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Lone Wolves Ranch #1
The Cub Club
alternate cover edition of ASIN B07J5Q8469
M/M Shifter Mpreg Romance.
What would you do if your adopted son shifted into a wolf cub before your eyes? For single dad Steven the choice was simple - find the boy's family and hope they had the answers.
As the alpha of Lone Wolves Ranch, Mack trusted in humans as much as he trusted in love. Not at all. But he had a soft spot for the brave man searching for his son's relatives. When he discovers Steven is his fated mate, he's stuck between a soft spot and a hard place.
The Cub Club is a gay wolf shifter romance containing Mpreg and knotting. A complete 65,000-word novel - no cliffhanger!
M/M Shifter Mpreg Romance.
What would you do if your adopted son shifted into a wolf cub before your eyes? For single dad Steven the choice was simple - find the boy's family and hope they had the answers.
As the alpha of Lone Wolves Ranch, Mack trusted in humans as much as he trusted in love. Not at all. But he had a soft spot for the brave man searching for his son's relatives. When he discovers Steven is his fated mate, he's stuck between a soft spot and a hard place.
The Cub Club is a gay wolf shifter romance containing Mpreg and knotting. A complete 65,000-word novel - no cliffhanger!
235 pages, ebook
First published October 8, 2018
326 people are currently reading
191 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
October 17, 2018
3.0 Stars
This one started off promising with a "human" parent trying to find information on how to handle his adopted son's shifting, and wanting to have him connect to his roots. Unfortunately the miscommunication, the obfuscation, the deceit and outright lies were just too much and overpowered the rest of the story. I mean, if there'd been a little bit of an issue in the MCs trying to connect and their attempts missed the mark...that would have been okay, but it just kept happening over and over and over and OVER again. Too Often. I hate that as a trope and it was overplayed here. And the sex scenes weren't all that more titillating for the knotting, which was a disappointment as I love that detail of shifter stories. (I'm a perv, I know this.)
But it is well-written for the most part. The characters weren't completely flat and I did like the "recessive" wolf/omega aspect as well as the plot point of mates not being permanent or fated. I wish there'd been more detail than the handful of throw-away lines about what really happened to Steven's deceased/missing husband. Also, the title? The "club" wasn't even mentioned until well into the story, and Steven didn't join it until right before the resolution of the book. I think it would work for a series title (if this is going to be a series, not sure I'd read any more of them though) but the installment title should have been something else.
So, not bad but not really different enough to rate higher. (Probably didn't help that I'd read a phenomenal shifter/abo story this week already and it will likely overshadow most others for a while.)
This one started off promising with a "human" parent trying to find information on how to handle his adopted son's shifting, and wanting to have him connect to his roots. Unfortunately the miscommunication, the obfuscation, the deceit and outright lies were just too much and overpowered the rest of the story. I mean, if there'd been a little bit of an issue in the MCs trying to connect and their attempts missed the mark...that would have been okay, but it just kept happening over and over and over and OVER again. Too Often. I hate that as a trope and it was overplayed here. And the sex scenes weren't all that more titillating for the knotting, which was a disappointment as I love that detail of shifter stories. (I'm a perv, I know this.)
But it is well-written for the most part. The characters weren't completely flat and I did like the "recessive" wolf/omega aspect as well as the plot point of mates not being permanent or fated. I wish there'd been more detail than the handful of throw-away lines about what really happened to Steven's deceased/missing husband. Also, the title? The "club" wasn't even mentioned until well into the story, and Steven didn't join it until right before the resolution of the book. I think it would work for a series title (if this is going to be a series, not sure I'd read any more of them though) but the installment title should have been something else.
So, not bad but not really different enough to rate higher. (Probably didn't help that I'd read a phenomenal shifter/abo story this week already and it will likely overshadow most others for a while.)
April 25, 2019
A good first attempt from this author, but some things really hurt the overall reading experience for me. I enjoyed the basic premise - widowed father discovers the world of shifters after his young son unexpectedly shifts, and learns more about himself along the way.
However, I feel like this author was trying to do a lot - possibly too much? - in this story. The whole reason for the title, "Cub Club" doesn't even come into play until much, much later in the story. Then there's Mack's ex floating around, which seemed like unnecessary drama (and I wasn't a fan of needing a separate POV just for him.)
And above all else, I was not a fan of the lies, withholding information, and deception games between Mack and Steven. I think at one point Mack basically says, "you have no clue how wolves work, so that's why I'm lying to you," which bugs me. Don't lie and make decisions without the others' input, you need to talk things out and be adults here.
I did enjoy Steven, and how he made sure to stand up for himself. Screw tradition, he was going to do what was comfortable for him, not what wolf tradition dictated. I really enjoyed his persistence and strength. But I kinda wish he had a better mate than Mack, who I never warmed up to.
However, I feel like this author was trying to do a lot - possibly too much? - in this story. The whole reason for the title, "Cub Club" doesn't even come into play until much, much later in the story. Then there's Mack's ex floating around, which seemed like unnecessary drama (and I wasn't a fan of needing a separate POV just for him.)
And above all else, I was not a fan of the lies, withholding information, and deception games between Mack and Steven. I think at one point Mack basically says, "you have no clue how wolves work, so that's why I'm lying to you," which bugs me. Don't lie and make decisions without the others' input, you need to talk things out and be adults here.
I did enjoy Steven, and how he made sure to stand up for himself. Screw tradition, he was going to do what was comfortable for him, not what wolf tradition dictated. I really enjoyed his persistence and strength. But I kinda wish he had a better mate than Mack, who I never warmed up to.
