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Moon Cursed #1
Wolf Marked
They tried to break me. Now I’m going to break them.
Cursed to never shift, the only thing I was looking forward to about the First Moon Ceremony was that the magic sealing me into Wolf Creek would break, and I could finally leave.
Instead, the ceremony reveals my true mate: Tyler Grant, future leader of my pack and the man responsible for my most recent concussion and black eye. He’s as brutal as he is handsome and fate is a bitch to put us together.
There’s a rumor that a mating bond could break my curse and just as I’m getting my hopes up, Tyler destroys them all.
Instead of bonding with my mate, I’m beaten and left for dead.
A hot-as-sin feral shifter finds me and helps me back on my feet. But his help comes with a cost and I’m not sure I’m willing to pay the price.
With my former pack hunting me down, even an enemy might be a better ally than trying to stay alive on my own.
This is book one in steamy rejected mate series. This is not a reverse harem series. 17+ for steam, language, and darker themes.
Cursed to never shift, the only thing I was looking forward to about the First Moon Ceremony was that the magic sealing me into Wolf Creek would break, and I could finally leave.
Instead, the ceremony reveals my true mate: Tyler Grant, future leader of my pack and the man responsible for my most recent concussion and black eye. He’s as brutal as he is handsome and fate is a bitch to put us together.
There’s a rumor that a mating bond could break my curse and just as I’m getting my hopes up, Tyler destroys them all.
Instead of bonding with my mate, I’m beaten and left for dead.
A hot-as-sin feral shifter finds me and helps me back on my feet. But his help comes with a cost and I’m not sure I’m willing to pay the price.
With my former pack hunting me down, even an enemy might be a better ally than trying to stay alive on my own.
This is book one in steamy rejected mate series. This is not a reverse harem series. 17+ for steam, language, and darker themes.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 7, 2021
922 people are currently reading
1424 people want to read
About the author
Alexis Calder
31 books1,024 followersAlexis Calder writes sassy heroines and sexy heroes with a sprinkle of sarcasm. She lives in the Rockies and drinks far too much coffee and just the right amount of wine.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 179 reviews
April 8, 2023
This is kinda like trashy shifter drama..
Totally not my style of shifter romances - I like when they have big lodges and successful companies and everyone is clean and showered. 😩😩
Call me bourgeoisie …. I just don’t like anything about this one.
Totally not my style of shifter romances - I like when they have big lodges and successful companies and everyone is clean and showered. 😩😩
Call me bourgeoisie …. I just don’t like anything about this one.
September 2, 2021
want to give this a 4 but Lola is too weak at this point.
World build:
Feels as though it is not complete. There are some missing layers. This is a huge struggle for me but I do prefer a solid foundation for book 1 of a series.
Storyline:
This is what had me download the book. Intriguing storyline which I found to be a little less action packed than I anticipated.
FMC:
Lola is annoying in the sense she is an "alpha" but is the weakest....constantly getting her ass kicked "alpha" I have ever read. Yes I am annoyed. Choosing to give this character the benefit of the doubt considering her backstory and present trials I did not drop the rating lower than a 3.
MC:
Alec is just an ass at this point. A selfish inconsiderate ass. I find him barely attractive. Do not get me started on Tyler the fated mate....he should have his kibbles and bits cut off and forced to wear it around his neck for the rest of his sorry life.......*deep breath*
Shockingly after all that I have said I have chosen to move on to book two in hopes some of my issues are rectified.
Happy reading,
DD💕
World build:
Feels as though it is not complete. There are some missing layers. This is a huge struggle for me but I do prefer a solid foundation for book 1 of a series.
Storyline:
This is what had me download the book. Intriguing storyline which I found to be a little less action packed than I anticipated.
FMC:
Lola is annoying in the sense she is an "alpha" but is the weakest....constantly getting her ass kicked "alpha" I have ever read. Yes I am annoyed. Choosing to give this character the benefit of the doubt considering her backstory and present trials I did not drop the rating lower than a 3.
MC:
Alec is just an ass at this point. A selfish inconsiderate ass. I find him barely attractive. Do not get me started on Tyler the fated mate....he should have his kibbles and bits cut off and forced to wear it around his neck for the rest of his sorry life.......*deep breath*
Shockingly after all that I have said I have chosen to move on to book two in hopes some of my issues are rectified.
Happy reading,
DD💕
July 24, 2021
I've been following Alexis Calder from the beginning of her writing career. Apart from a few contemporary novels I've read and reviewed them all. Some were more my thing than others, but I certainly read each of them with loads of pleasure. So, when BookSprout and Facebook tell me that there is a new arc for a Calder book available I only check if it's contemporary or paranormal and when it's the latter I blindly go for it.
I had no idea what was waiting for me in this book, but I was very pleasantly surprised. One warning though: This book is quite dark. It has a few very heavy and sickening scenes and quite a few triggers you should be aware of. The beginning of the book is quite rough, especially because it's quite unclear where the story is going and what the eventual outcome of the story is gonna be. However, the writing is incredibly intense and therefore very addictive!
And Calder actually keeps this up for the entire story. There is so much going on, the emotions are written so incredibly well and it's almost impossible to stop reading. On top of that it's hard to know who to trust and what information is reliable. At the end of the book it's still not entirely clear what's exactly going on and who's gonna be the villain and who's gonna be the hero. It's part of the fun and partly why I'm really looking forward to the next book.
The other reason I loved this book and am looking forward to the next book is our heroine, Lola. Lola is a complicated, interesting and layered character. In ways she has much to learn and is very much a victim of the circumstances, but she's also amazingly strong, especially mentally, and when she knows what she wants she goes for it. And even though she makes mistakes or does the wrong things sometimes it's easy to like her, to understand her and to root for her.
I had no idea what was waiting for me in this book, but I was very pleasantly surprised. One warning though: This book is quite dark. It has a few very heavy and sickening scenes and quite a few triggers you should be aware of. The beginning of the book is quite rough, especially because it's quite unclear where the story is going and what the eventual outcome of the story is gonna be. However, the writing is incredibly intense and therefore very addictive!
And Calder actually keeps this up for the entire story. There is so much going on, the emotions are written so incredibly well and it's almost impossible to stop reading. On top of that it's hard to know who to trust and what information is reliable. At the end of the book it's still not entirely clear what's exactly going on and who's gonna be the villain and who's gonna be the hero. It's part of the fun and partly why I'm really looking forward to the next book.
The other reason I loved this book and am looking forward to the next book is our heroine, Lola. Lola is a complicated, interesting and layered character. In ways she has much to learn and is very much a victim of the circumstances, but she's also amazingly strong, especially mentally, and when she knows what she wants she goes for it. And even though she makes mistakes or does the wrong things sometimes it's easy to like her, to understand her and to root for her.
July 29, 2021
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When I started reading “Wolf Marked,” I had no idea how dark the story would be. I found the story much better than my expectations and hence a promising start to the series.
What caught my eye about the story is Lola and how the author captured her personality. Lola goes through quite a lot in the story in terms of emotional and physical abuse. There are quite a few trigger warnings of abuse that you should consider when reading the story. My heart went out to Lola for the trauma she endured. Yet, I loved her strength to move on and put things behind her. For me, the highlight of the story was how she tries to escape from Tyler and Julian. Tyler is one of those characters who you despise throughout the plot for how he treats Lola. On a side note, I also enjoyed how she deals with her mother.
The author also writes the supporting characters well, like Malcom, Alec, and Sheila. Moreover, I enjoyed the chemistry between Alec and Lola and their scenes in the cave. The author also spices up the story when they get intimate with each other. Similarly, the author also does a creative job with the world-building, learning about feral shifters, true mates, and First Moon Ceremony. As someone who was not familiar with these terms, it was interesting to see how the author described them. The story also ends in a cliffhanger that made me excited for its continuation.
Overall, “Wolf Marked: Moon Cursed” is a fast and exciting start to the series, and I would come back for book two to see how it continues.
February 18, 2023
Read this in a day, easy reading a little self loathing a bit of a pity party but honestly I’m totally fine with that at the right time.
I did find for someone who supposedly doesn’t trust a soul she did trust easily, the main character is weak in this book and the romance was far fetched, they had barely spent any time together so I spent a large part of the book being confused and annoyed at a very naïve main character but the ending made it worth while.
Nice twists and turns the perfect rejection tale for lovers of this trope
World is quite 2D needs or could have a lot more to it.
Magic/lore is a little thin on the ground too although I find the wolf side of the shifters much less creepy that most shifter stories, more like a whole person than two separate personas at this point.
3.5 really for me I’d love to give it a 4 but there is too much to resolve for me but il definitely continue on as this is a cliffhanger of an ending.
I did find for someone who supposedly doesn’t trust a soul she did trust easily, the main character is weak in this book and the romance was far fetched, they had barely spent any time together so I spent a large part of the book being confused and annoyed at a very naïve main character but the ending made it worth while.
Nice twists and turns the perfect rejection tale for lovers of this trope
World is quite 2D needs or could have a lot more to it.
Magic/lore is a little thin on the ground too although I find the wolf side of the shifters much less creepy that most shifter stories, more like a whole person than two separate personas at this point.
3.5 really for me I’d love to give it a 4 but there is too much to resolve for me but il definitely continue on as this is a cliffhanger of an ending.
August 15, 2021
Wolf Marked: Moon Cursed
By Alexis Calder
Lola's family was cursed and since then no family member has been able to shift. The Alpha's son, Tyler, and his best friends have physically beaten and emotionally abused her since she was a young teenager. The night Lola plans to leave the pack Tyler arrives demanding she attend the full moon ceremony. When it's clear she still can't shift Tyler and his friends take her away with the intention of killing her. Unbeknownst to Tyler Lola survives and is taken in by a pack of feral wolves, but all is not what it seems with her new friends.
I truly liked Lola. I liked her inner strength and her desire to stand up for herself against Tyler even when she knew it would end in her death. I also liked how she stood up to her mother. Her mother was apathetic and clearly cared nothing for her daughter's well-being.
The story ended on a cliffhanger and other than Sheila it left you wondering just who of her new friends are the good guys and the bad guys. And while I did read the blurb for the second book that has yet to come out it gave nothing away to hint at what is to come regarding those friends. Which was a real bummer, but at the same time made me all the more eager to read it.
Over the last few months I've read a lot of books with this storyline... basically a girl abused by her alpha heir mate and others in the pack, etc etc. However this book was far superior to most of those others in the way it was written. The abuse wasn't constant in the moment written solely for shock value over and over as it was in most of the other books. It was written as part of Lola's story of her life growing up. While the in the moment scenes were violent there were only 2 that I recall and that actually impacted me more than when it happens over and over in a book because they were there to make a point. Not just to be fillers to make the reader feel sorry for the fmc.
This book is solely in Lola's POV. While there are serious triggers in this book, I felt the overall angst level was about medium.
Triggers:
By Alexis Calder
Lola's family was cursed and since then no family member has been able to shift. The Alpha's son, Tyler, and his best friends have physically beaten and emotionally abused her since she was a young teenager. The night Lola plans to leave the pack Tyler arrives demanding she attend the full moon ceremony. When it's clear she still can't shift Tyler and his friends take her away with the intention of killing her. Unbeknownst to Tyler Lola survives and is taken in by a pack of feral wolves, but all is not what it seems with her new friends.
I truly liked Lola. I liked her inner strength and her desire to stand up for herself against Tyler even when she knew it would end in her death. I also liked how she stood up to her mother. Her mother was apathetic and clearly cared nothing for her daughter's well-being.
The story ended on a cliffhanger and other than Sheila it left you wondering just who of her new friends are the good guys and the bad guys. And while I did read the blurb for the second book that has yet to come out it gave nothing away to hint at what is to come regarding those friends. Which was a real bummer, but at the same time made me all the more eager to read it.
Over the last few months I've read a lot of books with this storyline... basically a girl abused by her alpha heir mate and others in the pack, etc etc. However this book was far superior to most of those others in the way it was written. The abuse wasn't constant in the moment written solely for shock value over and over as it was in most of the other books. It was written as part of Lola's story of her life growing up. While the in the moment scenes were violent there were only 2 that I recall and that actually impacted me more than when it happens over and over in a book because they were there to make a point. Not just to be fillers to make the reader feel sorry for the fmc.
This book is solely in Lola's POV. While there are serious triggers in this book, I felt the overall angst level was about medium.
Triggers:
August 9, 2021
Okay, I usually am very picky with which Urban Fantasy novels I pick up. Just because in my experience they tend to be the same and they add nothing new to the table and so I went into Wolf Marked a little bit pessimistic, even if I try my best to keep an open mind.
I arrived at the 10% mark and I would be lying if I didn’t say… I was already loooooving IT…
And I wrote the start of this review too early…
I was hoping to end up giving it more stars, but by the end I’m afraid it can’t give it more than one based on my own rating system.
There wasn’t much of a story to it. She gets kicked out of her pack and then finds another pack…
That’s basically it. At too many points within it it felt like there wasn’t enough story and it was grasping at straws to keep moving forward and either kept repeating the same information over-and-over again or added irrelevant details that honestly did not connect with what was happening or being spoken about.
For example: she feels guilty about putting her new pack at risk from her old one and this gets repeated again only a few paragraphs after each other at one point.
I also don’t have a clue what anyone looks like, everyone just gets a name and then gets actions.
But that’s the problem with this story as a whole. Everything feels like it’s all just glazed over. In the tone of ‘she did this, and then she did this, and then she did this’ with no juicy details or descriptions on any of it as if it’s racing to the finishing point but by that point it’s over and absolutely nothing happened.
Also I hate hate hate when a book ends with no resolution or no big climax. NOTHIING happened by the end and when the last chapter ended it just didn’t feel like the end and I was surprised when there wasn’t a chapter after it. It just ends with nothing happening.
I arrived at the 10% mark and I would be lying if I didn’t say… I was already loooooving IT…
And I wrote the start of this review too early…
I was hoping to end up giving it more stars, but by the end I’m afraid it can’t give it more than one based on my own rating system.
There wasn’t much of a story to it. She gets kicked out of her pack and then finds another pack…
That’s basically it. At too many points within it it felt like there wasn’t enough story and it was grasping at straws to keep moving forward and either kept repeating the same information over-and-over again or added irrelevant details that honestly did not connect with what was happening or being spoken about.
For example: she feels guilty about putting her new pack at risk from her old one and this gets repeated again only a few paragraphs after each other at one point.
I also don’t have a clue what anyone looks like, everyone just gets a name and then gets actions.
But that’s the problem with this story as a whole. Everything feels like it’s all just glazed over. In the tone of ‘she did this, and then she did this, and then she did this’ with no juicy details or descriptions on any of it as if it’s racing to the finishing point but by that point it’s over and absolutely nothing happened.
Also I hate hate hate when a book ends with no resolution or no big climax. NOTHIING happened by the end and when the last chapter ended it just didn’t feel like the end and I was surprised when there wasn’t a chapter after it. It just ends with nothing happening.
December 20, 2021
2 Stars
This story follows Lola, a wolf-shifter who's cut off from her wolf due to a curse put on her grandfather. Lola, and her mother, are both pack outcasts due to their inability to shift/have a connection with their wolves. Because of this curse Lola has been brutally beat and bullied almost her whole life, especially by the pack Alpha's son, Tyler, and his friends.
When it's finally the full-moon after Lola's 19th birthday she's ready to escape her pack's lands. Basically - there is a protection around her pack which inhibits anyone from leaving until the full moon after their 19th birthday, which is also the 1st time everyone shifts. During that ceremony Lola's finds out she's mated to Tyler, and shit hits the fan. Tyler is disgusted by the idea of having a mate as useless (ie. no shifting) as Lola, so he has his friends beat her and leave her for dead.
Without giving away too many spoilers Lola escapes and ends up in the hands of Alex, a "feral" shifter, and his mismatched "pack".
I'm giving this 2 stars since I finished it, and the general idea is decent, but it didn't hit the right notes for me. First, I disliked the plot and pacing. I was pulled into the story at the beginning, but then the story slowed down. Lola basically hung out in tents with the feral wolves and did nothing for ~70% of the story. We learn more about Lola's curse (even though it was way too easy of a solution), and some bigger things happens at the end, but that's basically all that was given in terms of plot progression. Yawn.
Now the romance - for how weak the plot is for most of this book I would think the romance would be the focus/reason why - but no. The build up between Alex and Lola is very poorly done. I think it's partially because the characters lack depth. They don't have distinct, interesting personalities. I actually really dislike Alex (especially after the ending), and Lola is just meh. Coupled with a lightening fast insta-lust thing between them (Lola loses her virginity to him after, quite honestly, barely knowing or speaking to him) - it doesn't work. I don't see or feel the attraction between the two, we are only told it's there.
~Spoilers Ahead~
Now to get into the actual "twists". They weren't well done. Lola being an alpha doesn't really mean anything to me. I guess it's supposed to be a twist, but it fell flat. Ditto with the same realization for Alex, I guess okay, cool?
Also, the whole "secret recipe for the toxin" story line was such an odd addition? It doesn't work here at all. I know that Lola's old pack are the bad guys, but it's not well connected. Probably because Lola doesn't know anything, but we are supposed to be worried about this toxin that we see used 1 time? I don't understand anyone's motives, so the author isn't making me care.
And the ending - so bad. I don't see how Alex can be redeemed after that. I hate all these characters. Also, Lola is way too weak. She's been at the mercy of others this entire time and we are no closer to any sort of progress or character development. I won't be continuing the series, but I do see how this book is really based on preferences. I can see others liking this.
This story follows Lola, a wolf-shifter who's cut off from her wolf due to a curse put on her grandfather. Lola, and her mother, are both pack outcasts due to their inability to shift/have a connection with their wolves. Because of this curse Lola has been brutally beat and bullied almost her whole life, especially by the pack Alpha's son, Tyler, and his friends.
When it's finally the full-moon after Lola's 19th birthday she's ready to escape her pack's lands. Basically - there is a protection around her pack which inhibits anyone from leaving until the full moon after their 19th birthday, which is also the 1st time everyone shifts. During that ceremony Lola's finds out she's mated to Tyler, and shit hits the fan. Tyler is disgusted by the idea of having a mate as useless (ie. no shifting) as Lola, so he has his friends beat her and leave her for dead.
Without giving away too many spoilers Lola escapes and ends up in the hands of Alex, a "feral" shifter, and his mismatched "pack".
I'm giving this 2 stars since I finished it, and the general idea is decent, but it didn't hit the right notes for me. First, I disliked the plot and pacing. I was pulled into the story at the beginning, but then the story slowed down. Lola basically hung out in tents with the feral wolves and did nothing for ~70% of the story. We learn more about Lola's curse (even though it was way too easy of a solution), and some bigger things happens at the end, but that's basically all that was given in terms of plot progression. Yawn.
Now the romance - for how weak the plot is for most of this book I would think the romance would be the focus/reason why - but no. The build up between Alex and Lola is very poorly done. I think it's partially because the characters lack depth. They don't have distinct, interesting personalities. I actually really dislike Alex (especially after the ending), and Lola is just meh. Coupled with a lightening fast insta-lust thing between them (Lola loses her virginity to him after, quite honestly, barely knowing or speaking to him) - it doesn't work. I don't see or feel the attraction between the two, we are only told it's there.
~Spoilers Ahead~
Now to get into the actual "twists". They weren't well done. Lola being an alpha doesn't really mean anything to me. I guess it's supposed to be a twist, but it fell flat. Ditto with the same realization for Alex, I guess okay, cool?
Also, the whole "secret recipe for the toxin" story line was such an odd addition? It doesn't work here at all. I know that Lola's old pack are the bad guys, but it's not well connected. Probably because Lola doesn't know anything, but we are supposed to be worried about this toxin that we see used 1 time? I don't understand anyone's motives, so the author isn't making me care.
And the ending - so bad. I don't see how Alex can be redeemed after that. I hate all these characters. Also, Lola is way too weak. She's been at the mercy of others this entire time and we are no closer to any sort of progress or character development. I won't be continuing the series, but I do see how this book is really based on preferences. I can see others liking this.
August 17, 2021
I generally enjoyed this. Though the writing is good, I did find the beginning quite repetitive. Calder wants the reader to understand how abusive Tyler and his friends are, so we’re shown and told again and again. But once that tapers off the book smooths out significantly. The villains are a bit one-dimensionally evil, but it’s made up for with a feisty heroine and interesting side characters. The book does end abruptly at a high tension point, nothing at all is concluded here. But I went in knowing that, so I can’t really complain about it. I think I know how it’s all going to end (or at least what some of the big reveals will be). It’ll be interesting to see if I’m right. Either way I’m here for reading the future books and finding out.
Read
July 29, 2021We have abuse, heartache, and survival. A story that you will want to finish and not really put down. Lola's family has been cursed and she can't shift. What's worse is the guy that is to become alpha when it is time hates and abuses her. When she turns nineteen she should be able to leave. But will her abuser let her? Can she survive until that time? Can she get away? If she gets away will she survive? Will she ever find away to shift or will the curse never end in her family line?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 5, 2021
By far one of the best books I’ve read this year. Not only is the MC super likeable, but the plot is unique and holds your attention. The settings are well-written and the characters are well-developed which makes for an quick and entertaining read. I am super annoyed with the author for the ending (I'm broken up inside, literally screamed at the pages) but I'm hoping the next book will answer the most pivotal question—did he really betray her? Anxiously awaiting book two.
February 6, 2025
Everything was fine. It was meh. It was hm. It was okay. I kept going because I like Alec.
I hate Lola. She’s a teenager that just spews asshole and fuck as often as she can for the fun of it. She’s annoying. If you want to know why I DNF it’s after I read her acting like a brat. It’s highlighted, once you read it you’ll understand. No adults talk and act like that. Children do.
Also she gives Alec her virginity after a handful of conversations with him. Doesn’t make sense for her character to trust him like that after all she’s been through.
Just save your precious time. This isn’t the shifter romance you’re looking for.
I hate Lola. She’s a teenager that just spews asshole and fuck as often as she can for the fun of it. She’s annoying. If you want to know why I DNF it’s after I read her acting like a brat. It’s highlighted, once you read it you’ll understand. No adults talk and act like that. Children do.
Also she gives Alec her virginity after a handful of conversations with him. Doesn’t make sense for her character to trust him like that after all she’s been through.
Just save your precious time. This isn’t the shifter romance you’re looking for.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 28, 2022
Holy cow this book was a wild ride!! Her mom was trying to protect her I guess, but I’m dying to know who her father is. I can’t believe both Alec and Lola have the alpha mark. This toxin business sounds serious. I though Malcolm was going to be a bad guy but who knew his warning was true. I was honestly shocked and surprised that Alec betrayed her and sold her off. I wonder what he is planning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2023
I personally wasn’t a fan of this book. I actually found the plot like really good, but the character development wasn’t the best. I also thought the main character was stupid in an annoying way.
Read
March 20, 2024Not what I wanted, I need a strong FMC for these to do anything for me and she was kinda hopeless. Checked the rest of the plot quickly and saw it doesn't really get better.
August 3, 2021
I was really torn about whether to give this story three stars or four stars. While I enjoyed the story and a decent amount of the characters, some parts of this story frustrated me.
The story starts off violently, which I was ok with, but it could be a trigger for others. Lola has been keeping a countdown for quite some time until she can leave her pack. Because of a curse put on Lola's grandfather, she hasn't been able to shift. The pack thinks of her as an abomination; Lola can't leave soon enough. She gets a devastating dose of reality when her mate is revealed. He has her beaten and left for dead.
Lola meets a new "pack" who takes her in and tries to teach her all she needs to know about her curse and shifting, but not everyone is who they seem. Although a few warnings are given, Lola ignores the warnings and suffers the ultimate betrayal.
What frustrated me about this is that I couldn't quite connect with Lola. I appreciated that she was a complex character; however, she would do things that just weren't logical. With that being said, I enjoyed the story and read it all in one sitting.
The story starts off violently, which I was ok with, but it could be a trigger for others. Lola has been keeping a countdown for quite some time until she can leave her pack. Because of a curse put on Lola's grandfather, she hasn't been able to shift. The pack thinks of her as an abomination; Lola can't leave soon enough. She gets a devastating dose of reality when her mate is revealed. He has her beaten and left for dead.
Lola meets a new "pack" who takes her in and tries to teach her all she needs to know about her curse and shifting, but not everyone is who they seem. Although a few warnings are given, Lola ignores the warnings and suffers the ultimate betrayal.
What frustrated me about this is that I couldn't quite connect with Lola. I appreciated that she was a complex character; however, she would do things that just weren't logical. With that being said, I enjoyed the story and read it all in one sitting.
October 25, 2021
Wattpad who
July 16, 2021
Alexis Calder has taken the rejected mate theme and went full steam ahead, my jaw dropped. Wolf Marked is the first book in the Moon Cursed series and it was just fabulous. Like, I did not expect the level of shocking moments, and the story headed in a whole other direction than I was expecting, I loved it.
There's a curse. Lola's family has been cursed and therefore Lola, who is a natural-born shifter can't shift. She doesn't have the extra abilities shifters do, she is basically human and the shifter town she lives in hates her for it. The abuse that Lola suffers is horrifying, this isn't just bullying they basically torture her and no one does a thing to stop it because the entire town of Wolf Creek is full of butt-holes. The worst part is that she has no one, not a single friend, not an adult who could mentor her, not even her mother, who ignores her and lives her worse possible life. The fact that Lola survived this whole ordeal for as long as she did is a miracle. The fact that she is smart, knows how to avoid people (most of the time), and is willing to change her circumstances by escaping the town just proves how strong she is and she is gonna need that strength for what's to come because this story was a whopper and it's just the beginning.
Wolf Mark is rejected mate story, I've read a couple of rejected mates stories but nothing like this. Lola is the fated mated of Tyler, the alpha's son and the main person who has been abusing her for her entire life. He rejects her and that's fine with Lola because she rejects him too but what's shocking is what happens after the full moon ceremony. Tyler takes things too far a tries to kill her, there is no redemption for this jerk, there is no way to ever build a relationship with him, he is evil to the core and needs to be stopped. The worse part is the bond that is forced on Lola, to have unwanted feelings towards someone that made her life a living hell is a little much, I don't blame Lola for wanting to break the bond, for wanting revenge on the shifters of Wolf Creek.
The things that happen in this book, the utter rage that felt on Lola's behalf, the level of betrayal, deceit, and anguish are surprising. To see what she went through and then learning so much about the world outside her pack was touching. Deciphering fact from fiction, getting in touch with who she is as a person without all the stress of living with her old pack, all of it pulled at my emotions and had me connecting to Lola very easily. From what I gather shifter politics is weird, there are packs, and feral shifters, a council, and a shifter king, but it mostly looks like everything is up to each pack's alpha. I wonder if the higher-ups will come into play later in the story? The mate bonds are here but Alexis gets into wolf marks, certain wolves are given marks when they first shift, and that designates them for a role in their culture. Alexis just hinted at them a little and I would love to know more.
Wolf Marked was a fascinating read that had a strong female lead, cruel men, jaw-dropping moments, surprising family history, hints at other problems on the horizon, and ended on a cliffhanger that has me raging. I am dying to know what happens in the next book because something happens that I felt coming but was in denial and now I'm pissed about it. I need justice, I need vengeance, I need the next book. I don't know where the story's going but I'm more than ready.
There's a curse. Lola's family has been cursed and therefore Lola, who is a natural-born shifter can't shift. She doesn't have the extra abilities shifters do, she is basically human and the shifter town she lives in hates her for it. The abuse that Lola suffers is horrifying, this isn't just bullying they basically torture her and no one does a thing to stop it because the entire town of Wolf Creek is full of butt-holes. The worst part is that she has no one, not a single friend, not an adult who could mentor her, not even her mother, who ignores her and lives her worse possible life. The fact that Lola survived this whole ordeal for as long as she did is a miracle. The fact that she is smart, knows how to avoid people (most of the time), and is willing to change her circumstances by escaping the town just proves how strong she is and she is gonna need that strength for what's to come because this story was a whopper and it's just the beginning.
Wolf Mark is rejected mate story, I've read a couple of rejected mates stories but nothing like this. Lola is the fated mated of Tyler, the alpha's son and the main person who has been abusing her for her entire life. He rejects her and that's fine with Lola because she rejects him too but what's shocking is what happens after the full moon ceremony. Tyler takes things too far a tries to kill her, there is no redemption for this jerk, there is no way to ever build a relationship with him, he is evil to the core and needs to be stopped. The worse part is the bond that is forced on Lola, to have unwanted feelings towards someone that made her life a living hell is a little much, I don't blame Lola for wanting to break the bond, for wanting revenge on the shifters of Wolf Creek.
The things that happen in this book, the utter rage that felt on Lola's behalf, the level of betrayal, deceit, and anguish are surprising. To see what she went through and then learning so much about the world outside her pack was touching. Deciphering fact from fiction, getting in touch with who she is as a person without all the stress of living with her old pack, all of it pulled at my emotions and had me connecting to Lola very easily. From what I gather shifter politics is weird, there are packs, and feral shifters, a council, and a shifter king, but it mostly looks like everything is up to each pack's alpha. I wonder if the higher-ups will come into play later in the story? The mate bonds are here but Alexis gets into wolf marks, certain wolves are given marks when they first shift, and that designates them for a role in their culture. Alexis just hinted at them a little and I would love to know more.
Wolf Marked was a fascinating read that had a strong female lead, cruel men, jaw-dropping moments, surprising family history, hints at other problems on the horizon, and ended on a cliffhanger that has me raging. I am dying to know what happens in the next book because something happens that I felt coming but was in denial and now I'm pissed about it. I need justice, I need vengeance, I need the next book. I don't know where the story's going but I'm more than ready.
November 27, 2021
So good! And surprisingly much more than I was expecting!
Serous plot spoilers ahead!!
Alright, this novel is short (230ish pages) so the plot is pretty simple: shifter girl (Lola)is tortured by her pack for being a non-shifting dud from a cursed family, shifter girl’s main tormentor (Tyler) ups the violence against her, then he reveals they’re mates, then he and his two best bully buds try to kill her, and wall her up in a cave, leaving her there to die. Her wolf takes over somehow to help her escape and survive, and she wakes up four days later in the company of three feral shifters who take her back to their community, which turns out to be really awesome and welcoming. They encourage her to get in touch with her wolf and teach her that she can actually shift, but only couldn’t before because she was taught and believed that she couldn’t because of the curse. She’s attracted to the leader/de facto Alpha who refuses to actually be Alpha (Alec). Alec agrees to help her break her bond with Tyler if she’ll get whatever info she can on the toxin that her pack uses against other shifters, which had been stolen by her grandfather from a bunch of witches, who then cursed him to never shift again, the same curse Lola believed she had inherited. Alec and Lola return to Lola’s old pack, Lola gets the info from her mom, mom drops cryptic warnings about how her life, horrible though it was, would be much worse if her father ever found her. Lola gives the info to Alec, who then betrays her by selling her back to her pack. They drug her and tie her up to a bed. Tyler hasn’t been able to shift as long as Lola has been away from the pack so he says he will force her to complete the bond if she won’t do it willingly. CLIFFHANGER.
(I can only really forgive cliffhangers if the next books are already published so I can move right into them, so I’ll move on from that.)
Short though it is, I think this plot was really well done. Don’t read this book if you can’t handle/aren’t in the mood for bullying and violence because Lola’s pack was really awful, and the first third of the book is her trying to survive and leave them. But if you can handle/get a thrill from a bit of angst, stick with it. Lola’s pain is real, and is only made more acute by the betrayal of Alec, a person who called himself her friend and gained her trust. I’m left with more doubts about who else among the feral community who seemed to welcome and befriend Lola were actually in on the plan to betray her. Sheila? Malcom? Mario? Greta? Everyone? Whew! I need the next book now.
Serous plot spoilers ahead!!
Alright, this novel is short (230ish pages) so the plot is pretty simple: shifter girl (Lola)is tortured by her pack for being a non-shifting dud from a cursed family, shifter girl’s main tormentor (Tyler) ups the violence against her, then he reveals they’re mates, then he and his two best bully buds try to kill her, and wall her up in a cave, leaving her there to die. Her wolf takes over somehow to help her escape and survive, and she wakes up four days later in the company of three feral shifters who take her back to their community, which turns out to be really awesome and welcoming. They encourage her to get in touch with her wolf and teach her that she can actually shift, but only couldn’t before because she was taught and believed that she couldn’t because of the curse. She’s attracted to the leader/de facto Alpha who refuses to actually be Alpha (Alec). Alec agrees to help her break her bond with Tyler if she’ll get whatever info she can on the toxin that her pack uses against other shifters, which had been stolen by her grandfather from a bunch of witches, who then cursed him to never shift again, the same curse Lola believed she had inherited. Alec and Lola return to Lola’s old pack, Lola gets the info from her mom, mom drops cryptic warnings about how her life, horrible though it was, would be much worse if her father ever found her. Lola gives the info to Alec, who then betrays her by selling her back to her pack. They drug her and tie her up to a bed. Tyler hasn’t been able to shift as long as Lola has been away from the pack so he says he will force her to complete the bond if she won’t do it willingly. CLIFFHANGER.
(I can only really forgive cliffhangers if the next books are already published so I can move right into them, so I’ll move on from that.)
Short though it is, I think this plot was really well done. Don’t read this book if you can’t handle/aren’t in the mood for bullying and violence because Lola’s pack was really awful, and the first third of the book is her trying to survive and leave them. But if you can handle/get a thrill from a bit of angst, stick with it. Lola’s pain is real, and is only made more acute by the betrayal of Alec, a person who called himself her friend and gained her trust. I’m left with more doubts about who else among the feral community who seemed to welcome and befriend Lola were actually in on the plan to betray her. Sheila? Malcom? Mario? Greta? Everyone? Whew! I need the next book now.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2024
Not Worth the Read
Many grammatical errors, lots of unnecessary torture, and poor storytelling. I couldn’t understand a lot of situations.
Early on, the author writes Lola talking but accidentally kept with “she (Lola) said” for the quotes so it was like Lola was talking with herself.
The timing of Lola’s day on the day/night of the full moon is also poorly written. I thought Lola got off work and was going to leave that night at like Midnight. But then it’s mentioned she takes a nap. Based on other events that take place (without spoiling anything), I would assume it’s going to be a few hours later. But it’s nonchalantly mentioned she only has a few more hours until night time. What? How much time has passed? I don’t understand. She got off work and it was night time so it is the next day? How long did she sleep? That’s not a nap, that’s just going to sleep. The thing most people do at night.
Another situation that is poorly described is when the author writes that (male)‘s hands go under Lola’s shirt, touching her back and then neck and finally her hair. I just imagine his hands are still under her shirt while making their way up. That sounds awkward and uncomfortable but gave me a chuckle.
Following a sex scene (of which there is only one), they just finished and are talking about it. Then suddenly another character walks into the tent. Lola and (male) are somehow standing, when Lola covers herself with the shirt she was holding. I got confused as I understood them to literally have just finished coitus and are lying down, naked, in the same positions. But they were standing?
Lastly, it irked me in the beginning when Lola gets injured BADLY and is losing a lot of blood, but she’s talking as normal? She’s not out of breath or struggling to talk. Then she’s injured more, dragged for who knows how long, she passes out and comes to - and she’s still carrying on conversations without a struggle???? Why is she not delirious or out of breath? She shouldn’t be able to form coherent sentences. Then she’s injured more, dragged more, injured more AND THEN she’s still able to get up? She’s literally described as not being able to stand (especially with a leg injury) but she can run and carry on EVEN MORE conversation with witty banter. What?!
Many grammatical errors, lots of unnecessary torture, and poor storytelling. I couldn’t understand a lot of situations.
Early on, the author writes Lola talking but accidentally kept with “she (Lola) said” for the quotes so it was like Lola was talking with herself.
The timing of Lola’s day on the day/night of the full moon is also poorly written. I thought Lola got off work and was going to leave that night at like Midnight. But then it’s mentioned she takes a nap. Based on other events that take place (without spoiling anything), I would assume it’s going to be a few hours later. But it’s nonchalantly mentioned she only has a few more hours until night time. What? How much time has passed? I don’t understand. She got off work and it was night time so it is the next day? How long did she sleep? That’s not a nap, that’s just going to sleep. The thing most people do at night.
Another situation that is poorly described is when the author writes that (male)‘s hands go under Lola’s shirt, touching her back and then neck and finally her hair. I just imagine his hands are still under her shirt while making their way up. That sounds awkward and uncomfortable but gave me a chuckle.
Following a sex scene (of which there is only one), they just finished and are talking about it. Then suddenly another character walks into the tent. Lola and (male) are somehow standing, when Lola covers herself with the shirt she was holding. I got confused as I understood them to literally have just finished coitus and are lying down, naked, in the same positions. But they were standing?
Lastly, it irked me in the beginning when Lola gets injured BADLY and is losing a lot of blood, but she’s talking as normal? She’s not out of breath or struggling to talk. Then she’s injured more, dragged for who knows how long, she passes out and comes to - and she’s still carrying on conversations without a struggle???? Why is she not delirious or out of breath? She shouldn’t be able to form coherent sentences. Then she’s injured more, dragged more, injured more AND THEN she’s still able to get up? She’s literally described as not being able to stand (especially with a leg injury) but she can run and carry on EVEN MORE conversation with witty banter. What?!
December 30, 2022
I would have liked to see more development of Lola, but hopefully that will come in the next book. She is getting better, but I'd like to see her really come into her own and be the strong, badass wolf she could be.
Writing is enjoyable, relatively fast paced though not a whole lot happens and I did find myself skimming over some parts.
Lola believes her family is cursed to not shift. The whole town is also cursed to stay put until they turn 19 and shift for the first time - a barrier keeps them all locked in until then and it doesn't let them shift until the first full moon after their 19th birthday. For Lola, this means she plans to finally leave the town where everyone has abused her for the past 10 years as soon as the moon comes up. Instead, Tyler (her biggest bully) comes and tells her she has to be there for the shift ceremony. When she gets there she finds out from Ace - alpha and Tyler's dad - that he didn't want her there and expected her to be gone. Once the others shift and leave she finds out Tyler kept here there because she's his mate and that was why he has been hurting her less since he shifted, as her mate it hurts him to hurt her. He has his two friends beat her and they leave her for dead in a cave.
Spoilers ahead!
She escapes the cave and is found by Alec, Malcom, and Sheila. They are feral shifters without a pack that live in a community of their own. They tell her they found her as a wolf but once they came across her she shifted back. They take her back to camp and Greta (the oldest) tells her that she was never cursed, she didn't shift because she shut her wolf out and she just needed to reconnect and embrace her. Lola spends the next week working on herself but never shifts, her and Alec have sex, and Alec tells her he will help her break the mating bond with Tyler if she gets the information on the shifter toxin from her mom that her grandfather invented causing him to be cursed. Her mom still won't tell her who her dad is and reveals she knew Lola could have shifted but spent her whole life telling her she couldn't to break the relationship with her wolf. Lola brings the book to Alec, he takes it then sells her back to Ace and Tyler.
Writing is enjoyable, relatively fast paced though not a whole lot happens and I did find myself skimming over some parts.
Lola believes her family is cursed to not shift. The whole town is also cursed to stay put until they turn 19 and shift for the first time - a barrier keeps them all locked in until then and it doesn't let them shift until the first full moon after their 19th birthday. For Lola, this means she plans to finally leave the town where everyone has abused her for the past 10 years as soon as the moon comes up. Instead, Tyler (her biggest bully) comes and tells her she has to be there for the shift ceremony. When she gets there she finds out from Ace - alpha and Tyler's dad - that he didn't want her there and expected her to be gone. Once the others shift and leave she finds out Tyler kept here there because she's his mate and that was why he has been hurting her less since he shifted, as her mate it hurts him to hurt her. He has his two friends beat her and they leave her for dead in a cave.
Spoilers ahead!
She escapes the cave and is found by Alec, Malcom, and Sheila. They are feral shifters without a pack that live in a community of their own. They tell her they found her as a wolf but once they came across her she shifted back. They take her back to camp and Greta (the oldest) tells her that she was never cursed, she didn't shift because she shut her wolf out and she just needed to reconnect and embrace her. Lola spends the next week working on herself but never shifts, her and Alec have sex, and Alec tells her he will help her break the mating bond with Tyler if she gets the information on the shifter toxin from her mom that her grandfather invented causing him to be cursed. Her mom still won't tell her who her dad is and reveals she knew Lola could have shifted but spent her whole life telling her she couldn't to break the relationship with her wolf. Lola brings the book to Alec, he takes it then sells her back to Ace and Tyler.
August 18, 2021
Alexis Calder "Wolf Marked Moon Cursed"
I think I am infatuated with the Rejected Mate trope, but this is the first story that actually appealed to me. Certainly, the title is accurate but not exciting, the cover is pretty generic, but I downloaded it based on the blurb and the author.
Beaten throughout her childhood, told her family was cursed, Lola is surprisingly resilient and likeable. When she reaches 19, the moon ceremony is supposed to allow her first shift, but she knows she cannot. Lola plans around this disability, with ideas of escaping the pack and living as a human....until she gets beaten and almost killed at the ceremony.
Her mate, Tyler, is supposed to be the next Alpha, but he and his two betas are real abusers. We learn why later in the book, and it is a doozy. Still, I cannot find any sympathy for them. Somehow Lola survives her entrapment and almost-murder, and she finds a new community of rejects. Lola finds the leader/non-leader Asher immediately flush-worthy. If it weren't for that pesky Mate bond, they might have immediately turned into a couple. She also finds actual friendships and a better society.
But what is a story without twists? Asher has his own plans, and they involve poisons and money. We don't exactly know what is going on, but we get hints and warnings. Her mother, also, might be a drunk Ho, but she ran to an abusive situation from something worse (shudder: what could cause her to run to a trailer park and pariah-ism?!?). I really, really want to know more about her mother and absentee father!
The side characters are just as interesting. Hello, Grandma! Man, that lady is someone I want to be when I grow up (🤪). If you want snarky but accurate advice, go to her. And Kyle, Tyler's right-hand gopher, is somewhat sympathetic in that he feels obligated to do what the leader does, no matter his own reservations.
OMG, I actually crave the next novel! Sometimes I am happy with the first in a series and move on, but I am short-listing the second book.
# Not RH. Yahoo!
# Not for the faint of heart.
# Rated R
I think I am infatuated with the Rejected Mate trope, but this is the first story that actually appealed to me. Certainly, the title is accurate but not exciting, the cover is pretty generic, but I downloaded it based on the blurb and the author.
Beaten throughout her childhood, told her family was cursed, Lola is surprisingly resilient and likeable. When she reaches 19, the moon ceremony is supposed to allow her first shift, but she knows she cannot. Lola plans around this disability, with ideas of escaping the pack and living as a human....until she gets beaten and almost killed at the ceremony.
Her mate, Tyler, is supposed to be the next Alpha, but he and his two betas are real abusers. We learn why later in the book, and it is a doozy. Still, I cannot find any sympathy for them. Somehow Lola survives her entrapment and almost-murder, and she finds a new community of rejects. Lola finds the leader/non-leader Asher immediately flush-worthy. If it weren't for that pesky Mate bond, they might have immediately turned into a couple. She also finds actual friendships and a better society.
But what is a story without twists? Asher has his own plans, and they involve poisons and money. We don't exactly know what is going on, but we get hints and warnings. Her mother, also, might be a drunk Ho, but she ran to an abusive situation from something worse (shudder: what could cause her to run to a trailer park and pariah-ism?!?). I really, really want to know more about her mother and absentee father!
The side characters are just as interesting. Hello, Grandma! Man, that lady is someone I want to be when I grow up (🤪). If you want snarky but accurate advice, go to her. And Kyle, Tyler's right-hand gopher, is somewhat sympathetic in that he feels obligated to do what the leader does, no matter his own reservations.
OMG, I actually crave the next novel! Sometimes I am happy with the first in a series and move on, but I am short-listing the second book.
# Not RH. Yahoo!
# Not for the faint of heart.
# Rated R
August 2, 2021
⚠️ Trigger warning ⚠️ please read the reasons before reading this book.
It’s violent and very dark.
Abuse of both physical and mental.
A mate should care and protect…..
This is book one in the Moon cursed series.
Lola wants away from her wolf pack! Having taken the brunt of both physical and mental abuse for years, she has the chance to finally be free.
Her family have been cursed ever since her father annoyed a witch, and now her family can’t shift into wolves, they are humans for all intense purposes.
Her family life is horrible, her mother doesn’t care and her father is long gone! And her pack life is horrendous!
I’m hoping Lola gets free and reeks her revenge…
I’m hoping she breaks the curse…..
Magic, Witches and Feral wolves! That’s why her pack don’t leave their pack lands. But to escape, Lola will face anything.
You really have to feel sorry for Lola, she gets dealt knock after knock! And the only Wolf that was suppose to protect and love her is her fated mate, but Tyler is a total a$$hole! He’s the next leader of the pack, but he takes his anger out on poor Lola! So she can’t shift! Lola is going to make that work in her favour.
And when the mating ceremony reveals Tyler and Lola are mates, it’s a celebration right?! But no, Tyler is furious. He almost kills Lola in a terrible fit of violence!!
Meeting Alec is a surprise, but she’s extremely wary of him. He won’t believe her story and the fact she said she couldn’t shift.
He wants to take her back to the pack, but Lola is adamant that the only way she’ll go back is dead!!
She likes members of his pack, and they treat her with respect and like her back. It’s a strange feeling.
Can she trust Alec not to take her back to Tyler?!
It’s well thought out, it’s a fast paced read, with plenty of nail biting moments
The cliffhanger (which you are warned about) will had you open mouthed!!!
And now I have to wait for the next book!!
🦋
It’s violent and very dark.
Abuse of both physical and mental.
A mate should care and protect…..
This is book one in the Moon cursed series.
Lola wants away from her wolf pack! Having taken the brunt of both physical and mental abuse for years, she has the chance to finally be free.
Her family have been cursed ever since her father annoyed a witch, and now her family can’t shift into wolves, they are humans for all intense purposes.
Her family life is horrible, her mother doesn’t care and her father is long gone! And her pack life is horrendous!
I’m hoping Lola gets free and reeks her revenge…
I’m hoping she breaks the curse…..
Magic, Witches and Feral wolves! That’s why her pack don’t leave their pack lands. But to escape, Lola will face anything.
You really have to feel sorry for Lola, she gets dealt knock after knock! And the only Wolf that was suppose to protect and love her is her fated mate, but Tyler is a total a$$hole! He’s the next leader of the pack, but he takes his anger out on poor Lola! So she can’t shift! Lola is going to make that work in her favour.
And when the mating ceremony reveals Tyler and Lola are mates, it’s a celebration right?! But no, Tyler is furious. He almost kills Lola in a terrible fit of violence!!
Meeting Alec is a surprise, but she’s extremely wary of him. He won’t believe her story and the fact she said she couldn’t shift.
He wants to take her back to the pack, but Lola is adamant that the only way she’ll go back is dead!!
She likes members of his pack, and they treat her with respect and like her back. It’s a strange feeling.
Can she trust Alec not to take her back to Tyler?!
It’s well thought out, it’s a fast paced read, with plenty of nail biting moments
The cliffhanger (which you are warned about) will had you open mouthed!!!
And now I have to wait for the next book!!
🦋
August 6, 2021
My Recommendation: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
(I received this book free in exchange for my honest review)
"Wait wait wait wait!!!! What the hell!!! Need the next book!! Why such a cliff-hanger, why ripe out my heart like that.........ahhhhhhhh!!!! "
Sorry about that, but I felt the needed to share my thoughts with you upon getting to the ending of this book. My little heart juts shattered a little bit (by a little I mean a lot). I also pre-orered the next book. Come on Aug 27th!
This book took me by surprise. At first I though it would be like so many other cookie-cutter sifter books. I mean the MC has red hair and green eyes, so I was faced with some bias at the start. But as I read on, I quickly came to realized that this book wasn't going to be anything but cookie cutter.
This was a amazing, heart-pounding, steamy, rage inducing, and thought provoking read. I have so many feels that I don't know what to do with them. A part of me wants to be transported to that world and go on a rampage.
You need this book in your life. Though there is violence, of the cruel kind, don't be deterred, it adds a layer of complex elements needed for this story, and makes us just as enraged as our MC.
I don't want to spoil anything, but know that our MC is strong, resilient, and deserves all the revenge towards the cowards that treated her lower than dirt. I want to see her rain hell fire down on her abusers. Sometimes taking the high road is overrated, and people/shifters need to have whats coming to them.
Overall this book is everything I didn't know I needed and more. So please take my super high recommendation and my golden stamp of approval that you will get captured by this hidden gem of a book. It's has broken down so many troupes and cliches that I am excited to not only div more into this world, but into more books from this author as well.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
(I received this book free in exchange for my honest review)
"Wait wait wait wait!!!! What the hell!!! Need the next book!! Why such a cliff-hanger, why ripe out my heart like that.........ahhhhhhhh!!!! "
Sorry about that, but I felt the needed to share my thoughts with you upon getting to the ending of this book. My little heart juts shattered a little bit (by a little I mean a lot). I also pre-orered the next book. Come on Aug 27th!
This book took me by surprise. At first I though it would be like so many other cookie-cutter sifter books. I mean the MC has red hair and green eyes, so I was faced with some bias at the start. But as I read on, I quickly came to realized that this book wasn't going to be anything but cookie cutter.
This was a amazing, heart-pounding, steamy, rage inducing, and thought provoking read. I have so many feels that I don't know what to do with them. A part of me wants to be transported to that world and go on a rampage.
You need this book in your life. Though there is violence, of the cruel kind, don't be deterred, it adds a layer of complex elements needed for this story, and makes us just as enraged as our MC.
I don't want to spoil anything, but know that our MC is strong, resilient, and deserves all the revenge towards the cowards that treated her lower than dirt. I want to see her rain hell fire down on her abusers. Sometimes taking the high road is overrated, and people/shifters need to have whats coming to them.
Overall this book is everything I didn't know I needed and more. So please take my super high recommendation and my golden stamp of approval that you will get captured by this hidden gem of a book. It's has broken down so many troupes and cliches that I am excited to not only div more into this world, but into more books from this author as well.
Happy Reading
-E.A. Walsh
February 23, 2023
So far this seems like it's yet another completely generic secret wolf-shifter finds pack and super ulta bffs. That part reads like the kind of middle-grade/YA story that tries to teach basic friendship paired with extreme insta-lust which makes for a very uncomfortable mix.
The friendship part is written in this extremely awkward "let's spell out in words that we are now best friends after we knew each other for not even a day like 6-year-olds on the playground" way.
It's bizarre really.
The author tries to create a strong but vulnerable MC but the result is far from what she probably imagined.
The MC is immature, insecure, and completely at the mercy of her own volatile emotions.
She recognizes these flaws in herself but this doesn't enable her to grow beyond them or give her the strength to withstand these childish impulses.
If you want to read yet another story where the MC is completely driven by base emotions and twisted in knots around some sort of classic deep, fated insta-love, then this is probably a good book for you.
I don't dislike many of these tropes in general but I want them with a bit more depth and an interesting MC. Many authors nowadays seem to confuse being contrary with being strong and this is a classic example of a character that never actually exerts any agency and always ultimately gives way.
I think the main problem here is that all the opportunities the MC has to actually demonstrate spine would make the plot fall apart. So she can never actually do anything that shows her strength and everyone just kind of has to pretend she is strong to even be slightly believable. But my bullshit radar is just way too sensitive for this stuff. This is not to say the plot is any good either. It makes no sense, and not in a mysterious way. It's just bad and illogical.
The friendship part is written in this extremely awkward "let's spell out in words that we are now best friends after we knew each other for not even a day like 6-year-olds on the playground" way.
It's bizarre really.
The author tries to create a strong but vulnerable MC but the result is far from what she probably imagined.
The MC is immature, insecure, and completely at the mercy of her own volatile emotions.
She recognizes these flaws in herself but this doesn't enable her to grow beyond them or give her the strength to withstand these childish impulses.
If you want to read yet another story where the MC is completely driven by base emotions and twisted in knots around some sort of classic deep, fated insta-love, then this is probably a good book for you.
I don't dislike many of these tropes in general but I want them with a bit more depth and an interesting MC. Many authors nowadays seem to confuse being contrary with being strong and this is a classic example of a character that never actually exerts any agency and always ultimately gives way.
I think the main problem here is that all the opportunities the MC has to actually demonstrate spine would make the plot fall apart. So she can never actually do anything that shows her strength and everyone just kind of has to pretend she is strong to even be slightly believable. But my bullshit radar is just way too sensitive for this stuff. This is not to say the plot is any good either. It makes no sense, and not in a mysterious way. It's just bad and illogical.
June 4, 2023
Lola has been an outcast her whole life, being one of the only wolf shifters who cannot shift to wolf form will do that to you. Lola’s family was cursed. Her pack treated her like crap. She was physically and mentally abused by almost everyone around her, especially by the Alphas son, Tyler.
The first full moon after your 19th birthday is when you are supposed to shift for the first time. Lola knowing she wasn’t going to shift decided to run but fate had a different story. The night of the full moon, Tyler and his 2 best friends showed up at her door to prevent her from running. Turns out Lola and Tyler were fated mates. Lola did not want to be with him and Tyler did not want a broken wolf to be his future Luna. In order to break the bond, Tyler left her for dead. Alec found Lola and brought her to his camp of ferals.
Lola quickly realized that her pack lived differently than any other pack out there and learned a lot more how to be a wolf shifter from the shifters than the pack that should have taught her. She also starts to develop feelings for Alec. What she didn’t know is when you do not break a mate seal completely, the more you fight it, the stronger it gets. She knew she had to try to break the bond with Tyler before either one of them did something stupid. She had to go back to her abuser but this time with the help of Alec.
I really enjoyed this book! The author did an amazing job writing Lola. Her feelings and thoughts were so realistic. She had no confidence and no trust but as time goes on she feels herself slowly start to open up to those around her. Plus the book ended on such a cliffhanger that I immediately started the second book of the series. Highly recommend it!
The first full moon after your 19th birthday is when you are supposed to shift for the first time. Lola knowing she wasn’t going to shift decided to run but fate had a different story. The night of the full moon, Tyler and his 2 best friends showed up at her door to prevent her from running. Turns out Lola and Tyler were fated mates. Lola did not want to be with him and Tyler did not want a broken wolf to be his future Luna. In order to break the bond, Tyler left her for dead. Alec found Lola and brought her to his camp of ferals.
Lola quickly realized that her pack lived differently than any other pack out there and learned a lot more how to be a wolf shifter from the shifters than the pack that should have taught her. She also starts to develop feelings for Alec. What she didn’t know is when you do not break a mate seal completely, the more you fight it, the stronger it gets. She knew she had to try to break the bond with Tyler before either one of them did something stupid. She had to go back to her abuser but this time with the help of Alec.
I really enjoyed this book! The author did an amazing job writing Lola. Her feelings and thoughts were so realistic. She had no confidence and no trust but as time goes on she feels herself slowly start to open up to those around her. Plus the book ended on such a cliffhanger that I immediately started the second book of the series. Highly recommend it!
July 30, 2021
Cruelty, Torture, Pain, Disillusionment . . .
This is a very over-the-top violent book. Lola's family is under a curse to prevent the ability to shift, even though she is a natural-born shifter. So Lola can’t shift and has none of the extra abilities her kind should have. The town and her pack hate her for her deficiencies. The way she is treated is horrifying. She has no one to turn to, not even a friend. Her main hope that keeps her surviving is that she can escape after the Full Moon Ceremony when the magic would release her, especially now that she has reached the age they must shift and she won’t be able to do so.
But the worst happens. Although Lola can still not shift, it is revealed that she is the fated mated of Tyler, the cruel, vicious, psychopath alpha's son who has been continuously abusing her for her entire life (torture-level, not just smacking her around). Instead of being cherished, Tyler rejects her and then tries to kill her, leaving her beaten and expected to die! Is there any hope for her survival? Will the feral pack that finds her take her in?
This was way too cruel for my liking. I am amazed at all the high review scores. I just don’t have the heart left to rate it that way. The author has talent to make the reader feel everything but, in this case, I’m not sure such vicious beatings and hatred are what I want to experience EVER. And even the tiny bit of hope Lola has for a future is snuffed out by betrayal. Sorry, this one is not for me.
This is a very over-the-top violent book. Lola's family is under a curse to prevent the ability to shift, even though she is a natural-born shifter. So Lola can’t shift and has none of the extra abilities her kind should have. The town and her pack hate her for her deficiencies. The way she is treated is horrifying. She has no one to turn to, not even a friend. Her main hope that keeps her surviving is that she can escape after the Full Moon Ceremony when the magic would release her, especially now that she has reached the age they must shift and she won’t be able to do so.
But the worst happens. Although Lola can still not shift, it is revealed that she is the fated mated of Tyler, the cruel, vicious, psychopath alpha's son who has been continuously abusing her for her entire life (torture-level, not just smacking her around). Instead of being cherished, Tyler rejects her and then tries to kill her, leaving her beaten and expected to die! Is there any hope for her survival? Will the feral pack that finds her take her in?
This was way too cruel for my liking. I am amazed at all the high review scores. I just don’t have the heart left to rate it that way. The author has talent to make the reader feel everything but, in this case, I’m not sure such vicious beatings and hatred are what I want to experience EVER. And even the tiny bit of hope Lola has for a future is snuffed out by betrayal. Sorry, this one is not for me.
August 4, 2021
I dont usually read rejected mates stories, but I'm so glad I did. This book had me from start to finish, I couldnt put it down...I cant wait for book 2.
Lola is cursed to never shift, because of this her pack has treated her badly since birth. She gets daily beatings from the sadistic alphas son Tyler and just can't wait till the full moon after her 19th birthday as this is when kids shift to wolves for the first time, she doesnt expect to shift but another advantage of this ceremony is that it will release her from the magic that stops her leaving the pack grounds....its what she has been planning and waiting for.
Except that when she trys to leave, Tyler stops her and when she doesnt shift offers her two options a quick death or to be left for dead in a sealed cave which is used to punish criminals....all because shes his fated mate and he doesn't want her as shes defective.
Lola trys to run but gets dragged back and sealed in the cave, she blacks out and thats all she remembers, till she wakes and shes naked with strangers.
Lolas adventure doesnt end there, the story is amazing with some serious twists so prepare yourself for a gripping ride with a cliffhanger ending that will have you shouting out loud for the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Lola is cursed to never shift, because of this her pack has treated her badly since birth. She gets daily beatings from the sadistic alphas son Tyler and just can't wait till the full moon after her 19th birthday as this is when kids shift to wolves for the first time, she doesnt expect to shift but another advantage of this ceremony is that it will release her from the magic that stops her leaving the pack grounds....its what she has been planning and waiting for.
Except that when she trys to leave, Tyler stops her and when she doesnt shift offers her two options a quick death or to be left for dead in a sealed cave which is used to punish criminals....all because shes his fated mate and he doesn't want her as shes defective.
Lola trys to run but gets dragged back and sealed in the cave, she blacks out and thats all she remembers, till she wakes and shes naked with strangers.
Lolas adventure doesnt end there, the story is amazing with some serious twists so prepare yourself for a gripping ride with a cliffhanger ending that will have you shouting out loud for the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 10, 2021
Good
**WARNING! Cliffhanger!**
This ends on a pretty big cliffhanger, so I’d line up the second book in the series PDQ!
Lola is a wolf shifter who is unable to shift. Her family was cursed, so at the age of nineteen, when all the shifters in the village make their first shift, she is ready to leave.
Discovering her worst enemy is her supposed fated mate, and subsequently being both rejected by that mate and having him try to kill her, she is ready for a new start.
And that is only the start of her adventure.
There’s a lot going on in this book, secrets, lies, and manipulations. Unfortunately, Lola is the one who ends up suffering from all of them.
This is only the first in the series, and I don’t want to say too much, because honestly, the surprise is better!
It was an enjoyable beginning though, and the characters seem to be complex and interesting.
Lola is a survivor who has learned to put her head down and avoid attention. She has suffered a great deal of abuse from her pack because of her inability to shift, but hasn’t let it prevent her from making plans.
We don’t learn as much about the other characters, and I have to add a “yet” here, because I suspect that it is something yet to come.
Hopefully, Lola will get the opportunity to have her revenge!
An entertaining read for fans of paranormal fiction and urban fantasy.
**WARNING! Cliffhanger!**
This ends on a pretty big cliffhanger, so I’d line up the second book in the series PDQ!
Lola is a wolf shifter who is unable to shift. Her family was cursed, so at the age of nineteen, when all the shifters in the village make their first shift, she is ready to leave.
Discovering her worst enemy is her supposed fated mate, and subsequently being both rejected by that mate and having him try to kill her, she is ready for a new start.
And that is only the start of her adventure.
There’s a lot going on in this book, secrets, lies, and manipulations. Unfortunately, Lola is the one who ends up suffering from all of them.
This is only the first in the series, and I don’t want to say too much, because honestly, the surprise is better!
It was an enjoyable beginning though, and the characters seem to be complex and interesting.
Lola is a survivor who has learned to put her head down and avoid attention. She has suffered a great deal of abuse from her pack because of her inability to shift, but hasn’t let it prevent her from making plans.
We don’t learn as much about the other characters, and I have to add a “yet” here, because I suspect that it is something yet to come.
Hopefully, Lola will get the opportunity to have her revenge!
An entertaining read for fans of paranormal fiction and urban fantasy.
January 10, 2022
this is a review for book one & two in the series.
this month I have been craving supernatural romances and I have been on a particular shifter kick so this seemed right up my alley.
I won’t lie, I read both books back to back so I can’t lie and say I didn’t enjoy them because I did. but don’t get me wrong, there was nothing revolutionary about either book and I’ll probably forget about them in a week but these were good ‘in the moment books’ and I am down for that.
I hate the bully trope so I was wary going into these books but it wasn’t done in an overly cringe way (if you can even describe it as that) and I liked how we had a strong female character who stood up for herself.
the plot was fine. predictable but it worked and I enjoyed it enough I wanted to carry on reading.
I will say, the romance aspect was lacking and I expected more build up and intensity than was there. I think a lot of things got glossed over and our female hero was very easy going with horrible betrayals thrown in her way and I kind of felt like the author was trying her hardest to make it seem fine when it wasn’t.
however, these were decently written books with enough of a pace and story line to keep me reading!
this month I have been craving supernatural romances and I have been on a particular shifter kick so this seemed right up my alley.
I won’t lie, I read both books back to back so I can’t lie and say I didn’t enjoy them because I did. but don’t get me wrong, there was nothing revolutionary about either book and I’ll probably forget about them in a week but these were good ‘in the moment books’ and I am down for that.
I hate the bully trope so I was wary going into these books but it wasn’t done in an overly cringe way (if you can even describe it as that) and I liked how we had a strong female character who stood up for herself.
the plot was fine. predictable but it worked and I enjoyed it enough I wanted to carry on reading.
I will say, the romance aspect was lacking and I expected more build up and intensity than was there. I think a lot of things got glossed over and our female hero was very easy going with horrible betrayals thrown in her way and I kind of felt like the author was trying her hardest to make it seem fine when it wasn’t.
however, these were decently written books with enough of a pace and story line to keep me reading!
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