Chayton

Dark Woods Pack #1

by Tiya Rayne

Chayton
Five years ago, I walked away from my pack and my true mate to save my son's life. It's a decision I will never regret. Since then, I've lived with only one to protect my son at all costs. Once again, I'm faced with the decision to save his life. I'm forced to either marry the human that saved him or watch my son die. The latter is never an option.

Elizabeth
I moved away from the city to fulfill my mother's dying wish. I had no idea I'd become a part of a world found only in fiction. Yet here I am, mated to an Alpha that wants nothing to do with me. However, for the little boy that crashed into my life, I'll do whatever it takes even if it means going toe to toe with a shifter.

Two lives were brought together by accident. Will they accept their new roles as mates, or does fate have another plan?

Genres: Paranormal, Shapeshifters, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Marriage Of Convenience, Werewolves, Romance

314 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 18, 2022

Reviews

[readabookonce · Rating 5 out of 5]

the wayyyyy I’ve read this like five times now…I NEED book two

MAIN CHARACTER NAMES AND AGES
Elizabeth Powell (32) | Chayton Elom (35)

FEATURES
∘ wolf shifter / human
∘ fated mates
∘ rejected mates(ish)
∘ single father
∘ marriage of convenience
∘ dislike to lovers
∘ a wolf who disagrees with its human counterpart

REVIEW
This book and I were best friends until the 75% mark where we became enemies (don’t fret—we’re friends again by the end).

I can handle other woman/man drama so long as it is made clear that the main couple chooses each other over the other person. If the choice is made for them, it is going to be a not-so-good time for me. In regards to this book, it wasn’t so much clear that Chayton chose Elizabeth as it was translucent.

Chayton cared for Elizabeth, but his actions toward her after his ex-mate rolls into town is abhorrent. Through Chayton’s POV, we see that he does choose Elizabeth, but he does not convey this to her at all. He tried to say Elizabeth wasn’t listening to him as if he hadn’t been acting suspiciously and accepted being kicked out without so much as a fight. Chayton should’ve groveled 100% harder.

Yeah, Chayton’s ex being what she was isn’t really a surprise, but it’s not meant to be shocking to anyone—including the reader—except Chayton. That man, as smart as he is, is an idiot.

Chayton’s son Miko was the highlight. He was adorable. The way his little happy dance as a wolf was described????? I wish there was more scenes featuring him (and there was a lot!). His connection to Elizabeth was really sweet. He’s going to be such a good brother.

So many characters and situations were introduced as set-up for a series that it became overwhelming, especially toward the end. The focus stopped being on Chayton and Elizabeth, meaning we didn’t get a satisfying epilogue. I’m excited for future books in the series, but I haven’t seen any sign of them yet.

Despite my issues with this book, I really enjoyed it. It’s everything I love in a shifter novel. Tiya Rayne takes tropes and concepts we know so well and combines them until they’re refreshing & engaging. I already know I will reread (yes, REreread) this book again.

OW/OM DRAMA OW — Chayton very much has feelings for his ex-mate, Kamyra ||
not really OM — a vet flirts with Elizabeth and Chayton gets jealous
CHEATING no — Kamyra does kiss Chayton but he rejects her
THIRD ACT BREAKUP yes — Chayton fails to tell Elizabeth about Kamyra coming onto him and he’s he’s been spending a lot of time with her (he has no feelings for his ex at this point, made clear through his pov!)
ENDING HFN — couple is settled and in love, but storylines involving other characters are very much open

POV dual / first person
SPICE LEVEL 4 / 5
RATING 5 / 5 (was once 4 but I’ve read it too many times for it to be anything less than 5)

Reread Notes: Original review edited to fit current review format.

[myo ⋆｡˚ ❀ * · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh this was ok a bit corny tbh like i had a few questions but i didn’t care enough i guess

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it. I wish there had been an extended epilogue though. Looking forward to reading more from the author.

[Jac K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good shifter romance on KU. I loved the OW drama from his ex “true mate” Kamyra, but I wasn’t feeling any rejected vibes or angst. I was very fond of the h (Elizabeth), but she was so strong that she didn’t really act out/cause drama or become emotional which killed a lot of my feels.

I found Chayton a smidge beta, and I wanted him to be more assertive/dominant. I thought Elizabeth was great. I’m always worried about a shifter/human matchup, but IMO she was tougher than the shifters. It’s rare we get a strong, smart, confident h that is loving and not “feisty” which is usually portrayed as abrasive and stubborn.

Bottom Line- I liked it. I thought the OW twist was predictable, but still enjoyed her meddling. I do LOVE OW drama … but there’re some hung up on his ex/torn vibes…FYI if that’s not your thing… but it was minimal, and I never thought Elizabeth was #2. I just wish there would’ve been more feels/drama to go with the OW’s machinations. It ends in a bit of a cliffy, but the couple is pretty much settled.

[✧ FLINN ✧ (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re read : 15/08/23

First : This author never disappoints! This book was fantastic! Can’t wait to read more from this series.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall Opinion: Oh my goodness! I totally love this book. While there were some things I didn't like, which I will explain further, everything else was perfect. It had troupes I liked...rejected mate, wolf pup, strong heroine, paranormal world. I can re-read this again and again. I had to do this review justice and do a full review.


Author: Tiya Rayne

Year Pub/Re Pub: 2022

Page Length: approx. 280

Genre: paranormal romance

Standalone/Cliffhanger: HEAish/HFN with Cliffhanger. Next book release date or topic not known.

Epilogue Included: Yes


Recommend Reading: Hell Yes!

Will I Re-read This Book: Yes until my eyes bleed.

Would I Read More Books by this Author: Yes, but she is new to me so I am proceeding with caution.

Technical/Editing Quality: Since the subject is about the paranormal, specifically shifters, I think the world building and shifter mythology were there, but I wished it was more detailed and expanded. At times, the explanations of certain shifter myths were contradictory or didn't make sense which I will explain further down.

Writing/Content Quality: I hate books with awkward dialogue and transitioning because it takes you out of the story. I think this was well written and flowed smoothly. I felt immersed in the story. I love the dialogue. There were a lot of funny scenes especially ones involving the h and what she said. 


Blurb: H is kicked out of his pack and loses his "true mate" after not agreeing to kill his newborn son for being born in wolf form. He forms a new pack with his friends and son and reluctantly becomes alpha to a growing pack to the ire of his old pack. Circumstances involving son brings in a new human mate, the h. While failing to come to terms with a son who still hasn't shifted to human form in 5 years, growing his expanding pack and keeping the threats at bay from rival pack, H denies his feelings for h as they are forced to bond their true mate status to save his son's life and the h.

Book Cover: Simple and to the point. I prefer a cover that doesn't show the model's face because it allows readers to fantasize how the characters look on their own.

Favorite Line: There were so many by the h that were hilarious:


"“At least tell me you shaved,” she says on an exhale. “Fully waxed with a landing strip. Not a damn hair out of place.” I may not be happy about this situation, but there’s no way I’m going into this with my kitty looking like a stray cat.""


"Alright, today is the day everyone wants to catch these hands."


"When he slides the back of his hand across his forehead to wipe away his perspiration, I start doing kegels. I badly want to climb that man and swipe my pussy over his nose like a credit card.

The exact moment the thought goes through my head Chayton looks up and immediately finds me in the window. I drop to the floor, like a stalker that’s been caught peeping. Oh god, tell me he didn’t hear that. I plead in my head. Laughter filters through my thoughts, and it isn’t mine. I slink down to the floor, placing my back against the wall below the window. I knock my head back twice on the wall. Being married to a supernatural being isn’t easy. How am I supposed to have dirty thoughts about my husband if he can hear them? What kind of life is that?"


Point Of View (POV): Dual pov of H and h.

Overall Pace of Story: Consistent, smooth pacing and transitioning. 

Instalove: H's wolf is instalove, H and h was instalust, but in denial.

H /h Relationship Info: starts out disliking each other, but secretly lusting one another, then in denial out of fear but changes to love. Not only is it interspecies, it is also interracial, which I always love because it seldom occurs in romance books. H is white and h is black.

Age: H is 35 y/o and h is 32 y/o

Hero: Chayton Elom

Hero Description: H is 35 years old. Not gonna lie, that name is unusual. He is a wolf shifter who has lived in the Montana mountains since birth.


H is an omega (lowest rank of the pack) in the Springhill pack. His father was a beta, but he was born an alpha. He doesn't want to be an alpha so he doesn't challenge his cousin for the alpha position. To humiliate him, his cousin gives him the omega role. He doesn't want to be alpha because seeing the previous alphas abuse their power, he doesn't want to be like that. (Side note: we later find out, while his father was a beta, he comes from a long line of alphas. I have a point of contention about this fact because in the beginning, the H said he COULDN'T be alpha because his father was a beta, but didn't mention until very later that he comes from a long line of alphas). 


Even considered as an omega, he loves his life. He has a pregnant mate, has one of the most successful wood processing companies in the world (as a shifter he has a talent of communicating with the trees which allows him to grow trees faster than normal), and has loyal friends. He is said to be a "billionaire tycoon" because of his business.


The H's "true mate" is Kamyra. She is viewed as a weak, simpering woman who was abused in her old pack. Apparently, the Moon Goddess blessed their union and his wolf was in love with her, but after the mating, his wolf continually says she is not his mate. Also, as a true mate, there should be a strong psychic connection between them, but it's barely there. He also doesn't trigger her mating heat. It's clear he has rose colored glasses on (H later learns he was actually poisoned by her) as he describes her likes and dislikes. The red flags are there. It looks like he caters more to her needs than his. She doesn't help with anything and likes to shop and go out with the H. He excuses all of these as trauma from her old pack.


Hero Likability Rating: a 1 in the beginning and a 5 later on. Ugh, it's a little bit hard because Chayton was such a Donkey Dunderhead in denying his love for the h. He acted mean and grumpy towards her to hide his attraction and contain his wolf. He still felt love for his ex mate and it blinded him (there is a plot twist where he was bewitched by his ex mate to believing that their mating was a true mating). But he was a good man and cared for his son and pack. He wanted to be a good alpha. I will still give him 5 alpha stars to qualify for book husband status. After making him sweat, I would eventually say yes to his mating bond. 

Book Boyfriend Material/OTT Alpha: Yes he is OTT alpha for the h even while denying his attraction and yes, he is now in my collection of book husbands.

Heroine:: Elizabeth Powell Elom

Heroine Description: h is 32 year old. She is a human from Chicago. She had been a caretaker for her mother who battled with multiple sclerosis for 15 years and recently died off page a year ago. She was close with her mother and was depressed and grieving for a year until she decides to follow her mother's advice to leave the city and live in the mountains. She is an author who writes romance novels. She has a BFF since childhood and has a loving and caring nature, but will not take anyone's bs. She is independent and pragmatic.

Heroine Likability Rating: infinity out of 5. I'd give her all the stars in the universe. I love Elizabeth. She was strong, independent, took no bullshit, loving and caring. I love every single scene with her and the H's son, Miko. If the author writes a book about them just spending time together I would read it. Seriously. Please. 

Important Secondary Characters: 

Miko - H's son with ex mate. He has never turned into his human form or communicated psychically with his father or anyone for 5 years since his birth. Miko quickly bonds with the h.

Michaela - h's BFF since their childhood. She lives in Chicago and often stayed with h and her mom because her family is the mafia. She runs away and is trying to get younger sister out. When h is mated to H, h lies to her BFF about meeting H six months ago online and that they are now just dating. She plans to tell her she is married when a few months have passed. h thinks BFF is human therefore telling her would have been punishable to death per the Council. At the end of book, she and sister reveal that they are vampires and seek refuge in H's pack.

h's mother - dies off page due to multiple sclerosis. She is the one who convinces h to move out of Chicago and start fresh. h believes the sparrows that she keeps seeing is her mother guiding her.

Enzo - H's BFF and beta. He is a really good and supportive friend, always pushing him to do the right thing. He is the first one to love Miko outside of the H and rescued him from being thrown into the fire as a newborn. He said even if he had another "defective" child with "an ass for a mouth" he would still love the child. He was supportive of his luna, the h. He didn't like H's ex mate and found the mating suspicious.

Phaedra - H's adopted sister. Her parents helped to care for him and he considers her family. She acts like an older sister would and occasionally butts head with the H. She is the pack's healer/medic. She cares for the h and never liked the H's ex mate.

Torak - Phaedra's son and H's adopted nephew and friend. Father unknown.

Kamyra - H's ex "true mate" and Miko's mother. She is described as weak and simpering due to trauma from old pack supposedly. She said they were jealous of her beauty and the alpha was trying to force her into a mating so she ran away. Prefers shopping and going out over doing anything nature. Doesn't help around the pack. Lazy ass and walking red flag. I smelled her bs from the moment she was described. She lied about being abused by her old pack. She was actually trying to take her sister's alpha mate and as a consequence was put to death, but sister asked that she be kicked out. She wants power and prestige and bewitched via potion the H into believing they were true mates. She wanted him to be an alpha. She tried to abort her baby which is why Miko came out in wolf form - to protect himself from the potion. She has tried to kill h and her own son several times and blamed it on H's cousin. She convinced H's cousin that H was abusing her.

Vilkas - H's cousin and the incompetent, greedy and cowardly alpha of Springhill pack. He takes Kamyra as his mate. Continually attacks H's pack, supposedly. But it was on Kamyra's orders.

The magical Council - not much info about what they do and who they are. It's 7 members and it looks like they preside over packs disputes.

Alarick - a rare white wolf shifter who is half shifter half vampire. He is an enforcer for the Council and a strong fighter. His mate is a witch that the Council is holding against her will. Later, requested to join H's pack with his witch mate.

Dr. David Austin and townspeople of Montana - they don't know about the existence of the paranormal world, they think the shifters are scary mountain people. Dr. Austin likes the h and went on one date with her. He goes out of town and comes back to a married h. He gets jealous and becomes a jerk. He informs h she is a gold digger for marrying H so quickly since H is a billionaire tycoon. He sends hunters to capture the wolf pup not knowing it is human. H threatens him to move out of town and H gets the town a new vet.


Brief Summary of the Storyline: 

I hate GoodReads character limits. So I will try to put my long ass summary in the comments. 


Pros/What I Liked:

1. The relationship between h and Miko (H's son) - I love everything about them, from how they met and bonded organically. She accepted Miko as a wolf and human. Miko only transforms in her presence as he explains she was the only one who accepted him as is and gave no pressure. The scenes with the h spending time in the kitchen with Miko and them going to town for clothes, eating at restaurants, hair cuts, etc are so cute. He eventually starts calling her mama and she sees him as her "baby boy". She is saddened that H will not give her children. She is very overprotective. There is a scene where the jealous vet calls the local hunters and they grab Miko and cage him. While H and his shifters shift as wolves, h follows and she saves Miko and the shifters from being shot (H eventually threatens the vet to leave town).

2. I loved the dialogue - the h was funny and sassy. She was stuck in a situation she couldn't change (being mated to H and getting ignored by H), but made the best of it with her humor and hopeful outlook.

3. Miko's story - I love stories involving wolf pups getting rescued by a human and they become a surrogate parent. Another similar book is Kin Selection by LB Gilbert/Lucy Leroux.


Cons/What I Didn't Liked:

1.While I enjoyed the story, I had issues with the world building/mythology involved in the story and what I believe to be plot holes/inconsistencies:

Existence of the paranormal world - there are not a lot of details about how the paranormal world exists in the modern human world. All that is told is that it is a secret, there are humans, shifters, witches, vampires and the near extinct fairies, and shifters live in the mountains/woods while vampires live in the city. 

Shifter phasing - their clothes don't shred when they phase from human to wolf and back, their clothes are magically back on. I thought that was weird.

The shifters are considered mountain folks - the townspeople of the Montana town see the shifters as weird mountain folks that rarely interact with the town. However, we learn that the H is a billionaire tycoon, he has a bank account and sets h up with a card and account, he has hummers for the pack members to use. It would be nice to show H interacting with the human world to get these things to show he does interact with the human world.

Springhill Pack - After H is kicked out, his cousin greedily builds "two fancy coffee shops, a fine jewelry store, more clothing boutiques than any small shifter village should need. There are even fine dining establishments". If this is true, then why do the townspeople consider them as some backwards poor mountain folks. I hate that this is not properly explained. It feels inconsistent to me.

Billionaire tycoon status - H's financial status felt inconsistent. In the beginning, it's explained that he has a successful logging business and it is not known that he is a billionaire until it was mentioned later on by the jealous vet. Also, H being a billionaire was only mentioned once by the vet as an insult, it's never discussed again. When the H is kicked out of his pack, H wonders how he will survive, but knowing later that he has billions of dollars, why was he worried?

H obtaining land was inconsistent - when H starts his new pack, he said that he obtained the land from the Council, but later on he said the United Wolf federation owns majority of all wildlife land in the world. H went to the UWF and purchased the land. 

United Wolf Federation - There were no details about who they are. Only mentioned once. 

The Council - Not exactly clear what the Council is. It is made up of 7 members, all shifters I believe.

Wolf Scouts - wolf scouts were just the shifter enforcers of the pack. They are supposed to follow the alpha's orders so how was it that Kamyra was able to get the wolf scouts to do her bidding and attack h and Miko. H's cousin knew this, but he couldn't stop them, but he is an alpha so how could he not assert his alpha dominance.


Angst/Sadness level: Minimal angst. I was more mad than sad about H's continued denial over mating with h.

Push/Pull: H keeps pushing away, torn between what he thinks is his love for ex mate and how he feels about h.

Heat level: 4 habanero peppers! There were not a lot of sexy times, due to the H pushing away.

Descriptive sex: Yes only between H and h.

OW (Other Woman)/OM (Other Man) drama: Yes, for the H, he has an ex "true mate, Kamyra. H gets kicked out of pack, Kamyra won't join and he tells her to reject him so that she wouldn't suffer the pain of a broken mating bond. For the h, before meeting the h, she meets Dr. David Austin, a vet. She goes on one date with him before he heads out of town for a work trip. They made plans to see each other again, but she ends up marrying the H. David becomes jealous - calls her a gold digger and tries to  hunters to get the wolf pup (not knowing they are shifters) that she was caring for.


Did OW/OM/Ex Ruin the Book For You: No

Sex scene with OW or OM: No

M/F-M/M-M/M/F-etc: M/F

Birth Control/Condoms: No birth control or Condoms between H and h. But he makes her drink root tea so that she doesn’t get pregnant. H has a child with ex mate previously.

Cheating Before/During/Outside H/h relationship: Not really. Even after meeting h, H still had lingering feelings for ex "true mate" that the Moon Goddess supposedly blessed. Because of this, he tries to deny his feelings for h and pushes her away. At one point, when ex "true mate" comes to his pack, he stays by her bedside for two days without even going back home to the h and his son even though he checked on them via psychic link. And working late one night, ex "true mate" cries to him and he cradles her to his chest until she falls asleep and she kisses him. Later he tells bff the kiss only solidifies that he loves the h. He doesn't tell h about the kiss, but since h is pregnant, she has shifter sense of smell and can smell the ex "true mate" on him. They argue. h tells him to choose between her and ex "true mate" and he says nothing. She kicks him out of the house.

Grovel Rating: No big grovel, but he does apologize to h and show her how sorry he was for the way he treated her.

Love Triangle: Technically yes between H, h, and H's ex "true mate". To be clear, the h is H's true mate.

Separation: No real separation, but times where H try to avoid h weeks at a time while living in the same house. A big argue causes h to kick H out of the house and they are separated for a week.

Virgin/Celibate/Manwhore: No manwhore. H and h are not virgins. 

Contains Children: Yes, H had a child with ex "true mate". 

Contains Flashback: No

Possible Pet Peeves/Triggers: parent dies off page due to multiple sclerosis

Plotholes: Yes, please see above in cons/what I don't like section.

HEA/HFN/etc Ending: HEAish/HFN - there is another book coming, but no release date or details about what it entails. 

Closure/Epilogue: Yes, H and h are finally together and H no longer have lingering feelings for ex "true mate".

Safety: 4 out of 5. Some of you might be angry that H continues to deny h while pining for ex "true mate" and there is a scene where ex "true mate" kisses H.

[Giorgia Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hero was a bad father while basically proclaiming himself a saint for the sacrifices he made for his son. He was a selfish, entitles piece of work. Heroine and son deserved better.

[Yasmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Never thought I'd give this author such a low rating but here we are. This book didn't do it for me. Solely because of Chayton. He was so unlikable. The majority of the book he was unbearable. He was a horrible mate and even worse father. At no point in this book did we get any bonding on page of him and Miko. What was the point of saving his son from death if he wasn't going to shower him with the love, support and acceptance he needed and deserved. Elizabeth also deserved better. She was too good for this man. I am truly baffled by all of the glowing reviews I've seen. Did these people read the same book as me?? This is the first book in this series and I it was beyond a letdown for me. If this is what I have to look forward to with the rest of this series with other couples then I probably won't finish it. I'm very disappointed. I wanted to like this book but I didn't. 2.5/5 rating.

[Jena]

Self note
Want to read for the crazy ow drama. (Angst)
- but dislike human + shifter fated mate tropes.(wouldn’t the human die way sooner?)

Amazing spoilers here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[SassafrasfromAmazon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ From the very start, I loved Elizabeth’s character, namely, her sense of humor, amiability, decency, and above all, her loving heart. She is a strong, intelligent black woman. On the other hand, with respect to Chayton, the male counterpart, I initially despised him; he’s a supreme prick. As the story progressed, however, I began to understand (wolf) pack dynamics more clearly, and I gleaned pertinent information that delve into Chayton’s motivations. Aside from the two main characters, the one who really captured my heart is Chayton’s son, Miko. He is an extremely intelligent, rambunctious and lovable cub, who has had the deck stacked against him since his birth, yet he persevered, and he survived.

This is one of my favorite types of shifter combinations—human woman and male shifter. Consequently, I expect that some level of violence and sex are necessary elements inherent in these stories. In this particular book, the violence in the story is fundamental, flows very well vis-à-vis the plot, and it is neither excessive nor gratuitous.

By contrast, unfortunately, there is an inordinate amount of sex that at one point, Elizabeth needs one full week from which to recover—poor girl; it’s a wonder she survived, ya know, being human and all. Further, even for a shifter story, the sexual encounters seem way over-the-top, and they often seem to overshadow the story in many scenarios.

By and large, the plot is built on a solid foundation. The story is by no means predictable, and in fact, it is greatly enhanced by a few twists, turns, and a nasty surprise or two along the way to keep the reader engaged and invested.

Because of the numerous errors signalling a lack of adequate proofreading coupled with the excessive, implausible, overdone sexual encounters between Elizabeth and Chayton and clichéd sexually-charged innuendoes that often overshadowed the story, I’ve given a lower score of 3.5⭐️.

Nonetheless, despite its flaws, this is one hell of a story.

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Placeholder Review.

Lots to like. The freak out with Miko was appropriate and dare I say ... realistic! Where I felt the disconnect is when she's brought before the Council. I needed to be privy to the scene from her point of view BEFORE she stands in front of the Council.

The scene where the hero becomes a rescuer was something out of a movie. Miko was so darn cute and I loved his protection of Elizabeth. Enzo, Enzo, Enzo ... between him and Miko ... they nearly stole this book and in some scenes did.

Overall, I enjoyed the story and look forward to the next story in the series. Recommended: Read It!

Longer review to follow.

[Petra Hart · Rating 1 out of 5]

An ok shifter romance with an important CW. I especially loved the son Miko’s character, and how beautifully our FMC’s appearance as a Black woman is described. I also liked the parallels drawn between town vs mountain people and racial prejudice in our world.

Unfortunately, the demonization of abortion made the story a big no for me. I reject the inhumane notion that abortions are chosen by evil, hateful people who are on a power trip.

[Sybrenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ this took me right out of the slump i found myself in! Like this was so fun but also so immersive with werewolves, fated mates, arranged & forced marriage, found family, and a plot that HITTT. This was so good & bingeable. It was bit corny at times but i swear i didn’t care. I loveeee Chayton, Elizabeth & Miko so much! Lemme go ahead and read Enzo’s book because I’m soooo intrigued!! 🏃🏽‍♀️❤️

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read 29/12/23 sticking with 4 stars I really hope we get more on this series soon

Ohh a hard one to rate
I spent a good percentage of the book disliking Clayton, because Elizabeth was so sweet and he was just so dense. Then I hated him only for the twist to come which I sensed was the case well before said dense H did.
I actually really enjoyed the story, the side characters and I did even if just a little bit believe in the HEA
And I’m hooked enough to read the rest of the series

[Luna ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

»What's got you smiling so big?«
»Nothing.«
»I know what it is. It's your Luna. You've been floating around with your head in the clouds for two weeks now.«

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

❥ 𝑬𝒍𝒊𝒛𝒂𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒉 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
I adored her from the first page. She has a heart of gold, is strong and caring. All in all an amazing woman.

❥ 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒚𝒕𝒐𝒏 ⋆✮
I liked him although he got some grovelling to do. He hasn‘t got an easy life and tries his best.

✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This is one of the best shifter romance books I‘ve ever read! We get a dominant alpha wolf, a sassy human woman and a thrilling storyline with a lot of twists and turns. I was glued to my kindle the whole day and couldn‘t stop reading. This book is very well written and very interesting. I liked the plot and the characters. Normally I‘m not a fan of the trope „he loves someone else“ but here it was well done.
Elizabeth and Chayton have great tension. I liked the fact Elizabeth has a lot of backbone and isn‘t afraid to tell Chayton her opinion. Both are confident, sassy and speak their mind.
Overall I really loved this book! I hope this author writes many more fantastic books.

𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes.

𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 5/5
spice: 2/5
humor: 4/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ₊ ⊹
possessive and protective hero, marriage of convenience, single dad, alpha wolf x human, shifter romance, slow burn, found family, secrets and lies, forced proximity, fated mates, she falls first but he falls harder, interracial romance

𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲
ages: Elizabeth (32) and Chayton (35)
cheating: he get‘s kissed by someone else (against his will)
sharing: no
kinks: no

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Chayton ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 Enzo ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachael*Caribbean*girl*bibliophile · Rating 1 out of 5]

I never thought I'd find a man I hated more than Keaton but here's Chayton weak, lily livered coward who's as stupid as his name
RTC




I don’t condone violence. I think a man should never hit a woman, and a woman should never lay her hands on a man. This is a lesson my mother taught me. However, all that good learning goes out the window when my hand fly across his face.


If ever anyone deserved a slap it was Chayton...... he's such a fucking asshole grrrrrrrrr

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

When human Elizabeth saves a wolf cub she never thought it would get her into trouble with a council of magical beings and married/mated to a shifter.

This was an entertaining read. I liked Elizabeth a lot, she didn’t freak out when learning about shifters, she understood why they had to be mated and she went with it without fussing and that was refreshing. She actually had common sense. Chayton was frustrating. I understood his fears and reservations, but man he was an ass to Elizabeth and I was glad she let him know and stood up for herself each time.

I knew something wasn’t right about their enemies and wasn’t shocked about what we learn. If anything I didn’t understand why Chayton wasn’t more suspicious.

This ends more in a HFN than a HEA. I’m assuming we will learn more about her friend Michaela’s issues and the white wolfs issues in other books, and probably see more of these two but I always want a more definitive epilogue before we move onto a new couple (if that is the case).

Overall an enjoyable read.

[CLorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chayton is the first book in Tiya Rayne's Dark Wood series. This book has been on my kindle for a number of months but all of Ms. Rayne's books are "best served cold"....the anticipation is always worth the wait and brings an incredible payoff (I am still waiting to read Priest from the Church Series). Chayton gives us a look at the shifter verse with some notable enhancements. Chayton should be the Alpha of his pack but declines the honor. After the birth of his unusual son, he leaves his pack and his true mate and forges a new life. Elizabeth relocates to Montana after the death of her mother. She stumbles upon Chayton's young son after he has been injured. When Chayton and Elizabeth meet there is an instant attraction; however, Chayton already has a true mate, doesn't he? And Elizabeth is human!! I loved the interactions between Chayton's son Miko and Elizabeth; they had such a sweet bond, full of humor and love. The story had some excellent villains but the true villain of the story was well hidden and I was totally surprised at the reveal. During the course of the story, Elizabeth remained in close contact with her friend Michaela who showed in person (well mostly) at the end of the book. I hope we get to read her story soon!

[VoraciousReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

1. Badly needed editing. So. Many. Mistakes. 🙄
2. As usual, the H is forgiven far too easily. 🤬

[Charde Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES!!!

I absolutely love everything this authors writes!!! This book was soo good. Loved the story, the action, the conflict….Chayton was just wow. Great shifter story with some serious twists. I seriously was soo mad at part of this book and then felt such relief!!! Pins and needles. I got mad at my girls for every interruption because this book was sooo intense!!!! All the steamy, smexy times, all the drama, whew!!! I am already no sing for the next book!!!

[Cass K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Liz is THAT girl!

Okay!! I wasn’t going to read because of some reviews…( Yes, I can be that person sometimes.) I’m so happy I read it! So well written. So juicy! This was such a good take on shifters and I’m here for it! BDE Chayton had me STRESSED out!

I cannot wait for the next story in this universe.

[Jodie K · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.8 Stars

I enjoyed reading this book, I loved the relationship between Elizabeth and Miko. I’m so excited for the next book!!

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (8/4/2023)! 🎁

[Serialbookstarter:Marla]

DNF

[Joan Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an Alpha

Oh my goodness I enjoyed this book so much. I can not wait to get to the next book. I hope the next book is as captivating as this one. I have read several books by this author and loved everyone. Please don't make us wait long to find out if Michaela and Enzo are true mates. If you have not read anything by Tiya Rayne you are missing a great treat. Grab one of her books and hold on for the ride.

[fahreta p · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5stars.. i actually really enjoyed this 🤭🤭

[SaviLeeLind · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book unsure on if I would enjoy it. True to form Tiya Rayne created yet another book boyfriend for me that might be my favorite!
Chayton was a man dedicated to his pack and his true mate. I fell in love with him from the start. Sexy, brooding, and loyal. His story begins when his mate Kamyra gives birth to a son the pack deems an abomination and unfit. Forced between his son and his mate he walks away with son and a rejection from his mate. 5 years late as the Alpha to his own pack with his dedicated members he is cold and a bit jaded which can be shown with his treatment of his son Niko. When Niko runs away and encounters hunters he is found by new resident Elizabeth. She instantly falls in love with Niko in his wolf form. When Chayton finds Niko with Elizabeth he is shocked to realize she is his mate. When the council finds that Elizabeth is aware of their kind and has seen Niko shift Chayton and Elizabeth are forced to get married based upon human tradition as well as a ceremony in wolf tradition. From here the story truly begins between the mates who want nothing to do with the other, but can't fight the pull that binds them.
Steam, jealousy, lies, drama, and of course love are all wrapped up together in this book. I started and could not put it down until I finished. Prepare to fall head over hells with our MMC and FMC and all the drama that is with them!

[Kashi Ashley-Ann Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an enjoyable book.

What an enjoyable read this was, I simply couldn’t put it down. This is a definite recommendation, I can’t wait to see what book two has in store

[Benita Vehnom Ruiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooòoo

That ending though!! Such a great read! Definitely will be reading the rest of this series. Can't wait for book 2!

[Cici · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

There's not a 32 yr old black woman that grew up in inner city chicago as naive as Elizabeth. The world the author created is fascinating. I love the dark wood pack characters. I love Clayton. None of that was an issue. Elizabeth however was a pathetic side chick for most of the book. Emphasis was put on her being dark skinned & tall, is that supposed to be justification for why she was willing to be with & get pregnant by a man that made it clear he didn't want her? Any woman with an ounce of self respect would not have been acting like a goofy lap dog for a man who was so cold to towards her. Having her lusting after him like a fool is so disappointing. Like she couldn't control herself even when she knows he can smell her. Who wouldn't be guarded with a man who says he loves someone else. If I hadn't read her book "where love is found" I would think she was incapable of writing bw leads that aren't desperate & lame. Stop making these women doormats because it's frustrating & more importantly it's boring. Elizabeth deserved a better personality. She could have been amazing but she was so cringe acting like a loser pick me. She could have been firece & knew her worth.