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Cascadia Wolves #4

Alpha's Challenge

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Previously published by another publisher under a different title

"Mark me and make me yours."

As an unmated alpha, Cade was beginning to believe his entire life would be dedicated to the pack. He'd do anything for his pack family, but his life isn't complete without someone to share it with. He didn't expect to finally find his reason for being in the heart and soul of his greatest enemy's sister.

Dr. Grace Pellini has never felt so isolated and afraid. Ever since her rogue brother threatened the existence of wolf and human alike with a viral weapon, she had no choice but to cut all ties with her pack. But now Grace has something new: Cade Warden, whose body and exhilarating scent make her come undone. In him, she's not only found her destined mate, she's also rediscovered herself, and her place in a world at war.

But the Cascadia wolves are not so unquestioning as Cade is of Grace's loyalty, and their suspicions are posing a dangerous threat. Now, to defeat a madman and end the war, Cade and Grace have only each other to trust—by finding their ultimate strength in the power of desire…

186 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 4, 2008

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1129 people want to read

About the author

Lauren Dane

111 books4,999 followers
Lauren Dane has been writing stories since she was able to use a pencil, and before that she used to tell them to people. Of course, she still talks nonstop, and through wonderful fate and good fortune, she’s now able to share what she writes with others. It’s a wonderful life!

The basics: Lauren is a mom, a partner, a best friend and a daughter. Living in the rainy but beautiful Pacific Northwest, she spends her late evenings writing like a fiend when she finally wrestles all of her kids to bed.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
Profile Image for Jen Davis.
Author 7 books725 followers
September 21, 2017
I had high hopes for this book. Alpha shifter romances can be super-sexy. And in this case, it also seemed like it might be a forbidden love kind of deal because the Alpha in question, Cade, is falling for the sister of his greatest enemy. He’s a guy who has always put his pack first and now finally has something for himself in Grace, the selfless doctor who is willing to put herself on the line to go against her family and do the right thing.

Unfortunately, I had so many problems here. First off, I was dumb enough to jump into book four in the Cascadia Wolves series without ever having read books 1-3. With some PNR series, you could do that and be totally fine. Not so much with this one. The first 10-15% is stuffed full of characters and backstory that made my head spin. But what it didn’t do was explain one of the core world-building tenets until about the 30% mark. The part where there have to be “anchors” in the relationship. Basically that means that once a woman finds her mate, she also has to have sex with another dude to build a back-up bond in case her mate dies. I’m going to be honest here and tell you that had I known about that on the front end, I would have never picked this up. So not only do Cade and Grace have to do it with some other random guy, Cade himself is an anchor to his brother’s wife, who sort of thinks about him as a second husband. But without the sex. Except, of course, for that one time. And she is jealous and horrible to Grace. I wanted to quit the book several times reading this entire thread.

That was my biggest issue, but not my only one. The dialogue was repetitive…. I think Cade declared that he was an Alpha about 872 different times in the book. (I get it! The title gives it away.) The love was too instant. (I’m down with an instant-bond for shifters, but that is not the same as instant love.) There were too many characters, too much pack politics. And nothing that really made me care about any of it. The sex was moderately hot, but it wasn’t strong enough to make up for all the things that didn’t work for me.

Maybe this would be a better fit for people who have read the series from the beginning or those who aren’t bothered by extra people in the core relationship. It’s got more than a 4-star average with 1000+ reviews on Goodreads. But it wasn’t for me.

*ARC provided by publisher
Profile Image for Chris.
2,070 reviews
January 13, 2014
Another enjoyable read - so glad Cade finally found his mate ... Things move very fast in this series so I was glad for an epilogue
Profile Image for Monique.
925 reviews69 followers
April 13, 2017
Review written: March 6, 2017
Star Rating: ★★★☆☆
Heat Rating: ☀☀☀☼☼

An Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book was received free via Netgalley for an honest review.

I have enjoyed the slow evolution of the Cascadia Wolves series. The writing has gotten better; the storyline has gotten stronger; the characters have been better drawn.

This is especially true of Cade in this book. While there is still a bit too much tell and not enough show, Cade's need to find a mate came through loud and clear. It made him a much better character because he was a bit two dimensional in previous books. Seeing him yearn and then mess up was fun.

