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SHIFT Squad #1
Sealed to the Alpha Wolf
She married her one-night stand to keep him out of prison...
Henrik Haller is the worst kind of womanizer. He's an alpha werewolf and a SEAL, and after a one-night stand with curvy Celia Snow, he knows he might have just found his mate. But when he kills to protect her, she agrees to a sham marriage to save his hide.
He's insufferable and full of himself, and she loves to hate him...
Haller doesn't seem to realize the marriage is fake, but she's seen his inner wolf at its worst, and she's afraid he's too dangerous to be with. But Haller won't take no for an answer, and it's oh-so hard to say no to those rock-hard abs and devilish charm.
But when things get dangerous, she's glad her husband is a Navy SEAL...
He's a Navy SEAL turned mercenary, and he's the kind of man that has a lot of enemies. When the most monstrous of shifters swears revenge on him and his wife, Haller shows that his bite is even worse than his bark. He'll do anything to protect his wife.
Will it be enough to convince Celia that he's not just a fake husband, and that he's worthy of being her mate? Find out in this full, stand-alone full, 50,000 word novel with no cliffhanger, dragons, steamy sex, and a great Happily Ever After!
Henrik Haller is the worst kind of womanizer. He's an alpha werewolf and a SEAL, and after a one-night stand with curvy Celia Snow, he knows he might have just found his mate. But when he kills to protect her, she agrees to a sham marriage to save his hide.
He's insufferable and full of himself, and she loves to hate him...
Haller doesn't seem to realize the marriage is fake, but she's seen his inner wolf at its worst, and she's afraid he's too dangerous to be with. But Haller won't take no for an answer, and it's oh-so hard to say no to those rock-hard abs and devilish charm.
But when things get dangerous, she's glad her husband is a Navy SEAL...
He's a Navy SEAL turned mercenary, and he's the kind of man that has a lot of enemies. When the most monstrous of shifters swears revenge on him and his wife, Haller shows that his bite is even worse than his bark. He'll do anything to protect his wife.
Will it be enough to convince Celia that he's not just a fake husband, and that he's worthy of being her mate? Find out in this full, stand-alone full, 50,000 word novel with no cliffhanger, dragons, steamy sex, and a great Happily Ever After!
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 21, 2016
38 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
Aya Morningstar
39 books175 followersAya Morningstar lives in Denver, where she toils her days away in a drab office. By night, Aya brings to life sizzling characters who will make you squirm.
She writes with a hot cup of Earl Grey and her loyal werecorgi by her side.
She writes with a hot cup of Earl Grey and her loyal werecorgi by her side.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
December 20, 2016
Haller...the big shot, tough talking guy...meets the one woman he can't play with. Celia is getting over an ex when she one night stands it with Haller. The next morning as he is walking away , his wolf tells him to go back. He does, in time to see Celia's ex choking her. With the only thought of protection, Haller kills the guy. Now, to save Haller, Celia has to marry her protector...
I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review and I honestly can't wait for more of these guys!!
I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review and I honestly can't wait for more of these guys!!
May 26, 2016
what a ride this story was!!! loved the characters, loved the bickering, loved the interaction. the hints from their pasts only will give you question and the need to know more about the others in the squad!
Haller is off duty, but on cal, when he's visiting a bar, always in hope of finding his true mate. sure he had been a womanizer in the past but lately he's longing for a family and pups. when his eye falls upon Celia, his wolf is very happy. he knows he can't really push for things but what he can do is get to know her and hope he can spend some time with her. their attraction is like oil on a hot plate: sizzling.
celia wakes up alone though she had hoped Haller would still be next to her. what should have been a nice morning waking up together quickly turns into the worst situation when her stalker ex forces himself upon her.
haller had been called away from celia, with pain in his heart he had left her bed, but barely twenty steps away his wolf had bad feelings and wanted him to return and check up on her. what he walked into was more then his wolf could take and he ends up killing the man. what follows has them all in a twist. celia is grateful that her ex can't stalk her anymore, she understands that it puts haller in a difficult situation being a former SEAL. but when his lawyer approaches her and tells her what is also going on, who they really are and what will happen if she has to testify.
what started as a one night stand for her now ends in a real, on the go wedding, and a thirty day charade to convince the court it is real. as one by one his shift squad members start appearing they're sure more is going on then them having to parade as a married couple.
but how far does the charade go? will it stay a charade?
awesome read and i can't wait to read the rest of this series!
Haller is off duty, but on cal, when he's visiting a bar, always in hope of finding his true mate. sure he had been a womanizer in the past but lately he's longing for a family and pups. when his eye falls upon Celia, his wolf is very happy. he knows he can't really push for things but what he can do is get to know her and hope he can spend some time with her. their attraction is like oil on a hot plate: sizzling.
celia wakes up alone though she had hoped Haller would still be next to her. what should have been a nice morning waking up together quickly turns into the worst situation when her stalker ex forces himself upon her.
haller had been called away from celia, with pain in his heart he had left her bed, but barely twenty steps away his wolf had bad feelings and wanted him to return and check up on her. what he walked into was more then his wolf could take and he ends up killing the man. what follows has them all in a twist. celia is grateful that her ex can't stalk her anymore, she understands that it puts haller in a difficult situation being a former SEAL. but when his lawyer approaches her and tells her what is also going on, who they really are and what will happen if she has to testify.
what started as a one night stand for her now ends in a real, on the go wedding, and a thirty day charade to convince the court it is real. as one by one his shift squad members start appearing they're sure more is going on then them having to parade as a married couple.
but how far does the charade go? will it stay a charade?
awesome read and i can't wait to read the rest of this series!
May 11, 2016
Humorous situations among strong characters.
Haller (really is his last name) and his inner wolf are confused and conflicted when he meets Celia his mate. The conversation between Haller and his wolf are hilarious because it doesn't want Haller to waste his seeds in frivolous pursuits. He's part of a seal shifter covert unit. He makes a mistake, revealing their shifter status. Haller is forced to marry Celia and lived in the suburbs as a cover to protect her.
Dangerous situations occurs protecting his mate. The plot thicken while he takes over the cooking and like this.
I laughed, gasped during the suspenseful scenes, and continued to read glued to my chair. The characters are strong, funny, and totally believable. This is a great book. Highly recommended.
Bookwormsuzy@yahoo.com
Haller (really is his last name) and his inner wolf are confused and conflicted when he meets Celia his mate. The conversation between Haller and his wolf are hilarious because it doesn't want Haller to waste his seeds in frivolous pursuits. He's part of a seal shifter covert unit. He makes a mistake, revealing their shifter status. Haller is forced to marry Celia and lived in the suburbs as a cover to protect her.
Dangerous situations occurs protecting his mate. The plot thicken while he takes over the cooking and like this.
I laughed, gasped during the suspenseful scenes, and continued to read glued to my chair. The characters are strong, funny, and totally believable. This is a great book. Highly recommended.
Bookwormsuzy@yahoo.com
March 16, 2016
Loved both stories
I didn't realize there were two full stories so it was a surprise!
Both are well written and easy to read.
Both have characters that hopefully will have their own story.
Where the first story was serious, the second eventually had a cute hea.
I think I will enjoy following Aya Morningstar.
I didn't realize there were two full stories so it was a surprise!
Both are well written and easy to read.
Both have characters that hopefully will have their own story.
Where the first story was serious, the second eventually had a cute hea.
I think I will enjoy following Aya Morningstar.
June 4, 2016
Haller is a shifter that kills to save Celia, then she marries him to save him from jail !! This is the 1st book in the SHIFT Squad by Aya Morningstar and it's fantastic, full of sexy fun, full blown fight scenes and a love that transcends a "fake" marriage, to be come the truest thing either of them have ever known. 5☆'sexy all the way , can't wait for book 2.
June 22, 2017
Sealed to the alpha wolf review
Okay, so I found myself reading this book solely for the wolf's commentary at one point. But it was so funny I couldn't help it. The plot was well done, but I wish there was a little more development. I was completely surprised that the book ended at 56%. There were some misspellings added words, dropped words and some sentence structures need to be changed. But all in all I really enjoyed this book. I laughed out loud every time the wolf said anything and that right there makes this an awesome book.
Okay, so I found myself reading this book solely for the wolf's commentary at one point. But it was so funny I couldn't help it. The plot was well done, but I wish there was a little more development. I was completely surprised that the book ended at 56%. There were some misspellings added words, dropped words and some sentence structures need to be changed. But all in all I really enjoyed this book. I laughed out loud every time the wolf said anything and that right there makes this an awesome book.
February 24, 2016
This is a new-to-me author, and I must admit to being pleasantly surprised. Haller's wolf was definitely not the stereotype in shifter books. His thoughts were a bit more in line with what you'd expect in an animal- not the common characterization of an equally intelligent entity to that of a human. In other words, he was a bit of a doofus- and amusing to me. Enjoyed both characters, and will be reading more from this author.
March 1, 2016
Double Trouble
This edition contains a free copy of Unbearable Cage, an MMA themed novella, with a different bad boy type than the featured novella, SEALED to the Alpha Wolf. Both have fierce, flawed and protective H's and strong, independent, but supportive h's. I enjoyed them both and will be looking for more books by Aya Morningstar. This was a KU Library read.
This edition contains a free copy of Unbearable Cage, an MMA themed novella, with a different bad boy type than the featured novella, SEALED to the Alpha Wolf. Both have fierce, flawed and protective H's and strong, independent, but supportive h's. I enjoyed them both and will be looking for more books by Aya Morningstar. This was a KU Library read.
April 10, 2016
I just could not put it down. I stayed up all night reading until the very end.
I loved all the excitement, the intensity between these characters.
Haller is so the Alpha Wolf, I adored Celia's strength when dealing with everything that was thrown at her.
Hell you can't go wrong with Wolves. Bears. Even a Dragon or two...
I loved all the excitement, the intensity between these characters.
Haller is so the Alpha Wolf, I adored Celia's strength when dealing with everything that was thrown at her.
Hell you can't go wrong with Wolves. Bears. Even a Dragon or two...
February 22, 2016
Arc review
For honest review. As a member of s.h.I.f.t Schaller can't believe he has found his mate in Celia see their story .This story has a lot of action in it .I really enjoyed this .
For honest review. As a member of s.h.I.f.t Schaller can't believe he has found his mate in Celia see their story .This story has a lot of action in it .I really enjoyed this .
May 9, 2016
Sealed To The Alpha Wolf(Shift Squad)
Fighting was the last thing on Cages mind,but to keep his sister safe AndRew there would be one more fight.This story was great,a real nail bitter when it comes to the fight scenes.Read this book it's great.
Fighting was the last thing on Cages mind,but to keep his sister safe AndRew there would be one more fight.This story was great,a real nail bitter when it comes to the fight scenes.Read this book it's great.
May 14, 2016
Great intro story
I am so interested in the SHIFT squad after reading this book. As per usual, Aya Morningstar tells a great story with hilarious inner shifter dialogue and a cute HEA. I'm looking forward to Demians story in the next book.
