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Selected
Sometimes your wolf knows better than you.
Time is running out for shifter Ray. With his thirtieth birthday fast approaching, he knows he must select a mate or lose the coveted rank of Beta to the Ghuardian.
Fiercely independent Rajini has to stay with a hostile Beta as his potential mate. Desperate to return to her pack, Rajini agrees to complete the three-month trial, despite constantly clashing with the arrogant and overbearing Ray.
But with their inner wolves deciding they are a perfect match, Ray and Rajini find it impossible to deny the passion that threatens to consume them. Will they follow their hearts or fight against their nature?
Time is running out for shifter Ray. With his thirtieth birthday fast approaching, he knows he must select a mate or lose the coveted rank of Beta to the Ghuardian.
Fiercely independent Rajini has to stay with a hostile Beta as his potential mate. Desperate to return to her pack, Rajini agrees to complete the three-month trial, despite constantly clashing with the arrogant and overbearing Ray.
But with their inner wolves deciding they are a perfect match, Ray and Rajini find it impossible to deny the passion that threatens to consume them. Will they follow their hearts or fight against their nature?
360 pages, Paperback
Published June 15, 2022
1 person is currently reading
103 people want to read
About the author
M.L. Francis
8 books44 followersHi everyone
I'm a paranormal romance author with a love for slowburns and strong female and male leads.
Shifters are my love and life and therefore will always be in the books that I write.
Come and join me in their world.
M.L. Francis
I'm a paranormal romance author with a love for slowburns and strong female and male leads.
Shifters are my love and life and therefore will always be in the books that I write.
Come and join me in their world.
M.L. Francis
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
June 3, 2022
Listen to your wolf. Trust your wolf.
The time has come for wolf shifter Ray to select a Mate in order to keep his rank as a Beta to the Ghuardian. With 30 fast approaching Ray knows his time is up and it is confirmed when he receives a letter from the Leyum informing him that they have already selected a potential Mate for him
Rajini who was perfectly content with her position as Beta for her Pack was devastated to receive a formal letter from the Leyum informing her that she has been selected as a potential Mate for a Beta in a pack in Montana.
Desperate to return to her pack, Rajini agrees to complete the three-month trial to prove whether or not if her and Ray are compatible and can work well together, despite constantly clashing with the arrogant and overbearing Ray. Unbeknownst to Ray and Rajini their wolves already decided that they were perfect for each other.
The chemistry between the two was raw and fiery but Ray's personal demons were keeping him from accepting his mate resulting in him having a constant battle with his wolf over control. Classic tale of man versus beast. Ray realizes that he and his wolf needs to be on one accord. Trusting his wolf's instincts maybe the very thing needed to find Peace and Love with Rajini.
Received an Advanced Reader's Copy for my honest review that I am leaving voluntarily. Waiting for what is coming next in this series
The time has come for wolf shifter Ray to select a Mate in order to keep his rank as a Beta to the Ghuardian. With 30 fast approaching Ray knows his time is up and it is confirmed when he receives a letter from the Leyum informing him that they have already selected a potential Mate for him
Rajini who was perfectly content with her position as Beta for her Pack was devastated to receive a formal letter from the Leyum informing her that she has been selected as a potential Mate for a Beta in a pack in Montana.
Desperate to return to her pack, Rajini agrees to complete the three-month trial to prove whether or not if her and Ray are compatible and can work well together, despite constantly clashing with the arrogant and overbearing Ray. Unbeknownst to Ray and Rajini their wolves already decided that they were perfect for each other.
The chemistry between the two was raw and fiery but Ray's personal demons were keeping him from accepting his mate resulting in him having a constant battle with his wolf over control. Classic tale of man versus beast. Ray realizes that he and his wolf needs to be on one accord. Trusting his wolf's instincts maybe the very thing needed to find Peace and Love with Rajini.
Received an Advanced Reader's Copy for my honest review that I am leaving voluntarily. Waiting for what is coming next in this series
June 10, 2021
When the characters stick with you long after finishing the book, you know it's a great one. M.L. Francis does an amazing job of telling this tale that's packed with action, drama, well-rounded characters that you'll root for, plus a whole lot of heat. I absolutely loved this story and can't wait for more!
June 15, 2022
A Stunning Debut that hits all the right spots!!
After reading the blurb for Selected I was instantly intrigued and knew it sounded like something I would love, but as always going into a debut you keep everything crossed that the whole story lives up to the excitement that the blurb created.............well ill tell you now , this book was everything I wanted and oh so much more!
M. L. Francis gives us a shifter romance that will keep you on the edge of your seat just waiting for the next fork in the road to appear, because come on when do shifters ever have it easy 🤣, her writing flows easily over the pages keeping the reader hooked page after page.
