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Not Quite an Alpha #2
Unforgivable
A Reverse Harem Wolf-Shifter Erotic Romance.
Lyri is a rejected she-wolf, but only she and her mate know the devastating truth. Her pack lives in ignorance of their alphason's betrayal of his truemate. Instead, his choice is celebrated and loved. Fiercely determined to gain her place by her mate's side, Lyri fights with everything she has... and fails spectacularly.
Her mate's father, the Alpha, declares Lyri nulla venia, unforgivable, and sentences her to suffer a brutal punishment under the Moon.
Lyri would have died, but three males take her to their home to heal. Now, Lyri must make a decision, does she stay and choose to belong to these males, or does she flee to live alone in the wilderness?
Her decision will have consequences that she never imagined, but she is already unforgivable. Can she finally win her battles, and become the she-wolf she was meant to be?
Warning - This story contains mature subjects including sex, mention of sexual violence, violence, and language.
Lyri is a rejected she-wolf, but only she and her mate know the devastating truth. Her pack lives in ignorance of their alphason's betrayal of his truemate. Instead, his choice is celebrated and loved. Fiercely determined to gain her place by her mate's side, Lyri fights with everything she has... and fails spectacularly.
Her mate's father, the Alpha, declares Lyri nulla venia, unforgivable, and sentences her to suffer a brutal punishment under the Moon.
Lyri would have died, but three males take her to their home to heal. Now, Lyri must make a decision, does she stay and choose to belong to these males, or does she flee to live alone in the wilderness?
Her decision will have consequences that she never imagined, but she is already unforgivable. Can she finally win her battles, and become the she-wolf she was meant to be?
Warning - This story contains mature subjects including sex, mention of sexual violence, violence, and language.
483 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2020
304 people are currently reading
581 people want to read
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December 5, 2024
⛔️🛑⛔️SPOILER WARNINGS🛑⛔️🛑
🤬🤬🤬 Quite frankly all this book did was piss me off. A shifter RH romance my ass. 🍑 Right off the bat this book and I had issues. For those who only need know it contains assault to move along, now is your chance to run. If you have no moral compass and like your books one step from insanity you may enjoy this. I’m just never going to be OK with rape. If that’s all you need to know to run along, then be on your way friend, find something else. The title says it all for me really, UNFORGIVABLE. Everything from the characters to the plot is just that too-Unforgivable. It’s been a long time since I suffered through something so emotionally and mentally painful. I made it to the end hoping there would be more legitimate information to come that could hopefully or magically make the entire situation somehow, I don’t know, understandable!?? 🤔 Not possible! Still, I had to know. I expected at the very least an apocalyptic worthy amount of retribution but….. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G was a clusterfuck. Beyond wrong in every conceivable way but somehow I trudged through and it never F*cking happened, anything good that is. 😑 None of it makes sense, none of it was OK. Wished someone would have warned me. ## Allow me to apologize ahead of time for the ranting in this review because that's probably all it will be but I won’t apologize for believing this book is just Wrong.
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❌ Anyone with triggers….walk better yet, run far from this book. When the book opens the heroine is half dead after being brutally and savagely gang raped by her (wolf) pack in what they call a 'shaming.' Her crime? She was caught sleeping with a supposedly already mated male. His punishment you ask.......? Nothing, nada, F*CKING zilch. The heroine is so badly injured it takes her about 3-4 months to fully recover. She's so damaged internally she most likely will not be able to have children. Why so long to recover though? Well there were apparently 14 guys whose knew and even grew up with who to put it bluntly went at her-all bloody night while she was wrapped in silver, something highly poisonous and painful to shifters. Somehow that’s not even the worst of it yet if I’m being honest though. What makes this whole fucked up story even harder to swallow is one of her future harem/men was involved. 😳🤯😳🤯 But oh, it's OK because he went first and was gentle with her. 🙄😳🙄 What in the actual fuck? But again wait because apparently he only did it because he wanted to be able to whisk her away after and his scent on her would make that easier and give him ‘rights’. FUCKING WHAT???????? Sadly that’s not all because it only gets so much better when the men (3) ask her to be their fuck buddy just days into her recovery.
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💥💥 Unforgivable portrayal of romance and the concept of mates. Her supposed rescuers can't be real mates with her but they'll accept this dirty horrible and shunned woman because they had eyes on her before all this happened. They are after all doing her a favor 😶 Because yes that's right, they think she DESERVED WHAT SHE GOT! Let that sink in............... 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤬🤬🤬🤬 Within days of her waking up she even agrees to their plan and it hurt my stomach so much because she was in such a vulnerable and impossible situation. The last thing anyone would want just days after being so brutally assaulted is to think of sex with anyone else. This is especially the case when the sex will be only physical and her body will simply be a vessel to be used once again with no feeling. Yet, she says yes. 😢 Apparently over time they all fall in love but as the heroine is a wet blanket it's easy to see why. I don’t buy it. She forgives and forgets when it comes to the men===MADDENING! She truly faults herself still and I just don’t understand these characters at all. 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️ Let's also remember that even though she was not the one who was in the relationship, she still deserved being wrapped up in silver chains, assaulted, beat up, tortured and shunned from her pack.
💥💥 Unforgivable end with Little to NO retribution for those who deserved it. Unforgivable that the heroine basically brushes things away and carries on. I’m not sure if she’s truly ok or just compartmentalizing the Fuck out of her life and one day she’s gonna come to and become a serial killer or some shit. Clearly every single chapter just succeeded in angering me more. So much so that by the end i was ready for a fucking bloodbath of retribution.
We learn there is so much more to the story than is let on and little by little details are let loose.
💣When the story finishes no one has even informed the heroine that she's 99% barren now. No reason why she'd need to know this am I right????
💣Turns out the male she actually slept with was HER FATED MATE . 😳🤭😳As if it wasn’t already blatantly clear it’s now glaringly obvious she did nothing wrong but was the only one punished so harshly.
💣Her actual mate is a piece of literal garbage and we learn he rejected the heroine so he could to be with someone else. Fitting of a complete douche bag after he is “seduced” by her-they are caught together, he throws her under the bus so he and his woman can run away to hide.
💣Come to find out his running away kept him in the dark as he never even knew the punishment his mate was put through, not that I think he’d have done much anyways or even cared. Heaven forbid he man the fuck up. In the end he does get killed by her father, but why? All he ever did IMO was cheat on his GF and then run like a little bitch. Because he never knew what happened to her I honestly don't think he was so much to blame as his father, the Alpha was. What kind of human/shifter or whatever can condone this type of punishment being used on anyone. His son lied to him about the entire story.
💣Her mates’ GF was really a piece of work, as if this book also needed OW drama. Seems over the years she had helped paint the heroine in a bad light to the entire pack. Even though it was clear as day the heroine was a million times better, everyone but her family and a friend or two fell for the act.
💣The girlfriend also does get killed off which was so deserved but damn if they weren't too easy on her in my opinion. Not to mention I’m pissed as hell that the heroine herself doesn't even do the deed and it enrages me to no end she couldn't get some of her own retribution. This bitch has ruined your life, stolen your fated mate, turned your own pack against you and you let someone else kill her? I thought we were supposed to be on team Luna because turns out the heroine is also the Luna of the pack AKA the Queen. More like a bitter ass disappointment if you ask me.
💣As the Queen the heroine decides to allow the Alpha to keep his role 😳😳 All so another younger male can have time to grow up and take over. This man should never have been allowed to rule and he more than anyone deserved to die in my opinion. He's a failure in so many ways especially to the women in his pack but it's just another thing we'll overlook apparently. Hell he’s definitely the definition of a perfect leader 🙄🔫
💣It became perfectly clear early on that some of the elders are aware of what's going on and know who the heroine is to the alpha's son. But do they do any-FUCKING-thing to help or perhaps even fill their family AKA the Alpha in on what's going on??? Of course not, why would they do that when it makes so much sense smh.?!?!?!?! 🤦🏽♀️🤬
This book just hit so many bad points I really have nothing good to say. The concept as we know about shifters is also tweaked to work in the story and I really didn't like that-there was already enough wrongness. Aside from her assault in the start, I can't really even say this book is a dark read, it’s just WRONG and more a story about her recovery and manipulation/Stockholm Syndrome. Her men are a little dominant but I hated them all so fiercely I found myself mostly skimming the sex scenes. Rage was my entire being not lust. Like, I just cannot wrap my head around all the shit that goes on and I personally will not be reading any more of this series. I also can't recommend this book because I cannot and will not ever condone rape being explained away. And I sure as hell do not find there to be any romance in such a book, especially when one of the heroes participate regardless if he has his goddamned reasons or not.
🤬🤬🤬 Quite frankly all this book did was piss me off. A shifter RH romance my ass. 🍑 Right off the bat this book and I had issues. For those who only need know it contains assault to move along, now is your chance to run. If you have no moral compass and like your books one step from insanity you may enjoy this. I’m just never going to be OK with rape. If that’s all you need to know to run along, then be on your way friend, find something else. The title says it all for me really, UNFORGIVABLE. Everything from the characters to the plot is just that too-Unforgivable. It’s been a long time since I suffered through something so emotionally and mentally painful. I made it to the end hoping there would be more legitimate information to come that could hopefully or magically make the entire situation somehow, I don’t know, understandable!?? 🤔 Not possible! Still, I had to know. I expected at the very least an apocalyptic worthy amount of retribution but….. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬 E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G was a clusterfuck. Beyond wrong in every conceivable way but somehow I trudged through and it never F*cking happened, anything good that is. 😑 None of it makes sense, none of it was OK. Wished someone would have warned me. ## Allow me to apologize ahead of time for the ranting in this review because that's probably all it will be but I won’t apologize for believing this book is just Wrong.
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❌ Anyone with triggers….
