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A one night stand pulls Amelia into the world of magic and sexy shifters when she's unexpectedly mated to the hottest alpha on the West Coast.

Amelia has issues after her ex-boyfriend ruined her life. It's taken years but she's managed to pull her life together and now works as an Editor at Ravens Publishing. Because of her past she refuses to date, but the hottest guy she's ever seen is too charming and sweet to resist.

Kai is the new Alpha of the Blue Mountain Wolf Pack. He's cleaning up his territory after a decade of bad Alpha's destroying Portland and the surrounding area. They've been dealing with rogue wolves left and right, but there's one left that has evaded him and his pack at every turn. Can Kai take down this wolf and still convince Amelia to date him when she doesn't know anything about the paranormal world?

*This is a steamy MF shifter romance. All paranormal books by Emma Dean are connected and sometimes overlap. Welcome to the Council of Paranormals world.

202 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 27, 2018

793 people are currently reading
465 people want to read

About the author

Emma Dean

83 books695 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

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5 stars
349 (38%)
4 stars
286 (31%)
3 stars
193 (21%)
2 stars
73 (7%)
1 star
17 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 83 reviews
Profile Image for Kristina.
1,589 reviews74 followers
August 26, 2022
The characters were cute. Liked the fated mates trope.
I just wish Kai hadn’t come across so incapable and unable to protect his female/pack/territory; not a desirable trait in the “alpha” of the pack.
There wasn’t really much to the story. Just kinda whatever and not memorable.
Profile Image for Megan.
3,610 reviews45 followers
August 21, 2019
Quick Info
Standalone/Cliffhanger?: Standalone
Part of a Series?: Yes
----------------------------------
Meeting the Characters
Amelia
Kai
----------------------------------
What happens?
Amelia has been emotional traumatised, from both of her parents and an ex boyfriend who would play mind games with her and eventually kicked her out onto the streets.
Kai is the alpha of a local pack, in town to help chase down a rogue wolf who is in danger of exposing werewolves, when he sleeps with Amelia he realises she is is fated mate and doesn't want to let her go but knows he can't push her because she'l run away from him.
Final thoughts
This romance was nice, I was pretty addicted to it quickly and I didn't want to let it go. My only bug is that this was annoyingly short. I wanted more and I didn't feel like I got enough from Kai. Still enjoyed this read and I'm curious about the next one.
Would I read again?: Yes
Would I read this author again?: Yes
Profile Image for Penny.
863 reviews11 followers
January 20, 2019
I enjoyed this book, it has shifters, mate bonds and steam everything I love in shifter books!
Awesome way to start a book!
Amelia has confidence and self esteem issues that come from a abusive past, she doesn’t want to get into any relationship for fear it will be the same as her last, she thinks she is broken and crazy and doesn’t deserve love.
Kai is the Alpha of the pack and has to find a way to prove to his mate she is not crazy and unlovable while hoping that she will stay with him when he finds out that he is a wolf shifter
I loved the way Kai helped bring Amelia out of her shell and truly be herself, she became confident enough to say what she wants ans how she wants it, I love the dominant side of her.
If you enjoy shifters, mate bonds, steam and an enjoyable book this is for you.
Profile Image for Jessica Robbins.
2,598 reviews50 followers
July 25, 2018
What a way to start a book! Had me hooked from the first page with a beginning like that. Then we get to dive into the world of wold shifters and their mates. Amelia was hoping for one night fling but Kai had a different idea once he knew the mate bond took effect. Their personal issues cause a hindrance though that they must get over before they can find their way to each other. If you are in the mood for a great paranormal shifter novel then this is the book for you. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
Profile Image for Leigh.
115 reviews27 followers
May 8, 2018
1. A++ beginning. Would read again. And again.
2. This is just .... solid. Boy and girl meet, court, bang, end up together. It's funny, sweet, hot, and pretty much everything I look for in a book.
3. Man, I don't even have any more points, just if you like werewolves, sexytimes, romance, and stand-alone novels, pick it up. I don't have any cons. Just read it :)

Side note: took me a while to figure out what to rate it, I tend to be rather harsh (I realize this, though less so lately because I haven't been reviewing the ones that piss me off). But when I was thinking 3 or 4, I realized this book was EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, not to mention exactly what I wanted it to be. Quick, fluffy, sexy, and fun. And I couldn't see any reason not to give it the glowing review it deserves.
Profile Image for Laura..devouring books like crumpets.
1,962 reviews109 followers
May 13, 2021
Amelia and Kai were magnetic!

I loved the story...

Why not a 5 i love a caveman alpha, I cant see an aggressive warrior having a book collection while loving romances, crying at the notebook and being a culinary genius, Kai was a bit to wet for me.



Yea a great read... Look forward to reading Bonnie and Shane!
Profile Image for Carole Burant.
1,277 reviews36 followers
August 15, 2022
With a start like that, it was a no brainer that I wouldn't be able to put the book down! lol I really enjoy shifter romances and this one was pretty good. This is the first time I read a book by Emma Dean and now I will certainly be looking for more of her work!

Kai is an alpha wolf shifter and Amelia is his mate....but she doesn't know it yet! With all of Amelia's issues with trust, Kai has his work cut out for him. Be prepared for lots of delicious passion and an alpha who will do anything to protect his pack.

Profile Image for Coco.V.
50k reviews132 followers
Read
May 30, 2020
🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/30/2020)! 🎁
Profile Image for Jo Smith.
695 reviews4 followers
September 2, 2019
Engaging Read

I wasn't really too sure what to expect from Emma as I am new to her work. I was booked before I realised I had read 27% and then I had to know what happened next and kept reading to the end. I liked the simplicity of the story, it's main characters and how the supporting characters were introduced, giving just a whisper of their personalities. I usually like a steamy read and although there is plenty of action the depth of heat matches the story perfectly. An enjoyable read whilst poorly in bed.
2,148 reviews30 followers
June 3, 2020
Between 2-3 stars. Pretty formulaic supernatural romance, but enjoyable and I'd be willing to reread and/or continue the series. So rounded up to 3.

Amelia (h) is a publishing editor who lives her life by very strict rules. Having survived both a distant childhood and an emotionally abusive relationship, she aims to prevent her life from ever falling so low again by keeping others at a distance. Kai (H) meets Amelia as a one-night stand, but his wolf soon tells him that she's something different. While a feral wolf is running rogue in his territory, will Kai be able to work around Amelia's walls and into her life, or will he wither away, separated away from his mate?

I liked it. It wasn't particularly unique, but I liked it. Standard stuff - lots of insta-love, h overcoming abusive past with support from devoted alpha H. There's a fair amount of tell-not-show in the narrative - conversations summarized, not detailed; that sort of thing. But overall, it's a nice escapism read.

My biggest frustration was the ending. What could have been a very dramatic, emotional fight scene (and associated fall-out) felt very rushed. Like, maybe having spent a little less time in Amelia's head earlier as she was dithering about Kai and her changing emotions, and more time in what she was feeling in the chase and fight and after-effects would've been a better balance. The fact that there's no real closure, no epilogue just emphasized the hurried feel to the ending.

It's well edited. There are a few glaring errors, but for the most part, it's very readable.

Alternating 3rd person POV. No cheating, no OW/OM drama, no love triangles. Just Kai's insta-love, Amelia's icy front thawing. Pretty formulaic, but still an enjoyable formula, especially for a free Kindle find. HFN ending. No epilogue, but no real cliffhanger either. Just a few threads not wrapped up in the ending, laying the ground for future stories, I suppose.

Would I read more in the series? Sure. I've got the second one downloaded too. We'll see how Shane and Bonnie's story plays out.
1,203 reviews8 followers
November 2, 2019
Fab read loved it

Brilliant book loved the chemistry between Kai a wolf shifter and Amelia after a one night stand Kai knew that Amelia was his true mate and the bond between them had started he now needed to convince Amelia to be with him. Amelia has a set of rules to protect her heart after her ex boyfriend had destroyed her confidence one of them no relationships only one night stands but Kai turn’s up on her thoughts and then also I her life as he keeps turning up in places she goes to is he stalking her? Amelia doesn’t do relationships as she tells Kai but he persuades her to go to for some food with him he then gets to make a meal for her at her place. Amelia doesn’t know what happens but she tells him about her past. As Kai thought someone had done a good job of telling Amelia she was worthless from her ex boyfriend and also her parents he invites her for a week end at his place Amelia eventually agrees this is where he needs to explain who he is and the mating bond which he is trying not to strength by sleeping with her again. Amelia even though agreeing to take things slow needs him and ends up sleeping with him again but then constantly needs him. Amelia finds out what he is after a rogue wolf gets her and bites her Kai turns into a wolf in front of her and the rest of the pack because she was bit Amelia will also turn into a wolf. Kai is hurt badly after the fight but Amelia wills him to heal himself she understands the mating bond and she accepts his wolf side no mater what the future holds she knows he will always be hers as she will always be his.
Profile Image for Shelley.
535 reviews9 followers
February 23, 2023
So, this was cute. It is the basic plot of shifter meets soulmate - insta love and steamy scenes follow. We have a basic FMC who has been emotionally abused by her past partner and her parents. The MMC sees how hurt she is and immediately fixes her with his love and (ahem) affection.

The MMC is problematic on many levels. One, he thinks and talks like a female author. He’s a mouthpiece saying what the author wishes men recognized. He knows exactly how to address Amelia’s issues, recognizing what happened immediately and then saying all the right things. He doesn’t have a personality as much as a stereotype to fulfill.

Also, she made him Native American and then asks him weird white girl questions about his tribe. But it’s ok because the author makes him an orphan who is unconnected to his Native American roots. Basically, he’s a token “diverse” character. It seemed like the author wanted a diverse character but did not want to research the possible heritage of that diverse character.

The stakes are low and the story is quick. It wasn’t great.
Profile Image for Dharia Scarab.
3,255 reviews8 followers
December 14, 2018
Fun read. Love that it’s set in the same universe. Not as well developed as the later books, but still good. Can’t wait to see more from this author.



Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...

1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.

2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.

3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.

4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.

5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
Profile Image for Kit.
1,517 reviews17 followers
January 28, 2020
Read: Jan 28, 2020
Rating: 3 Stars

To be honest, I expected to like this more than I did, since I loved Emma Dean's other books so far.
But alas, this just felt a little flat in comparison.
Amelia is a nice enough character, as are all the others but they all are just that, nice enough, nothing special.

Now, this might be influenced by the fact that I usually do not really like "werewolf" romance or any werewolf/wolf shifter story but their "love story" progressed ridiculously fast in my opinion.

I have read Spotted Her First by Emma Dean and that's a stand-alone as well and they fall in love with each other in a very short time as well, but somehow it worked there and it didn't here.

I might try the second book to see if that's any better.


Profile Image for Lissa J.
641 reviews11 followers
July 3, 2024
Cute, low-key, wolf shifter series. This review is for books 1-4 in the Blue Mountain Wolf Pack series. I read them in a box set on KU.

Fast reads, with insta mates, insta love and also insta conflict resolutions. These are light quick reads that are low on the drama. Coming from Emma Dean's So You Think You're Slick omegaverse series, this is a 180 in terms of story nuance, complexity and darker themes.

It is a part of her Council of Paranormals world, but I can't comment on how it fits as I've only read these four so far. The romance is a little different each time, some resist, some embrace the mate bond and some take their time. But it is all very insta. Great characters, which is why I liked it, but not a lot of nuances to the overall plot. Some of her series are rh and some have m/m, but the steam in this wolf shifter series is m/f.

I'm hoping some of the RH books in this authors wider CofP world are longer. I've enjoyed her writing enough so far to explore more of her work.
Profile Image for MooseGirl.
792 reviews4 followers
September 25, 2021
Amelia's one night stand is persistent and she's not sure she even wants to scare him off. Kai is an alpha werewolf and he knows the woman is his mate, so giving up is not an option.

Hmm... I'm not too sure what to make of this. It wasn't bad, but it could have been better. For me, there were three issues.

First, the bizarre amount of lecturing about writing, editing, and the publishing business which was quite irritating. It was also quite out of place.

Second, it was quite hard to like Amelia. Even knowing her back story, she was just a little too cold and catty, and I just couldn't warm to her.

Third, Amelia accepts everything werewolf far too quickly and easily. Yes, she couldn't exactly disbelieve it. But to just swallow it all with barely a question? That was stretching it.

Overall, it wasn't a terrible book, and it was worth a read.
Profile Image for Laurol.
524 reviews12 followers
February 9, 2023
Review to self.

I’m ngl I didn’t expect much based off the title and the cover pic alone and I was right.

To my delight I didn’t have to suffer long. The book was relatively short. I’m trying not to DNF too much but my patience is so thin now.

The fmc was… annoying. Sorry but she was.

The way the fmc referred to women was gross. Like in a “I’m only nice to girls I’m friends with and everyone else is jealous of us” type of way.

The mmc way the same. Again I really didn’t expect much and I got about as much as I expected.

My one question and also favorite part. He just kills the rabid crazy wolf and then nothing the end. I was expecting the crazy wolf to have a whole ass evil speech monologue or at least be someone the others knew but no.

They were simply there to turn her into a wolf.

2.5 read. Absolutely not. I will NOT be reading the sequel. whoop whoop.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Matthew Wilson.
20 reviews
July 9, 2024
*TRIGGER WARNINGS LISTED AT THE END, MAY COME OFF AS SPOILER-ISH*

This is the second book or the fifth book chronologically in the Council of Paranormals world based on a couple of different lists the author has put in a couple of the books. I am awaiting confirmation. It is also the first book in the Blue Mountain Wolf Pack series.

One thing I really liked:
No matter what, the MMC made sure the FMC understood that he would respect all of her boundaries (except for what one could say their initial meeting) no matter what.

Trigger Warnings:
Healing from emotional/mental/ psychological abuse
Said abuse touched on multiple times
Murder
Attempted murder
Nonconsentual transformation bite
1,231 reviews14 followers
June 19, 2021
Would have been a five but the ending was rushed, again!

I really really loved this book but the ending was really rushed. The rest of the book was brilliant. I loved the way that he wooed her.

Amelia had a horrid childhood with parents who made her feel like she was an awful person. Then she had an abusive relationship that made her lose all her confidence. So when she meets Kai and has a one night stand with him, she can’t risk having a relationship. Kai woos he as he knows she’s his mate, and it’s really romantic. Really did love this book. Sex scenes were hot, but not over the top. As some can be.
606 reviews8 followers
October 13, 2021
I can’t wait to read the nxt one!

H-Kai
h- Amelia
1st of all I want to say a few things… this book to me is 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ BUT I gave it 4 because of the cover picture which I hate!
The story is good. Emily has been previously abused by her ex boyfriend & parents. Which causes her to set rules/bondaries for self to prevent herself from falling for a man. She only does 1 night stand since there is no feelings envolve. But Kai has other ideas & decided this is his mate he just have to convince her to give him a try!
Can’t wait to read Bonnie (even tho I hate the name) - her best friend & Shane which is Kai 2nd in command (beta)
Profile Image for Alinda.
128 reviews1 follower
March 23, 2023
Pretty good but.....

The book was good up to about the 85% mark. The Amelia non trusting personality of 85% of the book wouldn't have just been like, "I've just been bitten and dragged off, from a second story balcony no less, by a rogue wolf and now I'm a wolf. Ok, cool!"

The author had really built up the suspense for the time Kai was to reveal that he was a wolf and then flop, so anticlimactic! Ugh! A missed opportunity if I've ever seen one. The ending was totally rushed.

I did like most of the book, hence the 4 stars, so I'm going to try the next one, and hopefully, it won't be the same.
Profile Image for Alma Conchas.
369 reviews13 followers
August 6, 2022
Wow, I truly loved Kai and Amelia's story so much!

Mrs. Dean is a new to me author and this is the first book I've ever read of hers. And I can't tell you how much I enjoyed reading Amelia and Kai's story, and to see a character like Amelia who is very relatable to me because I to was in a relationship that was bad. And I'm so happy that she was able to find happiness after all that she suffered at the hands of the people who should have been there for her. Now she will be able to have a true family and her best friend by her side.
183 reviews
April 27, 2018
A great love story about finding love and of healing. Left with nothing after an abusive relationship Amelia does not believe in love. Kai and Amanda hook up and Kai discovers his mate. But how is Kai going to convince Amanda that he is the one to trust? A really enjoyable story with plenty of chemistry between the main characters. I received this ARC as a gift and I am voluntarily submitting this review.
Author 6 books17 followers
October 30, 2019
I read book 2, it was good. Then I noticed I missed book #1. Wow, I am so glad I went back and read book this book. It made some of the other book make sense. Kai was sexy and I loved Amelia, she was strong and weird which is okay. It made her character more believable, bc no one is normal (some like to think they are but we all live through bad times - own it and be stronger ) A very Good read!
Profile Image for Tina.
960 reviews6 followers
November 13, 2019
I love sweet insta love reads, this wasn’t quite that as Amelia has some issues with men but when she meets Kai, something is different. They share something deeper and when Kai finally reveals his secret will Amelia run??
Cute, romantic shifter read, nice story, plot, and characters. Amelia is a bit harsh initially but she has her reasons, kai is a sweet caring soul who can’t wait to make her his. Lots of hot moments with sweetness thrown in. Some angst but overall a nice shifter read.
Profile Image for Donna.
2,107 reviews31 followers
February 15, 2020
Amelia is a damaged woman who runs from commitment and has strict rules for how she lives her life. Kai was supposed to be a one night stand but he wanted more. Lots of rules, secrets and her past threatens this couple. Kai is very understanding a his patience calm Amelia’s fears. Lots of angst and hot interactions in this engaging story. I read this using my KU subscription and look forward to next book.
Profile Image for Tiffany Copple.
1,491 reviews67 followers
August 15, 2020
3.5 stars for Alpha Wolf by Emma Dean. This is book one in the Blue Mountain Pack Series. Amelia and Kai hook up, but while Kai knows she is his mate Amelia knows nothing about the supernatural world. Amelia doesn’t want anything more. She has a set of rules and Kai seems to be breaking them . I will say this is a fast paced book, which I think took away from the passion a little bit. I did enjoy the story and if you are looking for a quick read then this book is for you.
Profile Image for Anne.
245 reviews
August 8, 2021
Love this universe

I don’t even know what number of reread I am on for this universe and this book. I have loved Emma Dean for years. She creates such wonderfully detailed worlds that just suck you in. When I get in a book slump I reread one of her series. This time reading the Council of Paranormals in chronological order with The Huntress and Stolen Magic (highly recommend both). off to read Shane’s story.
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