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When the Wolves Cry
Tala
I try running. Although, being able to keep up with the wolves all my life is no match for a perilous man that moves with the shadows. The universe is pushing us together, begging for us to rekindle a love from a past lifetime. I don’t want to defy it. I want our bodies molded, our hearts beating in tandem and thumping their melody into each other. But I’m prone to getting dragged into the swallowing darkness—and I’m grieving while processing trauma.
I cannot fall into another monster’s trap.
Jax
The most captivating and darkly ethereal woman to walk this Earth is haunting my mind, eradicating the ruthless wrath that has plagued my life and turned me into a merciless zombie. She’s mine. And she’s aware of that. She just… needs time. Perhaps a blood contract. My vendetta has granted me incredible patience. But the cord keeping it tethered to my conscience grows impossibly thin the longer I watch her, the more I map out her feminine vessel.
She may just make it snap.
I try running. Although, being able to keep up with the wolves all my life is no match for a perilous man that moves with the shadows. The universe is pushing us together, begging for us to rekindle a love from a past lifetime. I don’t want to defy it. I want our bodies molded, our hearts beating in tandem and thumping their melody into each other. But I’m prone to getting dragged into the swallowing darkness—and I’m grieving while processing trauma.
I cannot fall into another monster’s trap.
Jax
The most captivating and darkly ethereal woman to walk this Earth is haunting my mind, eradicating the ruthless wrath that has plagued my life and turned me into a merciless zombie. She’s mine. And she’s aware of that. She just… needs time. Perhaps a blood contract. My vendetta has granted me incredible patience. But the cord keeping it tethered to my conscience grows impossibly thin the longer I watch her, the more I map out her feminine vessel.
She may just make it snap.
- GenresDark Romance
455 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 27, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 13, 2026
6 FVCKING STARS!! 🌟 78 highlights later… lol
The connection between Tala and Jax felt so otherworldly and soul-entwined that it makes you truly believe in knowing when you’ve found your soulmate. Jax is in my top 3 favorite dark romance MMC's after this, and I still have another book to read in this duet. This man is crazy as H3ll, and unalives people without a second thought, but also takes care of her and says things like,
"You, Tala Akira Huxley, are a magical goddess to walk this Earth. People should be bowing to you in passing and you deserve everything and more."😭❤️🔥
And then the connection to the WOLVES! If you know me, you know wolves are my soul animal. Tala's family owns a wolf sanctuary and she has grown up around them her whole life - so there are so many references throughout. The universe knew I needed a life altering dark romance book with my favorite tropes and aspects to it and it was served to me on a GOLDEN PLATTER. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Some books are great, some books are memorable, and then there are the ones that feel like they were written for your soul. This one was that for me. 🥺🐺🖤 Running to the second book bc crying from that cliffhanger brb
The connection between Tala and Jax felt so otherworldly and soul-entwined that it makes you truly believe in knowing when you’ve found your soulmate. Jax is in my top 3 favorite dark romance MMC's after this, and I still have another book to read in this duet. This man is crazy as H3ll, and unalives people without a second thought, but also takes care of her and says things like,
"You, Tala Akira Huxley, are a magical goddess to walk this Earth. People should be bowing to you in passing and you deserve everything and more."😭❤️🔥
And then the connection to the WOLVES! If you know me, you know wolves are my soul animal. Tala's family owns a wolf sanctuary and she has grown up around them her whole life - so there are so many references throughout. The universe knew I needed a life altering dark romance book with my favorite tropes and aspects to it and it was served to me on a GOLDEN PLATTER. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Some books are great, some books are memorable, and then there are the ones that feel like they were written for your soul. This one was that for me. 🥺🐺🖤 Running to the second book bc crying from that cliffhanger brb
Did Not Finish
March 19, 2026No Rating DNF 29%
I tried really hard but the book beat me 😬
The premise of this book sounded so good. Dark romance with a wolf sanctuary…. Sign me up.
Let me start by saying I think I was also swayed by the 5/6 ⭐️ reviews and although there wasn’t many they were all saying the same sort of thing….and I am sat here writing this wondering if we read different things.
The spelling errors and grammar were all over.
Now I’m not one to ever slate things like that but I just couldn’t continue because I was constantly having to read the same sentence/paragraph multiple times to work out what the author was getting at.
I was starting to think that I was the issue until I asked my husband to read parts of the book to see what he made of it and he agreed with me. 😳
So on that note, it’s no from me.
I tried really hard but the book beat me 😬
The premise of this book sounded so good. Dark romance with a wolf sanctuary…. Sign me up.
Let me start by saying I think I was also swayed by the 5/6 ⭐️ reviews and although there wasn’t many they were all saying the same sort of thing….and I am sat here writing this wondering if we read different things.
The spelling errors and grammar were all over.
Now I’m not one to ever slate things like that but I just couldn’t continue because I was constantly having to read the same sentence/paragraph multiple times to work out what the author was getting at.
I was starting to think that I was the issue until I asked my husband to read parts of the book to see what he made of it and he agreed with me. 😳
So on that note, it’s no from me.
March 12, 2026
Hmmm 🤔 where do I start?
MJ deserves so much more than five stars, I’ve read this duet more than a handful of times and I just still haven’t been bored with it. I have not read other books that many times, I’m obsessed with Tala and Jax. They feel like I could be best friends with them, well mostly Tala. Jax would just stare at me to assess that I mean well 🤭 The storyline for When the Wolves Cry is consistent, well thought out, planned and emotionally executed. MJ will have you clutching the book, hoping for better news, a move from Jax, a smart remark from Nads and the comfort from Mavs.
When the wolves cry is heartbreaking from the very beginning but if it isn’t toe curling as well. The banter, the flirting, the intense sexual energy from Jax and Tala are drool worthy 🤤 I know she had to have done a lot of “field” research to write the very open book sex scenes ❤️🔥🤤😏
You have a well balanced perspective throughout the book, it’s easy to follow, there are comical bits and somehow MJ’s writing makes the story so relatable and human. I honestly have no clue how she did it but I just know she gave her entire heart to these characters and their stories.
TW: SA, Animal Abuse, DV, murder, death, violence,
MJ deserves so much more than five stars, I’ve read this duet more than a handful of times and I just still haven’t been bored with it. I have not read other books that many times, I’m obsessed with Tala and Jax. They feel like I could be best friends with them, well mostly Tala. Jax would just stare at me to assess that I mean well 🤭 The storyline for When the Wolves Cry is consistent, well thought out, planned and emotionally executed. MJ will have you clutching the book, hoping for better news, a move from Jax, a smart remark from Nads and the comfort from Mavs.
When the wolves cry is heartbreaking from the very beginning but if it isn’t toe curling as well. The banter, the flirting, the intense sexual energy from Jax and Tala are drool worthy 🤤 I know she had to have done a lot of “field” research to write the very open book sex scenes ❤️🔥🤤😏
You have a well balanced perspective throughout the book, it’s easy to follow, there are comical bits and somehow MJ’s writing makes the story so relatable and human. I honestly have no clue how she did it but I just know she gave her entire heart to these characters and their stories.
TW: SA, Animal Abuse, DV, murder, death, violence,
February 27, 2026
Tala is a beautifully, ethereal soul who has been broken into pieces. Pieces that shouldn’t have ever been a part of her puzzle. She’s finally free but pain doesn’t stop following her. But this time she has someone watching her from the shadows. Protecting her.
“𝑶𝒉, 𝒏𝒐,” 𝑰 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆. “𝑫𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑫𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔.”
A monster in disguise? Or something else?
Jax Scythe will do anything for Tala, even ripping out the teeth of her abuser and handing them over to her in a pretty package.
“𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒏. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆’𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏.”
Their love for each other doesn’t bloom like fresh flowers, it eats them up and fossilizes them like the wilting flowers of a dead bouquet. Like an insect in amber liquid; Beautiful in a macabre way. You may not understand it, but it doesn’t matter to them.
“𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒆.”
Seductive, enchanting, addicting. Each page is like a movie, I can feel the warmth that Tala radiates even through all her pain. The darkness that oozes from Jax but the softness he holds for Tala and the work he does. Even the tolerance he has for the people she loves because he’s not used to being around that many people. He does it all for her, everything. Not only that but the love and fierceness they have for the wolves/dogs is just as powerful. It instills this gut deep rage within you, and wants to make you learn more, fight with them.
Please take a chance and read this! (And literally everything by her) If I could shout from the rooftops about how much I love MJ Morellatu’s books, as well as her characters, I would. If you love TRUE dark romance then this is the book for you.
“𝑶𝒉, 𝒏𝒐,” 𝑰 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒆. “𝑫𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒅𝒐 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏. 𝑫𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒔.”
A monster in disguise? Or something else?
Jax Scythe will do anything for Tala, even ripping out the teeth of her abuser and handing them over to her in a pretty package.
“𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝑺𝒂𝒕𝒂𝒏. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆’𝒔 𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒏.”
Their love for each other doesn’t bloom like fresh flowers, it eats them up and fossilizes them like the wilting flowers of a dead bouquet. Like an insect in amber liquid; Beautiful in a macabre way. You may not understand it, but it doesn’t matter to them.
“𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒅𝒆.”
Seductive, enchanting, addicting. Each page is like a movie, I can feel the warmth that Tala radiates even through all her pain. The darkness that oozes from Jax but the softness he holds for Tala and the work he does. Even the tolerance he has for the people she loves because he’s not used to being around that many people. He does it all for her, everything. Not only that but the love and fierceness they have for the wolves/dogs is just as powerful. It instills this gut deep rage within you, and wants to make you learn more, fight with them.
Please take a chance and read this! (And literally everything by her) If I could shout from the rooftops about how much I love MJ Morellatu’s books, as well as her characters, I would. If you love TRUE dark romance then this is the book for you.
April 12, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Where do I even begin?
WTWC is exactly the kind of story we need more of. I enjoyed every single second of this book, and it’s one of those reads that lingers with you long after you’ve turned the last page.
MJ absolutely nailed it. The spice? Top tier. The banter? Flawless. The friendships? Hilarious, heartfelt, and beautifully written. But beyond all that, the deeper meaning woven throughout the story truly speaks volumes.
Tala is an absolute powerhouse of an FMC—I’m officially obsessed. And Jax? Easily in my top 10 MMCs of all time. If you love a possessive, commanding male lead, look no further. Jax is that man 🔥
The writing itself is stunning—thoughtful, vivid, and full of rich descriptions that make every scene come alive. You can genuinely feel the heart the author poured into every sentence.
This is a must-read for any dark romance lover.
Favorite quote:
“You look like you came from the goddamn ocean. And not just the ocean—an untouched, unseen dark abyss that men get dragged into to be eaten.”
Where do I even begin?
WTWC is exactly the kind of story we need more of. I enjoyed every single second of this book, and it’s one of those reads that lingers with you long after you’ve turned the last page.
MJ absolutely nailed it. The spice? Top tier. The banter? Flawless. The friendships? Hilarious, heartfelt, and beautifully written. But beyond all that, the deeper meaning woven throughout the story truly speaks volumes.
Tala is an absolute powerhouse of an FMC—I’m officially obsessed. And Jax? Easily in my top 10 MMCs of all time. If you love a possessive, commanding male lead, look no further. Jax is that man 🔥
The writing itself is stunning—thoughtful, vivid, and full of rich descriptions that make every scene come alive. You can genuinely feel the heart the author poured into every sentence.
This is a must-read for any dark romance lover.
Favorite quote:
“You look like you came from the goddamn ocean. And not just the ocean—an untouched, unseen dark abyss that men get dragged into to be eaten.”
April 3, 2026
“It’s what I imagine home feeling like. Her heartbeat.”
I can’t. I immediately ran for book two because this book ends on a cliffhanger. But I’m not mad because I need two books for these characters. Heck I need a series. A lifetime supply injected into my blood stream. Because they are amazing.
The author writes them like old poetry. A timeless love that knows no boundaries.
I understand the twin flames duet name now.
The way Jax worshipped her so respectfully even before he spoke to her. He felt that pull. And she took time to warm up but she quickly felt the same pull. The wolves aspect was such a fun play on this genre.
Not to mention there was so many microtropes in this book that had me swooning. Some of my favs.
I’ll never stop thinking about these two.
6 stars.
6 wolves.
6 hearts.
I can’t. I immediately ran for book two because this book ends on a cliffhanger. But I’m not mad because I need two books for these characters. Heck I need a series. A lifetime supply injected into my blood stream. Because they are amazing.
The author writes them like old poetry. A timeless love that knows no boundaries.
I understand the twin flames duet name now.
The way Jax worshipped her so respectfully even before he spoke to her. He felt that pull. And she took time to warm up but she quickly felt the same pull. The wolves aspect was such a fun play on this genre.
Not to mention there was so many microtropes in this book that had me swooning. Some of my favs.
I’ll never stop thinking about these two.
6 stars.
6 wolves.
6 hearts.
March 20, 2026
If I could give this 6🌟s I would!!! I loved this so much!!! Can't wait to read the next book 🤍
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April 16, 2026
4⭐️
📖Read:
April 1, 2026 - April 2, 2026
📝Review:
“When the Wolves Cry” by MJ Morellatu is a darker romance that takes place in Anchorage, Alaska. That aspect alone was intriguing enough for me to start reading. It’s certainly not often where you find an American fiction novel based in Alaska. Consisting of a remote wilderness, Alaska is one of the most interesting states in the country, and it’s completely unreal how underrepresented the community is.
The FMC, Tala, is the daughter to a family of caretakers for a local wolf sanctuary. The sanctuary is pretty well known to the point of it being targeted by dog fighters for their rescued wolves (and other things we learn later on). When Tala loses her grandparents in a suspicious house fire, her grief becomes the catalyst in serious life changes. Leaving her abusive ex, she regains independence by rekindling her old friendships and investigating into her grandparents’ history to find out what they were getting themselves involved in and why.
From there, we meet the MMC, Jax. He is involved in the dog fighting ring to rescue dogs and hold those brutalizing them accountable. He finds himself in Anchorage due to the popularity of this particular “sport” and to chase down the most infamous and powerful man tied up in it all named Pyro. While doing a task for Maverick, Tala’s best friend, the two cross paths, and immediately their fates intertwine. It’s love and obsession at first sight.
Jax and Tala are fun characters. Tala has a strong will and likable personality. Meanwhile Jax is stubborn and takes more of an edgy approach to ahem…certain things, but he grows on you. The reader can instantly feel the heat of their chemistry; not only do they share similar goals and can help each other, but they share two halves of the same heart. Jax is fully ready to dive headfirst into the feelings, however Tala is more anxious as a result from her ex, though she shares the same sentiment. The rest of the book unfolds their blooming, unconventional relationship while also following clues to their mysteries and supporting one another.
Morellatu established a compelling, colorful love story in an unlikely setting with unexpected circumstances. The formula worked. It was a refreshing approach to dark romance that we don’t see often. Such a strong and much needed release in the category from an indie author. 👏
Now, I do have a couple critiques, because I want this book to be the best version of itself it can possibly be.
The first critique is editing. Think it always comes down to that with indie authors. It’s not the biggest deal to me, as the book is completely readable, but some more rounds of editing couldn’t hurt. There are quite a few grammatical and punctuation mistakes that I found on the Kindle edition. Again, not the biggest deal, but it can be improved upon.
The second critique being transitions. Sometimes how the chapters were broken up and how time passed could get a little confusing during certain points. Something could feel like it happened weeks ago, when in reality, only a day passed. A few times it was due to tone, but other times it was from the textual description.
The third being is somewhat of a reworked ending. Jax and Tala’s relationship seemed a bit redundant to where it put somewhat of a pause on the plot. The last chapter or so especially felt especially quick when there was a lot happening to where there was a cliffhanger, to be continued in the second book.
Did I enjoy this? Yes, absolutely. Am I going to read the second book? Possibly sometime in the future. I try my hardest to give constructive, genuine feedback with indie authors because I genuinely want them to flourish. Morellatu has such elegance that I really needed to take quite some time before writing out a review. I want to give it some time before continuing on to the next one, even though I’m dying to know what will happen. Think holding out on my anticipation will allow me to write another thoughtful review.
Congrats, MJ Morellatu for putting out this book. I hope your talent gets the recognition it deserves, because you obviously have so much to give. I’ll be keeping an eye out for you since I want to follow along on your journey. I’m confident you’ll grow the success and support that comes within this community. 💕
📖Read:
April 1, 2026 - April 2, 2026
📝Review:
“When the Wolves Cry” by MJ Morellatu is a darker romance that takes place in Anchorage, Alaska. That aspect alone was intriguing enough for me to start reading. It’s certainly not often where you find an American fiction novel based in Alaska. Consisting of a remote wilderness, Alaska is one of the most interesting states in the country, and it’s completely unreal how underrepresented the community is.
The FMC, Tala, is the daughter to a family of caretakers for a local wolf sanctuary. The sanctuary is pretty well known to the point of it being targeted by dog fighters for their rescued wolves (and other things we learn later on). When Tala loses her grandparents in a suspicious house fire, her grief becomes the catalyst in serious life changes. Leaving her abusive ex, she regains independence by rekindling her old friendships and investigating into her grandparents’ history to find out what they were getting themselves involved in and why.
From there, we meet the MMC, Jax. He is involved in the dog fighting ring to rescue dogs and hold those brutalizing them accountable. He finds himself in Anchorage due to the popularity of this particular “sport” and to chase down the most infamous and powerful man tied up in it all named Pyro. While doing a task for Maverick, Tala’s best friend, the two cross paths, and immediately their fates intertwine. It’s love and obsession at first sight.
Jax and Tala are fun characters. Tala has a strong will and likable personality. Meanwhile Jax is stubborn and takes more of an edgy approach to ahem…certain things, but he grows on you. The reader can instantly feel the heat of their chemistry; not only do they share similar goals and can help each other, but they share two halves of the same heart. Jax is fully ready to dive headfirst into the feelings, however Tala is more anxious as a result from her ex, though she shares the same sentiment. The rest of the book unfolds their blooming, unconventional relationship while also following clues to their mysteries and supporting one another.
Morellatu established a compelling, colorful love story in an unlikely setting with unexpected circumstances. The formula worked. It was a refreshing approach to dark romance that we don’t see often. Such a strong and much needed release in the category from an indie author. 👏
Now, I do have a couple critiques, because I want this book to be the best version of itself it can possibly be.
The first critique is editing. Think it always comes down to that with indie authors. It’s not the biggest deal to me, as the book is completely readable, but some more rounds of editing couldn’t hurt. There are quite a few grammatical and punctuation mistakes that I found on the Kindle edition. Again, not the biggest deal, but it can be improved upon.
The second critique being transitions. Sometimes how the chapters were broken up and how time passed could get a little confusing during certain points. Something could feel like it happened weeks ago, when in reality, only a day passed. A few times it was due to tone, but other times it was from the textual description.
The third being is somewhat of a reworked ending. Jax and Tala’s relationship seemed a bit redundant to where it put somewhat of a pause on the plot. The last chapter or so especially felt especially quick when there was a lot happening to where there was a cliffhanger, to be continued in the second book.
Did I enjoy this? Yes, absolutely. Am I going to read the second book? Possibly sometime in the future. I try my hardest to give constructive, genuine feedback with indie authors because I genuinely want them to flourish. Morellatu has such elegance that I really needed to take quite some time before writing out a review. I want to give it some time before continuing on to the next one, even though I’m dying to know what will happen. Think holding out on my anticipation will allow me to write another thoughtful review.
Congrats, MJ Morellatu for putting out this book. I hope your talent gets the recognition it deserves, because you obviously have so much to give. I’ll be keeping an eye out for you since I want to follow along on your journey. I’m confident you’ll grow the success and support that comes within this community. 💕
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
March 26, 2026page 15 and he’s already like “she’s mine, I’ll kill anyone who gets near her” ??? sir be calm 😭 she walks in and suddenly it’s obsession, destiny, endgame… like, did you just discover women today or what? it’s giving teenage boy who just hit puberty, not a grown man pls 😭 I like my male characters a bit more closed off, give me something to unlock, some build up, not this immediate switch to “I’d kill for you” with zero context. she was actually interesting, not gonna lie, but him? yeah, I didn’t even bother continuing. no way I’m reading a whole book with this energy. just my taste though, if you like this vibe you might still enjoy it
April 5, 2026
The beginning had me HOOKED! Jax is sexy, twisted and protective 🙂↕️🫦 but Tala is equally obsessed 🤭
I highlighted waaaay too much, these characters took my heart!!
Stalking. Connection. Spicy afff.
Also I LOVE LOVE LOVE the covers 🖤🖤
I highlighted waaaay too much, these characters took my heart!!
Stalking. Connection. Spicy afff.
Also I LOVE LOVE LOVE the covers 🖤🖤
April 1, 2026
I can’t even put into words right now about how I feel about Jax and Tala. Just know they’re the epitome of soulmates and cataclysmic love.
Jax Scythe I wish you were a real man-clearly I highlighted what you said enough.
Jax Scythe I wish you were a real man-clearly I highlighted what you said enough.
April 2, 2026
3.75 🌟
April 1, 2026
I really wanted to love this but it didn’t spark anything special it’s either me or the book idk.. 🥲🥲 won’t be reading book 2
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews