A New Pack for New Year

Kincaid Pack #0.5

by Kiki Clark

Injured and terrified, Victor runs for his life and right into the arms of the last person he expected to find: his true mate.

Living in a pack who viewed imperfections as weaknesses that needed to be eliminated, Victor is lucky to escape alive. He’s heard of the Kincaid Pack’s strong but fair alpha, but he has trouble truly believing he won’t be targeted once more if his shameful secret is discovered.

When Cole meets a young man with fear in his eyes and pain in his scent, he recognizes him as his mate on sight. His excitement is short-lived, however, when they find out Victor’s life is still in danger from what his old pack did to him.
After a lifetime of being abandoned by others, Victor has an important decision to make: Will he choose to trust the mate fate gave him?
Or will he run again?

A New Pack for New Year is a prequel to the best-selling Kincaid Pack series and features an eighteen-year-old wolf in need of some TLC, a thirty-something lion dying to give it to him, sexy times in an inappropriate place, found family feels, and hurt/comfort that will warm all the corners of your heart.

Genres: M M Romance, Paranormal, Shapeshifters, Romance, Magic, Novella, Fantasy

130 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[Saimi Vasquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Victor esta huyendo de su pack gracias a su primo Marcus que consiguio quel el Alfa del pack Kincaid lo aceptara. Asi que ahora se ve en un nuevo Pack con personas que lo aceptan como uno de los suyos, ademas consiguio un trabajo y a su pareja predestinada, que mas puede pedir Victor. Pero no puede vivir trnaquilo hasta que no este seguro que realmente puede cambiar a lobo como todos los demas, asi que se guarda parte de si hasta que pueda estar seguro que puede ser igual que todos los demas, incluso estar seguro que su pareja predestina realmente se quedara con el si es debil y no puede cambiar a lobo nunca mas.

Es una historia introductoria a un mundo lleno de cambiaformas, donde los pack no son necesariamente de un solo tipo. Aqui vemos una diversidad dentro del pack que puede ser parte de lo que se va a desenvolver en la trama, pero que tambien nos muestra la propia diversidad cultural y genetica en la que todos vivimos actualmente y como se puede vivir en armonia sin importar tu raza, credo o religion.
Lastima que el romance como tal no es gran cosa, senti que habian muchos huecos, como la facil aceptacion de Colin como la pareja predestinada de Victor, sencillamente van de "eres nuevo y estas solo" a "ahora el es tu pareja y todos te apoyamos", o sea, de verdad? ni siquiera un dialogo "tenso" entre el primo y Colin?
En fin, espero que al ser introductorio los siguientes sean mejor llevados, asi que voy a comenzar la serie esperando a ver como el autor maneja las diferentes parejas.

[Drache.... (Angelika) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5 stars rounded up because I got the book for free via the author's webside.
Mm Shifter romance with all kinds of shifters in a pack. Victor is a wolf shifter and Cole a lion shifter (who purrs like a cat when he's happy).
Very insta-love, Cole feels Victor is his mate the first time they meet (and consequently kiss). They call each other mate, there are no doubts, no questions asked, their connection is instantaneous.
The plot and writing aren't bad but on the underwhelming side.
I'm not sure the writing is for me.

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

*insert amazing quote here* (I don’t have the ebook)

This is a prequel novella to the Kincaid Pack series (which I have not read, but now desperately want to), and it was really good. It’s obviously short and there’s a limit to how much development you can put in it, but it works really well with fated mates, in my opinion. The MCs had good chemistry so the instant attraction and fast feelings worked. It was cute and the characters were lovely.

I was lucky enough to get an audiobook ARC and thought Kirt Graves did a wonderful job as per usual.

I would have loved to see more shifter stuff, but it being a novella and some of the plot being about one MC struggling to shift, it makes sense that there wasn’t a lot.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
Wolf shifter
Past trauma
Lion shifter
Fated mates
Age gap
Ridged peen
Fast feelings
Car shenanigans

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
References to past murder attempt on MC (off page, stabbing)
Emotional neglect (parents)
MC poisoned after past stabbing
Explicit sexual content
Medical procedure (on page)

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 3rd person, dual
Genre: Paranormal shifter romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile, no switching on page
Main characters’ age: 18 and 31
Series: Prequel to series, standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 122




You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

[Elena Rodríguez · Rating 3 out of 5]

“But sometimes we have to hear it again. And sometimes hearing it isn’t enough, but you’ll see.”

Aviso desde ya que esta saga no está nada mal.

Esta es una serie de novelas que como siempre he descubierto haciendo zapping por esta aplicación y la verdad es que me ha venido de lujo.

Estoy realmente prendida (he de admitir que ya voy por el último libro, pero como siempre se me acumulan las reseñas). Ahora, sí es verdad que este fue mi primer contacto con la trama. Peca de rapidez y de poca profundidad, pero es lo que tiene ser un mini relato de un personaje terciario.

En fin. Lo recomiendo.

[Jesslan Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

A New Pack For New Year
By Kiki Clark

When Victor's pack attempts to kill him for having a weak wolf he runs to his cousins new pack. Still terrified, but refusing to act weak in case the new pack is like his old one he attempts to hide everything from everyone.

When he goes to Momma's Diner for a job interview he meets his fated mate, the son of Momma. As more of the higher up pack members find out his issues with his wolf the pack doctor and a local witch run tests to see if it's something they can help him with.

I really liked Victor and Cole together as a couple. While shy and untrusting Victor is not weak. He does his best to be as strong as he can. Good ending as well.

My only complaint is that the man that bought Cole's home at the end is a big mystery. They make a big deal about what he is, but keep it a secret from us and call him human. I thought maybe it was leading into an MC in the next book, but I don't think so. (Though it has been a while since I've read the series.) And because the author doesn't give us his name we can't look forward to getting his story. 😞 So who is he?

Side Note: So far I've read 4 out of the 6 books in this series and have enjoyed them all immensely. I really like Kiki Clark's style of writing and how she draws us into her characters lives.

[Emmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

Cute short story 😊

Narrator: Kirt Graves

[⭐Toonasa⭐ •Romance Book Lovers' Haven• · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sweet, emotional novella with light steam, wolf - lion shifters & fated mates! I read this in a couple hours 🙌.

My heart really goes out to Vic, who was abused by his old pack, all cause he couldn't shift into his wolf. Which we find was their fault anyway!

Vic runs away & finds solace in his cousin Marcus' pack - Alpha Rick Kincaid is so good, guys! Definitely will read his book!

On a restaurant job interview our sweet 18yr old Vic meets 30-something protective Cole, who's a lion shifter. I love Cole's family, especially mom & sis!

I loved Cole & Vic's relationship, how patient Cole was with Vic. This had a slow burn - but All in feel due to the true mate bond. I loved seeing Vic blossom into himself free of the abuse & getting love now.

We get time jumps as this is a short story but it helped with the story not feeling Insta love & more genuine. Doc visit, House visit, surprise party, the hot & sexy time, & when Vic finally shifted scenes were fun!

A solid 4.5 stars, Dual (3rd person) POV. My 1st story by Kiki, added this series to my tbr (epilogue got me curious 👀)!

[Sunny Groves · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

this was a cute prequel to the series and i liked it well enough -- not sure if I'll continue the series bc I don't rly like shifter romances where they refer to the shifter part as a separate entity (i.e, "my wolf, his wolf," etc) bc it comes off mega corny to me when shifter romances are already kind of corny just bc of the nature of the genre. I also don't like the insta-love fated-mates thing all that much but ik it happens in about 50% or more of shifter romances so that's pretty par for the course tbh. also there are shifter LIONS in this????????

the romance in this was pretty sweet tho and definitely didn't need a whole book - the novella was sufficient and introduced a lot of characters that I'm sure are in the full series. but I don't think they needed to make this romance between an 18 y/o and a 31 y/o...couldve very easily made Victor 21 and then it would've still been a 10 year age gap.....

TLDR very mid reading experience but good for getting your reading goals done

[Mariah · Rating 4 out of 5]

As far as introductions go, I love this one. This is great first contact with the Kincaid Pack,
and an adorable story on its own.
I just want to wrap Victor in a warm blanket and make him sip hot cocoa endlessly,
but thankfully Cole does a pretty good job of taking care of him.
I love that it doesn't try to do too much as a novella, but it still manages to draw you into the story.

[Maggie May · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet story. I like “mate” stories for the insta-love and this one didn’t disappoint on that level. It did, however, lack passion. When the characters meet they can’t wait to get their tongues down each other’s throats, but then it just fizzles. There are time jumps that make you feel like nothing is happening between the pair, and nothing at all happens around them. And while the couple of steamy scenes are explicit, I wasn’t feeling any enthusiasm from the characters. It’s like they were going through the motions. This is fine as an introduction to the world the series takes place in but as a romance it just didn’t do much beyond being a little sweet. I don’t feel particularly inspired to dive into the series.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute novella. I love Kiki's Kincaid pack so it was nice to see this couple get together. This is a prequel so it was cool to see how the pack was before the events of Alpha and His King.
The audiobook is so short and able to be listened to in just one sitting. Kirt Graves did a great job as always.

[Cesco · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t really have any opinions on this. It’s a pretty mid novella, but I think novellas are supposed to be chill and can’t contain too much without being unfulfilling. However, the lack of conflict and misleading synopsis got me rating this more of a 2.5.

[Judy Ferrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victor runs from his pack with the help of his cousin Marcus. He gets a job at Moma's Dinner and meets Cole. Love these books!

[The Secret Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4
Steam: 2
PoV: dual, 1st person
Genre: paranormal romance, MM
Main tropes: fated mates, shifters, age gap

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️

[Alex (HEABookNerd) · Rating 4 out of 5]

NEW PACK FOR NEW YEAR was a great introduction to the KINCAID PACK series and it has me really excited to read more by this author! The writing immediately pulled me in and I loved the characters. I'm a big sucker for shifter romances and the Kincaid pack seems so loving and supportive of each other which is my favorite kind of shifter pack dynamic.

Victor and Cole were really sweet together and even though this is a fated mates romance and they fall really fast, I enjoyed it. I loved how affectionate Cole was with Victor which was really important because of Victor’s terrible upbringing. I'm really looking forward to this new series!

Content Warning: Victor’s previous pack and his parents were abusive

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Connected Series
1. Kincaid Pack
2. The Mobster's Mate (standalone)
3. Silver Oak Pack

[Abigail Beckwith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's Kiki Clark's "A New Pack for New Year." It's the prequel novella for her Kincaid Pack series.

["Injured and terrified, Victor runs for his life and right into the arms of the last person he expected to find: his true mate.

Living in a pack who viewed imperfections as weaknesses that needed to be eliminated, Victor is lucky to escape alive. He’s heard of the Kincaid Pack’s strong but fair alpha, but he has trouble truly believing he won’t be targeted once more if his shameful secret is discovered.

When Cole meets a young man with fear in his eyes and pain in his scent, he recognizes him as his mate on sight. His excitement is short-lived, however, when they find out Victor’s life is still in danger from what his old pack did to him.

After a lifetime of being abandoned by others, Victor has an important decision to make: Will he choose to trust the mate fate gave him?
Or will he run again?"]

This book was fabulous! It had the utter perfection of instant-feels of that fate mates that I looove in paranormal romances. It was romantic and utterly adorable. It shocked both of them, but it brought both of them sooo much comfort and safety.

Though, the epilogue insinuates that safety isn't exactly on the top of things in this series, as if officially starts in the next installment. That's okay, that's why we have fated mates and found family.

Trigger warnings: toxic and abusive parents, violence, attempted murder, and more.

#anewpackfornewyear #thealphaandhisking #thesecondandhisbonded #thedeputyandhisenforcer #hishunterandhismates #theenforcerandhisheart #thewitchandhisdoctor #themobstersmate #kincaidpack #kincaidpackseries #kikiclark #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

[Manuela · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had been sitting on the first of the books of the Kincaid pack and got my hands on the prequel. Yep, trying to read them in chronological order.

The prequel shows the dark side of packs in this universe. Conservative pack leaders rule over their packs like despots with the right to punish and kill if they think something is wrong with their pack members. So when 18 year old Victor runs, he runs for his life. Already badly injured he decides to join the Kincaid pack where his cousin is Beta, after he was ousted from the pack and worked for the council for years. So lets say that the supportive characters have a really well developed background and are there for a reason, maybe even to get a book of their own later on.
Another relatively new part of the pack is the Browning family who runs a restaurant in the town. Cole is worried about his mom so he finally asks the pack for help with the restaurant. Cole's family are lion shifters and Victor learns that the Kincaid pack isn't just wolves and shifters, but witches too.
So when Victor gets interviewed by Cole for the bus boy role in the restaurant, Cole's lion recognises Victor as his mate. But Victor still thinks he has trouble shifting, especially because his previous pack leader tried to kill him.
This is a quick read with some cute shifting, a bit of shifter mating and a secret buyer for Cole's investment property outside of town.
I read it back to back with the first book of the Kincaid Pack.

[Heather Duff · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Let me start by saying…that first kiss…top 5!!

This was a fantastic prequel novella that gave me all the feels and the perfect introduction to a shifter pack that I’ve been wanting to get to know.

Victor is a gentle young man who had to find strength at his core to escape his previous pack who didn’t see his value. With the help of his cousin, he’s been welcomed into the Kincaid Pack. Where he meets Cole, a member of the pack who helps run the family diner.

Their connection is strong and the sense of safety Cole gives Victor is perfection.

Seriously, I loved everything about these two. The way they navigated through the turmoil of Victor’s past, and the discovery that they are mates was so well done. I adore them both, and can’t wait to meet the rest of the pack.

If you listen to audiobooks, then I highly recommend this one. Narrated by Kirt Graves, he did an excellent job at bringing this story to life and capturing the characters.

[KP · Rating 3 out of 5]

#0.5 A New Pack for New Year: ★★★✮☆ | 3.5 stars

This is a sweet little short story that takes place about 3 years prior to the main series.

Victor escapes his abusive parents and former alpha and comes to the Kincaid pack with the help of his cousin Marcus. When he shows up at the local diner to interview for a job he meets Cole, a lion shifter, and sparks fly.

Three Thoughts:
1. I really liked the hurt/comfort aspect of this story. Victor is reeling from the trauma of his first shift, and Cole is so incredibly kind and patient with thim.
2. I loved how close Cole was to his family, and that his mom takes to Victor immediately. Victor really needed parental love and acceptance and I so glad he got it.
3. The age gap was pretty significant, but it makes sense for the story. And, I felt like it was handled well.

Though this is considered a prequel, I think it should definitely be read at least after Book 3 (when we first meet Victor) or maybe even after Book 4. I think the story will make a lot more sense once you have a better understanding of the world, and the plot of the main series.

content warnings: violence, emotional abuse, sex (on page)

[RestlessPages]

I'm surprised that I don't see this mentioned in reviews, but the blurb is quite misleading. That is not to say that this book sucks or anything like that, no; far from that. I really enjoyed this hurt-comfort read and Victor and Cole were very sweet together. I'm intrigued by the pack dynamics and side characters and I definitely want to continue with the series.

