What do you think?
Rate this book
Monsters and Guardians
She's not going down without a fight...
Fierce and feisty, Raine knows when she's being hunted. It's a sixth sense, part of who she is and a parting gift from her broken past. No family, no friends, she is a true self-made woman, independent and reliant on no one but herself.
Unbeknownst to her, she's caught the attention of a bachelor pack of werewolves--five burly brothers, exiled from Ireland by their father until one of them stakes a claim on their mate and, in doing so, inherits the title of pack Alpha.
They intend to take her, the vicious little redhead with murder on her mind, and make her submit to one of them before her estrus cycle runs out--few mortal women are compatible with werewolves for breeding, and time is of the essence.
But Raine refuses to offer her submission, fighting for her freedom and her life, to the monsters demanding everything she has to give, everything she might have been, everything that makes her the woman she is.
When the new world she finds herself trapped in becomes a battlefield of blood and fur, will her captors be her monsters or her guardians?
Fierce and feisty, Raine knows when she's being hunted. It's a sixth sense, part of who she is and a parting gift from her broken past. No family, no friends, she is a true self-made woman, independent and reliant on no one but herself.
Unbeknownst to her, she's caught the attention of a bachelor pack of werewolves--five burly brothers, exiled from Ireland by their father until one of them stakes a claim on their mate and, in doing so, inherits the title of pack Alpha.
They intend to take her, the vicious little redhead with murder on her mind, and make her submit to one of them before her estrus cycle runs out--few mortal women are compatible with werewolves for breeding, and time is of the essence.
But Raine refuses to offer her submission, fighting for her freedom and her life, to the monsters demanding everything she has to give, everything she might have been, everything that makes her the woman she is.
When the new world she finds herself trapped in becomes a battlefield of blood and fur, will her captors be her monsters or her guardians?
310 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 3, 2019
119 people are currently reading
559 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
May 9, 2020
This is a reverse-Harem Irish shifter dark paranormal romance.
So, brothers, Dubhlainn, Quinn, Finn, Cabhan and Malachi are banished from there home village and the pack by their Alpha father and sent out into the world to find compatible mates to breed.
The first who accomplishes this will then take over leadership from there father.
Raine is human but with unique pheromones that call to the brothers base animal instincts.
They hunt her over the course of a month, eventually cornering and running her to ground taking her back to there den where each wolf plans to try their luck at knotting and breeding her something that Raine a virgin is so not on board with.
Raine is certainly no pushover and fights tooth and nail to evade her fate at the hands of this feral pack of brothers.
But one thing she can't avoid is going into Estrus and what this does to the pack's inner wolves.
with their animals running the show, Raines experience is awful, brutal and traumatising.
The only one with any sort of control seems to be the eldest brother and unofficial alpha of the pack Dubhlainn.
He is the only one not cowed by his wolf working instead in tandem and attempting to show Raine the care and compassion she deserves.
So this had many triggers throughout these boys basically kidnap Raine holding her against her will and their inner wolves totally traumatise and brutalise her that is until Dubh the alpha takes control of the pack keeping the others in check and accountable.
As horrific as this initially was for Raine I could kind of deal mainly I think because this was paranormal and shifter and all animal instinct rather than just your garden variety abuse.
It somehow made it easier to accept, it still wasn't in any way right but it sort of made it easier to understand.
This also had some slight omegaverse elements to it like nesting, knotting and such but it wasn't actually omegaverse more paranormal shifter and If non-consent and rape is a trigger for you then best avoid as this is not dubious consent in any form it's straight-up non-con at least initially.
The boys are ashamed by there actions but all except the Alpha are initially unable to fight their animal genetics and instincts when it comes to Raine and her scent.
Dubhlainn then realises just what he has set into motion in regards to his new mate and his initial lack of protection and care and experiences deep regrets in the way he has handled things.
Raines presence also causes the pack dynamics to shift causing hidden strife among the pack as they start to challenge there alpha and his control of the situation.
So this wasn't actually as straightforward as I was expecting it to be it also went places I wasn't prepared for taking me aback slightly.
Also, I don't know if I'd label this one that dark, I've read a lot worse than this.
The non-consent aspect of this is certainly dark stuff but as for the rest because of the remorse, it kind of took the sting out of it slightly.
Finally, I adored the epilogue, it was sentimental and sweet which felt like a breath of fresh air after all the previous happenings.
I felt it was a much need injection of light after all that dark.
This is certainly not going to be to everyone's liking mainly because of the dark content but myself I liked it.
It was different and unique even when it was uncomfortable reading at times I still kept turning the pages.
Oh and a heads up this is actually banned on amazon so you will need to purchase it from Smashwords.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
Read
May 17, 2023No rating
Acquired on SCRIBD
Banned Book
I saw this on a FB post. It was mentioned that it had been banned on Amazon so of course that immediately made me want to read it. I'm pausing @ page 258 (of 333). I picked it up out of curiosity. I don't mind erotica/smut books but I only read them in between my regular reads. I don't always finish them.
My thoughts?
It served its purpose
B-rated erotica
Paranormal smut
Omegaverse/Shapeshifters
"bachelor pack of werewolves--five burly brothers"
bachelor pack 🧐 😂
Reverse Harem
Dark themes/TW: non-consent, gang bang (no sugar-coating it)
Kinks: breeding, knotting, primal kink, ménage-à-trois,
Acquired on SCRIBD
Banned Book
I saw this on a FB post. It was mentioned that it had been banned on Amazon so of course that immediately made me want to read it. I'm pausing @ page 258 (of 333). I picked it up out of curiosity. I don't mind erotica/smut books but I only read them in between my regular reads. I don't always finish them.
My thoughts?