November 28, 2018
4 underrated stars!
How is this author not more read that he/she is right now? This was awesome for a debut series! It was fresh and different although I didn’t appreciate the third POV of a pop-in character. But otherwise, it was a good read 😊
How is this author not more read that he/she is right now? This was awesome for a debut series! It was fresh and different although I didn’t appreciate the third POV of a pop-in character. But otherwise, it was a good read 😊
November 28, 2018
I can't believe there were so many good reviews on this book. I found it so unexpectedly terrible I don't even know where to begin. First of all, I just have to say that I think that Mack is an idiot and a horrible person. Always thinks about himself, is domineering for no reason (and no it does not make him more alpha, just more dumb), he lies so much and is acting terribly towards Steven. Their relationship was awful, there was supposed to be some attraction that I just did not see and some feelings that I did not feel (or read about at all). Mack lied to Steven from the beginning (well not only him but so many people) and for NO good reason and that relationship was just so unhealthy! Why couldn't Steven be alone for a while in the beginning and Mack had to push him into sex (which just felt like coercion to me)?? There should have been more angst and more feelings overall and it just felt completely wrong to me. Steven was also portrayed like a strong person and then he just yielded on everything and almost never got his way. There was no romance. Zero.
And don't even let me start on all the other people in this book. Why did everyone lied to Steven from the pack, even Helen? And she was the only positive character with Chaz in this book to be honest. Jack sucked as a villain, we never had time to properly hate him and all the action at the end of the book was just too hurried. Peter could have been such a sweet character but he wasn't given any space and we couldn't see his GOOD relationship with his dad.
Oh and one more thing. Why did the author make Steven so special?? What did it mean that he shifted later (or that his wolf had the instinct to wait)? Why was his wolf as big as an alpha? ...why did the author do so and not expand on it and have some deeper reasons for it? Or why not just make him a normal wolf?? Also why make Chaz something more than a human as well? There are no sequels, there is no reason to leave us with all these unresolved or unnecessary information.
I am very upset. This could have been such a sweet book if Mack wasn't such an asshole and Steven was a stronger character and there was some sort of chemistry between them.
And don't even let me start on all the other people in this book. Why did everyone lied to Steven from the pack, even Helen? And she was the only positive character with Chaz in this book to be honest. Jack sucked as a villain, we never had time to properly hate him and all the action at the end of the book was just too hurried. Peter could have been such a sweet character but he wasn't given any space and we couldn't see his GOOD relationship with his dad.
Oh and one more thing. Why did the author make Steven so special?? What did it mean that he shifted later (or that his wolf had the instinct to wait)? Why was his wolf as big as an alpha? ...why did the author do so and not expand on it and have some deeper reasons for it? Or why not just make him a normal wolf?? Also why make Chaz something more than a human as well? There are no sequels, there is no reason to leave us with all these unresolved or unnecessary information.
I am very upset. This could have been such a sweet book if Mack wasn't such an asshole and Steven was a stronger character and there was some sort of chemistry between them.
May 13, 2021
In some respects I really enjoyed this book - the world building, the humor, and the relationship. However, Mack’s lies to Steven about the shifter world/biology/personal history just go on and on and on - without any real justification once Steven knows there are shifters and doesn’t pose any threat to the pack or their secrets. It bogs down the middle of the story a lot, doesn’t further the plot in any way, and sets up a lot of tedious squabbles between Steven & Mack. I liked the beginning and the end though.
Feeling sort of ambivalent about continuing the series. 🤷🏻♀️
Feeling sort of ambivalent about continuing the series. 🤷🏻♀️
November 26, 2018
4.5 Stars
I was looking forward to reading this book ever since I saw the blurb for it. This book sounded interesting and cute. And it ended up being a lot cuter than I thought and expected it to be, I really adored this book and the characters a lot.
I loved Steven, his character was really cute and everything about him was likable. I really loved that he was the “Mama/Papa Bear” for his adopted son and would literally do anything and everything he could to protect him. How he confronted the Alpha was funny and totally impressive, not backing down even when he was scared out of his mind. Mack was a pretty good character, too. I know he’s Alpha and everything, but he is basically wrapped around Steven’s finger from day one of them meeting, you could tell that he would do anything that Steven wanted him to. It was fun to watch their chemistry and relationship unfold.
Now, the bad guy of the story… I know he was kept alive and around to create extra drama and strife in the book, but I seriously think they should have just offed the guy at their first chance, with some of the stuff he pulled in the past, he was obviously not going to just slink away and let them live their best lives.
But, I really liked how this book played out. I liked the characters, their personalities and the storyline for them all. I really just liked this whole book in general. The only thing I can add at this point is that I would really like another book with these characters, can we please get a book two?
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
I was looking forward to reading this book ever since I saw the blurb for it. This book sounded interesting and cute. And it ended up being a lot cuter than I thought and expected it to be, I really adored this book and the characters a lot.
I loved Steven, his character was really cute and everything about him was likable. I really loved that he was the “Mama/Papa Bear” for his adopted son and would literally do anything and everything he could to protect him. How he confronted the Alpha was funny and totally impressive, not backing down even when he was scared out of his mind. Mack was a pretty good character, too. I know he’s Alpha and everything, but he is basically wrapped around Steven’s finger from day one of them meeting, you could tell that he would do anything that Steven wanted him to. It was fun to watch their chemistry and relationship unfold.
Now, the bad guy of the story… I know he was kept alive and around to create extra drama and strife in the book, but I seriously think they should have just offed the guy at their first chance, with some of the stuff he pulled in the past, he was obviously not going to just slink away and let them live their best lives.
But, I really liked how this book played out. I liked the characters, their personalities and the storyline for them all. I really just liked this whole book in general. The only thing I can add at this point is that I would really like another book with these characters, can we please get a book two?
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
January 8, 2019
3,5 Punkte, nachdem ich die Enttäuschung verarbeitet habe, dass nach einem Anfang, der definitiv nach "mehr" schreit, nur eine banale Wandler-MPreg-Story bei 'rumgekommen ist.
Wer es nicht mag dass es große Missverständnisse aufkommen weil Prota 1 alles weiß aber sein/e, mit Verlaub "Maul bzw. Schnauze" nicht aufbekommt, mache besser einen Bogen um die Story.
Bloß gut nur ein KU-Titel.
Schade, sowohl die Idee verwaister Wandler, als auch die der rezessiven Wandler war gut, nur hat der absolut feige Alpha echt alles kaputt gemacht - von der in meinen Augen fehlenden Auseinandersetzung mit der Schuld von Peters Großvater ganz zu schweigen ...
Wer es nicht mag dass es große Missverständnisse aufkommen weil Prota 1 alles weiß aber sein/e, mit Verlaub "Maul bzw. Schnauze" nicht aufbekommt, mache besser einen Bogen um die Story.
Bloß gut nur ein KU-Titel.
Schade, sowohl die Idee verwaister Wandler, als auch die der rezessiven Wandler war gut, nur hat der absolut feige Alpha echt alles kaputt gemacht - von der in meinen Augen fehlenden Auseinandersetzung mit der Schuld von Peters Großvater ganz zu schweigen ...
December 13, 2018
3.5 stars
October 29, 2018
Cute shifter book
New author to me. I found this book to be a little funny and cute. The MCs were lovable, but there were a lot of characters wandering through this story..I’m guessing that they will come back in future books.
New author to me. I found this book to be a little funny and cute. The MCs were lovable, but there were a lot of characters wandering through this story..I’m guessing that they will come back in future books.
April 24, 2019
I don’t want to get into this too deeply, but this book just kept getting worse and worse. I found myself enjoying it towards the beginning and I was excited to see the character growth, but there wasn’t any payoff. Mack was a total ass at the beginning and was a total ass at the end. He was domineering and lied constantly and it felt like the author was just having to give reminders at the end of the story that Mack had stopped lying, which makes him a better person now. Yet, he stayed fundamentally the same person, meaning he continued to be a dick to Steven. The character flaws also seemed mismatched in their intensity; Mack was controlling and manipulative and Steven was scared of risk, had kind of left himself adrift, and was maybe a bit overprotective of his son. It felt like Steven’s flaws mostly affected himself, whereas Mack’s affected others and, in the end, it seemed like Steven had the most growth. Also, there was one villain character that went in and out of the story and his storyline was wrapped up so quickly and easily that the character ended up feeling superfluous. A lot of concepts were also mentioned in passing without any further information or context; there’s a throwaway line towards the end of the book that essentially said that werewolves didn’t have songs that left me like ????? I don’t know what the implication was supposed to be: that werewolves and humans have a symbiotic relationship (which would still imply to me that some music originates among werewolves), that all music werewolves listen to are cultural exports from humans, that werewolves are seriously a culture without music, or maybe something else? I know it seems like a small thing but I feel that it epitomizes how much this book raises questions that it never intends to deliver on.
October 20, 2018
Mack was sooo unlikable, the filthy selfish liar.
March 29, 2019
Mack is one of the worst protagonists I have read in a long time. He is continuously lying to Steven, he treats every complaint Steven has as if it's just because he's an omega and his personality is nonexistent. What is also completely mind boggling is that other characters agree with his behavior. This is an actual quote from the book:
“Now I know why Mack has to lie to you. You think too much.”
Ugh, maybe because he is an individual with his own concerns, thoughts and beliefs, many of which have been quite recently turned upside down?
This book had potential. I liked a lot of the concepts: the issues with Jack, the father/son dynamic, and Steven was reasonably likable. Mack, however, is completely unlikable and ruined the book for me.
“Now I know why Mack has to lie to you. You think too much.”
Ugh, maybe because he is an individual with his own concerns, thoughts and beliefs, many of which have been quite recently turned upside down?
This book had potential. I liked a lot of the concepts: the issues with Jack, the father/son dynamic, and Steven was reasonably likable. Mack, however, is completely unlikable and ruined the book for me.
January 1, 2021
Dnf @ 55%. The book was incoherent shit. We have an alpha who can’t recognise his fated mate, having been married for...ehem...60 years to a chap called Jack, who he thought was the real deal but alas wasn’t.
And when his real fated mate turned up, the alpha didn’t recognise him either, instead sexing him up for a summer fling.
As I said, the story was pathetically shit.
And when his real fated mate turned up, the alpha didn’t recognise him either, instead sexing him up for a summer fling.
As I said, the story was pathetically shit.
February 18, 2025
Some notes I took while reading this book:
“I hate you Mack”
“ARGH”
“i hate you i hate you i hate you”
“Mack does literally everything wrong omg”
“I HATE YOU”
“Mack, you’re the worst and a coward”
“You suck”
I am not the kind of romance reader whose reading experience is typically colored by whether or not I like or dislike the love interest. So long as the characterization is consistent and motivations are clear, I can typically enjoy the worst of the worst MM love interests because I’m just along for the ride. But oh dear god did I hate Mack.
