Ram Rugged: Aries

Aries Cursed #1

by Melissa Snark

Once burned, twice shy...
After having her heart broken, curvy Mary Andre is determined to never risk it again. Besides, she has too much work and too many bills for her SoCal sheep ranch to bother with romance. Born under the Virgo sign, she has a can-do attitude. Everything is under control until her coyote-shifter ex-husband slaughters one of her flock. Mary goes looking for a hero-for-hire, but fate deals her a Greek god. Handsome Demetri Larsen puts tempt into temptation... It takes every ounce of her willpower to resist her desire for him.

Cursed to wander the earth until he finds his soulmate...
For three hundred years, the immortal ram-shifter lived life on the road, chasing pleasure when not called upon to act as an Aries Guardian. For Demetri, desire and duty are about to collide head on when a feisty redhead upends his entire world. In his determination to never hurt or be hurt, Demetri refuses to take a chance on the love that could set him free.

164 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 3, 2018

About the author

Subscribe to Melissa Snark's newsletter for new releases, prizes, and lots of fun. http://www.melissasnark.com/mailing-l... (Just copy & paste the link into your browser.) You'll get a free ebook just for signing up!

Author Melissa Snark lives in the San Francisco bay area with her husband, three children, and a glaring of litigious felines. She reads and writes fantasy and romance, and is published with The Wild Rose Press & Nordic Lights Press. She is a coffeeoholic, chocoholic, and a serious geek girl. Her Loki's Wolves series stems from her fascination with wolves and mythology.

• She blogs about books and writing on http://www.thesnarkology.com/.
Visit her website at http://www.melissasnark.com/.
• Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelissaSnark
• Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0076EEQIU
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/MelissaSnark

Reviews

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this story as I had several laugh out loud moments while reading the dialogue of Colleen and Dimitri. They are my introduction to a Australian cattle dog/ dingo hybrid and a ram shifter. Mary is a recently divorced human who is having some problems keeping her sheep ranch afloat and her ex Quentin the coyote shifter just won't take no for an answer. While Mary's friend Tammy convinces her to go out to celebrate her divorce she meets Dimitri. Accepts his offer of a ride home where she apparently meets up with his pet Colleen.

I am not gonna reveal anymore than that except there is a reference to Mary had a little lamb whose fleece was white as snow. I believed this author was new to me but discovered I know her under a different name and think the writing style is different as well. I hope she will deliver more in this vein as I absolutely loved those LOL moments. I voluntarily read an advance copy and have not been compensated in any way for this review.

[Eva Millien · Rating 4 out of 5]

New Release Review! Ram Rugged (Ares Cursed #1 / Zodiac Shifters) Melissa Thomas!  

 
Once burned, twice shy... After having her heart broken, curvy Mary Andre is determined to never risk it again. Besides, she has too much work and too many bills for her SoCal sheep ranch to bother with romance. Born under the Virgo sign, she has a can-do attitude. Everything is under control until her coyote-shifter ex-husband slaughters one of her flock. Mary goes looking for a hero-for-hire, but fate deals her a Greek god. Handsome Demetri Larsen puts tempt into temptation... It takes every ounce of her willpower to resist her desire for him. 
 
Cursed to wander the earth until he finds his soulmate... For three hundred years, the immortal ram-shifter lived life on the road, chasing pleasure when not called upon to act as an Aries Guardian. For Demetri, desire and duty are about to collide head on when a feisty redhead upends his entire world. In his determination to never hurt or be hurt, Demetri refuses to take a chance on the love that could set him free. 
 

 
I may be biased because I am an Ares but I am really liking these ram shifters and Ram Rugged is really tickled my fancy. Mary and Demitri are two really strong, wonderful characters that has some sizzling chemistry between them and they easily draw readers in. The romance is sweet and the passion is red hot, of course the relationship has a few bumps to get over, like quite a few secrets and then there is thrilling suspense of the danger that Mary is facing and what's more, this story provided quite a few chuckles and I really loved Colleen, she is something else.
 
Overall, this Zodiac Shifter story was well written, the author added depth and a little lagniappe with mythological elements that she spun into a great read and and I couldn't put the story down until I had read every last word. Oh and I should probably mention that I loved the outcome of the dangerous situation facing Mary, it is a really fitting end to the bad guy.
 

 
Ram Rugged (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...) is the 1st book in the Ares Cursed series and part of the Zodiac Shifters Kindle World (https://www.goodreads.com/series/2052...).
 
Learn more about the Zodiac Shifters world at:http://zodiacshifters.com/
 
Ram Rugged is available in ebook at:
 
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
 
 
B&N - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ram-...
 
iBooks - https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/ram-...
 
GPlay - https://play.google.com/store/books/d...
 
Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ram-...
 
 
 

 
 
can be found at:website - http://thephoenixascending.blogspot.com/
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
G+ https://plus.google.com/1033431326220...
 
BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/authors/melis...
 
 

 
 

[T.M. Payne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Reviewed: Ram Rugged
My Rating: 5 Stars
Author: Melissa Thomas
Publication Date:
Reviewed by: Tammy Payne- Book Nook Nuts


REVIEW
This story wow what to say here not to spoil it.
First off this is not really a typical shifter story. Yes it's a mythology type of course but it's more than that too. We have Demetri who is cursed, he is in a small town for a reason but that all goes up in smoke literally.
Mary has her flock of lambs that she uses to earn money for her small farm left to her by her now deceased parents. She has one mean ex-husband who is a sneaky coyote.
This story will give you gut busting funny, and sizzling hot romance, but we also get a bit of suspense. I truly enjoyed this story.

Ram Rugged

[LMR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ram Rugged: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Aries (Aries Cursed Book 1) By: Melissa Thomas
How Far Will He Go To Keep Her Alive?!
She's a sheep rancher, plagued by a coyote; unfortunately, her coyote problem isn't easily fixed because it comes in the form of her harassing, shapeshifting ex-husband...
He's a shapeshifting Ram who's been sent to check out her Flock; what he finds is More than he bargained for after a chance meeting in the local watering hole...
There's certainly intense Lust, Desire, & Passion sparking between these two lovers, but will they be a flash in the pan, quickly extinguished, or burn Long, HOT, & Bright like the Sun's LIGHT!
I was granted an ARC of Melissa Thomas' "Ram Rugged: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Aries (Aries Cursed Book 1)" via Booksprout; I've never read her books before, but I enjoyed reading her work & gladly recommend it based upon its own merits... In the future, I'll be looking for more of this author's work. All opinions expressed within this review are uniquely my own & freely given!
Until next time... Happy Reading!

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

We meet Mary and her best friend Tammy sitting at a bar. They are blowing off a little steam and girl talk. Mary has recently divorced from her sleazy lawyer husband. They were not married long before Mary discovered that he was cheating on her. As a result she does not trust men. Mary owns a sheep farm and is trying to keep her head above her financial situation. One of her favorite ewes Elle was just killed on her ranch, sadly she was also pregnant. Mary loves every one of her sheep and this was hard. She knows her husband, Quentin, a coyote shifter is responsible.
Tammy spies a handsome man staring at Mary and encourages Mary to take a chance and go talk to him. Mary does and meets Demitri. She thinks he looks like a Greek god. Demitri is a descendant of a Greek God. He takes Mary home and they have amazing sex. She then finds out that he is her job applicant for a ranch hand. He gets the job and Mary thinks she can handle the hands off of the employee.
Demetri has his own agenda for meeting Mary and getting to know her. He also brings with him his dog companion, Colleen.
This book had fun characters, there was explosive sex, drama and a good bit of humor. Who knew that ram shifters with golden wool were so sexy? I could not put the book down.

This was such an entertaining book.

[Lady Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A world where the paranormal people live out in the open but still the majority of humans don't believe in their existence. I always liked this concept and seeing it on Ram Rugged was fun and entertaining.
This was my first book by Melissa Thomas and I can say with satisfaction that she filled my expectations in a way that makes me want to read more of her work.
Mary is being harassed by her ex-husband, which so happens to be a coyote shapeshifter, killing her sheep. Problem? She owns a sheep ranch.
Demitri is a ram shapeshifter immortal that has been cursed to wander around, looking for his mate. When this two connect, Oh my...
The chemistry between these two is incredibly high and I love how Melissa Thomas told the story.
Not only the plot is very interesting, the hook is right there at the end of Chapter One, at least for me. I can't help it, a good scene with humor in it always leaves me happy and wanting to read more about the couple that just found each other for the first time.
I can hardly wait. I know the next book is already out on Amazon so I guess I won't wait at all and pick it up.
I would recommend this story to those lovers of shapeshifters and romance, and a little bit of Mythology *wink*
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Demetri and Mary's story . This one starts off with Mary dealing with one of her sheep that she considers part of her family has been killed but for her it is double painful since Elle ( the sheep ) was pregnant and Tammy her friend is trying to console her . Mary just knows that her ex is the reason but as of yet has not proof . So here they sit in a bar when Tammy informs Mary that a guy had been staring at her for an hour already and when she sees him she tries to hide lol ! But once she meets Demetri they hit it off ! ( here I just have to add that I like the way that Demetri was abel to worry about what and who he is and that he hoped it would not be a turn off ! ) But Colleen would be the deciding factor ! The tat on his back sounds wicked cool !! To find out what Demetri is from her ex ??!! " He's ill-tempered " " Not suitable for breeding at all . " I'll call the vet to come and have him neutered ." PRICELESS !!! OMG !! Dang curse !! The barn is on fire !!! All that she loves is trapped inside !! YES !!! That crazy coyote got what he deserved !! Wow this book is hot as heck and so AWESOME !!!! And that quote at the start of the epilogue ?? PRICELESS !! Melissa Thomas/Snark you did an AMAZING job here !!!

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been searching for a ram shifter book for awhile. I wanted to read something with a ram shifter to celebrate being an Aries and moving into Aries season. I also needed a cowboy romance to complete one of the challenges I'm doing this year, so this seemed absolutely perfect. It quickly devolved into a hate read.

The puns are amazing!!! The dog that talks, amazing!! A woman named Mary running a lamb farm and have a coyote ex-husband, such a great start.

BUT I had to check the publication date MANY times. I could not believe that a book published in 2018 had so much fat phobia and slut shaming. Simultaneously. It tells me I've been very insular with my reading choices, but like, I'm ok with that if it means I'm avoiding books with fat phobia and slut shaming.

I could go on. I have 25 highlights in this book and I didn't make a single one visible. 2 are just excellent punny chapter titles! 2 are heaving bosoms found in the wild. But the other 21 are cringy moments or just blatant contradictions in the text. It got rough there for a minute.

Overall, it's very short and it absolutely does fit the prompt of cowboy romance and ram shifter, which was ultimately what I was looking for. Buuuuuuut that's about it.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot Ram!

Whoever knew a ram could be so sexy...300 year old Ram shifter Demetri grandson of the God Poseidon and son of Krios, has lived his whole life carrying the curse his father incurred thousands of years ago.

Demetri travels the world with no hope of ever settling in one place because of the curse. He travels looking for siblings left in his father's wake and sheep from his bloodline.....He answers an ad in a local newspaper for a sheep rancher hoping to find sheep of his bloodline. Only the owner of the ranch entrances him like no other, will she be the one to break the curse after ao many years?

Mary is just getting out of a very nasty marriage to a coyote shifter, she is bearly making ends meet after having spent a fortune keping her beloved family sheep ranch out of the clutches of a very slick coyote. When she is out celebrating her divorce with her BFF Tammy, she is floored by the hotness of a hunk staring at her. What the heck, throw caution to the wind, only when she finds out the next morning that he is the new ranch hand, she is taken aback. Just keep him as an employee, orrrrrrrrrrr???? He is a hot Ram!

[Gwendolyn Thaggard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary is a recent divorcee having a girls night out with her best friend Tammy, when she spots Demetri checking her out from across the room. Mary planned on having a good time, but her moods been dampened due to one of ewe's having been killed by a coyote. Mary runs a sheep farm and all her animals are precious to her. Her bestie encourages Mary to make a move on the handsome stranger, but when Mary refuses Demetri makes a move of his own. As the night goes on Mary decides to be a little reckless and let loose. The next morning, she finds out that Demetri was applying for a job on her ranch, so makes it clear that there will be no romantic overtures from now on, its strictly business. But just like the pringles ad says, "you can't have just one" Mary and Demetri can't keep their hands to themselves for long. Unbeknownst to Mary, Demetri has a secret that might end their brewing romance before it can begin.

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

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Had A (Not So) Little Ram... ;)

Great start to a series about ram shifters with a bit of Greek mythology thrown in. I'm looking forward to seeing how the other authors continue this series.
Mary recently divorced her no-good coyote shifter husband and decides to focus solely on her sheep farm. Going against her cautious nature, she takes a hot guy home from the bar for a one night stand and gets a little more than bargained for. Demetri, an Ares Guardian ram shifter descended from the legendary ram who produced the Golden Fleece, is immediately drawn to Mary but struggles with having to keep secrets about who and what he is from Mary. Turns out Demetri is her new ranch hand and after confronting her ex husband, decides his new priority will be protecting Mary and the farm. The romance is sizzling hot, and there is plenty of action and a few surprises along the way as the couple fights to keep the farm safe and thwart her ex's attempts to destroy the farm and reclaim Mary. Plenty of obstacles and even a Curse to break before this couple gets their HEA ending.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg! I absolutely loved "Ram Rugged: Aries Cursed” book #1 :D This page-turning novella was my first book by Ms. Thomas, but it won’t be my last! I was grabbed from the get-go and devoured this fantastic PNR must read, and then was left wanting more! ... With a fresh new storyline, great descriptions, witty dialogue, and well-defined characters (the good, the bad and even the fun side-kicks) the author provides us with some laugh-out-loud moments, as well as some nail-biting suspense! Oh, and did I mention must wear gloves from the smoking hot chemistry between the lovable H/h? ;) ... Even tho I volunteered to read this, it was without any outside influences & these are my honest feelings. I highly recommend this to adult fans of fiction and now I can’t wait for more!

[Decadent Kane · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite part of this book has got to be the dialogue between the characters. Thomas has so many laugh out loud moments in her book, which includes when Demetri is shifted into his ram form but Mary doesn't quite "know" yet and she teases about neutering him LOL. It was my favorite part of the book- even though it had plenty of good parts.

The book as a whole- paranormal romance based, ram shifting, sexy interaction, for sure an adult book.
The story line is well thought out. The characters stand on their own with some great personalities, and even the supporting characters are witty and entertaining.
The romance- not only does it blossom, but it's sexy and engaging.
If you enjoy paranormal romance with shifters, pick this book up- it can stand alone.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demitri, immortal ram-shifter, has inherited the curse of Ares, which means he is not allowed to stay longer than 1 year at one place, until he finds his soul-mate.
Coming to a small town looking for descendants of Krios, his father, in the local sheep population he meets the freshly divorced Mary, and it is attraction at first sight.
Remembering the curse, but being extremely attracted, he is undecided what to do. Add to the mix an ex-husband who doesn't want to give up and a shifter dog/dingo female and the mix becomes pure entertainment and fun.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I honestly loved reading the book. It is a perfect novel to read in a day and forget daily trouble.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Demetri is a ram shifter who has been crossing the world for 300 years. He has an interview for a job on a sheep farm. The night before the interview he's at the local bar where he spies a beautiful woman. After her friend leaves, he goes to meet her. They have a glorious night together. Then the following morning he confesses that he is her interviewee. Then he makes a mistake in assuming he can issue orders and take over the control of Mary's ranch. Which is a trifle upsetting to Mary since her ex did the same thing. The unfortunate part is that Demetri is scared to be in a relationship because of the curse that affects his family line.
Fantastic story and read!!

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

[Kathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary has a little lamb, a Ram-shifter shepherd and a Coyote-shifter Ex !!

This is a delightful story – includes danger, romance and a fair amount of tongue-in cheek humor concerning Mary and her sheep.

Demetri is much more than a shepherd, and spends a steamy night with Mary prior to her knowing she is about to interview him for a job. Demetri avoids commitment as he is long-lived and can only commit to a soulmate. Mary finds out her ex did not make the tax payments she gave him for years and the ranch is in jeopardy.

Many layers to be found here – and high entertainment!

*** I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book ***

[poppy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite a good read and I really did enjoy it. This is Demetri and Mary's story. He is a 300 years old ram shifter and she is a recently divorced sheep rancher who is blowing off steam with her bestie after one of her pregnant ewe's has been killed and she suspects her ex-husband is involved. She sees him across the bar watching her the attraction is immediate and Mary decides to let loose for the night but the next morning she realizes he is here to apply for the job on her farm what she does not know is that he is there to check out her flock. What will happen when she discovers his secret?

[Nicoletta Tsalafaos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ram Rugged: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Aries (Aries Cursed Book 1) by Melissa Thomas is a Paranormal, Shifter Romance When her coyote-shifter ex-husband slaughters one of her flock. Mary goes looking for a hero-for-hire, but fate deals her a Greek god. Demetri Larsen is cursed to wander the earth until he finds his soulmate. For three hundred years he acts as an Aries Guardian. When he meets a feisty redhead his entire world is turned upside down. An enjoyable, steamy read. A fun storyline with drama, suspense, and an HEA. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary has had her heart broken and is just trying to keep her organic sheep ranch afloat. Demetri is a Ram shifter, who along with his friend Colleen is trying to find other possible siblings. He ends up working for Mary, but almost loses the job before he even gets started. Mary is also trying to deal with her ex husband who is convinced she is his mate and will stop at nothing to get her back.

I really enjoyed this book. Especially loved the unicorn comment! You will have to read it to understand, but totally worth it.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a few books of this series by different authors and each has been really good but this is my first book by Melissa Thomas and this one is just as good. Once started I didn't want to put it down. The author draws you in from the very start and keeps you entertained all the way through. If you enjoy Paranormal Romance with Shifters and Greek Gods then I would definitely recommend you read this book and the rest of the series. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Emily Dickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, loved, loved this book! Lots of humor throughout this book which was great! Mary was a great character who was likeable and well developed. Demetri was also likeable and enjoyable. Lots of action and humor topped off with lots of steam. The story was fun throughout the book with some great secondary characters. Colleen who was a herding dog and also Demetri's sister was delightful as only a sister can be at times. I am voluntarily reviewing an arc I received from Booksprout.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of the multi author collection Zodiac Shifters, Ram Rugged is none other than an Aries version of Mary Had a Little Lamb. Demetri is on a mission to find lost siblings when he finds himself on Mary's farm. Mary is devastated at the damage a coyote is creating among her flock. With a vengeful ex, Mary and Demetri find themselves fighting to save her flock.

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

[Raina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and romantic shifter story. I love that the main shifter of the story is a ram and so much more. Add that is companion is a dog that is also special and the story is just fun. Of course there is a bad guy and sadly for coyotes, he is one. But Mary is the star of the book and you will love her from the start.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of the book.

[Sheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

He came looking for his blood and found his mate instead in the fantastic story by the author. I loved the 2 main characters in this and I could not put it down once I started reading it.

I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book. This is book 1 in the Aries Cursed series which is a part of the Zodiac Shifters collection by various authors.

[Jannie Cv · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Golden Fleece beckons...
This is an excellent take on a bit of Greek mythology. I really enjoyed Ram Rugged. Demetri and Mary are fun, funny, and deadly if needed (Demetri, at least). Quentin, her ex is the penultimate cad. Yes, there may be guys worse than him, but certainly not many! Thankfully, such creeps reap their just desserts. A very rewarding read - check it out!

[Angie Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary and Dimitri's story was spectacular. Loved the instant attraction. Really liked the way the action was put in the story. It seriously made me hold my breath and pray against hope even though I knew there was a HEA. Definitely one click title. You won't regret it!!!!

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

[Joy Ki`Ili · Rating 4 out of 5]

Never underestimate fate and the power it plays out in ones life. Our couple overcome a whole lot of baggage once they get out of each other's way. It's really cute how the hero's personality traits reflect his animal.

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

[Sherry Westendorf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these zodiac shifter books. They fit in so well with the characteristics of each zodiac sign. She is a feisty redhead. Her crazy ex kills one of her flock. So she finds someone to help with a lot of baggage. It is exciting, suspenseful, emotional and so much more. I recommend it. I was given a review copy and voluntarily review it.

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO an immortal ram shifter and a woman who hasn't got time for men end up as soul mates which he was been searching for his for three hundred years. can he convince her that they are the real deal? read to find out

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

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this shifter story! Mary and Demitri are an enjoyable match! I like the story-line of this well written captivating story! I especially like the humor and dialogue in this story. It's a romantic, entertaining story with some suspense, drama and danger.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.*