I am so interested in the SHIFT squad after reading this book. As per usual, Aya Morningstar tells a great story with hilarious inner shifter dialogue and a cute HEA. I'm looking forward to Demians story in the next book.
April 16, 2016
safe read but not for me
April 14, 2016
Great read!
I loved this book! It was fast paced, with both romantic and angst ridden parts! Loved the Navy Seal shifter.
I loved this book! It was fast paced, with both romantic and angst ridden parts! Loved the Navy Seal shifter.
September 23, 2020
MAJOR Plot spoilers ahead. Read at your own risk.
I have been coming to realize the more and more romance e-books that I read that under 200 tend to have the same problem for me. They tend to be heavy on the sexy times and very low on the emotional/falling in love aspect, which I really didn’t/don’t care for. I like an even balance between the emotional side of a romance and the physical side of romance. I want both, not either or. I want the entire picture of the romance from beginning, middle, and end where it feels complete. It feels satisfying to me while reading as well as reflecting back on it. I want to believe that the couple is intense in love and has that soul mate type of feeling to them. I want to root for them. I want to cry for them. I want it to make me feel whole. It feels special like it is a romance to that unique couple, not like I have read this storyline over and over again with nothing memorable about it. I want to feel the impact in my bones and my soul. I just don’t feel like those less 200 page e-romance due it for me, which probably due to the length of the story, but I still want those feels even in a shorter format otherwise it doesn’t work for me. This particular story I felt exactly that.
First off I will say going in I was a little nervous about his story. In the description of the story, it mentioned about Haller and Celia having a one night stand. Now I don’t care for the whole one night stand trope, and I tend to avoid them as much as possible because I know that just sets the tone for the entire book for me and usually it’s not on the favorable side. There were times I could get over the one night stand, but everything else has to be done really well for me to discount it. But the reason that I wanted to go forward with this read was the second half of the synopsis, which indicated a fake marriage trope with it alluding to a hate-to-love situation, which were some fun tropes that I really enjoy especially if it lead to some really tense and angsty filled moments, which always tend to be my bread and butter. Plus fated mates with the werewolf thing, which I love, I thought why not give this a shot.
Then things didn’t go as smoothly as I would have liked especially in the beginning. There were times that I just really actively disliked it and wanted to put it down because I couldn’t stand it. It got annoying and frustrating at points. Some of the things were boring to me. I had to skim a lot to get through it. Yet even skimming it I felt like I wasn’t missing that much. It just wasn’t hitting me in the right spot while I was reading. It was just hard to swallow at times in the beginning.
The one thing that I did like about the beginning, which carried through to the entire story was the conversations that Haller and his wolf had with one another. They had some great teasing conversations going on. There were a lot of jokes and prodding back and forth, which were fun. I thought it was interesting because I felt like they were two separate entities, yet in one body, which gave me serious vibes of Lords of the Underworld by Gena Showalter between the Lords and their demons. I just really liked seeing that relationship play out on the page. That was very enjoyable for me.
What wasn’t so enjoyable was the fact that the whole fated mate thing didn’t seem to be a thing here. Granted Haller’s wolf was very much onboard with Celia being his mate and never wavering from that fact while Haller needed more convincing. I didn’t like that at all especially with the whole fated mates for life. How could he not know? In every fated mate situation I have read, they have always known as soon as their eyes met their intended that they were the one, and that was it. Both animal and man were on both on board from that moment on. Haller wasn’t, and all he was focusing on was sleeping with Celia that was it. It felt like he was testing her out to see whether she was his mate or not. It felt very much like a using situation especially in the one night stand part. Yes, he was attracted to her, and yes was totally on board for what happened between them, but it felt very sordid to me as he was deciding whether she was his mate or not. Instead of him being sure that she was his mate beforehand, then sleeping with her because he felt in his heart of hearts that she was the one for him. It wasn’t just the one stand that he did that either. He was even unsure about her being his mate the second time, and he still slept with her because he was lusting for her. Again he was just so unsure of it. If it was anything aside from a fate mate situation, I might have been able to swallow it more, but not in this case. I just felt like he should known sooner than just sleeping with her so he “try” her out to see if she was his mate. It just left a bad taste in mouth.
What was worse was when the whole fake marriage thing happened in order to save his butt, he became very whiny when she wouldn’t sleep with him again right after that. He got angry and hurtful and just plain mean by throwing women that wanted him right in her face. He was just a big old sulking immature baby, which was so unattractive. Plus he did nothing to earn her trust in order for her to permit those types of intimacy with her. She allowed once during the one night stand, but then she backed off as she saw his wolf side come to the surface. Another thing was that while they were engaging in this one night stand, he stated that they would do whatever she wanted at the pace that she wanted and never do anything she didn’t, but that philosophy seemed to go out the window once they got married. Then he tried to push his advantage by trying to initiating things that she clearly wasn’t ready for. That was not okay especially when he had that sulking reaction to her rejection. Again not attractive at all. That really pissed me off about him.