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💥💥 Unforgivable portrayal of romance and the concept of mates. Her supposed rescuers can't be real mates with her but they'll accept this dirty horrible and shunned woman because they had eyes on her before all this happened. They are after all doing her a favor 😶 Because yes that's right, they think she DESERVED WHAT SHE GOT! Let that sink in............... 🤯🤯🤯🤯🤬🤬🤬🤬 Within days of her waking up she even agrees to their plan and it hurt my stomach so much because she was in such a vulnerable and impossible situation. The last thing anyone would want just days after being so brutally assaulted is to think of sex with anyone else. This is especially the case when the sex will be only physical and her body will simply be a vessel to be used once again with no feeling. Yet, she says yes. 😢 Apparently over time they all fall in love but as the heroine is a wet blanket it's easy to see why. I don’t buy it. She forgives and forgets when it comes to the men===MADDENING! She truly faults herself still and I just don’t understand these characters at all. 🤦🏽♀️🤦🏽♀️ Let's also remember that even though she was not the one who was in the relationship, she still deserved being wrapped up in silver chains, assaulted, beat up, tortured and shunned from her pack.
💥💥 Unforgivable end with Little to NO retribution for those who deserved it. Unforgivable that the heroine basically brushes things away and carries on. I’m not sure if she’s truly ok or just compartmentalizing the Fuck out of her life and one day she’s gonna come to and become a serial killer or some shit. Clearly every single chapter just succeeded in angering me more. So much so that by the end i was ready for a fucking bloodbath of retribution.
We learn there is so much more to the story than is let on and little by little details are let loose.
💣When the story finishes no one has even informed the heroine that she's 99% barren now. No reason why she'd need to know this am I right????
💣Turns out the male she actually slept with was HER FATED MATE . 😳🤭😳As if it wasn’t already blatantly clear it’s now glaringly obvious she did nothing wrong but was the only one punished so harshly.
💣Her actual mate is a piece of literal garbage and we learn he rejected the heroine so he could to be with someone else. Fitting of a complete douche bag after he is “seduced” by her-they are caught together, he throws her under the bus so he and his woman can run away to hide.
💣Come to find out his running away kept him in the dark as he never even knew the punishment his mate was put through, not that I think he’d have done much anyways or even cared. Heaven forbid he man the fuck up. In the end he does get killed by her father, but why? All he ever did IMO was cheat on his GF and then run like a little bitch. Because he never knew what happened to her I honestly don't think he was so much to blame as his father, the Alpha was. What kind of human/shifter or whatever can condone this type of punishment being used on anyone. His son lied to him about the entire story.
💣Her mates’ GF was really a piece of work, as if this book also needed OW drama. Seems over the years she had helped paint the heroine in a bad light to the entire pack. Even though it was clear as day the heroine was a million times better, everyone but her family and a friend or two fell for the act.
💣The girlfriend also does get killed off which was so deserved but damn if they weren't too easy on her in my opinion. Not to mention I’m pissed as hell that the heroine herself doesn't even do the deed and it enrages me to no end she couldn't get some of her own retribution. This bitch has ruined your life, stolen your fated mate, turned your own pack against you and you let someone else kill her? I thought we were supposed to be on team Luna because turns out the heroine is also the Luna of the pack AKA the Queen. More like a bitter ass disappointment if you ask me.
💣As the Queen the heroine decides to allow the Alpha to keep his role 😳😳 All so another younger male can have time to grow up and take over. This man should never have been allowed to rule and he more than anyone deserved to die in my opinion. He's a failure in so many ways especially to the women in his pack but it's just another thing we'll overlook apparently. Hell he’s definitely the definition of a perfect leader 🙄🔫
💣It became perfectly clear early on that some of the elders are aware of what's going on and know who the heroine is to the alpha's son. But do they do any-FUCKING-thing to help or perhaps even fill their family AKA the Alpha in on what's going on??? Of course not, why would they do that when it makes so much sense smh.?!?!?!?! 🤦🏽♀️🤬
This book just hit so many bad points I really have nothing good to say. The concept as we know about shifters is also tweaked to work in the story and I really didn't like that-there was already enough wrongness. Aside from her assault in the start, I can't really even say this book is a dark read, it’s just WRONG and more a story about her recovery and manipulation/Stockholm Syndrome. Her men are a little dominant but I hated them all so fiercely I found myself mostly skimming the sex scenes. Rage was my entire being not lust. Like, I just cannot wrap my head around all the shit that goes on and I personally will not be reading any more of this series. I also can't recommend this book because I cannot and will not ever condone rape being explained away. And I sure as hell do not find there to be any romance in such a book, especially when one of the heroes participate regardless if he has his goddamned reasons or not.
Read
May 1, 2022I’m not going to rate this because I skimmed a huge chunk of the middle. I picked it up because it was about a rejected mate, but it’s not the typical plot. The book opens with Lyri being very injured, and being taken care of by three strangers. It’s pretty obvious she’s been raped, but we’re given no details. I appreciated not having the details of a , but I felt lost like we were dropped in the middle of the story. Also, all the angsty, being rejected by her mate for OW part is pretty much skipped over. We’re given tidbits of past details, but I would’ve preferred to experience it in real time.
Despite that cover, and the fact this is a reverse harem… it’s not really graphic, and I wouldn’t label it erotica. IMO, most of the “sexy parts” are PG-13. The plot is congested; there’s a lot going on, and it felt overloaded with bad/heavy stuff… I lost patience and started to skim until the mate/OW returned. Then it picked back up.
Bottom Line- There’re some issues you see with newer writers... grammar/capitalization/editing errors, overly dramatic and wordy. But, the writing is pretty solid. (especially for a second book 👏👏) I liked the males (Rhet, Ezra, and Thjis) but I felt like they were all similar, and they sort of bled into each other. I also liked that the h became empowered, but didn't like getting other POV's. (in addition to the 4 of them) It’s a LONG book, and at times SLOW GOING, but eventually it all ties together. I would recommend for more patient readers that are fans of shifter reverse harem.
Despite that cover, and the fact this is a reverse harem… it’s not really graphic, and I wouldn’t label it erotica. IMO, most of the “sexy parts” are PG-13. The plot is congested; there’s a lot going on, and it felt overloaded with bad/heavy stuff… I lost patience and started to skim until the mate/OW returned. Then it picked back up.
Bottom Line- There’re some issues you see with newer writers... grammar/capitalization/editing errors, overly dramatic and wordy. But, the writing is pretty solid. (especially for a second book 👏👏) I liked the males (Rhet, Ezra, and Thjis) but I felt like they were all similar, and they sort of bled into each other. I also liked that the h became empowered, but didn't like getting other POV's. (in addition to the 4 of them) It’s a LONG book, and at times SLOW GOING, but eventually it all ties together. I would recommend for more patient readers that are fans of shifter reverse harem.
May 7, 2023
I tried to like the book. I truly did.
Read it till the end in hopes that it would get better but time and time again the author and the characters did things I just couldn't overlook.
Multiple times in the book the three MMCs talk about Lyrie's punishment and imply that it would all be okay if just the girl wasn't Lyrie. On a different type of female this horrific brutality would be justified.
On a real "rankwhore".
This kind of thinking really cemented for me just what and how the Men really were. They weren't different. They weren't better. They just liked this girl so they cared about what happened to her.
Rhet was also part of the men who "punished" Lyri but it apprently doesn't matter because he thought she was gorgeous and was very gentle. WHICH IS BULSHIT. I would've preferred if the author had revealed this info from the start and then as time went on Lyri forgave him instead of dragging his involvement to maintain "mystery" and then brushing it under the rug by having Lyri forgive him instantly. Something that is highly unlikely nomatter how 'gentle' a rapist is.
As for Lyri, it really pissed me off how many times the author made her state that what happened to the men was worst than what happened to Lyri, when it absolutely wasn't.
Like, why even talk about who's trauma was worse?
Also, the very convenient turn of events where Jax and Daan were shown with remorse while Cloe's punishment was more focused on. Cloe and Jessi were also not given the privilege of self-reflection because once a whore/bitch always a whore/bitch apparently.
All of this I could let go (I honestly have to because the genre is choke full of this kind of misogyny and judgement) but the constant placement of this book as some sort of feminist awakening when it lacked in quite a few places just kept rubbing me the wrong way.
Read it till the end in hopes that it would get better but time and time again the author and the characters did things I just couldn't overlook.
Multiple times in the book the three MMCs talk about Lyrie's punishment and imply that it would all be okay if just the girl wasn't Lyrie. On a different type of female this horrific brutality would be justified.
On a real "rankwhore".
This kind of thinking really cemented for me just what and how the Men really were. They weren't different. They weren't better. They just liked this girl so they cared about what happened to her.
Rhet was also part of the men who "punished" Lyri but it apprently doesn't matter because he thought she was gorgeous and was very gentle. WHICH IS BULSHIT. I would've preferred if the author had revealed this info from the start and then as time went on Lyri forgave him instead of dragging his involvement to maintain "mystery" and then brushing it under the rug by having Lyri forgive him instantly. Something that is highly unlikely nomatter how 'gentle' a rapist is.
As for Lyri, it really pissed me off how many times the author made her state that what happened to the men was worst than what happened to Lyri, when it absolutely wasn't.
Like, why even talk about who's trauma was worse?
Also, the very convenient turn of events where Jax and Daan were shown with remorse while Cloe's punishment was more focused on. Cloe and Jessi were also not given the privilege of self-reflection because once a whore/bitch always a whore/bitch apparently.
All of this I could let go (I honestly have to because the genre is choke full of this kind of misogyny and judgement) but the constant placement of this book as some sort of feminist awakening when it lacked in quite a few places just kept rubbing me the wrong way.
April 5, 2022
Ayooooo what?! DNF : 45%
TW: it is important to read and take note because this book WILL trigger you.
What the fuck 😭😭😭 please stay away from this book. The title really speaks for itself; it is seriously UNFORGIVABLE.
This girl got r*p*d brutally and the three new men that “saved” her are only concerned about what?! Nursing her back to health so she can provide sex, to be claimed as theirs?! Its so weird, i cant stand the pet names, asking for her DECISION to have sex and declaring love (she was like barely two/three months in too 😭)
The fucking hororr; i pushed through trying to see through for revenge and justice but man it is fucking horrible and knowing Rhet???? I can’t continue this book 😭😭😭 i’m too heartbroken for this girl, shes so young and her pov is probably the saddest cause she really likes these men and she forgave Rhet. I can’t stomach this book any longer
I think the worst part is how the fucking punishment is so disproportionate. How do you justify cheating with rape?! Alpha Jax is a sorriest excuse for a fucking Alpha i wish he chokes on his dick and die with fourteen dicks up his ass for laying down that punishment. Thats how much i hate that man, no amount of remorse in my body for this stupid excuse of an Alpha.