It served its purpose
B-rated erotica
Paranormal smut
Omegaverse/Shapeshifters
"bachelor pack of werewolves--five burly brothers"
bachelor pack 🧐 😂
Reverse Harem
Dark themes/TW: non-consent, gang bang (no sugar-coating it)
Kinks: breeding, knotting, primal kink, ménage-à-trois,
January 11, 2019
It just wasnt there
I love dark romances, they are my favorite. But, it takes a very skilled hand to turn non consent into somewhat of a love story, to have you rooting for the bad guys. This book just fell short on that aspect. I loved the fight that Raine initially showed. I cheered for her and felt her pain and humiliation and heart break. And then, she just did a total 180. And my heart broke for another reason, because what could have been a great, epic turn around, was basically a one breath she hates them, the next she loves them and I'm left wondering what exactly happened to my brave, badass heroine. I thought the writing and character portrayals of the other two brothers were odd and felt somewhat disjointed and misplaced and I definitely didn't feel the love that was supposed to be between Raine and the brothers, esp with the one sex scene where they were all involved. Raine was shut down, did not want it and yet again, even though she was supposedly their love and mate, she was forced yet again. If I cant have the bad guys I end up rooting for then I at least need them to be characters I love to hate. I had neither with these guys, I just wanted her to kill herself or take them all out.
I love dark romances, they are my favorite. But, it takes a very skilled hand to turn non consent into somewhat of a love story, to have you rooting for the bad guys. This book just fell short on that aspect. I loved the fight that Raine initially showed. I cheered for her and felt her pain and humiliation and heart break. And then, she just did a total 180. And my heart broke for another reason, because what could have been a great, epic turn around, was basically a one breath she hates them, the next she loves them and I'm left wondering what exactly happened to my brave, badass heroine. I thought the writing and character portrayals of the other two brothers were odd and felt somewhat disjointed and misplaced and I definitely didn't feel the love that was supposed to be between Raine and the brothers, esp with the one sex scene where they were all involved. Raine was shut down, did not want it and yet again, even though she was supposedly their love and mate, she was forced yet again. If I cant have the bad guys I end up rooting for then I at least need them to be characters I love to hate. I had neither with these guys, I just wanted her to kill herself or take them all out.
December 25, 2019
OMG. The things that this book did to me. It was so... Yeah, it totally tore me up and into teeny, tiny bits. It hit all my buttons, and took me for a heckuva ride. I thought I had a good idea as to what I was getting but it was so much more than what I was expecting, and even more.
Raine has been hunting some wolf shifters. They've been killing animals around the area. She's also being tracked. What she doesn't know is that the people she's tracking are the ones who are tracking her. She's being followed by 5 brothers. Cabhan, Malachi, Finn, Quinn, and Dubhlainn were kicked out of their pack by their father, the Alpha of the Galway, Ireland pack. He told them to go out and find a mate and the first one to come back with a bred and bonded mate would become the new Alpha.
Seriously, I can't put into words how I feel about this book. I want to give it to everyone to read just because I think should read it. Yeah, that's how much I like this. I think Raine is totally BAMF. I mean, she's a serious battle goddess. She is definitely in my top 3 strongest heroines. Dubh is smart, sneaky, and stubborn. He's also kind of impulsive and doesn't always think about what he does before he does it. I don't like Malachi or Cabhan from the very beginning. They are just wrong. Quinn and Finn are just kind of there in the middle, although they do try to do the right thing.
I really need more of this group. They are fantastic.
Raine has been hunting some wolf shifters. They've been killing animals around the area. She's also being tracked. What she doesn't know is that the people she's tracking are the ones who are tracking her. She's being followed by 5 brothers. Cabhan, Malachi, Finn, Quinn, and Dubhlainn were kicked out of their pack by their father, the Alpha of the Galway, Ireland pack. He told them to go out and find a mate and the first one to come back with a bred and bonded mate would become the new Alpha.
Seriously, I can't put into words how I feel about this book. I want to give it to everyone to read just because I think should read it. Yeah, that's how much I like this. I think Raine is totally BAMF. I mean, she's a serious battle goddess. She is definitely in my top 3 strongest heroines. Dubh is smart, sneaky, and stubborn. He's also kind of impulsive and doesn't always think about what he does before he does it. I don't like Malachi or Cabhan from the very beginning. They are just wrong. Quinn and Finn are just kind of there in the middle, although they do try to do the right thing.
I really need more of this group. They are fantastic.
January 8, 2019
The author warned us
The author does warn the reader about the content which I appreciate. I still read it unfortunately. It’s fair to say that the woman is absolutely beaten into submission no matter how hard she fights. I appreciate her spirit but am so disappointed that it was overcome by supposedly soft words. She forgave and quickly forgot the horror of what was done to her. I understand the intent was that she had no choice due to the pull but it doesn’t make me any less disappointed. The underlying context is that men are slaves to their instincts and woman are nothing but cattle for submission. But she included love right? There is no love without respect and no love after such humiliation. It’s not love but Stockholm syndrome. Again, the author warns the reader so I can’t fault her for that. The story doesn’t have any other deeper connection between the characters, no talking, no discussion with each other of their lives, fears, or beliefs. It’s straight up sex in painful forced ways with coddling the main character during and afterwards so they can train her to be the good compliant bitch they expect her to be. She still argues but then blames it on the pregnancy. It truly reminds me of training a dog; punishment and reward. If that’s your cup of tea than this is a book for you.
The author does warn the reader about the content which I appreciate. I still read it unfortunately. It’s fair to say that the woman is absolutely beaten into submission no matter how hard she fights. I appreciate her spirit but am so disappointed that it was overcome by supposedly soft words. She forgave and quickly forgot the horror of what was done to her. I understand the intent was that she had no choice due to the pull but it doesn’t make me any less disappointed. The underlying context is that men are slaves to their instincts and woman are nothing but cattle for submission. But she included love right? There is no love without respect and no love after such humiliation. It’s not love but Stockholm syndrome. Again, the author warns the reader so I can’t fault her for that. The story doesn’t have any other deeper connection between the characters, no talking, no discussion with each other of their lives, fears, or beliefs. It’s straight up sex in painful forced ways with coddling the main character during and afterwards so they can train her to be the good compliant bitch they expect her to be. She still argues but then blames it on the pregnancy. It truly reminds me of training a dog; punishment and reward. If that’s your cup of tea than this is a book for you.