The world building and character development from both MC's was a pleasure to read ,and I cant write this review without adding in the amazing cast of secondary characters I've got a feeling that Bryan is going to be a firm favorite throughout this series , .......and now to that ending!!!!.........what was that 😱.......I'm going to be needing book 2 asap!!
All in all I absolutely loved every minute of this book and as this was the authors debut I'm so excited to see where she goes from here
M. L. Francis is a brand spanking new author that absolutely deserves a place on everyone's must read lists!!!
After reading the blurb for Selected I was instantly intrigued and knew it sounded like something I would love, but as always going into a debut you keep everything crossed that the whole story lives up to the excitement that the blurb created.............well ill tell you now , this book was everything I wanted and oh so much more!
M. L. Francis gives us a shifter romance that will keep you on the edge of your seat just waiting for the next fork in the road to appear, because come on when do shifters ever have it easy 🤣, her writing flows easily over the pages keeping the reader hooked page after page.
The world building and character development from both MC's was a pleasure to read ,and I cant write this review without adding in the amazing cast of secondary characters I've got a feeling that Bryan is going to be a firm favorite throughout this series , .......and now to that ending!!!!.........what was that 😱.......I'm going to be needing book 2 asap!!
All in all I absolutely loved every minute of this book and as this was the authors debut I'm so excited to see where she goes from here
M. L. Francis is a brand spanking new author that absolutely deserves a place on everyone's must read lists!!!
December 15, 2020
3.5/5 stars
You can read this for free on Tapas here.
tl;dr: With some tighter editing, this could really be a great novel. The author really nailed building up the characters and their relationship, and created a world that piques one's curiosity. Some bits weren't super strong to me, but it left me wanting to read the sequel, so take from that what you will ;)
And while the author states this is a stand alone, there are questions unanswered at the end, just a heads up!
Not tl;dr:
It's been a while since I've read a romance novel, and I've been meaning to support more online creators, so I decided to give this one a shot. I've only read a couple shifters in the past, but I appreciate that the author didn't use any complex genre-specific terminology that only those more familiar with the genre would know. (I had that happen in fantasy, it gets annoying.) This book is very welcoming, and even builds up its own unique world compared to the other shifter novels I've read.
But before I get too far into the bits I loved, I wanted to 'quickly' (I know I type a lot XD) go over the negatives.
The first thing I noticed going into this novel was that the two lead characters have similar names. Rajini and Ray. It's a personal nit-pick, but it took me a couple reminders to remember who was who.
And, as I expected going into a web-novel, which are typically less polished than published novels, there were some editing mistakes.
This was exactly how it was laid out in chapter one. There were several other repetitive parts throughout the novel. I'm not overly fond of the same words/wording being used in close proximity. (The chapter "Gunshot" in particular had this a lot. And I recall one short paragraph near the end of the book with the word "pack" used several times. While meaning "pack your bags" and "wolf pack", the repetition was still awkward.)
I noticed a couple cases of they're/their mistakes early on, though in later chapters I didn't see it.
'Telling vs showing' was also common, to have a scene play out and then the meaning (or summary) stated again after. (Sometimes the same information repeated a couple chapters later.) It can sometimes work, depending on how it's done, but most of the time with this novel, like this scene for example, it's understood already that he was close to those people just by him crying. We didn't need to be told they were likely friends. To me the little summaries often break the immersion, like the story pauses and the characters are speaking directly to me. (Works for fourth wall breaking moments, if desired, but I don't think that's intended here.) Often while giving little bits of info about the setting or how things worked in this world, they were stated again later, and again later. I'm not sure if the repeated summaries are due to this being a web-novel though? Readers could potentially be forgetful and authors might want to address that in some way? I've not read too many web-novels. When binging chapters though, it's obvious repetition.
Also, minor nit pick, it's a personal preference thing, but the constant mentions of exact time was a bit distracting. "They stared at each other for ten seconds," "They walked in silence for 30 minutes," etc. I'm just not a fan. It makes me sit back for a second having to imagine the time passage, and some of them would be so long and awkward. I much prefer things like, "a moment", "a few seconds", "a while", "for some time", etc. Keeps things loose in my head, the words flowing more fluidly, while still getting the point across.
I do want to add that I wish there had been a touch more detail when it came to visuals. What someone or something looked like. Things were often rather vague. A bit more on the settings and the characters would've been nice. (Colors, particular structures/elements, specific sounds/sights, skin tone, body type, quirks, etc.) Especially since this is a romance, it could've been an interesting character bit to have them point out something unique they noticed in each other. Just something more than hair, eyes, and for the male--jawline. I'm not saying a ton of extra detail, but another word or sentence or two here and there could add a lot, I think.
Again, I'm not sure how thoroughly this story has been edited, so I won't be harsh on this from now on. I just wanted to at least mention those bits. While I address them in this review, my final rating was not much affected by it.
Okay, the positives!
I liked the fact that humans know about the wolves/Changelings. While I haven't read many shifter novels, of the ones I have, all of them involve secrecy from humans, so this was a really neat twist!
Having the inner wolves be separate and unique characters was also really unique! Each Changeling had a wolf inside them that could react to each situation, sometimes in agreement, sometimes not, haha. Their personalities can be pretty different from their wolf, so seeing the interactions between everything was neat, and made for some nice character moments/scenes.
The gradual information given out throughout the story was well done! (Apart from what I mentioned above with the repetition.) Sometimes I come across stories that do info dump after info dump, but this one was much more natural. Readers don't have to know everything at once, and immersing the details in the story can make me feel more like I belong rather than I'm being talked to like a tourist.
I also love the unique voices of every character. I was a little overwhelmed at first with so many introduced early on, but it worked itself out as I got to know them. It helped a lot that each could really stand on their own. I know I struggle a lot with that whenever I write characters, so I applaud the ones that can, it's a tricky skill!
The switching POVs between the two main leads was quite seamless and well executed. I appreciated getting information from both characters, how they each thought/felt about things, and sometimes how different scenes played out for each of them. (A couple chapters had overlapping timings, so we could see what each character was doing on their own during the same time period.) Added a lot of extra depth to the characters.
Definitely the strongest aspect of this novel were the characters. That really held the plot together for me and kept me going, curious to see how things would pan out. (Well, we all know /what/ the ending is, but the /how/ we get there is the interesting bit!) I wish the rest of the story held its own as strongly. Perhaps the editing made things a little slow, but I didn't find myself itching to find out about the sub-plot . Which is odd, since I do love stories like that, but I think maybe the focus was strongly on aspects working up to it in a way that didn't click with me, , that things dragged a little. Towards the end, it improved for me a bit though.
It was clear a lot more effort was put into the characters' story first, which is fine, this is a romance novel first and foremost. It /should/ have well written characters, haha. Rajini was definitely a strong woman, I liked that she didn't back down and could hold her own. She didn't shy away from her opinions. She was still stubborn and childish at first, but she grew up as the story went on, learned that the world was a lot bigger than what she thought. Ray was similar, a big baby at the start, selfish and arrogant, but was humbled. I loved his internal struggle with his history, his parents, and his fears. Made him really relatable. They had to learn to get along, learn about each other, and themselves.
Loved that bit xD
The ending was definitely the strongest part of the novel for me, which is great! Ends on a strong note. The author really builds up their relationship throughout the novel and it pays off in the end. The interaction at that pivotal point with Ray was touching. Ray's character definitely irked me at first, but in a way that he's supposed to. But learning more and more about him, having it all work itself out to that moment, I loved it.
I know the author mentions that their novels can be read as a stand alone, but to be clear, not all questions are answered. I'm assuming more will be explained in the sequel.
Speaking of sequel, I definitely plan on reading it! :)
You can read this for free on Tapas here.
tl;dr: With some tighter editing, this could really be a great novel. The author really nailed building up the characters and their relationship, and created a world that piques one's curiosity. Some bits weren't super strong to me, but it left me wanting to read the sequel, so take from that what you will ;)
And while the author states this is a stand alone, there are questions unanswered at the end, just a heads up!
Not tl;dr:
It's been a while since I've read a romance novel, and I've been meaning to support more online creators, so I decided to give this one a shot. I've only read a couple shifters in the past, but I appreciate that the author didn't use any complex genre-specific terminology that only those more familiar with the genre would know. (I had that happen in fantasy, it gets annoying.) This book is very welcoming, and even builds up its own unique world compared to the other shifter novels I've read.
But before I get too far into the bits I loved, I wanted to 'quickly' (I know I type a lot XD) go over the negatives.
The first thing I noticed going into this novel was that the two lead characters have similar names. Rajini and Ray. It's a personal nit-pick, but it took me a couple reminders to remember who was who.
And, as I expected going into a web-novel, which are typically less polished than published novels, there were some editing mistakes.
The chair next to her scraped over the floor as her Alpha sat down beside her.
Rajini slowly lifted her head to look up at Adam who was now sitting beside her.
This was exactly how it was laid out in chapter one. There were several other repetitive parts throughout the novel. I'm not overly fond of the same words/wording being used in close proximity. (The chapter "Gunshot" in particular had this a lot. And I recall one short paragraph near the end of the book with the word "pack" used several times. While meaning "pack your bags" and "wolf pack", the repetition was still awkward.)
They're location was far from other packs [...]
I noticed a couple cases of they're/their mistakes early on, though in later chapters I didn't see it.
"Yes, we were sent out to track down Alice and Jake-" he stopped talking, taking a deep breath. Rajini could see the shimmer of tears in his eyes.
She walked over to Luke and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Take your time," she told him gently, giving him a soft squeeze. The chances were high that both Alice and Jake were his friends.
'Telling vs showing' was also common, to have a scene play out and then the meaning (or summary) stated again after. (Sometimes the same information repeated a couple chapters later.) It can sometimes work, depending on how it's done, but most of the time with this novel, like this scene for example, it's understood already that he was close to those people just by him crying. We didn't need to be told they were likely friends. To me the little summaries often break the immersion, like the story pauses and the characters are speaking directly to me. (Works for fourth wall breaking moments, if desired, but I don't think that's intended here.) Often while giving little bits of info about the setting or how things worked in this world, they were stated again later, and again later. I'm not sure if the repeated summaries are due to this being a web-novel though? Readers could potentially be forgetful and authors might want to address that in some way? I've not read too many web-novels. When binging chapters though, it's obvious repetition.
Also, minor nit pick, it's a personal preference thing, but the constant mentions of exact time was a bit distracting. "They stared at each other for ten seconds," "They walked in silence for 30 minutes," etc. I'm just not a fan. It makes me sit back for a second having to imagine the time passage, and some of them would be so long and awkward. I much prefer things like, "a moment", "a few seconds", "a while", "for some time", etc. Keeps things loose in my head, the words flowing more fluidly, while still getting the point across.
I do want to add that I wish there had been a touch more detail when it came to visuals. What someone or something looked like. Things were often rather vague. A bit more on the settings and the characters would've been nice. (Colors, particular structures/elements, specific sounds/sights, skin tone, body type, quirks, etc.) Especially since this is a romance, it could've been an interesting character bit to have them point out something unique they noticed in each other. Just something more than hair, eyes, and for the male--jawline. I'm not saying a ton of extra detail, but another word or sentence or two here and there could add a lot, I think.
Again, I'm not sure how thoroughly this story has been edited, so I won't be harsh on this from now on. I just wanted to at least mention those bits. While I address them in this review, my final rating was not much affected by it.
Okay, the positives!
Rajini looked at the forest in front of her, it was a vast sight to behold. Behind her was a massive human city and just in front, an ancient dense forest. Old meeting new, nature meeting concrete.
I liked the fact that humans know about the wolves/Changelings. While I haven't read many shifter novels, of the ones I have, all of them involve secrecy from humans, so this was a really neat twist!
Having the inner wolves be separate and unique characters was also really unique! Each Changeling had a wolf inside them that could react to each situation, sometimes in agreement, sometimes not, haha. Their personalities can be pretty different from their wolf, so seeing the interactions between everything was neat, and made for some nice character moments/scenes.
The gradual information given out throughout the story was well done! (Apart from what I mentioned above with the repetition.) Sometimes I come across stories that do info dump after info dump, but this one was much more natural. Readers don't have to know everything at once, and immersing the details in the story can make me feel more like I belong rather than I'm being talked to like a tourist.
I also love the unique voices of every character. I was a little overwhelmed at first with so many introduced early on, but it worked itself out as I got to know them. It helped a lot that each could really stand on their own. I know I struggle a lot with that whenever I write characters, so I applaud the ones that can, it's a tricky skill!
The switching POVs between the two main leads was quite seamless and well executed. I appreciated getting information from both characters, how they each thought/felt about things, and sometimes how different scenes played out for each of them. (A couple chapters had overlapping timings, so we could see what each character was doing on their own during the same time period.) Added a lot of extra depth to the characters.
Definitely the strongest aspect of this novel were the characters. That really held the plot together for me and kept me going, curious to see how things would pan out. (Well, we all know /what/ the ending is, but the /how/ we get there is the interesting bit!) I wish the rest of the story held its own as strongly. Perhaps the editing made things a little slow, but I didn't find myself itching to find out about the sub-plot . Which is odd, since I do love stories like that, but I think maybe the focus was strongly on aspects working up to it in a way that didn't click with me, , that things dragged a little. Towards the end, it improved for me a bit though.
It was clear a lot more effort was put into the characters' story first, which is fine, this is a romance novel first and foremost. It /should/ have well written characters, haha. Rajini was definitely a strong woman, I liked that she didn't back down and could hold her own. She didn't shy away from her opinions. She was still stubborn and childish at first, but she grew up as the story went on, learned that the world was a lot bigger than what she thought. Ray was similar, a big baby at the start, selfish and arrogant, but was humbled. I loved his internal struggle with his history, his parents, and his fears. Made him really relatable. They had to learn to get along, learn about each other, and themselves.
"I didn't see you as someone who enjoys a bubble bath," she said, enjoying the fact that he was currently running his eyes up and down the length of her naked body.
"There are a lot of things of don't know about me," Ray answered as he pulled off his shirt.
Loved that bit xD
The ending was definitely the strongest part of the novel for me, which is great! Ends on a strong note. The author really builds up their relationship throughout the novel and it pays off in the end. The interaction at that pivotal point with Ray was touching. Ray's character definitely irked me at first, but in a way that he's supposed to. But learning more and more about him, having it all work itself out to that moment, I loved it.
I know the author mentions that their novels can be read as a stand alone, but to be clear, not all questions are answered. I'm assuming more will be explained in the sequel.
Speaking of sequel, I definitely plan on reading it! :)
June 16, 2022
Selected is the first book of the MoonClaw Series by M.L. Francis and a solid debut!
Francis weaves a compelling conspiracy into the slow burn romance between Ray and Rajini, two wolf shifters from different packs who have been selected to be mated to each other. Neither is happy about that arrangement at the beginning, but as events unfold, they slowly grow more fond of each other.
I especially enjoyed the female lead's development as she struggles with her fate at first, and then finds approval both in the eyes of her future mate as well as his pack. A clear recommendation for lovers of paranormal romance featuring shifters and their pack dynamics, slow burn and enemies to lovers (there's even copious amounts of only one bed available!)
I received an ARC from the author in return for my honest review!
Francis weaves a compelling conspiracy into the slow burn romance between Ray and Rajini, two wolf shifters from different packs who have been selected to be mated to each other. Neither is happy about that arrangement at the beginning, but as events unfold, they slowly grow more fond of each other.
I especially enjoyed the female lead's development as she struggles with her fate at first, and then finds approval both in the eyes of her future mate as well as his pack. A clear recommendation for lovers of paranormal romance featuring shifters and their pack dynamics, slow burn and enemies to lovers (there's even copious amounts of only one bed available!)
I received an ARC from the author in return for my honest review!
May 24, 2022
Selected by M.L.Francis.
Huge thank you to the author for this ARC copy which I fell completely in love with.
Selected is a dual POV tale about wolf shifters who are ‘selected’ to be mated, and initially fight that choice. They each face their own battles, their own wolves and some outside prejudice before they get on the correct path together. The book is fast paced, steamy and attention grabbing.
I loved this book! I read and enjoy a lot, but the thing that moves a book from ‘liked’ to ‘loved’ for me is the characters - and these characters are everything!
Rajini is fiery and strong, an absolute female role model who has ambition and power but also opens herself up to love and a very different future.
Ray is outwardly an absolute tower of strength, but inwardly lives with doubt and vulnerability.
The two of them push each other away but sometimes … there are forces that cannot be stopped, sometimes two people are meant to collide. And wow these two make some sparks! I was desperate for the two of them to listen to their inner wolves and get together, but this was definitely slow burn, with an element of enemies to lovers. What I would say is when that slow burn finally ignites it is 🔥🔥🔥!
I’m not a huge fan of world building, I’ve given up on some books where the first 30 or 40% is all lore and history and scene setting, that doesn’t grab my attention. I feel that ‘Selected’ gets the balance just right. You understand what’s going on and how the world is, but it isn’t the main part of the story - Ray and Rajini are undoubtedly the stars of the show!
I didn’t want it to end and I already need a sequel! As a side note I loved the chapter names, just a simple tease of a word from the forthcoming chapter.
A very talented author and I will be looking out for more from them!
Huge thank you to the author for this ARC copy which I fell completely in love with.
Selected is a dual POV tale about wolf shifters who are ‘selected’ to be mated, and initially fight that choice. They each face their own battles, their own wolves and some outside prejudice before they get on the correct path together. The book is fast paced, steamy and attention grabbing.
I loved this book! I read and enjoy a lot, but the thing that moves a book from ‘liked’ to ‘loved’ for me is the characters - and these characters are everything!
Rajini is fiery and strong, an absolute female role model who has ambition and power but also opens herself up to love and a very different future.
Ray is outwardly an absolute tower of strength, but inwardly lives with doubt and vulnerability.
The two of them push each other away but sometimes … there are forces that cannot be stopped, sometimes two people are meant to collide. And wow these two make some sparks! I was desperate for the two of them to listen to their inner wolves and get together, but this was definitely slow burn, with an element of enemies to lovers. What I would say is when that slow burn finally ignites it is 🔥🔥🔥!
I’m not a huge fan of world building, I’ve given up on some books where the first 30 or 40% is all lore and history and scene setting, that doesn’t grab my attention. I feel that ‘Selected’ gets the balance just right. You understand what’s going on and how the world is, but it isn’t the main part of the story - Ray and Rajini are undoubtedly the stars of the show!
I didn’t want it to end and I already need a sequel! As a side note I loved the chapter names, just a simple tease of a word from the forthcoming chapter.
A very talented author and I will be looking out for more from them!