When Mack first starts lying to Steven, it’s understandable. He’s trying to protect his pack and taken off guard by Steven’s appearance and nature. But then he. keeps. on. lying. He refuses to let Steven make informed decisions for himself. Mirroring him, other members of the pack also withhold information from Steven constantly so that he doesn’t have all the information he very well needs. Mack also lies to get what he wants and convince Steven to get into bed with him so they can have sex even though Steven clearly says that’s not his intention. And of course this has major consequences that would have been avoided if Mack kept his hands to himself.
There’s a point where Mack realizes Steven’s adopted son has an instinct to bite him because that’s the instinct that born wolves have toward recessive wolves. Instead of telling Steven or his son Peter the reason behind the instinct, or even acknowledge that the instinct exists, Mack lets Peter stew in guilt and feel ashamed of the instinct and lets Steven believe his son now sees him as a threat.
Mack just simply does everything wrong for me. He doesn’t tell Steven about the pregnancy and has other people keep it from him as well. He arbitrarily punishes Steven for not being as meek and submissive as he imagines an omega should be and ends up putting Steven in danger. And he justifies it by saying Steven was acting like “a French poodle bitch.” When he finally changes Steven, he basically attacks him. Even late into the book, after Mack has promised not to lie anymore, he contemplates lying even more to make his life easier and keep Steven out of the loop. He orders Steven to quit his job without even a discussion. He says he preferred it when a traumatized child previously didn’t talk because he didn’t like her sticking up for Steven. And then he and everyone in the pack just never tell Steven what labor feels like for omegas “because they don’t want to freak him out”????? The way Steven, a pretty level headed and understanding character, isn’t allowed to make basically any informed decisions drove me NUTS.
Okay with that rant over I actually totally would read a different book from this author because there were things I liked about the book, which I think is what made the things I didn’t like so much more significant. Steven in particular was a great character and I always give out brownies points to omegaverse stories that don’t forget trans people exist.
“I hate you Mack”
“ARGH”
“i hate you i hate you i hate you”
“Mack does literally everything wrong omg”
“I HATE YOU”
“Mack, you’re the worst and a coward”
“You suck”
I am not the kind of romance reader whose reading experience is typically colored by whether or not I like or dislike the love interest. So long as the characterization is consistent and motivations are clear, I can typically enjoy the worst of the worst MM love interests because I’m just along for the ride. But oh dear god did I hate Mack.
When Mack first starts lying to Steven, it’s understandable. He’s trying to protect his pack and taken off guard by Steven’s appearance and nature. But then he. keeps. on. lying. He refuses to let Steven make informed decisions for himself. Mirroring him, other members of the pack also withhold information from Steven constantly so that he doesn’t have all the information he very well needs. Mack also lies to get what he wants and convince Steven to get into bed with him so they can have sex even though Steven clearly says that’s not his intention. And of course this has major consequences that would have been avoided if Mack kept his hands to himself.
There’s a point where Mack realizes Steven’s adopted son has an instinct to bite him because that’s the instinct that born wolves have toward recessive wolves. Instead of telling Steven or his son Peter the reason behind the instinct, or even acknowledge that the instinct exists, Mack lets Peter stew in guilt and feel ashamed of the instinct and lets Steven believe his son now sees him as a threat.
Mack just simply does everything wrong for me. He doesn’t tell Steven about the pregnancy and has other people keep it from him as well. He arbitrarily punishes Steven for not being as meek and submissive as he imagines an omega should be and ends up putting Steven in danger. And he justifies it by saying Steven was acting like “a French poodle bitch.” When he finally changes Steven, he basically attacks him. Even late into the book, after Mack has promised not to lie anymore, he contemplates lying even more to make his life easier and keep Steven out of the loop. He orders Steven to quit his job without even a discussion. He says he preferred it when a traumatized child previously didn’t talk because he didn’t like her sticking up for Steven. And then he and everyone in the pack just never tell Steven what labor feels like for omegas “because they don’t want to freak him out”????? The way Steven, a pretty level headed and understanding character, isn’t allowed to make basically any informed decisions drove me NUTS.
Okay with that rant over I actually totally would read a different book from this author because there were things I liked about the book, which I think is what made the things I didn’t like so much more significant. Steven in particular was a great character and I always give out brownies points to omegaverse stories that don’t forget trans people exist.
November 9, 2018
So we have a new author with a slightly different take on the shifter stories.
Steven witnesses his son change for a first time into a wolf and sets out to find those that can help support him. He finds himself at Lone Wolf Ranch, meeting Mack Alpha wolf of the group of shifters on the Ranch.
The story that we are taken through includes stubborn men, destined mates, male pregnancy and a recessive shifter gene. It makes for interesting and engaging reading. I really enjoyed the interactions between Steven and Mack, both fighting for themselves but also an unknown future for them both. The recessive gene, for me, was something that I hadn't encountered in a book before so I liked having that aspect of the story as something else that brings them even closer together, as well as Steven and his son, Pete. Along with our two main characters, we meet a whole host of people, mostly those on the ranch but also in the nearby town. I can see possible books ahead for some of these and love that the ranch is safe haven for young shifters who found themselves alone and it includes a mix of species - wolf, bear etc. There is a real sense of family amongst them all and even when there's trouble with one of them, you can feel group come together to help each other. The ranch sounds like a beautiful place to live and Ardy Kelly has wonderfully written it, especially when Steven is taken on a tour. The different locations are easy to visualise and imagine the story taking place.
My reason for missing off the fifth star is that though I enjoyed the different aspects of the story, it did seem a lot to keep track of, or at least within the amount of pages there are.
I did really enjoy this story from a new author and definitely recommend giving a try :-)
I received an ARC from the publisher and am happily giving a review.
Steven witnesses his son change for a first time into a wolf and sets out to find those that can help support him. He finds himself at Lone Wolf Ranch, meeting Mack Alpha wolf of the group of shifters on the Ranch.
The story that we are taken through includes stubborn men, destined mates, male pregnancy and a recessive shifter gene. It makes for interesting and engaging reading. I really enjoyed the interactions between Steven and Mack, both fighting for themselves but also an unknown future for them both. The recessive gene, for me, was something that I hadn't encountered in a book before so I liked having that aspect of the story as something else that brings them even closer together, as well as Steven and his son, Pete. Along with our two main characters, we meet a whole host of people, mostly those on the ranch but also in the nearby town. I can see possible books ahead for some of these and love that the ranch is safe haven for young shifters who found themselves alone and it includes a mix of species - wolf, bear etc. There is a real sense of family amongst them all and even when there's trouble with one of them, you can feel group come together to help each other. The ranch sounds like a beautiful place to live and Ardy Kelly has wonderfully written it, especially when Steven is taken on a tour. The different locations are easy to visualise and imagine the story taking place.
My reason for missing off the fifth star is that though I enjoyed the different aspects of the story, it did seem a lot to keep track of, or at least within the amount of pages there are.
I did really enjoy this story from a new author and definitely recommend giving a try :-)
I received an ARC from the publisher and am happily giving a review.
December 7, 2018
3.75 rounded to 4
The Cub Club is a shifter novel with a new plot point - the recessive shifter. Recessives are like half-bloods in Harry Potter. One of their parents is a shifter and the other is a human. They don’t shift unless bitten by a shifter and then they transform into a full shifter.
In the Cub Club, we’re first introduced to widower Steven who comes to Lone Wolves Ranch after he is surprised when his adoptive son shifts into a wolf. He had no idea his son is a shifter. And, he has no idea that he is a recessive. When he arrives at the ranch, he meets pack alpha Mack and the sparks fly. Kind of…
I want to say this story had so much promise, but the story was a bit too complex for me with too many plot points, like:
1 - Mack and Steven are fated mates, but they both fight the attraction for various reasons. Steven is still grieving his dead husband. Mack had a past relationship with a recessive that ended quite badly.
2 - Mack constantly lies and keeps secrets from Steven through most of the book. It makes it really hard to like Mack and it makes you lose a little respect for Steven.
3 - Steven is attracted to a local human (we think) sheriff through a good bit of the book...
4 - What happened to Steven’s first husband?
5 - What happens with all the orphaned shifters on the ranch? The ranch has become a safe haven for abandoned/orphaned shifters of varies species - wolf, bear, etc.
The world building in this book is fantastic. The author does a tremendous job setting the scene for the Lone Wolves Ranch - both the beauty of the property and the sense of pack/family amongst the wolves.
I hope this is the beginning of a series and we see more of the pack and get some answers to the open questions.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
The Cub Club is a shifter novel with a new plot point - the recessive shifter. Recessives are like half-bloods in Harry Potter. One of their parents is a shifter and the other is a human. They don’t shift unless bitten by a shifter and then they transform into a full shifter.
In the Cub Club, we’re first introduced to widower Steven who comes to Lone Wolves Ranch after he is surprised when his adoptive son shifts into a wolf. He had no idea his son is a shifter. And, he has no idea that he is a recessive. When he arrives at the ranch, he meets pack alpha Mack and the sparks fly. Kind of…
I want to say this story had so much promise, but the story was a bit too complex for me with too many plot points, like:
1 - Mack and Steven are fated mates, but they both fight the attraction for various reasons. Steven is still grieving his dead husband. Mack had a past relationship with a recessive that ended quite badly.
2 - Mack constantly lies and keeps secrets from Steven through most of the book. It makes it really hard to like Mack and it makes you lose a little respect for Steven.
3 - Steven is attracted to a local human (we think) sheriff through a good bit of the book...
4 - What happened to Steven’s first husband?
5 - What happens with all the orphaned shifters on the ranch? The ranch has become a safe haven for abandoned/orphaned shifters of varies species - wolf, bear, etc.
The world building in this book is fantastic. The author does a tremendous job setting the scene for the Lone Wolves Ranch - both the beauty of the property and the sense of pack/family amongst the wolves.
I hope this is the beginning of a series and we see more of the pack and get some answers to the open questions.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
November 29, 2018
4 Stars!
Steven and his adopted son need some help. Steven searches for a place for Peter to safely learn about himself, leading Steven to visit the Lone Wolves Ranch. Mack, the alpha there, is suspicious of humans for a number of reasons. He also feels the need to protect his pack.
Not surprisingly, Steven and Mack get off on the wrong foot with each other. Once Steven returns with Peter, things get better in some ways for the pair.
Steven is a protector and a teacher. He manages to reach some of the shifter children who wouldn't talk to anyone. He loves his son and wants the best for him. I liked that while he was willing to go along with Mack's suggestions, he gave some of them the right amount of disbelief. I liked Mack, but wished that one of his pack would have smacked some good sense into him. They tried telling him, but he really dug a hole with his half-truths and lies. He was trying to protect himself, but he was also so far in denial that I wasn't sure anything was going to shake him free. Mack should have been able to see how different Jack was from Steven even before Jack decided to reappear like a bad penny.
