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Werecreatures vs. Shifters #1
Alphas on the Rocks
Ever since a hook-up infected Avery Smith with the werevirus, turning him into a were-ursine imbued with alpha magic, he’s been on the run. No established pack leader wants a rival in their territory, but he can’t start his own pack because few are willing to entrust their safety to a small-statured trans man. Lacking options, Avery joins a work farm where packless werecreatures labor in exchange for room and board. Then another potential hook-up lands him in the arms of the most dangerous man he could
A shifter.
As an alpha, taking over his family-led cougar shifter pack is Sascha Madison’s birthright, but lifelong chronic illness has compromised his standing. Getting caught with a werecreature will ruin his slim chances of inheriting the pack, and could result in him being disowned by his father.
Despite everything that could go wrong, Sascha and Avery connect, discovering much more than casual relief. The rare flicker of belonging is threatened by the bitter conflict between their species. Shifters believe the monstrous transformations forced by the werevirus make a mockery of their existence, and the recent explosion of infections has put all packs on high alert.
While Avery endures harassment at the farm, Sascha struggles to protect him without revealing their intimate connection. When a predatory supervisor forces Sascha’s hand, Avery has to flee yet again… This time, with Sascha by his side.
Too quickly, they’re caught. Sascha’s father gives them an Separate permanently, or Avery dies. But there’s more to being a leader than oppressive dominance, and Sascha and Avery are determined to shatter the walls separating their species and find a pack that will accept them both.
***
Alphas on the Rocks is a 77,000 word M/M paranormal romance between a trans man and a cis man. It features forbidden lovers on the run, mating magic, an awful dating app, and has multiple open-door intimate scenes. Happy ending guaranteed.
A shifter.
As an alpha, taking over his family-led cougar shifter pack is Sascha Madison’s birthright, but lifelong chronic illness has compromised his standing. Getting caught with a werecreature will ruin his slim chances of inheriting the pack, and could result in him being disowned by his father.
Despite everything that could go wrong, Sascha and Avery connect, discovering much more than casual relief. The rare flicker of belonging is threatened by the bitter conflict between their species. Shifters believe the monstrous transformations forced by the werevirus make a mockery of their existence, and the recent explosion of infections has put all packs on high alert.
While Avery endures harassment at the farm, Sascha struggles to protect him without revealing their intimate connection. When a predatory supervisor forces Sascha’s hand, Avery has to flee yet again… This time, with Sascha by his side.
Too quickly, they’re caught. Sascha’s father gives them an Separate permanently, or Avery dies. But there’s more to being a leader than oppressive dominance, and Sascha and Avery are determined to shatter the walls separating their species and find a pack that will accept them both.
***
Alphas on the Rocks is a 77,000 word M/M paranormal romance between a trans man and a cis man. It features forbidden lovers on the run, mating magic, an awful dating app, and has multiple open-door intimate scenes. Happy ending guaranteed.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 17, 2025
10 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 12, 2025
Title: Alphas on the Rocks
Author: Jem Zero
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 276
Rating: 4.5⭐️/5 (rounded up!)
“Is one hug worth being torn apart by another alpha?”
Avery Smith’s life gets flipped upside down when a hookup leaves him infected with the werevirus, turning him into a were-bear with alpha powers that nobody takes seriously because they can’t see past his size and the fact that he’s trans. He drifts around until he lands on a farm with other packless were-creatures, where a dating app connects him to Sascha Madison—a sheltered cougar shifter from a fancy family who’s already struggling with health issues. Getting involved with Avery could destroy Sascha’s reputation, and their communities hate each other, but they can’t help falling for one another. Together, they start dreaming of creating their own pack where love and trust matter more than old traditions and fear.
