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The White Woods
One year ago, Kasen Gray killed the wolf and thought he was finally free.
But since then, he hasn't felt truly alone.
The woods where it all took place have been calling out to him. Each night, he goes into the woods and he listens. He isn't sure what he's listening for. The wolf is dead. But when his search for the calling in the woods involves his girlfriend Juniper, they both discover that isn't the truth. The wolf never truly left, and now it's back.
Kasen needs answers. He'll always be afraid of the demon that has haunted him since he was a child, but his curiosity overpowers that fear as he gets closer and closer to the answers he's been searching for. Killing this thing didn't work the first time, and Kasen is more desperate than ever to protect the people he loves, especially when he discovers that he isn't the only one suffering from the trauma of last year's events.
Following the calling from the woods and doing his best to protect Juniper from the new horror that's awakening, Kasen won't stop until he finds the reason why the wolf showed itself to him in the first place and the reason it came back.
Something has changed with the wolf. Something is stirring in the woods. And this time, Kasen can't keep himself away from it.
But since then, he hasn't felt truly alone.
The woods where it all took place have been calling out to him. Each night, he goes into the woods and he listens. He isn't sure what he's listening for. The wolf is dead. But when his search for the calling in the woods involves his girlfriend Juniper, they both discover that isn't the truth. The wolf never truly left, and now it's back.
Kasen needs answers. He'll always be afraid of the demon that has haunted him since he was a child, but his curiosity overpowers that fear as he gets closer and closer to the answers he's been searching for. Killing this thing didn't work the first time, and Kasen is more desperate than ever to protect the people he loves, especially when he discovers that he isn't the only one suffering from the trauma of last year's events.
Following the calling from the woods and doing his best to protect Juniper from the new horror that's awakening, Kasen won't stop until he finds the reason why the wolf showed itself to him in the first place and the reason it came back.
Something has changed with the wolf. Something is stirring in the woods. And this time, Kasen can't keep himself away from it.
467 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 27, 2021
1 person is currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
Brooke Elizabeth
7 books9 followersBrooke Elizabeth is the author of KEEP ME SANE and WHEN THE SKY FALLS. She lives in the state of Ohio, where she was born and raised. She has been fascinated with writing short stories all her life but started writing novels when she was thirteen. After several years of writing as a hobby, she discovered that she wanted to pursue a career in writing and become a story-teller. When not writing, she spends her time sipping hot drinks, watching far too much anime, and wishing she could live in all the fictional worlds she's read about and created.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 21, 2021
*Disclaimer: A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*
Rating: 3.5 stars
I received so much closure from the first book in this duology, The Black Wolf, that I didn't think it would need a sequel... that's until I read the sequel and realized that this was a very different kind of closure. The Black Wolf came to a comfortable close, but there were still so many questions left to think about. The White Woods however, had such a complete and peaceful end that I didn't worry about where Kasen and Juniper would be in 5 years because I was happy with their story.
Much like with the first book, I didn't really read the synopsis- I just dove right in.
The White Woods continues the story of Kasen Gray, who was haunted by a Wolf only he could see. After battling the Wolf in the woods the previous year, Kasen thought he finally escaped the hold it had on his life... but it turns out it wasn’t that easy. Kasen soon finds the Wolf has returned, but this time it seems to have a new agenda. This time, the Wolf has shown particular interest in his girlfriend, Juniper, which only amplifies his fears. In hopes to finally get rid of the Wolf for good this time, Kasen sets off on a journey of self discovery and learns to face his past in hopes of giving himself a future without the Wolf in his life. A future where he can keep everyone he loves safe and where he can be with June without worrying about putting her life at risk.
If you read my previous review, you may know that I have mentally casted Kasen as Stiles Stilinski from Teen Wolf. And I still stand by that 100%. In The Black Wolf I said he was definetely void Stiles, but in the White Woods I see him more as the confident/happier Stiles who just wanted to keep his friends and family safe. He’s still stressing 24/7 about every single thing out of the ordinary, but he doesn’t look like he’s about to collapse any second which is a major improvement.
I'll be completely honest, I started this book and then fell into a bit of a reading slump (unrelated to this book). I had to take a little siesta to regroup and get back in my groove. After I did, I knocked this book out in just a few days. I will say that this book is a bit slower in the beginning, mostly because there is a lot of build-up/re-cap going on. Once you get about a third of the way into the book it picks up quite a bit (more specifically- once you get to the road trip the plot moves quickly).