April 17, 2023
Why did i leave this one on my shelf for so long??
What was i thinking? Scratch that….i obviously wasn’t!!
Because Monsters & Guardians was dark, delicious and a total rollercoaster ride from start to finish.
Raine was used to being alone,fending for herself.
Not having anyone to love,or care for,and determined to rid the world of the monsters that took girls and broke them into little pieces.
Until the day came when she had to prevent those same kind of monsters doing that to her…..and failed.
Being raped by not one,but 4 wolf shifters was hell on earth,and she fought them with everything she had.
Until it was the biggest,baddest and scariest of them all….he approached her differently,and it confused her.
Dubhlainn, Quinn, Finn, Cabhan and Malachi were banished from their pack in Ireland by the Alpha,their father Fergus.
To grow up,find their own way,and their own mate,before ever thinking about coming back.
When they finally scented the one they were looking for,they knew what they had to do….only to fuck things up massively.
Luckily,Dubh seemed to have a good idea how to approach her,and he was the only one that managed to knot her.
If only it was smooth sailing from then on….
No,they managed to fuck up again,and getting her to trust them wouldn’t come easily after that.
Finding their old pack’s killer nearby was a warning they weren’t going to dismiss.
It could mean they’d have to return home,but it could mean bad things for Raine.
On top of that,Cabh and Mal only saw her as a bitch to breed,and thát was something Dubh wouldn’t tolerate,ever!
And just when Dubh had his little pack the way he wanted,looking forward to a brighter future with their feisty mate,trouble knocked….
This started out badly,with Raine being raped and mauled by those brutes.
She fought with everything she had,and i cheered her for it.
So strong,so determined to fight them until the death,because of the horror she saw her life becoming.
Until they cracked her armor by being kind,by showing they cared.
I cried with her when she broke down,when she accepted her fate.
And i smiled,relieved at the fact that fate was so much better than she thought.
I cursed those damn shifters for their initial behaviour,their callousness.
Until i saw their devastation at what they’d done.
At least….3 of them were devastated,Cabh and Mal not so much.
Dubh,Quinn and Finn grew on me as i saw them trying to do right by Raine.
And i ended up loving them for giving Raine the family she never had.
What their old pack,and Fergus in particular,tried to do,only held my utter contempt.
I applauded what happened to them in the end,i can tell you that!
It’s a shame this was the only story of Kay Elle Parker i found on Apple Books,i would’ve loved to read more…..
What was i thinking? Scratch that….i obviously wasn’t!!
Because Monsters & Guardians was dark, delicious and a total rollercoaster ride from start to finish.
Raine was used to being alone,fending for herself.
Not having anyone to love,or care for,and determined to rid the world of the monsters that took girls and broke them into little pieces.
Until the day came when she had to prevent those same kind of monsters doing that to her…..and failed.
Being raped by not one,but 4 wolf shifters was hell on earth,and she fought them with everything she had.
Until it was the biggest,baddest and scariest of them all….he approached her differently,and it confused her.
Dubhlainn, Quinn, Finn, Cabhan and Malachi were banished from their pack in Ireland by the Alpha,their father Fergus.
To grow up,find their own way,and their own mate,before ever thinking about coming back.
When they finally scented the one they were looking for,they knew what they had to do….only to fuck things up massively.
Luckily,Dubh seemed to have a good idea how to approach her,and he was the only one that managed to knot her.
If only it was smooth sailing from then on….
No,they managed to fuck up again,and getting her to trust them wouldn’t come easily after that.
Finding their old pack’s killer nearby was a warning they weren’t going to dismiss.
It could mean they’d have to return home,but it could mean bad things for Raine.
On top of that,Cabh and Mal only saw her as a bitch to breed,and thát was something Dubh wouldn’t tolerate,ever!
And just when Dubh had his little pack the way he wanted,looking forward to a brighter future with their feisty mate,trouble knocked….
This started out badly,with Raine being raped and mauled by those brutes.
She fought with everything she had,and i cheered her for it.
So strong,so determined to fight them until the death,because of the horror she saw her life becoming.
Until they cracked her armor by being kind,by showing they cared.
I cried with her when she broke down,when she accepted her fate.
And i smiled,relieved at the fact that fate was so much better than she thought.
I cursed those damn shifters for their initial behaviour,their callousness.
Until i saw their devastation at what they’d done.
At least….3 of them were devastated,Cabh and Mal not so much.
Dubh,Quinn and Finn grew on me as i saw them trying to do right by Raine.
And i ended up loving them for giving Raine the family she never had.
What their old pack,and Fergus in particular,tried to do,only held my utter contempt.
I applauded what happened to them in the end,i can tell you that!
It’s a shame this was the only story of Kay Elle Parker i found on Apple Books,i would’ve loved to read more…..
September 13, 2021
Ok where to start..lol
this is actually banned on amazon so you will need to purchase it from Smashwords, or get it from iTunes like I did.
this is a dark Book in a rough world of shifters. This is a violent, darkly carnal book, very dark violent book with triggers of non consensual sex .
If this and more triggers you please do not read this book. I have no such triggers, so I kept reading and found it on a level that was largely violent and cruel. But the story starts out rough and tough but then it evens out a lot, Raine is certainly no pushover and fights tooth and nail to evade her fate at the hands of this pack of brothers. She’s takes no shit and gives then pure hell. And I think that’s why was able to read this. For those of you game to give it a try
Hope you enjoy it..
this is actually banned on amazon so you will need to purchase it from Smashwords, or get it from iTunes like I did.
this is a dark Book in a rough world of shifters. This is a violent, darkly carnal book, very dark violent book with triggers of non consensual sex .
If this and more triggers you please do not read this book. I have no such triggers, so I kept reading and found it on a level that was largely violent and cruel. But the story starts out rough and tough but then it evens out a lot, Raine is certainly no pushover and fights tooth and nail to evade her fate at the hands of this pack of brothers. She’s takes no shit and gives then pure hell. And I think that’s why was able to read this. For those of you game to give it a try
Hope you enjoy it..
January 9, 2019
Monsters & Guardians was such a fast paced, enchanting story!
Raine is a strong, independent woman searching for love.
The shifter's who are searching for a woman to have as their own, to love, and breed.
Dubh, Quinn, and Finn are hoping they found their mate in Raine, but will she be able to take them all as mate's?
Such a great book with a lot of suspense, ups and downs, and of course very erotic moments!
Raine is a strong, independent woman searching for love.
The shifter's who are searching for a woman to have as their own, to love, and breed.
Dubh, Quinn, and Finn are hoping they found their mate in Raine, but will she be able to take them all as mate's?
Such a great book with a lot of suspense, ups and downs, and of course very erotic moments!
January 23, 2019
First — if you are triggered by ANYTHING this book is not for you, just flat out do not read it.
One of, if not the best MCs ever in a reverse harem. A lot of book claim to have fierce “sassy” tough heroines but in actuality most are just pretenders, waiting for the white knight. Rain on the other hand is ferocious every millisecond of this book. She never acquiesces and it is glorious to read and experience.
Spoiler — don’t read any further unless you want to be spoiled.
The first meeting almost had me abandon the book it just seemed to tip the scales from Just dark to horrific in a bad way. But the way Raine was written kept me intrigued her relentless fight for survival and her ability to articulate the horrors being inflicted on her was refreshing. She labeled what was being done to her as it was not in pretty euphemisms or words. It made the horrors bearable in an off way. Soooooo many books have the lead start of tough then get d*ckmatized into submission, Raine ain’t that chick. Even after the mating she kept herself and kept her ferocity and I thank the author for this. You don’t have to lose yourself, who you are at your foundation even if the guy you love isn’t exactly who you dreamed of.
There is a section I felt was irksome and wasn’t resolved to my satisfaction, the @nal virginity, scene hmm I think I see where she was going but I can’t be 100% sure and either way it left me uncomfortable because I am not sure it’s forgiveable even with the whole wolf/alpha situation.
In any case I did enjoy the book immensely.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
One of, if not the best MCs ever in a reverse harem. A lot of book claim to have fierce “sassy” tough heroines but in actuality most are just pretenders, waiting for the white knight. Rain on the other hand is ferocious every millisecond of this book. She never acquiesces and it is glorious to read and experience.
Spoiler — don’t read any further unless you want to be spoiled.
The first meeting almost had me abandon the book it just seemed to tip the scales from Just dark to horrific in a bad way. But the way Raine was written kept me intrigued her relentless fight for survival and her ability to articulate the horrors being inflicted on her was refreshing. She labeled what was being done to her as it was not in pretty euphemisms or words. It made the horrors bearable in an off way. Soooooo many books have the lead start of tough then get d*ckmatized into submission, Raine ain’t that chick. Even after the mating she kept herself and kept her ferocity and I thank the author for this. You don’t have to lose yourself, who you are at your foundation even if the guy you love isn’t exactly who you dreamed of.
There is a section I felt was irksome and wasn’t resolved to my satisfaction, the @nal virginity, scene hmm I think I see where she was going but I can’t be 100% sure and either way it left me uncomfortable because I am not sure it’s forgiveable even with the whole wolf/alpha situation.
In any case I did enjoy the book immensely.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 8, 2019
Note - this is a dark RH in a rough world of shifters. This is a violent, darkly carnal book, and there is non-con sex, for those with triggers.
Five brothers, one Alpha. Who will find his mate and claim the throne?
This was such an amazing story! I loved, loved Raine's character. As lonely and bleak as her beginnings were, I so want to be her! She's truly a tough, fiery and independent woman who has had to struggle for survival, and when she finds herself being preyed on by five lusty wolf brothers who all hunger for her, she is hell bent on self preservation. Raine was no shrinking violet - she gave as good as she got, and she fought for her freedom every step of the way. When things take a sudden turn, will she realize who's on her side?
There were so many lines and quotes in this book that stuck with me! "Watch and learn, Quinn. Raine doesn't respond when she's scared, other than to batter people into bloody pulps." This was one seriously dark, aggressive story, with so much bite to it, and the story was woven so enchantingly. It was a fast-paced, heart-pounding book from start to finish, and I loved every bit of it!
Five brothers, one Alpha. Who will find his mate and claim the throne?
This was such an amazing story! I loved, loved Raine's character. As lonely and bleak as her beginnings were, I so want to be her! She's truly a tough, fiery and independent woman who has had to struggle for survival, and when she finds herself being preyed on by five lusty wolf brothers who all hunger for her, she is hell bent on self preservation. Raine was no shrinking violet - she gave as good as she got, and she fought for her freedom every step of the way. When things take a sudden turn, will she realize who's on her side?
There were so many lines and quotes in this book that stuck with me! "Watch and learn, Quinn. Raine doesn't respond when she's scared, other than to batter people into bloody pulps." This was one seriously dark, aggressive story, with so much bite to it, and the story was woven so enchantingly. It was a fast-paced, heart-pounding book from start to finish, and I loved every bit of it!
January 8, 2019
Great book.
I really like how this book stood alone. It was a little fast but it came together nicely. Another plus is that it was not drawn so ling that it was boring or needed another book to finish the story.
I really like how this book stood alone. It was a little fast but it came together nicely. Another plus is that it was not drawn so ling that it was boring or needed another book to finish the story.
