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The Smoky Hills Academy #1
The Quarterback Alpha
Welcome to Smoky Hills Academy
#1 in Football #1 in Wolf Shifters
Cora
Mom and I just needed a place to start over. Somewhere to move on from the past that haunts us.
Smoky Hills, Tennessee seemed to be exactly what we needed.
Here, I could be invisible.
That is, until quarterback Liam Bronson decides I’m important.
Even though there are plenty of girls who would love his attention, he doesn’t seem to care. The way he stares at me is like I’m the only one that matters, even in a room full of people.
Like he chose me.
Then I discover his secret. The animal that lives inside of him. He tells me to leave. That it’s not safe for a human.
If only my heart didn’t pound when he was around. If only he wasn’t so kind. If only he wasn’t exactly what I need in my life, I could honor his wish.
Lucky for me, I’m not part of his pack.
I don’t have to obey.
If you love alpha heroes and kick-butt heroines, you’ll love this sweet paranormal young adult romance series! It promises toe-tingling kisses and sigh-inducing romance with a minor cliff-hanger ending. Just to keep you excited for more books to come!
#1 in Football #1 in Wolf Shifters
Cora
Mom and I just needed a place to start over. Somewhere to move on from the past that haunts us.
Smoky Hills, Tennessee seemed to be exactly what we needed.
Here, I could be invisible.
That is, until quarterback Liam Bronson decides I’m important.
Even though there are plenty of girls who would love his attention, he doesn’t seem to care. The way he stares at me is like I’m the only one that matters, even in a room full of people.
Like he chose me.
Then I discover his secret. The animal that lives inside of him. He tells me to leave. That it’s not safe for a human.
If only my heart didn’t pound when he was around. If only he wasn’t so kind. If only he wasn’t exactly what I need in my life, I could honor his wish.
Lucky for me, I’m not part of his pack.
I don’t have to obey.
If you love alpha heroes and kick-butt heroines, you’ll love this sweet paranormal young adult romance series! It promises toe-tingling kisses and sigh-inducing romance with a minor cliff-hanger ending. Just to keep you excited for more books to come!
202 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 4, 2019
1501 people are currently reading
1220 people want to read
About the author
Emma Wolfe
11 books43 followersEmma Wolfe is Team Jacob all the way.
Her love for paranormal romance started with Beauty and the
Beast when she was just a tiny tot.
Now, she gets to write about mystical beasts who fall for ordinary girls and it's the best job she could have ever imagine for herself.
Visit her website at authoremmawolfe.com
And Emma would LOVE to hear directly from her fans through her EXCLUSIVE Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/emmaw...
In this group, she interacts with her fans, posts progress reports, sneak peeks, and DEALS!
Her love for paranormal romance started with Beauty and the
Beast when she was just a tiny tot.
Now, she gets to write about mystical beasts who fall for ordinary girls and it's the best job she could have ever imagine for herself.
Visit her website at authoremmawolfe.com
And Emma would LOVE to hear directly from her fans through her EXCLUSIVE Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/emmaw...
In this group, she interacts with her fans, posts progress reports, sneak peeks, and DEALS!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
March 14, 2022
Originally posted at:
* Warning this is a spoilery and ranty review!
I have SO many questions. First of all, what the heck did I just read because it sure as heck wasn't an academy novel or a paranormal romance novel. This was so angsty and yet it went nowhere. There was also no plot other than the couple fighting their attraction for each other. It was never truly explained what was so dangerous about being with a human in the first place, so that was also very frustrating.
This read very juvenile. This is very young YA and it didn't work with the story. You expect me to believe that two teenagers (17 - 18) lusting after each other is going to keep that up for a long period of time without doing anything about it. HA! You couldn't fool me if you tried!
In my humble opinion, this should have been either upper YA or New Adult. Considering there was no plot outside the couple it just didn't bring enough to the table to be interesting and push forward a story (with no plot other than the one mentioned).
I also disliked how this full novel felt more like the first half of a full novel because barely anything happened other than them fighting their attraction. Even worse, the next novel features a different couple while intertwining the first couple into the story.
The world-building was just not there. Your guess is as good as mine as to why being with a human is a no-no and why their pack is divided. I would have loved to have gotten an explanation as to how the pack's work (hierarchy wise), some background as to how wolves came to be in the first place and why humans are off-limits! Can you tell I'm frustrated yet?
My last annoyance with this novel was the lack of any kind of answers. Which only solidified my thought of this being half a novel. The cliffhanger wouldn't be that bad if I had even the slightest clue about why any of this was happening in the first place!
On a positive note, it's clear that I'm not the target audience for this story. I'm probably 10 years too old if I'm being honest. If I were a 13-14 year old I would have eaten this up and wanted more, but I'm past that. I need a concise plot running throughout the story, world-building, and realistic character decisions based on their age and not the annoying notion of keeping a novel "clean" (as if romance and intimacy are "dirty").