Like the last book, this is a dual perspective story. Some chapters are in Kasen’s POV and others are in June’s POV. I still favored Kasen's POV over June’s, but this time around i did have a little bit of a harder time getting through June’s chapters because she didn’t really have her own problems to confront. In The Black Wolf you see her struggle with the loss of her parents, her dynamic at home in contrast to a life with parents, her secret feelings for Kasen, her watching Kasen deteriorate, her interpreting things she can't see, etc. But, in this story she absorbs Kasen’s conflict as her own... which would be totally cool if she had some of her own battles to juggle, but without that there really wasn’t much value to her POV in comparison to Kasen’s. I still enjoyed her perspective on things, but it didn't move the story forward like Kasen's POV did. The only chapter in June’s POV that had me on the edge of my seat was when she was at work (keeping this review spoiler-free so I’ll leave it at that).
One of my favorite things about this book was Kasen’s dads redemption cycle. Yup you heard me right- he is a changed man!
You see Martin go from this alcoholic dead-beat dad, to a shoulder to cry on and I absolutely loved that for him (and Kasen of course). You see the relationship Martin has with Kasen truly transform and even see the beginnings of a healthy relationship with June too.
Speaking of relationships... in the last book I mentioned this awkwardness between Kasen and June after they transitioned into a romantic relationship (it was hard to see them as more than friends who kiss now). But boy oh boy... take that relationship and crank it up by 100, because that is not the case in this book.
Kasen and June are such sweet couple. I also appreciated that their relationship involves an intimacy beyond physical touch, which makes you feel the love while you're reading. Don’t get me wrong though... you definitely get a lot more of that physical intimacy in this book too (PG of course). All I’m going to say is... ✨ shower scene ✨
As for Kasen and June independently; Kasen has a full on “coming of age” journey where he finds himself, gets closure on his past, and strides confidently towards the future. As for June... she developed this very complex personality in this book. Dont get me wrong, Kasen and June together is just *chefs kiss*. But, June herself frustrated me at times. June has always been very strong and confident (which I love). You often see her being Kasen's rock and guiding him through every challenge he faces. However, this personality trait started coming off as 'maternal' at times, which made it seem like 'her way' was the only 'right way' and you didn't get to see Kasen make many of his own decisions. I couldn’t help but actively roll my eyes at her every time she grabbed Kasen’s face between her hands to tell him what he should/shouldn’t do. Which leads to her character flaw of being extremely hypocritical when it comes Kasen. She would make him promise to do (or not do) something, and then turn around and do that same exact thing.
I would’ve loved to see June develop a bit more towards the end of the story. Specifically, I would have liked to see her learn to actually make decisions with Kasen rather than for him. Regardless, I do love her for Kasen and imagine she would break through these character flaws had the Wolf not been a major stressor.
Other than that, i loved the plot twists this story contained. You really break open a vault of information and get so many questions answered. You also get great descriptive writing which helps you visualize the story so vividly. In the last book I’d have to make notes of eye colors or any descriptive traits I could while I read, but this time around I got plenty of reminders that helped this story come to life.
I would recommend this book to others! You get so much more content in this story and really get to experience a satisying end to such a unique story. Brooke is a very talented author and I see so much potential for her future works. I'd gladly read her future books!
For a better understanding, here is how I rate my books:
★★★★★- I loved the book, would re-read it several times and/or the story holds a special place in my heart. I try to reserve 5 stars for books that impacted me in some way.
★★★★- I really liked the book and I would re-read portions of it from time to time.
★★★- I liked the book, I would likely not re-read it, and there was some aspect of the book that I personally didn’t love.
★★- I thought the book was okay, I would not re-read it, and it was hard for me to finish.
★- I did not like the book, I would not re-read it, and I had major issues with the story.
Rating: 3.5 stars
I received so much closure from the first book in this duology, The Black Wolf, that I didn't think it would need a sequel... that's until I read the sequel and realized that this was a very different kind of closure. The Black Wolf came to a comfortable close, but there were still so many questions left to think about. The White Woods however, had such a complete and peaceful end that I didn't worry about where Kasen and Juniper would be in 5 years because I was happy with their story.
Much like with the first book, I didn't really read the synopsis- I just dove right in.
The White Woods continues the story of Kasen Gray, who was haunted by a Wolf only he could see. After battling the Wolf in the woods the previous year, Kasen thought he finally escaped the hold it had on his life... but it turns out it wasn’t that easy. Kasen soon finds the Wolf has returned, but this time it seems to have a new agenda. This time, the Wolf has shown particular interest in his girlfriend, Juniper, which only amplifies his fears. In hopes to finally get rid of the Wolf for good this time, Kasen sets off on a journey of self discovery and learns to face his past in hopes of giving himself a future without the Wolf in his life. A future where he can keep everyone he loves safe and where he can be with June without worrying about putting her life at risk.
If you read my previous review, you may know that I have mentally casted Kasen as Stiles Stilinski from Teen Wolf. And I still stand by that 100%. In The Black Wolf I said he was definetely void Stiles, but in the White Woods I see him more as the confident/happier Stiles who just wanted to keep his friends and family safe. He’s still stressing 24/7 about every single thing out of the ordinary, but he doesn’t look like he’s about to collapse any second which is a major improvement.
I'll be completely honest, I started this book and then fell into a bit of a reading slump (unrelated to this book). I had to take a little siesta to regroup and get back in my groove. After I did, I knocked this book out in just a few days. I will say that this book is a bit slower in the beginning, mostly because there is a lot of build-up/re-cap going on. Once you get about a third of the way into the book it picks up quite a bit (more specifically- once you get to the road trip the plot moves quickly).
Like the last book, this is a dual perspective story. Some chapters are in Kasen’s POV and others are in June’s POV. I still favored Kasen's POV over June’s, but this time around i did have a little bit of a harder time getting through June’s chapters because she didn’t really have her own problems to confront. In The Black Wolf you see her struggle with the loss of her parents, her dynamic at home in contrast to a life with parents, her secret feelings for Kasen, her watching Kasen deteriorate, her interpreting things she can't see, etc. But, in this story she absorbs Kasen’s conflict as her own... which would be totally cool if she had some of her own battles to juggle, but without that there really wasn’t much value to her POV in comparison to Kasen’s. I still enjoyed her perspective on things, but it didn't move the story forward like Kasen's POV did. The only chapter in June’s POV that had me on the edge of my seat was when she was at work (keeping this review spoiler-free so I’ll leave it at that).
One of my favorite things about this book was Kasen’s dads redemption cycle. Yup you heard me right- he is a changed man!
You see Martin go from this alcoholic dead-beat dad, to a shoulder to cry on and I absolutely loved that for him (and Kasen of course). You see the relationship Martin has with Kasen truly transform and even see the beginnings of a healthy relationship with June too.
Speaking of relationships... in the last book I mentioned this awkwardness between Kasen and June after they transitioned into a romantic relationship (it was hard to see them as more than friends who kiss now). But boy oh boy... take that relationship and crank it up by 100, because that is not the case in this book.
Kasen and June are such sweet couple. I also appreciated that their relationship involves an intimacy beyond physical touch, which makes you feel the love while you're reading. Don’t get me wrong though... you definitely get a lot more of that physical intimacy in this book too (PG of course). All I’m going to say is... ✨ shower scene ✨
As for Kasen and June independently; Kasen has a full on “coming of age” journey where he finds himself, gets closure on his past, and strides confidently towards the future. As for June... she developed this very complex personality in this book. Dont get me wrong, Kasen and June together is just *chefs kiss*. But, June herself frustrated me at times. June has always been very strong and confident (which I love). You often see her being Kasen's rock and guiding him through every challenge he faces. However, this personality trait started coming off as 'maternal' at times, which made it seem like 'her way' was the only 'right way' and you didn't get to see Kasen make many of his own decisions. I couldn’t help but actively roll my eyes at her every time she grabbed Kasen’s face between her hands to tell him what he should/shouldn’t do. Which leads to her character flaw of being extremely hypocritical when it comes Kasen. She would make him promise to do (or not do) something, and then turn around and do that same exact thing.
I would’ve loved to see June develop a bit more towards the end of the story. Specifically, I would have liked to see her learn to actually make decisions with Kasen rather than for him. Regardless, I do love her for Kasen and imagine she would break through these character flaws had the Wolf not been a major stressor.
Other than that, i loved the plot twists this story contained. You really break open a vault of information and get so many questions answered. You also get great descriptive writing which helps you visualize the story so vividly. In the last book I’d have to make notes of eye colors or any descriptive traits I could while I read, but this time around I got plenty of reminders that helped this story come to life.
I would recommend this book to others! You get so much more content in this story and really get to experience a satisying end to such a unique story. Brooke is a very talented author and I see so much potential for her future works. I'd gladly read her future books!
For a better understanding, here is how I rate my books:
★★★★★- I loved the book, would re-read it several times and/or the story holds a special place in my heart. I try to reserve 5 stars for books that impacted me in some way.
★★★★- I really liked the book and I would re-read portions of it from time to time.
★★★- I liked the book, I would likely not re-read it, and there was some aspect of the book that I personally didn’t love.
★★- I thought the book was okay, I would not re-read it, and it was hard for me to finish.
★- I did not like the book, I would not re-read it, and I had major issues with the story.
May 5, 2021
When first starting this book, I couldn’t imagine what to expect from it. The first book, The Black Wolf, seemed to end with the overall issues being resolved. I continued to read and as I started to get into the book, I realized that many of the questions I had in the first book were voiced by the characters themselves in this book. It was at that moment that I realized, I needed to read as quickly as possible for us all to get answers.
I was completely blown away by everything that Kasen and June uncovered once they started digging through the research. I also enjoyed learning more about Kasen’s mom but I hated the fact that she could’ve helped Kasen if only she, and even Martin, had been honest with him.
I am truly glad that I found this author. She had me on the edge of my seat once again as I read. My emotions ranged from anger and understanding towards Martin and Emma to sadness, fear, anxiety, and joy for Kasen and June. I look forward to reading more from her.
Voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of the author, Brooke Elizabeth.
I was completely blown away by everything that Kasen and June uncovered once they started digging through the research. I also enjoyed learning more about Kasen’s mom but I hated the fact that she could’ve helped Kasen if only she, and even Martin, had been honest with him.
I am truly glad that I found this author. She had me on the edge of my seat once again as I read. My emotions ranged from anger and understanding towards Martin and Emma to sadness, fear, anxiety, and joy for Kasen and June. I look forward to reading more from her.
Voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of the author, Brooke Elizabeth.
March 6, 2021
I must say I enjoyed the first book more than this one. The Black Wolf was one of most pleasant surprises of the year for me. The sequel was still satisfying even though it felt a little slow at times. I did like how everything turned out and I really liked the ending. The story itself is very original and I think Kassen and Juniper are one of the sweetest couples I have ever read about.
April 6, 2021
I loved coming back to this series for another little journey.
I did enjoy the first book more as it had more suspense and mystery whereas this book I felt was a bit more predictable. I predicted the ending very early on so it didn't come as any surprise. I didn't get as invested in the emotion of this book compared to the first, it just didn't draw me into the storyline as much.
With that being said, I did enjoy the connection that June and Kasen have and it's awesome to read books where the love and loyalty is so strong. The changing perspectives continue to give you a full picture of what's going on and I enjoyed reading this book.
I did enjoy the first book more as it had more suspense and mystery whereas this book I felt was a bit more predictable. I predicted the ending very early on so it didn't come as any surprise. I didn't get as invested in the emotion of this book compared to the first, it just didn't draw me into the storyline as much.
With that being said, I did enjoy the connection that June and Kasen have and it's awesome to read books where the love and loyalty is so strong. The changing perspectives continue to give you a full picture of what's going on and I enjoyed reading this book.
May 7, 2021
The first book of this duology, The Black Wolf, really surprised me, and when it ended, it felt as if it could have been the end, but also I really hoped it wasnt. I was so excited to see the White Woods come out. This book continues about a year after the events in the first book. In the Black Wolf, we learn of a wolf that haunts Kasen, that no one else can see. He always feared it was going to hurt him or kill him one day, but that fear changed when he realized it could actually hurt the girl he loves, June. At the end of the first book, they think that Kasen managed to kill the wolf. But ever since then, he's felt a tugging toward the woods where it all went down. June tries to help him through this, but now, for the first time, June is actually able to see the wolf too.
There are a lot of reveals throughout the book, characters who knew more than they let on, and a history with the wolf that goes back way before Kasen. June and Kasen each fight to protect each other, until they finally decide they need each other to see this thing through.
Once again, I found myself surprised by this book, it was mysterious, intriguing, and suspenseful, with true love shining through the whole way. There were actual moments where I gasped, and I really didn't expect the ending. I won't give it away because you need to just experience it, but it was really well done, and actually quite lovely.
This book does slow down a little in the middle, but I also think there is purpose to this, it was sort of the calm before the storm, the false security that maybe things are ok, but you also know that they aren't. But the last third of the book I had a hard time putting this book down. So, keep going, it is soooo worth it. I love June's devotion to Kasen, even when he feels like he needs to leave to protect her, she doesn't let him give up so easily.
CW/TW- a slight warning for mental health issues, as well as for self-harm- these are handled really well, and not done in the way you might think.
There are a lot of reveals throughout the book, characters who knew more than they let on, and a history with the wolf that goes back way before Kasen. June and Kasen each fight to protect each other, until they finally decide they need each other to see this thing through.
Once again, I found myself surprised by this book, it was mysterious, intriguing, and suspenseful, with true love shining through the whole way. There were actual moments where I gasped, and I really didn't expect the ending. I won't give it away because you need to just experience it, but it was really well done, and actually quite lovely.
This book does slow down a little in the middle, but I also think there is purpose to this, it was sort of the calm before the storm, the false security that maybe things are ok, but you also know that they aren't. But the last third of the book I had a hard time putting this book down. So, keep going, it is soooo worth it. I love June's devotion to Kasen, even when he feels like he needs to leave to protect her, she doesn't let him give up so easily.
CW/TW- a slight warning for mental health issues, as well as for self-harm- these are handled really well, and not done in the way you might think.
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