June 1, 2022
• 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 •
𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Selected
𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: MoonClaw Series #1
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: M.L. Francis
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ☆☆☆☆ 4/5
𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲: 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
What an amazing (wolf)shifter romance. This book made me realize I need to read way more shifters books. I really enjoyed the pacing of the book. There is a lot of action and suspense in there whilst also having a sizzling romance. Both made me want to keep on turning the pages and made me like the pacing as well. The attraction between the main characters was very evident. There is a lot of push and pull between them, which sometimes puts me off, but in this story it was very well balanced. The build up of the relationship between the characters was nice as well and there were some unexpected things that happened. It has a, in my opinion, small cliffhanger at the end. That said, I did like how the relationship between the main characters has developed so far. I will be reading the next book and to be honest, I can’t wait for it! I need more, there are still a lot of questions that I need answers to.
A lot of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld
𝗧𝗶𝘁𝗹𝗲: Selected
𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: MoonClaw Series #1
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: M.L. Francis
𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ☆☆☆☆ 4/5
𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲: 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘙𝘊. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.
What an amazing (wolf)shifter romance. This book made me realize I need to read way more shifters books. I really enjoyed the pacing of the book. There is a lot of action and suspense in there whilst also having a sizzling romance. Both made me want to keep on turning the pages and made me like the pacing as well. The attraction between the main characters was very evident. There is a lot of push and pull between them, which sometimes puts me off, but in this story it was very well balanced. The build up of the relationship between the characters was nice as well and there were some unexpected things that happened. It has a, in my opinion, small cliffhanger at the end. That said, I did like how the relationship between the main characters has developed so far. I will be reading the next book and to be honest, I can’t wait for it! I need more, there are still a lot of questions that I need answers to.
A lot of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld
June 7, 2022
Where to begin with this book. I am such a sucker for fated mate true love romance and this one just DELIVERED. I absolutely fell in love with Ray (the male mc). He's broody, he's protective, he's passionate. Just, ugh. I loved him. And the girl? A kick ass heroine who isn't afraid to fight right alongside the guys. The worldbuilding was excellent and the sexual tension between the main characters was unreal. It was a beautiful love story and I was all in. I feel these characters and their story will stay with me for a long while.
I would definitely recommend this one and will be following this author, eager for more.
I would definitely recommend this one and will be following this author, eager for more.
September 29, 2020
This book was amazing! Such a talented writer and friend. Ray and Rajini captured my heart from the beginning and I can't wait to continue reading the series.
September 27, 2020
An amazing read, with a fresh look on the genre!
June 23, 2022
Selected is the debut of M.L. Francis and also the first part in her MoonClaw series. I got to know this author in a group on bookstagram, and when I heard she was looking for reviewers the only thing I could say was yes. This book is a fantasy about wolfshifters. What will I think of this debut?
Find out in my review on my blog Boekensteeg
Find out in my review on my blog Boekensteeg
May 24, 2023
This book was really great !! I loved it, and that ending ohhh my god ! I can’t wait to know what happens next ! I love how the book is written, the characters are so unique and well-built.
Ray is a Beta for the Ghuardian and has to get mated since he reaches 30. However, he does everything to scare the selected females and reject them. But the Leyum is still not discouraged and chooses to send him Rajini. Rajini is a Beta in her pack, a position rarely held by women, her pack is small and struggles to survive each year. She thought that she could escape the mating pool as her position put her in a difficult situation but she’s still chosen for Ray and sent to his pack for a 3 months trial.
Rajini is a really strong female, who is not scared to fight back and she doesn’t let Ray dictate her. She throws as much blow as him and as she doesn’t want to mate either, she prefers to make friends with Bryan and avoids Ray. Ray is worse, he’s dominating and angry, he’s strongly opposed to the mating but still attracted to Rajini, especially to her fierceness. However, they will have to cooperate for the trials imposed by the Leyum to test their bonding, and they finally start to slowly, really slowly learn about each other. As their relationship grows, the Pack is subjected to strange attacks that don’t make any sense - overall the story is focused on their relationship but a bigger plot is at play and starting to be put in place - which is really intriguing and frustrating at the same time because I want to know what’s happening !!
I truly enjoyed that book, and I would recommend it for sure. Throughout the whole book, there is this fight for female wolf rights, as they are discarded as just mated female for child-bearing but Nikolai the Ghuardian is not obtuse and want to fight the Leyum to change things. I love other characters such as Nikolai for sure, Bryan who is charming and funny, but also Tala, and it would be amazing to read their stories !!
I received an advanced reader copy (honest review).
Ray is a Beta for the Ghuardian and has to get mated since he reaches 30. However, he does everything to scare the selected females and reject them. But the Leyum is still not discouraged and chooses to send him Rajini. Rajini is a Beta in her pack, a position rarely held by women, her pack is small and struggles to survive each year. She thought that she could escape the mating pool as her position put her in a difficult situation but she’s still chosen for Ray and sent to his pack for a 3 months trial.
Rajini is a really strong female, who is not scared to fight back and she doesn’t let Ray dictate her. She throws as much blow as him and as she doesn’t want to mate either, she prefers to make friends with Bryan and avoids Ray. Ray is worse, he’s dominating and angry, he’s strongly opposed to the mating but still attracted to Rajini, especially to her fierceness. However, they will have to cooperate for the trials imposed by the Leyum to test their bonding, and they finally start to slowly, really slowly learn about each other. As their relationship grows, the Pack is subjected to strange attacks that don’t make any sense - overall the story is focused on their relationship but a bigger plot is at play and starting to be put in place - which is really intriguing and frustrating at the same time because I want to know what’s happening !!
I truly enjoyed that book, and I would recommend it for sure. Throughout the whole book, there is this fight for female wolf rights, as they are discarded as just mated female for child-bearing but Nikolai the Ghuardian is not obtuse and want to fight the Leyum to change things. I love other characters such as Nikolai for sure, Bryan who is charming and funny, but also Tala, and it would be amazing to read their stories !!
I received an advanced reader copy (honest review).
December 3, 2021
BRO
Pero pobre Tala weeey ;-;
Pero pobre Tala weeey ;-;
June 15, 2022
Nearing his 30th Birthday, Ray is without a Mate, which is required for him to keep his rank and position as Beta to the High Alpha of the Ghuardian. When he learns he must undergo a three month trial with a “Selected” he’s determined that he alone will find his mate, not the Council.
Rajini is unhappy to be chosen as “Selected” she wants nothing more than to stay in her mountain home away from a Beta who can’t find his own mate. However failing the Selection trial comes with consequences to both sides.
You can definitely understand the initial unhappiness of both characters, hostile to a forced situation. Ray is a reluctant hero in denial- will he listen to his wolf’s instincts? Rajini is fiercely independent but her wolf has other plans.
The initial slow tempo reflects the MC’s reluctance, but as denied chemistry ramps, so does that inner voice-or wolf- bringing with it satisfying character connection, and story tension.
Whilst facing their own trials, Ray & Rajini are called to a greater cause when mysterious events occur around the Ghuardian lands.
If you a love slow burn, forced pairing to lovers story, Selected is the first in a new shifter series. This debut is the first in the Moonclaw Series. I’m looking forward to the next instalment, and hopefully learning more about the other Ghuardian members.
ARC provided- thoughts and opinions are completely my own.
Rajini is unhappy to be chosen as “Selected” she wants nothing more than to stay in her mountain home away from a Beta who can’t find his own mate. However failing the Selection trial comes with consequences to both sides.
You can definitely understand the initial unhappiness of both characters, hostile to a forced situation. Ray is a reluctant hero in denial- will he listen to his wolf’s instincts? Rajini is fiercely independent but her wolf has other plans.
The initial slow tempo reflects the MC’s reluctance, but as denied chemistry ramps, so does that inner voice-or wolf- bringing with it satisfying character connection, and story tension.
Whilst facing their own trials, Ray & Rajini are called to a greater cause when mysterious events occur around the Ghuardian lands.
If you a love slow burn, forced pairing to lovers story, Selected is the first in a new shifter series. This debut is the first in the Moonclaw Series. I’m looking forward to the next instalment, and hopefully learning more about the other Ghuardian members.
ARC provided- thoughts and opinions are completely my own.
May 30, 2022
Well, how do I start this? Shall I start with the time inconsistency? A few weeks here, two more weeks there and another couple of weeks, then add a few days but it’s only been about a month. 🤨 Then how about a four day trip to a destination? But it didn’t take four days to get back?!?
Don’t forget about I’m a petite kinda female but took two huge alpha males down at the same time 🧐
Or just the fact that Ray is so freaking childish and idiotic that he never should have made any kind of rank.
I started skimming the words instead of truly reading them.
Oh and the formatting!
But I digress…
Things like this really took me out of the reading experience and I don’t think I’ll continue with the series.
I received this book for an honest review and well, here it is.
Don’t forget about I’m a petite kinda female but took two huge alpha males down at the same time 🧐
Or just the fact that Ray is so freaking childish and idiotic that he never should have made any kind of rank.
I started skimming the words instead of truly reading them.
Oh and the formatting!
But I digress…
Things like this really took me out of the reading experience and I don’t think I’ll continue with the series.
I received this book for an honest review and well, here it is.
June 13, 2022
Review: Selected
Genre: PNR
Part of Series: Yes, book #1 in Moonclaw Series
Overall Score: 5/5
Short Summary: **SPOILER FREE** Rajini is a kickass FMC thrown together with an overbearing beta (who behaves a little more like your typical alpha a**hole). She's forced to spend a trial three months as his potential mate. Reluctantly she agrees for the good of her pack, and they're both forced to address what the energy between then is ; revulsion or attraction?!
What I liked:
The story is amazing with just the right amount of twists and character development. It kept me captivated. I literally couldn't put it down, can't wait for more!
I received an Advance Reader Copy and agreed to provide an honest review in return.
Genre: PNR
Part of Series: Yes, book #1 in Moonclaw Series
Overall Score: 5/5
Short Summary: **SPOILER FREE** Rajini is a kickass FMC thrown together with an overbearing beta (who behaves a little more like your typical alpha a**hole). She's forced to spend a trial three months as his potential mate. Reluctantly she agrees for the good of her pack, and they're both forced to address what the energy between then is ; revulsion or attraction?!
What I liked:
The story is amazing with just the right amount of twists and character development. It kept me captivated. I literally couldn't put it down, can't wait for more!
I received an Advance Reader Copy and agreed to provide an honest review in return.
October 23, 2024
I had trouble finding good romantasy books about werewolves. I met M.L Francis at a book event in Amsterdam and told her about my struggle. She signed and gave me this book. Selected gave me hope again that the werewolf romantasy genre hasn't died out.
I loved everything about this book, the emotional Journey of both main characters. The mature level of writing and in depth character build. The plot is mysterious and it makes you wander about what could happen next, you think you have an idea but can't confirm it yet. I couldn't put it down....
Definitely will read Tala's story in Healed & Spencer's story in Devided.
I loved everything about this book, the emotional Journey of both main characters. The mature level of writing and in depth character build. The plot is mysterious and it makes you wander about what could happen next, you think you have an idea but can't confirm it yet. I couldn't put it down....
Definitely will read Tala's story in Healed & Spencer's story in Devided.
June 7, 2022
I really enjoyed this shifter romance!!!
Honestly, it's been awhile since I read a shifter romance, and the one thing I always enjoy about them is how each author interprets the Shifter lore. Selected was no different. The tension and romance between the main characters was hot, and I definitely wanted to see how it was all going to play out. The author kept us on our toes right up until the final pages.
It can be read as a standalone (ie. the main characters' story is wrapped up at the end) BUT you're left with a lot of questions. I'll be excited to see how it all plays out!!!
Honestly, it's been awhile since I read a shifter romance, and the one thing I always enjoy about them is how each author interprets the Shifter lore. Selected was no different. The tension and romance between the main characters was hot, and I definitely wanted to see how it was all going to play out. The author kept us on our toes right up until the final pages.
It can be read as a standalone (ie. the main characters' story is wrapped up at the end) BUT you're left with a lot of questions. I'll be excited to see how it all plays out!!!
June 7, 2022
One of my favourite books of 2022!
Rajini and Ray’s slow-burn romance was one of the most compelling relationships I’ve read. It was fierce, fiery, and steamy. One particular scene stuck with me for weeks. It still enters my thoughts at times, and I’ve told two of my friends about it because I just HAD to share.
This novel doesn’t read as a debut. The author has a natural talent, and I can’t wait for the rest of the series. P.S I need more Kai <3
Rajini and Ray’s slow-burn romance was one of the most compelling relationships I’ve read. It was fierce, fiery, and steamy. One particular scene stuck with me for weeks. It still enters my thoughts at times, and I’ve told two of my friends about it because I just HAD to share.
This novel doesn’t read as a debut. The author has a natural talent, and I can’t wait for the rest of the series. P.S I need more Kai <3
July 10, 2022
I'm not a huge Werewolf fan. With that being said, this story made me like the genre again.
The main characters are both likable and charming, yet they get on each other's nerves. It feels like a refreshing take on the "Rachel and Ross" relationship.
Meanwhile, there's a mystery afoot that the main characters need to work together on to solve. I won't spoil anything, just give this one a read and support this amazing author!
The main characters are both likable and charming, yet they get on each other's nerves. It feels like a refreshing take on the "Rachel and Ross" relationship.
Meanwhile, there's a mystery afoot that the main characters need to work together on to solve. I won't spoil anything, just give this one a read and support this amazing author!
July 11, 2022
An amazing debut by M.L.Francis. Great worldbuilding and amazing characters! They keep running in your head after finishing the book, so it’s definitely a mist read! I’m curious for the second book to know what’s happening!
February 18, 2023
This book has everything: lovable characters, clever twists and turns, and it had me hooked from start to finish. M.L. Francis's writing style is both witty and engaging, and her ability to create vivid scenes and compelling characters is truly impressive. The only drawback is that this book is so captivating that it may keep you up way too late, as you will be inclined to read just one more chapter!
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