Grace is every bit the alpha female. I loved how she gave Nina (Nina!) the smackdown and how she did what needed to be done. Grace, in my opinion, is more alpha than Cade. She steps up when necessary and steps back when needed. She doesn't take stuff from anyone and she works hard and knows her own worth.

I liked this book better than others in this series for it's additional focus on plot and better characterization. I also liked the ending a great deal.

This review is ©March 2017 by Monique N. and has been posted to Netgalley.
Profile Image for Lover of Romance.
3,696 reviews1,116 followers
February 14, 2017
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance Summary
Cade has waited so many years to find his mate. He doesn't know if he will ever find her. But when he is called to travel to meet up with a young woman who is their greatest enemy's sister, who has information about a serum that kills werewolves he never expected that Grace would be his mate, one he has been waiting for years to find and will do anything to protect. Grace, is a skilled doctor and scientist. After being kicked out of her own pack because of the crimes of her evil brother, she stayed far far away from him. She knew what he was capable of and didn't want any part of it. But then she realized that she could help, if she could gain his trust and get the information the other packs needed to find a vaccine for the killing serum that kills their people. But there is opposition to their union and their mating will lead them to a future neither expected...
Plot and Story Line
What a story and boy did I fall in love with Cade and Grace and so very quickly too. The story does start out a bit slow however but I feel it just builds up on the background of our characters so we understand where either of them are coming from. Cade is a character we have seen from the very beginning. He is the alpha of the pack, and even though he is an anchor for his brother and his mate he still hasn't found a mate. I did like seeing him and how his responsibilities weigh on him so you understand him better. Then we switch over to our heroine, Dr. Grace Pellini. She hasn't had the best experience with wolf packs at all. But somehow she isn't too bitter about it. She is a heroine I became so endeared to. She is strong, intelligent, does have a temper at times, but she also is kind and caring. We see how well of a match that Cade and Grace make for each other. The only downside I felt was Lex and Nina. Nina especially was so bitter against Grace, like really jealous and it just didn't make too much sense to me. Especially since Nina is one of my favorite characters of the series. I didn't like seeing such a negative side to her. She does get her act together but it can be a turn off. But boy Grace really straightens her out. Love a strong heroine who can be understanding and kind but still firm and all badass too!! Definitely having a blast with this series.
“Love isn't enough so you have to work your tail off to make up that last twenty percent. Don't rely on love, rely on your head and your heart and the knowledge that working and being in love is way better than slacking off and having it all fall apart later.”

The Cover
I like the blue and the lovely abs on top!! Never can get enough of them.
Overall View
Alpha's Challenge is a thrilling roller coaster of a romance that sizzles, inspires and warms your heart!!
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Profile Image for LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions).
1,219 reviews25 followers
January 8, 2017
Cade Warden is the Alpha of the Cascadia Pack. Feeling what it’s like to have a mate secondhand through his anchor bond to Nina, his brother Lex’s mate, is no longer enough for him. He’s lonely and wants a mate of his own, but it’s still a surprise, to say the least, when she turns out to be Grace Pellini, the sister of his biggest enemy.

Grace hasn’t had a real home and Pack for years. Even now, she's only gotten closer to her brother again in order to spy on him and analyze the dangerous virus he’s been testing out on random humans and werewolves. Although she hasn't yet managed to create a vaccine, she finally has enough info to help the National Aligned Packs in their war against her brother and his people. Her plans to continue spying on her brother are derailed when she realizes that Cade is her mate. Grace may have finally found the home and family she’s been longing for, if Cade’s pack members will accept her, and if they all manage to survive this war.

I need to state upfront that this is Book 5 in Dane’s Cascadia Wolves series, and I haven’t read the previous four books. It was pretty clear that I’d missed out on a lot of character relationship developments and details about how the war got started. Based on reviews I’ve read, I gather that at least one of the previous books had a lot more info about Cade, Nina, Lex, and probably several of the other wolves. Also, world details that would be familiar to those who'd read the other books took me by surprise (to put it mildly).

I was willing to ignore the gaps in my knowledge about Cade, Nina, and Lex. They felt like characters with a lot of history. However, I’m pretty sure Grace was a new addition to the series, and I felt that Dane could have given her more page-time before sending her off to meet Cade. It was jarring how quickly she and Cade went from being complete strangers to having lots and lots of sex. And yes, I know this is a thing in soulmate stories, but dang. Grace was the sister of Cade’s biggest enemy, and he trusted her instantly. He was calling her “honey” after having known her for, at best, a few hours.

Lex’s more cautious attitude and Nina’s outright hostility were both more believable. That said, I felt that Nina and Grace became friends way too quickly considering the situation. Which brings me to a world-related detail I wasn’t particularly fond of: anchor bonds.

I assume one of the earlier books explained anchor bonds and why they were necessary, but this one didn’t. All I know is that they seemed to be an excuse for threesomes. The female of a newly mated pair has to form an anchor bond with another male whose power levels are similar to those of her mate, or something like that, and the anchor bond involves having sex with that other male. Her mate can either be there or not, and Cade chose to be there. Cade knew the other werewolf, but Grace didn’t, so it was basically her having sex with a stranger while Cade helped things along. So very not my cup of tea.

Grace was jealous of Nina, Cade’s anchor bond, which I felt was perhaps a bit unfair but also understandable. Grace had only just met Cade and wouldn’t have had the kind of history with Cade that Nina had. However, everybody kept saying that Grace would understand once she had her own anchor bond. Never mind that the other guy was a stranger to her, while Cade had known Nina for a while. And the thing was, people were pretty much right - Grace developed a magical bond to this complete stranger that, while not as strong as her bond to her mate (as readers were repeatedly reminded), helped her understand and be less jealous of Cade and Nina’s closeness (which readers and Grace were also told only involved sex just the one time).

All right, moving on. The story itself was mediocre - mostly Grace and Cade having sex, Grace dealing with her insecurities about Nina and her worries that Cade wouldn’t like her small breasts, characters snarking at each other, and Grace working on a vaccine. Grace’s work was so vaguely described that I found myself wondering if Dane had done any research at all on virology and how vaccines are developed.

The writing was not good. There were cringe-worthy phrases and word choices, like this:
“She danced around like she had to use the bathroom.” (39)

This was intended to indicate Grace’s urgent desire for the upcoming sex scene. Okay then.

Later, Grace, an ER doctor, referred to Cade’s penis as his “doo-dad” (59), never mind that she was able to use the word “dick” just a few sentences prior. And Cade called her nipples “juicy and puffy” (59) during sex. I started skimming the sex scenes at that point.

I also had problems with Dane's comma usage, which led to lots of sentences like this one:
“She’d always felt like a boy, her breasts were small, for a wolf she was especially diminutive, just barely five feet two.” (41)

The writing either needed to be tightened up a lot, or Dane needed to stop using commas like periods. Considering how repetitive parts of the book were, the former probably would have been best.

All in all, this book didn’t work for me at all. My issues with the writing and the anchor bond thing make it unlikely that I’ll try another one of Dane’s works.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Profile Image for Julie (jjmachshev).
1,069 reviews292 followers
May 22, 2009
I had a very hard time waffling between four and five stars for "Standoff". This is book five of Lauren Dane's 'Cascadia Wolves' series and the hero, Cade, has been a favorite of mine since he first appeared in earlier books. The heroine for him that I had imagined in my mind turned out to be NOTHING like the one Ms. Dane wrote for him; but once I got over myself I enjoyed the story and was disappointed there weren't more pages.

Cade is the Alpha of the second largest pack in America. As such, his life has been dedicated to the safety, happiness, and general well-being of his wolves. He's recently decided that as soon as this crazy war is over, he's going to begin seriously searching for his mate. The good news is: he just found his mate! The bad news is: she's the sister of the wacko that started this war. Now Cade will have to fight the enemy, his own pack, and sometimes even his own Alpha nature to keep her safe and within his paws...I mean arms; ok, both!

Grace is nothing like her insane brother. Although she spent many years packless because of his actions, as soon as she realized exactly what he was trying to do, she began quietly investigating...putting her own life in danger to do so. When time runs short, she decides to take what she has to the allied packs in an effort to help them defeat her brother. She knew she would be distrusted, she knew she would face hostility, but she never dreamed she would find her mate.

This whole series in on my keeper shelf and "Standoff" has already made its way to its own spot, next to its series-mates. The story of the relationship between Cade and Grace was sexy and touching, but for me, the storyline relating to the war was rather anticlimactic. That's really my only beef with the book...the ending. Instead of flowing, it seemed sudden and sharp to me. But hey, that's just me and my opinion.

The rest of the book was bang on. The cast of characters were all familiar as stars of past books appeared and advanced the storyline. The sex scenes were stellar (as usual) and I did fan myself once or twice. And the pace of the book and growth of the relationship between the main characters was about as good as it gets. So I finally had to give it all five stars in spite of my heroine bias and whine about the ending. I'll read this series again, and maybe next time I'll get over myself sooner!
Profile Image for Pam Nelson.
3,788 reviews120 followers
September 8, 2017
4 Alpha’s Challenge Stars

I liked that Cade FINALLY finds his mate! <3

I couldn’t be happier with who becomes his mate. And I love that she stands up for herself and for him.

I thought there might have been more of a mystery/action in this book and I was kind of looking forward to that.

But overall it was a great addition to the series. It didn’t’ hold my attention as well as the other books did.

Again the narration for me was just ok.

*You don't have to like my review but its 100% my opinion, and I am allowed to have it.*
Profile Image for Ansu.
942 reviews19 followers
August 1, 2012
I liked this book very much and I am enjoying the series. The book lost a 5* rating for 2 reasons.

1. The first meeting between Cade and Grace and them getting together was too quick, felt a bit rushed.I have loved Cade since first meeting him and it would of been nice to see him fighting a bit more for Grace.
Grace was almost perfect except for the breast thing!. Why LD did not just give her big boobs I don't know!!!!!
2. The big fight between Cade and Warren. Warren was this uber baddie but he was described as "lost some weight" and "the scent of fear pouring off him" at the major fight. Now, after Warren has been harassing the Cascadia clan for a while and has had the upper hand so many times, I did not expect this description of him. I was very disappointed. There should have been more of a fight in the fight scene, I would have loved to see Cade in action as he now becomes the Supreme Alpha and this was his opportunity to shine, which did not happen. Grace got all upset over nothing because Warren did not present any challenge at all.

An overall good book. It was nice to have the interaction of previous characters in the book. Grace was exactly as her name suggests, Graceful. Cade was hot hot hot!!!!!!. They made a good pair.
Profile Image for aarya.
1,532 reviews54 followers
dnf
August 1, 2019
DNF at 27%. I cannot handle this anchor stuff (basically once a couple mates, the woman has to have sex with an unmated male once to have a backup bond in case the current bond ends. It’s weird and she calls him the “second husband” and whatnot). Not for me. I really am hating the enmity between Nina (Cade’s anchor and sister-in-law) and Cade’s mate Grace. Just, not for me on so many levels. The jealousy and spitefulness between the women were too much to handle.
Profile Image for Cassandra.
1,188 reviews109 followers
May 27, 2017
My Thoughts - 5 out of 5 Unicorns - I loved it!!!
***I choose what I read and review based on what intrigues me!! Yes, I got a review copy of this book, but no one tells me what to think, feel, or write about any book!

The cover and name changed in its makeover though I’m not sure if any of the content changed because this is my first time reading it!

I messed up the count on my last review because I was counting Reluctant Mate in the books, but it is a prequel. This is the 4th book in the series, and it is for adults only due to the steamy content. While you probably could read the books in any order, I don’t recommend it because it is much better when you read them in order because you know and understand the other characters better. It makes it a richer experience.

I already loved Cade from previously books though he did make some knuckled-headed moves in this book though what male doesn’t. Grace has grace, and she has always put others first. She is a doctor, but unfortunate for her also related to Warren the psycho. There is tons of action, attacks, drama, and more. Lauren Dane did a fantastic job bringing this story to life and making it very hard to put down.

I highly recommend this book and series to all wolf shifter fans! I can’t wait to read the next book to see what comes next for the packs!
Profile Image for Bookgasms Book Blog.
2,863 reviews1,555 followers
September 7, 2017
I love this Cascadia Wolves series! I loved the slow burn of Cade and Grace's romance. And how FINALLY Cade had a love of his own! Grace had so much to overcome too--she'd been packless for so long. But with love and patience, Cade broke through Grace's resistance and they're Alpha mating bond is so solid. Can't wait for more in this series. ~ Missy, 4.5. stars
Profile Image for GONZA.
7,359 reviews124 followers
February 7, 2017
A little bit boring even if I was looking forward to read Cade's story. Cascadia wolves are not so interesting anymore in my opinion, but Lauren Dane is, as usual, a very good writer and good to read.

Un po' noioso anche se non vedevo l'ora di leggere la storia di Cade. Finita la guerra i lupi di Cascadia non sono piú tanto interessanti secondo me, ma Lauren Dane resta una scrittrice di quelle che valgono la pena.

THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!
729 reviews71 followers
March 19, 2017
Alpha’s challenge is Cade’s chance for a well deserved HEA. As the alpha for one of the strongest US packs, his path to finding his mate made for a great story. Living with his brother and his wife, his yearning for the bond a mate brings has been amplified and his need is becoming increasingly harder to ignore.

It was karma when he meets his mate while in Chicago checking on his sister, Tegan’s, wellbeing. The woman who triggers his mating instinct is Grace Pellini, the sister of the werewolf mafia’s main man. That alone heralds a bumpy courtship, but when you add in the fact she’s working to stop her brother’s nefarious plans the danger quotient goes up exponentially.

Grace was an impressive heroine. There is a lot of strong, alpha woman packed into a tiny little package. I loved that she didn’t need to be hard as nails or snarky to get her point across. She was quiet, even tempered and polite… well until she felt the need to bring out the big guns, then she was hell on wheels.

Because of who she was, she wasn’t immediately accepted by everyone but she understood why. Instead of railing against the injustice of being judged by her crazy brother’s actions, she just quietly went about proving herself to be loyal and worthy of being the alpha female.

What I didn’t like was the issues with Nina which felt a bit like manufactured angst to me. I was also shaking my head a bit at a couple of the spats between Grace and Cade. There was enough going on that this kind of thing felt completely unneeded.

When they weren’t having stupid squabbles, Cade and Grace were dynamite together but in a very good way. The whole mate thing guaranteed some explosive chemistry and these two let it loose in all sorts of ways and in some fun places.

Almost better than the sexy action was the dangerous action. There were gun fights, poisonings, assassins, and even a one on one battle to the death to keep me entertained. Warren Pellini picked a fight with the wrong wolf when he took on Cade.

Once again, I thoroughly enjoyed some quality time with the Cascadia wolves. Can’t wait for what gets re-rereleased next

Rating: 4 Love Conquers All Stars.


I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

EDGY Reviews
Profile Image for Rellim.
1,676 reviews45 followers
May 13, 2020
This is probably a tie for one of my favorites Of the series. Cade meets his match in Grace, who also happens to be his enemy’s sister. There’s a weird “spat” between Nina & Grace, but thankfully that was over quickly and more of the story is spent on tying up the Pallini/Mafia storyline.

Jack serves as anchor for Grace and I started re-reading this whole series so I could listen to Trinity which is *his* story.

Somewhat simplistic, but this was a nice & exciting wrap up to the series story arc. There’s another novella (Megan’s story) that takes place after all this. I wish I’d just stopped with this one and jumped to Trinity.
Profile Image for Kodie Mackay.
1,178 reviews68 followers
February 2, 2017
Boy have I been pinning for Cades story ever since Lex and Nina's story.
For awhile my perverse side was kinda hoping that there was more to Nina and Cade than just an anchor bond. Yes, yes I know I'm a perv but still I really thought they had a little somein somein.

Still.. I'm very glad now that that is not the case.

I do try to keep my reviews spoiler free so if this doesn't make a lot of sense I do apologise.

Grace surprised the shit outta me throughout this story. She started like this timid little kitty and I just woah lady your about to be chewed up and spat out right to the wolves... literally.
However she turned my opinion round and shoved it up my ass by the end. Kitty? No that's way off the mark. More along the lines of a tiger.

The poor women has been up shit creep without a paddle trying her hardest to fight her way out. Finding what was her best solution even though it came with high risks. She showed up as a inside informant and ending up finding a whole new life for herself.
I really loved her character growth. It was believable and very entertaining seeing her grow into her new place with film but gentle hands. She definitely is by far my favourite lead from the series thus far.

Now Cade is a different story. He is a alpha through and through so I found my self biting my tongue in certain parts because he has that mind set of it's my way or the high way. Now I give some leeway because you can't help your personality and something that you've done independently for 12 plus years is hard to just kick out of. I did really find his nervous cooking and arse licking very endearing and he was good at it. I liked that even though he hated to admit he was wrong he did and his love for Grace definitely shone through.

I really enjoyed them together. They're chemistry was smoking hot. The constant sarcastic remarks has me sniggering to myself often. The power play between them was intense and interesting to read because you are never sure what way it would go between them. They for sure make and interesting read, especially when Cade was facing Grace's mighty wrath!(I was totally shouting you go girllll! Through that part.)

Another interesting part was learning how him being an anchor affects his new mating and how Nina reacts. That was equally frustrating/annoying as it was understandable. You get to see other sides of past characters that you don't expect and more of other characters that you haven't heard much of in the past.

All round the story is pretty seemless with a few unexpected surprises thrown in as well as a rollercoaster of emotions to finish you off. I enjoyed most of this story. My only complaints are that the ending is so abrupt that it feels unfinished though I will say this one is better than the others, you do get a little insight of them further on. Also some of the things in the story pissed me off enough to stick with my till the end. But that's minor all round I really enjoyed this story and can't wait for what's next.

Megan and jack maybe? I'm hoping so... either way I can't wait for what's next.

I kindly received this ARC via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Amanda Nan Dillon.
1,345 reviews35 followers
October 24, 2024
Cade is alpha of his pack and Grace has been shunned and forced to live mostly as a human because her brother is a terrible person. The amount of times we hear about how small she is, how small her boobs are, how pocket-sized she is -- you'd think you were reading a romance from the 80s. Small but feisty! Never has to wear a bra! She can handle anyone of any size coming at her because she's a werewolf and she's stronger than she looks! (insert GIF of Chandler saying shut up over and over). I suppose these are borderline erotic romances, since there's so much sex, and it was originally published by Ellora's Cave.

Tropes: fated mates, size difference, surprise pregnancy
Profile Image for Holly.
1,765 reviews87 followers
May 20, 2011
Goodreads ate my first review. Grr.

I enjoyed the continued progression of the overall story arc and the development of the relationship. I was glad to see Grace put Nina in her place. As the series has progressed, I've found myself liking Nina less and less. Her overall attitude has seemed to get worse, and her actions toward Grace were completely out of line.

I love that Case respected Grace and pushed her to be herself, as well as a part of him. And come on, how cute is it that he bakes when he's upset?
Profile Image for Hayley .
72 reviews20 followers
September 21, 2012
Another hot and attention grabbing read from Lauren Dane! For me... Probably the more emotional book as you get to see a side of Cade Warden that wasn't present in the other four but don't worry it's still got all you need and more! We're introduced to Grace and u get to follow her and Cade's relationship as well as getting your other Warden Clan fix. We also get too learn more about the virus, which helps you understand more about what you may have read in the other Cascadia Wolves books. Defiantly a series that is up there amongst my favourites.
Profile Image for Rin McKenzie.
231 reviews3 followers
October 3, 2014
This is book 5 in the Cascadia Wolves series. What can I say? Amazing !!! This is yet another example on a well thought out world and characters. This story was about Cade and Grace. Cade is the Cascadia Alpha. He finally finds his mate only to find out she's the sister of the enemy. But that stops nothing. He then finds out he must fight to the death . And Grace has to come up with a vaccine to stop him from dying if her insane brother decides to infect him with the biological weapon. Man this was on the edge of your seat fast. I'm so excited about book six.
Profile Image for Kerry.
25 reviews3 followers
May 2, 2009
Another fab book from Lauren Dane. I loved the heat and the passion from the chaacters and i liked that Grace was quiet n soft but knew how to slap the men down when she needed to......all i need now is the rest in the series
Profile Image for DelAnne Frazee.
2,027 reviews25 followers
July 3, 2017
Title: Alpha's Challenge - Cascadia Wolves Book 4
Author: Lauren Dane
Publisher: Carina Press
Published: 3-20-2017
Pages: 186
Genre: Romance
Sub-Genre: Paranormal; Shifters; Erotica
ISBN: 9781488028496
ASIN: B01N1EN03V
Reviewed For NetGalley and Carina Press
Reviewer: DelAnne
Rating: 4.5 Stars


Previously published by another publisher under a different title
"Mark me and make me yours."

As an unmated alpha, Cade was beginning to believe his entire life would be dedicated to the pack. He'd do anything for his pack family, but his life isn't complete without someone to share it with. He didn't expect to finally find his reason for being in the heart and soul of his greatest enemy's sister.

Dr. Grace Pellini has never felt so isolated and afraid. Ever since her rogue brother threatened the existence of wolf and human alike with a viral weapon, she had no choice but to cut all ties with her pack. But now Grace has something new: Cade Warden, whose body and exhilarating scent make her come undone. In him, she's not only found her destined mate, she's also rediscovered herself, and her place in a world at war.

But the Cascadia wolves are not so unquestioning as Cade is of Grace's loyalty, and their suspicions are posing a dangerous threat. Now, to defeat a madman and end the war, Cade and Grace have only each other to trust—by finding their ultimate strength in the power of desire…


Finally we Cade has stood up and demanded that his story be told. I am not surprised by the mate chosen for him. Cade never was one to do it the easy way. Follow along as you continue to learn the more of the Cascadia Pact. Each paring is fierce and blessed.



My rating of "Alpha's Challenge" is 4.5 out of 5 stars.



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Profile Image for Carlise.
498 reviews1 follower
March 20, 2017
Absolutely loved it!

I was up at 1210am when the book downloaded and read until about 530am..now I have finished it and it's both good and bad. Good because I loved the book and was so happy that Cade finally found his mate..sad, because I've finished the book and now I'm dying for a book for Megan, Dave, and Jack.

Grace is Warrens sister, so that makes her a hated woman among those who don't trust her. When she meets with Cade and the other National pack wolves to discuss evidence she has on Warren, the last thing expected was to find her mate. Cade has been living in the shadow of Nina and Lex's relationship for 2 years..he has been ready for his mate for years, so to find out that Grace is his is the best thing to happen to him in this war. He loves her from the moment they met and brining her home will be a challenge he is definitely up for. While Lex and Nina are not welcoming at first, they find out that the sassy doc, Grace may be prim and proper, but she has claws and a sassy wit to her too. Can the family come together before the have to face-off with Warren and the werewolf mafia?

I loved this book. I loved Grace, but I was Leslie's if her and Cade just like Nina. I wanted to hate her high-handedness, but it was her place to be Alpha of the pack. Nina is a strong wolf and I had no doubts that she'd rise to the occasion.

The only thing I didn't like was the lackluster end to the war. For all Pellini did, he needed to have a demise that was a little more exciting, but it over and while there are new positions, more moves, and more babies..it worked out the way it was supposed to..

Now, I can't wait for the next book and I have a whole month to wait
42 reviews
October 17, 2017
I saw this book and was excited to start it so I thought that is ok if I start the fourth book of the series first then I go back and read the rest of the series. It started beautifully and the words "anchor bond" came in. There is where I got confused and then kept on reading and it turn out that the newly mated female has to have sex with someone else, the husband can be there or not. Ok wow, after that I couldn't be very interested in the series or the book anymore. All I know is that it seemed to be an excuse for threesomes with a stranger, that is not my thing. I really started to like most of the characters and the story line but after that no thank you. And the funny part is the H and h don't like to share.
(.."But I don’t share, Cade. Period. I won’t live that way. If that’s what she expects, that expectation needs to be eradicated. If that’s what you expected, you need to say so right now so I can leave.”
“Grace, honey, I’d kill any wolf who suggested sharing. I don’t share either....".

I skipped through the book so I know how it end but was I was really not happy see such book to be ruined with 'anchor bond' am not sure if in the first book it will explained it better but I no go reading the other books to find out. Maybe someone will like book but not me.
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3,749 reviews489 followers
June 16, 2018
Cade found his mate and she is perfect for him!

I was waiting for Cade to find his mate and Grace really is his equal in every way. There was no messing about when they met – both recognized their mates and embraced that connection. Whew, the heat from these two was combustible and didn’t lessen one bit as they suffered the growing pains of a new relationship…

“In Cade Warden she hadn’t just found a mate, she’d rediscovered herself.”

Grace is the new alpha and she embraces that role, and Cade, as if she was born to both. She is bossy, yet balanced and fair, relishing her new family (most of them, anyway), and her responsibility to the pack. She is protective and never more so than with her mate. Unfortunately, she’s going to have to work hard to get the pack’s approval, given who her brother is….

Even with all the challenges these two face, they still found time for love and snark amidst the pack politics and the danger they all faced. Love is love regardless of your DNA and this series is all about that! ~Diane, 4.5 stars
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454 reviews3 followers
February 26, 2024
This was a good read, but for some reason I'm getting bothered by the exact same things happening with the women in each book. I'd like for one of them to respond differently to the anchor mate scenario. I found the anchor mate situation, which requires the female to immediately have relations with a male at or above the mates rank and station to ensure the female (or male) is cared for in the absence of the mate, different from any other shifter romance that I've read thus far. In this series, when the anchor mate finds his own mate, the female he's anchored to gets snippy and jealous regarding his new mate. In book 4, that just got redundant to me for some reason. I say for some reason because it happens all the time in these series. Not sure why it bother me this time. Anyway, I was decent and I will continue with the series. On to the next.
Profile Image for Noe.
577 reviews3 followers
November 4, 2021
Sigo sin encontrarle la necesidad al triple vinculo este, de verdad. Es una mierda que solo crea angustia y celos hasta que se resuelve y no sé, no tiene sentido para mí, no entiendo por qué iba a volverse loca la mujer sin estar vinculada a otro tipo y por qué el hombre no necesita el vínculo ¿ellos no mueren o lo que sea si su pareja fallece? No sé. Además, es tonto, porque los hombres ya emparejados no pueden participar, pero los solteros sí, pero luego sus compañeras tendrán que lidiar con la idea de que sus compañeros son el ancla de otra persona. No soy fan de esto, pero los libros están entretenidos. Grace me gustó más que las otras protas, más sensata y con más clase. Nina fue tonta, pero Nina desde el comienzo no me cayó tan bien.
3,882 reviews6 followers
September 20, 2025
Worth the Wait

Cade has longed for his mate for years when he finally finds her she is the sister of his enemy but the bravest woman he has ever met. Grace had to stop her brother and started working for him to accomplish that now she had come to his enemies to expose his secrets never expecting to find her mate in Cade and a real family with the Wardens. These two ate perfect compliments to each other but they a big challenges before the get their HEA in this entrancing read.
792 reviews2 followers
March 7, 2022
Lots of parts were just skipped.
Cade claimed Grace instantly and they were snippy to each other instantly. Not like a blooming romance but like an old married couple. It just didn’t feel like they were even meant to be…it was awkward.
I’ve only read 3 chapters…hope it gets better and let choppy.

I really wanted to like this book.
I love shifter romances. I love the instant mate bond.
This book…well…it just didn’t do it for me. Sad and disappointed
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1,325 reviews5 followers
May 30, 2017
Finally Cade gets his story and his mate. Fate has a sense of humor that seems only she understands though. His mate is the sister of the Cascadia foe. However, she is the only one who can really put Cade into the position to take this foe down.

Trust and loyalty are the big factors of this book, however, Fate truly does know how to balance between good and evil
Profile Image for Silvia.
269 reviews19 followers
February 3, 2018
I'd been looking forward to Cade's story in this series. But for some reason this book left me cold. I can't put my finger on it, but something prevented me from connecting with the characters. Still gets three stars because it was well written, with a good plot, lots of hot sex, and strong characters. Good ingredients, but the soup still came out bland.
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