter. Shifters aren't supposed to be fat. But between her weight and her loneliness, the only good things in her life are her rabbit Harriet - and Alec Cameron

An up-and-coming pack alpha, Alec is at the opposite end of the social spectrum. But for the last few years, whenever he gives her the 'nod', Flora will sneak off with him for some fun. They've never had sex, but she'll give him handjobs or blowjobs while he watches her get herself off. And then he goes back to pretending she doesn't exist.

When Alec suddenly triggers Flora's heat and she realises she's his mate, it's all her dreams come true... until he bites her head off in front of the pack. Heartbroken, she determines to leave. But he can't stop himself from going after her.

You might already have noticed one of the glaring problems with this book, but I'll spell it out for you anyway: Alec makes absolutely no sense as a character. WHY, exactly, did he refuse to publicly date Flora? He never explains this, and although Flora ruminates on that sometimes, she never really makes him explain himself. Instead, when she finally asks him about it right at the end, he reels off some unconvincing rubbish about not wanting to disrespect his future true mate (whom he assumed wasn't Flora).

But even worse than that is the fact that he never gave her pleasure in any of their hookups, and she just... accepted that? She always made him come, and then he'd tell her to make herself come, and that was it. He didn't even kiss her. I'm sorry, but 'I thought if I kissed you I'd end up biting you because I wanted you so much, so I let you only suck me off instead' is on the level of 'that intern and I did not have sexual relations'. Just an utterly meaningless excuse which makes no sense in terms of Alec's character, and felt like it had been inserted to create contrived angst between the characters.

Flora's self-esteem is on the floor, and while I understand and sympathise with why that's the case, I don't want her to still be in the same position at the end of the book! Sure, she's left the pack and made a new life with Alec, but I just don't see what she sees in him. He's spent his whole life not lifting a finger as the pack fat-shames and bullies her, treating her as his dirty little secret (sorry, I don't buy the 'you were my one good thing and I wanted to keep you to myself' rubbish), and then barely even being apologetic once he realises they're mates. The cruel comment he makes the night he discovers they're mates is frankly the LEAST of his issues, because I actually understand where he's coming from on that one. On everything else... she should've gone off with that other guy.

I'm also meh on the fat representation. It's great and all, but Wells falls into a couple of traps. First, Flora actually loses weight halfway through the book - not a lot, but so much was made of how exercise/dieting etc never worked for her that it felt weird for nothing but a change of scenery to suddenly be working miracles on her. Losing weight is hard work, and that wasn't really conveyed at all. Second, there's a moment where Flora is working, and she looks around to realise that all the males in the room are glued to her body. Then she has a lightbulb moment ('my body is actually gorgeous!') which just felt cartoonish. Can she not be okay with her body without every male in the vicinity stuttering and jaw-dropping when they see her?

I almost forgot to talk about the plot, too, which is okay at best. Another teenage (or almost teenage) pregnancy... but not done in a breeding kink way which could have worked, more in a 'religious fundamentalist youth who don't have access to birth control' way.

Do I have anything good to say? Sure. Wells's writing is extremely readable, and the book is pretty short, but doesn't feel overly fast-paced. I just wish she'd put her excellent prose skills to use on better plot premises, because this series could have been epic instead of being full of lost potential.

[Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5* Book one and three continue to hold the spot for my favorites of the series. Although, I fully admit to inhaling this story. It’s just the way this author writes, the storytelling flows so well and makes you anxious to find out what’s going to happen.

Light spoilers below.

I just don’t think there was enough groveling for the YEARS he spent treating her like shit. It was those moments after a bj when he would tell her to wait before leaving the woods, so no one would see them together. (That doesn’t say to me he’s confused about his feelings, that tells me he knows exactly what he’s doing and he’s ashamed to be seen with her) I’m not going to over-analyze shifter social etiquette or pretend to understand why this one particular pack treated her so poorly for being overweight, when the other packs found her abundance of curves sexy. It was never explained why she was heavy, when the others weren’t.

Our kind aren’t supposed to carry extra weight. That’s a human thing. We don’t have overflowing breasts and pudgy bellies and thick thighs. I’m made wrong.

The main issues of communication between the two of them is that neither one of them had a healthy role model for a grown-up relationship. And yes I understand. I am putting my human emotions on a shifter relationship lol.

I’m beginning to understand what growing up in Salt Mountain has done to me. What did it do to Alec Cameron? What did it do to Alec Cameron and me?

Still, this story gets higher ratings because I love this kind of storytelling and shifter dynamics. This author truly gets the term “rejected” and this series stands alone for being exemplary in that aspect.

What would’ve made this story a five star for me would be a beautifully intimate scene of her finally claiming him, maybe a re-do of his crappy claiming of her, WAY more groveling on his part, and I really craved her self-acceptance to be on page more than it was.

I had so much fun discussing that inner workings of shifter dynamics with my BR Isabella. I feel like we are experts by now with the amount of shifter stories we’ve read!

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This series continues to have the WORST Wattpad-ass titles and covers, but it is actually well written and pretty good. I feel the need for that caveat every time I rec it!

This is a werewolf book about Flora and Alec, who are 22 and live in the Salt Mountain Pack, which is hasn’t really been in the previous books. Flora is at the bottom of the ranks in her pack – she does everyone’s laundry, and everyone is mean to her (If you can’t read the kind of material where people mock the heroine for her weight, this is NOT a book for you).

Alec is one of the contenders to be the next Alpha, so he ranks high above her. For years, they’ve been hooking up in secret. But he ignores her otherwise, and treats her like his dirty little secret. (Their hookups are also mostly her giving him BJs, and him not reciprocating). When it becomes clear that they’re mates, Alec doesn’t reject her, per se, but he DOES make a horribly gross and dismissive comment in front of the whole pack, while everyone laughs. She decides enough is enough, and leaves to go join the more progressive pack from The Heir Apparent's Rejected Mate. Alec follows her, and tries to fix their relationship.

The reason this was in the 3 star range for me is that similar to most of this author's other heroes, it turns out that most of Alec’s bad behavior towards his heroine is out of stupidity, not malice. "Actually, he was nice underneath his asshole behavior, and just bad at expressing it!" worked for most of this author's other heroes. But in THIS book, their relationship dynamic at beginning was too extreme for that explanation to totally make sense.

This author is great at writing dumb heroes. Cash from Against a Wall is a hall of fame dumb hero, and Killian from The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate also a magnificent layered dumbass.

But, it didn’t work as well for me here. Alec making Flora his dirty little secret for YEARS (and being selfish about it) is much worse behavior than any of these other heroes! It would have been so much more interesting - and made more sense for this story - if he was genuinely arrogant and he was NOT well meaning all along, and he had to own up to that and change for her. That would have also made his character arc different from this author’s other heroes, instead of just more of the same. The beginning of the story set that up! But, that potential fizzled out.

The beginning of their relationship is so bad, I also don't really BUY that he'd meant well, all along! Why did he always have her do oral on HIM, and he never reciprocated, if we're supposed to believe that in HIS mind, she was never his dirty little secret? It doesn't track.

It was such an interesting angsty premise to have the set-up of, "Oh no, this guy who was using her and treating her like a meaningless hook-up is her MATE!!!" But then, this story sucked all the air out of that idea, by being like "But actually, he secretly DID like and respect her all along!" It felt like a bit of a cop out, instead of really engaging with that. It seemed like the story was afraid to take a risk, and played it too safe - in terms of making Alec SO bad at the start, but then kind of walking that back.

Other than that stuff, the characters were likeable enough, and every entry in this world is pretty fun. This hits the spot for “rejected mate” angst. This author remains the best at doing that trope in a way where you feel like the heroine is NOT a doormat for ending up with the hero, and you’re satisfied with their HEA. Very few "rejected mate" authors are good at that. The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate and The Lone Wolf's Rejected Mate are still the best books in this series, and they're better than this book. But this was still better than the worst book, The Heir Apparent's Rejected Mate.

I’ll continue to read the other books in this series, and this wasn't a bad read. I just felt like it was a missed opportunity to give us a different kind of hero, but instead, it gave us more of the same.

[layh · Rating 1 out of 5]

Alternative Title: The Fucking Asshole Coward’s Rejected Mate.

right. i need to address the main issue i had with this book before starting this review properly, considering it has awakened the ultimate hater in me.

Cate C. Wells ‒ so the next time you’re going to shit on plus-sized people, don’t bother writing a book about it, simply tweet your thoughts on it or something else that will save me a lot of grief. let me say this again. if you don’t know how to write or handle plus-sized rep without making it triggering or insulting, don't write it. if your book is basically porn without plot and you’re still insisting on inserting serious topics like this in it, don’t do it. if you’re writing a plus-sized person in a setting where they’re clearly a minority and are outcasted and bullied for it, learn how to handle it before putting it on paper. if you’ve mentioned once or thrice that our FMC is plus-sized, don’t do it another hundred times. we get it. we hear you. we understand. it’s unnecessary. it’s not funny, and no one’s having fun. if you can’t create a MC that makes the FMC loved without having to change, who can’t appreciate her in the way she deserves, then do. not. fucking. write. this. topic. how hard is it to understand? jesus christ. i’m flabbergasted right now.



now, on to the other reasons this book is not worth your time:

#1 ‒ “I actually like his smell. It reminds me of bread fresh from the oven.”



‒ this is her talking about his dick????? BE FOR REAL RIGHT NOW. NO WAY THIE IS REAL. BE FOR FUCKING REAL. NO ONE SMELLS LIKE THAT DOWN THERE. DOES BEING A WEREWOLF GIVE HIM SUPERPOWERS WE’RE UNAWARE ABOUT OR SOMETHING?

#2 ‒ He skims my cheek with a demanding hand, mashing my lower lip with his thumb, gripping my chin like I’m a doll, a plaything. I shouldn’t like this either, but it feels like a dream to be seen.

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‒ baby he’s treating you like you’re worth nothing and forcing you to sneak off because he hates being seen with you and YOU FUCKING LIKE IT?? hell, even i could do better than that and i’ve never even been in a relationship. what the fuck even is this. please raise your standards 🙏 I understand that women have every right to like it rough, I would never shame them for that, but this came off as just dirty, coupled with her self esteem issues and his indifference to the situation.

#3 ‒ His lip curls. “I knew you were a whore.”



‒ OH, FUCK RIGHT OFF. the utter rage that ignited in me while reading this was crazy. she had sex ONCE, with an asshole at that, and suddenly she’s a whore? and just because he’s saving himself for his mate, she’s supposed to do the same? what, is freedom of choice suddenly dead or something? oh, no, it's not, this guy is just an asshole, that's what. this son of a bitch needed to be slapped with a force of a thousand suns to be set straight. the utter slutshaming going on was insane, and going by the previous books, this is repetitive in this verse. which is just sad.

#4 ‒ “And what is all this about pig and land whale and fat bitch? Are we human now? When did we start giving a crap about how big a bitch is?”



‒ don't you just LOVE how respectful he is while talking to others about her? 😍 yeah, me fucking too. NOT. listen, i do not give a single shit that he was talking to people who needed to be talked to like this. nobody should be speaking about anyone like this. not only is it demeaning and cruel, it’s also plain disrespectful and disgusting. you think anyone will be rooting for you as a love interest after this shit? i sure fucking wasn’t.

#5 ‒ She’s too sweet, and she’s hurt. I’ll take care of this. Females are simple. Seems like if you don’t piss them off on purpose and leave them in the kitchen to their business, they’re happy enough.



‒ his thought process genuinely fucking baffles me. it makes me think we’re reverting back to the dark ages, and that’s scary as shit. this caveman needs to be thrown the fuck away. he just kept cementing my disbelief with whatever he did, and whatever he did kept making everything worse. and i don’t care if these werewolf asshats are cut off from the human world, this is still set in the modern world and it is not attractive to any degree. fix your shit, you’re a goddamn mess, man.

#6 ‒ Dear God. I wanted to be someone’s last choice. I daydreamed about getting hit by a truck. What's wrong with me?

It sucks, though, that being called beautiful can make you feel so goddamned sad.



‒ the above quotes are from our h’s inner monologue, and they made me so incredibly sad because she really, truly deserved the best. she just wanted to be loved and i’m glad she got it in the end, even if it had to be with this dickhead. but what i fucking hated was that throughout the story, she's either fatshamed or sexualised. either men spit at her or ogle her.

she doesn't seem to like either of those things, because who in their right mind would, but we're told she likes other men looking at her appreciatively, and we're apparently supposed to buy that. it made me want to throw up. also, how every other woman in her so-called pack seemed to hate her and bully her was incredibly unrealistic. you’re telling me there wasn't even ONE girl's girl in that fake bunch? stop shitting around and be serious.

#7 ‒ The Groveling. this is what he says: “Come over when the heat kicks all the way in,” he says. “I’ll let you ride my cock. Wash it real good first, though, if you’ve been passing it around to dirty bastards like that.”

and this is how he apologises for it: (🤣🤣)

“Do you want me to say sorry? Is that it?” He runs a hand through his hair. He genuinely seems harassed, like I’ve lost my mind, and I’m holding something hostage.



‒ so yes. if you’re reading this in hopes of some groveling, or some suffering of men like i did, don’t bother. the man never offers a proper, legit apology. he just shuffles around her with a scowl and postures like Alphas™ do until her grudge dissolves into nothing, performs some actions that soften her heart, and they get their happily ever after. so moving, so touching, so emotional. haha, and all that. 🙄

‒ some (rare) pros:

#1 ‒ ”I toss trash into the garbage with more ceremony than you dropped me. So you don’t get to give a shit about what I did with Bram.”

‒ YOU TELL HIM GIRL!!!! the only time she really stood up to him, so the monumental moment had to be shared. sadly, besides this, she never snaps back at him like he deserves, so i’ll savour this while i can.

#2 ‒ “You were with her, but you were watching me.”

“I always watched you.”

“Why?”

“Nothin’ else I wanted to look at,” he says.

‒ the only piece of dialogue that made me really feel something, and hence earned that one star up there. other than that, this book had no saving grace because of the irredeemable H. i could NOTTT stand him.

If you’re in search of books that ACTUALLY have good plus-sized rep and handle it incredibly and still manage to be a wonderful rom-com, I’ve got a rec ready ‒ check out Melt for You by J.T. Geissinger. I’ll never shut up about that book.

In conclusion: the book made me unwell. The previous three books I don't even mind compared to this shitfest, and they’re safer compared to this one, so feel free to help yourself to those if you’re truly interested.

pre-review:

if i had a physical copy of this thing i would’ve lit it up on fire and roasted marshmallows over it as it burned down to nothing. what the fuck.

RTC when my anger cools down 🙆🏻‍♀️

[Chloë [at the cottage] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmmm….the way I was able to breeze through this story speaks to how well it was written but something just didn’t click for me with the couple. Unfortunately, the amount of grovelling was seriously underwhelming for the years of BS that Flora had to put up with from Alec. I know they’re in the NA age range, but it all felt very high-school in tone and content, so maybe that’s where the disconnect comes from 🤷🏻‍♀️

I did enjoy the interconnection between the packs and the timeline overlap with book 3 (brief as it was), but otherwise just a meh read, overall.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ok - this sneak peek has me 😭😭😭 I expect hardcore grovelling!

Book 1: The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate - ⭐⭐⭐
Book 2: The Heir Apparent's Rejected Mate - ⭐⭐
Book 3: The Lone Wolf's Rejected Mate - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Book 4: His Curvy Rejected Mate - ⭐⭐⭐
Book 4.5: The Stone Wolf's Rejected Mate - ⭐⭐⭐

[rose]

1 ★

soooo i technically dnfed this at 80% but i'm counting it as read because i don't care and i wasted too much of my time on it to not count it towards my reading goal <33

anyways this was more horrible than the first one, if that's possible. the main guy was so flipping dumb i wanted to literally transport into this world and slap him, he literally makes my skin crawl. the way the main character was described also made me so uncomfortable, idk i just didn't pick up on good vibes and i don't think this gave off the message the author was intending it to.

and please don't get me started on these atrocious titles and covers. they're soooo bad, it's literally if crappy photoshop and wattpad had a baby. this entire book absolutely sucked and basically had no purpose. the grovel was nonexistent (we get one apology. one.) as it usually is, and all the characters were so flat and predictable it was so off putting. i'm honestly so frustrated with this book, because at least the first one in the series was fun. it was entertaining, in it's own messed up way. this is just plain disgusting and actually painful to read. 100% do not recommend.

anway y'all, that's my review. i might make it pretty later. don't count on it. love you guys <3

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this author’s writing a lot. And this was a fun and easy read. HOWEVER… I have a lot of issues with this relationship and the world building. So, it’s not going to get more than 3 stars from me.

For years, they’ve been sneaking off and he has been getting blowjobs from her. He NEVER gives her oral until months(?) into their mating. And, somehow, the author/heroine gives him credit because he’s never given a woman oral. Like it’s a good thing he’s been a selfish lover.

His dad had a girlfriend before he found his fated mate. And he went back to his girlfriend after he impregnated the hero’s mom. So the hero uses that as an excuse for why he is a douchebag to the heroine for years. He doesn’t want to over promise himself to someone who isn’t his mate. So, he just mistreats her for years!?

This whole world sucks. The author writes well, but it’s such a dystopic world for women.

1. a woman can’t shift until she’s found her fated mate. Why can the guys shift!? What’s up with that!? That kinda makes no sense. Why should the female wolves be stuck in human form when the males can shift!? From birth? We never know, other than the male wolves are all shifting left and right.

2. As soon as a woman goes into heat, she’s gotta have her mate fuck a baby into her. Really!? There’s no choice!? That’s totally fucked up. And makes no sense other than to allow the author to keep doing these mate rejections. The guy can be all “nah… I don’t want to” while the woman is “right here! I’m sticking my nekked booty in your face”.


This book had insufficient character growth and groveling. This dude has kept her a dirty little secret and made her feel like shit for years. But she forgives him and allows his sorry excuses. “You weren’t my secret. You were my good thing”. F that! You made her feel like trash!

He constantly would fuck her mouth and not talk to her except to say “give me 10 min and then you can come out”. If she really was his “good thing”, he would have give her pleasure, let her leave first, asked her what she wanted, explained his fears. Something!!!

Oh wait… he could have tried BEING HER FRIEND!!! The choice wasn’t bad sex or nothing. It could have been friendship and care and making sure she knew he adored her from the beginning!!! If he was worried that someday a different dude would end up mated to her, he could have showed her respect and love without sticking his dick in her. No matter what hole he stuck it in, he’s a douche. And we’re supposed to believe he grew up and became a better person magically once they were mates!?

And finally… the fat phobia/shaming is over the top. It’s extreme and makes no sense. Add to that how easily the heroine gets over things once her wolf comes out… author could have made it a little more subtle and dealt with it more thoughtfully. These are real issues but the author addressed them poorly. This is not good fat representation.

I still enjoyed reading it and will keep reading this series. But the author can do much much better.

[Ainhoa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m finding that I love them all 🥹

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know Alec is dumb and his character arc isn’t neatly resolved, but I liked his dumb ass 🤷🏻‍♀️😭

I read a GR review that compared Alec to a loyal but dumb dog. You tell the dog once and it knows… but you have to tell the dog. I’m pretty sure it was for this book, can’t find it now, but I thought about it halfway through and had a chuckle.

When it comes to romance angst, the first chapter where Flora is treated by the pack and by Alec, when she assumes she is his dirty secret? Ooooof. This angst reader likes 🥵

However, it is problematic that Flora only accepts her body because she realizes she is worthy of the male gaze. She likes her body once she understands it can be sexualized.

It is problematic, not because wanting to be seen as desirable is anti-feminist (it is normal to want to feel attractive to the type you are attracted to), but because she doesn’t have any epiphanies about her body, aside from that.

Her wolf being big and strong is a commendable choice, and a powerful depiction, but Flora doesn’t make any connections to what her body can do, only that her wolf is more of a mama bear.

Mainstream understandings around fat liberation is easy enough to Google or find on social media, so it does feel inadequate that Flora’s major epiphany on her body is that it is sexy(!!) to men. She doesn’t necessarily need to think her body is beautiful, which can also be exhausting, but accept her body, or see herself beyond the body. All of these revelations would have added to her development as a character and her sense of personhood.

That Flora chooses to leave the pack and finds she can be seen and heard and valuable in the new pack can be seen as a way of her liberating herself. Alec echoes this sentiment too when he apologizes for what he said and didn’t say, and that he didn’t protect her when he should have seen she needed someone in her corner, but he is happy she saved herself.

Which feels pretty good. At least we didn’t have Alec do that “what makes you beautiful is because you don’t know you’re beautiful” song and dance or “can’t you see you are beautiful to me?” as he kisses her in front of a mirror right before a tender lovemaking scene, as I I feel romances often serve up with insecure or “chubby” heroines.

I like that the heroine is squishy and Alec paws at her. It’s hot. 🤭🤭🤭

On a personal note, I like Alec. He worked for me. Similar to Darragh Ryan, he’s got Alpha in him but he’s more of a loner who doesn’t have any friends lol.

I like Alec and…I know, I know. How can he NOT GET that the pack being mean to Flora’s body wasn’t just pack dynamics but targeted bullying??

Alec is so in his own world though. His speech that the pack is mean and you have to not let it get to you makes sense for his own experience. Even though they may not see him as weak, his power is beholden to them. He is one of the Alphas in running so he also has to meet their expectations or else they will turn on him too.

The Salt Mountain Pack are the rangiest pack so far. They don’t give salt of the earth, but redneck.

It would have made the romance stronger if Alec was aware she was being fat-shamed, not simply bullied for being quiet or weak, as Alec would have been more interesting.

Would he have seen Flora as desirable but ashamed about his desire, as Flora initially thinks? Or would he have seen in her what is in him? There is a suggestion of this.

As it is, it seems he downplays the severity of the bullying and how it impacted Flora‘s well-being. He assumed everyone’s unhappy in this pack, so I guess even though he was always watching her, he didn’t think there was anything serious to it.

Anyways I loved this story, as Cate C. Wells is always writing interesting romance dynamics. I’m going to try to read Cadoc and Rosie’s story now!

April 29, 2023:

OMG IT'S OUT!! Reading this weekend :D

April 2023:

!!!! So excited.

[readabookonce · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay, so, full disclosure: I’m fresh off reading a book where the mmc was a literal psychopath, so in comparison, even at his worst, Alec didn’t seem so bad

MAIN CHARACTER NAMES AND AGES
Flora Ritchie (22) | Alec Cameron (not stated; around Flora’s age)

FEATURES
∘ shifter romance (wolves)
∘ fated & rejected mates
∘ long-term hookup partners
∘ stoic mmc

REVIEW.
I put off reading this for so long. I was disappointed in books 2 and 3, and the reviews for this one had me wary. That being said, expecting the worst always makes for a great time because your expectations are EXCEEDED.

Don’t get me wrong, Alec was an asshole. He did acknowledge his mistakes (way after he made them, of course) in regards to Flora. Since we are privy to his point of view, we do get to understand his motives and feelings.

His apologies were lackluster, and his beliefs were arrogant (e.g. “that’s pack life”). I couldn’t understand how someone who claimed to care for Flora would treat her the way he did—such as keeping her a secret and then speaking to her so cruelly publicly. And then the bastard swayed me with his explanations and actions. Once again, a seemingly irredeemable man is redeemed and even understood.

Flora made Alex work for her, finally recognizing herself as someone worthy of respect. She truly deserved so much more than what she was given in her own pack. He did the work to right his wrongs—through his actions and his words, even if he can’t utter the words “I’m sorry” sincerely. I ended up really liking him as a character and as a love interest.

I don’t know what’s next for this series, but I am optimistic. Even in stories I don’t enjoy, Cate C. Wells’s writing shines. These four (and a half) rejected mates books set in the same universe feel so unique. I love seeing how the world builds and changes—for the better—with each addition. Truly, no one is doing it like Cate C. Wells.

OW/OM DRAMA past OW & OM — they both get super jealous of the other’s ex partner (his) and hookup (hers), especially Alec
CHEATING none
THIRD ACT BREAKUP no
ENDING HEA — epilogue set roughly a year later

POV dual / first person
SPICE LEVEL 4 / 5
RATING 4.5 / 5

[Barbarzynka · Rating 3 out of 5]

bez komentarza 😂

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love revisiting Cate C Wells' world. Even when it's uncomfortable and painful to start, it makes the HEAs so much more powerful.

This entry to the Five Packs series was tough for me. I knew what the content was going in, but it still hurts so much. I am aware that for me it's because it is deeply personal to see a heroine feel so insecure about her weight and not feel happy in her body. So while we are in the parts of this story where Flora is struggling through that is so hard to see.

However, that makes the journey to find herself and find a place where she can be free of that so beautiful. And Alec better get on board or miss a chance with his mate.

For me, I just wanted a little bit more of them working through their issues at the end. This one had SO MUCH angst and heartbreak, I needed to see them get to revel in an HEA a little longer. But I loved how they had learned to "communitcate" by the end. haha!


4 stars
2.5 on the spice scale

CW: Fatphobia, self body shaming

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ✨ I had to round it up to 4 Stars bc when Cate said “rejected mate” she did not come to play. This was a page turner for me. I was soo heartbroken and sad like in the first 35% I might’ve popped a tear or two 🥹. I wish we would’ve gotten a longer better epilogue but either way I enjoyed it.

[Melanie A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so good! I devoured it in a day. 😍😍

[book bruin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I enjoyed this one, but there was also a lot that left me annoyed and confused. I wanted more groveling (there's never enough with this trope!) and the reasoning behind Alec's behavior/keeping Flora a secret just didn't ring true. Him being in a bad situation and/or grumpy doesn't excuse all the things he said and did. Even his "apology" didn't seem to show much remorse. Flora could have been an amazing character, but I didn't feel like she showed much growth after everything that happened. Yes, she gained confidence and (hopefully) was no longer bullied, but it felt like that confidence was still too dependent on outside sources. The scene where she finally believes that she's pretty because other males were watching her felt like a missed opportunity and left me feeling pretty gross. There wasn't much to the plot, but the writing kept me reading and the epilogue was very sweet. I'll continue on with the series, but I'm sad I didn't love this one as much as I thought I would.

CW: fat shaming, fatphobia, bullying, fighting/violence, death

[Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

First re-read: 1/22/2024
3.5 stars This is a quick, easy read and pretty entertaining, but not my favorite in this series. I definitely prefer Quarry Pack dynamics. This feels like it could've been Killian's origin story almost if he was lazy and decided 'fuck it this pack sucks, I'm not changing shit'. Can't really blame Alec...I wouldn't want to be "King Shit of Turd Mountain" either 😂 Salt Mountain is definitely giving trailer trash pack. No one cares about anything, everything is in disrepair, everyone's mean and it sucks. I do wish Alec would've had the iniative to step up and make the pack better, but hey, alpha ain't for everyone 🤷🏼‍♀️ and his and Flora's story was pretty cute as-is. It was nice getting to check in with the Old Den Pack, although their way of life ain't my fave either and I'm still not sure I want to re-read Cadoc and Rosie’s book😅 anyway I'm curious if we'll ever touch base with them or Salt Mountain again or what's next for this series. CCW sure likes to skip around to different packs so we'll see...

First read: 4/28-29/2023
3.75 stars because I read it in a day and that never happens anymore 😌 I’m a simple woman all I need is PNR, shifters being one of my faves, and I’m happy. This one just worked for me. I love a mistreated woman who finally stands up for herself and makes a man grovel 🤤 this series in general is great and I’m looking forward to what’s next.

[D.L. Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

BR with my girl Cass!

This was a pleasant surprise in every sense of the imagination.

Unlike all our previous couples in the series, Alec and Flora have history. And as the story progresses you discover just how far back it goes and that not everything is as it seems.

All it takes is one dip of Alec’s chin and Flora will meet him anywhere for a rendezvous. She should be ashamed but she can’t help but cherish any time she can get with her dream man.

But then she goes into heat and the shit hits the fan. Surprise surprise that freaking alpha wolf fucked up again. It wasn’t necessarily a rejection as much as humiliation. Which my poor girl Flora definitely didn’t deserve. She already gets enough shit from the pack as a big girl, so for the one person she thinks she can count on to treat her thusly. Well he can go to hell!

So, Flora runs away in search of the new pack and wouldn’t you know that asshole follows!

Honestly, once you got under his skin, Alec is alright in my book. Yeah, he didn’t handle things well and his communication skills aren’t great but once he realizes he’s losing her, he fights.

He’s so jaded and glum, totally reminds me of Eeyore on steroids. Not to mention how much he wants our girl. He might actually be my favorite MMC in the series.

All in all super entertaining, the chemistry between these two is chef’s kiss. And I always appreciate a plus size gal getting her just dues.

[Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*This review is based on a beta read

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: fated mates
Angst: 😱😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥

RTC

⛔️ My bookshelves can sometimes be spoilers

[Jen • jenteereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buckle up, I have a lot of feelings.

My initial reactions:
1st chapter: I am going to cry, we need to protect this girl at all costs
2nd chapter: hold my earrings, I’m going to cut his dick off with a butter knife
3rd chapter: he really is king of shit turd mountain
Chapters 4-13: alternating between crying, grumbling, and sighing with contentment
Chapter 13: ok, CCW has done it again. He’s a sweetheart and they are perfect for each other

While Darragh remains my favorite of the Five Packs men, this book might have taken the top spot in the series for its flawless writing and realistic portrayals of self esteem. That said, check your trigger warnings on this one, because it’s real.

This book was really hard for me. I am Flora. I am that woman who has always felt too big for the space she is in. Her struggle felt too real at points that I actually cried.

As Cate said in the Up the Smut podcast (and I’m paraphrasing here), there are generally two types of curvy girls, those who are comfortable in their own bodies and love themselves, and then there are those who aren’t comfortable in their own bodies and struggle with liking themselves because of how society treats those of us who are “extra”.

I am so envious of the confident women and wish I could be one of them, but I fall squarely in the second category. I struggle constantly with self-worth based on my body.

A couple of the phrases that spoke to me:

“Home is years ago, when my dam stood between me and the world, before I knew that my body is a despicable thing, a failing that I should be made to suffer for, that I should never be at peace with, not for a second.”

And,

“I don’t care what he thinks. I’ve spent my whole life being judged and found wanting and telling myself that I don’t care. And caring all the same. I’m done with that.”

Oof.

See what I mean when I say she’s outdone herself? Because this feels directly ripped from my brain.

Let’s talk about the grovel for a second.

For those who aren’t familiar with CCW, she doesn’t do 3rd act break ups. No, she thrusts you directly into the lives of these characters, has the heartbreaking moment happen in the first few chapters, and then spends the rest of the book reconciling to a place that isn’t perfect, but so, so real. The characters don’t change who they are, but they learn to love a bit better.

And her characters? Even in books about shifters! It’s women who try to hid inside extra large hoodies hoping they avoid the spotlight. It’s men who can’t communicate their feelings, so they’re just going to chop this wood, because that’ll fix it.

I can’t get enough.

This book was written for me. This book meant so much to me.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬.

[Izzie d]

AUTHOR’S NOTE
This novel contains incidences of fatphobia and fat shaming.


Spoilers.

Hero is a virgin, despite appearances but the heroine isn't, one previous guy.

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was more of a self-discovery story for Flora than romance, but it's linked with Alec so it was all still very enjoyable. Both their lives in Salt Mountain were bleak in their own way, so I felt for them both. I was left wanting a little more in the end, but that was satisfied with the bonus chapter (need to sign up for the newsletter). Definitely a winner as far as a rejected mate story and I would definitely recommend giving this a go.

[Leigh Kramer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went in with low expectations given the premise and boy was that justified. Flora's pack was aggressively fatphobic and so was the world-building. In what universe could she be the ONLY fat shifter?! I have no idea why CCW made that choice, nor why she opted for a caricature of Flora's bullies and the pack. She didn't have any friends in a pack that size??

Flora finally accepts her body once she realizes Old Den males and Alec find her attractive, which is terrible in and of itself. Alec wasn't a prize. I couldn't believe that he fell first, given the way he treated her. He doesn't know how to apologize or communicate and she shouldn't have to tell him to do either. There needed to be an actual grovel for me to buy this romance.


Characters: Flora is a fat 22 year old Salt Mountain wolf shifter and laundress. She has a rabbit named Harriet. Alec is a Salt Mountain wolf shifter, alpha, and construction worker. They've been hooking up since she was a high school junior. This is set in Salt Mountain and Old Den.

Content notes: fatphobia, internalized fatphobia, fatshaming, past forced diet by FMC's mother, bullying, past image-based sexual abuse references (video of secondary character in heat was airdropped to everyone in high school), past parental infidelity, anxiety and agoraphobia (secondary character), murder, attempted murder, physical assault, physical assault/domestic violence (MMC punches his uncles and cousins), abduction, gore, lacerations, broken bones (secondary characters), misogyny, sexism, slut-shaming, toxic masculinity, toxic uncles, past death of parents (including wasting sickness), past abandonment by FMC's father (after mom got sick), pregnant secondary character, family planning discussion, unsafe sex practices (no discussion of birth control or STI status until after penetrative sex), unplanned pregnancy (epilogue), dubious consent, on page sex, knotting, mating bite, alcohol, inebriation (secondary characters), vape (secondary character), pipe (secondary character), past marijuana (secondary characters), casual ableism, p-in-v sex is the only "real" sex, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism, ableist language

[VoraciousReader · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is not for me. I'm past 50% and Alec is still trying to justify everything he has said and done to Flora. I see no remorse, understanding or empathy for what she has suffered in their pack at the hands of everyone else but mostly from him. He's still dismissing her pain and suffering and trying to force her to go back because it's easier for HIM than starting over in a new pack.
DNF

[Sbuseigh · Rating 1 out of 5]

You must really have something against fat girls to write something like this.

[a seductive cactus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted more torment for Alec when Flora ran off. They reunited so quickly - but I did like how Cate C Wells took a character I did not think I would ever like and had me 100% on team Alec by the end. Loved that he's a big alpha who just doesn't care about rank, that he knows the importance of getting shit done rather than just complaining about it.

[Grisette · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.6 stars

Ok, a bit late on the bus, but I finally got to read this book. CCW does not deceive as usual. I loved how she keeps expanding her world building and this time, we get to know Salt Mountain Pack, and also revisit how the Old Den Pack from Book 2 is faring. Overall, I enjoyed reading this one. Not only was it well written but I found the romance was quite cute, with true and pure feelings involved. The leads were young and inexperienced, mired in a toxic pack culture, leading to miscommunication and misleading appearances. I loved their journey to find their true selves.

When I first read the teaser chapter, I thought that this book would be a really heartbreaking one, with over the top angst. CCW instead chose a milder angle, with the reasons separating them fully explained. The romance veered more towards a road trip where they got to know each other and slowly share their povs. I found it charming and well paced enough for me not to get bored.

I especially liked Alec's character, his silences where he has difficulty to articulate his real thoughts, his cluelessness, but at the same time, his emotions and convictions that run deep and strong. He did a good, and meaningful grovel imho, being very considerate for his mate, and I loved that once he realised his mistakes, he was hell bent on rectifying them. Flora was lovely as well, and I liked how she decided to get out of herself and stop seeing herself through the eyes of others.

I found it slightly discordant in the last part where Alec and Flora were settling at the Old Den Pack, that suddenly Alec was described as being very silent. During their journey, though not always having the right words or having few words, he did not seem that silent type.

If I thought that Quarry Pack (Book 1) and Moon Lake Pack (Book 2) were backwards people, well, Salt Mountain Pack deserves the first place, and I don't even think that the new Alpha will be changing things soon (though CCW seems to be pointing at a romance there as well - definitely exciting times ahead!). The end drama was a bit unexpected and abrupt, but I guess it is helping to shape further the world building.

💯 recommended of course, for fans of the series or those who are looking for neat rejected mates stories.

[Amanda Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been my favorite Five Packs book since The Tyrant Alpha's Rejected Mate! Flora's internal thoughts about her weight are so real and painful. Flora is also so, so alone compared to the other heroines in this series. This makes Alec's betrayal into such a gut punch, but in the delicious way I love in these books.

I feel like the makings of a good grovel novel are so subjective, but I felt like this one was so good. Given how horrible he seems at the beginning of the book, I was surprised how fast I came around to Alec. He takes awhile on the words, but his self-reflection and reactions to Flora make my heart go pitter-patter.

Ultimately Five Packs world seems like such a harsh place to live and I always appreciate seeing the trod-upon heroines and stressed-out males trying to scratch out a happier situation together.

[Louise H's Book Thoughts · Rating 5 out of 5]

My word this was, at times, a harrowing read. The author gives a clear trigger warning of fatphobia and fat-shaming at the start of the book and definitely hit the nail on the head of how belittling, undermining and soul-destroying this type of bullying/abuse can be - including those often well-intended comments of "friends" and family.


If you read this you must read the bonus epilogue. It made me view Alec a little differently and I wish I had been aware of his original intentions whilst they were at school. It made for one heck of a super cute read though. He isn't easy to get to know because he is so closed off and self-contained - even Flora didn't realise just how much he hurt. As a potential Alpha there were a lot of assumptions made about Alec, most of which are untrue and I loved how Flora grew to realise he was just as damaged by life at Salt Mountain as she had been.


Flora's was such an inspiring and heart-warming story, escaping the poison of Salt Mountain allowed her to discover her true worth and find genuine pack mates. Alec and her's journey to their HEA was not an easy one, I may have shed a few tears on more than one occasion, but it made for one amazing book. My only disappointment was that the disappearing shifter backstory seemed to be solved off-page and mentioned only as a fait accompli, but that was a minor issue.


I'm desperately hoping this won't be the last book in the Five Packs series.

[Angela Hates Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted more from this book since I enjoyed the other books in this series so much.

Flora and Alec have been secretly hooking up for years. And by hooking up, I mean Alec being a selfish AF lover who bosses Flora around on her knees then immediately leaves. The scenes with these interactions are brutal to read and honestly left me pretty gutted. I think the heroine is trying to tell me it’s all good and why she’s okay with it, but I’m not freaking believing it sis.

Flora is overweight and it’s a pretty big plot point in this story. She’s shamed A LOT in her pack (again, brutal) and when she realizes Alec is her mate, he says some pretty atrocious, uncalled for things to her.

BRUTAL!

But, okay, Cate C Wells does a lot of brutal scenes and bullying and rejections and whatever else and I’m used to the game because the groveling and plot drive the story and lead us to a satisfying HEA. Usually. That is not the case in this book. There’s practically no plot. We leave book three with all of this crazy drama about disappearances and we don’t get much further on any of that in this book which was very disappointing. Instead it’s briefly mentioned but we aren’t anywhere closer to solving this issue. Which, honestly would have been fine had Flora and Alec been on a journey of self growth and discovery all while having some serious chemistry and groveling. But we don’t get that. Alec’s grovel and I guess explanation(???) of why he’s been such a dick and treated Flora so abysmally for years is lame. It’s super lame. Flora gains confidence and gets some props for bravery for leaving her pack, but I don’t feel like she has any amazing moments of growth and acceptance and she certainly doesn’t have any with Alec. The chemistry and pull between these two felt nonexistent. Maybe because Alec doesn’t really speak haha and I just didn’t believe him when he said how sorry he was because his reasoning for his horrible actions are weak AF! You get no empathizing from me bro.

Listen, I can forgive a hero/heroine of a lot with the right amount of groveling and show of unbridled commitment. In this book, there’s SO MUCH TO FORGIVE and just not enough from our hero to prove that he’s worth keeping. And yeah, Flora has a new pack that doesn’t bully her, but if her weight is going to be such a huge factor in this book, it needs a better arc and turning point than the one we get in this book. Like, all her confidence issues are solved because she’s away from her pack and her new pack checks out her butt…am I reading this right? I mean…I guess that works…Idk, just didn’t feel great to me.

I’m really tearing this book apart because Cate C Wells is usually so great and I had really high expectations for this one since I’ve enjoyed this series so much. I’ll definitely be reading the next one!