My Favorite Quotes:
"Every animal was precious, and we were the big bad humans invading their lands."
"I could disappear into the world of the story and forget everything that had happened this morning."
"Pain and I had a certain understanding."
* Warning this is a spoilery and ranty review!
I have SO many questions. First of all, what the heck did I just read because it sure as heck wasn't an academy novel or a paranormal romance novel. This was so angsty and yet it went nowhere. There was also no plot other than the couple fighting their attraction for each other. It was never truly explained what was so dangerous about being with a human in the first place, so that was also very frustrating.
This read very juvenile. This is very young YA and it didn't work with the story. You expect me to believe that two teenagers (17 - 18) lusting after each other is going to keep that up for a long period of time without doing anything about it. HA! You couldn't fool me if you tried!
In my humble opinion, this should have been either upper YA or New Adult. Considering there was no plot outside the couple it just didn't bring enough to the table to be interesting and push forward a story (with no plot other than the one mentioned).
I also disliked how this full novel felt more like the first half of a full novel because barely anything happened other than them fighting their attraction. Even worse, the next novel features a different couple while intertwining the first couple into the story.
The world-building was just not there. Your guess is as good as mine as to why being with a human is a no-no and why their pack is divided. I would have loved to have gotten an explanation as to how the pack's work (hierarchy wise), some background as to how wolves came to be in the first place and why humans are off-limits! Can you tell I'm frustrated yet?
My last annoyance with this novel was the lack of any kind of answers. Which only solidified my thought of this being half a novel. The cliffhanger wouldn't be that bad if I had even the slightest clue about why any of this was happening in the first place!
On a positive note, it's clear that I'm not the target audience for this story. I'm probably 10 years too old if I'm being honest. If I were a 13-14 year old I would have eaten this up and wanted more, but I'm past that. I need a concise plot running throughout the story, world-building, and realistic character decisions based on their age and not the annoying notion of keeping a novel "clean" (as if romance and intimacy are "dirty").
My Favorite Quotes:
"Every animal was precious, and we were the big bad humans invading their lands."
"I could disappear into the world of the story and forget everything that had happened this morning."
"Pain and I had a certain understanding."
October 7, 2019
What part of this is academy?
If I was 12 years old I would’ve loved this book. It’s cute, clean, and written for kids. At 12 I wouldn’t have understood that this book really doesn’t qualify as a true read as there are many things missing that my younger self wouldn’t have picked up on. There’s no real steam, the characters are not well developed, this is an unoriginal story. This story has been told before. I get the author is all “team Jacob” on the whole twilight front, but you shouldn’t surround your written work writing off the backs of another writer. Come up with newer edgier material. Be your own writer.
With that said it just felt weird from the very beginning. New girl comes to town, football hero feels the connection. But it was written so awkwardly. She gets into town and this random guy is coming up out of nowhere, their first interaction at the diner just seemed weird, then she’s walking to get groceries and he pushes her out of the way of a car that almost hits her (very twilight-esque), then hears she’s hungry gives her a sandwich, continues doing his day job then five minutes after giving her the sandwich tells her to leave and gets one of his buddies to take her out of town to get groceries so that his dad doesn’t pick up that he’s interested in a human. It’s just so oddly written. It’s too many weird things happening too early in the book to where it feels wrong that the female lead isn’t speaking up about the strangeness or speaking up about how weird everyone’s actions are. Then the author introduced a female bully that didn’t bully, then a little conflict and then boom the story was over.
There was no ending and the next book is supposed to focus on another couple. So how do you write and not finish or complete one couple’s story without jumping to the next? I’m sorry but what a load of crap. I get that you might continue the story on in the next book, but if your goal is to bring up a new couple as the lead in the next, when do you have time to finish writing for these current leads? If I paid for this book I’d be beyond ticked!!! And what part of this is academy? It’s a high school book. With a school that has the name academy in it. This book was a true dud.
If I was 12 years old I would’ve loved this book. It’s cute, clean, and written for kids. At 12 I wouldn’t have understood that this book really doesn’t qualify as a true read as there are many things missing that my younger self wouldn’t have picked up on. There’s no real steam, the characters are not well developed, this is an unoriginal story. This story has been told before. I get the author is all “team Jacob” on the whole twilight front, but you shouldn’t surround your written work writing off the backs of another writer. Come up with newer edgier material. Be your own writer.
With that said it just felt weird from the very beginning. New girl comes to town, football hero feels the connection. But it was written so awkwardly. She gets into town and this random guy is coming up out of nowhere, their first interaction at the diner just seemed weird, then she’s walking to get groceries and he pushes her out of the way of a car that almost hits her (very twilight-esque), then hears she’s hungry gives her a sandwich, continues doing his day job then five minutes after giving her the sandwich tells her to leave and gets one of his buddies to take her out of town to get groceries so that his dad doesn’t pick up that he’s interested in a human. It’s just so oddly written. It’s too many weird things happening too early in the book to where it feels wrong that the female lead isn’t speaking up about the strangeness or speaking up about how weird everyone’s actions are. Then the author introduced a female bully that didn’t bully, then a little conflict and then boom the story was over.
There was no ending and the next book is supposed to focus on another couple. So how do you write and not finish or complete one couple’s story without jumping to the next? I’m sorry but what a load of crap. I get that you might continue the story on in the next book, but if your goal is to bring up a new couple as the lead in the next, when do you have time to finish writing for these current leads? If I paid for this book I’d be beyond ticked!!! And what part of this is academy? It’s a high school book. With a school that has the name academy in it. This book was a true dud.
June 27, 2025
This is an okay YA werewolf romance, with silly drama and a lot of pining. It ends super abruptly, less cliffhanger and more like I wondered if my audiobook skipped. Nothing is resolved and the reasoning for the couple to stay apart seems flimsy. I don't know if I'll read the next one, but we'll see.
July 4, 2020
I'm Not Sure
Very short. Cliffhanger with absolutely no resolution. It's like a TV series. Good thing I have the next episode ready to go. I'll give it one more book to see if I'm going to continue or stop reading. Young adult, high school age paranormal.
Very short. Cliffhanger with absolutely no resolution. It's like a TV series. Good thing I have the next episode ready to go. I'll give it one more book to see if I'm going to continue or stop reading. Young adult, high school age paranormal.
March 23, 2020
Too fast-paced, no character development, and nothing was resolved (plot-wise or relationship-wise) by the end of the book. In a series where each book focuses on different characters, cliffhangers are not acceptable.
March 8, 2023
Also das war ja mal wirklich schlecht💀
Mein Lieblingspart war definitiv, als sie ihn zu ihrer Mutter in die Praxis gebracht hat, weil sie Tierärztin ist und er verletzt war😭
Mein Lieblingspart war definitiv, als sie ihn zu ihrer Mutter in die Praxis gebracht hat, weil sie Tierärztin ist und er verletzt war😭
July 27, 2025
5⭐️ this was a forbidden paranormal romance and i lovedddd it!! the mmc was so cute how protective he was of the fmc. this book ended in a cliffhanger which i was lowk not expecting. the only things i didn’t like was how short the book was and certain parts were a bit cringy
October 5, 2019
Okay... I read the first three chapter as a teaser a few months ago and was really impressed. As soon as this book was available I jumped on the chance to read it. I did enjoy this book for the most part there were a few things that didn't work as well for me.
The good. This book was very much a fun, instant love young shifter story with many of the aspects I love in shifter stories. The world this story is set in is great, detailed and interesting. I'm hoping for more in the next books. I like the idea of little packs inside of larger packs, that is new. I'm interested in more with the secondary characters and how it all plays out.
What didn't work as well for me. The character's of Liam and Cora started off strong and more adult like ended the story a bit more juvenile. Also it's not an academy book, but is a high school story. It makes a difference to me. Also there were times when a character would be confident in a thought but in a few pages they where action or talking about the opposite. At first Liam wanted Cora and she was uninterested then two pages later (with no explanation or reason) the opposite was true.
The flow of the story was a bit stilted towards the end, I think it was too drawn out because the author decided to end this story on a CLIFFHANGER so book two must be read. There were no intimate moments in this book (one kiss) so it's a clean story. I did not like the fact that I have to read book two to get answers and when I read the description of the next book, it is about different characters with a bit more push and pull with Liam and Cora. I am nervous that I won't get my answers and be pulled to yet another story.
Over all: this was a fun, light, sweet engaging story more for younger readers. I want to read more and find out what's going to happen next.
The good. This book was very much a fun, instant love young shifter story with many of the aspects I love in shifter stories. The world this story is set in is great, detailed and interesting. I'm hoping for more in the next books. I like the idea of little packs inside of larger packs, that is new. I'm interested in more with the secondary characters and how it all plays out.
What didn't work as well for me. The character's of Liam and Cora started off strong and more adult like ended the story a bit more juvenile. Also it's not an academy book, but is a high school story. It makes a difference to me. Also there were times when a character would be confident in a thought but in a few pages they where action or talking about the opposite. At first Liam wanted Cora and she was uninterested then two pages later (with no explanation or reason) the opposite was true.
The flow of the story was a bit stilted towards the end, I think it was too drawn out because the author decided to end this story on a CLIFFHANGER so book two must be read. There were no intimate moments in this book (one kiss) so it's a clean story. I did not like the fact that I have to read book two to get answers and when I read the description of the next book, it is about different characters with a bit more push and pull with Liam and Cora. I am nervous that I won't get my answers and be pulled to yet another story.
Over all: this was a fun, light, sweet engaging story more for younger readers. I want to read more and find out what's going to happen next.
October 17, 2019
This was just not a very good book. It was too short and nothing really happens. There are a million unanswered questions at the end. I know it's a series, but if the next book is supposed to focus on another couple, as least settle this one up.
If there is anything I know about this author after reading this story is her love of the work "agitation." I lost count on how many times she wrote that word into the story, when other words would have been a better fit. If this was a way to make the characters sound more mature it was a very bad idea. Knowing that this author was a Twilight fan made the way this was written made sense.
I struggled a lot on rating this 3 or 2 stars and well I can't justify giving it more than two. There was nothing to the story other than pained looks and agitation. If it had been longer with more depth to the plot it would have been worth the time it took to read.
I will not be continuing with the series.
If there is anything I know about this author after reading this story is her love of the work "agitation." I lost count on how many times she wrote that word into the story, when other words would have been a better fit. If this was a way to make the characters sound more mature it was a very bad idea. Knowing that this author was a Twilight fan made the way this was written made sense.
I struggled a lot on rating this 3 or 2 stars and well I can't justify giving it more than two. There was nothing to the story other than pained looks and agitation. If it had been longer with more depth to the plot it would have been worth the time it took to read.
I will not be continuing with the series.
April 11, 2023
Shortest book ever .! On to the second one wish it was all in one book though
February 28, 2025
It's hard returning to mediocrity.
Regarding the YA urban fantasy/romantasy tropes, there are leaders—Twilight, Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, etc.—and everyone else. Don’t get me wrong, I crave new material, new worlds, and creative, engaging characters, and I’m good with authors who take a worn-out genre like vamp or wolf romance and breathe new life into it. But I digress—
The Quarterback Alpha is book #1 of Anne-Marie Meyer's Smoky Hills Academy tetralogy. It’s a fast-paced, slow-burning FTL story set in the fictitious Smoky Hills, Tennessee. 193 pages of moderately large text, it was a quick read. The story's chronology only spans a few days, a week at the most. I found it engaging despite some cringe-worthy similitudes, which are as subtle as a car wreck (yes, the MMC alpha plucks the FMC Cora from the path of a rushing vehicle). If you are familiar with any of the above references, you’ll pick them out instantly. Think Bella does Jake instead of Edward. And, of course, the Alpha’s named Liam. The love triangle wouldn’t be complete without the toxic Cheerleader captain.
As a high school romance, it awkwardly attempts to capture the renowned love-hate drama between Bella and Edward. It holds up, if only by a thin margin. Still, it was a good story and well written. I stayed engaged from beginning to end, which is all we can ask for, right? I give it four stars.
It was almost perfect grammatically. There were a few glaring typos, one of which I found hilarious in the context of the Wolf-shifter trope. On page 88, the first paragraph of Chapter Ten it reads: “—the lovely cheerleader who wanted to pee (sic) around Liam just so I knew he was hers.” Not sure if the author meant ‘be’ or ‘pee’ but it was funny.
Regarding the YA urban fantasy/romantasy tropes, there are leaders—Twilight, Fourth Wing, ACOTAR, etc.—and everyone else. Don’t get me wrong, I crave new material, new worlds, and creative, engaging characters, and I’m good with authors who take a worn-out genre like vamp or wolf romance and breathe new life into it. But I digress—
The Quarterback Alpha is book #1 of Anne-Marie Meyer's Smoky Hills Academy tetralogy. It’s a fast-paced, slow-burning FTL story set in the fictitious Smoky Hills, Tennessee. 193 pages of moderately large text, it was a quick read. The story's chronology only spans a few days, a week at the most. I found it engaging despite some cringe-worthy similitudes, which are as subtle as a car wreck (yes, the MMC alpha plucks the FMC Cora from the path of a rushing vehicle). If you are familiar with any of the above references, you’ll pick them out instantly. Think Bella does Jake instead of Edward. And, of course, the Alpha’s named Liam. The love triangle wouldn’t be complete without the toxic Cheerleader captain.
As a high school romance, it awkwardly attempts to capture the renowned love-hate drama between Bella and Edward. It holds up, if only by a thin margin. Still, it was a good story and well written. I stayed engaged from beginning to end, which is all we can ask for, right? I give it four stars.
It was almost perfect grammatically. There were a few glaring typos, one of which I found hilarious in the context of the Wolf-shifter trope. On page 88, the first paragraph of Chapter Ten it reads: “—the lovely cheerleader who wanted to pee (sic) around Liam just so I knew he was hers.” Not sure if the author meant ‘be’ or ‘pee’ but it was funny.
March 13, 2023
2/5
Miałam straszna ochotę na Paranormal Romance with Shapeshifters i niestety wybrałam to. Jedyny plus to długość, zaledwie 160 stron.
Ta książka nie jest dobra, trudno powiedzieć tu o jakiejs większej fabule, podobnie związek miedzy bohaterami nie powala. Gdyby choćby jeden z tych aspektów rozwinąć…
W dodatku zakończona jest bez żadnego rozwiązania. Rozumiem, ze w kolejnych częściach coś będzie, ale druga cześć ma się juz skupiać na innej parze. Gdyby to nadal Cora była główna bohaterka, to może nie byłabym tak sceptyczna.
Wiec nikła fabuła, nikły wątek romantyczny, nawet wątek paranormalny nie jest rozwinięty. Średnio, bardzo średnio.
Miałam straszna ochotę na Paranormal Romance with Shapeshifters i niestety wybrałam to. Jedyny plus to długość, zaledwie 160 stron.
Ta książka nie jest dobra, trudno powiedzieć tu o jakiejs większej fabule, podobnie związek miedzy bohaterami nie powala. Gdyby choćby jeden z tych aspektów rozwinąć…
W dodatku zakończona jest bez żadnego rozwiązania. Rozumiem, ze w kolejnych częściach coś będzie, ale druga cześć ma się juz skupiać na innej parze. Gdyby to nadal Cora była główna bohaterka, to może nie byłabym tak sceptyczna.
Wiec nikła fabuła, nikły wątek romantyczny, nawet wątek paranormalny nie jest rozwinięty. Średnio, bardzo średnio.
January 8, 2021
4/5
I really liked this book. I would have loved for there to be a more complete ending. It is a great story and continues into the next book so I’ll just have to read it. I did enjoy it, not as much as I thought I would which is why it’s 4/5. It was well written and had a great background it just wasn’t exactly what I expected.
I really liked this book. I would have loved for there to be a more complete ending. It is a great story and continues into the next book so I’ll just have to read it. I did enjoy it, not as much as I thought I would which is why it’s 4/5. It was well written and had a great background it just wasn’t exactly what I expected.
February 16, 2025
Good for just a quick and cute read but there wasn’t anything too exciting happening.
March 8, 2025
This is a good YA series. I enlisted this book. It had me hooked and I could not put it down.
February 19, 2025
I would’ve loved this when I was a teen. Very twilight vibes but with more werewolves. However it ended on really nothing so I hope the next is better.
March 26, 2025
Uhh.. I have many questions the first of which is… what was the point in including the crying home economics baby doll? For funsies? Dude idk.
March 30, 2025
It felt under-developed to me. Since I already have the other books in the series I’ll continue with book 2. Hopefully, there’s some character development and resolution of all the angst.
February 10, 2020
Good
It was good book didn't like how it ended i don't like that they are not even together and the next is about a nother couple of
It was good book didn't like how it ended i don't like that they are not even together and the next is about a nother couple of
July 27, 2025
·˚ ༘ “𝖼𝗈𝗋𝖺 𝗀𝗋𝖺𝗒 𝗁𝖺𝖽 𝗎𝗇𝖽𝖾𝗇𝗂𝖺𝖻𝗅𝗒 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗂𝗋𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗈𝖼𝖺𝖻𝗅𝗒 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗇𝗀𝖾𝖽 𝗆𝗒 𝗅𝗂𝖿𝖾.” .ೃ࿐
⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𝟤 stars ⋆˙⟡ 🐾🏈
spoilers ahead !! ₊˚⊹ ᰔ
𝓉𝓇ℴ𝓅ℯ𝓈 ˎˊ˗
• werewolf alpha x human(?) girl
• small town, big secrets
• love - forbidden romance
• alpha male quarterback because of course
⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡ ᵒᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᵗʰᵒᵘᵍʰᵗˢ ⋆˙⟡
ngl this felt more like a wattpad draft than a fully published and edited book. the setup had potential—alpha boy meets mysterious new girl—but it barely scratched the surface. the pacing was too fast, the romance moved at lightning speed, and it felt like it ended in the middle of the story, not the end. it didn’t even feel like a cliffhanger… just unfinished 😭
╰┈➤ 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ｡𖦹°‧
cara - she started off strong. mysterious, not easily impressed, clearly hiding something 👀 but we didn’t get enough depth. there was so much room for her character to grow but we barely got to see her outside of reacting to liam.
liam - your classic brooding alpha QB. hot, moody, territorial—check. but it takes more than growls and “you’re mine” to make a compelling male lead. he had moments that could have hit if we had more backstory or real tension buildup. after one day of meeting cara and having one conversation with her he was already controlling her. (like wth??)
⋆. 𐙚 ̊ “…𝗐𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗀𝗈 𝗁𝗎𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀.” ⇦ this line did not hit like it should’ve tbh. like as the closing line to the book— it could be sm better.
𑁍ࠬܓ 𝓇𝒶𝓃𝒹ℴ𝓂 𝓉𝒽ℴ𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈❀࿐
• the high school setting made it feel even more wattpad-y
• zero worldbuilding?? i wanted to know how the alpha/pack stuff actually worked
• side characters were just names—no one stood out or added depth (except my bb rose 🩷🩷)
• if you blinked, the romance already happened 💀
• cara’s mom- especially in the beginning- kept on saying the most cringy and out of pocket things. like if you look at my updates on this book, you’ll see how i was crashing out. 😭😭
ೃ⁀➷ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠
no closure, no twist, no final showdown… just an abrupt stop. if this was meant to be part one of a series, it needed a better hook or at least some kind of plot climax. felt more like a story cut in half than a cliffhanger. i genuinely flipped the page like “wait, that’s it??”
𖤐⋆｡˚ ❜ 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐚 & 𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 ♫
•control- halsey
•people you know - selena gomez
•animal - neon trees
•love me or leave me - little mix
•young and beautiful- lana del ray
•i bet you think about me - taylor swify
•heather - conan gray (katie to cara)
•play with fire – sam tinnesz ft. yacht money
•eyes closed - halsey
•wolf - first aid kit ← (had to 😭🐺)
—
i really wanted to like this more, but it just didn’t give book—it gave first-draft fanfic. maybe with a rewrite or a longer version it could’ve been good, but after that? not for me.
⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𝟤 stars ⋆˙⟡ 🐾🏈
spoilers ahead !! ₊˚⊹ ᰔ
𝓉𝓇ℴ𝓅ℯ𝓈 ˎˊ˗
• werewolf alpha x human(?) girl
• small town, big secrets
• love - forbidden romance
• alpha male quarterback because of course
⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡ ᵒᵛᵉʳᵃˡˡ ᵗʰᵒᵘᵍʰᵗˢ ⋆˙⟡
ngl this felt more like a wattpad draft than a fully published and edited book. the setup had potential—alpha boy meets mysterious new girl—but it barely scratched the surface. the pacing was too fast, the romance moved at lightning speed, and it felt like it ended in the middle of the story, not the end. it didn’t even feel like a cliffhanger… just unfinished 😭
╰┈➤ 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 ｡𖦹°‧
cara - she started off strong. mysterious, not easily impressed, clearly hiding something 👀 but we didn’t get enough depth. there was so much room for her character to grow but we barely got to see her outside of reacting to liam.
liam - your classic brooding alpha QB. hot, moody, territorial—check. but it takes more than growls and “you’re mine” to make a compelling male lead. he had moments that could have hit if we had more backstory or real tension buildup. after one day of meeting cara and having one conversation with her he was already controlling her. (like wth??)
⋆. 𐙚 ̊ “…𝗐𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝗍𝗈 𝗀𝗈 𝗁𝗎𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀.” ⇦ this line did not hit like it should’ve tbh. like as the closing line to the book— it could be sm better.
𑁍ࠬܓ 𝓇𝒶𝓃𝒹ℴ𝓂 𝓉𝒽ℴ𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉𝓈❀࿐
• the high school setting made it feel even more wattpad-y
• zero worldbuilding?? i wanted to know how the alpha/pack stuff actually worked
• side characters were just names—no one stood out or added depth (except my bb rose 🩷🩷)
• if you blinked, the romance already happened 💀
• cara’s mom- especially in the beginning- kept on saying the most cringy and out of pocket things. like if you look at my updates on this book, you’ll see how i was crashing out. 😭😭
ೃ⁀➷ 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠
no closure, no twist, no final showdown… just an abrupt stop. if this was meant to be part one of a series, it needed a better hook or at least some kind of plot climax. felt more like a story cut in half than a cliffhanger. i genuinely flipped the page like “wait, that’s it??”
𖤐⋆｡˚ ❜ 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐚 & 𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦 ♫
•control- halsey
•people you know - selena gomez
•animal - neon trees
•love me or leave me - little mix
•young and beautiful- lana del ray
•i bet you think about me - taylor swify
•heather - conan gray (katie to cara)
•play with fire – sam tinnesz ft. yacht money
•eyes closed - halsey
•wolf - first aid kit ← (had to 😭🐺)
—
i really wanted to like this more, but it just didn’t give book—it gave first-draft fanfic. maybe with a rewrite or a longer version it could’ve been good, but after that? not for me.
September 20, 2024
Needs better editing. Several grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Obviously with the storyline regard werewolves you expect some layers of fantasy but the primary relationship between the main characters was ridiculous. The amount of naivety and acceptance in such a SHORT time period was really hard to believe. Parts of it felt like I was reading a knockoff version of twilight only dealing with werewolves instead of vampires. It ended with a cliffhanger and I’m not even sure I’m going to continue reading the series even though they are already in my library. The second book pertains primarily to a different couple even though you didn’t really get any answers in the first book. There wasn’t really a plot unless you consider the angsty lusty aspect of two high schoolers trying to keep their attraction for each other at bay. It lacked character building and world building. It felt like this wasn’t even a completely written book but rather a partial or maybe an episode of a series of it was a television show. Maybe if I continue reading the other three “books” it will feel like a completed book and there will be an actual plot with good character and world building, and answers to all the questions.
March 23, 2020
What to say..?
The story line was lacking for me. The characters weren’t consistent. There is no build up as to why the main characters have such a strong attraction to each other and it’s so back and forth it was super frustrating to read. At one point Cora is standing there watching Liam (who she says is her soul mate) get dragged away by another wolf and the whole paragraph this happened in she goes from saying he wouldn’t want her to involve herself to her saying “scew it” and goes to help him anyways. Then after two sentences of her trying to wake him up after the fight and trying to drag him a couple feet she gives up and lays down next to him to be with him for his final breath. I’m sorry but if that’s the love of my life, I’m putting wayyy more effort into saving him or getting help. Don’t even get me started on the ending or the fact that the second book is from a different characters point of view. Not worth it.
The story line was lacking for me. The characters weren’t consistent. There is no build up as to why the main characters have such a strong attraction to each other and it’s so back and forth it was super frustrating to read. At one point Cora is standing there watching Liam (who she says is her soul mate) get dragged away by another wolf and the whole paragraph this happened in she goes from saying he wouldn’t want her to involve herself to her saying “scew it” and goes to help him anyways. Then after two sentences of her trying to wake him up after the fight and trying to drag him a couple feet she gives up and lays down next to him to be with him for his final breath. I’m sorry but if that’s the love of my life, I’m putting wayyy more effort into saving him or getting help. Don’t even get me started on the ending or the fact that the second book is from a different characters point of view. Not worth it.
February 2, 2023
This was interesting and a little different with learning how the world works in Smoky Hills with the wolves. There are 2 packs, the Mother pack, and the ones that live in town of Smoky Hills. The ones in town broke away from the Mother pack as they do not like humans and don't really want to interact with them or anything. The ones that broke away do like humans but they are forbidden to fall in love with one and be together because of the issues with the Mother pack and how it is viewed. Liam is a wolf and Cora is new to town. He fates with her so is very drawn but because she is a human he is trying to stay away which is very difficult for them both. There is a lot of back and forth, up and down, secrets being discovered but ultimately we are left with issues for these two as there is unrest and change happening with the Mother pack. Hopefully the next book picks up where this one left off.
I listened to the audio version and the narrator did a decent job with the voices.
I listened to the audio version and the narrator did a decent job with the voices.
December 10, 2024
This book was a good read and something of if I wanted my teenage daughter to read she could. It is about a werewolf who was fated to the new girl in town and she fell for him. She showed even after finding out his true identity she still had feelings for him and didn’t want to give up on him. He knew that being a werewolf and her a human it wouldn’t go well with his original pack and it is frowned upon and she would be in harms way due to them not being accepting of half breeds.
If you read any werewolf novels you know it is not likely for a human to be involved with any magical creature and the safety concerns for the human partner. I loved this wasn’t a spicy novel as my teen likes to call it and if she wanted to read this book is have no issues with her reading it. Author Anne-Marie stated this was a novel that was not smut and I absolutely loved it and can’t wait to read the next in the series.
If you read any werewolf novels you know it is not likely for a human to be involved with any magical creature and the safety concerns for the human partner. I loved this wasn’t a spicy novel as my teen likes to call it and if she wanted to read this book is have no issues with her reading it. Author Anne-Marie stated this was a novel that was not smut and I absolutely loved it and can’t wait to read the next in the series.
April 14, 2020
Had me on the Edge...& Yes..Falling of the Cliff @ the End🙁
So I came across this author looking for another book and it caught my eye. Not not a "Young" reader by far, but I'm never one to dare to put an age on a good book!!
This story about Cora and Liam, left me wanting it never to end. Did it move quick? Yes, Was it a deep dive? Yes, Did it have you asking a lot of questions needing answers? OF COURSE!! That's what cliffhangers do..leaving you on the edge and wanting more...if it's good. And this one is.
From the moment that Liam was almost hit by Cora's mom, to his sudden conflict with his inner wolf and the love that he has for Cora with a needed good scratch behind his ear..HAD..ME..HOOKED!!
I'm looking forward to book 2 to find out why Grayson is soo bent out of shape, along with the continuation Liam and Cora's story!!
So I came across this author looking for another book and it caught my eye. Not not a "Young" reader by far, but I'm never one to dare to put an age on a good book!!
This story about Cora and Liam, left me wanting it never to end. Did it move quick? Yes, Was it a deep dive? Yes, Did it have you asking a lot of questions needing answers? OF COURSE!! That's what cliffhangers do..leaving you on the edge and wanting more...if it's good. And this one is.
From the moment that Liam was almost hit by Cora's mom, to his sudden conflict with his inner wolf and the love that he has for Cora with a needed good scratch behind his ear..HAD..ME..HOOKED!!
I'm looking forward to book 2 to find out why Grayson is soo bent out of shape, along with the continuation Liam and Cora's story!!
January 4, 2023
I needed an audiobook and didn't look at the Goodreads rating. I'm really struggling this year so far 😭.
Ok, if I were 12 years old, this book might have been 4 stars, as an adult it was too sweet, boring and problematic.
1. I am beginning to absolutely loathe the "pining heroine trope." You know the one... "he rejected me and is ignoring me, but if I can only do this or be like this, maybe he'll want me again" 🤢. The one where the moment the male character decides he wants the female character the MFC comes running. NOT FOR ME
2. This was like a chapter in a book. I'm not even willing to say it was half a book because it wasn't. A couple things happen and it ends.
I've already spent too much time on this review. If you're 12 you may like it. If you are over 15, there are much better/similar books out there.
Ok, if I were 12 years old, this book might have been 4 stars, as an adult it was too sweet, boring and problematic.
1. I am beginning to absolutely loathe the "pining heroine trope." You know the one... "he rejected me and is ignoring me, but if I can only do this or be like this, maybe he'll want me again" 🤢. The one where the moment the male character decides he wants the female character the MFC comes running. NOT FOR ME
2. This was like a chapter in a book. I'm not even willing to say it was half a book because it wasn't. A couple things happen and it ends.
I've already spent too much time on this review. If you're 12 you may like it. If you are over 15, there are much better/similar books out there.
August 17, 2025
3.9/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
so she's a little of a fixer-upper... she has potential, but it is completely missed by the author.
I'm not mad at the book or upset that I read this, I liked the simplicity of it. I was able to finish it in a record 3 hours while waiting for my car to be serviced.
This is perfect when you want to read but also have little to no thoughts about the characters, and if you're in a busy and noisy area and you can't concentrate as deeply into the stories (aka: a loud car dealership service place).
character development? she doesn't exist. I couldn't even tell you what the main characters look like, except it's about seniors in high school.
world building? they live in a small town surrounded by a forest and in Smoky Hills, Tennessee. There's minimal description about the town, the high school, but enough to get a rough idea and imagine the rest up to you.
the plot? she's simple, just a wolf that can't be with a human for who knows what reason. But at least, the conversation is decent between all of the characters.
but you know what, I'll finish the series.
so she's a little of a fixer-upper... she has potential, but it is completely missed by the author.
I'm not mad at the book or upset that I read this, I liked the simplicity of it. I was able to finish it in a record 3 hours while waiting for my car to be serviced.
This is perfect when you want to read but also have little to no thoughts about the characters, and if you're in a busy and noisy area and you can't concentrate as deeply into the stories (aka: a loud car dealership service place).
character development? she doesn't exist. I couldn't even tell you what the main characters look like, except it's about seniors in high school.
world building? they live in a small town surrounded by a forest and in Smoky Hills, Tennessee. There's minimal description about the town, the high school, but enough to get a rough idea and imagine the rest up to you.
the plot? she's simple, just a wolf that can't be with a human for who knows what reason. But at least, the conversation is decent between all of the characters.
but you know what, I'll finish the series.
March 21, 2021
Would not recommend
I loved the layout of this book. The characters and story line were very well thought out. I was however very disappointed when I got to the end of the book and realized the next book in the series was another couple. I feel you should finish one couples story before starting another. This did turn me off from the series. Personally I prefer to see the ending through before switching to another characters storyline. Due to this I would not recommend this series.
I loved the layout of this book. The characters and story line were very well thought out. I was however very disappointed when I got to the end of the book and realized the next book in the series was another couple. I feel you should finish one couples story before starting another. This did turn me off from the series. Personally I prefer to see the ending through before switching to another characters storyline. Due to this I would not recommend this series.
August 17, 2025
This read like a rough draft or outline of a story. It had all the ingredients like pining, fate mates, pack dynamics and setting up conflicts but there was no depth and instead featured repetitious phrases and circular dialogue. I think this had a lot of potential but overall read like a middle grade or very young young adult book (which does not fit with the characters or setting and general outline of the book). While I was initially excited for this book and was hoping for a few favorite series I was sadly disappointed.
March 21, 2020
Ummm why?!
I wanted to love this book. It was going in the right direction, but the immediate weird behavior on the first day Cora arrives in town is a bit much and could have been written in smoother way. Also how the book ended was terrible. It just stopped before there was any type of anything resolve between the main characters. Apparently the next book is focused on different characters in this book...
I wanted to love this book. It was going in the right direction, but the immediate weird behavior on the first day Cora arrives in town is a bit much and could have been written in smoother way. Also how the book ended was terrible. It just stopped before there was any type of anything resolve between the main characters. Apparently the next book is focused on different characters in this book...
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