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The Lycans #1
Big Bad Wolf
Mikalina
It was a spur of the moment, maybe reckless, definitely a shock to everyone I knew when I decided to take a trip across the ocean to a foreign country and stay for an undetermined amount of time.
Renting out a cottage in a tiny European village whose residents barely spoke English was the perfect escape from overbearing parents, fake friends, and a future that seemed bleak. And helping out an elderly woman with her shopping to earn some extra cash seemed easy enough.
Mindless, hour-long walks through the thick woods that surrounded said village also sounded ideal. No Internet. No television. And just the bare basics to get me by.
Perfection. Stress-free. Exactly what I needed.
Or maybe I was wrong about it all.
I felt someone or something watching me from the darkened, dangerous woods.
I felt someone—something—stalking me.
I didn’t know what or who it was, but I knew with certainty it wasn’t human… and that it wanted me.
Ren
I wasn’t human, not completely.
A Lycan—a centuries-old wolf-like creature that was feared by all, stronger than anything on the planet, and who was only ever after one thing.
My mate.
For over three hundred years, I had one purpose in life. Find her, the one female born to be mine. My female who’d cause the Linking Instinct—that supernatural connection that told me she was mine and I hers—to finally take root and make me whole.
And for hundreds of years, I’d been alone, saving myself for my mate, never stopping the search.
Until I scented her, saw her, finally felt my heartbeat and the blood rush through my veins with hope and anticipation.
Mine.
She didn’t see me, but she sensed me. And she ran. She couldn’t possibly know how much the chase turned me on.
I didn’t know how I’d make her understand I could never let her go, that nothing and no one would stop me from making her mine.
Because once a Lycan found his mate… nothing in this world, nothing supernatural or human, could keep him from her.
It was a spur of the moment, maybe reckless, definitely a shock to everyone I knew when I decided to take a trip across the ocean to a foreign country and stay for an undetermined amount of time.
Renting out a cottage in a tiny European village whose residents barely spoke English was the perfect escape from overbearing parents, fake friends, and a future that seemed bleak. And helping out an elderly woman with her shopping to earn some extra cash seemed easy enough.
Mindless, hour-long walks through the thick woods that surrounded said village also sounded ideal. No Internet. No television. And just the bare basics to get me by.
Perfection. Stress-free. Exactly what I needed.
Or maybe I was wrong about it all.
I felt someone or something watching me from the darkened, dangerous woods.
I felt someone—something—stalking me.
I didn’t know what or who it was, but I knew with certainty it wasn’t human… and that it wanted me.
Ren
I wasn’t human, not completely.
A Lycan—a centuries-old wolf-like creature that was feared by all, stronger than anything on the planet, and who was only ever after one thing.
My mate.
For over three hundred years, I had one purpose in life. Find her, the one female born to be mine. My female who’d cause the Linking Instinct—that supernatural connection that told me she was mine and I hers—to finally take root and make me whole.
And for hundreds of years, I’d been alone, saving myself for my mate, never stopping the search.
Until I scented her, saw her, finally felt my heartbeat and the blood rush through my veins with hope and anticipation.
Mine.
She didn’t see me, but she sensed me. And she ran. She couldn’t possibly know how much the chase turned me on.
I didn’t know how I’d make her understand I could never let her go, that nothing and no one would stop me from making her mine.
Because once a Lycan found his mate… nothing in this world, nothing supernatural or human, could keep him from her.
5 pages, Audible Audio
First published January 25, 2021
1899 people are currently reading
4625 people want to read
About the author
Jenika Snow
438 books8,827 followersJenika Snow is a USA Today Bestselling Author, and has been a published writer since 2009.
She can be found at:
www.jenikasnow.com
FB: www.facebook.com/jenikasnow
Twitter: twitter.com/jenikasnow
Email: Jenika_Snow@yahoo.com
She can be found at:
www.jenikasnow.com
FB: www.facebook.com/jenikasnow
Twitter: twitter.com/jenikasnow
Email: Jenika_Snow@yahoo.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 735 reviews
February 3, 2021
Blink if you need help, Mika
Sometimes, dear friends, you receive a book recommendation that is just simply not good.
Today, that book was Big Bad Wolf, and it was recommended to me by the algorithm inside my Kindle that has no idea what I like, apparently.
This book wasn’t great. It read like poorly executed Immortals After Dark fan fiction. (Side note, we love you Kresley, always sending you all of the good vibes). I love a good “fated mate” trope as much as the next person, but there’s a lot a writer has to do to make that successful. That didn’t happen here. The writing was just… off. I think my favorite line to encapsulate how off the writing was is “Elbows on the table, like the warm tea in front of me, I pushed the plate of fruit away and stood”. What?? How are elbows compared to warm tea?? That’s what I’m talking about when I say, the writing is OFF.
The setup was pretty generic to the PNR genre. Ren, an ancient werewolf, is looking for his mate. Mikalina is a lost woman who goes on vacation in Europe for a few weeks because her life is boring. An old Romanian lady sells her out to Ren (or, I guess, arranges for them to meet as destined mates) and from there, the story is basically about Mika doing everything Ren needs, and being totally okay with it.
Here’s another thing about this book.. it isn’t anything except bad. There weren’t even creepy Stockholm-syndrome vibes, or other scenarios to make it cascade into “dark” romance. I was hoping that at least the sex scenes were good, because if the writing is this bad, I kind of figured it was like porn… the ones with absolutely no plot sometimes end up being decent porn.
Once again, nope. My hopes for any kind of good erotica were dashed because again… the writing just isn’t that compelling. So, scratch “erotica” off the list of what this book could be.
Speaking of porn… what bugged me the most about this book was how everything was about Ren. REN wanted a mate, so he just accosted this random woman (who was renting a CABIN in EASTERN EUROPE, as if she hasn’t ever seen “Hostel”) that was his mate, stalked her as she went to get some groceries, then lured her into her castle and was like hey you’re my mate, this is your life now. Nothing about their relationship was two-sided, and given Mika’s complete lack of purpose in life before this, I actually just felt really sad for her. Being dominated by a man is her only chance at a future? Really? Even the sex was about what REN wanted, as opposed to Mika’s experience. If I wanted to see sex portrayed for and from solely the male gaze, I literally could have gotten that just from opening up almost anything on PornHub. I like reading romance because it’s so refreshing to read about romance from a female perspective, and I was so incredibly disappointed to see how it was portrayed in this book.