April 16, 2021
*2,5 stars*
I feel I am very torn, of how to rate this book. There were things, that were really good, things that were really dark and then things what went way out of this world.
What I liked:
🔸 It wasn't insta love. She didn't like them at all and it felt truly realistic. I would say personally best dark books are those what play the closest with real emotions.
🔸 She wasn't some simpering TSTL h. She was a tough woman who fought them as I would fight an assault off. She was very resourceful and relentless of fighting back.
🔸 It had an surprising abd interesting twist of RH
🔸 It was pitch dark in my opinion and I actually, even if I felt absolutely horrifying reading some of the things, I still kept reading on, so you could say I enjoyed it i a cringe on some of scenes and hide your eye kind of a way.
What I was confused about :
🔸 I would have liked the book to be longer and the shifter world, especially H's pack back in Ireland more drawn out. I felt this could have been really epic series of that pack maybe.
🔸 I felt book was focused heavily on the mating and as I understand you cannot info dump too much in one book what is standalone, that brings me back to last point of making a second book at least of this group, to show how their relationship evolved.
🔸 I felt oldest brother, the true Alpha to be volatile at first and then he like got an epiphany and changed his tune and became the savior. It was confusing.
What I didn't like:
🔸 First point is more, I rooted for one brother, on life of me I didn't understand why this is RH. I wanted to DNF because I felt along with h that H decision of sharing her was not consensual. What brings me to another point
🔸 Oldest brother basically railroad with sweet talk h to do all types of sexual things. You know like those pimps on the streets, Romeos who lure women to prostitution. He felt like this.
🔸 At the end of the book there was a scene what was so freaking out of this world, I even cannot. It was just way too much that basically ruined it for me. Like eating the best dish in the world and then you find a hair in your food. Bam, it all turns to dust.
🔸 The conflict should have been drawn out more.
Overall, I felt it had so damn much potential, it just needed some plotting and planning to draw it out to make it a great series. I liked it was dark shifter book. I've never read any dark and I loved the writing style, storyline was unique and interesting. Some twists were unbelievable and I didn't see them coming.
Be aware of triggers. I mean truly be aware.
I feel I am very torn, of how to rate this book. There were things, that were really good, things that were really dark and then things what went way out of this world.
What I liked:
🔸 It wasn't insta love. She didn't like them at all and it felt truly realistic. I would say personally best dark books are those what play the closest with real emotions.
🔸 She wasn't some simpering TSTL h. She was a tough woman who fought them as I would fight an assault off. She was very resourceful and relentless of fighting back.
🔸 It had an surprising abd interesting twist of RH
🔸 It was pitch dark in my opinion and I actually, even if I felt absolutely horrifying reading some of the things, I still kept reading on, so you could say I enjoyed it i a cringe on some of scenes and hide your eye kind of a way.
What I was confused about :
🔸 I would have liked the book to be longer and the shifter world, especially H's pack back in Ireland more drawn out. I felt this could have been really epic series of that pack maybe.
🔸 I felt book was focused heavily on the mating and as I understand you cannot info dump too much in one book what is standalone, that brings me back to last point of making a second book at least of this group, to show how their relationship evolved.
🔸 I felt oldest brother, the true Alpha to be volatile at first and then he like got an epiphany and changed his tune and became the savior. It was confusing.
What I didn't like:
🔸 First point is more, I rooted for one brother, on life of me I didn't understand why this is RH. I wanted to DNF because I felt along with h that H decision of sharing her was not consensual. What brings me to another point
🔸 Oldest brother basically railroad with sweet talk h to do all types of sexual things. You know like those pimps on the streets, Romeos who lure women to prostitution. He felt like this.
🔸 At the end of the book there was a scene what was so freaking out of this world, I even cannot. It was just way too much that basically ruined it for me. Like eating the best dish in the world and then you find a hair in your food. Bam, it all turns to dust.
🔸 The conflict should have been drawn out more.
Overall, I felt it had so damn much potential, it just needed some plotting and planning to draw it out to make it a great series. I liked it was dark shifter book. I've never read any dark and I loved the writing style, storyline was unique and interesting. Some twists were unbelievable and I didn't see them coming.
Be aware of triggers. I mean truly be aware.
November 19, 2019
Confession time, NC is a guilty pleasure. Reverse harem, typically not so much. I like the idea of it, but I find most reading like they're written for smut's sake (poorly) and/or the characters have no distinct personalities. However, I was pleasantly surprised here, as that wasn't the case. The heroine and main brothers have developed characters that you don't start to confuse in your mind.
As with other reviews, heed the NC trigger. This isn't a woman saying 'no' for the few seconds before getting it on with a guy; it's TRUE non-consent. Basically, as realistic as a story about an unwilling mate to multiple shifter wolves can get, haha. Despite Raine's struggle with the shifter brothers, I loved that she didn't just submit even if she was wildly outnumbered and outweighed. She fights them for well over half the book, which they completely deserve. That said, I love that the brother who initially seems like the biggest a**hole becomes quite beholden to Raine.
I only took off a star because about the last 15% of the story seemed to go entirely crazysauce, with those who were/became villains developing as such out of nowhere. Also thought Raine became a little too compliant, considering her earlier behavior.
In short, this book wasn't what I was expecting, and I enjoyed it a lot.
As with other reviews, heed the NC trigger. This isn't a woman saying 'no' for the few seconds before getting it on with a guy; it's TRUE non-consent. Basically, as realistic as a story about an unwilling mate to multiple shifter wolves can get, haha. Despite Raine's struggle with the shifter brothers, I loved that she didn't just submit even if she was wildly outnumbered and outweighed. She fights them for well over half the book, which they completely deserve. That said, I love that the brother who initially seems like the biggest a**hole becomes quite beholden to Raine.
I only took off a star because about the last 15% of the story seemed to go entirely crazysauce, with those who were/became villains developing as such out of nowhere. Also thought Raine became a little too compliant, considering her earlier behavior.
In short, this book wasn't what I was expecting, and I enjoyed it a lot.
January 21, 2019
Definitely dark, but extremely well written
I am in awe of not only the extremely well written novel, the depth of the characters & the descriptions that suck you in, but w/the writer herself. I too have been thru hell & back, to see another survivor thrive & use her trauma to reach success, it’s inspiring. I hope to meet her one day. Maybe share a soda (sorry, not a coffee or tea drinker lol) & spend however long conspiring how to take the world by storm. Such is what survivors should & deserve to do. I’m an avid reader, I escape my hell by amercing myself in the imagination of others while looking forward to one day inspiring other survivors in any way I can. The theme in the beginning is certainly dark & difficult for some. Especially for those who’ve been thru traumatic experiences, but for others who’ve been tainted by trauma & came out w/a somewhat darker side in terms of romance, it soothes a craving we’ve not had met. Not to mention it’s safer than other alternatives. Plus who doesn’t love a warrior badass b**** like the main leading lady, Rainne, who has the ability to bring multiple alpha males to their knees (both metaphorically & literally) I inspire to have Rainne’s tenacity & strength.
Thank you for giving me an outlet for the dark needs that simmer below my surface. You’ve earned my respect & loyalty as a reader & survivor.
I am in awe of not only the extremely well written novel, the depth of the characters & the descriptions that suck you in, but w/the writer herself. I too have been thru hell & back, to see another survivor thrive & use her trauma to reach success, it’s inspiring. I hope to meet her one day. Maybe share a soda (sorry, not a coffee or tea drinker lol) & spend however long conspiring how to take the world by storm. Such is what survivors should & deserve to do. I’m an avid reader, I escape my hell by amercing myself in the imagination of others while looking forward to one day inspiring other survivors in any way I can. The theme in the beginning is certainly dark & difficult for some. Especially for those who’ve been thru traumatic experiences, but for others who’ve been tainted by trauma & came out w/a somewhat darker side in terms of romance, it soothes a craving we’ve not had met. Not to mention it’s safer than other alternatives. Plus who doesn’t love a warrior badass b**** like the main leading lady, Rainne, who has the ability to bring multiple alpha males to their knees (both metaphorically & literally) I inspire to have Rainne’s tenacity & strength.
Thank you for giving me an outlet for the dark needs that simmer below my surface. You’ve earned my respect & loyalty as a reader & survivor.
January 6, 2019
This is an ARC read.
Warnings: this is dark romance, this is forceful, this is enrapturing.
First, even though this is a dark forceful romance I absolutely loved this book. I was so pulled in. I recommend this to any dark reader out there.
Second I will say there were some word errors and but not many and I've seen many in books that are fully published and have been out for years. There were a few things that were not clear like referring to the guys as mountians or boulders at one point I got it but the second time.
Third and final, I do believe that this is great story and I just want to read more. It doesn't look like a series is happening for this, but I would absolutely love that. I can see how much of world Parker created, the dynamics between humans and wolves/shifters, and I would just love to read into it more. To know how wolves coexist within the now human populated world, how the Irish pack differs from that of the North American one. The full difference between shifter and wolf in this story and how many other humans, male or female, have this pheromone that allows them to be compatable with wolves.
This is for mature reading.
Warnings: this is dark romance, this is forceful, this is enrapturing.
First, even though this is a dark forceful romance I absolutely loved this book. I was so pulled in. I recommend this to any dark reader out there.
Second I will say there were some word errors and but not many and I've seen many in books that are fully published and have been out for years. There were a few things that were not clear like referring to the guys as mountians or boulders at one point I got it but the second time.
Third and final, I do believe that this is great story and I just want to read more. It doesn't look like a series is happening for this, but I would absolutely love that. I can see how much of world Parker created, the dynamics between humans and wolves/shifters, and I would just love to read into it more. To know how wolves coexist within the now human populated world, how the Irish pack differs from that of the North American one. The full difference between shifter and wolf in this story and how many other humans, male or female, have this pheromone that allows them to be compatable with wolves.
This is for mature reading.
January 8, 2019
This book is unapologetic, straightforward in it's depiction of a non-con, well, I couldn't call it a relationship in the beginning.
The victim doesn't act like any victim I'v ever read. She changes rapidly to "survivor", to participant, and finally to ferocious defender of what is her's.
The Monsters start out as thoughtless brutes, but when they catch their prey she triggers a gradual change in some of them. It is fascinating to follow the evolution of their humane side.
Ms Parker's language is clear and precise and turns the written word into powerful feelings. While the story lags a bit in the beginning, it picks up speed and substance very nicely, and near the end I would have liked to linger a bit longer. But that might just be due to my vengeful mind!?
A powerful story!
The victim doesn't act like any victim I'v ever read. She changes rapidly to "survivor", to participant, and finally to ferocious defender of what is her's.
The Monsters start out as thoughtless brutes, but when they catch their prey she triggers a gradual change in some of them. It is fascinating to follow the evolution of their humane side.
Ms Parker's language is clear and precise and turns the written word into powerful feelings. While the story lags a bit in the beginning, it picks up speed and substance very nicely, and near the end I would have liked to linger a bit longer. But that might just be due to my vengeful mind!?
A powerful story!
May 9, 2019
interesting. But not interesting enough. It felt like a dirtier Anna Lowe type shifter book with aspects of omega verse but NOT omega verse. Didn't like any of the brothers or the poor excuse for a alpha. Sharing in the context of the story is one thing but him letting them basically torture her the way they did and just sit there without even trying to stop it or fight the primal urges is just weak. Then offers her up to same one who fucked it all up in the first place! Who wants a shitty alpha like that?
What made me dnf was the sudden 'then the h sees love in the alpha's eyes' after he growls for her a bit and makes her orgasm. Weak writing to add to the list. Pass.