But man, that blurb. "Injured and terrified, Victor runs for his life and right into the arms of the last person he expected to find: his true mate."
First, Victor's running away wasn't nearly as filled with tension as it sounds. Victor's escape was planned and aided by his cousin Marcus and his pack (Kincaid's pack), so the first chapter opens up with Victor finding a car that they left for him (with a key in), so he gets in and drives to their mansion. No one is chasing him and, in fact, throughout the story, his previous pack is very disinterested in getting him back and there's zero angst from that. When he arrives, Marcus and his alpha Kincaid welcome Victor to the new pack.
Second, Victor doesn't "run right into the arms" of his true mate, and I get it that the author didn't mean it literally, but their first meeting wasn't nearly as "dramatic" as I expected (and hoped for, to be honest) from the blurb. After arriving to his new pack, Victor settles in with Marcus at his new home, then Marcus arranges an interview for Victor's new job at Cole's diner. Marcus drives Victor to the diner early in the morning, Cole's mom lets Victor wait in the office, then Cole arrives, enters the office, they see each other and feel the pull. It was quite casual, I'd say.

"After a lifetime of being abandoned by others, Victor has an important decision to make: Will he choose to trust the mate fate gave him? Or will he run again?"
So, there was really none of this in the book. Both Victor and Cole are accepting of their bond from the start and not once did Victor consider running away. He was worried about not being accepted and he wanted to prove himself to his new pack, but no conflicting thoughts or emotions or "important decisions to make" about running away from either the bond or the pack.

So, it was truly different from what the blurb promised. Thankfully, I liked what I got anyways. It's a hurt-comfort, low-angst and very heartwarming read. The support and acceptance that Victor received from the pack melted my heart and I really need to see more of this pack.

°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*⁀°•*
*General Notes*
-werewolf x lion shifter, fated mates, age gap

*Intimacy Notes*
-Top/bottom/verse: versatile but no switching on page
-Kinks: (will add)
-Other: //

[GreenwingReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

My review is for the audiobook version.

This novella is a short prequel to the Kincaid Pack series. It might not be a full-length novel, but it has just as much to offer. I absolutely loved Cole and Victor.

Kirt Graves has such a lovely voice, I adore every audiobook I have listened to him narrate. I find his voice really soothing.

As for the story, it was sweet, swoony, funny, and spicy. Victor was such a sweetheart that had been through absolute hell and deserved the new start he found in with the Kincaid pack. Once he was given the chance to really shine, he absolutely did. His sass was so funny and he was so cute with Cole, I found myself smiling a lot as I listened.

Cole is older and more established, but it's clear there is something missing in his life. Turns out, that something was his mate. From the moment they met, he was all in for Victor. He was patient, kind, and so sweet and protective. He is exactly what Victor needed and deserved.

I'll be coming back to this audiobook again and again when I need a quick, low-angst, pick-me-up story.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good novella. I loved the comments in consent and navigation of family and community, and I’m looking forward to reading more in the series cuz (1) I need these characters stories and (2) I love the world building already set up. I will say some of the pacing felt a little jumpy and I feel like the stuff with Victor’s old pack is presented in the synopsis as big conflict, but it felt more incidental as the story went on; it was much more focused on personal growth and emotional intimacy. Also, the epilogue seems to be more setting up for the fourth book I think so while I read this as a prequel, I think it would’ve worked better had I read it closer to publication order (which based on book listing in front matter is after 3rd book) due to the epilogue. Overall I enjoyed this and I’m definitely looking forward to continuing the series. It was a great brain-break book to kinda give myself space from heavier books.

[Belinda Zamora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Victor is literally running for his life, having been injured and rejected from his former pack for being being different.
He runs to his cousin Marcus an enforcer for the Kincaid pack who was also exiled for the same reasons.
Victor is so sweet and he's had quite a few years of being hated simply for existing.
When he gets to the Kincaid pack he's terrified of not being good enough but thankfully Alpha Kincaid is very kind and welcoming.
Marcus is very stoic but loves Victor and is insistent on him knowing just how safe and cared for he is.
Meeting his mate Cole is a revelation because he's not aware of mate bonds because his wolf is weak.
Getting to see Cole show Victor how much he's loved and cherished was wonderful.
It was wonderful getting to see some of the pack at it's beginning.
Kirt Graves did an amazing job bringing these characters to life.

[Angela Nichols · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a short story, but a well written one. So it may not have as much depth as a full length novel but it still did a fantastic job at setting up for the series. Victor has been in a pack that treated him horribly. He runs to his cousin’s pack for safety after he is 18. Victor is such a brave and strong kid. He got himself-with some help of course-out of this horribly situation. He had to reach out and make those first steps. So amazingly strong. And at his new pack he goes to a job interview and meets his fated mate! Coke was wonderful. So responsible, so caring, abs so ecstatic to finally meet his mate. He is so supportive of Victor in general but especially doing what he can to encourage Victor while he is healing. They were so wonderful together and I loved the quick glimpse of them a few years later. Fantastic story!

[Amy Weller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!

This book is amazing! I have read several of Kiki’s books and have loved them all and this one is no exception! The tale of Cole and Victor is filled with love, family and a bit of danger and is an absolute must read! Victor’s inability to shift into his wolf form will send him running to the Kincaid pack where his cousin, Marcus is a beta. I love how the pack, especially their Alpha, pull Victor in right away and make him feel safe and cared for. They will go to any length to help him find the reason for his issue and I love the way it all turns out. The fact that Cole and Victor are mates and find each other right away is an extra bonus! I can’t wait to read more about the Kincaid pack, this book has got me hooked!

[Delight · Rating 4 out of 5]

If there is something I have learned about reading reader's reviews is that they can make you either hate or love a book without you reading it. They can even make you not enjoy it so I will always advice that you go for those with at least 3 stars rating or to be safer, 4 stars. I almost didn't want to start this but after reading it, I realised that some readers didn't actually read this. They have put up wrong descriptions about the books and wrong narrative. So read it if you may and come up with your own conclusion. For me, it was a great introduction into the Kincaid pack story because it got me really intrigued. I want to know more about everything and everyone in the pack. I hope it will be worth it...

[Ash · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another reviewer described this as “underwhelming,” and I agree. The storyline is okay, but the characters aren’t ones I connected with or enjoyed, and the progression of events isn’t… smooth?

I gag for a good age gap, but I feel that Victor could/should have been aged up a few years (maybe 21, as someone else suggested). We begin with Victor going in for a job interview with Cole (already a “tier below” in general status) and Victor’s lack of connection with his wolf (one tier down in shifter status), so the slightly uncomfortable combination of Victor not even knowing they were mates and wondering if kissing the interviewing staff was part of the process was made into a bit more uncomfortable situation by the years of experience between a 30-something with a “fresh” 18yo.

Overall, it isn’t a novella I’ll revisit or even remember beyond the age gap. I had high hopes for it, but I checked it off my TBR with a feeling of disappointment.

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't read a lot of shifter-focused books, mostly because something about them always makes me wary, even if I can't quite pinpoint it. But when I got a copy of this one through Kiki's newsletter, I had to try it. And I'm so glad I did because I loved this more than I thought I would and instantly got the rest of the series. Cole and Victor are so sweet together and while Fated Mate stories can often come across as insta-love, especially in a novella, this one was done very well. I look forward to diving into the rest of the series, and I have high hopes that I've found another author to add to my favorites.

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This prequel story is a super cute and sweet expansion of Kiki Clark's Kincaid Pack series. While it doesn't go into the suspense plot of the main storyline, it does a nice job of teasing what is to come in the this novella's epilogue without giving any spoilers. The story doesn't need to be read or listened to in order to get the full story of the Kincaid Pack series, but it does expand on a couple of side characters that you meet in the main story, like Erika and Victor, so it was a neat read to get a little more of their background.

This is also another win in terms of narration by Kirt Graves. He just does a wonderful job of bringing the characters and story to life.