TW: it is important to read and take note because this book WILL trigger you.
What the fuck 😭😭😭 please stay away from this book. The title really speaks for itself; it is seriously UNFORGIVABLE.
This girl got r*p*d brutally and the three new men that “saved” her are only concerned about what?! Nursing her back to health so she can provide sex, to be claimed as theirs?! Its so weird, i cant stand the pet names, asking for her DECISION to have sex and declaring love (she was like barely two/three months in too 😭)
The fucking hororr; i pushed through trying to see through for revenge and justice but man it is fucking horrible and knowing Rhet???? I can’t continue this book 😭😭😭 i’m too heartbroken for this girl, shes so young and her pov is probably the saddest cause she really likes these men and she forgave Rhet. I can’t stomach this book any longer
I think the worst part is how the fucking punishment is so disproportionate. How do you justify cheating with rape?! Alpha Jax is a sorriest excuse for a fucking Alpha i wish he chokes on his dick and die with fourteen dicks up his ass for laying down that punishment. Thats how much i hate that man, no amount of remorse in my body for this stupid excuse of an Alpha.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 13, 2024
This is one of the worst packaged books that I’ve ever seen, in terms of having a cover that doesn’t accurately represent what’s in the story. The cover makes it look like intense smut. Nope! Instead, this is a brutal story about trying to fix an enormous injustice that was done to the heroine. There is romance and spice in this book, but that's not the part that leaves the biggest impression.
The cover is probably scaring away some readers who’d otherwise like it! And it’s probably disappointing other readers who go into it expecting werewolf smut, and are taken aback by the brutality.
Anyway, aside from the misleading cover, this is a rejected mate story that’s savage, surprising, and satisfying – after a lot of suffering along the way. It’s the second in a series, but I skipped the first book, and I wasn’t lost, so I think it's a series of loosely connected stand-alones. It’s about Lyri (19), who has been gang raped by her pack as punishment for the crime of lying that the Alpha’s son was her mate and sleeping with him - so, trying to "steal" him from his girlfriend, who everyone thinks is his mate. Lyri wasn’t lying; the Alpha’s son and his girlfriend are the real liars. But, everyone believes them over Lyri. So, they think she’s trying to be a homewrecker to the alpha’s son, which apparently warrants that awful punishment.
The gang rape happens off-page. The story begins when she’s recovering in the home of 3 male wolves who live on the outskirts of her pack. The RH aspect of this story isn’t bad, but it’s meh: I didn’t dislike the heroes, but I also wasn’t especially enthralled by them. They were fine. I like a rejected mate book where the heroine finds someone else instead of returning to the guy who rejected her. So, this book does deliver on that front. But what kept me reading wasn’t the guys, or the romance. It was the desire to see if Lyri would get justice for how horribly she’s been wronged – and, to see how her pack would react when the truth came out.
The worldbuilding is interesting. The writing style just jumps right in without explaining, expecting you to figure things out along the way. It throws around terms like “rankwhore” or "Shaming" (for Lyri's punishment) without spelling out what they mean, and it expects us to just understand those terms – but, we do, mostly. That type of worldbuilding doesn't always work, but it works here. Mostly.
I feel a bit torn, because I think the author made the right choice to put the gang-rape off-page instead of showing it, and start the story with Lyri recovering afterwards. But, this book would have also benefitted from showing us some of her teen years, with the alpha’s son rejecting her and his fake mate and her friends bullying her, rather than just talking about all of that in retrospect. It does feel like too many important story events are “told” to us in retrospect, and not “shown” in-scene.
But, this book hits the spot if you want a rejected mate story where the heroine goes to live her best life with other people instead of the original mate, and story where the villains get comeuppance.
The cover is probably scaring away some readers who’d otherwise like it! And it’s probably disappointing other readers who go into it expecting werewolf smut, and are taken aback by the brutality.
Anyway, aside from the misleading cover, this is a rejected mate story that’s savage, surprising, and satisfying – after a lot of suffering along the way. It’s the second in a series, but I skipped the first book, and I wasn’t lost, so I think it's a series of loosely connected stand-alones. It’s about Lyri (19), who has been gang raped by her pack as punishment for the crime of lying that the Alpha’s son was her mate and sleeping with him - so, trying to "steal" him from his girlfriend, who everyone thinks is his mate. Lyri wasn’t lying; the Alpha’s son and his girlfriend are the real liars. But, everyone believes them over Lyri. So, they think she’s trying to be a homewrecker to the alpha’s son, which apparently warrants that awful punishment.
The gang rape happens off-page. The story begins when she’s recovering in the home of 3 male wolves who live on the outskirts of her pack. The RH aspect of this story isn’t bad, but it’s meh: I didn’t dislike the heroes, but I also wasn’t especially enthralled by them. They were fine. I like a rejected mate book where the heroine finds someone else instead of returning to the guy who rejected her. So, this book does deliver on that front. But what kept me reading wasn’t the guys, or the romance. It was the desire to see if Lyri would get justice for how horribly she’s been wronged – and, to see how her pack would react when the truth came out.
The worldbuilding is interesting. The writing style just jumps right in without explaining, expecting you to figure things out along the way. It throws around terms like “rankwhore” or "Shaming" (for Lyri's punishment) without spelling out what they mean, and it expects us to just understand those terms – but, we do, mostly. That type of worldbuilding doesn't always work, but it works here. Mostly.
I feel a bit torn, because I think the author made the right choice to put the gang-rape off-page instead of showing it, and start the story with Lyri recovering afterwards. But, this book would have also benefitted from showing us some of her teen years, with the alpha’s son rejecting her and his fake mate and her friends bullying her, rather than just talking about all of that in retrospect. It does feel like too many important story events are “told” to us in retrospect, and not “shown” in-scene.
But, this book hits the spot if you want a rejected mate story where the heroine goes to live her best life with other people instead of the original mate, and story where the villains get comeuppance.
July 2, 2021
Unforgivable
By Leona Page
This book will be hard to write a review for because of the beginning and the storyline itself. But for those who have triggers... before you start reading this:
Unforgivable was a really good book. The storyline was very sad and a little angsty, but nowheres near as angsty as it could have been.
Lyri and her 'males' make a wonderful mini pack. I loved all of them and the two younger males in the family are adorable.
What happened to Lyri was despicable and the pack alpha, Jax, made a horrifically bad decision that only compounded the whole nightmare for her. IMO How the author chose to wrap up the book and address all the open issues was amazingly well done. Alphason Daan and his chosen mate, Cloe's, punishment for starting this whole ball of nightmares rolling was very fitting. Especially Cloe's. (I admit I got giddy with excitement when Lady Karma bit Cloe in the a$$.) Penny's surprise at the end was wonderful.
The book is in many POV's. While it's mostly in Lyri, Rhet, Thjis, and Ezra's, it's also in Alpha Jax's.
Side Note: Given the horrific actions in the storyline in this book I really felt the cover picture for this book was wholly inappropriate. It's more appropriate for a BDSM book. Given the care and tenderness the author put into the subject of this book it really surprises me she chose a cover like this.
By Leona Page
This book will be hard to write a review for because of the beginning and the storyline itself. But for those who have triggers... before you start reading this:
Unforgivable was a really good book. The storyline was very sad and a little angsty, but nowheres near as angsty as it could have been.
Lyri and her 'males' make a wonderful mini pack. I loved all of them and the two younger males in the family are adorable.
What happened to Lyri was despicable and the pack alpha, Jax, made a horrifically bad decision that only compounded the whole nightmare for her. IMO How the author chose to wrap up the book and address all the open issues was amazingly well done. Alphason Daan and his chosen mate, Cloe's, punishment for starting this whole ball of nightmares rolling was very fitting. Especially Cloe's. (I admit I got giddy with excitement when Lady Karma bit Cloe in the a$$.) Penny's surprise at the end was wonderful.
The book is in many POV's. While it's mostly in Lyri, Rhet, Thjis, and Ezra's, it's also in Alpha Jax's.
Side Note: Given the horrific actions in the storyline in this book I really felt the cover picture for this book was wholly inappropriate. It's more appropriate for a BDSM book. Given the care and tenderness the author put into the subject of this book it really surprises me she chose a cover like this.
Read
November 9, 2024I’m only at 31% and I have too many thoughts right now to have any real review BUT I am confused. You can tell when a male is an alpha but you can’t tell when a female is a Luna? You can tell when a female is an omega, or a male is a beta, or gamma but you can’t tell when a female is a Luna?? I thought you could always tell true mate couples? So why can’t anyone tell that the FMC is a true mate to the alpha son Daan? This seems like a glaring error to this plot premise. I mean one of the MMC’s Thjis states that he knew his mate wasn’t the true mate of the male she rejected him for. That everyone knew. So HOW can no one tell that about the FMC and Daan? How can no one tell that the FMC is a Luna?
34% UPDATE
FINALLY so retribution! I was kind of surprised by the extremity of it too. Decapitation for cheating is a bold choice. But the shaming was just as extreme too.
This book is rough.
42% UPDATE
We have now gotten to the point where Rhett has told his part of her shaming. We also know from the beginning of this book that while he was the first he also dosed her to prevent pregnancy. So it’s a brutal part he played per the plot line it was actually done for many “noble” reasons. Whether it is forgivable or not I really couldn’t say. He is an admirable character but this author is writing an unrealistic story so far. It’s very far fetched IMO. It definitely revolves around BBS, with a heavy helping of desperation, survival and circumstances for this quad to end up in a HEA. That’s not exactly a romance, dark or not.