What made me dnf was the sudden 'then the h sees love in the alpha's eyes' after he growls for her a bit and makes her orgasm. Weak writing to add to the list. Pass.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2019
If you are after a book like no other, look no further.
I should warn you, this book is not for the faint hearted and if you suffer from certain triggers be warned. If you do however take the chance to read this amazingly written non-con, shifter, reverse harem you will not be disappointed.
With five alpha wolves who are determined to mate with Raine regardless of what she wants you are sucked into a journey where you will hate and also for some love the characters.
I should warn you, this book is not for the faint hearted and if you suffer from certain triggers be warned. If you do however take the chance to read this amazingly written non-con, shifter, reverse harem you will not be disappointed.
With five alpha wolves who are determined to mate with Raine regardless of what she wants you are sucked into a journey where you will hate and also for some love the characters.
December 3, 2021
Forget consent and time travel to a land without time. It's a mix between omega verse and shape shiftier wolf pack dominance in the middle of nowhere forest cabin. A lot of running and a lot of fighting to come to term with the inevitable.
February 1, 2020
Unfortunately not my kind of story. It was too unrealistic how the MC went to loving them after they raped her quite brutally. Left a bad taste in my mouth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2019
When I started this book I was intrigued. A few chapters in and I was wary. Im not one for no consent books so I put it down. About a week later I realized I wasn't being fair to the book or author to judge the entire contents in the bit I read so I started over and decided to give it another go. While Im still not a big fan of the no consent scenes the rest of the book was very good. It's a dark tale And a few sections pissed me off but it kind of added to the overall story. While there was no consent through the first half of the book, circumstances change and our FMC realizes some things about herself and the guys that changes everything. Theres a twist to the story you may or may not see coning but it's exciting nontheless. Overall if you can get past the non-con aspect then definitely give this book a go because you wont be disappointed.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
April 18, 2020
4.2 stars
This was surprising. It had been on my TBR after having read The Hangman's Haunt series. I fell in love with those books. This one is much different though. Harder around the edges. This reminded me more of an Omegaverse story than a RH. Thinking of it that way meant these scenes didn't bother me like they bothered others. It reminded me of something I would have read by Allison Cain or Livia Bourne. If I hadn't read those prior then I might feel a little sad for the character but knowing that estrous/heat/knotting is part of the Omegaverse books it wasn't as shocking. In no way am I saying this still wasn't brutal and gritty, because it was.
That being said, I didn't connect with the characters the way that I wanted too though. I did love the little bonus of seeing Rom and Brenna in this book though. That was a pleasant surprise since I had no idea that the series would intersect. I read this on Scribd (while they are doing their 30 day free trial because of COVID19.
This was surprising. It had been on my TBR after having read The Hangman's Haunt series. I fell in love with those books. This one is much different though. Harder around the edges. This reminded me more of an Omegaverse story than a RH. Thinking of it that way meant these scenes didn't bother me like they bothered others. It reminded me of something I would have read by Allison Cain or Livia Bourne. If I hadn't read those prior then I might feel a little sad for the character but knowing that estrous/heat/knotting is part of the Omegaverse books it wasn't as shocking. In no way am I saying this still wasn't brutal and gritty, because it was.
That being said, I didn't connect with the characters the way that I wanted too though. I did love the little bonus of seeing Rom and Brenna in this book though. That was a pleasant surprise since I had no idea that the series would intersect. I read this on Scribd (while they are doing their 30 day free trial because of COVID19.
January 9, 2019
This is the first book that I’ve read from this author, and I read it through Kindle Unlimited. As far as I can tell, this is meant to be a standalone novel, which was part of the draw to it for me. Mainly, I was looking for a fresh read and a bit of a break from the series I’m in the middle of. I took the non-con warning a bit lightly when I saw it, but if you do have triggers, this is not the book for you. The non-con aspect comes early and hits hard. As dark as it is at times, it was key to the plot and relationship development, and none of it ever felt unnecessary in that way. From a character point of view, this author is brilliant at character building. Raine is a strong-willed, bada$$, take no crap female. Some of the guys are surprising, but in a good way. Others, not so much, but I don’t really want to comment, as spoilers aren’t my thing. You feel what these characters feel, good and bad. I’m not going to say that there was any ugly crying involved, but this author has not shied away from putting her characters through the ringer. My only complaint is that I feel like we could’ve gotten a bit more on the main characters’ backgrounds and histories. You hear about them, but it feels a little glossed over in places. The author is also incredibly gifted at developing a situation. The first 80% of the book takes place in the space of four days, I think, which some people might say is too much, but it felt right for the story. Impressively, the rest of the book doesn’t feel rushed, though. It was a complete story that didn’t leave me wanting or feeling like I had missed out. The book was also an enjoyable length, I felt. 287 pages. 200 pages or less can sometimes feel rushed or short depending on the story and plot, and 350 to 400 or more can start to feel like the book is being drawn out, depending on the story. Overall, it was a brilliant and captivating read that I didn’t want to put down once I had started.
January 22, 2019
Holy smokes!!!
Absolutely brutal in the most delicious way. Appreciating the darkness of this read truly must come with an open mind and acceptance that the culture is animalistic in its’ rawest form. It’s hopeful, sad, and disturbing at times but stories at times can be too fanciful and commonplace in the literary world. This author had the courage and backbone to deliver a harsh and yes, beautiful story of a truly primal nature. One of the most enjoyable reads I’ve personally experienced.
Absolutely brutal in the most delicious way. Appreciating the darkness of this read truly must come with an open mind and acceptance that the culture is animalistic in its’ rawest form. It’s hopeful, sad, and disturbing at times but stories at times can be too fanciful and commonplace in the literary world. This author had the courage and backbone to deliver a harsh and yes, beautiful story of a truly primal nature. One of the most enjoyable reads I’ve personally experienced.
