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Pride Before the Fall
When Brady was given a free pass to sow his wild oats, as long as he’s back with the pride before fall, he never dreamed he’d meet his mate…or that his mate would be a man.
As the pride’s alpha heir, Brady knows the weight of responsibility. He’s expected to settle down, find a mate and have an heir of his own. But first he’s given the opportunity to travel and visit other prides, an unspoken opportunity to get his attraction to men out of his system before he comes home and does his duty.
Mason has his hands full fostering Jonah, an abandoned teen soon to have his first shift. He doesn’t have time to babysit a visiting alpha heir, but duty calls. As the second son of the alpha, he knows his place and when he’s given a task, he does it.
Brady and Mason realize almost instantly that they are mates…and both also know that it can never come to pass. With the expectations they need to fulfil, this short time together will be the only chance they have to taste what could be. But they are tied together by more than just instinct—old crimes and hidden connections come to light and they are forced to make hard choices between duty and love.
Publisher's This book is the sequel to Pride and Joey.
Pre-order 6th September 2016
Available exclusively to Pride 20th September 2016
General Release 18th October 2016
As the pride’s alpha heir, Brady knows the weight of responsibility. He’s expected to settle down, find a mate and have an heir of his own. But first he’s given the opportunity to travel and visit other prides, an unspoken opportunity to get his attraction to men out of his system before he comes home and does his duty.
Mason has his hands full fostering Jonah, an abandoned teen soon to have his first shift. He doesn’t have time to babysit a visiting alpha heir, but duty calls. As the second son of the alpha, he knows his place and when he’s given a task, he does it.
Brady and Mason realize almost instantly that they are mates…and both also know that it can never come to pass. With the expectations they need to fulfil, this short time together will be the only chance they have to taste what could be. But they are tied together by more than just instinct—old crimes and hidden connections come to light and they are forced to make hard choices between duty and love.
Publisher's This book is the sequel to Pride and Joey.
Pre-order 6th September 2016
Available exclusively to Pride 20th September 2016
General Release 18th October 2016
80 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 20, 2016
1 person is currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Devon Rhodes
65 books202 followersI have always had my nose in a book and my head in the clouds!
Now I'm finally doing what I love as a career.
When I'm not lost in my imagination, you can find me in beautiful Oregon and at:
My Website: http://www.devonrhodes.com/
My Blog: http://devonrhodes.blogspot.com/
Blog with TA Chase: http://devoandtata.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/devon.rhodes
Now I'm finally doing what I love as a career.
When I'm not lost in my imagination, you can find me in beautiful Oregon and at:
My Website: http://www.devonrhodes.com/
My Blog: http://devonrhodes.blogspot.com/
Blog with TA Chase: http://devoandtata.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/devon.rhodes
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 25, 2016
After spending so much time with his cousin Vance and new mate Joey, Brady is starting to feel restless. He wants to find a mate but he knows that his duty to his clan comes first. His father suggests to try to get his desires out of his system. Brady is instantly drawn to the host o the clan he is visiting. Mason knows he needs to stay away from Brady but there is an undeniable pull they have and he cannot walk away. No matter how hard it will be to walk away afterwards.
With this being the sequel to Pride and Joey, I knew it was going to be short and sweet. Well, it was short but it lacked sweetness, heat, and shifter awesomeness. There was only one major shifting scene and it was over way too quickly. There could have been more back story or more in the epilogue that would have made the story so much better!
What I did enjoy was how it connected and rounded out the first book Pride and Joey. We also got to see Vance and Joey again and I forgot how much I love them as a couple. For an M/M romance the tension between the two men was sadly not very hot. Even though there wasn't any heat, you could see the potential for an awe-inspiring love!
I was gifted a copy of this novella from the JeepDiva in exchange for an honest review.
With this being the sequel to Pride and Joey, I knew it was going to be short and sweet. Well, it was short but it lacked sweetness, heat, and shifter awesomeness. There was only one major shifting scene and it was over way too quickly. There could have been more back story or more in the epilogue that would have made the story so much better!
What I did enjoy was how it connected and rounded out the first book Pride and Joey. We also got to see Vance and Joey again and I forgot how much I love them as a couple. For an M/M romance the tension between the two men was sadly not very hot. Even though there wasn't any heat, you could see the potential for an awe-inspiring love!
I was gifted a copy of this novella from the JeepDiva in exchange for an honest review.
October 9, 2016
I received a copy of this title to read and review for Wicked Reads
3 Stars.
I'm a fan of Devon Rhodes' writing, and enjoyed the previous book in this series. But, sadly, this edition didn't work for me. I need to state, I'm a huge fan of well-written novellas, because I don't have a lot of time to take several days to read a long book, but I still want the entertainment of reading a whole story.
I won't go into detail on the premise of the story, or the characters themselves, as this is a novella and it would spoil the entertainment-value for the reader. I will state that this shouldn't be read as a standalone, as the previous book sets up the events that occur in this installment.
While I enjoyed the story and the characters Devon Rhodes had created, the issue was with the transition from one part of the story to the next. The first 25% had me hooked with its fast pacing, thorough characterization and story building. But then it transitioned so abruptly, way before was necessary, removing the tension and angst that were built so deliciously in the first quarter of the book. I was so annoyed at how quickly the characters 'connected', ruining the angst and tension, that I had to give myself a pep-talk to continue reading the novella. I was able to fall back into the story, and enjoy it for the most part. But I felt the transitions from one scene to the next, one time frame to the next, and a few timeline dependencies, made the reading experience choppy.
Overall, I am glad I read the story, as this series has brought back my love of shifter stories, and I am looking forward to reading more of the series and more by the author. I do recommend this installment, issues aside, as it is a worthy, important part of the series itself.
3 Stars.
I'm a fan of Devon Rhodes' writing, and enjoyed the previous book in this series. But, sadly, this edition didn't work for me. I need to state, I'm a huge fan of well-written novellas, because I don't have a lot of time to take several days to read a long book, but I still want the entertainment of reading a whole story.
I won't go into detail on the premise of the story, or the characters themselves, as this is a novella and it would spoil the entertainment-value for the reader. I will state that this shouldn't be read as a standalone, as the previous book sets up the events that occur in this installment.
While I enjoyed the story and the characters Devon Rhodes had created, the issue was with the transition from one part of the story to the next. The first 25% had me hooked with its fast pacing, thorough characterization and story building. But then it transitioned so abruptly, way before was necessary, removing the tension and angst that were built so deliciously in the first quarter of the book. I was so annoyed at how quickly the characters 'connected', ruining the angst and tension, that I had to give myself a pep-talk to continue reading the novella. I was able to fall back into the story, and enjoy it for the most part. But I felt the transitions from one scene to the next, one time frame to the next, and a few timeline dependencies, made the reading experience choppy.
Overall, I am glad I read the story, as this series has brought back my love of shifter stories, and I am looking forward to reading more of the series and more by the author. I do recommend this installment, issues aside, as it is a worthy, important part of the series itself.
October 20, 2016
~~I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads ~~
This follows on from Pride and Joey, and you would be advised to read it first to get the full effects of this story. Many of the characteristics of the pride and the importance of family are explained there in a way that could affect your views in this story.
I am loathed to say too much, as many of the features I would comment about are key to the plot, and I am not going to spoil that for you. Suffice it to say that things unfold in an unexpected but satisfactory manner. At times I was confused by the chances in pace, and levels of drama, but overall this is a clever and entertaining read for a novella.
This follows on from Pride and Joey, and you would be advised to read it first to get the full effects of this story. Many of the characteristics of the pride and the importance of family are explained there in a way that could affect your views in this story.
I am loathed to say too much, as many of the features I would comment about are key to the plot, and I am not going to spoil that for you. Suffice it to say that things unfold in an unexpected but satisfactory manner. At times I was confused by the chances in pace, and levels of drama, but overall this is a clever and entertaining read for a novella.
Want to read
December 30, 2017Sequel to Pride & Joey
October 29, 2016
Pride Before the Fall is the sequel to Pride and Joey, and while the couple makes a few brief appearances in this novella, this story really belongs to Brady. While Garth, Brady’s pack leader and father, has softened toward same sex matings due to Vance and Joey, he appears to be of one mind only where it concerns his son—go sow your wild oats and then get down to the business of mating a girl and producing an heir to ensure the dominant family line. Always the obedient son, Brady heads for the nearest pack in the city and discovers not only his mate but an insidious plot to take over his pack and destroy his father as alpha as well. Now Brady must expose the plan and knows that in doing so, he may never see his mate, Mason, again. Oh, if only there was some way to persuade his father to allow him to mate the man he truly loves.
I wanted to love this story as much as the first, but unfortunately, perhaps due to the main focus of the story being not on the mating but on the unraveling of the mystery, I failed to really sense a deep connection between Mason and Brady. For an insta-love/mating to work, there has to be deep and electric chemistry and this novella lacked the same spark that made its predecessor, Pride and Joey, such fun. Instead, the book managed to further develop the initial plot line of the first installment and fill in the blanks of what exactly Garth’s brother had been doing while away from the pack, and gave only lip-service to the romance element.
It was very satisfying to read further about this pack family, but as a story that should have also been focused on Brady and Mason’s burgeoning relationship, I am sorry to say that it fell rather flat. There was too little time to develop both threads, and when the mystery element took off, the romance piece suffered. Hence, I was not convinced of this strong bond between Brady and Mason, which led to the inevitable eye-rolling I so often do when it comes to paranormal stories in this vein, and the same pattern of less than satisfying results—unbelievable attraction, characters that are shallow and too swiftly fall in lust/love, and uninspired sex to seal the deal.
All in all Pride Before the Fall was just an okay story that lacked the same charismatic wolves found in the first novella. The mystery and attempted coup elements were good, and if there had been just a bit more time spent on establishing a deeper bond between Brady and Mason, this sequel would have been much more exciting and fulfilling to read.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach Reviews
I wanted to love this story as much as the first, but unfortunately, perhaps due to the main focus of the story being not on the mating but on the unraveling of the mystery, I failed to really sense a deep connection between Mason and Brady. For an insta-love/mating to work, there has to be deep and electric chemistry and this novella lacked the same spark that made its predecessor, Pride and Joey, such fun. Instead, the book managed to further develop the initial plot line of the first installment and fill in the blanks of what exactly Garth’s brother had been doing while away from the pack, and gave only lip-service to the romance element.
It was very satisfying to read further about this pack family, but as a story that should have also been focused on Brady and Mason’s burgeoning relationship, I am sorry to say that it fell rather flat. There was too little time to develop both threads, and when the mystery element took off, the romance piece suffered. Hence, I was not convinced of this strong bond between Brady and Mason, which led to the inevitable eye-rolling I so often do when it comes to paranormal stories in this vein, and the same pattern of less than satisfying results—unbelievable attraction, characters that are shallow and too swiftly fall in lust/love, and uninspired sex to seal the deal.
All in all Pride Before the Fall was just an okay story that lacked the same charismatic wolves found in the first novella. The mystery and attempted coup elements were good, and if there had been just a bit more time spent on establishing a deeper bond between Brady and Mason, this sequel would have been much more exciting and fulfilling to read.
Reviewed by Sammy for The Novel Approach Reviews
October 16, 2016
This book was such a wonderful follow up to the first book Pride & Joey. I have become such a huge fan of shifter books and this one was no exception. There is a whole completely different element to shifter books and that is what makes them so amazing.
What I really liked about this book was that Devon Rhodes combined what happened in Pride and Joey with this book and made it a continuation of the problems that were in it. This book gave the readers more in depth information into just how crazy Peter really was before he was killed in Pride & Joey. Also Pride before the fall also dealt more with the aftermath and thealso the problems that Peter was able to cause everyone even from his grave.
Brady made a huge impact on me in the first book so I was really glad that he got a book of his own. Even more then that I was extremely glad that Mason turned out to be his mate because from the moment Mason was introduced in this book, I fell in love with his character.
Mason is this incredible person that has so much to give to someone. His heart is so big that he took up fostering an orphaned boy shifter Jonah. Not only that but Mason has come to care for Jonah as his own and is willing and wanting to become Jonah's legal guardian.
Mason is definitely the type of person that is made for Brady. Brady is much like Mason in the aspect that he is a caring individual and has such a big heart. These two men compliment the other perfectly and would make the perfect mating pair. Well that is if Brady's father alpha Garth would allow the mating with his blessing. Which is not the case. Or is it???
This was such an amazing read. There was the element of mystery and surprise to it. Not only that but there was acceptance and the beginning of what can only be described as a new beginning for Brady's pack. Devon Rhodes did another amazing job with this book and I hope that there will be more Pride books to come in the near future.
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
What I really liked about this book was that Devon Rhodes combined what happened in Pride and Joey with this book and made it a continuation of the problems that were in it. This book gave the readers more in depth information into just how crazy Peter really was before he was killed in Pride & Joey. Also Pride before the fall also dealt more with the aftermath and thealso the problems that Peter was able to cause everyone even from his grave.
Brady made a huge impact on me in the first book so I was really glad that he got a book of his own. Even more then that I was extremely glad that Mason turned out to be his mate because from the moment Mason was introduced in this book, I fell in love with his character.
Mason is this incredible person that has so much to give to someone. His heart is so big that he took up fostering an orphaned boy shifter Jonah. Not only that but Mason has come to care for Jonah as his own and is willing and wanting to become Jonah's legal guardian.
Mason is definitely the type of person that is made for Brady. Brady is much like Mason in the aspect that he is a caring individual and has such a big heart. These two men compliment the other perfectly and would make the perfect mating pair. Well that is if Brady's father alpha Garth would allow the mating with his blessing. Which is not the case. Or is it???
This was such an amazing read. There was the element of mystery and surprise to it. Not only that but there was acceptance and the beginning of what can only be described as a new beginning for Brady's pack. Devon Rhodes did another amazing job with this book and I hope that there will be more Pride books to come in the near future.
Was given this galley copy for free for an open and honest review
December 24, 2016
Alpha heir Brady has been sent on a little visiting neighboring prides trip by his alpha/father. As alpha heir Brady has many duties to his pride. One of those duties is claiming a mate, producing his own heir, and securing the alpha placement for future generations through procreation. The problem with that is Brady likes other men. Creating a child from that union just isn’t going to happen.
Pride Before the Fall is the sequel to Pride and Joey. I do recommend reading Pride and Joey before Pride Before the Fall. Apparently there is some homophobic tension within the prides. I didn’t get that feeling from Pride Before the Fall other than the characters talking about their alphas disliking gays and as gay men this would cause them difficulties once they find their mates. The book I read never showed me that attitude from the Alphas.
The big tension point here was resolved with one of the main characters, the alpha main character not even present. This is a romance. I felt that Brady should have done the rescuing when that drama reared its ugly head. Instead he is not even there at the moment his mate Mason could have used him. It was also a rather anti climatic climax. It was just done and over with so quickly.
There are several tropes in romance that don’t ever work well for me. Inst-love and secret baby are two of them. This book has a sort of version of both. When paranormal romance and a shifter mating bond is used I try to go with the flow of the rules for that type of world. Who am I to question if a lion shifter can’t scent out his mate within a ten minute car ride. Mason and Brady never sharing “I love you” made the connection seem inconsequential. The secret baby that’s not a secret baby was overly convenient. It allowed for the impossible to become possible.
Pride Before the Fall is the sequel to Pride and Joey. I do recommend reading Pride and Joey before Pride Before the Fall. Apparently there is some homophobic tension within the prides. I didn’t get that feeling from Pride Before the Fall other than the characters talking about their alphas disliking gays and as gay men this would cause them difficulties once they find their mates. The book I read never showed me that attitude from the Alphas.
The big tension point here was resolved with one of the main characters, the alpha main character not even present. This is a romance. I felt that Brady should have done the rescuing when that drama reared its ugly head. Instead he is not even there at the moment his mate Mason could have used him. It was also a rather anti climatic climax. It was just done and over with so quickly.
There are several tropes in romance that don’t ever work well for me. Inst-love and secret baby are two of them. This book has a sort of version of both. When paranormal romance and a shifter mating bond is used I try to go with the flow of the rules for that type of world. Who am I to question if a lion shifter can’t scent out his mate within a ten minute car ride. Mason and Brady never sharing “I love you” made the connection seem inconsequential. The secret baby that’s not a secret baby was overly convenient. It allowed for the impossible to become possible.
September 21, 2016
I’m having a hard time reviewing this story. On one hand it’s full of great characters, a really solid conflict and world building. I liked Brady and Mason as individuals and found their “issues” compelling.
Jonah and his story was even more compelling, as was the couple from book one, Pride and Joey and how all the characters are interwoven.
What didn’t work for me was the chemistry between Mason and Brady. For one, they were mates and both seemed like this was a big deal but also something they were absolutely ready to walk away from without even a discussion. They totally lacked that “mine, mine, mine” chemistry that I crave in a shifter story and when they do finally have sex it’s pretty lackluster, honestly.
I liked the set-up, the mind-speak, the triumph of good over evil, but found the actual event – the moment when the two find their resolution – to be rather uninspiring.
So… I guess I liked this but didn’t find anything to make it stand out in a crowd. It’s a sweet enough shifter story, but it didn’t move me.
3 of 5 stars
Jonah and his story was even more compelling, as was the couple from book one, Pride and Joey and how all the characters are interwoven.
What didn’t work for me was the chemistry between Mason and Brady. For one, they were mates and both seemed like this was a big deal but also something they were absolutely ready to walk away from without even a discussion. They totally lacked that “mine, mine, mine” chemistry that I crave in a shifter story and when they do finally have sex it’s pretty lackluster, honestly.
I liked the set-up, the mind-speak, the triumph of good over evil, but found the actual event – the moment when the two find their resolution – to be rather uninspiring.
So… I guess I liked this but didn’t find anything to make it stand out in a crowd. It’s a sweet enough shifter story, but it didn’t move me.
3 of 5 stars
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews