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The Rabbit River Saga #1

Moonrise Over Rabbit River

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A fledgling pack struggles to survive during chaotic times, when mates are scarce, and competition is fierce. For there is turmoil in the werewolf community.

Cray Long has had to fight for acceptance his whole life. He doesn’t expect that to change just because he’s joined Lucas’s new pack. Half breeds like him are tolerated at best. But one thing he never intended was repeat his father’s mistake— and take a human mate. He just hadn’t counted on Elizabeth. One hint of her intoxicating scent and he knows he can’t let anyone else have her. 

Elizabeth Brown is pretty sure things can’t get any worse. After all, she’s trudging through the snowy wilderness in the middle of the night— running for her life. But when a pack of wolves turns into men right in front of her eyes, she realizes she was wrong. Very wrong. Because one of them just claimed her.

Sparks fly, and passions ignite as these two individuals from such completely different worlds struggle to come to terms with their new situation— and their undeniable attraction. But with everything facing his young pack, the last thing Alpha Lucas needs is more human trouble. Will he really allow another human into the pack? Cray can only hope that he will—because according to the Law, Elizabeth must be claimed—or she must die.

Get ready for a paranormal enemies-to-lovers thrill ride, complete with sizzling heat, swoon-worthy heroes and just a touch of magic. These are not your ordinary werewolves.

Welcome to the Rabbit River Pack
This new series traces the story of the entire pack as reluctant Alpha Lucas navigates the tricky waters ahead. Somehow, he must uphold the Law, keep his fledgling pack safe and find his missing sister before it’s too late. But will he ever gain Mari’s trust— the mysterious human he found in the woods? Follow this slow burn love story throughout the series as Lucas works to repair the damage of Mari’s past, hoping to eventually win her love. 

This series combines the magic, humor, and sexy alpha hotness of authors like TS Joyce, Zoe Chant and Terry Bolryder, with the heart pounding action, world building and character development of authors like Patricia Briggs and Ilona Andrews. Fans of werewolf romance, paranormal suspense, paranormal comedy, and romantic fantasy will enjoy this series.

257 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 2018

382 people are currently reading
2259 people want to read

About the author

Elyce de Reefe

9 books86 followers
Elyce de Reefe grew up in Santa Cruz, California and New York City. She likes to call herself a coastal girl, since she has spent nearly all of her time on one coast or another. She enjoys all genres of romance as long as there’s a hot, sexy hero with something to learn, a smart female lead who refuses to compromise on who she truly is, and the promise of a happily ever after. Her characters often find themselves on a journey of discovery, struggling to achieve true intimacy while solving the real-life problems thrown in their way.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Elyce-de-Reefe...
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To date, Elyce has written paranormal wolf shifter romance, contemporary romance, and romantic suspense. But there’s a Sci-Fi series in there waiting to come out, and possibly an epic fantasy series, as well as thoughts on a time travel story. Her ancestors were highlanders, after all.

Elyce loves hiking in nature, riding horses, watching wildlife, swimming under a blue sky, digging in the dirt, and sitting in front of a fire with a good book. She enjoys these things even more in the company of friends and family. Add wine and chocolate, and voila! It’s a beautiful life.

Oh, yes – and she has a very special place in her heart for wolves…

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5 stars
319 (50%)
4 stars
195 (31%)
3 stars
89 (14%)
2 stars
19 (3%)
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7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews129 followers
Want to read
January 19, 2023
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (10/23/2019)! 🎁
Profile Image for ♛ Garima ♛.
1,012 reviews183 followers
January 3, 2022
A decent series start. The new pack, new alpha, human mates - you know the usual troupe.

I must say I was much more invested in Lucas and Mari's story than the actual couple which is Cray and Elizabeth. Elizabeth is fine but Cray is a complete jerk. If not for others and a compelling storyline, I would have stopped reading it, tbh.



While this is #1 in the series, nothing gets resolved, there is no closure for Lucas-Mari, Lucas's sister Aster is still missing, we don't know who Elizabeth is running from, etc., etc. so you'd feel there is some closure, for Mari's sake, but it is like starting a very long book with the interesting first chapter. Hang on tight, we are in for a long ride.
Profile Image for C.J. Heigelmann.
Author 5 books91 followers
February 2, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this book for several reasons. The parallel storyline and character interactions flow wonderfully and are captivating, as is the author's amazing use of prose at specific times throughout the book, even during the most brutal of scenes. This was brilliant and is very difficult to do successfully, but Reefe pulls it off, while providing the reader with powerfully crisp, engaging and realistic intimate character interactions from deep point of view, I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next!
142 reviews
February 15, 2019
My Opinion

I tried to like this book but it was just filled with dumb silly heroines making silly decisions. I don't like stories that waste 2/3 of the book having a couple argue and fight over something that could be solved with a 5 minute conversation I love the members of the pack, I even liked Mari. I can understand her fear. Elizabeth is another story. I think the Author wanted to portray her as strong but they just made her opinionated, rash in her decision making and stupid.
Profile Image for Charlotte.
2,121 reviews80 followers
February 23, 2019
*WARNING* contains explicit adult love scenes
Lucas is a wolf shifter. Lucas left his pack, he wanted to be alone in case he started showing signs of "The Sickness". Lucas did not get to enjoy his alone time on Rabbit River for long.
This is book one in a series, so I expected a few questions to be left unanswered, but this has SO MANY that the book feels in complete. Does Lucas find his sister? Does Mari ever grow a back bone? Will Lucas and Mari get together? Does Jerry's family come looking for him? Does Mari's sister come looking for her? Does Elizabeth every tell them why she was running to begin with? Does Elizabeth's trouble find her? Best of all......why is it that everyone of these males seems to have an immediate attraction to a human female when having a human mate is "JUST NOT DONE"? In the epilogue it has the start of Aaron's story instead of even hinting at any answers. I will pass on book 2. I'm all for suspense, but I still want a mostly complete picture.
33 reviews2 followers
February 14, 2021
Awesome wolfe

The story line was smooth, no hunches. No bad wolves, bad human though. Very enjoyable read hard to but down. You may like my daughter's writing she is a member of RWA, Lynn Winchester. Kept writing!
Profile Image for Sophie.
20 reviews
August 18, 2021
I enjoyed the multiple view points in this book - but I was very confused to start with because we start with characters who aren't the main couple of this book! So if you are like me, expecting Elizabeth, and confused by starting with Mari, rest assured, she's coming!
Enjoyed the way this book developed, and looking forward to reading about the other characters we've gotten to know here.
Profile Image for fred jones.
1,781 reviews11 followers
September 23, 2021
A good shifter romance, two story threads together make this quite an involved book. Characters are good, well described and detailed. I liked the premise and always enjoy fated mate stories. The book is the first in third series and there is a lot left unresolved for the next books. I look forward to reading them. I received a complimentary copy from the author and am leaving a honest voluntary review
Profile Image for Amanda.
734 reviews9 followers
June 1, 2021
This is a good story, definitely a different take on werewolves. The story offers multiple points of view, and has one major love story and a slowly developing one in the background. I liked that the wolves all treated each other well, their little pack was truly a family even if the girls fought it. I also enjoyed how Cray knew that Elizabeth was his mate and was trying to slowly get her to accept it, but he fumbled a bit along the way. The plot kept you reading, I am definitely interested in what the alpha’s sister is up to. I recommend this book, especially if you enjoy books about werewolves finding their mate.
Profile Image for Anastasia Abboud.
Author 4 books174 followers
January 17, 2019
I'm already in love with this series. The guys are delicious -- deep, strong, protective, not to mention gorgeous -- and there's a whole pack of them! They've united under a new, somewhat reluctant alpha against a deadly enemy. The two females we meet in this debut novel are both humans and both are running from dangerous pasts.

Lucas Ardennes,the new alpha, finds Mari battered and dying in the snow. Despite the fact that pack law forbids it, he takes her home with him. He saves her life. Throughout the rest of the book, he unselfishly struggles with his attraction and feelings for her in order to give her time to heal. But this book isn't about Lucas and Mari.

Cray and Elizabeth -- hot, sensual, hilarious. Initially, neither one wants the relationship, but they are clearly, irresistibly drawn to each other. Running from a murderer, Elizabeth finds herself in the same neck of the woods as the pack and she sees them shift. Therefore, either someone will have to claim her as a mate or she must die. Cray's not about to let either of those things happen. He claims her. But the last thing he wants is to mate with a human. He grew up ostracized and on the run because of his human mother. He doesn't want this, but deep down, he wants Elizabeth.

Beautiful, independent, and feisty, Elizabeth is far from happy with the situation. And if she must choose a mate, is Cray her best choice?

The different relationships in the novel are captivating. Between the males, there's tension, respect, loyalty. It's a difficult time for their pack. As for the women, Elizabeth and Mari are very different individuals, but they utterly support and watch out for each other, which I appreciate. On the whole, the males treat the females with gentle respect, appreciation, and care.

Of course, Cray and Elizabeth's relationship is steamy! They're both in denial, both protecting their hearts, and they fight, bicker, and smolder all the way to a deep and passionate relationship. Watching these two strong characters give in to love and acceptance is wonderful.

Elizabeth is one of my favorite heroines ever. She's up for a fight, also up to cooking for the pack, befriending Mari, and generally taking care of everyone with energy, warmth, and a wry sense of humor. She's awesome.

Cray is the strong, silent type until she drives him crazy.

In the mood for a sexy, paranormal romance? Give Cray and Elizabeth and the Rabbit River pack a chance. You'll be glad that you did.
Profile Image for Frances Law.
1,123 reviews14 followers
March 7, 2019
A great read!

This is the best werewolf story that I have read in a long time. There’s a fair bit of action plus some unexpectedly, tasteful sex scenes, which really are more about romance.
Lucas has left his old pack after his Alpha father was defeated in a challenge. While out running one cold, snowy night, he comes across a beaten and bloodied human woman who is close to death. Marie has run away from an abusive husband who has just caught up with her. When he thinks that he has killed her he just drives off. That’s when Lucas finds her and takes her home. She remains unconscious for days during which time four of Lucas’ ex pack mates, including his younger brother, arrive with some worrisome news, Lucas’ sister has disappeared. They also want him to take them into his (non existent) pack! After some soul searching, he agrees. He has to tell them about Marie but they are all aware of the difficult position he is in but support him anyway. Then, while searching for Aster, they are seen by Elizabeth, who is on the run from her boss who she saw kill a man. Cray, a member of the pack, sees her and claims her as his to save her life. This is when the second romance starts! What a roller coaster ride that Cray and Elizabeth start on. While Marie is gentle and timid, Elizabeth is confident and fiery!
There are a lot of things happening and not all the secrets come out.
The story kept me intrigued to the end and left me with a desire to read the next book ASAP! These guys are strong, hunky and good looking; too hot for most women to ignore! Any lover of paranormal, shapeshifter stories will like this.
Profile Image for Magwan.
680 reviews6 followers
February 14, 2021
Moon smoon

Good characters and storylines, however there was a lot going on.
You had Cray and Elizabeth and Mari and Lucas, plus the others.

The story begins with Mari who is trying to start a new life however her past catches up with her.
Lucas just minding his own who ends up with a lot of house guests.

I found the pace of the book frustrating, it was switching between multiple characters and giving multiple backstories.

Perhaps it would have been better if the story centred on Mari and Lucas first and let their relationship develop, then book two move to the next pairing.

I didn't buy into Elizabeth and Cray because it seemed rushed. Elizabeth is effectively kidnapped, then she takes on the role of house mother with little conversation with Cray.

I think with a little more direction this book could have established the series to keep the reader invested.
I was put off with the constant changing perspectives which should have focused on Mari, Lucas and Jerry but just include the introduction of the pack and their personalities to be more detailed and focused on them in the next book.

Spoilers
I wanted a faster pace and Maris reaction to discovering the secret and her shock and disbelief.
I wanted Lucas to be beating himself up for leaving Mari.

Overall it was a great story with lots of characters, back stories, sub plots but was very jumpy.
This will appeal but as for me I'm stopping at this one because I'm not invested enough to continue and I don't like all the jumping and multiple characters all at once.
Profile Image for Teal Wolf.
3,414 reviews26 followers
November 9, 2019
Moonrise Over Rabbit River is the first book in The Rabbit River Saga by Elyce de Reefe. This is a Paranormal Wolf Shifter Romance. Actually there are two romances covered in this book - the one the book is centered on between male shifter Cray and a human female named Elizabeth,. The other one is the one that will apparently burn slowly over the series between the male shifter Alpha Lucas and the female domestic abuse survivor Mari.

So let's talk characters... I love them. They are well developed and interesting. I like the pack and all their personalities. I like the two females as well. Mari is trying fresh out of a bad situation but she feels like she will be a fighter. Elizabeth wants to be independent but also to be loved, if only she communicated better with Cray. Cray has history to get over before he can embrace his future, but he is sexy for sure. And Lucas is trying to find his way as a leader, I really like him. I cant wait to see how they all evolve as the saga continues in the next books.

The story grabbed me right away and kept me engaged. There is mystery, suspense, action, drama, romance and humor.... all wrapped up in a truly entertaining story. A great way to start a series. I definitely want more.
859 reviews4 followers
May 20, 2021
Ours

A beautiful magical adventure where humans are evil and the wolves are protecting and kind! Two broken women hiding from evil men, two wolf shifters determined to protect their women! A new favorite author who spins a tale that draws you in and keeps you up all night to finish a nail biting adventure! You feel their pain, betrayal, heartbreak, desperation and hope, their emotions become yours as you join them in the fight of their lives! Who wins....read and see!
85 reviews
May 22, 2021
Love All of It

The characters, the storyline, the setting: I love all of this book. It’s interesting and well written. I hope there are many more books about this new pack.
Profile Image for Teri.
3,918 reviews37 followers
June 23, 2019
The thing about trying a new author is you have no idea what you are setting yourself up for. I am thrilled to say this author has definitely caught my eye in a good way. I love her style and truly enjoyed the read. These guys who are not by any means interested in human mates, although it's more so due to pack laws and prejudice more than personal choice. The half breeds were not treated well and Cray is well acquainted with the treatment and the rejection that resulted. When he gets a whiff of Elizabeth he fights the attraction because of it which makes for plenty of verbal bashing between the two. It's an interesting story that isn't a standalone so there is plenty that is left unresolved. However that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of action. There's rival packs, Elizabeth's secrets, a missing sister and much more still up in the air. One things for sure, once Cray and Elizabeth have both stop fighting the ghosts of their past and started talking the house got a whole lot more peaceful. I thoroughly enjoyed this new to me author and will be reading more of this pack and getting my answers. Remember it's not a standalone.
377 reviews
May 22, 2021
Moonrise Over Rabbit River Book 1

I love this book. I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I stayed up for 3 hours longer because I couldn't put down my tablet.
2,511 reviews13 followers
May 19, 2021
Loved the book!

Excellent story. Shifters, a missing sister, bad packs, two women saved, this book has it all. Lots of excitement and danger around every corner. Also, a lot of falling in love and attraction between the couples. The author has written a book that keeps you on your toes. Wonderful.
895 reviews
August 3, 2021
I Love This Series OVER 18 READING

Cray is a wolf/human and always felt a little like being on the outside looking in till his pack found Elizabeth pulling a sled of supplies in the middle of the night on their pack lands. He raced ahead driven to be first to grab her and claimed her as his under his protection. The Law requires any human finding out their secret who isn't mated to a wolf making them protected by pack law be killed. He has till the new moon to make sure she excepts him or one of the other unmated males. Cray has no plans for anyone else to get to claim her.So living in the pack house with five wolf shifters and a young woman they found severely beaten buried in the snow who doesn't know the men are shifters can be a little challenging but has many funny parts too. I really enjoyed read this as it is the second book I read in this series. I really like all the ways of cursing without cursing. You see how a young pack comes together and really become a pack that trust and depends on each other.
Profile Image for WILMA from the Netherlands .
524 reviews6 followers
June 27, 2021
Moonrise Over Rabbit River is the first book I've read by this author. This is a Paranormal Wolf Shifter Romance. I love how the author has created her own rules for these shifters. It brought another level of depth to the story. The main characters are well developed and I'm looking forward to the rest. There were multiple storylines intertwined that kept me hooked and on the edge of the couch. The book didn't include all the storylines at the end, but it did set you up for more so that you want to know what's going to happen next, as there's a bit of a mystery involved. I definitely recommend this book!
I got this book for free for a honest review.
Profile Image for Karyn.
428 reviews8 followers
January 27, 2019
What a fantastic story!

I love that the author made her own rules for these shifters. It brought another level of depth to the story. The main characters are well developed and I am excited to learn more about the others.

There were multiple story lines interwoven together that kept the reader hooked and on edge. The book did not wrap all the story lines up at the end but did leave you ready for more and needing to know what is going to happen next as there is a bit of a mystery involved.

I definitely recommend this book!
Profile Image for Claire Ingram.
Author 2 books16 followers
February 27, 2020
I loved this great start to the series
Strong sexy alpha Lucas finds a pack thrust upon him but he never wanted this, he saw the toll it took on his father but fate has other plans
Poor Mari is barely surviving her abusive ex
And you think this is the main story WRONG
Because there also fiesta strong indépendant Elizabeth who stumbles upon our group of sexy werewolves (I mean people of the moon) but she’s also hiding from her past
It’s brill and I love that there is so much depth and story
Profile Image for Lane.
1,336 reviews
August 5, 2021
Interesting start

This is a different spin on shifter wolves than typical. I enjoyed learning about this world. There were a few places that felt slow and others spots that were faster. The beginning was hard to sort out the characters; many were presented close together. I look forward to learning more about Luca and Mari. This story had multiple pov since Mari!'s background along with Elizabeth were used to set the stage.3 stars
Profile Image for Jane Elizabeth .
4,342 reviews5 followers
August 20, 2021
😍😍😍😍😍

Honestly, when I first started reading this I was not sure if I would like it...I was correct...I loved it!
11 reviews
December 21, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyable

Two women running from abusive relationships, one's husband, the other's employer. Five wolf shifters starting out new from their old pack. The dynamics between Cray and Elizabeth and the banter that they employ is really well written. You could imagine these kind of conversations happening in "real life". Strong character descriptions, well written prose. Thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
Profile Image for Jan Zimmerman.
45 reviews3 followers
August 18, 2019
A very refreshing change to the Wolf Shifter Genre

I love wolf shifters and this one was filled with Native American Indian lore. The plot held my interest and the characters were complex and realistic enough to keep me reading. I am onto the next book and I highly recommend to all to immerse yourself into the world of The Rabbit River Pack!
106 reviews
August 10, 2021
Intriguing take on shifters

I really enjoyed the world-building in this book. Character development was well done and I found myself increasingly interested in each character and the outcome of the book. The only difficulty I had was how frequently the point of view changed, but in the end, I decided that actually added to the book’s ability to draw me in.
Profile Image for Karen.
556 reviews6 followers
February 4, 2022
Great read

This book took me by surprise. From the first page to the last. The f!ow was perfect, the character development was great. I could picture the story in my mind like watching and movie. I loved how I could even feel the emotions. I look forward too reading the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Sandra Self.
160 reviews1 follower
January 21, 2019
Today's topics, with a magic twist.

Elyce Dr Reefe touches on hard scary issues of domestic violence without making light of the issue. Even though it's a big wolf that saves the day.
74 reviews
March 23, 2021
Amazing

I am already loving this series after just reading the first book! I am extremely excited to continue with reading the remaining books in this series! Also, other books from Royce!
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