There were some great secondary characters like the town's sheriff and Mack's second in command. While I could see that Helen was supposed to add humor, she just came off as too blunt for me to find funny most of the time. I loved the baking soda incidents; they were fun. I hope that we see a book with the sheriff in the future; his character was quite intriguing. If you like shifter books with Mpreg in them, this book is probably a good fit for you.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
Steven and his adopted son need some help. Steven searches for a place for Peter to safely learn about himself, leading Steven to visit the Lone Wolves Ranch. Mack, the alpha there, is suspicious of humans for a number of reasons. He also feels the need to protect his pack.
Not surprisingly, Steven and Mack get off on the wrong foot with each other. Once Steven returns with Peter, things get better in some ways for the pair.
Steven is a protector and a teacher. He manages to reach some of the shifter children who wouldn't talk to anyone. He loves his son and wants the best for him. I liked that while he was willing to go along with Mack's suggestions, he gave some of them the right amount of disbelief. I liked Mack, but wished that one of his pack would have smacked some good sense into him. They tried telling him, but he really dug a hole with his half-truths and lies. He was trying to protect himself, but he was also so far in denial that I wasn't sure anything was going to shake him free. Mack should have been able to see how different Jack was from Steven even before Jack decided to reappear like a bad penny.
There were some great secondary characters like the town's sheriff and Mack's second in command. While I could see that Helen was supposed to add humor, she just came off as too blunt for me to find funny most of the time. I loved the baking soda incidents; they were fun. I hope that we see a book with the sheriff in the future; his character was quite intriguing. If you like shifter books with Mpreg in them, this book is probably a good fit for you.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
April 22, 2021
Solid 3.4 stars but DNF at 30%.
I really tried to finish the story, the writing was good and the story was perfectly planned which can be a good and bad thing. In this case, it felt a bit sterile. Because of how sterile it felt, I wasn’t very invested in any of the characters not even Peter. I did want them to be happy but nothing felt like it would prevent that from happening. There was no conflict other than Peter is a wolf shifter.
But that was resolved in the first chapter, they found Mac’s pack and everything will eventually be resolved. In a few more characters, Steven and Mac will fall in love and realize they are mates. Steven will learn the truth about his heritage along the way. And then *insert alpha omega mating then child 👶 sequence* and happy ending.
I already felt like I knew what would happen after the first two chapters. And I also didn’t like how little we saw of how Peter was acclimating with the others and his bio family. It seem like everyone got along so quickly that I didn’t care to know more.
I tried to continue because I knew it wasn’t a bad story and I wanted to learn about the world. But the next chapter bored me to tears. It was about Mac and Steven going around the farm and being sort of flirty but not really because Mac insists on lying to himself and Steven. So I was like, yea I can live without this. I’m sure they will figure it out and live happily ever after with their kids.
Maybe I’ll finish it in the future but for right now, it’s a no for me.
I really tried to finish the story, the writing was good and the story was perfectly planned which can be a good and bad thing. In this case, it felt a bit sterile. Because of how sterile it felt, I wasn’t very invested in any of the characters not even Peter. I did want them to be happy but nothing felt like it would prevent that from happening. There was no conflict other than Peter is a wolf shifter.
But that was resolved in the first chapter, they found Mac’s pack and everything will eventually be resolved. In a few more characters, Steven and Mac will fall in love and realize they are mates. Steven will learn the truth about his heritage along the way. And then *insert alpha omega mating then child 👶 sequence* and happy ending.
I already felt like I knew what would happen after the first two chapters. And I also didn’t like how little we saw of how Peter was acclimating with the others and his bio family. It seem like everyone got along so quickly that I didn’t care to know more.
I tried to continue because I knew it wasn’t a bad story and I wanted to learn about the world. But the next chapter bored me to tears. It was about Mac and Steven going around the farm and being sort of flirty but not really because Mac insists on lying to himself and Steven. So I was like, yea I can live without this. I’m sure they will figure it out and live happily ever after with their kids.
Maybe I’ll finish it in the future but for right now, it’s a no for me.
December 27, 2020
Delightful, fun amazing story! Steven's son, Peter shifted when he was 13. He set out to find other beings like his son. His beloved husband, Gary died unexpectedly and Steven had to be brave for himself and Peter. He had to do extensive research to find the info about wolf shifters. Steven went to the Lone Wolves Ranch looking for Peter's family. He met Mack, the Alpha and got an invitation to visit. It was difficult watching his son find others with whom to bond. He struggled with being left behind, left out. He also struggled with his attraction to Mack. This was a fun story of Steven meeting Peter's family/Pack and struggling to understand. There were a few life altering suprises thrown in that added complications and more fun. Delightful story. Does Steven embrace wolves? Does Steven return Mack's nterest? Does Peter want to stay on the ranch? Can Steven stay? Thepack members are fun and I want to hear all their stories. Well done!
September 19, 2023
I liked it. Mostly.
A Little Spoiler-ish. It's weird because I liked it but I didn't like Mack at all and Steven only partly. I liked the story concept(?). I liked what Jack's parts added to the story. I don't mind opposites attract stories or head butting but Mack was just a pathetic excuse of a man. His wolf didn't really say or do anything much so he was ok. Mack just hid behind lie after lie in the name of "protecting" Steven and never even apologized. He used the excuse "I'm the alpha" for everything. Steven would just accept it all and move along. Then he just declared Steven was now his and that he knew best about everything. His inner monologue when talking to Steven was pretty snotty as well. I like the rough masculine bossy guy trope but Kiki Burrelli has the balance just right me. Her tops are bossy but the bottoms give good sass and aren't doormats. I know others will have to decide for themselves but for me I didn't much like the main couple.
A Little Spoiler-ish. It's weird because I liked it but I didn't like Mack at all and Steven only partly. I liked the story concept(?). I liked what Jack's parts added to the story. I don't mind opposites attract stories or head butting but Mack was just a pathetic excuse of a man. His wolf didn't really say or do anything much so he was ok. Mack just hid behind lie after lie in the name of "protecting" Steven and never even apologized. He used the excuse "I'm the alpha" for everything. Steven would just accept it all and move along. Then he just declared Steven was now his and that he knew best about everything. His inner monologue when talking to Steven was pretty snotty as well. I like the rough masculine bossy guy trope but Kiki Burrelli has the balance just right me. Her tops are bossy but the bottoms give good sass and aren't doormats. I know others will have to decide for themselves but for me I didn't much like the main couple.
November 26, 2018
3 stars
The Cub Club is a standalone book by Ardy Kelly. Two years after the death of his husband Steven walks in to find his adopted son Peter shifting into a wolf. He quickly brings Peter to Lone Wolves Ranch to show him his heritage and for himself to learn how to deal with a teenage shifter. Once there he meets Mack, who is the alpha of Lone Wolves Ranch. At first sniff, Mack knows Steven is special. Steven is his destined mate.
While I liked most characters minus Jack, of course, none stood out all that much except Troy. That guy is hilarious. It made me wish that this was a series and started with Troy's book.
The story was good. While there are so many shifter stories available this one struck me as unique.The ending was extremely cute and very satisfying.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
The Cub Club is a standalone book by Ardy Kelly. Two years after the death of his husband Steven walks in to find his adopted son Peter shifting into a wolf. He quickly brings Peter to Lone Wolves Ranch to show him his heritage and for himself to learn how to deal with a teenage shifter. Once there he meets Mack, who is the alpha of Lone Wolves Ranch. At first sniff, Mack knows Steven is special. Steven is his destined mate.
While I liked most characters minus Jack, of course, none stood out all that much except Troy. That guy is hilarious. It made me wish that this was a series and started with Troy's book.
The story was good. While there are so many shifter stories available this one struck me as unique.The ending was extremely cute and very satisfying.
*** Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure, a review wasn't a requirement. ***
December 8, 2018
I liked it! But...
Steven is a widowed single dad who finds out he is dad to a wolf cub, he goes to a shifter ranch for assistance we never get how he knew about this ranch. He meets with the alpha who finds him intriguing and this the bucket of lies and manipulation begins. I didn't like that about Mack at all and it had me annoyed for most of the book until he finally came clean and even then he was holding back. I get that he was being guided by his past disaster of a relationship with Jack but it took too long as far as I'm concerned to bypass that.
I would have liked it their more intimate scenes were a bit more involved and less clinical. I love the mm shifter knitting mpreg genre so I have a bias but for the reasons above it lost a star
Steven is a widowed single dad who finds out he is dad to a wolf cub, he goes to a shifter ranch for assistance we never get how he knew about this ranch. He meets with the alpha who finds him intriguing and this the bucket of lies and manipulation begins. I didn't like that about Mack at all and it had me annoyed for most of the book until he finally came clean and even then he was holding back. I get that he was being guided by his past disaster of a relationship with Jack but it took too long as far as I'm concerned to bypass that.
I would have liked it their more intimate scenes were a bit more involved and less clinical. I love the mm shifter knitting mpreg genre so I have a bias but for the reasons above it lost a star
September 24, 2019
The first book in the Lone Wolf Ranch series was interesting. It had a different take on how Wolf shifters in the Omegaverse act. Throw in a few Humans and there is a combustible mixture, especially with all the lies being told, the deceptions being perpetrated, and the magnitude of miscommunication.
There were so many instances of if only people had spoken honestly with each other and not try to dodge uncomfortable questions then there would not have been so much aggravation, angst, and anger.
Misunderstandings abound. I was very frustrated at times with the characters and the situations they got themselves into. They got themselves into trouble unnecessarily. But the good parts of the book made me determined to finish.
There were so many instances of if only people had spoken honestly with each other and not try to dodge uncomfortable questions then there would not have been so much aggravation, angst, and anger.
Misunderstandings abound. I was very frustrated at times with the characters and the situations they got themselves into. They got themselves into trouble unnecessarily. But the good parts of the book made me determined to finish.
November 8, 2021
This read started out interesting. The story premise had great potential.
Unfortunately, this is the perfect example of rushed writing and an underdeveloped storyline. Sure, I wanted to know what happened, so I did end up finishing the book. But sparse descriptions and a fast pace meant it was a very bare-boned story. As a reader I was apparently supposed to fill in the blanks myself.
Also, regarding the relationship between Mack and Steven... There were a lot of telling but no showing so to speak. The attraction between them wasn't convincing in the least. And what's even worse, Mack was super unlikeable. He behaved like an ass throughout the book. I don't know why Steven put up with him.
Do not recommend.
Unfortunately, this is the perfect example of rushed writing and an underdeveloped storyline. Sure, I wanted to know what happened, so I did end up finishing the book. But sparse descriptions and a fast pace meant it was a very bare-boned story. As a reader I was apparently supposed to fill in the blanks myself.