Another bothersome thing was the fact that they never, ever really got to know each other through the course of the book. They were either sleeping together or hanging out in the suburbs with friends while pretending they were married. There was literally nothing else to their relationship. No heart to heart. No trying to understand each other or their worlds that they came from. They were no questions asked between them as they had this fake marriage. There was no intimacy building when there needed to be. There needed to be explanations to be had especially considering Celia’s reaction after Baller killed her ex because I think was a huge important fact of why she backed away form Baller when she did. It wasn’t wolf thing either. It was barely touched on or discussed between them that she was abused and beaten by her ex that Baller killed. She didn’t reveal her pain to Baller over that situation or even the emotional trauma that she went through during that time with the violence that she experience with him. When Baller killed her ex that viciously, it brought back those memories and made her wonder if Baller was going to do the same thing to her that her did. But nothing was said, and it was just pushed under the carpet. Baller didn’t even have a reaction when she said that the man he killed was her abusive ex. Really? Yes, he saved her from the ex’s attack, but that’s not the same thing as him reacting to what she had gone through, and emotional bruises that were still part of her. I just thought that part was not done at well when it could have been a perfect opportunity to bring them closer and develop more of a bond between them.
The whole fake marriage thing was pointless I thought. I know it was to get them in force proximity to each other and push the issue between them, but the reason for the fake marriage was just crazy I thought. I think it could have been handled in a different way, instead of a way of her not to testify against him in court for the crime. Yes, it was true, but in this situation I don’t think it warranted that. I don’t think the charges would have dropped just because she married him. I think they would have charged Baller regardless if she didn’t testify against him. It was just a silly excuse. Then the amount of time they kept mentioning this was a fake marriage and relationship made me want to pull hair out. It was like they were reminding themselves of why they couldn’t be together, which was ridiculous. They were involved. They knew it. I knew it. Why were pretending like this fake marriage was a big deal when clearly it wasn’t? That just boggled the mind.
I thought there would have been so much more done with the fake marriage than actually was done. I thought there was going to be along more buildup and angst between these two. More longing as they denied what they were feeling for each other as they dealt with day to day life with one another. I wanted to see them skate around each other more and have more of that cat and mouse type of feel, but there was like none of that at all. I was looking forward to that part of the story, and why I decided to read it despite the one night stand trope, but I was very disappointed in how it was handled. It just wasn’t played it to its potential as a conflict between them that would later lead them to a satisfying love as they overcame those obstacles together. That was what I wanted to see happen, and it just didn’t.
I will say that I did have a problem with language in this book. I have read some very graphic books, even some erotic ones too so I know what language can be every explicit and graphic in certain situations. I will admit sometimes I’m okay with it and sometimes I’m not. In this case I was not. I’m not talking about curse words either, but other bodily functions that made me feel like I was reading a porn. It just took it a step too far in my opinion. A lot of times I don’t like that type graphicness language, and it can turn me off. It turned me off here. I think if this was labeled as erotica I would have been more prepared for it, but it wasn’t so when it was in there I was like too much, too much. There was just so much that I could handle and because of that it felt like what was between them was just the physical aspect and nothing more.
Now admittedly it wasn’t all bad. It did get better despite the first half just tanking for me. The turning point really was when he finally accepted that Celia was his mate. It took him long enough, but once he did then he stopped acting like a catty and selfish child and became more of the alpha male wolf that I was expecting. The started point of that was when he started making her breakfast, which I thought was so sweet and lovely and showed me how much he wanted to take care of her. Where was this guy? Because i wanted him more than anything. Then I started disliking him a lot less once that side of him came onto the page. Even the way he spoke to her after that was so much more kind and gentle and loving that I could see how she could have softened towards him because before that he showed her no reason to. He didn’t want to get to know her unless it was the bedroom and nothing more. I hated that so once that whole mate thing was cleared made then it got much better.
The love scenes were what was most going for Celia and Haller. They had some very steamy and spicy encounters throughout the book, starting with their one night stand and carrying through. It was hot. They had no problem in that department. It showed off how much chemistry that they truly had. They showed how they were very compatible in the mating bond that his wolf craved. Even though they didn’t achieve the emotional bond that I was looking for, they certain achieve the physical one that really brought them together. It was easy to see that they would very many wolf pups in the future.
Honestly I was more interested in the side characters in this story than I was the romance. I thought the side characters were more interesting, more charming, and more likable. It took me a long, long time to warm up to Baller. At times I really hated him and just his reactions and how it felt he was just using her until he could figure out whether she was his mate or not. I just really liked the side characters, and even though I’m probably not going to read any more stories in this series, I’m kind of little bit interested in their stories and how they will find mates. Just they were more engaging as characters that really shined. They brought a very big bright spot for me in the way that the romance should have, but I was happy those side characters were in there to make the story more interesting.
There was a suspense element that was thrown into the story as well. It did feel like it was just thrown in there to create drama and danger to the story. It also upped the stakes between Celia and Haller as things came to head. It was interesting, and it did have a punch to it, but then after awhile I didn’t care. Then they had where declared their love for each other, which just had me shaking my head because I didn’t believe because they really didn’t know anything about each other. Again there wasn’t a lot of emotional connection going on, which made it very hard to believe that there was a love connection there. For him, yes because of the whole mate thing, but not for her. I rolled my eyes when they said that. If they built up more of emotional relationship I would have bought it more.
Overall, it was just okay. The romance fell flat to me. I didn’t think they had anything emotional behind their relationship, and it was more about the physical and Celia being Baller’s mate and nothing more. They just never got to know each other aside from in the biblical sense. There wasn’t a lot of depth to their relationship that wasn’t in the bedroom. It was hot and sexy, but it wasn’t intimate or emotional either. I need both aspects in my romance for me to really be behind it and enjoy it. A majority of the book I did like. Baller turned me off so many times that it made it hard to get through. I hated that he didn’t know she was his mate even though his wolf did, and he was just content to use her for his lustful side while he was deciding, which wasn’t cool at all. Now, I know that every other paranormal romance has some element of the plot to it where the man was in denial of whether the heroine was his true love or mate, but at least that part of the story would be developed and buildup over the course the story while in this one it wasn’t. He just woke up after a night of hot lovemaking and suddenly she was his mate. It was never explained of why he felt that way aside from their hot night together. There was just no substance to back it up. I needed either him to know right away she was his mate or that after her got to know her, spent more time with her, and had honest and intimate conversations with her then finally coming to realize that she was the one for him. None of that happened. So, it was hard to get behind them as a couple, and as deeply in love as they said there were at the end. It just wasn’t there on that level. I did have to skim quite a bit until it got more tolerable. Yes, once he made the decision that she was the one, it got better, but there needed to be more beyond that. There were things I enjoyed like the side characters, Baller and his relationship with his wolf with their bantered filled moments. Celia and Baller did have a few nice moments together like when he cooked breakfast for her, and her coming to his work with him. So, it wasn’t all bad, but for the most part though, it just didn’t do it for me.
I have been coming to realize the more and more romance e-books that I read that under 200 tend to have the same problem for me. They tend to be heavy on the sexy times and very low on the emotional/falling in love aspect, which I really didn’t/don’t care for. I like an even balance between the emotional side of a romance and the physical side of romance. I want both, not either or. I want the entire picture of the romance from beginning, middle, and end where it feels complete. It feels satisfying to me while reading as well as reflecting back on it. I want to believe that the couple is intense in love and has that soul mate type of feeling to them. I want to root for them. I want to cry for them. I want it to make me feel whole. It feels special like it is a romance to that unique couple, not like I have read this storyline over and over again with nothing memorable about it. I want to feel the impact in my bones and my soul. I just don’t feel like those less 200 page e-romance due it for me, which probably due to the length of the story, but I still want those feels even in a shorter format otherwise it doesn’t work for me. This particular story I felt exactly that.
First off I will say going in I was a little nervous about his story. In the description of the story, it mentioned about Haller and Celia having a one night stand. Now I don’t care for the whole one night stand trope, and I tend to avoid them as much as possible because I know that just sets the tone for the entire book for me and usually it’s not on the favorable side. There were times I could get over the one night stand, but everything else has to be done really well for me to discount it. But the reason that I wanted to go forward with this read was the second half of the synopsis, which indicated a fake marriage trope with it alluding to a hate-to-love situation, which were some fun tropes that I really enjoy especially if it lead to some really tense and angsty filled moments, which always tend to be my bread and butter. Plus fated mates with the werewolf thing, which I love, I thought why not give this a shot.
Then things didn’t go as smoothly as I would have liked especially in the beginning. There were times that I just really actively disliked it and wanted to put it down because I couldn’t stand it. It got annoying and frustrating at points. Some of the things were boring to me. I had to skim a lot to get through it. Yet even skimming it I felt like I wasn’t missing that much. It just wasn’t hitting me in the right spot while I was reading. It was just hard to swallow at times in the beginning.
The one thing that I did like about the beginning, which carried through to the entire story was the conversations that Haller and his wolf had with one another. They had some great teasing conversations going on. There were a lot of jokes and prodding back and forth, which were fun. I thought it was interesting because I felt like they were two separate entities, yet in one body, which gave me serious vibes of Lords of the Underworld by Gena Showalter between the Lords and their demons. I just really liked seeing that relationship play out on the page. That was very enjoyable for me.
What wasn’t so enjoyable was the fact that the whole fated mate thing didn’t seem to be a thing here. Granted Haller’s wolf was very much onboard with Celia being his mate and never wavering from that fact while Haller needed more convincing. I didn’t like that at all especially with the whole fated mates for life. How could he not know? In every fated mate situation I have read, they have always known as soon as their eyes met their intended that they were the one, and that was it. Both animal and man were on both on board from that moment on. Haller wasn’t, and all he was focusing on was sleeping with Celia that was it. It felt like he was testing her out to see whether she was his mate or not. It felt very much like a using situation especially in the one night stand part. Yes, he was attracted to her, and yes was totally on board for what happened between them, but it felt very sordid to me as he was deciding whether she was his mate or not. Instead of him being sure that she was his mate beforehand, then sleeping with her because he felt in his heart of hearts that she was the one for him. It wasn’t just the one stand that he did that either. He was even unsure about her being his mate the second time, and he still slept with her because he was lusting for her. Again he was just so unsure of it. If it was anything aside from a fate mate situation, I might have been able to swallow it more, but not in this case. I just felt like he should known sooner than just sleeping with her so he “try” her out to see if she was his mate. It just left a bad taste in mouth.
What was worse was when the whole fake marriage thing happened in order to save his butt, he became very whiny when she wouldn’t sleep with him again right after that. He got angry and hurtful and just plain mean by throwing women that wanted him right in her face. He was just a big old sulking immature baby, which was so unattractive. Plus he did nothing to earn her trust in order for her to permit those types of intimacy with her. She allowed once during the one night stand, but then she backed off as she saw his wolf side come to the surface. Another thing was that while they were engaging in this one night stand, he stated that they would do whatever she wanted at the pace that she wanted and never do anything she didn’t, but that philosophy seemed to go out the window once they got married. Then he tried to push his advantage by trying to initiating things that she clearly wasn’t ready for. That was not okay especially when he had that sulking reaction to her rejection. Again not attractive at all. That really pissed me off about him.
Another bothersome thing was the fact that they never, ever really got to know each other through the course of the book. They were either sleeping together or hanging out in the suburbs with friends while pretending they were married. There was literally nothing else to their relationship. No heart to heart. No trying to understand each other or their worlds that they came from. They were no questions asked between them as they had this fake marriage. There was no intimacy building when there needed to be. There needed to be explanations to be had especially considering Celia’s reaction after Baller killed her ex because I think was a huge important fact of why she backed away form Baller when she did. It wasn’t wolf thing either. It was barely touched on or discussed between them that she was abused and beaten by her ex that Baller killed. She didn’t reveal her pain to Baller over that situation or even the emotional trauma that she went through during that time with the violence that she experience with him. When Baller killed her ex that viciously, it brought back those memories and made her wonder if Baller was going to do the same thing to her that her did. But nothing was said, and it was just pushed under the carpet. Baller didn’t even have a reaction when she said that the man he killed was her abusive ex. Really? Yes, he saved her from the ex’s attack, but that’s not the same thing as him reacting to what she had gone through, and emotional bruises that were still part of her. I just thought that part was not done at well when it could have been a perfect opportunity to bring them closer and develop more of a bond between them.
The whole fake marriage thing was pointless I thought. I know it was to get them in force proximity to each other and push the issue between them, but the reason for the fake marriage was just crazy I thought. I think it could have been handled in a different way, instead of a way of her not to testify against him in court for the crime. Yes, it was true, but in this situation I don’t think it warranted that. I don’t think the charges would have dropped just because she married him. I think they would have charged Baller regardless if she didn’t testify against him. It was just a silly excuse. Then the amount of time they kept mentioning this was a fake marriage and relationship made me want to pull hair out. It was like they were reminding themselves of why they couldn’t be together, which was ridiculous. They were involved. They knew it. I knew it. Why were pretending like this fake marriage was a big deal when clearly it wasn’t? That just boggled the mind.
I thought there would have been so much more done with the fake marriage than actually was done. I thought there was going to be along more buildup and angst between these two. More longing as they denied what they were feeling for each other as they dealt with day to day life with one another. I wanted to see them skate around each other more and have more of that cat and mouse type of feel, but there was like none of that at all. I was looking forward to that part of the story, and why I decided to read it despite the one night stand trope, but I was very disappointed in how it was handled. It just wasn’t played it to its potential as a conflict between them that would later lead them to a satisfying love as they overcame those obstacles together. That was what I wanted to see happen, and it just didn’t.
I will say that I did have a problem with language in this book. I have read some very graphic books, even some erotic ones too so I know what language can be every explicit and graphic in certain situations. I will admit sometimes I’m okay with it and sometimes I’m not. In this case I was not. I’m not talking about curse words either, but other bodily functions that made me feel like I was reading a porn. It just took it a step too far in my opinion. A lot of times I don’t like that type graphicness language, and it can turn me off. It turned me off here. I think if this was labeled as erotica I would have been more prepared for it, but it wasn’t so when it was in there I was like too much, too much. There was just so much that I could handle and because of that it felt like what was between them was just the physical aspect and nothing more.
Now admittedly it wasn’t all bad. It did get better despite the first half just tanking for me. The turning point really was when he finally accepted that Celia was his mate. It took him long enough, but once he did then he stopped acting like a catty and selfish child and became more of the alpha male wolf that I was expecting. The started point of that was when he started making her breakfast, which I thought was so sweet and lovely and showed me how much he wanted to take care of her. Where was this guy? Because i wanted him more than anything. Then I started disliking him a lot less once that side of him came onto the page. Even the way he spoke to her after that was so much more kind and gentle and loving that I could see how she could have softened towards him because before that he showed her no reason to. He didn’t want to get to know her unless it was the bedroom and nothing more. I hated that so once that whole mate thing was cleared made then it got much better.
The love scenes were what was most going for Celia and Haller. They had some very steamy and spicy encounters throughout the book, starting with their one night stand and carrying through. It was hot. They had no problem in that department. It showed off how much chemistry that they truly had. They showed how they were very compatible in the mating bond that his wolf craved. Even though they didn’t achieve the emotional bond that I was looking for, they certain achieve the physical one that really brought them together. It was easy to see that they would very many wolf pups in the future.
Honestly I was more interested in the side characters in this story than I was the romance. I thought the side characters were more interesting, more charming, and more likable. It took me a long, long time to warm up to Baller. At times I really hated him and just his reactions and how it felt he was just using her until he could figure out whether she was his mate or not. I just really liked the side characters, and even though I’m probably not going to read any more stories in this series, I’m kind of little bit interested in their stories and how they will find mates. Just they were more engaging as characters that really shined. They brought a very big bright spot for me in the way that the romance should have, but I was happy those side characters were in there to make the story more interesting.
There was a suspense element that was thrown into the story as well. It did feel like it was just thrown in there to create drama and danger to the story. It also upped the stakes between Celia and Haller as things came to head. It was interesting, and it did have a punch to it, but then after awhile I didn’t care. Then they had where declared their love for each other, which just had me shaking my head because I didn’t believe because they really didn’t know anything about each other. Again there wasn’t a lot of emotional connection going on, which made it very hard to believe that there was a love connection there. For him, yes because of the whole mate thing, but not for her. I rolled my eyes when they said that. If they built up more of emotional relationship I would have bought it more.
Overall, it was just okay. The romance fell flat to me. I didn’t think they had anything emotional behind their relationship, and it was more about the physical and Celia being Baller’s mate and nothing more. They just never got to know each other aside from in the biblical sense. There wasn’t a lot of depth to their relationship that wasn’t in the bedroom. It was hot and sexy, but it wasn’t intimate or emotional either. I need both aspects in my romance for me to really be behind it and enjoy it. A majority of the book I did like. Baller turned me off so many times that it made it hard to get through. I hated that he didn’t know she was his mate even though his wolf did, and he was just content to use her for his lustful side while he was deciding, which wasn’t cool at all. Now, I know that every other paranormal romance has some element of the plot to it where the man was in denial of whether the heroine was his true love or mate, but at least that part of the story would be developed and buildup over the course the story while in this one it wasn’t. He just woke up after a night of hot lovemaking and suddenly she was his mate. It was never explained of why he felt that way aside from their hot night together. There was just no substance to back it up. I needed either him to know right away she was his mate or that after her got to know her, spent more time with her, and had honest and intimate conversations with her then finally coming to realize that she was the one for him. None of that happened. So, it was hard to get behind them as a couple, and as deeply in love as they said there were at the end. It just wasn’t there on that level. I did have to skim quite a bit until it got more tolerable. Yes, once he made the decision that she was the one, it got better, but there needed to be more beyond that. There were things I enjoyed like the side characters, Baller and his relationship with his wolf with their bantered filled moments. Celia and Baller did have a few nice moments together like when he cooked breakfast for her, and her coming to his work with him. So, it wasn’t all bad, but for the most part though, it just didn’t do it for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 18, 2018
More like 2.5 Stars but rounded up. I almost DNF’d after the first couple of paragraphs. For example:
“But as soon as Henrik Haller stepped inside, he knew who all the women would want. He felt their eyes on him. It was as if all the women in the bar were shifters like him and could smell his alpha werewolf scent. Or maybe the light had caught his dog tags just right? Women had a thing for Navy SEALs—or in his case, ex-Navy SEALs—and Haller thought that made things a bit too easy, so he tucked his dog tags underneath his shirt.”
“He figured that would only be a problem if he were balls deep when they called. He lasted a long time in bed, especially with all the foreplay he did, but he’d risk it”
The writing style was really very immature and I can honestly say that after reading hundreds and hundreds of PNR books, having a wolf talk in sentences back and forth with his human, and the human responding out loud in a conversation with the wolf was......unique. Portraying the wolf as intellectual as a 1st grader was a bit insulting.
Grammar issues, which I normally couldn’t care less about, were very bothersome but the storyline itself was cute.
Will not read another book in this series.
“But as soon as Henrik Haller stepped inside, he knew who all the women would want. He felt their eyes on him. It was as if all the women in the bar were shifters like him and could smell his alpha werewolf scent. Or maybe the light had caught his dog tags just right? Women had a thing for Navy SEALs—or in his case, ex-Navy SEALs—and Haller thought that made things a bit too easy, so he tucked his dog tags underneath his shirt.”
“He figured that would only be a problem if he were balls deep when they called. He lasted a long time in bed, especially with all the foreplay he did, but he’d risk it”
The writing style was really very immature and I can honestly say that after reading hundreds and hundreds of PNR books, having a wolf talk in sentences back and forth with his human, and the human responding out loud in a conversation with the wolf was......unique. Portraying the wolf as intellectual as a 1st grader was a bit insulting.
Grammar issues, which I normally couldn’t care less about, were very bothersome but the storyline itself was cute.
Will not read another book in this series.
August 9, 2018
4.5 stars.
I actually loved this book and I really don’t know why I didn’t read this sooner, this has really got me in the mood for paranormal romance again, which was spoiled after the heartbreak that was twilight.
Straight away I knew this book was going to be hard to put down, it was cringeworthy but in all the right ways, a classic love story..only difference is one of the main characters is a shifter.. a wolf.
The reason behind the 4.5 stars, is simply because of the editing mistakes, at points I was having to read a sentence over and over for it to make sense due to a spelling mistake, but apart from that, it was amazing and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
I actually loved this book and I really don’t know why I didn’t read this sooner, this has really got me in the mood for paranormal romance again, which was spoiled after the heartbreak that was twilight.
Straight away I knew this book was going to be hard to put down, it was cringeworthy but in all the right ways, a classic love story..only difference is one of the main characters is a shifter.. a wolf.
The reason behind the 4.5 stars, is simply because of the editing mistakes, at points I was having to read a sentence over and over for it to make sense due to a spelling mistake, but apart from that, it was amazing and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
May 18, 2017
I laughed so hard in places, and cringed in others.
February 28, 2018
This was cute. I liked the banter between the characters and Haller’s inner wolf was super funny. I wish we would have seen more of the wolf’s banter. I really liked the romance aspect but also the mystery too. The few seamy scenes were HOT. There’s not much to say about it given the length, but It was still enjoyable. 4 stars #2OCCJD
July 18, 2018
Urban
A little this shifter a little that mix in some explosions and kinda hiding from humans and you get a cool story to read. Oops, forgot the romance can’t have a story without that. Fun read
A little this shifter a little that mix in some explosions and kinda hiding from humans and you get a cool story to read. Oops, forgot the romance can’t have a story without that. Fun read
August 25, 2018
3.8 or 9
September 12, 2021
This was a feel good story.
April 10, 2016
Lord I Tried, I Really Did
Download and read at your own risk.
I downloaded this novel for free from Amazon. At this point I am very pleased it was a free download. I rated this novel and the extra attached to it a two star rating for many reasons. I really tried to read through but found myself constantly fixing sentence structures/grammar, misspelled words, missing words in sentences and more. I can overlook a few but there were just too many editing needs. I love PRN but this authors way of writing was not appealing to my senses whatsoever. I'm sorry to say but the characters were annoying, weak, whiny, and portrayed as dumber than rocks. How in the world can you say a main character is an alpha over and over when there isn't anything he does or says to support that? Oh I can understand a stubborn alpha male but one like Haller? And the constant repeat of the same phrases over and over within the same paragraph was an overkill. I can go on and on but that would be an overkill as well.
Would I recommend this to others? At this point I wouldn't until the authors writing style changes and have editors review the work before publishing it.
Now the positive that caused me to rate it as a two star instead of one. Well, for one it was a PRN and two, the storyline itself was a good concept.
Download and read at your own risk.
I downloaded this novel for free from Amazon. At this point I am very pleased it was a free download. I rated this novel and the extra attached to it a two star rating for many reasons. I really tried to read through but found myself constantly fixing sentence structures/grammar, misspelled words, missing words in sentences and more. I can overlook a few but there were just too many editing needs. I love PRN but this authors way of writing was not appealing to my senses whatsoever. I'm sorry to say but the characters were annoying, weak, whiny, and portrayed as dumber than rocks. How in the world can you say a main character is an alpha over and over when there isn't anything he does or says to support that? Oh I can understand a stubborn alpha male but one like Haller? And the constant repeat of the same phrases over and over within the same paragraph was an overkill. I can go on and on but that would be an overkill as well.
Would I recommend this to others? At this point I wouldn't until the authors writing style changes and have editors review the work before publishing it.
Now the positive that caused me to rate it as a two star instead of one. Well, for one it was a PRN and two, the storyline itself was a good concept.
February 24, 2016
I received this book for free in return for an honest review.
Aya Morningstar is new to me and I was not disappointed. This is a must read book!! It's the first book of the Shift Squad Series.
Haller is a flirt and a playboy. He is also an ex Navy Seal who joined the Shift Squad. He and his wolf is on a hunt for his mate
at a bar. He met Celia at the bar and was instantly drawn to her. Celia had just come out of an abusive relationship and had no
intention to hook up with another man but she too was drawn to Haller. After their one night of mind blowing sex, Haller had to leave
because of a phone call he received. He wanted this to be more than one night. After leaving her place, he sensed something was wrong
so he immediately went back to Celia's place. Upon entering, he found her ex had her on a choke hold trying to kill her. He punched Kyle so hard
that he killed him. In order for Haller not to end up in jail, Celia had to marry him right away suggested by Ionescu the lawyer.
If you want to find out what happens, please purchase this book you will not be disappointed.
Aya Morningstar is new to me and I was not disappointed. This is a must read book!! It's the first book of the Shift Squad Series.
Haller is a flirt and a playboy. He is also an ex Navy Seal who joined the Shift Squad. He and his wolf is on a hunt for his mate
at a bar. He met Celia at the bar and was instantly drawn to her. Celia had just come out of an abusive relationship and had no
intention to hook up with another man but she too was drawn to Haller. After their one night of mind blowing sex, Haller had to leave
because of a phone call he received. He wanted this to be more than one night. After leaving her place, he sensed something was wrong
so he immediately went back to Celia's place. Upon entering, he found her ex had her on a choke hold trying to kill her. He punched Kyle so hard
that he killed him. In order for Haller not to end up in jail, Celia had to marry him right away suggested by Ionescu the lawyer.
If you want to find out what happens, please purchase this book you will not be disappointed.
April 18, 2016
SEALED To The Alpha Wolf by Aya Morningstar is a fast paced book. This book is well written. The characters are awesome! Cage and Ren's story is filled with drama, action, sizzle and laugh out loud humor. I enjoyed SEALED To The Alpha Wolf and look forward to reading more from Aya Morningstar in the future. SEALED To The Alpha Wolf is book 1 of the Shift Squad series but can be read as a standalone. This is a complete book, not a cliff-hanger.
June 25, 2016
Haller and Celia what a hot pair. He is a wolf shifter who is on the Shift Squad. He is also an ex-Navy Seal. She is a web designer who has been physically abused by her ex. When these two meet everything sparks...until a horrible event that attaches these together.. His Wolf is happy because he feel she is his mate. This 1st book in the series is not boring at all. There is action, humor and passion all wrapped up in this. I look forward to the next one.
April 13, 2016
One Nightstand Lifetime of Love
Walk into a bar looking to get your groove on, who knew your life would be changed forever?
This book was funny and interesting without being bogged down with useless descriptions. The characters were straight forward fighting shifters that are like a brotherhood.
Enjoyed this book so plan on reading the others in the series.
Walk into a bar looking to get your groove on, who knew your life would be changed forever?
This book was funny and interesting without being bogged down with useless descriptions. The characters were straight forward fighting shifters that are like a brotherhood.
Enjoyed this book so plan on reading the others in the series.
August 11, 2016
Haller is ex-Seal, and part of the Shift. His inner wolf is a hoot and the things that he says had me laughing.
Celia an Haller are suppose to be a one night stand that turns into a fake marriage. So that Haller and his team can keep her protected.
There is danger, some drama within the team and of course a HEA
Celia an Haller are suppose to be a one night stand that turns into a fake marriage. So that Haller and his team can keep her protected.
There is danger, some drama within the team and of course a HEA
September 30, 2018
What did our couple have in common? Lust. No other reason for them to be together, except to have sex. And for some reason, the alpha wolf gets dumber as the story continues. The book earned 2 stars, because the subplot for the bad guy was well thought out.
April 14, 2016
Great story
I loved this story. I also . Loved that haller's wolf talks to him. I loved the romance of the book but the underlying story of the shift agency is very intriguing.
I loved this story. I also . Loved that haller's wolf talks to him. I loved the romance of the book but the underlying story of the shift agency is very intriguing.
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