Forbidden: An Enemies-to-Lovers Paranormal Romance: A Cursed Pack Novel

by Colleen Delaney

A witch is the only thing standing between him and happiness…but she might be the key to it all.

Witches curse. Wolves leave.

Grayson Volk is a wolf shifter with a force the descendent of Martha Goodchild to lift the curse on his line. But when he finds Iris—Martha’s great-great-granddaughter—all his plans turn to ash. Iris is headstrong, sassy, and has had more trouble with shifters than the average witch. It would take a miracle for him to force her do anything, let alone break a curse.

When Iris Goodchild wakes up with a wolf shifter sitting on her chest, her day is more than ruined. When he asks her to lift the warranted curse work laid down by her ancestor, Iris refuses immediately. But then, Grayson decides to change his approach—he’ll fix things around her house and help her with her cougar shifter problem on the promise that someday she’ll lift the curse.

As time passes and the two realize that more than the curse is keeping them together, Grayson must should he leave Iris behind before he hurts her? And can Iris break the curse and let him go?

FORBIDDEN is an intense, enemies-to-lovers paranormal romance with star-crossed lovers, a shifter-witch relationship, and a north woods setting.

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 7, 2026

Reviews

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story. It swept me away with its perfect blend of paranormal romance, emotional depth, and cozy North Woods vibes. The enemies-to-lovers romance between Grayson and Iris felt natural and well-earned, and I found myself all-in for their journey.

Grayson has officially earned a spot on my book boyfriend list. Yes, he's protective, but he never diminished Iris's strength. He knows she's powerful in her own right. Watching Grayson take care of Iris when she has the worst period of her life had me absolutely swooning. He buys her tampons and chocolates and cheese and takes care of her animals!

Iris was just as wonderful. A woodsy witch who can talk to animals? Honestly, that's everything I want to be. I loved her confidence, her sass, and the way she stayed true to herself throughout the story.

The romance had me deep in my feels. The fears they both carried, the weight of the curse hanging over every moment, and the uncertainty of what it all meant for their future made this so much more emotional than I expected. I was sobbing more than once.

Between the cozy atmosphere, the witch and shifter lore, the lovable characters, and a romance that made me laugh, cry, and swoon, I couldn't put this one down. The ending was so sweet, and I already can't wait to see where this series goes next.

If you love paranormal romance, witches, shifters, protective heroes who respect capable heroines, and romances that pack an emotional punch, don't sleep on this one.

[Ingrid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This paranormal romance brings together a wolf shifter and a witch under difficult circumstances when she is asked to lift a curse cast by her great-grandmother. What begins as a relationship built on suspicion gradually develops into something much deeper.

One of my favorite aspects of the story was how both characters had to confront their own assumptions. Each of them carries prejudices about the other's kind, and rather than resolving everything instantly, the author allows those misconceptions to be challenged one by one. Watching them learn to trust each other and see beyond old stereotypes made the romance feel authentic and rewarding.

The blend of magic, shifter lore, and romance creates an engaging story with plenty of heart. The characters grow individually as well as together, making their happy ending feel well earned.

Overall, this is an enjoyable paranormal romance with memorable characters, thoughtful character development, and a romance built on trust and understanding. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would happily recommend it to fans of wolf shifter romances.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The vibe and aesthetic: 🐈‍⬛🍁🌲🎃🐺🍂🏕️🌳

The story jumps right in with Greyson, the alpha wolf shifter of his family/pack who has been dealing with a multigenerational curse setting out on a journey to break said curse by finding and attempting to convince the descendant of the witch who cursed them, Iris, to break it.
The characters are in their mid to late 30s which is always appreciated in a romance book for me. The dialogue and their story was enjoyable. The plot was predictable but in a good way- it’s a great book to enjoy if you’re anxious, overwhelmed, or stressed.

BONUS: THERE ARE KITTENS!! They’re perfect.

This, like Colleen Delaney’s other works was a quick wonderful cozy read. I’ve yet to find another author who can make a paranormal romance book feel like a warm cup of tea on a cold, rainy autumn day.

Thank you for the ARC! I’m excited to continue this new series!

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grayson is an alpha wolf shifter and he’s trying to find the descendant of the witch that cursed his pack. He definitely didn’t expect to find Iris. And of course she wasn’t going to line the curse because she didn’t want anything to do with shifters. So Grayson proposes that he’ll hello her wherever needed and if in given time she lift the curse, then so be it. But the more time these two spend together, Iris is starting to realize that it isn’t about the curse when it came to the two of them. It was simply them. These two were spectacular. I loved seeing them together and slowly building something between them. This was a really great story. My only disgruntle, I wanted more.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 1 of Cursed Pack. And a wonderful start it is! Look forward to more from this world.

XFORBIDDEN is an intense, enemies-to-lovers paranormal romance with star-crossed lovers, a shifter-witch relationship, and a north woods setting.'

The characters were very appealing and complex and complicated and absolutely perfect together. Plot was intriguing and exciting and well paced. World building was excellent and impressive. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jodie Cary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new author for me and now I am HOOKED! I loved Iris and Grayson; I loved the chemistry. Witches and Shifters and Curses.
I was hooked into the characters' lives right from the start of the book and couldn't put it down. Awesome read! Awesome characters! Awesome storyline. I can't wait to read more and more.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ladnamal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet story and I loved how Iris and Grayson's relationship slowly grew and developed. Grayson was so caring and Iris' animals were all adorable.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read very many shifter romances, but I loved this one. Grayson is all about his pack and helping them live happy lives, even if it means he has to go find the descendant of the witch who cursed his family line. He was not expecting Iris, and how headstrong she is. Iris wants nothing to do with shifters and has been plagued by them enough already. I absolutely loved that, even though they hate one another, he didn't like seeing how bad things were for her due to the other shifters. I loved that Grayson sees a problem and fixes it. I think my favorite part of this book was how many animals Iris collects and mothers. I loved that her pets were immediately like "We like him!" while Iris is like "You are all traitors", that honestly brought me so much joy. This was such a cozy story; I loved that it was set almost entirely in Iris's cabin.

I feel like I need to read The Wolves of Luven series now, based on how much I loved this book!