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Wolfsbane

Wolfsbane: The Wolf Within

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With college and graduation close at hand, Evelyn should be celebrating with her friends and preparing for the future. However, Evelyn is plagued by the horrors of the battle and an unforgiving darkness dominates her mind. Lying to those around her, Evelyn suffers the true consequences of her power and decides to handle it herself.

With her magic under threat and her wolf trying to make an appearance, Evelyn's senior year of whimsical dreaming soon turns into something more sinister as she battles with who people think she is and who she is meant to be.

450 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 18, 2018

977 people are currently reading
521 people want to read

About the author

Bethany Shay Porteous

4 books71 followers
Bethany Shay Porteous is a young adult author hailing from Perth, Western Australia. Obsessed with stories and writing from a young age, Bethany went on to publish her first book Wolfsbane: Evelyn & Aiden when she was nineteen. Bethany dabbles in both fantasy and romance, preferring to write young adult stories.


​To Bethany, writing is not a chore or a job; it's an escape to another world and a chance to share her many worlds with others.

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5 stars
1,071 (53%)
4 stars
572 (28%)
3 stars
269 (13%)
2 stars
72 (3%)
1 star
35 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
Profile Image for G.
516 reviews203 followers
March 22, 2023
Great ending
Profile Image for G.
516 reviews203 followers
March 20, 2023
Loved it.
Profile Image for Kim.
121 reviews15 followers
May 14, 2022
Too slow. Too tame. Not enough chemistry between Evelyn and Aiden, and so it doesn't read like a romance novel at all.

There was a lot (A LOT) of bullying and abuse faced by Evelyn. And I don't know if there was a need to show that much of it? I mean, it was just a lot.

I did like the trial towards the end of the book though, something you don't usually get to see. There's generally a Neanderthal-style war fought (which also takes place here) and the hero kills the villain (if we're lucky, with the heroine's help). And then they live happily ever after. But I just couldn't feel the sparks between Evelyn and Aiden. And maybe I missed the memo, but there was practically zero sex (on paper). Only soft kisses and cuddles and hand holding. Which is great, but I am a 30 year old with needs ;)
Profile Image for giuligatt.
198 reviews2 followers
December 21, 2025
The final battle was gaggy and I love Evelyn down, however, the story was a little too slow for me. I normally love a slow burn but this wasn’t that. it was actually very insta-love, yet everything else was slow? Which is like weird and annoying. The romance was actually like the least interesting about this book unfortunately. I’d say it was more found family and healing then romance really. I love all those tropes just don’t love how Aiden really made no impact for me personally. Like he made an impact for Evelyn but not for me. Idk the man was just dull sorry. Anyways, That being said I love reading about wolves and fated mates so I don’t gaf still had a good time.
Profile Image for Madenna U.
2,147 reviews1 follower
February 1, 2022
A young girl, Evelyn, has led a very rough life being abused and bullied by her community/wolf pack for not having a wolf. Unexpectedly, she is invited to join her family in on a trip to celebrate an alliance with another wolf pack as her step father is 2nd in command of their pack. While trying to stay inconspicuous, she finds her soul mate, Aiden, only to discover that 1) it is the son of the new pack's leader and 2) it is the boy her evil step sisters were hoping to attract. Think Cinderella but her identity isn't a secret.

Evelyn must learn how to live in a non abusive situation, become part of a family, learn about her true parentage situation, file charges against her abusers, etc. all while falling in love with Aiden.

Profile Image for Michelle.
26 reviews
May 4, 2020
The story line wanted to be good. There were too many sloppy contradictions. There were places in the story were it was Tuesday and then Friday all of sudden. They could hear her heartbeat and lie, then they couldn't. Didnt explain why flights were so long in states next door to each other. The phrasing was weird, about halfway through I realized the author must have been British (turns out she's Australian). And if she used ghosting one more time I was going to loose my mind. If you're going to write a story set in the U.S. with American characters get help with how Americans in that region speak. Seriously. I dont want to read an Aussie book or movie and they talk like Americans. Also, figure out your geography or at least explain it to the reader better. I know why flights are 7 hours between Idaho and Oregon but most Americans really wouldn't unless they've lived in real rural areas like that.
114 reviews
June 20, 2019
Very intense!

Wow. For young writer this book is amazing. Very intense emotions and a,lot of feelings reveling in Evelyn's live. Wow this girl survive all the torture, humiliations and pain that members of her own Pack did inflict her. I enjoy when she found out Aiden was her mate. He is so cute and sweet whit her. She deserves all the happiness with her mate. Her dad is awesome so here half brothers and sisters. The Line Claudia she is the heart of the history always bringing to senses to the others. I was craying during the hearing. It's pretty intense and it's a very traumatic history. Her mom I feel sorry for her but she made her own bed with all the lies she told and keeping in the dark Evelyn's true dad history. Thank you Bethany What for this amazing book. I really couldn't stop reading.
Profile Image for Lilybeth.
24 reviews1 follower
October 7, 2016
The story was excellent; if you like werewolf stories and witches this is the book for you. The pacing of the story was good and the characters are very well developed. My only critique is that this e-book is $4.99, but there are multiple grammatical errors in it, not enough to make you stop reading but enough to make you question the professionalism. If I am reading a book for free then I don't expect it to be perfect, but if I am paying for a book then I expect it to have either no errors or only 1-2 errors, not 6 or 7. Like I said, I very much enjoyed this book and it is a good read, I just wish there had been some more thorough editing before it was published for sale.
Profile Image for Kaity.
1,980 reviews24 followers
September 15, 2020
3ish stars...

ehhhhh this book was interesting. I somehow read the whole thing and it held my attention enough to want to know what was going to happen... but my god Evelyn... I couldn't connect with her. She became too whiny. and I wanted her to open up to Aiden.. but jeez she took almost half of the book to open up, I get she was abused A LOT by her last pack, emotionally, physically and sexually. It was like think of every bad thing you could do to a person and it was done to Evelyn.

I don't think that this was my cup of tea, but I read the whole book, I really loved how Aiden was supportive of her and wanted to make sure that she was taken care of.
1,711 reviews6 followers
November 15, 2020
Certainly get the complete story of Aiden and Evelyn. No cliffhanger or guessing. It was easily one of the most complete books I have ever read. There were no loose threads left. However, there were some characters that were left for future development or books. Will Grace and Trey become a book? How about Katherine? Lucy and Gregg? Hannah's story is incomplete. I see a series of books on this pack. How about future development in Alaska? Then of course there is the coven in Ohio and the pairing in New Orleans and the promising of Evelyn's sibilings. This author has much potential and much work to do. Good luck and godspeed.
Profile Image for themaidenreads.
49 reviews2 followers
April 16, 2021
Wolfsbane: Evelyn & Aiden
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
[this book contains triggering content: sexual assult]
Thoughts: I loved this book so much! It had everything I loved; werewolves [shocker], soul mates and pack conflict. Evelyn is such a strong and resilient heroine. She experiences the most traumatic abuse at the hands of her old pack, and to see her grow throughout the story is really special to read. Aiden, Evelyn's mate, is the sweetest person, and so are all her new friends; their love and support for Evelyn really help her move on with her life and grow past her trauma. This book even has magic in it, guys. It's so good. Definitely going to be rereading this one.
Profile Image for Holly Bargo.
Author 42 books145 followers
April 9, 2021
For the YA crowd

I didn't realize this book was written for young adult readers until I'd gotten several pages in, then I began wondering whether the story continued over multiple books as our hero and heroine grew up. The content suffers from misused apostrophes, malapropisms, and other grammatical errors that speaks to a neglect of professional editing and proofreading. There are a few plot holes and inconsistencies that ought to be addressed, such as the succession of leadership. Does the reigning alpha abdicate or die? Still, it's a clean, entertaining read.
Profile Image for Intan Dzikria.
44 reviews1 follower
October 24, 2020
It was definitely different than other werewolves novels I read. Not bad, but really really goooddd! The story was the combination of childhood bullying, finding soulmates, family acceptance, friendship, and lost. But, in paranormal environment. So,the description of everything especially the bullying were heighten. No worries about it though, because the author balanced the bad with so many good things ahead.
31 reviews
June 24, 2018
Really enjoyable read

I really enjoyed this book . I think the way Bethany built the characters and showed their progression through out the book was brilliant. Especially the main characters . I was rooting for her to stand up for herself !!! Overall everything I loved in a shifter book definitely recommend it to anyone who likes this genre
Profile Image for Virginia Inevitably Reads.
207 reviews2 followers
June 26, 2022
"Life is a gift, a borrowed energy that we needed to cherish and protect, not waste it on hating one another and killing each other."

TW:
Sexual, Physical, and Mental Abuse
Violence

I wish I could rate this book higher. This was a tough rating for me.

Things I Liked:
- The overall plot. This story pulled me in right away, and for the most part kept me hooked. It is a YA paranormal read with LOTS of dark content, so be sure to check the trigger warnings.
- Evelyn. Although she annoyed me in many aspects, I think the author portrayed the character very well. She had been abused her entire life and was thrust into a better situation that she never saw happening for herself. She had to overcome a lot mentally, especially at such a young age. So, although I wanted her to stop the pity parties and embrace her newly found badassery, the author created a more realistic character trying to overcome 17-years of trauma.
- All the side characters. Once again, although I found some of them annoying, I felt the author did an excellent job of portraying the life and attitudes of high-schoolers. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and how they interacted with our protagonist.

Things I Didn't Like:
- Evelyn and Aiden. There was just no chemistry between them and their entire relationship fell flat for me. The story was more about Evelyn embracing her true self, which is totally fine. I was just expecting a paranormal romance, and wasn't feeling the romance.
- The writing. I found the story to be full of plot holes, and quite repetitive at times. Characters repeated themselves too often, and the story seemed to drag unnecessarily.


The story was great, the execution was okay, but I enjoyed the journey.
Profile Image for Tanya.
849 reviews16 followers
August 31, 2021
I love how the author started the book by highlighting significant milestones in a wolf shifter's life and why they are essential. I love how she includes some history of wolf shifters. This book needs a trigger warning. There is a lot of violence and bullying.

We learn that our character is a half-breed with no wolf yet. Her name is Evelyn, and she is very abused in high school and at home at her pack. She has some special abilities but not the ones she should have. She gets bullied because she is different even though she is part of the beta family.

The beat family heads to Wolfsbane, Oregon. It's kinda amazing that she finds her mate and with it gets really shy. The new pack in Oregon seems to be extraordinary compared to her old one. Aiden, her new mate, is something else. I feel bad for the main character. She is so emotionally and mentally damaged from the years of abuse at her old pack. I do love how the author added in some new magic for her.

This book so far has been a YA romance, not much steamy anything. I love that it isn't an instant love story; instead, the characters have their own reservations and thoughts and don't let the mate bond control them. Of course, even in the new Oregon pack, the author included a character you love to hate.

A lot of twists happen once her story gets out to the Oregon pack. She also discovers her magic and a family she never had. This book is very intriguing.

The author does keep things very young adult. Even with the trigger items in the story, they aren't overly described. This story gets interesting as justice is served, and she starts to adapt to her new life and mate. Even her family life improves. She becomes a real heroine in a time of need, and I'm surprised by the strength she shows. This book ends happily but at a heavy price.

I really enjoyed this story and how it developed. I love that our main character was broken, and it took a whole family plus some to help her overcome. I love that justice was served, but in the end, they still got to fight. I love that despite her past, she moved on to a better future, and yes, she embraced it slowly. I love how much Aiden is the perfect boyfriend, not pressuring her and truly loving her. I love that the author added other paranormal, so this wasn't just another young adult mate story. This book does get graphic by the end for violence so beware it is coming even though the story seems to be very muted down. This book is about justice, healing, and compassion.

I look forward to reading more from this author. I did notice the next book has different main characters, so I will most likely skip it and go ahead and not finish this series as it drives me nuts when there are huge time gaps and different characters. But I did really enjoy the complexity of this first book and the originality of it.
Profile Image for Brianne Wik.
Author 4 books178 followers
December 18, 2020
Cinderella meets wolf shifters

This book really surprised me! It was a sweet Cinderella story that really tackled the topic of abuse and bullying in a way that felt respectful and empowered. Evelyn, the survivor of the abuse, was still a strong character, but author Shay didn't shy away from the after effects and behavior of that trauma. I loved it.

The romance was sweet, the characters were both wonderful and awful, and I felt emotionally invested to see how it all played out for sweet Evelyn.

Fun surprises popped up along the way and a great cast of characters helped support all the action and drama.

This was a fast paced read for me, lots happening quickly but it never felt rushed.

I love me some wolf shifting paranormal Romance, but this one really surprised me with its unique story and theme. I highly recommend it!
106 reviews
September 17, 2021
Great story overall, 3.5 stars

I struggled with what to read this book. The story pulled me in right away and kept me hooked. The author did a great job of portraying the life in mind of a 17-year-old girl who had gone through some horrific experiences. At times Evelyn frustrated me with her immaturity and insecurity, but I think it was actually quite realistic.

The thing that prevented me from giving this more stars was the writing itself. Incorrect words were used often (prospective instead of perspective, corps instead of corpse). Punctuation was often incorrect and grammar left something to be desired. While those things often bother me, the story compensated sufficiently that I was able to overlook that stuff and really enjoy this book, and I look forward to reading more in the series.
Profile Image for Kelly Martin- Loudermilk.
111 reviews3 followers
August 9, 2019
I found Evelyn's story to be quite fascinating. Evelyn has a horrible past: rape, bullying, sexual abuse, etc. It's truly a horrible story to read. Seems the Idaho pack of wolves treated her very different because she was only a half wolf, instead of a pure wolf.

Once Evelyn arrives in Oregon, her story take a twist and she finds her mate: Aiden. Their story was a very slow moving, sweet, heartfelt story. I loved how she interacted with Aiden's father, his mother (Luna) and his sister, Grace. Grace was a very strong willed girl and I loved any interaction Grace and Evelyn had.

I did feel the story really dragged in the middle. I wish the trial had more detail though.
Profile Image for Jane.
Author 1 book20 followers
November 25, 2023
Very YA wounded bird trope, fated mates typa deal. Y’all know I EAT THAT UP EVERY TIME. Reminded me of Sanctum by Hannah Mcbride a little bit (but less spicy). I felt like we could use a novella about Grace and Trey because I needed to see his grovel in detail!!! Like poor Grace. I felt like Evelyn was a bit overpowered and her powers weren’t explored a lot but overall I really enjoyed this. Insta-love but not in a bad way.


•Wounded bird trope
•Fated mates
•High school
•He falls first
•Werewolf
•1/5 spice (innocent/one short fade to black scene)
•Surprise powers/magic
Profile Image for Rosie.
107 reviews3 followers
December 28, 2023
Great Non-Stop read.

I absolutely loved this book. There were parts that are hard to read because of the way Evelyn was treated by her pack members all because she's part wolf. She then finds her mate Adien who is everything she needs to help her heal and grow. I love seeing how she puts herself back together with all her mates pack and family.
This is book 1 of 3 and I can't wait to read the others. This book deserves more than a ten to see if Evelyn finds out her truth and to see what can be done with her old pack.
122 reviews
December 13, 2020
I Really Liked This Story! Needs a Bit of Editing...

This was a very good and surprising shifter romance. It surpassed the common tropes and storylines, bringing a good, emotional story that made me glad I read it. I would suggest another go on proofreading, though, as possessive apostrophes were completely missing and several pronouns were sadly misused. Tightening that up would make this much better and would earn a perfect rating.
209 reviews1 follower
December 17, 2021
Kept me up all night.

If you want it all this is your book . I don't like abuse in any form , But Evelyn came thru it all like a strong Luna should . I love Aiden he was so kind and loving to her . If you want an interesting read that has it all please read . I absolutely couldn't put it down .Had to see what happened with her mom , her old pack and her real father . Y'all will certainly be kept on your toes . Also at times fun and light hearted .
230 reviews2 followers
December 26, 2021
what a read

Wow, I loved this read… seriously could not put it down.
Such a great storyline with excellent characters, especially the main characters.
A few twists and turns along the way throughout.
It’s definitely not for the light hearted though as there are abusive incidents both recounted and lived.
And I always love it when there’s a moral to the story on top….
Just a really great read….
11 reviews
January 26, 2022
Wolfsbane: Evelyn & Aiden

I loved the story, and the characters were strong and enjoyable..even the evil ones. The only problem I had was with grammar and usage. The misuse of number and amount; to, too, and two; beginning and ending sentences with the same phrases; and ending sentences with verbs and prepositions greatly hindered the smoothness of your story. I would recommend this book to others though.
Profile Image for ashley hamilton.
202 reviews4 followers
June 2, 2022
Nogo

I didn’t like this book Evelyn was to weak for me she didn’t have a back bone at all she was so scared the whole book I wanted to stop reading right away cause it was horrible I kept reading hoping she would get better the book only got good towards the End. I did love the family she mated into and her father and how accepting his family was I read charlotte and kyron first now that book was fye
Profile Image for Ameira.
582 reviews
January 31, 2025
read

Dnf @ 52%
Although this story starts off good and has great potential.
Its definitely a slog to get through and quiet stagnant with no real growth also the fmc is becoming very Annoying- I get she went through tough times but she has a chance to really turn her life around & the chick just sulks
The mmc is more of a supporting character then a lead mmc / no chemistry & the fact he said the L word honestly is like to know what ur in love with because I don’t see it.
104 reviews1 follower
November 6, 2017
Bethany's awesome

I read that she is a new author.
She doesn't write like one.
Her characters are consistent in there separate personalities. I really DON'T like it when the characters are not consistent, circumstances might change, we might change as people, but basic core personalities don't change in unrealistic ways. She was f
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