Alphas on the Rocks is a fresh take on shifter romance that actually gets it right. This book completely surprised me with how different it feels from typical shifter stories—instead of the usual alpha-dominance tropes, we get Avery, a trans were-bear whose powers mean nothing when everyone judges him first, and Sascha, a chronically ill cougar shifter heir already fighting an uphill battle—plus some great non-binary representation that feels authentic. What I loved most was watching these two figure out that real leadership isn’t about fitting old molds but about playing to each other’s strengths and covering each other’s blind spots. They make such a perfect team, and seeing them discover their purpose together was genuinely heartwarming. The ending had me grinning because you can feel how much they’ve grown and how they balance each other out, and I’m already counting down the days until book two, because this is definitely the start of something promising that celebrates different kinds of strength!
A big thanks to Jem Zero for providing me with a digital ARC of this book!
Releasing 06/17/25 on Amazon, KU, and paperback.
E-book pre-orders are available NOW.
—
#AdvancedReaderCopy
Author: Jem Zero
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Pages: 276
Rating: 4.5⭐️/5 (rounded up!)
“Is one hug worth being torn apart by another alpha?”
Avery Smith’s life gets flipped upside down when a hookup leaves him infected with the werevirus, turning him into a were-bear with alpha powers that nobody takes seriously because they can’t see past his size and the fact that he’s trans. He drifts around until he lands on a farm with other packless were-creatures, where a dating app connects him to Sascha Madison—a sheltered cougar shifter from a fancy family who’s already struggling with health issues. Getting involved with Avery could destroy Sascha’s reputation, and their communities hate each other, but they can’t help falling for one another. Together, they start dreaming of creating their own pack where love and trust matter more than old traditions and fear.
Alphas on the Rocks is a fresh take on shifter romance that actually gets it right. This book completely surprised me with how different it feels from typical shifter stories—instead of the usual alpha-dominance tropes, we get Avery, a trans were-bear whose powers mean nothing when everyone judges him first, and Sascha, a chronically ill cougar shifter heir already fighting an uphill battle—plus some great non-binary representation that feels authentic. What I loved most was watching these two figure out that real leadership isn’t about fitting old molds but about playing to each other’s strengths and covering each other’s blind spots. They make such a perfect team, and seeing them discover their purpose together was genuinely heartwarming. The ending had me grinning because you can feel how much they’ve grown and how they balance each other out, and I’m already counting down the days until book two, because this is definitely the start of something promising that celebrates different kinds of strength!
A big thanks to Jem Zero for providing me with a digital ARC of this book!
Releasing 06/17/25 on Amazon, KU, and paperback.
E-book pre-orders are available NOW.
—
#AdvancedReaderCopy
June 22, 2025
This book was beautiful and dealt with so many complex social justice issues. Avery broke my heart because he’d been so traumatized and alone for so long. I just wanted to bundle him up and protect him from life. Sascha was the sweetest and beaten down as well by ableism. The story was not one of easy fixes to difficult problems. Each character was complex with their own motivations and prejudices. Sascha and Avery had their own prejudices to work through and their HEA was hard won.
Spice: 4/5
Triggers: transphobia, homophobia, ableism, suicidal ideation, violence, gore, death, body horror, speciesism, disowning by parents, houselessness, depression, panic attack, PTSD, being in medical care, death of parent (past), grief, unsupportive parent, attempted SA, attempted murder, allusion to involuntary medical experimentation, inability to access gender affirming care, poverty, isolation, threat to life of teen
Spice: 4/5
Triggers: transphobia, homophobia, ableism, suicidal ideation, violence, gore, death, body horror, speciesism, disowning by parents, houselessness, depression, panic attack, PTSD, being in medical care, death of parent (past), grief, unsupportive parent, attempted SA, attempted murder, allusion to involuntary medical experimentation, inability to access gender affirming care, poverty, isolation, threat to life of teen
June 8, 2025
Oh man what a great read!! A very interesting and unique take on shifters and were creatures, relatable and real main characters I immediately fell in love with and rooted for, a cast I loved and hated and cheered. I just wanna scoop up this lil pack and feed them and hug them.
Disabled / chronically ill MC, trans man MC, non-binary character. LOVE.
Bonus: if you loved the disgusting, painful, horrifying gory shifting in Hemlock Grove, this book is for you!
I'm legit still weepy over the ending. So good. Can't wait for the next book! 💜
It took me far too long to wrangle my brain to read text (it's been a real struggle lately, so frustrating!!) but finally I dove into this book and absolutely loved it! Thank you Jem Zero for the ARC!! 🙏🏻💜💜💜
Disabled / chronically ill MC, trans man MC, non-binary character. LOVE.
Bonus: if you loved the disgusting, painful, horrifying gory shifting in Hemlock Grove, this book is for you!
I'm legit still weepy over the ending. So good. Can't wait for the next book! 💜
It took me far too long to wrangle my brain to read text (it's been a real struggle lately, so frustrating!!) but finally I dove into this book and absolutely loved it! Thank you Jem Zero for the ARC!! 🙏🏻💜💜💜
June 21, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ rtc
June 16, 2025
°°Dual POV°°° Trans MC°° Chronic Illness representation °°° Opposites Attracts°°°
When Jem started teasing this book I knew I had to read it immediately, it just sounded way too good to pass up. Upon reading this story I was immediately drawn into this dystopian world where not all shifters are equal, and not all were-creatures are accepted. The virus component being what causes Were-creatures was really interesting, and I liked that we got history and details about that and how it came to be. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I liked all the characters that got introduced throughout the story, some more than others. A specific bird was my least favorite character, he's a bully.
I thought the flow of the story was really nice, the pacing was so smooth, and the dialogue between all of the characters was engaging and was fantastic. Avery and Sascha while different personality wise, make such a great couple together. I absolutely adore these two together, and I liked that their relationship (and story) wasn't focused primarily on the spice scenes. I liked that we got to see them getting to know each other outside of the bedroom, and we got to see a different layer of intimacy build between them which was beautiful to read about.
I also have to point out that I Ioved how the chronic pain component was written, as someone who has chronic pain & illness, it was really nice seeing it written about in a realistic and relatable way. Avery accepting Sascha exactly as he is was beautiful, as was Sascha accepting Avery. These two accept each other as they are and their relationship is so precious!
I don't want to spoil anything but I will say that I loved how certain characters came together and forged their own way. I'm really excited to see where this series goes next and what's in store for this group of lovely people!
When Jem started teasing this book I knew I had to read it immediately, it just sounded way too good to pass up. Upon reading this story I was immediately drawn into this dystopian world where not all shifters are equal, and not all were-creatures are accepted. The virus component being what causes Were-creatures was really interesting, and I liked that we got history and details about that and how it came to be. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I liked all the characters that got introduced throughout the story, some more than others. A specific bird was my least favorite character, he's a bully.
I thought the flow of the story was really nice, the pacing was so smooth, and the dialogue between all of the characters was engaging and was fantastic. Avery and Sascha while different personality wise, make such a great couple together. I absolutely adore these two together, and I liked that their relationship (and story) wasn't focused primarily on the spice scenes. I liked that we got to see them getting to know each other outside of the bedroom, and we got to see a different layer of intimacy build between them which was beautiful to read about.
I also have to point out that I Ioved how the chronic pain component was written, as someone who has chronic pain & illness, it was really nice seeing it written about in a realistic and relatable way. Avery accepting Sascha exactly as he is was beautiful, as was Sascha accepting Avery. These two accept each other as they are and their relationship is so precious!
I don't want to spoil anything but I will say that I loved how certain characters came together and forged their own way. I'm really excited to see where this series goes next and what's in store for this group of lovely people!
August 17, 2025
I recently made a post asking for criminally underrated books and I found it! It’s this one! The fact that this is not *the* book that gets brought up when some asks for shifters or weres is just not acceptable. Lets see we have:
- A wild amount of unique and interesting worldbuilding
- A TON of really difficult topics (mind the triggers) but just a super sweet romance to contrast it. Like I love these sweet boys so much and they must be protected at all costs.
- Top notch spice. Like 🔥🔥🔥
- Not *quite* omega verse, but taking the ideas of omega verse and flipping them on their head (Alpha in heat)
- Interesting animals as shifters or weres (He’s the worst person but a Cassowary is such a cool choice)
- Representation!
- A plot that makes this one of those books you cannot put down with characters that are my new favorites.
I had followed Jem on social media for a while and I already knew they were clever, so I shouldn’t be as blown away as I am, but this book totally knocked my socks off. I am so incredibly excited that it’s the start of a series. All the stars!
- A wild amount of unique and interesting worldbuilding
- A TON of really difficult topics (mind the triggers) but just a super sweet romance to contrast it. Like I love these sweet boys so much and they must be protected at all costs.
- Top notch spice. Like 🔥🔥🔥
- Not *quite* omega verse, but taking the ideas of omega verse and flipping them on their head (Alpha in heat)
- Interesting animals as shifters or weres (He’s the worst person but a Cassowary is such a cool choice)
- Representation!
- A plot that makes this one of those books you cannot put down with characters that are my new favorites.
I had followed Jem on social media for a while and I already knew they were clever, so I shouldn’t be as blown away as I am, but this book totally knocked my socks off. I am so incredibly excited that it’s the start of a series. All the stars!
June 17, 2025
The world view was interesting. Shifters versus weres, where weres are created through a virus and considered lesser and social inferiors to the natural born shifters. The characters were well written. It's a forbidden love trope story. Unfortunately I just couldn't get into the book despite a nice smooth pace.
So, this was more of a skim for me rather than a read. Jem Zero is a fairly new author to me and I'm still on the fence about their style. Let's put this down to wrong book, wrong time. I'm giving it a 5 star because it is an original take on the paranormal, and you don't always find that.
I received an advanced copy of this book and this is my review.
So, this was more of a skim for me rather than a read. Jem Zero is a fairly new author to me and I'm still on the fence about their style. Let's put this down to wrong book, wrong time. I'm giving it a 5 star because it is an original take on the paranormal, and you don't always find that.
I received an advanced copy of this book and this is my review.
August 7, 2025
I loved this story. Finished it in almost one massive binge. Avery and Sascha are both wonderful characters and they’re just perfect together. Extremely interesting world-building. The were-creatures have it rough, contracting a virus, their horrible shifts, and discrimination from the born shifters. Great trans and disability rep.
I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes, if more books are written in this world!
(I hope to one day expand on this review, but my mental capacity lately is just not allowing for it. Apologies to the authors of the books I’ve been reading. )
I’m looking forward to seeing where it goes, if more books are written in this world!
(I hope to one day expand on this review, but my mental capacity lately is just not allowing for it. Apologies to the authors of the books I’ve been reading. )
August 5, 2025
I've read a fair number of books with shifters. I really liked that this book is different from all of those. I really enjoyed the world the author created for Sasha and Avery and the others. I like that it feels realistic where things aren't always easy or pretty but they can still be okay. I also really enjoyed getting to know these characters and look forward to seeing what awaits them in the next book.
August 23, 2025
Absolutely loved it, it was gut wrenching and anxiety inducing at times but it had so much heart and warmth. I loved the characters and and struggles they had to face individually and together. But the ending was so worth it, and I can't wait for more! Would 100% recommend if you love shifter/ paranormal books with lots of plot and amazing character to keep everything interesting. Can't wait to read more.❤️
June 19, 2025
Great start for a series
The book was very good. I loved the interactions between Avery and Sascha and how their relationship developed.
(Mild spoilers ahead)
The overarching plot was also very compelling I can’t wait to see what the pack does next and which pairing gets a hea.
The book was very good. I loved the interactions between Avery and Sascha and how their relationship developed.
(Mild spoilers ahead)
The overarching plot was also very compelling I can’t wait to see what the pack does next and which pairing gets a hea.
June 21, 2025
This is a new to me author and I have very much enjoyed reading Alphas on the Rocks.
A well written story with great characters and a well thought out world.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Recommended.
A well written story with great characters and a well thought out world.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Recommended.
September 18, 2025
To simple. Nothing to.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews