Nothing but the Wolf in Me

Black Valley Wolves #1

by Nikki Clarke

Valeena is on the run. Except she's not running anymore. She's managed to do the impossible, escape from her sociopath brother and hide away on the outskirts of a nice, sleepy mountain town.

It's just her, her kinda-neighbor, Bob (not his real name because she doesn't do names), and the small arsenal she keeps stashed in her cabin, just in case. That is until one snowy night an injured dog (wolf?) finds its way to her front porch offering companionship, an uncanny knack for being able to unlock and relock doors, and a habit of disappearing.

Even more unexpected is the intense, insanely hot dude who shows up claiming ownership of her new puppy only to sweep her into the kind of passion she thought had no place in her life. He also brings his own secrets, a hint to her lineage, and a demand that she trust him to keep her safe.

Genres: Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Shapeshifters, African American Romance, Paranormal Romance, Werewolves

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2020

About the author

Nikki Clarke is a poet and writer who’s always loved a good love story in books and on film. Her favorite on screen love declarations in no particular order are: Darius and Nina under the viaduct, Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in the field (Knightley and MacFadden version), and Dwayne and Whitley at the wedding. Nikki doesn’t mind a little weird (or raunch) mixed in with her romance and hopes to contribute to more happily ever afters of all shades and styles.

Reviews

[hea booktubes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. Some weirdness. Felt like it took me forever to finish this one. But that could have just been a “me” problem.

[M Andrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't expect to love this hard...

1st I hope the author sees this rating.... I'm begging for you to tell Samiah’s story! I want to discover the wolf in her too!!!
Now that I've begged like Jodeci. Nothing but the wolf in me started out slow going for me but once I got to chapter 3 I was glad I didn't give up on it. I've never read a Nikki Clarke novel but I'm a fan now honey! I'm so happy to have stumbled upon the bookstagram feature that lead me here . Godwin and Valeena's love story is unique and very black.
If you're looking for a steamy read, an action backed mystery, or a cute rom com you'll get all that and more here

[Heather❀Kiss The Pages❀ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/20/2022)! 🎁

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the one hand, I was really digging this premise, both how the protagonists meet and the history of the wolf clan. On another hand, I love both main characters, even when some absolutely bonkers stuff is happening.

But on the other hand, I kept looking to see how much I had left to read, and eventually jumped to about 80-85 percent so I could read the rest. I was curious enough to know how everything turned out, but it was getting to be a slog. It was definitely one of those "I can't believe I'm saying this but they could have had less sex" kind of things, but it was also just the pacing, since they were basically ride or die a quarter of the way through the book, whether Valeena wanted to say it or not.

You know what I really want? A fictional oral history of the Black wolf clans. But, you know. The author is very busy, so I'll just have to sate my desire somewhere else.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a great paranormal romance and this was no exception. Loved the premise of him meeting her in his wolf form first and her nursing him back to health. So cute when she called him puppy lol! Can't wait to read more and get her sister's story!

#nekkidreadathon prompt: Read a Black Romance with your favorite trope

[Rellim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great mix of humor, suspense, and romance. There was a lot going on in this story, but instead of overwhelming me - it worked to keep me interested and sucked into this world that Clarke created.

Godwin is a wolf shifter who has been shot and seeks shelter at a remote cabin. Valeena is hiding from her past, but bonds with this “Puppy” who shows up on her doorstep. (The fact that she continues to call him Puppy throughout the book is especially hilarious.) Things move from there in unexpected and intriguing ways. Her learning he’s a shifter, him recognizing her as a mate. Both of them facing danger from their respective families.

I’ve read a lot of shifter books and this was a completely unique take. Poor Valeena really doesn’t trust that Godwin is going to stick around or be good for her. He proves himself and she bonds with a new family in his pack. There’s several suspenseful scenes and the pacing was well done. It’s hard to share how wonderful this was without spoiling anything.

I truly enjoyed Clarke’s writing and am diving right into book 2, For My Wolves.

[Sheena Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okrrrtttttt!!!

I know you mofo lying Ms. Nikki! I know the characters of Samiah and Cree better get a story! Girlfriend you had me wrapped up in this story like a daytime soap opera! I need Cree and Samiah's characters to be rocking your noodles to have their story told. Hmmph! As I cross my arms over my chest. Otherwise I love Godwin and Valeena's story. So touching. If these were short book to television stories I would be tuned in every week! With my glass of wine and a blanket!

[Elizabeth]

DNF at 14%.

Uh. That went from 0-60 in no seconds! He has reason to be into her. But she just met this man and he grabs her and kisses her.

And then they’re having sex right there!? Are they doing it in the parking lot of the grocery store!? What!?

This story had so much promise. I don’t understand why the author felt it necessary to have them have sex right then. It’s creepy. He basically follows her out of the store and grabs her and then they’re having sex. It’s way too abrupt for me.

[Shé M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here for Black shifter stories - all of them. In the afterwards Clarke wrote that she almost didn't write a shifter story because it had been done so many times, and well, by so many others. I am glad she persisted because 1) essentially none of them are Black stories and 2) she added to the shifter/werewolf lore in a really creative way! I appreciated the biological explanation as well as the origin story that is unique BECAUSE its a Black story.

[OneDayI'll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Puppy love

Valeena is hiding out in a cabin in the woods. Only snow and trees for miles. Until this gorgeous white dog shows up on her porch. Bleeding. She brings him in, takes him to be fixed up, and brings him back home. She's not a pet person, but she's not a monster. But when she realizes the dog is actually a wolf, she realizes fobbing him back on his owner may not happen. Until she sees the fliers. But the guy who responds has Puppy's silver eyes. And tilts his head the same way.

Spoilers ahead.
I liked the backstory wove in. We get history on Valeena, on Puppy and his human persona, on the wolves as a whole. Well, a one sided view of wolf history. The hyena changing story intrigued me. But also left me with more questions. Hyenas are matriarchal - a female pack leader with her mates and children. So, when the hyenas became wolves did their whole social structure change, too? Or can female wolves become leaders? Because it seemed like the sons inherit the title if they're strong enough, no mention if females can lead. But that doesn't make them weak. Especially if Valeena is anything to go by. Because she's fierce and battle ready. I'm still not a fan of the insta pregnancy storyline but I enjoyed the rest of the story more than Kwarq's and Amina's. Which, I usually lean sci-fi but...lol. I really enjoy the way the author weaves the story, drawing readers in, tracing the threads till they all come together.

[Dédé · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Shifters FTW!

Nothing But Wolf In Me by Nikki Clarke is about Valeena and shifter Godwin. Valeena lives in the secluded mountains after abandoning her old life. An injured wolf (Godwin) ends up on her front stoop and she decides to nurture it back to health. While spending time in his Wolf form, the human in him calls to her. Valeena grows an attachment to Puppy (her nickname for the Wolf). The first time Valeena meets Godwin, he’s irresistible and the passion between them is uncontrollable 🔥🔥🔥 As hard as Valeena tries to fight her feelings for Godwin, she can’t fight fate! This is a great shifter romance, it includes shifters, fated mates, dreams from the ancestors and family rivalry. I hope the secondary characters eventually get their own book. P.s. Yes to more Black Shifter Romances!!! 

  

[JazzReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

good Story

I read a couple of books by Nikki Clarke and I really enjoyed this shifter romance book. I really enjoyed Valeena character because she was not going back to her sociopath brother without a fight. I love the fact that she calls him puppy when she was taking care of a wolf. I love that Godwin protected Valeena throughout this book. Godwin and Valeeen chemistry was really nice and I will be reading more books in this series.

[KayBee's Bookshelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

review

This was my first read by the author. This was a good erotic shifter read. It had a solid plot, villains, and interesting characters. Between all the sex, the story moved swiftly. I recommend it .

[Rhina M. Finley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Shifter Romance!

Such a deep supernatural read! This was amazingly good! A slow burn 🔥 but builds into action! An unforgettable paranormal romance!

[Myisha Braddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!!!

Action packed form the start to finish, with a bit of hilarity thrown in the mix. I loved it!!!! Puppy/Godwin and Vee were such a dynamic duo. This was soo good, their introduction to each other in the grocery store hand me howling. I can’t wait to read your collection, add another fan to your list!!

[Earthfairy.reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t like this one. I’m unsure what it was missing but I couldn’t connect.

[Janielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Read!!!!

Wow! This book was AWESOME!!! Shifters & the like are not my usual genre, but I saw the visuals/review on @ariesreadtoo 's IG page and was so intrigued. I'm glad I read this book! The story was great, full of suspense and intrigue, and the sex was 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥! Godwin & Valeena had such an interesting journey. This was a great book and I can't wait to read more from this author!

[Jessica Donegan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the writing style very abrupt and the general outline of who werewolves were, and how werewolf society worked wasn't quite cohesive enough.

The romance was ok, but it was more like instant chemistry and sudden onset love where we never really got to see the two characters fall for each other.

That said there were some cool ideas about werewolves and shifters in general explored within this book and there were a few kernels of interesting characterization. I'll probably check out some other books by this author because she writes a lot of paranormal and urban fantasies and I wonder if some of the issues I had with this specific book come from it being her first attempt at a werewolf story while the interesting elements would be even stronger in her other works.

[Krissy Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

So from the cover I was unsure if I would like this book. I’m so happy I took a chance.

This was such a good book I couldn’t put it down.

I love finding new supernatural worlds to fall into. They all have their own lore which is interesting to read.

This is book is a mix of a fast burn but slow intentions. I think the FMC past showing up at the end was no fun. But still overall a great read.

[Maraquia West · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed it. I even laughed at some parts and it was just decently good. There are quite a few sex scenes. Valeena kind of annoyed me just a little in the beginning. But that's nothing new. Godwin was cool but I do think he could use some more alpha in him though but he was doable I suppose. His cousin was a piece of work. I can't believe he did that to Valeena. It pissed me all the way off. I knew it was something up when he all of a sudden acting nice and asked them to go out hunting with him. Smh. Valeena's half-brother was a trip too. Smh. Her younger sister was the one going with the flow more so than Valeena. Unfortunately, in the end, the younger sister and Cree weren't meant for each other I guess. I guess she wasn't his mate after all. Even though they took to liking each other very strongly so I'm not understanding. But I guess it's one of those, she might be a good person or a good woman, just not for him specifically. Regardless if they mesh well together or not. There's more in the series so I'm not sure if they follow up on Cree or the younger sister in a different book or not. The next book in the series is about the younger sister. I typically don't like reading series. I like to be done and move on. But I might keep it in the back of my mind to check it out one day out of curiosity. Just to see who's her mate. ;)

[Kimyan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book started out strong introducing us to "Godwin" who's been dishonored and injured during a challenge for clan chief. He winds up at Valeena's door and she instantly begins taking care of her "Puppy" to make sure he heals. Not realizing that This "Puppy" is not an average wolf. They both appear to become attached to each other. She thinks its because she's been alone too long, but could it be something more.
She has a dark past and her life is about to be turned upside down when she meets a handsome man that she is instantly drawn too. As she and Godwin become more acquainted, her fears of her past catch up to her and she is on the run again, but this time she has Godwin to protect her, if she'll let him. The problem is she's been the protector for so long that she struggles with trusting others. But circumstances in Godwin's clan force them to become allies and maybe even much more.
I liked this book and found it easy to read. I would have like some explanation and clarification on the suspicions Godwin had about Valeena and her sister Samiah and their ancestry and the impact that would have later in the story.
Overall it was a good read, I especially liked how the history of the clan, its ancestor and, their ability to shift was explained and possibly linked to other cultures in the area.

[TheReaderVert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black centered Shifter Romance

There’s no way in hell I’m leaving you. You submitted. I’m yours and you’re mine. I’m inside you. I’m not leaving.

A fun shifter novella that hit all the right spots. The smex was really good, like talking you through it in how it was described. The characters had an edge but the conflicts were well done. The shifters felt grown. And all in all I'm down for this world. But the beauty of this book? All of the wonderful quiet romantic moments we witness. Those softer moments may feel a little like something out of a Hallmark movie but trust the way they be thrusting this ain't it! We get some good scandalous bits the MMC, Puppy aka Chief, aka Big Dick Energy...beat the box up out it's frame. If you ever read a shifter book and wanted at least a taste of the MMC getting a taste while in shifted form, search no further. If you wanted a Black MMC wolf shifter who gets all growly, and protective over his, search no further. If you wanted a strong Black FMC who is powerful in her own right but gets the lesson of having a partner to shoulder the pain and someone to be soft around, search no further. This book has so many of the good things. Intriguing world building and interesting characters, this shifter romance novella is worth a dabble.

[Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story. I thought the writing was good and the characters were interesting. I thought Valeena calling the wolf Puppy was hilarious. I felt there was something missing with Elijah and Najeeh...some of their actions just didn't make sense to me. I liked the world building and would love to read Samiah's story. There were several adult scenes in this book. The first one was...weird in it's abruptness, but could be explained away by the strong connection Valeena had to Godwin. After that, it was like they had the can't help its. Godwin was very clear of his intentions and he made good on every word. I wanted more explanation concerning the dreams, but still thought it was a well thought out story. 3.5-4 stars

[Kariden Isaac · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶.5

Pleas check tw’s before reading this book.

I got this book from the All Black Book Affair and it did not disappoint. Godwin was the perfect obsessed hero and mate that I loved. Valeena’s was amazing. I love how we got to see her weaknesses, but she also displayed some serious baddie energy. G & V had a beautiful relationship where they both had each other’s back and would do anything for the other person. I will say that Nikki Clarke had me stunned into silence when I thought Valeena was dead. I also loved how the werewolf origins were explained in the book. Overall, if your looking for a black romance with mates, is spicy, and a good obsessed hero , then this is the one for you. Can’t wait to read Samiah’s story.

[Michele Hallahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heck yeah!

I'm here for it. Every bit of this was done to perfection. The romance, the action, the complete storyline... I loved it all. I'm with Leena, I loved Puppy, Sliver and Godwin, and I was sorry when it was over, taking him from me. I'll definitely keep a hopeful eye out for Cree's story, maybe I'll see more of Chief then. Please, please, please keep writing stories like these with AA characters, it's absolutely wanted. A few editing issues here and there, but it wasn't so distracting that it took away from the story. I'm so glad I happened across this book, it satisfied all my shifter needs.

[Princess Tianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters in this book were witty and well written. Godwin was absolutely swoon-worthy and the perfect blend of sweet and alpha. The main character, Valeena, was a little hard-headed but they were such a well match and Godwin was the perfect character to break through to her. Plus, black shifter romance books are hard to come by and as a black reader, this was a breath of fresh air compared to all the other books in the genre. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read and I have no complaints. I'm definitely a Nikki Clarke fan after this and her Lyqa Planet Lovers Series is on my TBR list now.

[amirahlynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this but two things rubbed me the wrong way. He knew having sex with would would get her pregnant and not once did he ask if she wanted kids. He didn’t even mention that she’d get pregnant, if she accidentally got pregnant then that’s one thing but he knew she would get pregnant and didn’t say anything. Pregnancy is not something to take lightly so it felt like he just wanted to “trap” her. I do understand that they’re technically fated mates so it was inevitable but asking her or telling her would have been better. The other was how he kind of stalked her in his wolf form but it was probably just me, I don’t read enough PNR so it’s probably normal.

[Aamatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Black Wolves..... Yes

Sone of Godwin's lines were corny howver they built his character nicely. Valeen was tough and badass. The perfect queen to be for a wolf. They mixed perfextly with each other. The story could've been long, it wasn't rushed or lacking. It couldve been nice reading more about the the main characters childhood and a little bit of their adult life before they met.
The story has a good flow, the action is good and it had a " black house " feel to it. Read the book to understand what that means. Over all I'm ready for the next installment in this series and other books by Ms.Clarke.

[ToniReads_1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this shifter story. Bad girl on the run because she’s trying to do right. After a while she decided to just stop running. Who is trying to run away from their siblings? You would if your brother was a sociopath that’s determined to make you become someone you’re not.
Running away to disappear led Valeena to a hide away in a small town in the mountains.
One snowy night a wolf/dog that was injured shows up on her porch which she takes in and names Puppy. Puppy disappears and then it’s own Godwin shows up to supposedly reclaim his pet knowing the whole time he is the dog/wolf that can shift.
Definitely a fun read. Would like to see the sister Samiah and cousin Cree story.