Also, regarding the relationship between Mack and Steven... There were a lot of telling but no showing so to speak. The attraction between them wasn't convincing in the least. And what's even worse, Mack was super unlikeable. He behaved like an ass throughout the book. I don't know why Steven put up with him.
Do not recommend.
November 12, 2021
So much wasted potential
This is a paranormal shifter romance with possible mpreg, the first in a series, and should be read in order. This story starts with Steven, a human, who has an adopted son that turns into a wolf! He is referred to a ranch where the state sends foster children who are shifters and it’s where his don’s birth mother came from…
My god, I’m just overwhelmed by the sheer number of storylines shoved into one book! Even the title of the book is yet another tiny story line that could have been cut out to make the story better! I am kind of meh right now on if I should continue the series or not. I liked parts of this story, there was so much potential in the first half!
This is a paranormal shifter romance with possible mpreg, the first in a series, and should be read in order. This story starts with Steven, a human, who has an adopted son that turns into a wolf! He is referred to a ranch where the state sends foster children who are shifters and it’s where his don’s birth mother came from…
My god, I’m just overwhelmed by the sheer number of storylines shoved into one book! Even the title of the book is yet another tiny story line that could have been cut out to make the story better! I am kind of meh right now on if I should continue the series or not. I liked parts of this story, there was so much potential in the first half!
April 18, 2022
Enjoyable shifter romance with mpreg. Single dad discovers his son is a wolf shifter and tries to integrate with his son’s pack. This had lots of fun tropes popping up and was well written.
It wasn’t perfect - Mack, the pack alpha, is immature, doesn’t seem to do a lot of leading, and spends half the book lying to Steven. Steven seems to take all of this in his stride - It was definitely one of those books that needed more groveling. The plot moved along but there wasn’t really time spent on exploring emotions, with the relationship often presented as a fait accompli.
There’s more I could nit pick at but the quality of the writing and the premise of single dad just trying to integrate with his adopted son’s birth family made this a fun read
It wasn’t perfect - Mack, the pack alpha, is immature, doesn’t seem to do a lot of leading, and spends half the book lying to Steven. Steven seems to take all of this in his stride - It was definitely one of those books that needed more groveling. The plot moved along but there wasn’t really time spent on exploring emotions, with the relationship often presented as a fait accompli.
There’s more I could nit pick at but the quality of the writing and the premise of single dad just trying to integrate with his adopted son’s birth family made this a fun read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2018
First Mpreg and I loved it!
Ardy Kelly has a gift when it comes to dialogue and gallows humor. This story has it all: the conflicts, the chemistry...and baby makes four? I haven’t read any books in this sub-genre before and I thought Kelly did a fabulous job helping the readers understand by making his omega wolf, Steven, so inquisitive and argumentative. This book made me laugh out loud and also had moments of suspense that had me gasping! I highly recommend this entertaining read. It’s probably a gateway drug. But don’t worry, from what I understand, there are more stories out there like this. I just hope Kelly writes more of them!
Ardy Kelly has a gift when it comes to dialogue and gallows humor. This story has it all: the conflicts, the chemistry...and baby makes four? I haven’t read any books in this sub-genre before and I thought Kelly did a fabulous job helping the readers understand by making his omega wolf, Steven, so inquisitive and argumentative. This book made me laugh out loud and also had moments of suspense that had me gasping! I highly recommend this entertaining read. It’s probably a gateway drug. But don’t worry, from what I understand, there are more stories out there like this. I just hope Kelly writes more of them!
December 26, 2018
This is the first time reading this author, and I am very glad I did. I loved this story. Steven is in over his head. The child he adopted years ago has turned into a wolf and now he need answers and help. He goes to Lone Wolves Ranch. There he meets Mack. They did not exactly hit it off but Steven brought his son there and decided to stay. I loved Steven's sence of humor, and the way he gives Mack, the alpha and leader of the ranch, a hard time. Secrets come out and there is some action and some hot scenes between Mack and Steven. I really enjoyed reading this book and I will continue to read this author. The happily ever after tied up the book and made a great ending,
June 24, 2020
I went back and fourth between 2 and 3 stars, but ultimately the promising start didn’t follow through for me. Mack was very stereotypical clueless alpha and all the lying “to protect Steven” was too much. Yeah, Steven stood up for himself, but I didn’t really get the impression that Mack ever learned his lesson or started thinking of Steven as an equal partner and not a child who needs to be sheltered. I did finish the book and I’ve DNF’d a lot lately so there’s that. I also get that the caveman routine works for some readers and I’d recommend this book for anyone that falls into that category.
November 28, 2020
MCs we're not my cup of tea...
***spoilers****While the point may be to have an Omega be submissive to me submission does not mean easily manipulated and an appearance of lack thought for self. Also the alpha to me throughout the beginnings of the book.... the lying for no reason (well I get the reason but it wasn't a worthy enough reason for all the lying that was going on unless you'd like me to put it off to the fact that he's just male and stupid?) it just didn't pull together for me and I couldn't even finish it. Finally got fed up when we decided to get the doctor to lie about health issues.
***spoilers****While the point may be to have an Omega be submissive to me submission does not mean easily manipulated and an appearance of lack thought for self. Also the alpha to me throughout the beginnings of the book.... the lying for no reason (well I get the reason but it wasn't a worthy enough reason for all the lying that was going on unless you'd like me to put it off to the fact that he's just male and stupid?) it just didn't pull together for me and I couldn't even finish it. Finally got fed up when we decided to get the doctor to lie about health issues.
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