All in all, I think that if the author took some time to think about what type of message she wanted to send with her books, this series could be redeemable. I’m never one to give up on an ancient werewolf, or a fated mate, but there’s some serious work that has to be done here.
Sometimes, dear friends, you receive a book recommendation that is just simply not good.
Today, that book was Big Bad Wolf, and it was recommended to me by the algorithm inside my Kindle that has no idea what I like, apparently.
This book wasn’t great. It read like poorly executed Immortals After Dark fan fiction. (Side note, we love you Kresley, always sending you all of the good vibes). I love a good “fated mate” trope as much as the next person, but there’s a lot a writer has to do to make that successful. That didn’t happen here. The writing was just… off. I think my favorite line to encapsulate how off the writing was is “Elbows on the table, like the warm tea in front of me, I pushed the plate of fruit away and stood”. What?? How are elbows compared to warm tea?? That’s what I’m talking about when I say, the writing is OFF.
The setup was pretty generic to the PNR genre. Ren, an ancient werewolf, is looking for his mate. Mikalina is a lost woman who goes on vacation in Europe for a few weeks because her life is boring. An old Romanian lady sells her out to Ren (or, I guess, arranges for them to meet as destined mates) and from there, the story is basically about Mika doing everything Ren needs, and being totally okay with it.
Here’s another thing about this book.. it isn’t anything except bad. There weren’t even creepy Stockholm-syndrome vibes, or other scenarios to make it cascade into “dark” romance. I was hoping that at least the sex scenes were good, because if the writing is this bad, I kind of figured it was like porn… the ones with absolutely no plot sometimes end up being decent porn.
Once again, nope. My hopes for any kind of good erotica were dashed because again… the writing just isn’t that compelling. So, scratch “erotica” off the list of what this book could be.
Speaking of porn… what bugged me the most about this book was how everything was about Ren. REN wanted a mate, so he just accosted this random woman (who was renting a CABIN in EASTERN EUROPE, as if she hasn’t ever seen “Hostel”) that was his mate, stalked her as she went to get some groceries, then lured her into her castle and was like hey you’re my mate, this is your life now. Nothing about their relationship was two-sided, and given Mika’s complete lack of purpose in life before this, I actually just felt really sad for her. Being dominated by a man is her only chance at a future? Really? Even the sex was about what REN wanted, as opposed to Mika’s experience. If I wanted to see sex portrayed for and from solely the male gaze, I literally could have gotten that just from opening up almost anything on PornHub. I like reading romance because it’s so refreshing to read about romance from a female perspective, and I was so incredibly disappointed to see how it was portrayed in this book.
All in all, I think that if the author took some time to think about what type of message she wanted to send with her books, this series could be redeemable. I’m never one to give up on an ancient werewolf, or a fated mate, but there’s some serious work that has to be done here.
August 24, 2022
Awoooo! Bark bark! Grrrr! - the hero, probably.
I love shifter books, and the premise kinda sounds like the soulmates trope which is my favourite trope, and when paired with shifters it's *chef's kiss*.
BUT.
This book was not that good. Not good at all really. The only truly positive thing I can say is that there's no typical stereotype of Eastern Europeans, nobody's a criminal!!! Cheer with me!!!
And the observations Mika made about Romania when she was arriving didn't feel offensive, so that's another plus.
But Lord, the names. MIKALINA POPPET. REN LUPINEOV. COME ON NOW. WHY???
There was also no plot, or rather the plot was that Mika moved to Romania and she exists for Ren to claim her, but he doesn't want to claim her until the full moon and that's it.
At no point do these two sit down and talk, it's all my female this, my female that, must claim now. And you know what else? There's that trope where the hero is SO HUGE and the heroine SO TINY and it keeps reminding you of that.
Imagine the power this ship would have if Mika was at least 5'10 instead of 5'6. Ren is 6'8 for reference. 5'10 fits better, I know it does, argue with a wall.
The writing was mostly fine, wherever, but could get repetitive with some sentences. I will never get over this one sentence, it's hilarious. Are you ready?
"My cock punched forward." and it continues into a different sentence each time of the 3 or so that it appears, but can you honestly look at that and not laugh? LIKE, HOW IS HIS COCK PUNCHING? I WANNA KNOW (no I don't).
I will not be continuing the series.
I love shifter books, and the premise kinda sounds like the soulmates trope which is my favourite trope, and when paired with shifters it's *chef's kiss*.
BUT.
This book was not that good. Not good at all really. The only truly positive thing I can say is that there's no typical stereotype of Eastern Europeans, nobody's a criminal!!! Cheer with me!!!
And the observations Mika made about Romania when she was arriving didn't feel offensive, so that's another plus.
But Lord, the names. MIKALINA POPPET. REN LUPINEOV. COME ON NOW. WHY???
There was also no plot, or rather the plot was that Mika moved to Romania and she exists for Ren to claim her, but he doesn't want to claim her until the full moon and that's it.
At no point do these two sit down and talk, it's all my female this, my female that, must claim now. And you know what else? There's that trope where the hero is SO HUGE and the heroine SO TINY and it keeps reminding you of that.
Imagine the power this ship would have if Mika was at least 5'10 instead of 5'6. Ren is 6'8 for reference. 5'10 fits better, I know it does, argue with a wall.
The writing was mostly fine, wherever, but could get repetitive with some sentences. I will never get over this one sentence, it's hilarious. Are you ready?
"My cock punched forward." and it continues into a different sentence each time of the 3 or so that it appears, but can you honestly look at that and not laugh? LIKE, HOW IS HIS COCK PUNCHING? I WANNA KNOW (no I don't).
I will not be continuing the series.
January 21, 2021
3.5 ⭐
Mikalina wanted to travel and she does and ends up in a small town in Romania. She meets the locals and has a sneaky suspicious something is watching her from the woods.. and shes right Ren is a Lycan wolf who has been everywhere trying to find his mate.. he doesnt wanna end up like his brother who starting to go alittle crazy from not finding his mate and when he does he's 100% on board.. but it does take them a minute or two to finally go after what they want then its explosive!
I do wanna read about Ren brother his little snip and his soon to be mate!!!
No ow/om drama, No cheating, tiny drama, sexy times, both virgins
Recommend-yes/maybe
Cover-⭐⭐⭐
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶
Slowinsta
Older/younger couple
300H/idk
Shifter
No condom
Hea
Epilogue
Mikalina wanted to travel and she does and ends up in a small town in Romania. She meets the locals and has a sneaky suspicious something is watching her from the woods.. and shes right Ren is a Lycan wolf who has been everywhere trying to find his mate.. he doesnt wanna end up like his brother who starting to go alittle crazy from not finding his mate and when he does he's 100% on board.. but it does take them a minute or two to finally go after what they want then its explosive!
I do wanna read about Ren brother his little snip and his soon to be mate!!!
No ow/om drama, No cheating, tiny drama, sexy times, both virgins
Recommend-yes/maybe
Cover-⭐⭐⭐
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶
Slowinsta
Older/younger couple
300H/idk
Shifter
No condom
Hea
Epilogue
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2023
🌟Brief Summary:
Mikalina~Is feeling like her life is going in circles so she quits her job a takes her savings to travel Europe. She just needs a change. And boy does she get it 😅
REN-His whole goal in life is to find his mate ❤️
And for the last three centuries, I’d been searching for my mate, hoping against all odds that my Lycan instincts would lead my Linked Mate—the one female who was born to be mine—to me.
I didn’t know her name. Didn’t know what she looked like, sounded like, or if she was even on this continent. But I searched these woods every night, went from village to village, town to city, hoping my Lycan Instinct would somehow scent my mate, that I’d smell her and feel that Link between a Lycan and his mate, that supernatural connection that only a shifter had with his female, tying us together forever. I didn’t know if she was human, Lycan, vampire, or some other supernatural creature. I didn’t even know if she was born yet, or had passed.
-So when Mikalina ends up in a little town in Romania she could never have guessed just how much change she was about to get.
‼️ Opinion‼️:
~This had Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf vibes….I loved it ❤️
~This was a insta-love OTT possessive super sweet read! Pretty much everything I love 💗
Things I Liked/Loved
~Loved his OTT POSSESSIVENESS AND LOYALTY TO HIS ONE TRUE MATE for 300yr!!!
I wanted her, more than anything I'd ever wanted in my entire life. I finally had my female and would give her all of me. She was my one and only. I’d saved myself for her for all these years, never desiring another, never even contemplating giving up on finding her and sharing my body with her and her alone.
‼️‼️‼️MINE MINE MINE
Things I Did Not Like
-I wish it was longer 😩
🦹🏻♂️ Hero:
Ren- a Lycan shifter- 300yr old
And for the last three centuries, I’d been searching for my mate, hoping against all odds that my Lycan instincts would lead my Linked Mate—the one female who was born to be mine—to me.
🦸♀️ Heroine:
Mikalina
💭 POV:
Duel first person
🔥 Burn Rate:
Med-slow 🔥🔥🔥🔥
😡/😍 Angst level:
Low
❤️🔥 Sexy times & Descriptive sex:
Of course this is Jenika Snow!
Did someone say Primal play….
”Run, my female. Run. But know I’ll chase you, mate. I’ll chase you until the end of the world. Know I love it, yearn for the catch.”
🌓 Push/Pull:
No
☠️ OW/OM Drama:
None
🤮 OW/OM Sex / Fluid or DNA Exchange:
None
🤬 Cheating:
None
👰🏼♀️ Virgins:
Duel V 💕💗💕💗
“My body is yours and has always been that way. Never will any other female feel me, see my wolf, feel my love. That is all for you. Only for you.”
‼️Ummmm swoon 😍Yes please 🙋🏼♀️to all fated mates. I swear it makes no sense to sleep w OP when you have a destined mate!
⛈️Separation/ 3rd Act Breakup:
None
Safety⚠️Triggers🗡️:
Super Safe
No condoms
NO talks of safety
Primal play
🌈Epilogue:
2 yrs later
🥂HEA:
Yes❤️
❌My opinion is just that… MY OPINION.
I know we all get passionate about our favorite reads and characters but we should respect each opinions a thoughts. ~Thank you
Mikalina~Is feeling like her life is going in circles so she quits her job a takes her savings to travel Europe. She just needs a change. And boy does she get it 😅
REN-His whole goal in life is to find his mate ❤️
And for the last three centuries, I’d been searching for my mate, hoping against all odds that my Lycan instincts would lead my Linked Mate—the one female who was born to be mine—to me.
I didn’t know her name. Didn’t know what she looked like, sounded like, or if she was even on this continent. But I searched these woods every night, went from village to village, town to city, hoping my Lycan Instinct would somehow scent my mate, that I’d smell her and feel that Link between a Lycan and his mate, that supernatural connection that only a shifter had with his female, tying us together forever. I didn’t know if she was human, Lycan, vampire, or some other supernatural creature. I didn’t even know if she was born yet, or had passed.
-So when Mikalina ends up in a little town in Romania she could never have guessed just how much change she was about to get.
‼️ Opinion‼️:
~This had Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf vibes….I loved it ❤️
~This was a insta-love OTT possessive super sweet read! Pretty much everything I love 💗
Things I Liked/Loved
~Loved his OTT POSSESSIVENESS AND LOYALTY TO HIS ONE TRUE MATE for 300yr!!!
I wanted her, more than anything I'd ever wanted in my entire life. I finally had my female and would give her all of me. She was my one and only. I’d saved myself for her for all these years, never desiring another, never even contemplating giving up on finding her and sharing my body with her and her alone.
‼️‼️‼️MINE MINE MINE
Things I Did Not Like
-I wish it was longer 😩
🦹🏻♂️ Hero:
Ren- a Lycan shifter- 300yr old
And for the last three centuries, I’d been searching for my mate, hoping against all odds that my Lycan instincts would lead my Linked Mate—the one female who was born to be mine—to me.
🦸♀️ Heroine:
Mikalina
💭 POV:
Duel first person
🔥 Burn Rate:
Med-slow 🔥🔥🔥🔥
😡/😍 Angst level:
Low
❤️🔥 Sexy times & Descriptive sex:
Of course this is Jenika Snow!
Did someone say Primal play….
”Run, my female. Run. But know I’ll chase you, mate. I’ll chase you until the end of the world. Know I love it, yearn for the catch.”
🌓 Push/Pull:
No
☠️ OW/OM Drama:
None
🤮 OW/OM Sex / Fluid or DNA Exchange:
None
🤬 Cheating:
None
👰🏼♀️ Virgins:
Duel V 💕💗💕💗
“My body is yours and has always been that way. Never will any other female feel me, see my wolf, feel my love. That is all for you. Only for you.”
‼️Ummmm swoon 😍Yes please 🙋🏼♀️to all fated mates. I swear it makes no sense to sleep w OP when you have a destined mate!
⛈️Separation/ 3rd Act Breakup:
None
Safety⚠️Triggers🗡️:
Super Safe
No condoms
NO talks of safety
Primal play
🌈Epilogue:
2 yrs later
🥂HEA:
Yes❤️
❌My opinion is just that… MY OPINION.
I know we all get passionate about our favorite reads and characters but we should respect each opinions a thoughts. ~Thank you
June 19, 2023
4.25 stars The Big Bad Wolf never looked so good
No huffing and puffing needed here😉… or any blo… oh wait… um… let me take that back 😅… because… um… 👀 yeah… let me get to my review…
Mikalina/Mika (early 20s?) decides to take an impromptu trip to Romania away from her parents, who are the best, and away from the job that she’s not happy with. She rents out a small cottage and hears about these creatures called Lycans. Andrei, the man she rents the cottage from, has a grandmother who encourages her to explore their surroundings, the woods included 👀, and for some reason, there’s something powerful calling to her 😅.
Ren’s over 300 years old and he’s been looking for his mate… his one-and-only, his other half. Lycans, part man, part wolf-like creatures, have been around a millennia before man and will continue to be around after they’re gone. So when he scents her one day, walking around the perimeter of his house, he can’t help but stalk her 👀 and get near her…
When Mika sees this huge, 6-foot-8-inch man approach her, she doesn’t run. No… she feels something… a connection… and she’s enthralled.
Little does she know that this man is her mate 🥰.
What I liked/loved:
—the fact that he’s been saving himself for his mate🥹. I mean… SWOOOOON! How often have we read books where the MMC sleeps with anything that moves until he finds his mate? I get it. It’s not always realistic, but I LUUUUUURVE that, in THIS world, the Hs/MMCs wait for their true loves 🥰. It makes sense to me 🤷🏻♀️. Why waste energy on beings/females that they won’t truly connect with? Sigh 🥹
—the tension 😮💨. Oh LAWD. Poor Mika had no idea what tension was until she met Ren 😅. Her nether regions didn’t stand a chance 😉 and Ren knows exactly what’s going on 😉
—the 🔥. Gawd. Hooooooly smuuuuuuttiness 💦. He loves her taste, her smell, her touch… and it gets 🥵. It’s on the slow burn side with full 🔥 happening at nearly 80%, but everything before was 😮💨. I love how he waits to make sure she feels safe before he shows her what pleasure is.
—the diiiirtyness 🔥
—the different ways he eats cereal 🥵 from the front, back, you name it, he does 💦
—PRIMAL PLAY 🔥. Telling her to run was one of my favorite scenes in this book 😮💨 because you know it’s gonna be good when he catches her 😉
—MARKING and MINEMINEMINE 😉
—Luca’s POV 👀 the setup for book 2 is 😮💨
—Ren showing Mika his animal 🥹. The trust in this scene only further solidifies their connection 🥰
—the sweet scenes ❤️ like Ren rubbing her feet and being protective of her 🥰
—the epilogue 😭❤️🥹
—the audiobook is DUET NARRATION 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
What I wanted more of:
—more info on her parents. I know they’re horrible, but they’re like whatever about her not being around???
—more of their story ❤️. I know we’ll see more of them in the next book since it’s about Ren’s brother, but still 😏
Overall, I loved this 🥰
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/owd/omd
-a character has gone feral/is depressed
-neglectful parents/unloving
-dual virgins
-primal play/marking/biting/dirty talk
-no condoms/breeding
-HEA/epilogue/2 years
No huffing and puffing needed here😉… or any blo… oh wait… um… let me take that back 😅… because… um… 👀 yeah… let me get to my review…
Mikalina/Mika (early 20s?) decides to take an impromptu trip to Romania away from her parents, who are the best, and away from the job that she’s not happy with. She rents out a small cottage and hears about these creatures called Lycans. Andrei, the man she rents the cottage from, has a grandmother who encourages her to explore their surroundings, the woods included 👀, and for some reason, there’s something powerful calling to her 😅.
Ren’s over 300 years old and he’s been looking for his mate… his one-and-only, his other half. Lycans, part man, part wolf-like creatures, have been around a millennia before man and will continue to be around after they’re gone. So when he scents her one day, walking around the perimeter of his house, he can’t help but stalk her 👀 and get near her…
When Mika sees this huge, 6-foot-8-inch man approach her, she doesn’t run. No… she feels something… a connection… and she’s enthralled.
Little does she know that this man is her mate 🥰.
What I liked/loved:
—the fact that he’s been saving himself for his mate🥹. I mean… SWOOOOON! How often have we read books where the MMC sleeps with anything that moves until he finds his mate? I get it. It’s not always realistic, but I LUUUUUURVE that, in THIS world, the Hs/MMCs wait for their true loves 🥰. It makes sense to me 🤷🏻♀️. Why waste energy on beings/females that they won’t truly connect with? Sigh 🥹
—the tension 😮💨. Oh LAWD. Poor Mika had no idea what tension was until she met Ren 😅. Her nether regions didn’t stand a chance 😉 and Ren knows exactly what’s going on 😉
—the 🔥. Gawd. Hooooooly smuuuuuuttiness 💦. He loves her taste, her smell, her touch… and it gets 🥵. It’s on the slow burn side with full 🔥 happening at nearly 80%, but everything before was 😮💨. I love how he waits to make sure she feels safe before he shows her what pleasure is.
—the diiiirtyness 🔥
—the different ways he eats cereal 🥵 from the front, back, you name it, he does 💦
—PRIMAL PLAY 🔥. Telling her to run was one of my favorite scenes in this book 😮💨 because you know it’s gonna be good when he catches her 😉
—MARKING and MINEMINEMINE 😉
—Luca’s POV 👀 the setup for book 2 is 😮💨
—Ren showing Mika his animal 🥹. The trust in this scene only further solidifies their connection 🥰
—the sweet scenes ❤️ like Ren rubbing her feet and being protective of her 🥰
—the epilogue 😭❤️🥹
—the audiobook is DUET NARRATION 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
What I wanted more of:
—more info on her parents. I know they’re horrible, but they’re like whatever about her not being around???
—more of their story ❤️. I know we’ll see more of them in the next book since it’s about Ren’s brother, but still 😏
Overall, I loved this 🥰
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/owd/omd
-a character has gone feral/is depressed
-neglectful parents/unloving
-dual virgins
-primal play/marking/biting/dirty talk
-no condoms/breeding
-HEA/epilogue/2 years
September 9, 2025
3.5 ⭐
Fated mates (Lycan x Human), dual V, and safe! 🤭
Fated mates (Lycan x Human), dual V, and safe! 🤭
July 25, 2021
4 - 4.5 smutty stars!
Since I've been reading so much dark romance lately I decided to take a break and read some smutty insta-love/fated mates shifter romance. This hit the spot. Dirty and delicious, this was everything I wanted right now. Off to read the rest!
Since I've been reading so much dark romance lately I decided to take a break and read some smutty insta-love/fated mates shifter romance. This hit the spot. Dirty and delicious, this was everything I wanted right now. Off to read the rest!
January 13, 2022
This is one of those where there is not a lot of storyline but a whole lot of heat. If I had been in a different mind set and swat and ready for a limited storyline it may have gotten a 4 from me.
Happy reading.
DD💕
Happy reading.
DD💕
February 9, 2021
3⭐️⭐️⭐️
Style: Paranormal Shifter Romance
Story: 3/5
Enjoyment: 3/5
Dark Level: 0/5
Sexual: GOOD
Triggers: No
Male: Alpha & Sexy
Series: Book 1
Pages: 162
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
STORY:
The story was ok. If you are looking for a shifter in desperate need for his mate and needs to mate with her, then this is it. Honestly, it’s like a mix of the author’s mountain men books mix with wolf shifter story. A recluse/loner and a woman alone in the woods. There isn’t any action or any secondary plot, which is ok for me. Just note, this is a storyline of a shifter wolf searching for his mate. I can appreciate the author giving us a deeper length book, but I think this one could have been shorter. I can’t believe I am saying that. Furthermore, I say this because; the characters were not actually in a scene together until 30% of the book. I felt that for 160-page book, it is important to me how soon the characters come together. The build up in the beginning for the characters individually wasn’t bad, it just took too long. Also, it started feeling repetitive a bit with Ren iterating my mate and his beast within. Apart from this, it was sexually charged for me with the build up to their mating. It’s not a bad story but in this case, it should have been shorter as I felt it was being stretch to be longer.
CHEMISTRY:
This was appealing and enticing as both characters were sexually charged with the need to be with each other. This is always the case in shifter romances, so the tension was threw the roof.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS
Lucas, Ren’s brother, we had a chapter or 2 with his POV as he too is looking for his mate. So that was a little teaser into waiting on his story.
Overall, not bad, I wanted more as I am a fan of the author. I felt this needed to be shorter because it was repetitive like I am reading the same lines but in different chapters. Just my personal opinion and taste noted.
***I don’t equate these stories to real life. It’s about personal taste and what you would or want to tolerate with the books you read. I know we all have different opinions and preferences with what we read and hope this review was helpful.
Style: Paranormal Shifter Romance
Story: 3/5
Enjoyment: 3/5
Dark Level: 0/5
Sexual: GOOD
Triggers: No
Male: Alpha & Sexy
Series: Book 1
Pages: 162
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
STORY:
The story was ok. If you are looking for a shifter in desperate need for his mate and needs to mate with her, then this is it. Honestly, it’s like a mix of the author’s mountain men books mix with wolf shifter story. A recluse/loner and a woman alone in the woods. There isn’t any action or any secondary plot, which is ok for me. Just note, this is a storyline of a shifter wolf searching for his mate. I can appreciate the author giving us a deeper length book, but I think this one could have been shorter. I can’t believe I am saying that. Furthermore, I say this because; the characters were not actually in a scene together until 30% of the book. I felt that for 160-page book, it is important to me how soon the characters come together. The build up in the beginning for the characters individually wasn’t bad, it just took too long. Also, it started feeling repetitive a bit with Ren iterating my mate and his beast within. Apart from this, it was sexually charged for me with the build up to their mating. It’s not a bad story but in this case, it should have been shorter as I felt it was being stretch to be longer.
CHEMISTRY:
This was appealing and enticing as both characters were sexually charged with the need to be with each other. This is always the case in shifter romances, so the tension was threw the roof.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS
Lucas, Ren’s brother, we had a chapter or 2 with his POV as he too is looking for his mate. So that was a little teaser into waiting on his story.
Overall, not bad, I wanted more as I am a fan of the author. I felt this needed to be shorter because it was repetitive like I am reading the same lines but in different chapters. Just my personal opinion and taste noted.
***I don’t equate these stories to real life. It’s about personal taste and what you would or want to tolerate with the books you read. I know we all have different opinions and preferences with what we read and hope this review was helpful.
June 7, 2023
This was a masterpiece; his cock kept PUNCHING out hard and foward, and I laughed every time it happened.
January 3, 2026
4.5⭐ / 4🌶️
[🎧] audio
audiobook 🎧 — duet, Jason Clarke & Stella Hunter
— vibezz
💎 fated mates
🐺 lycan/shifter mmc
💎 human fmc
🐺 pining
💎 insta-love
mini blurb — ✍🏻
A spur of the moment was what made Mikalina leave her life in the States and travel across Europe, just to end up in a small village where her fated mate was waiting for her.
//
this book was the sign I didn't know I was expecting to give everything up, leave my job and my family and travel across Europe, just to arrive in bumfuck nowhere where my fated mate is waiting for me with bathed breath and live happily ever after.
WHAT A DREAM 🥹😩🫦
[🎧] audio
audiobook 🎧 — duet, Jason Clarke & Stella Hunter
— vibezz
💎 fated mates
🐺 lycan/shifter mmc
💎 human fmc
🐺 pining
💎 insta-love
mini blurb — ✍🏻
A spur of the moment was what made Mikalina leave her life in the States and travel across Europe, just to end up in a small village where her fated mate was waiting for her.
//
this book was the sign I didn't know I was expecting to give everything up, leave my job and my family and travel across Europe, just to arrive in bumfuck nowhere where my fated mate is waiting for me with bathed breath and live happily ever after.
WHAT A DREAM 🥹😩🫦
August 6, 2024
⭐️4.25
MCs:
Ren ~ wolf shifter (300+)
Mikalina / Mina ~ human (20’s)
Info:
No ow/om drama
No cheating
Both virgins
Open door spice
No third-act breakup
Epilogue
HEA
Wow… I didn’t think I’d like this book as much as I did. It was giving little red riding hood / beauty and the beast, but in a different way? I don’t really know, but I liked it.
pre read:
I don’t normally read these kind of books, but this series looks very promising 🤭
MCs:
Ren ~ wolf shifter (300+)
Mikalina / Mina ~ human (20’s)
Info:
No ow/om drama
No cheating
Both virgins
Open door spice
No third-act breakup
Epilogue
HEA
Wow… I didn’t think I’d like this book as much as I did. It was giving little red riding hood / beauty and the beast, but in a different way? I don’t really know, but I liked it.
pre read:
I don’t normally read these kind of books, but this series looks very promising 🤭
January 29, 2021
2.5 Stars
I was really looking forward to this, I love a good shifter romance, and was in the mood for some smut but this just didn't work for me. Writing didn't draw me in nor did the connection between the MCs.
Acquired via KU.
I was really looking forward to this, I love a good shifter romance, and was in the mood for some smut but this just didn't work for me. Writing didn't draw me in nor did the connection between the MCs.
Acquired via KU.
June 12, 2022
2.5 Big, Bad Stars
I had a lot more expectations about this book and I feel a little disappointed.... It took me way too long to finish it and it was boring at the beginning... the lore was interesting but the chemistry between Ren and Mikalina was meh... I'm more interested to read about Luca.
I had a lot more expectations about this book and I feel a little disappointed.... It took me way too long to finish it and it was boring at the beginning... the lore was interesting but the chemistry between Ren and Mikalina was meh... I'm more interested to read about Luca.
November 23, 2021
3 Stars
Short and sweet. A bit boring in the beginning, but it does get a better.
Safety: Safe
Both virgins
No ow/om drama
No cheating
Short and sweet. A bit boring in the beginning, but it does get a better.
Safety: Safe
Both virgins
No ow/om drama
No cheating
January 24, 2021
A brand new series by one of my favorite authors and she hit the ground running with this one. Ren and Mikalina's story is so good. I love how even though Ren knew Mikalina was his, he still took his time because he didn't want to scare her from what he was. His feelings are intense and he is over the top protective of her, even before he claims her as his mate. Once she's on board with him, it's freaking hot!! I also loved that we get to see Luca and his mate. That's the next book and from just reading the small parts, I can't wait. Sounds like he's gonna have a fight on his hands to win his own mate. Of course, I always love the epilogues that Ms. Snow includes at the end because I'm one of those readers who wants to know how the characters are doing somewhere down the road!!
December 23, 2021
Loved it!
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trope: fated mates
Angst: 😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: none
A super smexy, quick read. Loved the world building and storyline despite not being super heavy with the plot line. Great as a palette cleanser between heavier reads. Definitely going to continue on with the series!
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trope: fated mates
Angst: 😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: none
A super smexy, quick read. Loved the world building and storyline despite not being super heavy with the plot line. Great as a palette cleanser between heavier reads. Definitely going to continue on with the series!
April 14, 2023
No OW/OM
Dual virgin😍
Hwatt and the undeniable attraction🥵
OTT Possessive Lycan who wants her only for himself and a cute epilogue where she says to rub her feet and Luca meets his met. He first time claims her by chasing after and openly doing deeds in the wild under the full moon night sky🙈🙈🙈
Dual virgin😍
Hwatt and the undeniable attraction🥵
OTT Possessive Lycan who wants her only for himself and a cute epilogue where she says to rub her feet and Luca meets his met. He first time claims her by chasing after and openly doing deeds in the wild under the full moon night sky🙈🙈🙈
July 16, 2022
**Audiobook Review **
Hot growly goodness! Big Bad Wolf by Jenika Snow was a dark and alluring shifter romance that will give you sexy fairy tale vibes and have you running into the woods instead of away. Mikalina can't deny her mysterious, magnetic attraction toward Ren when she first arrives on a visit to Romania. However, once Ren has the full moon power, he will show her his true self and seal their super HOT fate. (It is one steamy ride...)
This audiobook is narrated in duet by Jason Clarke and Stella Hunter. I love when these two are paired together, especially in duet. Stella does a great job showcasing Mikalina's conflicted, vulnerable, and passionate emotions as she discovers her own fate and gives in to her deep, dark desires with Ren. Jason fully encompasses Ren's dominant, possessive persona in his signature deep, intoxicating growly accented tone. The way he savagely claimed Mikalina as his female (MINE) was utterly sinful and only showed how intense and powerful their mate bond truly was!
Overall, I enjoyed this audio. If you are a fan of a shifter romance with a HOT alpha Lycan wolf, a spontaneous human heroine looking for an escape, a trip to Romania, walks in the woods, fairy tale cottages, mystical castles, haunting blue eyes, Lycan legends, dinner table shredding, full moon spicy time, and a HEA that will make your heart huff and puff for the big, bad wolf, then you will love Ren and Mikalina's story. I'm looking forward to more Lycan books from Jenika Snow in audio soon!
Hot growly goodness! Big Bad Wolf by Jenika Snow was a dark and alluring shifter romance that will give you sexy fairy tale vibes and have you running into the woods instead of away. Mikalina can't deny her mysterious, magnetic attraction toward Ren when she first arrives on a visit to Romania. However, once Ren has the full moon power, he will show her his true self and seal their super HOT fate. (It is one steamy ride...)
This audiobook is narrated in duet by Jason Clarke and Stella Hunter. I love when these two are paired together, especially in duet. Stella does a great job showcasing Mikalina's conflicted, vulnerable, and passionate emotions as she discovers her own fate and gives in to her deep, dark desires with Ren. Jason fully encompasses Ren's dominant, possessive persona in his signature deep, intoxicating growly accented tone. The way he savagely claimed Mikalina as his female (MINE) was utterly sinful and only showed how intense and powerful their mate bond truly was!
Overall, I enjoyed this audio. If you are a fan of a shifter romance with a HOT alpha Lycan wolf, a spontaneous human heroine looking for an escape, a trip to Romania, walks in the woods, fairy tale cottages, mystical castles, haunting blue eyes, Lycan legends, dinner table shredding, full moon spicy time, and a HEA that will make your heart huff and puff for the big, bad wolf, then you will love Ren and Mikalina's story. I'm looking forward to more Lycan books from Jenika Snow in audio soon!
January 26, 2021
I am voluntarily reviewing an advanced reader copy of this book.
Mika needed something in her life she just didn’t know what, that’s how she finds herself living in a small village in Romania. She feels eyes on her and when she meets a local man Ren who seems determined to court her, there is something different about him but when she discovers his secret will she run scared or stand by her true love?
Ren and his brother have spent centuries looking for their one true mate so when Mika arrives in the village he knows fate has finally delivered his mate to him and there is no way he can let her go. But he fears when she learns the truth of who he is that will she take the decision from him and vanish from his life. Has he lost his heart to the one person who could break him?
This is way different to any shifter book I have read, it still has the possessive obsessed alpha male though so no worries there. Highly recommended read I throughly enjoyed this story from start to finish. 4.5* read.
Mika needed something in her life she just didn’t know what, that’s how she finds herself living in a small village in Romania. She feels eyes on her and when she meets a local man Ren who seems determined to court her, there is something different about him but when she discovers his secret will she run scared or stand by her true love?
Ren and his brother have spent centuries looking for their one true mate so when Mika arrives in the village he knows fate has finally delivered his mate to him and there is no way he can let her go. But he fears when she learns the truth of who he is that will she take the decision from him and vanish from his life. Has he lost his heart to the one person who could break him?
This is way different to any shifter book I have read, it still has the possessive obsessed alpha male though so no worries there. Highly recommended read I throughly enjoyed this story from start to finish. 4.5* read.
March 3, 2022
Did I enjoy this? Absolutely.
Did I read it in one sitting? Yes.
This was a quick fun Lycan read, it had a lot of spice, an easy writing style, and was just overall enjoyable.
Super cheesy but I absolutely loved it.
Did I read it in one sitting? Yes.
This was a quick fun Lycan read, it had a lot of spice, an easy writing style, and was just overall enjoyable.
Super cheesy but I absolutely loved it.
February 22, 2022
So… I finally read book one. Things might be beginning to make more sense at this point. I’ll give you that.
This is reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast for me honestly, but without the captivity and forced proximity. I enjoyed it well enough, I have no witty remarks to make - actually - wait - forgot one thing.
Poppett. Her last name is Poppett. I don’t even have the words for that.
His last name is Lupineov - you couldn’t get more wolfy if you tried.
This is reminiscent of Beauty and the Beast for me honestly, but without the captivity and forced proximity. I enjoyed it well enough, I have no witty remarks to make - actually - wait - forgot one thing.
Poppett. Her last name is Poppett. I don’t even have the words for that.
His last name is Lupineov - you couldn’t get more wolfy if you tried.
July 7, 2022
*ALC received from Audibly Addicted in exchange for my honest review. *
Lycans, fated mates and a beautiful European Village? YES, PLEASE!!
Bite Marks book five in the Lycans series was my first book by Jenika Snow. I knew after reading Adryan & Kayla's story that I wanted to devour every book in her Lycans series. Growly alpha men who get seriously possessive over their females. YES!! That question will always be answered with a yes.
Ren has been alive for over three centuries and finding his mate is the only thing he can think of. After so long on this earth he is starting to think he is never meant to find her, and he is destined to become like his brother.
Mikalina needed a change. Setting off on a European adventure is just the right thing for her. The last leg of her journey leaves her in a tiny Village where she doesn't know the language but the minute, she gets there she has this unmistakable feeling of home.
When Ren catches the first scent of his mate it is as if his whole world makes sense. He must be careful because Mikalina is human, and he can't risk scaring her away before he has even had the chance to meet her.
Jason Clarke and Stella Hunter are the IT couple of narrations lately and I am not complaining. Hearing the way their voices twine together always gives me the right kinds of tingles and this was no different.
Ren & Mikalina's story is a true mates, not in the least bit slow burn with all the spicy content your heart can handle!!
Lycans, fated mates and a beautiful European Village? YES, PLEASE!!
Bite Marks book five in the Lycans series was my first book by Jenika Snow. I knew after reading Adryan & Kayla's story that I wanted to devour every book in her Lycans series. Growly alpha men who get seriously possessive over their females. YES!! That question will always be answered with a yes.
Ren has been alive for over three centuries and finding his mate is the only thing he can think of. After so long on this earth he is starting to think he is never meant to find her, and he is destined to become like his brother.
Mikalina needed a change. Setting off on a European adventure is just the right thing for her. The last leg of her journey leaves her in a tiny Village where she doesn't know the language but the minute, she gets there she has this unmistakable feeling of home.
When Ren catches the first scent of his mate it is as if his whole world makes sense. He must be careful because Mikalina is human, and he can't risk scaring her away before he has even had the chance to meet her.
Jason Clarke and Stella Hunter are the IT couple of narrations lately and I am not complaining. Hearing the way their voices twine together always gives me the right kinds of tingles and this was no different.
Ren & Mikalina's story is a true mates, not in the least bit slow burn with all the spicy content your heart can handle!!
March 3, 2023
3.5 ⭐️
A cute introduction to the Lycans series
This was a very quick and fun read .
100% fated mates material with the female being slightly aware of the bond .
The male character, a Lycan, founds his mate and is going to do everything in his power to get her .
Not so many kinks in this one , but there are a lot of cute scenes between the two characters, and we get to know more about them in preparation for future books .
A good first book for the series
A cute introduction to the Lycans series
This was a very quick and fun read .
100% fated mates material with the female being slightly aware of the bond .
The male character, a Lycan, founds his mate and is going to do everything in his power to get her .
Not so many kinks in this one , but there are a lot of cute scenes between the two characters, and we get to know more about them in preparation for future books .
A good first book for the series
January 26, 2021
Book 1 in the Lycans series. A wonderful shifter romance that will keep you on the edge of your seats wondering if Ren was able to find his mate. Loved Ren and Mikalina. The chemistry between them was so hot. Loved them together. Can’t wait to meet Luca. There are glimpses of his struggles in this book and I can’t wait to see more of his path to finding his mate.
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August 29, 2021
2.5*
Maybe I'm used to Jenika's shorter books, but these are too long for 0 character development.
It's insta lust but in almost 250 pages?
I got bored and skimmed after 70%
Safety:
February 15, 2021
The story features an insta-love romance . The h is a young woman who decides to take a mini tour of Europe in a spur-of-the-moment decision. The story mentions she takes a train across several countries, including Germany and Poland, before settling in Romania and renting a small cottage in Dobravina for what is vaguely referred to as "an indeterminate amount of time". .
The h repeatedly makes the claim that she will have to keep an eye on her expenses to see exactly how long she can stay there before needing to return back to the United States . She also contemplates moving there despite not having any material possessions, her inability to speak and understand the language, no job, and no income. The lack of planning on her part makes the h seem very immature.
Additionally, very little is known about the h, her back story, or even her life back in the States. Did she have any friends she left behind? Any siblings? This did not change by the end of the book. . Even her parents, who seemed adamantly against her going to Europe, don't get anything more than a passing mention here and there.
I mentioned this in the spoiler, but back stories were never swapped between either character. The H didn't seem too concerned about her family , her life story, or any other aspect of her. I get that with Lycans you'd have all the time in the world to talk about that, but it seemed like it was little consequence .
The rushed plot/lack of pacing in this novel is what led me to rating it 1/5 stars. Even while I was reading it, I was surprised at how quickly things were progressing and how much of the book I was going through. To me, it didn't feel realistic at all, and more like happenstance, coincidence, and insta-lust. The h mentions numerous times how "strange" and "crazy" it is that she's feeling the way she does about the H, whom she only just met. The insta-love/insta-lust seemed like a convenient override to her stepping back and assessing the situation. Not enough thought was given to really think about how differently her life would change after mating with the H, nor did it seem to matter that much in the end.
The h repeatedly makes the claim that she will have to keep an eye on her expenses to see exactly how long she can stay there before needing to return back to the United States . She also contemplates moving there despite not having any material possessions, her inability to speak and understand the language, no job, and no income. The lack of planning on her part makes the h seem very immature.
Additionally, very little is known about the h, her back story, or even her life back in the States. Did she have any friends she left behind? Any siblings? This did not change by the end of the book. . Even her parents, who seemed adamantly against her going to Europe, don't get anything more than a passing mention here and there.
I mentioned this in the spoiler, but back stories were never swapped between either character. The H didn't seem too concerned about her family , her life story, or any other aspect of her. I get that with Lycans you'd have all the time in the world to talk about that, but it seemed like it was little consequence .
The rushed plot/lack of pacing in this novel is what led me to rating it 1/5 stars. Even while I was reading it, I was surprised at how quickly things were progressing and how much of the book I was going through. To me, it didn't feel realistic at all, and more like happenstance, coincidence, and insta-lust. The h mentions numerous times how "strange" and "crazy" it is that she's feeling the way she does about the H, whom she only just met. The insta-love/insta-lust seemed like a convenient override to her stepping back and assessing the situation. Not enough thought was given to really think about how differently her life would change after mating with the H, nor did it seem to matter that much in the end.
February 22, 2025
This definitely wasn't my favourite book by JS, but I loved the concept and setup for the next books!! I wished there was more focus on the MCs (even though I'm excited for the next one)- it sort of felt like JS came up with the premise for the next couple halfway through and gave up on the main couple in this one 😭.
This was fun though!
This was fun though!
January 26, 2021
What's there to say? It's a Jenika Snow story.
OTT Dude
Dual virgins
InstaLove/Fated Mate Shifter trope
It's fast, ridiculous, and nothing to think too hard about.
Now. What was this about demons and blood mates? 👀
OTT Dude
Dual virgins
InstaLove/Fated Mate Shifter trope
It's fast, ridiculous, and nothing to think too hard about.
Now. What was this about demons and blood mates? 👀
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