DETAILS: (because I’m getting confused on each characters back story)
Ezra = mateless, sunny feral wolf pansy killer (that was hilarious)
Thjis = rejected mate by rankwhore, then he rejected her when she crawled back, then his true mate unalives herself because of rejection, angry sad sack bear of a man/wolf
Rhett = his true mate died from cancer while still a teenager, of alpha blood from another pack, he was a virgin before he participated in the shaming to protect Lyri
Lyri = rejected future Luna = gangraped(shaming) as punishment for the lie by her true mate that she was chasing him as a rankwhore
Daan = alpha son who rejected his true mate Lyri for his childhood sweetheart, who lied and claimed his choice mate(Cloe) was his true mate, who lied again that Lyri was a rankwhore to protect himself and his choice mate
Alpha Jax = Daan’s father, pack alpha, he ordered the shaming, based only on one person’s say so, basically a terribly stupid alpha, he doesn’t even realize his pack is about to mutiny/rebel on his ass, Smdh
14/15
1) Rhett
2&3)Two/mountainwolf are decapitated
4)One/mountainwolf is rejected and exiled to his shame
5)One/Brent Jenson is “m#rdered by his fated mate’s family for his betrayal and to protect his mate from him
6)Liam (fated to Lyri’s sister penny) FINALLY taken out by horse @ 62%
7)Brian Taylor participated while already having a true mate, taken out at 47% by partial decapitation
8)Yule Brenn participated while having a true mate, taken out at 47% snapped ne€k by Rhett
9)Todd at 50% beaten by Thjis crippled and may never talk again??
10)Nic hung/unalives himself (wink wink)
11) Cal Jensen decapitated by mountain wolf(#4) as his penance to Lyri, to help avenge and protect her
12) Mike Ferguson taken out by Ezra’s wolf
13) Ethan Pierson Cloe’s older brother taken by Teague as part of an underlying subplot of trafficking across a few of this series books
14) Drew Daan’s best friend and beta gets revealed @88%, taken out be hanging @96%, it’s unclear if it was self inflicted or assisted in the name of retribution
15) Alpha Jax ordered but did not participate in shaming. This one is the saddest. He witnessed the end of his son Daan’s life so the new alpha son will have no impediment. He was abandoned by his vile mate. He has to live to stay as alpha de facto until the future alpha son is old enough to take over. His last chapters had me in tears.
Bonus ??
16) Daan taken out by Lyri’s father as punishment for his crimes against the pack but also against the rejection of the future Luna and for his daughter’s shaming due to his lies
17) Luna Jessi WOW she abandons her mate alpha Jax and her son Daan to their deaths before it happens. Like who does that?!? Honestly, I think she is the worse of the bunch! Her end may be pending in another story
18) OW Cloe Pierson taken out by the mountain man(#4) betrayed fated mate by claws as vengeance for her crimes against all packs involved
19) Alex Pierson Cloe and Ethan’s father throat ripped out by alpha Jax @91%
Some more details and characters might be added later.
46% UPDATE
Now I see the point of this story. Luna Alpha.
50% UPDATE
This book is taking too damn long! I am DYING for retribution!! And this book is dragging out everything instead. Ugh.
Just finished one of the few alpha Jax chapters and I can’t wait to see his comeuppance. His, his son Daan’s, and his mate the current Luna Jessi. Because Jessi is trash.
53% UPDATE
Rhett finally gets a clue as to who did this to Lyri. Meaning he has gusted who her true mate is.
72% UPDATE
I honestly was thinking Cloe was mate less with how she and Daan had been together for so many years and no one could tell they weren’t true mates. Like did they really think they could truly get away with it, with two rejected mates out there and no one the wiser!?!
New victim in the game appears Devel, Cloe’s rejected true mate, and the youngest brother to the alpha MMC Teague of Teague’s Breeder the first book of this series.
FINAL UPDATE
I kind of have no words. This isn’t a romance since I feel it was a desperation coupling. The four in the polyamorous HEA all ended up together out of forced proximity more than anything else. They are all likable characters even if Rhett had to participate in the shaming as part of his claim on the FMC and to help her survive without pregnancy from it. I hate that we aren’t given an HEA with her pregnant by one of her males but I can see how it went well with the story of new alpha’s taking the place of the two terrible ones this book started with. Can’t have a potential male born from the FMC Luna who could cause issues for the replacement alphason Inuit.
This book is bitter though. I did something I never do in this review and gave a body count for all those that needed to die for one reason or another. Mostly because it was getting confusing but also because I wanted satisfaction for the FMC’s betrayals. Still, this book was more about vengeance than romance which usually isn’t my thing. However I was content with the overall result of the events in this book.
I probably will never read this book again but I do feel it is worth reading at least once if you plan on reading the series. There are a lot of side characters who are set up for their own stories in this book. And some who were left over from the first book, are here to round off their plots. This book finally picks up the action after the 45% mark so if you want you can basically skip/skim the beginning to get to all the vengeance and ends and introductions of all players for the rest of the series.
I do have to say that I felt sorry for alpha Jax in the end. He didn’t deserve my sympathies for sure, but all of this could have been prevented had he had a better mate to begin with. Or if he had raised his son to honor his goddess given mating. Or if he had taught his son Daan to be a better person and alpha for his pack. To not fall for his own selfishness or for others’ manipulations. But how can anyone really prepare for all eventualities?
Aside for all that, we never really understand WHY he ordered the shaming. It seems like while he was just “okay” as an alpha and a person, this order came out of left field. It was so extreme and just unexplainable. I had hoped it would have been shown that his mate trashy Luna Jessi might have influenced this choice but that never happens. It really was just his decision. Normally, I wouldn’t like an unanswered question like this, but for some reason it works here. The author did a fabulous job of solving all the issues but leaving this one thing as a mystery. But as a flaw of the character, of the situation, of the universe that is created in this series. Truly some things just can’t be explained. Well done author!
This book is amazing story wise. So many twists and so much going on. It’s not complicated but elaborate. And it all unfolds with time. Grammar issues and the way time passes but it’s not clear are the only issues I really have with this author though. My highlights will follow. Good luck.
34% UPDATE
FINALLY so retribution! I was kind of surprised by the extremity of it too. Decapitation for cheating is a bold choice. But the shaming was just as extreme too.
This book is rough.
42% UPDATE
We have now gotten to the point where Rhett has told his part of her shaming. We also know from the beginning of this book that while he was the first he also dosed her to prevent pregnancy. So it’s a brutal part he played per the plot line it was actually done for many “noble” reasons. Whether it is forgivable or not I really couldn’t say. He is an admirable character but this author is writing an unrealistic story so far. It’s very far fetched IMO. It definitely revolves around BBS, with a heavy helping of desperation, survival and circumstances for this quad to end up in a HEA. That’s not exactly a romance, dark or not.
DETAILS: (because I’m getting confused on each characters back story)
Ezra = mateless, sunny feral wolf pansy killer (that was hilarious)
Thjis = rejected mate by rankwhore, then he rejected her when she crawled back, then his true mate unalives herself because of rejection, angry sad sack bear of a man/wolf
Rhett = his true mate died from cancer while still a teenager, of alpha blood from another pack, he was a virgin before he participated in the shaming to protect Lyri
Lyri = rejected future Luna = gangraped(shaming) as punishment for the lie by her true mate that she was chasing him as a rankwhore
Daan = alpha son who rejected his true mate Lyri for his childhood sweetheart, who lied and claimed his choice mate(Cloe) was his true mate, who lied again that Lyri was a rankwhore to protect himself and his choice mate
Alpha Jax = Daan’s father, pack alpha, he ordered the shaming, based only on one person’s say so, basically a terribly stupid alpha, he doesn’t even realize his pack is about to mutiny/rebel on his ass, Smdh
14/15
1) Rhett
2&3)Two/mountainwolf are decapitated
4)One/mountainwolf is rejected and exiled to his shame
5)One/Brent Jenson is “m#rdered by his fated mate’s family for his betrayal and to protect his mate from him
6)Liam (fated to Lyri’s sister penny) FINALLY taken out by horse @ 62%
7)Brian Taylor participated while already having a true mate, taken out at 47% by partial decapitation
8)Yule Brenn participated while having a true mate, taken out at 47% snapped ne€k by Rhett
9)Todd at 50% beaten by Thjis crippled and may never talk again??
10)Nic hung/unalives himself (wink wink)
11) Cal Jensen decapitated by mountain wolf(#4) as his penance to Lyri, to help avenge and protect her
12) Mike Ferguson taken out by Ezra’s wolf
13) Ethan Pierson Cloe’s older brother taken by Teague as part of an underlying subplot of trafficking across a few of this series books
14) Drew Daan’s best friend and beta gets revealed @88%, taken out be hanging @96%, it’s unclear if it was self inflicted or assisted in the name of retribution
15) Alpha Jax ordered but did not participate in shaming. This one is the saddest. He witnessed the end of his son Daan’s life so the new alpha son will have no impediment. He was abandoned by his vile mate. He has to live to stay as alpha de facto until the future alpha son is old enough to take over. His last chapters had me in tears.
Bonus ??
16) Daan taken out by Lyri’s father as punishment for his crimes against the pack but also against the rejection of the future Luna and for his daughter’s shaming due to his lies
17) Luna Jessi WOW she abandons her mate alpha Jax and her son Daan to their deaths before it happens. Like who does that?!? Honestly, I think she is the worse of the bunch! Her end may be pending in another story
18) OW Cloe Pierson taken out by the mountain man(#4) betrayed fated mate by claws as vengeance for her crimes against all packs involved
19) Alex Pierson Cloe and Ethan’s father throat ripped out by alpha Jax @91%
Some more details and characters might be added later.
46% UPDATE
Now I see the point of this story. Luna Alpha.
50% UPDATE
This book is taking too damn long! I am DYING for retribution!! And this book is dragging out everything instead. Ugh.
Just finished one of the few alpha Jax chapters and I can’t wait to see his comeuppance. His, his son Daan’s, and his mate the current Luna Jessi. Because Jessi is trash.
53% UPDATE
Rhett finally gets a clue as to who did this to Lyri. Meaning he has gusted who her true mate is.
72% UPDATE
I honestly was thinking Cloe was mate less with how she and Daan had been together for so many years and no one could tell they weren’t true mates. Like did they really think they could truly get away with it, with two rejected mates out there and no one the wiser!?!
New victim in the game appears Devel, Cloe’s rejected true mate, and the youngest brother to the alpha MMC Teague of Teague’s Breeder the first book of this series.
FINAL UPDATE
I kind of have no words. This isn’t a romance since I feel it was a desperation coupling. The four in the polyamorous HEA all ended up together out of forced proximity more than anything else. They are all likable characters even if Rhett had to participate in the shaming as part of his claim on the FMC and to help her survive without pregnancy from it. I hate that we aren’t given an HEA with her pregnant by one of her males but I can see how it went well with the story of new alpha’s taking the place of the two terrible ones this book started with. Can’t have a potential male born from the FMC Luna who could cause issues for the replacement alphason Inuit.
This book is bitter though. I did something I never do in this review and gave a body count for all those that needed to die for one reason or another. Mostly because it was getting confusing but also because I wanted satisfaction for the FMC’s betrayals. Still, this book was more about vengeance than romance which usually isn’t my thing. However I was content with the overall result of the events in this book.
I probably will never read this book again but I do feel it is worth reading at least once if you plan on reading the series. There are a lot of side characters who are set up for their own stories in this book. And some who were left over from the first book, are here to round off their plots. This book finally picks up the action after the 45% mark so if you want you can basically skip/skim the beginning to get to all the vengeance and ends and introductions of all players for the rest of the series.
I do have to say that I felt sorry for alpha Jax in the end. He didn’t deserve my sympathies for sure, but all of this could have been prevented had he had a better mate to begin with. Or if he had raised his son to honor his goddess given mating. Or if he had taught his son Daan to be a better person and alpha for his pack. To not fall for his own selfishness or for others’ manipulations. But how can anyone really prepare for all eventualities?
Aside for all that, we never really understand WHY he ordered the shaming. It seems like while he was just “okay” as an alpha and a person, this order came out of left field. It was so extreme and just unexplainable. I had hoped it would have been shown that his mate trashy Luna Jessi might have influenced this choice but that never happens. It really was just his decision. Normally, I wouldn’t like an unanswered question like this, but for some reason it works here. The author did a fabulous job of solving all the issues but leaving this one thing as a mystery. But as a flaw of the character, of the situation, of the universe that is created in this series. Truly some things just can’t be explained. Well done author!
This book is amazing story wise. So many twists and so much going on. It’s not complicated but elaborate. And it all unfolds with time. Grammar issues and the way time passes but it’s not clear are the only issues I really have with this author though. My highlights will follow. Good luck.
October 5, 2021
Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK
On it's own this book is a solid 3 stars, if I compared it to the previous book it would have been a 2 star book. This book is a bit longer, according to Amazon about 100 pages longer, and yet it felt like I was reading a 800 page book at times. There was a weird mix of some scenes being really drawn out, almost to the point of boredom, while other scenes felt like they were over too fast or didn't have enough explanation to them. Overall, still an interesting story that was definitely intense at times which captivated me. I'm pretty excited to get Carmichael's story now so that's my next up.
Amazon US * Amazon UK
On it's own this book is a solid 3 stars, if I compared it to the previous book it would have been a 2 star book. This book is a bit longer, according to Amazon about 100 pages longer, and yet it felt like I was reading a 800 page book at times. There was a weird mix of some scenes being really drawn out, almost to the point of boredom, while other scenes felt like they were over too fast or didn't have enough explanation to them. Overall, still an interesting story that was definitely intense at times which captivated me. I'm pretty excited to get Carmichael's story now so that's my next up.
June 25, 2024
I am so pissed. I just read a story where I THINK I was supposed to walk away thinking justice was served, the bad people got punished and the good people get their HEA. Instead, I staggered away thinking that some of the worst offenders who started the whole thing got away scot free while some of the guilty got a fan-f*cking-tastic HEA. This story still gets at least a couple of stars because the whole thing with Daan at the end? That part was written well enough that it made me effing TEAR UP. Too bad he was one of the casualties of this story whose punishment SOOOOOO didn't fit the crime. OMG. I. Am. Raging. And trying to self-soothe by telling myself over and over that it's fiction. FICTION. It's not real. Let it go. Daan is ok. Everyone is ok.
January 13, 2021
Lyri’s TrueMate, the alphason, rejects her. Not formally, but he never accepts her and he lies about her being his mate. He chose someone else a long time ago. In fact his chosen has made life very difficult for Lyri. Cloe was weak, she was never quite as good at the things Lyri excelled at. But everyone thought she was Daan’s TruMate so they went out of their way to try and pave an easier path for her.
Lyri finally gets her mates attention one night. But when they are found out it is seen as a betrayal to Cloe who everyone thinks is his TrueMate. For this, Lyri is the one punished, for seducing the mated alphason. She is punished in a horrific way. And that is where the story starts. Just after her shaming. After her rapes. After her torturous night.
Wow. There were so many working elements and threads to this story. I kept thinking as I was reading this, that it could have been shorter. But looking back I’m not so sure I believe that. Everything felt necessary. Her path to recovery and redemption was so believable because we experienced it all with her.
Something that was so satisfying about this book was when the truth started coming out. That’s usually the satisfying part of these types of books. But this book dropped little nuggets as it slowly became known who she was. It wasn’t a one and done sort of deal. As the book goes on, you still have more to look forward to as more key people find out the truth at different times in the book. I loved that.
I couldn’t give it a full 5 stars because I just have a really hard time getting behind RH, but especially in shifter books. And maybe it’s not fair to drop a star because I knew going in what this book would be about, but I’ve heard so many good things and had so many recommendations that I decided to just jump in. But as usual, I just can’t fully connect with a RH relationship in a book.
Lyri finally gets her mates attention one night. But when they are found out it is seen as a betrayal to Cloe who everyone thinks is his TrueMate. For this, Lyri is the one punished, for seducing the mated alphason. She is punished in a horrific way. And that is where the story starts. Just after her shaming. After her rapes. After her torturous night.
Wow. There were so many working elements and threads to this story. I kept thinking as I was reading this, that it could have been shorter. But looking back I’m not so sure I believe that. Everything felt necessary. Her path to recovery and redemption was so believable because we experienced it all with her.
Something that was so satisfying about this book was when the truth started coming out. That’s usually the satisfying part of these types of books. But this book dropped little nuggets as it slowly became known who she was. It wasn’t a one and done sort of deal. As the book goes on, you still have more to look forward to as more key people find out the truth at different times in the book. I loved that.
I couldn’t give it a full 5 stars because I just have a really hard time getting behind RH, but especially in shifter books. And maybe it’s not fair to drop a star because I knew going in what this book would be about, but I’ve heard so many good things and had so many recommendations that I decided to just jump in. But as usual, I just can’t fully connect with a RH relationship in a book.
December 13, 2024
This is probably the only RH book I have ever read where I felt like the participants were all fleshed-out characters. The plot is riveting (waiting for the final moment of revelation was excruciating and I thought it would never happen at some point), and although there is always some semi – infantilizing interaction between romantic interests in the author’s books, it’s offset quite a bit by the h’s strength outside of the relationship.
September 21, 2021
I don't think I'll ever reread this, but I do feel it deserves five stars.
It was hard to read about Lyri's experience at the Shaming. Trigger warning for gang rape It was quite horrifying that her alpha would order such a barbaric punishment. Definitely over the top and not fitting the supposed 'crime' at all. So I didn't like him from the start, especially since he only punished Lyri but not his son, who had cheated on his supposed mate by sleeping with Lyri. The unfair treatment and bias was really obvious.
We do get the alpha's POV at times (the whole book is written in first-person) so we see his remorse and regret later when he realises he was wrong. But the damage was too great. It's something that apologies can never repair. I don't know how Lyri can handle seeing him every day and working together with him. I don't think I would have been able to.
The situation with her three guys is different from the norm. I have read books where the FMC experienced torture and pain, and the harem were over-the-top protective and codding her after that. Most notable was the Pieces of Us series by Kerry Taylor. But here, it's a bit different because they chose her and planned to save her after the Shaming was done, hoping to persuade her to stay with them. Not only that, they each have issues of their own, which make them uncertain with her.
This made the relationship development interesting to read as it isn't just one-way, like the guys trying to give her everything and make her happy. There is a push-pull between her and each of her men, and the relationships do feel like separate individual relationships, although occurring simultaneously. The guys aren't the traditional "hero" types riding to the rescue of a damsel in distress, heroes who are noble and perfect and unblemished. They have fears and insecurities which need to be addressed.
Lyri doesn't tell anyone that she was the alphason's truemate. The pack thinks she seduced Daan because she's a "rankwhore" who is trying to sleep her way to the top, so to speak. Lyri had been rejected by Daan in favour of his chosen mate, but she thought if they slept together, he would realise and succumb to the pull of his truemate. When the alpha found out that they had slept together, she tried to tell him that she and Daan are truemates, but Daan denied it and denounced her as a liar. As a result, she is convinced that no one will ever believe her truth, because who would believe her over the alphason? So up to half the book, she still hasn't told her guys what really happened. It was taking so long that I wondered when the truth would come out.
That's not to say that things move slowly in this book (other stuff was happening) but there was that tension, like when you know someone has a secret and the others are bound to find out eventually, and you want to yell at them, "JUST TELL THEM ALREADY AND GET IT OVER WITH!" Generally I don't like this kind of thing cos in 99% of situations, the secret ends up being suddenly burst wide open by someone else, with very bad consequences for the secret-keeper, who dithered too long about disclosing what they knew. But this book was in the 1% minority, which pleased me a lot and also made me feel relieved.
So it was really well-written and well-plotted, which is why it deserved five stars.
It was hard to read about Lyri's experience at the Shaming. Trigger warning for gang rape It was quite horrifying that her alpha would order such a barbaric punishment. Definitely over the top and not fitting the supposed 'crime' at all. So I didn't like him from the start, especially since he only punished Lyri but not his son, who had cheated on his supposed mate by sleeping with Lyri. The unfair treatment and bias was really obvious.
We do get the alpha's POV at times (the whole book is written in first-person) so we see his remorse and regret later when he realises he was wrong. But the damage was too great. It's something that apologies can never repair. I don't know how Lyri can handle seeing him every day and working together with him. I don't think I would have been able to.
The situation with her three guys is different from the norm. I have read books where the FMC experienced torture and pain, and the harem were over-the-top protective and codding her after that. Most notable was the Pieces of Us series by Kerry Taylor. But here, it's a bit different because they chose her and planned to save her after the Shaming was done, hoping to persuade her to stay with them. Not only that, they each have issues of their own, which make them uncertain with her.
This made the relationship development interesting to read as it isn't just one-way, like the guys trying to give her everything and make her happy. There is a push-pull between her and each of her men, and the relationships do feel like separate individual relationships, although occurring simultaneously. The guys aren't the traditional "hero" types riding to the rescue of a damsel in distress, heroes who are noble and perfect and unblemished. They have fears and insecurities which need to be addressed.
Lyri doesn't tell anyone that she was the alphason's truemate. The pack thinks she seduced Daan because she's a "rankwhore" who is trying to sleep her way to the top, so to speak. Lyri had been rejected by Daan in favour of his chosen mate, but she thought if they slept together, he would realise and succumb to the pull of his truemate. When the alpha found out that they had slept together, she tried to tell him that she and Daan are truemates, but Daan denied it and denounced her as a liar. As a result, she is convinced that no one will ever believe her truth, because who would believe her over the alphason? So up to half the book, she still hasn't told her guys what really happened. It was taking so long that I wondered when the truth would come out.
That's not to say that things move slowly in this book (other stuff was happening) but there was that tension, like when you know someone has a secret and the others are bound to find out eventually, and you want to yell at them, "JUST TELL THEM ALREADY AND GET IT OVER WITH!" Generally I don't like this kind of thing cos in 99% of situations, the secret ends up being suddenly burst wide open by someone else, with very bad consequences for the secret-keeper, who dithered too long about disclosing what they knew. But this book was in the 1% minority, which pleased me a lot and also made me feel relieved.
So it was really well-written and well-plotted, which is why it deserved five stars.
August 24, 2022
If you're in the mood for some intense hurt/comfort, this'll do. We meet the heroine Lyri in the immediate aftermath of a violent gang rape ordered by her alpha for the crime of falsely claiming his son was her fated mate. (Spoiler alert: he was. Fucker.) Thankfully, the details of her ordeal aren't explicit, but we do get a lot of information about her injuries which are so horrific they would've killed a human woman. So there's that. She's rescued by some outsider wolves who see her as their hope for having anything like a mate. I did eventually end up liking them, but wow. Not cool. There's also a little bit of gross victim-blamey stuff in that Lyri is a Luna, which under the full moon makes unmated wolves go even crazier? Something like that? It was uncomfortable.
I liked Lyri a lot and was rooting for her--she was the entire reason I finished the book--but man, she was failed by every single person who should've protected her. I also wanted the antagonists to suffer far FAR more than they did.
I liked Lyri a lot and was rooting for her--she was the entire reason I finished the book--but man, she was failed by every single person who should've protected her. I also wanted the antagonists to suffer far FAR more than they did.
July 1, 2021
I tried to like this book, but I just couldn’t. For me, there were too POV shifts that didn’t really reflect different narrators, too many proof reading errors, and some … problematic views on female empowerment (in that it the whole book almost feels like a hate crime against women, whether it be for being strong or conniving or a victim; no one wins). And I’m no stranger to dark plots, but at one point I actually started emphasizing with the “bad guys” - perhaps because it was hard to get a grasp on the wolf world building? So many titles, terms and social rules thrown around without any explanation.
Edit: after a day, I’ve realized that I like it even LESS. If you get to the end, you might know what I mean. The chips all fall - but they don’t make sense and the wrong people get the right punishment in my opinion.
Edit: after a day, I’ve realized that I like it even LESS. If you get to the end, you might know what I mean. The chips all fall - but they don’t make sense and the wrong people get the right punishment in my opinion.
November 15, 2020
Really good. Sweet story.. A few editing issues
December 10, 2025
DNF @ 7%.
I can't read anymore FMCs that are scared of their own shadow and milquetoast. It's boring.
I also didn't appreciate the description of the Black MMC as having 'skin the color of ink' (which is insane and not at all what even the darkest Black person's skin tone would look like) and that same MMC was called 'the dark one' several times. Absolutely tf not.
I can't read anymore FMCs that are scared of their own shadow and milquetoast. It's boring.
I also didn't appreciate the description of the Black MMC as having 'skin the color of ink' (which is insane and not at all what even the darkest Black person's skin tone would look like) and that same MMC was called 'the dark one' several times. Absolutely tf not.
May 9, 2021
So....I want to give this a 3 1/2. Most of my gripes are with the story and honestly the inconsistencies of the shifter world between this and Teaguez breeder. I found myself a bit confused because there were a lot of inconsistencies in the world building between this and teagues breeder.
1. Not being able to have pups if you reproduce with someone who isn’t your mate. Teague got his female pregnant very soon and was planning to use her to breed him pups. So how does breeding work if the children of unmated or not with the trumate result in miscarriage
2.having to to the mating moon to mark a non fated mate. This book focused a lot of essentially how you have to be with your mate or the severe consequences. But how was Teague able to mark his female against her will and he marked blue.
3. Daan was essentially blue from teagues breeder but was an alpha. Also the consequences of the rejection were more severe. But I didn’t like how daan was missinf most of the book. I understand that his actions lead everything that happened, but he never knew or was aware of what happened. If anything Chloe and her mom were the true puppet masters. Idk I don’t get why blue can have a happily ever after but daan must die. Again it was actually chloes calculation and manipulation. Again it’s horrible what happened to lyri, ibut that was alpha jaxs fault. Yes daan lied. But teenagers lie to save their skin, maybe in this world we are supposed to trust the words of teens lol
4. There seemed to be a build up for book 3 with lyris sister, but I guess that’s was decided against.
5. I’m confused how the others were deemed rapist and deserving to die, when it was explained that the moon, her scent, and Rhett scent causes the other wolves to act out of instinct and the culmination of everything led them to act out of character. Idk, the storyline wanted to push who were the bad people and who were deserving of our mercy. Not a huge Fan. How do you decide Rhett was the protector and the mountain wolf was just acting on instinct and everyone else is a bad person for participating in the same act. I’m confused what a shaming is, if you then ostrisize the people who participate.
Idk, just venting because I hate when books try sooo hard to push the narrative of the evil character vs the one who is the one true and pure hero. It seems so manufactured and fake. I have more rants and now really want to downgrade this book to a 2 1/2
1. Not being able to have pups if you reproduce with someone who isn’t your mate. Teague got his female pregnant very soon and was planning to use her to breed him pups. So how does breeding work if the children of unmated or not with the trumate result in miscarriage
2.having to to the mating moon to mark a non fated mate. This book focused a lot of essentially how you have to be with your mate or the severe consequences. But how was Teague able to mark his female against her will and he marked blue.
3. Daan was essentially blue from teagues breeder but was an alpha. Also the consequences of the rejection were more severe. But I didn’t like how daan was missinf most of the book. I understand that his actions lead everything that happened, but he never knew or was aware of what happened. If anything Chloe and her mom were the true puppet masters. Idk I don’t get why blue can have a happily ever after but daan must die. Again it was actually chloes calculation and manipulation. Again it’s horrible what happened to lyri, ibut that was alpha jaxs fault. Yes daan lied. But teenagers lie to save their skin, maybe in this world we are supposed to trust the words of teens lol
4. There seemed to be a build up for book 3 with lyris sister, but I guess that’s was decided against.
5. I’m confused how the others were deemed rapist and deserving to die, when it was explained that the moon, her scent, and Rhett scent causes the other wolves to act out of instinct and the culmination of everything led them to act out of character. Idk, the storyline wanted to push who were the bad people and who were deserving of our mercy. Not a huge Fan. How do you decide Rhett was the protector and the mountain wolf was just acting on instinct and everyone else is a bad person for participating in the same act. I’m confused what a shaming is, if you then ostrisize the people who participate.
Idk, just venting because I hate when books try sooo hard to push the narrative of the evil character vs the one who is the one true and pure hero. It seems so manufactured and fake. I have more rants and now really want to downgrade this book to a 2 1/2
July 31, 2021
This book was a hard book to get through due to some of the things that happen in the plot, but it was a good read. I would re-read it myself and would recommend it to others as long as they know it may be triggering.
-MC is a strong individual who has been put through a very, very traumatic experience and we see her go through the healing process of the trauma and get her strength back.
-The harem members are not guys you love immediately, but do eventually grow on you. They have some crappy opinions of the MC at the beginning and their reasons for saving her after her traumatic experience are not the best but they are super protective and once they learn more about her and grow closer they set out to right the wrongs she faced. They also seem to respect what she has been through and let her lead their relationship.
-The pack has two children that live with them that the MC and her harem act like parents for. Their relationship is adorable.
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POTENTIAL SPOILERS:
Things I had issues with (due to personal preferences, not that the writing was bad or anything like that)
-I didn't like that we had chapters from people outside of the harem's POV. I prefer my books to focus on the MC's POVs. I just didn't feel the others really contributed to the plot but maybe they were to set up other books?
-I did not love all the shaming and the way girls who didn't wait for their mates are treated in this world. But I did enjoy the lesson the book tries to teach about double standards and how males are rarely shammed like women are.
-Trying to be as vague as possible to not spoil anything-I didn't love what the alpha harem member had to do in order to get the MC to be able to come home with them after her traumatic event. I just personally don't see how she ended up being okay with what happened with him.
-MC is a strong individual who has been put through a very, very traumatic experience and we see her go through the healing process of the trauma and get her strength back.
-The harem members are not guys you love immediately, but do eventually grow on you. They have some crappy opinions of the MC at the beginning and their reasons for saving her after her traumatic experience are not the best but they are super protective and once they learn more about her and grow closer they set out to right the wrongs she faced. They also seem to respect what she has been through and let her lead their relationship.
-The pack has two children that live with them that the MC and her harem act like parents for. Their relationship is adorable.
.
.
.
.
.
POTENTIAL SPOILERS:
Things I had issues with (due to personal preferences, not that the writing was bad or anything like that)
-I didn't like that we had chapters from people outside of the harem's POV. I prefer my books to focus on the MC's POVs. I just didn't feel the others really contributed to the plot but maybe they were to set up other books?
-I did not love all the shaming and the way girls who didn't wait for their mates are treated in this world. But I did enjoy the lesson the book tries to teach about double standards and how males are rarely shammed like women are.
-Trying to be as vague as possible to not spoil anything-I didn't love what the alpha harem member had to do in order to get the MC to be able to come home with them after her traumatic event. I just personally don't see how she ended up being okay with what happened with him.
July 12, 2023
I would have liked this book more if it had more to do with the actual alpha who rejected his mate. Yet, I'm on chapter 32/50 and the alpha still hasn't made an appearance. Edit- Actually, our heroine finally sees her fated mate in cp 45. So in reality, this is not a traditional rejected mate book or a fated pair book, it's a reverse harem book through and through.
This is not your typical naughty alpha grovel fest. It has more to do with a group pairing than a fated mate pairing. And the group pairing could have made me feel better about the situation if the harem had the strongest and most powerful, and if it was known from the beginning. There's just too much fluff, too long...by the time you get to the satisfactory part, you're just ready for it to end already. Also, I don't like it when authors trick us, you either tell us the description of the heroin in the beginning or you don't say it at all...Waiting until we're well into the story to let us know what she looks like is kinda off a bait and switch or a bit deceitful.
Pros-Strong start, story idea wasn't bad if it had been executed differently.
This is not your typical naughty alpha grovel fest. It has more to do with a group pairing than a fated mate pairing. And the group pairing could have made me feel better about the situation if the harem had the strongest and most powerful, and if it was known from the beginning. There's just too much fluff, too long...by the time you get to the satisfactory part, you're just ready for it to end already. Also, I don't like it when authors trick us, you either tell us the description of the heroin in the beginning or you don't say it at all...Waiting until we're well into the story to let us know what she looks like is kinda off a bait and switch or a bit deceitful.
Pros-Strong start, story idea wasn't bad if it had been executed differently.
November 25, 2020
Here for the story.. stay for the revenge
Oh my the heartbreak in this book. Wow. I was grabbing the kleenex often. The journey was developed. There was so much growth for Lyri. And her guys.. I mean holy smokes the chemistry. The things she has to overcome is quite horrible. But revenge is sweet. I loved how it all came together on the end. It is a bit dark in the beginning. And it is a RH with a HEA! A must read.
Oh my the heartbreak in this book. Wow. I was grabbing the kleenex often. The journey was developed. There was so much growth for Lyri. And her guys.. I mean holy smokes the chemistry. The things she has to overcome is quite horrible. But revenge is sweet. I loved how it all came together on the end. It is a bit dark in the beginning. And it is a RH with a HEA! A must read.
November 24, 2020
Spoilers
There were a lot of grammar errors, mainly capitalization. I have zero understanding why alpha max was allowed to live, to me he was the worst character. His job of alpha was to protect and he faile on so many levied. Dad didn’t call for the shaming, he did.
There were a lot of grammar errors, mainly capitalization. I have zero understanding why alpha max was allowed to live, to me he was the worst character. His job of alpha was to protect and he faile on so many levied. Dad didn’t call for the shaming, he did.
July 3, 2023
Great plot and characters but the Telling writing style made the story repetitive and overly drawn out. Rejected mate with h brutalised by her pack because if lies. I did like her mates who had experienced rejection. This is a good example of the genre, it's OTT and not for everyone.
October 14, 2022
The couple: Lyri/Thjis/Ezra/Rhet
Romance trope: rejected mate; rh
Series: Not Quite an Alpha
Length: 483 pages
Plot: Lyri has suffered a horrible trauma at the hands of her pack, and it's because her mate rejected and betrayed her. She tried to get him to choose her, but because he was in love with someone else, when he cheated on his love with Lyri, he made it seem like she was lying when she said she was his fated mate (he and his love had told everyone they were fated mates years prior - obviously lying). Lyri's mate, Daan, was the son of the alpha, so the alpha, Jax, decided to punish Lyri for being a "rankwhore" - essentially trying to climb ranks by sleeping with mated pack members. He set up a Shaming, which is where she was chained to a tree with silver chains and pack members were allowed to beat and rape her - 14 men participated. She is taken away by Thjis, Ezra, and Rhet, who are going to allow her to heal at their ranch, hoping she'll be their female. Of course, they all come to care for one another and eventually the guys find out that Lyri wasn't a rankwhore, she was rejected by her mate. And then they find out that her mate was the alphason Daan she was punished for sleeping with. They make and execute plans to kill off all the males who attacked her and essentially take over the pack.
Commentary:
Things I didn't like:
*The names. I can't even - Thjis? Daan? It's like when teenagers plan out their baby names, and they want them to be super unique. (although I thought Lyri was cute)
*Grammatical errors and typos - distracting
*There was one place where there was no real transition and it was so abrupt that I had to reread several times to figure out what was going on (when Lyri is fighting Cloe and then sees the mate of one of the rapists on the edge and goes to talk to her - I think it was supposed to be sort of poetic, stylistically, but it was just confusing.)
*Having one of her chosen males also be one of her rapists. I don't feel like that was necessary.
*It sounded like the guys were a little queasy about the Shaming, but didn't really denounce it until they fell in love with Lyri. They thought she was wrongly punished because she didn't betray anyone and only slept with her fated mate. So would it have been okay if the pack Shamed some other girl who did sleep with someone? Even if she was unattached and the male was the one in the relationship? I think the guys would eventually see the horribleness of that attitude, but they were so wrapped up in getting revenge that the right conclusion never came up.
*The cover
What worked for me:
*Working up to the story of the Shaming. I know that some people don't like being dropped into the middle of the story, but I actually preferred it in this case. You figure out early on what happened, but the details are added slowly, and so I think that made it less likely for me to give up because of the ugliness.
*Having her family still be on her side
*The pups at the ranch
*Having Lyri take over as Luna without an Alpha mate - although they kept Jax (and at first I was annoyed by that, but he's so miserable that maybe it was good for him)
*The Alpha's parents and grandmother were cool (but how could his parents have raised him so wrong? Or was it so heavily the influence of his mate?)
*Punishing those who did wrong - killing Cloe and Daan, going after all of the rapists, except, you know...
There were some things that weren't necessarily good or bad but just irritated me.
*For example, I wanted more information about Jessi. What was her deal? Why was she so weak? Why was she so attached to Cloe? Did she know Cloe and Daan weren't mates?
*And there was nobody who felt like they could say anything to Jax? No questions, no comments, nothing? If anyone suspected Daan and Lyri were mates (like Great-grandma Gloria), why didn't they say something? They could have swayed Jax. And honestly, in the end, Daan was a selfish liar, but Jax is the one who ordered a Shaming to allow people to savagely rape a teenager. All because she slept with his son (as though he was non-participatory) Why on heart would a grown man in charge of the care of a group of people (shifters) say to himself, "I hate it when girls try to seduce my son, I'll show them and make an example out of this one. I know, she should be gang-raped and left for dead."?
*And why were there so many male wolves who were so ready to be rapists? What kind of pack was Jax leading? At one point, Jax thinks "I never thought her Shaming would be that terrible. No one could have predicted it." Really? Then you know nothing about your wolves.
*How, in a pack, were there members who were living in poverty and members who were driving luxury cars?
Previous book in the series: Teague's Breeder
Next book in the series: Carmichael's Omega
Romance trope: rejected mate; rh
Series: Not Quite an Alpha
Length: 483 pages
Plot: Lyri has suffered a horrible trauma at the hands of her pack, and it's because her mate rejected and betrayed her. She tried to get him to choose her, but because he was in love with someone else, when he cheated on his love with Lyri, he made it seem like she was lying when she said she was his fated mate (he and his love had told everyone they were fated mates years prior - obviously lying). Lyri's mate, Daan, was the son of the alpha, so the alpha, Jax, decided to punish Lyri for being a "rankwhore" - essentially trying to climb ranks by sleeping with mated pack members. He set up a Shaming, which is where she was chained to a tree with silver chains and pack members were allowed to beat and rape her - 14 men participated. She is taken away by Thjis, Ezra, and Rhet, who are going to allow her to heal at their ranch, hoping she'll be their female. Of course, they all come to care for one another and eventually the guys find out that Lyri wasn't a rankwhore, she was rejected by her mate. And then they find out that her mate was the alphason Daan she was punished for sleeping with. They make and execute plans to kill off all the males who attacked her and essentially take over the pack.
Commentary:
Things I didn't like:
*The names. I can't even - Thjis? Daan? It's like when teenagers plan out their baby names, and they want them to be super unique. (although I thought Lyri was cute)
*Grammatical errors and typos - distracting
*There was one place where there was no real transition and it was so abrupt that I had to reread several times to figure out what was going on (when Lyri is fighting Cloe and then sees the mate of one of the rapists on the edge and goes to talk to her - I think it was supposed to be sort of poetic, stylistically, but it was just confusing.)
*Having one of her chosen males also be one of her rapists. I don't feel like that was necessary.
*It sounded like the guys were a little queasy about the Shaming, but didn't really denounce it until they fell in love with Lyri. They thought she was wrongly punished because she didn't betray anyone and only slept with her fated mate. So would it have been okay if the pack Shamed some other girl who did sleep with someone? Even if she was unattached and the male was the one in the relationship? I think the guys would eventually see the horribleness of that attitude, but they were so wrapped up in getting revenge that the right conclusion never came up.
*The cover
What worked for me:
*Working up to the story of the Shaming. I know that some people don't like being dropped into the middle of the story, but I actually preferred it in this case. You figure out early on what happened, but the details are added slowly, and so I think that made it less likely for me to give up because of the ugliness.
*Having her family still be on her side
*The pups at the ranch
*Having Lyri take over as Luna without an Alpha mate - although they kept Jax (and at first I was annoyed by that, but he's so miserable that maybe it was good for him)
*The Alpha's parents and grandmother were cool (but how could his parents have raised him so wrong? Or was it so heavily the influence of his mate?)
*Punishing those who did wrong - killing Cloe and Daan, going after all of the rapists, except, you know...
There were some things that weren't necessarily good or bad but just irritated me.
*For example, I wanted more information about Jessi. What was her deal? Why was she so weak? Why was she so attached to Cloe? Did she know Cloe and Daan weren't mates?
*And there was nobody who felt like they could say anything to Jax? No questions, no comments, nothing? If anyone suspected Daan and Lyri were mates (like Great-grandma Gloria), why didn't they say something? They could have swayed Jax. And honestly, in the end, Daan was a selfish liar, but Jax is the one who ordered a Shaming to allow people to savagely rape a teenager. All because she slept with his son (as though he was non-participatory) Why on heart would a grown man in charge of the care of a group of people (shifters) say to himself, "I hate it when girls try to seduce my son, I'll show them and make an example out of this one. I know, she should be gang-raped and left for dead."?
*And why were there so many male wolves who were so ready to be rapists? What kind of pack was Jax leading? At one point, Jax thinks "I never thought her Shaming would be that terrible. No one could have predicted it." Really? Then you know nothing about your wolves.
*How, in a pack, were there members who were living in poverty and members who were driving luxury cars?
Previous book in the series: Teague's Breeder
Next book in the series: Carmichael's Omega
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2021
I really enjoyed this book! It took us on a ride of emotions along with Lyri and the aftermath of her rejection and Shaming.
It’s a long book, and at times could be slow, but ultimately everything ties up how it’s supposed to. I liked the characters a lot. The guys were all different enough, though I do wish sometimes we got a little more from their backstory.
I almost felt bad for Daan at the end. I would’ve rathered he live in grief forever for losing his mate because of his idiocy. I really liked how it all came together though.
It’s a long book, and at times could be slow, but ultimately everything ties up how it’s supposed to. I liked the characters a lot. The guys were all different enough, though I do wish sometimes we got a little more from their backstory.
I almost felt bad for Daan at the end. I would’ve rathered he live in grief forever for losing his mate because of his idiocy. I really liked how it all came together though.
December 24, 2020
Put on rose-tinted glasses and read ...
May 9, 2021
So....I want to give this a 3 1/2. Most of my gripes are with the story and honestly the inconsistencies of the shifter world between this and Teaguez breeder. I found myself a bit confused because there were a lot of inconsistencies in the world building between this and teagues breeder.
1. Not being able to have pups if you reproduce with someone who isn’t your mate. Teague got his female pregnant very soon and was planning to use her to breed him pups. So how does breeding work if the children of unmated or not with the trumate result in miscarriage
2.having to to the mating moon to mark a non fated mate. This book focused a lot of essentially how you have to be with your mate or the severe consequences. But how was Teague able to mark his female against her will and he marked blue.
3. Daan was essentially blue from teagues breeder but was an alpha. Also the consequences of the rejection were more severe. But I didn’t like how daan was missinf most of the book. I understand that his actions lead everything that happened, but he never knew or was aware of what happened. If anything Chloe and her mom were the true puppet masters. Idk I don’t get why blue can have a happily ever after but daan must die. Again it was actually chloes calculation and manipulation. Again it’s horrible what happened to lyri, ibut that was alpha jaxs fault. Yes daan lied. But teenagers lie to save their skin, maybe in this world we are supposed to trust the words of teens lol
4. There seemed to be a build up for book 3 with lyris sister, but I guess that’s was decided against.
5. I’m confused how the others were deemed rapist and deserving to die, when it was explained that the moon, her scent, and Rhett scent causes the other wolves to act out of instinct and the culmination of everything led them to act out of character. Idk, the storyline wanted to push who were the bad people and who were deserving of our mercy. Not a huge Fan. How do you decide Rhett was the protector and the mountain wolf was just acting on instinct and everyone else is a bad person for participating in the same act. I’m confused what a shaming is, if you then ostrisize the people who participate.
Idk, just venting because I hate when books try sooo hard to push the narrative of the evil character vs the one who is the one true and pure hero. It seems so manufactured and fake. I have more rants and now really want to downgrade this book to a 2 1/2
1. Not being able to have pups if you reproduce with someone who isn’t your mate. Teague got his female pregnant very soon and was planning to use her to breed him pups. So how does breeding work if the children of unmated or not with the trumate result in miscarriage
2.having to to the mating moon to mark a non fated mate. This book focused a lot of essentially how you have to be with your mate or the severe consequences. But how was Teague able to mark his female against her will and he marked blue.
3. Daan was essentially blue from teagues breeder but was an alpha. Also the consequences of the rejection were more severe. But I didn’t like how daan was missinf most of the book. I understand that his actions lead everything that happened, but he never knew or was aware of what happened. If anything Chloe and her mom were the true puppet masters. Idk I don’t get why blue can have a happily ever after but daan must die. Again it was actually chloes calculation and manipulation. Again it’s horrible what happened to lyri, ibut that was alpha jaxs fault. Yes daan lied. But teenagers lie to save their skin, maybe in this world we are supposed to trust the words of teens lol
4. There seemed to be a build up for book 3 with lyris sister, but I guess that’s was decided against.
5. I’m confused how the others were deemed rapist and deserving to die, when it was explained that the moon, her scent, and Rhett scent causes the other wolves to act out of instinct and the culmination of everything led them to act out of character. Idk, the storyline wanted to push who were the bad people and who were deserving of our mercy. Not a huge Fan. How do you decide Rhett was the protector and the mountain wolf was just acting on instinct and everyone else is a bad person for participating in the same act. I’m confused what a shaming is, if you then ostrisize the people who participate.
Idk, just venting because I hate when books try sooo hard to push the narrative of the evil character vs the one who is the one true and pure hero. It seems so manufactured and fake. I have more rants and now really want to downgrade this book to a 2 1/2
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2025
Read February 2021
2.5 stars
Warning: There is excessive violence and swearing.
🤷♀️ I have no idea why L.P. picked that book cover. This isn't a BDSM book with a dominant guy in leather. Also, it gives a false impression that it's a hot & sexy read. For a reverse harem with three male shifters, it should be. It's laughable that the word "erotic" is used in the blurb. 😆
The short sex scenes are low to medium steam, with minimal details and some fade-to-black moments. Don't read this for the sexy times, as you'll likely be very disappointed.
😰 This is not a feel-good story. The h is horribly mistreated. She's gang-raped, nearly dies, and requires months to heal from her horrific injuries.
Most shifters are one or more of the following: mateless, rejected mates, rapists, weak and selfish.
🫣 I found myself skimming through the many violent scenes. The story felt dark and oppressive, making it hard to read. It needed more positive moments to balance out all the negativity.
I liked the MMCs: Rhet, Thjis, and Ezra. Unfortunately, their voices weren't distinct enough, so I often got confused about whose POV I was reading. Besides their backstories, I didn't really get to know them.
While interesting at times, I felt a sense of relief when I finished. This will never be reread. I now have to read something cheerful to lift my spirits.
382 F's
2.5 stars
Warning: There is excessive violence and swearing.
🤷♀️ I have no idea why L.P. picked that book cover. This isn't a BDSM book with a dominant guy in leather. Also, it gives a false impression that it's a hot & sexy read. For a reverse harem with three male shifters, it should be. It's laughable that the word "erotic" is used in the blurb. 😆
The short sex scenes are low to medium steam, with minimal details and some fade-to-black moments. Don't read this for the sexy times, as you'll likely be very disappointed.
😰 This is not a feel-good story. The h is horribly mistreated. She's gang-raped, nearly dies, and requires months to heal from her horrific injuries.
Most shifters are one or more of the following: mateless, rejected mates, rapists, weak and selfish.
🫣 I found myself skimming through the many violent scenes. The story felt dark and oppressive, making it hard to read. It needed more positive moments to balance out all the negativity.
I liked the MMCs: Rhet, Thjis, and Ezra. Unfortunately, their voices weren't distinct enough, so I often got confused about whose POV I was reading. Besides their backstories, I didn't really get to know them.
While interesting at times, I felt a sense of relief when I finished. This will never be reread. I now have to read something cheerful to lift my spirits.
382 F's
December 18, 2020
She has a true mate who lies to their pack and tells other shewolf is his mate. Heroine and her truemate have sex one time, they are discovered and heroine is punished by seducing the alphason (who was actually her mate). Her truemate father alpha is the one who orders the punishment. His say is law. Heroine is chained to the ground under the mating moon and is gangraped by grazed men (12 different guys) whole night repeatetly. Book starts the next morning after the rape, when 3 heros take heroine in and try to heal her horrific injuries (she will have some permanent ones also). One of the heros was first to rape her, because otherwise he knew they had no claim over her and could not bring her home in the morning. He was a virgin and good not look in the mirror for weeks etc. Heroine is never mad at him, tells she remembers he was kind (that others were cruel) and thankd him for saving her life. Other 2 males were there, but did not have sex that night. They tried to protect her, so she did not get killed by feral wolves. Most of the book is about her healing, aftermath of the gangrape in the pack (fathers send their young daughters away, some rapists had claimed truemates etc) and how truth comes out about the alphason.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 3, 2022
I need to put in a disclaimer: this book is triggering. The rape and what this girl has gone through is shocking. Very upsetting. Be warned.
It is also disturbing that the wolves who put her back together after the rape (a backstory, we don't have to read it, thank goodness) touch her and claim her as a mate before she is even able to walk. There is no way she would be ready for that. I didn't like it. Why couldn't they help her without needing sex in return? Help her because what she had been through was horrible? A relationship could have developed slowly, naturally. It makes it hard to like the men. The men she is with were also there the night of her rape. They watched/paticipated. She knows they were there. I can't understand that. How can she associate with them? This book brings out my feminism. The difference in the genders is sharp and not right.
The book does get better later on, which is why it still got a 3 star review.
It is also disturbing that the wolves who put her back together after the rape (a backstory, we don't have to read it, thank goodness) touch her and claim her as a mate before she is even able to walk. There is no way she would be ready for that. I didn't like it. Why couldn't they help her without needing sex in return? Help her because what she had been through was horrible? A relationship could have developed slowly, naturally. It makes it hard to like the men. The men she is with were also there the night of her rape. They watched/paticipated. She knows they were there. I can't understand that. How can she associate with them? This book brings out my feminism. The difference in the genders is sharp and not right.
The book does get better later on, which is why it still got a 3 star review.
September 13, 2021
I can't believe this book actually received a rating of more than 4 stars. At first I was so excited after all the rave reviews. Shd have taken those who gave 1 star ratings seriously. I don't even know where to begin. There are so many books out there who are so much better than this. I would recommend The Phoenix Pack series. May not be a rejected series books but trumps this one anytime of the day. There are so much telling in this book. In the book, the guys described Lyri as funny, smart, witty etc..erm hello? Which part in the book actually showed she is all those? None. There's no witty comebacks, humour or intelligent conversations to showcase the heroine is all that. I skimmed read and finally gave up and went to the last chapter. I just wanna know how it all ended.
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