January 18, 2019
Dark but also light
Honestly I try to steer clear from books that have any sort of unwilling participant in the female during sex, rape culture should not be groomed as normal. However this book being paranormal and not normal men with normal urges forcing themselves on the female main character. However as dark as some of the book may have been I still enjoyed the story line. I loved that the female character was strong and didn’t just bend to the wills of the guys she was falling for. I even love how strong she remained when she finally decided she loved them, she still stayed true to herself. It’s definitely worth the read.
Honestly I try to steer clear from books that have any sort of unwilling participant in the female during sex, rape culture should not be groomed as normal. However this book being paranormal and not normal men with normal urges forcing themselves on the female main character. However as dark as some of the book may have been I still enjoyed the story line. I loved that the female character was strong and didn’t just bend to the wills of the guys she was falling for. I even love how strong she remained when she finally decided she loved them, she still stayed true to herself. It’s definitely worth the read.
January 28, 2019
Dark and delicious. Be sure to take in the warnings before you read as this book may not be for you. As for me I loved it! I’m not a shifter/paranormal reader at all but I gave this one a chance because of it being banned from amazon and it didn’t disappoint.
January 8, 2019
This book is a very dark violent book with triggers of non consensual sex with shifters,i wasn't sure after loving the start how i was going to react the more i got into this story,but saying that i couldn't put it down as this had me glued to my kindle through out as this story flowed at a fast pace.
The more i read the more i loved Raine as she is a huge fierce sassy character that fights for everything she has,and even when it looks like she might give in she has a strength that keeps her afloat through out the abuse of her body but comes out the other end.
The five warewolves brothers are out to catch a mate after being kicked out of there pack in Ireland to find a mate and bring her back with them, Raine is in there sites after 2 years looking up and down America unbeknown to her,but she puts up a good fight before they overpower her,its the way they go about making her there mate which is very brutal and violent but saying that Raine is no shrinking violet and fights them all the way and never gives up the fight.Raine has never know love so does struggle that that is all they want to do and to keep her safe.
I didn't like the brothers to start with but the more i read the more i got to love three of the brothers, as all they wanted was to love Raine and keep her safe and have there pups,they just went about it all wrong in the beginning.This is not for the faint of heart and if you like a very dark shifter read with triggers this is definitely a book to pick up.
The more i read the more i loved Raine as she is a huge fierce sassy character that fights for everything she has,and even when it looks like she might give in she has a strength that keeps her afloat through out the abuse of her body but comes out the other end.
The five warewolves brothers are out to catch a mate after being kicked out of there pack in Ireland to find a mate and bring her back with them, Raine is in there sites after 2 years looking up and down America unbeknown to her,but she puts up a good fight before they overpower her,its the way they go about making her there mate which is very brutal and violent but saying that Raine is no shrinking violet and fights them all the way and never gives up the fight.Raine has never know love so does struggle that that is all they want to do and to keep her safe.
I didn't like the brothers to start with but the more i read the more i got to love three of the brothers, as all they wanted was to love Raine and keep her safe and have there pups,they just went about it all wrong in the beginning.This is not for the faint of heart and if you like a very dark shifter read with triggers this is definitely a book to pick up.
January 6, 2019
Disclosure: I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.
Warning: this RH novel does feature non-consensual sex so if you are squeamish at all in this regard or it is likely to upset you, please be warned that the non-con in this book is explicit, sometimes violent and is a common theme in the book.
Now that I've said all that... I loved it. At first I wasn't sure what to expect from Kay Elle Parker in this novel but she didn't disappoint. Though there were definitely things that concerned me with this book - if you want to know more see the SPOILERS bit below.
This novel features a strong, female protagonist, sassy and brutal in her own right, who after being stalked by an Alpha's five sons finds herself kidnapped to become their mate. Facing both emotional and physical trials, Raine does not give up and instead continues to develop as the novel progresses.
SPOILER: Please don't continue to read unless you don't mind spoilers.
I have to admit that I did almost abandon the book in the earlier interactions between Raine and the Alpha's sons as it just seemed overly brutal and just plain uncomfortable but Raine's reaction gave me pause and intrigued me enough to carry on and I was glad I did. Raine is unlike any other "victim" I have read in the RH genre as she is not one to sugarcoat the truth of what is happening and so the honesty of the narration is refreshing.
The only other thing I did take issue with is Raine being a virgin when going up against the men, much more sexually seasoned, for the first time.
Warning: this RH novel does feature non-consensual sex so if you are squeamish at all in this regard or it is likely to upset you, please be warned that the non-con in this book is explicit, sometimes violent and is a common theme in the book.
Now that I've said all that... I loved it. At first I wasn't sure what to expect from Kay Elle Parker in this novel but she didn't disappoint. Though there were definitely things that concerned me with this book - if you want to know more see the SPOILERS bit below.
This novel features a strong, female protagonist, sassy and brutal in her own right, who after being stalked by an Alpha's five sons finds herself kidnapped to become their mate. Facing both emotional and physical trials, Raine does not give up and instead continues to develop as the novel progresses.
SPOILER: Please don't continue to read unless you don't mind spoilers.
I have to admit that I did almost abandon the book in the earlier interactions between Raine and the Alpha's sons as it just seemed overly brutal and just plain uncomfortable but Raine's reaction gave me pause and intrigued me enough to carry on and I was glad I did. Raine is unlike any other "victim" I have read in the RH genre as she is not one to sugarcoat the truth of what is happening and so the honesty of the narration is refreshing.
The only other thing I did take issue with is Raine being a virgin when going up against the men, much more sexually seasoned, for the first time.
January 21, 2019
This book is awesome.
I was so happy to see Raine get her happy ending. I will definitely recommend it .I will be following this author.
I was so happy to see Raine get her happy ending. I will definitely recommend it .I will be following this author.
January 16, 2019
Omg I love this book. It's so good. I couldn't put it down at all I can't wait to see if this will be a series or not because I really enjoyed reading this. Hope others enjoy it. I do recommend it as well. :)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews