The Lunatics

Lunatics #1

by Navessa Allen

Layla Fitzpatrick lives a simple life, for a werewolf. And that's just how she likes it. Her childhood was less than ideal. She'd like to spend her adult years flying under the radar of more powerful preternatural creatures. Because she knows from experience what happens when they notice you. Everything changes one early summer night when she attends a ritual bonding ceremony meant to join two werewolves together for life. Midway through, the spell becomes corrupted and she finds herself unexpectedly mated to the stuffiest shifter she's ever laid eyes on.

Michael Kolbeck is more man than wolf. He spends his days in a skyscraper, building his family's empire. At night, he prowls the streets of Boston, a city where shifters, witches, and vampires walk a delicate tightrope of ceasefire masquerading as peace. Little do they know that Layla's arrival will act as the spark that ignites the fire, and that thin veneer of peace is about to vanish.

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romantasy, Fiction

Paperback

First published November 26, 2019

About the author

Navessa Allen lives on a 200-year-old farm in rural New England with her husband, their cats, and an assorted collection of farm animals.

To keep up with her latest projects, check out her Patreon Page or subscribe to her website.

Reviews

[Navessa]

The Lunatics (Volume One) is now available on Amazon and Smashwords.

The official release date is November 26. As a reminder, you can read advanced chapters of it over on Patreon. This is fast-paced paranormal romance meets urban fantasy in serialized form, so each installment is between 70-80k words.

Volume One is the first 21 chapters, and Volume Two will start on Chapter 22. I plan to continuously post this series to the site, so anyone too impatient to wait for the release of the next installment doesn't have to!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge paranormal romance and urban fantasy fan so I knew going in that this was going to be just my kind of story but it's like Navessa Allen has been rooting around inside my head and plucked out every single item on my wish list for this kind of book then meshed it all together into The Lunatics. We have a strong, independent, intelligent heroine who knows what she wants from life and isn't afraid to go looking for it. Then there's a hero who is alpha without being over the top about it, he's sexy but in a more subtle way than a lot of heroes you read about and he doesn't mind when a woman is physically stronger than him. Throw in fantastic world building, a society where race, sexuality and gender seem to matter very little and a great cast of side characters and I'm hooked.

Layla and Michael are thrown together by circumstance, having a mate is not something either of them was ready for but they both accept the situation when they're accidentally bonded in a ceremony gone wrong. Neither of them is willing to rush into a relationship no matter how attracted they are to each other or how much their new bond is messing with their emotions but they're not pushing each other away or fighting it either. Instead they take time to get to know each other, they gradually build trust between them and they discuss the possibilities for their future like adults so that they're both fully on board with every choice they make. I love the slow build of their relationship, the chemistry is simmering along nicely in the background pretty much from first sight but it takes a long time before they're willing to take that step into a physical relationship.

Layla is really laid back and much more relaxed than Michael, she fully accepts her werewolf side and is happy to spend time both as a wolf and as a human. She enjoys spending time with her family and her pack and is happy to live a fairly simple life. Michael on the other hand has grown up learning how to suppress his wolf instincts, his family live in the city and they spend nearly all their time as humans. It's a careful balancing act in Boston with territory split between the werewolves, vampires and witches while the human population is completely oblivious to their very existence. For Layla living in the city is a real test, the sights, sounds and scents are completely overwhelming to her senses and she's walking on a tightrope over a field full of political landmines having no idea what wrong move could set off an explosion. Michael tries hard to help her fit in but it's fair to say his family are a nightmare and I think things are only going to get worse before they get better.

While the story doesn't end on a cliffhanger it did leave me desperate to get my hands on Volume Two so I'll be eagerly awaiting the next instalment. I have a feeling this is going to become one of my favourite series!

In interests of full disclosure I have to point out that Navessa is a very close friend of mine, however that hasn't affected this review or my rating. I purchased this book myself and these are my honest opinions of the story.

______________

One of my closest friends is officially a published author! Not that this is the first book that she's written, but it is the first one to go up on sale on Amazon. I'm so happy for her

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart

If you’ve followed my reading habits for any length of time, you know I’m a huge fan of the strangers marry trope. When I saw that The Lunatics is one step up from that with a forced mating of werewolf shifters, I was so in. That is my favorite trope but on steroids.

The Lunatics: Volume One is the first part of a serial story in a published format. It is the tale of how Layla and Michael, two very different kinds of werewolves, went to a mating ceremony to support someone close to them and ended up mated together against their will. Not only do they lead very different kinds of lives, neither was looking to complicate it with another person.
There seems to be some foul magic afoot either from the goddess herself, witches or maybe the vampires. But before any of that can be addressed, they have to go up against something else…their new in-laws.

Layla comes from a pack in the woods, they live simply and with the land. Michael’s pack is in the city, they have different rules, priorities and ideas about shifting. Each will have to make compromises for the other and find a way to balance between the wild of Layla and the control of Michael.

I enjoyed getting to know the two characters and getting some hints of the challenges they will be facing. Between the danger from other pack members, the witches and the Vamps there looks to be plenty of obstacles stacked against them.

“Then it will get out eventually,” Ronald said. “You know it’s better to get ahead of her. Put it out yourself. That way you can control the way it’s done and we won’t find ourselves in an unplanned shitstorm.”
I couldn’t help it. “Which is somehow better than a planned shitstorm?”
Ronald looked at me and nodded, expression flat. “At least in a planned one you know where to stand with the umbrella.”

The way the mating bond worked throughout the book was also interesting and I thought it was nuanced and added to the overall story. How would marriage be if you could really tell some of the thoughts and all of the feelings you spouse was really having?

This does end at a semi-dramatic place, not really a cliff hanger but something that would make you want to pick up the next chapters right away if they were available.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

11 May 2020: $0.99 on Kindle
24 January 2020: FREE on amazon this weekend!! Trust me, you want this book!’

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

This was a great beginning to the series. It had a slow burn between the mates we get introduced to and it has me salivating for the next entry.

I loved the idea of the accidental/forced bonding of these two wolves and I loved how they handled it and were so respectful to each other.

Well I find it hard to fully judge, since this very much is volume 1 of Michael and Layla's story, I highly recommend this book if you love Fated Mates and paranormal stories.

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would be perfect if it didn't end on a cliff hanger, and get me excited to dive into book two, only to find out that I have to pay per chapter on patreon and it never got finished. My frustration is so real because I was really enjoying the story and characters.

[Mónica BQ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

Very fast paced first installment of an addictive urban fantasy/paranormal romance that totally got me hooked and ready for the rest. Both Layla and Michael are characters I liked and I am now cheering up for.

I'm totally on board with the paranormal world being built up here and I am completely into the whole werewolf pack wars and battles against evil vampires with magic on top of it. This is exactly the kind of reading I'm looking for right now.

My only two issues with it are that certain topics were introduced kinda in a preachy way, that I didn't appreciate. And that I'm uncomfortable with the way the romance and the relationship development is left in this book. Seeing as I am reading primarily for the romance, I am particularly disappointed by this, because Volume 2 isn't even written yet.

I am tentatively excited for the next part, hoping there's more romance to it.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lunatics was a fun read. It reminded me of Twilight on steroids. I’m just so annoyed by that ending! I’m assuming there’s no second book in sight because I’ve read some of her newer stuff before.

[2TNWalkers · Rating 2 out of 5]

this story grabbed my attention and held it. No grammatical issues, well thought out plot…only negative ended on a cliffhanger and no date for a next book considering this book was published in 2019..and I am not paying to join her platform to finish this story…

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

WHERE IS BOOK TWO?!

This had me hooked and I got left on a cliffhanger! Werewolves, vampires, witches. I have so many questions.

[Amanda Blanche · Rating 3 out of 5]

Werewolf - mate paranormal romance from one of my favourite dark rom com writers? Sign me up. I saw the cover was newly updated (and beautiful) and I’m hoping that means that volume 2 is more of a sure thing and complete.

This was fast paced and fun, but for me, missing depth - I found it just skimmed the surface of what the story can be. I love Layla as the FMC, and even Michael really grew on me as well. I just feel like I wanted more out of it.

Layla was only going to be an observer and support her best friend at her packs mating ceremony - when all of a sudden, she ends up getting magically pulled into the ceremony and unwillingly bonded to the stuffiest wolf shifter ever - Michael. They are like water and oil, city and small town, outspoken and reserved. But now irreversibly bonded, the two must figure out their connection and Layla will be thrown into a whole new world when she goes to the city with Micheal - werewolves, witches and vampires! Oh my.

[Jessica Frances · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a story! I was super intrigued just from the synopsis, but I didn't realise how easily I'd fall into this story and world. And let's start there. The world created here was interesting and exciting. There was a lot to establish, but it wasn't done in an overwhelming way. It felt easy to follow and understand. The story was also a unique take on a shifter/paranormal story. Layla's eyes were a great vehicle to see this world through. She was a heroine who was strong, smart, and brave, but also realistic, understandable, and patient. I think her and Michael's relationship was one of my favourite parts of this book. They were honest, open, and respectful of each other. Also, their chemistry which bubbled in the background for the entire book was so well done. I also loved that this didn't fall into the cliché of women hating on women, of having the alpha male have to be the strongest at all times, and then feeling emasculated when a woman proved she could be much stronger. Michael is a hero that isn't intimidated by a strong woman and isn't threatened by one. Drool!! This clearly is an adult book written for adults! Plus there was so much humour! I craved Michael's smiles and amusement as much as Layla did, and his snarky lines always delivered.

So, I definitely recommend you picking up this book. The writing is sharp and easy to fall into, the plot is interesting and exciting, the romance is fun, the secondary characters well-rounded, and while it ends somewhat in the middle of the story, it doesn't feel like a frustrating cliffhanger. To me, it feels like a promise of the crazy things still to come. I can't wait for more!

[CJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, know that this is NOT a complete story, it is part one of an ongoing serial of which parts two and onward have not yet been released. I did not know this when I purchased it as no mention of being incomplete and part of a serial was made in the book description.

That being said, this was an intriguing story with interesting characters and drama. If this story ever gets completed published as a single book, I will buy it because it was that good, otherwise I will not as waiting for weeks/months/years to get the next chapter is not something I enjoy.

[Kristina Nichole]

I have no clue what this is, but am I going to read it?

YESSSSSSSSS

[Holly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bruh. A half baked lore dump at the end with medicore smut and a man that's five foot NINE?

[Megan Witsche · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: Paranormal Urban Romantasy, Werewolf Shifter, Corrupted Bonding/Accidental Mating, Grumpy & Sunshine, Opposites Attract, Forced Proximity, Fated Mates with a Twist

Review No Spoilers: Layla Fitzpatrick prefers a quiet, simple life running free in the woods of northern New Hampshire. After a difficult childhood, her goal is to fly completely under the radar of powerful supernatural beings.

Layla attends a ritual bonding ceremony strictly to support her best friend. Midway through the ritual, the spell becomes corrupted by an unexpected force. The corrupted magic seizes Layla and binds her to Michael Kolbeck, an arrogant, city-dwelling shifter who is completely her opposite. Layla is closely attuned to her wild, wolf instincts. Michael is "more man than wolf," spending his days in a pristine business suit running his family's corporate empire.

Layla is forced to move into Michael's territory in Boston. The overwhelming city environment and Michael’s nightmare inducing family present immediate challenges. Boston is under a fragile ceasefire where werewolves, witches, and vampires walk an uneasy tightrope. Layla and Michael's accidental, highly unusual bond acts as a spark that threatens to shatter the peace and ignite a massive supernatural war.

To survive the political landmines and keep the city from erupting, the two unlikely allies must find a way to navigate their forced connection and unlock the true power of their mating bond.

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Amelia Blackmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: The Lunatics
Author: Navessa Allen
Series: Lunatics, 1

Format: NetGalley ebook
Genre: Fantasy, romance
Overall score:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice level:🌶️🌶️🌶️
POV’s: Layla (FMC) & Michael (MMC)

What to expect:
*Wolf shifter characters
*Fated mate romance
*Cliffhanger ending

Safety:
No OW/OM drama, some on page fighting and violence. No third act breakup.

Review:
I wasn’t expecting the cliffhanger ending, I just saw the Navessa Allen title and immediately requested the book. I wasn’t aware that this was a previously published book and the next part of the series isn’t available unless you subscribe to the authors Patreon.

Regardless of the second book issues, this title was very well written and entertaining. I love fated mates and wolf shifters so this was right up my alley! I loved the connection between the two main characters, they didn’t let the forced mating prevent them from finding their happiness with each other.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read and review this title!

[Jae Ritchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 5 This was a fun read that didn't require a great deal of mental lift. I am definitely going to be reading the next book. Layla and Michael are well marched. I am eager to see how their story plays out. Her parents are quite funny and his are quite the opposite.

[Grace S · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am legit so confused as to where the rest of this book is…

[ML Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different take on shifters. Quite interesting.

[Caroline Main · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥
The Lunatics: Vol 1
by Navessa Allen

I’ve absolutely loved Navessa Allen’s Into Darkness series so I’ve been slowly making my back through her previous works. This one was a bit different from her and it’s apparent that it was written earlier in her writing days. That said, I still enjoyed it a lot and wish that there had been a continuation/conclusion of the series. I found the storyline super interesting - wolf shifters who get mated against their will in a twist of fate from a goddess only one of them believes in. Maybe someday we’ll get the rest🤞🏻

[slay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is just a first half of the entire book.

I liked this author's book "Lights Out" and I thought that this one will be like that. Sadly this book did let me down a bit. The writing wasn't on the level of "Lights Out", the interactions between the characters also wasn't at that level (I know that in this book, they don't know eachother like that, but their interactions weren't described at the same level like "Lights Out", it was seriously lacking), the smut also not on that level (once again, yes they're strangers and good thing that it wasn't instant attraction, BUT once it happened, it wasn't as well portrayed as it was in "LO") and this book could have used more editing for grammar (being that this one is actually finished and "Lights Out" only had the first 14 chapters of an unfinished work, where you would actually expect mistakes).

What I liked about this book: MMC always treated the FMC right, they were strangers, so he was polite. Later on, he was always super helpful and kind to Layla. The scene (them holding hands in a cave, while she tries to help him with his powers) where she discovers that he likes her is priceless, it was so cute. The chemistry at some points was good and had me giggling and kicking my feet lol.

What I disliked: the scenes were too fast paced. They arrive at his house, they go eat with the family, they run away, they are at that apartment, they encounter the vampire, they go to her parents, they run together, they discover their shared powers, they go back to her parents, the killer vampire comes, dumps stuff on her, deletes her memories, he is all of a sudden very cold, they return to the city, he is away from her, his sister picks her up -THE END-

I won't be reading the next book.

[Razan Zher · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is so much repetetive and unimportant info in this book that its killing me slowly, but I love shifter Romance and I love that the mates themselves weren’t toxic which isn’t a given in this genre of books , loved allen from lights out and the width of the characters is still here and I love all the funny moments. Butttt and a big but , it was such a slow romance i wanted to die also she kept asking questions about him and her had with Voice in them out, and I just couldn’t anymore. I love sister romance, but this one flopped so hard. Like how can you write something so beautiful but then can read this book don’t get me wrong. It wasn’t that bad, but it still was bad (for me) . at one point I was skipping long paragraphs because nothing was happening and also what the fuck is happening in Boston and I will not be reading the second book.

[Anna Yegs · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This started off sooo strong but vacation Anna is ruthless, DNF at ~35%. I appreciate the concept and love the city of Boston as the backdrop, but after the super engaging start I was so bored. The tension between the main characters feels so artificial, and I feel like there was a great enemies to lovers opportunity squandered here. We also get too much history lessons before being invested in the story.

That being said if you are a werewolf book fanatic you will eat this up for the vibes.

[Miranda Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

crap!! I did not need this to end on a dang cliff hanger!! I am a Navessa slut and I will forever stand on this rock. Right now. I need more and more information about what the hell is about to happen next because I am dangling on this cliff!!!!!!!!

[Sigrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️,5 🐺🧛‍♀️

[Em Louise · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really enjoy urban supernatural novels but this was not a good fit for me. It ticked all the boxes but the delivery was at best juvenile and cliched. At one point I accidentally skipped forward a few chapters and didn’t even notice for a while because everything was repeated and simplified at every step. Not for me at all.

[Phoebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

SUMMARY:
Layla Fitzpatrick lives a simple life, for a werewolf. Everything changes when she attends a ritual bonding ceremony meant to join two werewolves together for life. Midway through, the spell becomes corrupted and she finds herself unexpectedly mated to the stuffiest shifter she's ever laid eyes on. Michael Kolbeck spends his days in a skyscraper, building his family's empire. At night, he prowls the streets of Boston, a city where shifters, witches, and vampires walk a delicate tightrope of ceasefire masquerading as peace. Little do they know that Layla's arrival will act as the spark that ignites the fire, and that thin veneer of peace is about to vanish.

REVIEW:
The Lunatics is only the first part of what I'm guessing supposed to be either a duology or series. Layla and Michael are total opposite werewolves that are accidentally bonded in a ritual bonding ceremony that they both came to just to support their loved ones. The moment that Layla finds out that she has mate bonded with Michael was a bit funny as they are total opposites that in the end could be what the other needs as a life mate. I really enjoyed the moment that Layla had to sit on Michael's wolf with her jaw on his neck to get him to calm down.

The moment that Layla and Michael were able to truly let their bond both emotional and physical take over was just what they needed. I enjoyed reading all they both had to go through to make this very unexpected mating bond work for them both since Layla is a very powerful werewolf from a mostly extinct back and Michael is a mystic werewolf that has many secrets. I enjoyed the reading this book but I just hate that it ended on a cliffhanger that I know is not going to be completed as the author has moved onto other stories with some of the second part on her Patreon that you need to pay to access.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

WOW. The Lunatics is a an exceptional UF/PR novel from indie author Navessa Allen. I basically inhaled the book in two sittings and I cannot wait for the sequel! The story is well written, the characters are great and very engaging. Layla and Michael are pretty cool characters and I loved reading about his feelings through their bond - it was really well done and a nice variation on the defrosting ice prince trope. I like the fact that Michael was not written as stand-offish, arrogant asshole but as somebody who is just very reserved and shy (and also with good reason, as the story reveals later on). That was such a refreshing change from the frequent ashhole-douchebag-but-not-really-but-kinda-really in the genre.

The author clearly spent a lot of time on research regarding locations and preparing the backstory & mythology and I think this really elevates this novel from so many stories in the shifter/werewolf genre.. I have come a lot of shifter stories which are basically "real world plus shifters but with no background story and mythology so let's get straight to the sex" and this so different and so worth it. The story setup is very ambitious - I read the very first (public?) iteration of the author's earlier work, Scandal, years ago and it is very satisfying to see how much Allen has developed her craft. This is good. If I had to compare this to anybody else, I would probably say that Lunatics measures up to the scale and potential of Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series paired with a touch of Anne Bishop's The Others. I cannot wait for the sequel!

[Gena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite liked this, a slightly different take on the fated mates idea. Michael and Layla were open in working through the issues. Of course the book ends on a few secrets and sets up for book two but this didn't leave me disappointed.