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Ever After in Vilastoria #2
The Wolf's Golden Deception
Stolen magic. Broken trust. Can love save Rafe and Mira from being consumed by the Wolf’s deception? Or is it already too late?
For months, Lord Rafe has been ensnared in a deception that he wishes he’d never fallen for. But what else could he do to protect his family? What started out as something seemingly harmless became achingly complex when he fell in love with Princess Mira. Refusing to see her hurt by his poor choices, he made the painful decision to stay away from her.
Mira still doesn’t understand why the man she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with vanished after the end of the midnight balls. When he finally returns contrite and ready to court her, she wants to forgive him and regain what they once had. But Rafe is accused of a shocking crime and banished just as a tragedy strikes that changes Mira’s life forever. Now they must meet cloaked in secret if they wish to be together.
Can they solve the mystery of the Wolf before time runs out, or will their secrets and their forbidden love be exposed, making things more precarious than ever?
Join Rafe and Mira on their fairytale adventure inspired by “Little Red Riding Hood” and the Greek myth “Orpheus and Eurydice.”
For months, Lord Rafe has been ensnared in a deception that he wishes he’d never fallen for. But what else could he do to protect his family? What started out as something seemingly harmless became achingly complex when he fell in love with Princess Mira. Refusing to see her hurt by his poor choices, he made the painful decision to stay away from her.
Mira still doesn’t understand why the man she thought she was going to spend the rest of her life with vanished after the end of the midnight balls. When he finally returns contrite and ready to court her, she wants to forgive him and regain what they once had. But Rafe is accused of a shocking crime and banished just as a tragedy strikes that changes Mira’s life forever. Now they must meet cloaked in secret if they wish to be together.
Can they solve the mystery of the Wolf before time runs out, or will their secrets and their forbidden love be exposed, making things more precarious than ever?
Join Rafe and Mira on their fairytale adventure inspired by “Little Red Riding Hood” and the Greek myth “Orpheus and Eurydice.”
416 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 20, 2022
29 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Alesha Adamson
4 books77 followersContrary to what hundreds of authors have experienced, Alesha did not love reading from an early age. Battling dyslexia, she mostly avoided the written word, instead spending hours and hours creating her own stories with dolls, stuffed animals, or even beaded lizards. Copying movies and tv would not do, she insisted upon creating her own stories usually involving romance and insurmountable odds. In the end good would prevail and everyone would receive their happily-ever-after.
Then, with the dedicated help of family and loved ones, she discovered that books were not simply letters on a page, they were amazing stories full of romance, magic, adventure and so much more. It wasn’t long before she was hooked, then—almost accidentally—found herself writing her very own stories.
Once she started creating stories, she couldn’t stop. The ideas kept flowing and she is excited to continue writing more fairytales, adventures, fantasies and especially romances all with their own happily-ever-after.
Then, with the dedicated help of family and loved ones, she discovered that books were not simply letters on a page, they were amazing stories full of romance, magic, adventure and so much more. It wasn’t long before she was hooked, then—almost accidentally—found herself writing her very own stories.
Once she started creating stories, she couldn’t stop. The ideas kept flowing and she is excited to continue writing more fairytales, adventures, fantasies and especially romances all with their own happily-ever-after.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 28, 2022
I’ve been eagerly awaiting Mira and Rafe’s story ever since these characters made an appearance in The Dark King’s Eternal Dance and when I finally got the opportunity to read it I was not disappointed. The Wolf’s Golden Deception was a delightful fairytale romance. Alesha Adamson’s beautiful writing and creative weaving of plot perfectly blended together to tell a truly delightful story.
This series stands out in that it combines classic fairytales with mythology to create something truly unique; the blending of Red Riding Hood with Orpheus and Eurydice was done seamlessly and together wove a riveting story. The romance perfectly blended in with the intrigue and mystery surrounding the identity of the wolf, making for an even more intriguing tale that had me thoroughly engrossed from start to finish.
The characters in particular stood out. Both our hero and heroine possessed such depth and experienced such a satisfying journey of growth that made their sweet romance very satisfying. Rafe has made many mistakes that he must overcome; his journey of working through his redemption in order to come together with his love was wonderful to watch unfold. I also love Mira. She had such inner strength, which she had to rely on to maintain her belief in the man she loved when he was surrounded by so much suspicion in order to fight for her happily ever after, but she experiences an unexpected and rather traumatic challenge of her own. Her personal journey to overcome her trials in order to discover new joy in the changes she had to endure was the perfect parallel to Rafe’s inner journey. This allowed them to help one another, which only strengthened their already sweet and beautiful romance. Mira and Rafe truly make an adorable couple and I loved all the scenes they shared together.
Overall The Wolf’s Golden Deception was a fantastic story. I adored the beautiful world building I can’t wait to meet new characters, discover the other kingdoms in Vilastoria, and see the creative ways this author blends fairytale with Greek mythology.
This series stands out in that it combines classic fairytales with mythology to create something truly unique; the blending of Red Riding Hood with Orpheus and Eurydice was done seamlessly and together wove a riveting story. The romance perfectly blended in with the intrigue and mystery surrounding the identity of the wolf, making for an even more intriguing tale that had me thoroughly engrossed from start to finish.
The characters in particular stood out. Both our hero and heroine possessed such depth and experienced such a satisfying journey of growth that made their sweet romance very satisfying. Rafe has made many mistakes that he must overcome; his journey of working through his redemption in order to come together with his love was wonderful to watch unfold. I also love Mira. She had such inner strength, which she had to rely on to maintain her belief in the man she loved when he was surrounded by so much suspicion in order to fight for her happily ever after, but she experiences an unexpected and rather traumatic challenge of her own. Her personal journey to overcome her trials in order to discover new joy in the changes she had to endure was the perfect parallel to Rafe’s inner journey. This allowed them to help one another, which only strengthened their already sweet and beautiful romance. Mira and Rafe truly make an adorable couple and I loved all the scenes they shared together.
Overall The Wolf’s Golden Deception was a fantastic story. I adored the beautiful world building I can’t wait to meet new characters, discover the other kingdoms in Vilastoria, and see the creative ways this author blends fairytale with Greek mythology.
September 27, 2022
Fairytale retelling.
Clean sweet romance, fairytale mashup, and a mystery.
Well written and the romance doesn't come across rushed. The story is welled paced and the author keeps you guessing on the "Wolf" is and the reason behind the lies and betrayal. Beautiful story of redemption, learning to love yourself, and that love and good win in the end.
Clean sweet romance, fairytale mashup, and a mystery.
Well written and the romance doesn't come across rushed. The story is welled paced and the author keeps you guessing on the "Wolf" is and the reason behind the lies and betrayal. Beautiful story of redemption, learning to love yourself, and that love and good win in the end.
September 25, 2022
A perfect blend of Greek mythology and a classic fairy tale.
Ever since we first saw a glimpse of their relationship in Rayna's story, I have waited to see Mira and Rafe's story. Mira is softer than her sisters in many ways but does have a beautiful inner strength that comes out when her loved ones are on the line. Rafe, like Drake, has made mistakes which haunt him, however he is willing to do whatever it takes to redeem himself. He did have a bit of a saviour complex that he was protecting Mira by keeping his distance. I sometimes get really frustrated when characters do this throughout a whole book - but luckily Rafe had an amazing sister who managed to knock some sense into him pretty early on in the story.
I love how Alesha blended the key elements of Orpheus and Eurydice (save the tragic ending), with the theme of the wolf in Red Riding Hood to create a story full of hope and strength.
My favourite element of this book was all the world building of Greek mythology inspired Vilastoria, we are able to learn how magic works in this world and the different magical races who can wield it - we got the tiniest glimpses in 'The Dark King' but it is explained much more thoroughly here. We also start to learn more about the other kingdoms and their politics/relationships. I would've liked to see more of Valkovia but I have no doubt that we will in a future book. We also got to see more of the sisters, specifically Nora and Aria, and plenty of Drake and Rayna as well.
I can't wait for the next book, where we'll hopefully get to explore another kingdom in Vilastoria.
Ever since we first saw a glimpse of their relationship in Rayna's story, I have waited to see Mira and Rafe's story. Mira is softer than her sisters in many ways but does have a beautiful inner strength that comes out when her loved ones are on the line. Rafe, like Drake, has made mistakes which haunt him, however he is willing to do whatever it takes to redeem himself. He did have a bit of a saviour complex that he was protecting Mira by keeping his distance. I sometimes get really frustrated when characters do this throughout a whole book - but luckily Rafe had an amazing sister who managed to knock some sense into him pretty early on in the story.
I love how Alesha blended the key elements of Orpheus and Eurydice (save the tragic ending), with the theme of the wolf in Red Riding Hood to create a story full of hope and strength.
My favourite element of this book was all the world building of Greek mythology inspired Vilastoria, we are able to learn how magic works in this world and the different magical races who can wield it - we got the tiniest glimpses in 'The Dark King' but it is explained much more thoroughly here. We also start to learn more about the other kingdoms and their politics/relationships. I would've liked to see more of Valkovia but I have no doubt that we will in a future book. We also got to see more of the sisters, specifically Nora and Aria, and plenty of Drake and Rayna as well.
I can't wait for the next book, where we'll hopefully get to explore another kingdom in Vilastoria.
October 3, 2022
This BOOK IS A MUST for people who ♥️LOVE a light in the darkness story with powerful chemistry between hero and heroine. Mira and Rafe are perfect for each other and are a comfort when the other needs it. When Mira needed comfort Rafe was their and when he needed to hear he was good enough she was their for him.
I ♥️LOVE the bits of humor Rafe and Mira has along with their playful banter. The storyline flowed so well almost as well as Mira and Rafe's powerful love for each other. I also ♥️LOVED how determined Mira was when something caused her to be less independent for a time. With her personality it was so hard for her, but she didn't give up especially when Rafe found her again.
The villain was who I was and wasn't expecting. I was not expecting them to be fake with their feelings on certain stuff and all of a sudden show their true colors. It made them such a great villian. Another thing I must mentioned I ♥️LOVED was all the wonderful and inspiring quotes. There was so many it was so hard to decide which one was my favorite so I chose them all
😁😁😁😁. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS
I ♥️LOVE the bits of humor Rafe and Mira has along with their playful banter. The storyline flowed so well almost as well as Mira and Rafe's powerful love for each other. I also ♥️LOVED how determined Mira was when something caused her to be less independent for a time. With her personality it was so hard for her, but she didn't give up especially when Rafe found her again.
The villain was who I was and wasn't expecting. I was not expecting them to be fake with their feelings on certain stuff and all of a sudden show their true colors. It made them such a great villian. Another thing I must mentioned I ♥️LOVED was all the wonderful and inspiring quotes. There was so many it was so hard to decide which one was my favorite so I chose them all
😁😁😁😁. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS
October 1, 2023
Well, I could never have seen that fairytale mashup and ending coming... Very unique and interesting!
September 24, 2023
10/10 Twists and Turns
This book held me spellbound. The plot moved quickly with plenty of twists and turns to keep it interesting. The two main characters were very 3D. It took me a while to finish due to those twists; I learned to pause while they were in a good place before continuing to see what new obstacle they would have to face. I would recommend this book, especially after having read The Dark King and the Eternal Dance.
This book held me spellbound. The plot moved quickly with plenty of twists and turns to keep it interesting. The two main characters were very 3D. It took me a while to finish due to those twists; I learned to pause while they were in a good place before continuing to see what new obstacle they would have to face. I would recommend this book, especially after having read The Dark King and the Eternal Dance.
June 21, 2024
I really loved reading this wonderful book! I loved the characters and the plot! I loved this retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and Orpheus and Eurydice! I had a hard time putting this really wonderful book down! I am looking forward to reading the next book in this really wonderful series!
September 21, 2022
Gripping Continuation of the Ever After in Vilastoria series
I fell in love with the characters in this series when I read The Dark King and the Eternal Dance, and knew I HAD to read the next book. Mira was a much softer character than some of her sisters like Rayna or Marion, but I enjoyed her story all the same. I very much admired her loyalty, and her and Rafe's romance was very sweet.
I like Greek Myths, but I will admit- Orpheus and Eurydice was one I was not as familiar with going into this. When I was about 25% of the way through with The Wolf's Golden Deception, I decided to review it to help with background knowledge story, then was terrified it would end the same way. Then with the mashup of Little Red Riding Hood on top of that... I was intrigued!
I loved the villain in this story. (No spoilers!!!) The mystery behind the identity of the wolf kept me guessing until my suspicions started growing stronger. I was very satisfied with how it all turned out!
Anyway, one of my favorite lines was after a character had a foot amputated. It read, "I love every single part of you. But it doesn’t matter how many feet or hands you have. I’ll still love you, because it doesn’t change who you are at your core.” With that level of wholesome romance, I knew this book was a win.
Side note- Is it just me, or am I the only one hard core shipping Marion and Kyron, who are continuing to drive each other crazy as they love and hate each other. Their story will be amazing, and I can't wait for that.
I fell in love with the characters in this series when I read The Dark King and the Eternal Dance, and knew I HAD to read the next book. Mira was a much softer character than some of her sisters like Rayna or Marion, but I enjoyed her story all the same. I very much admired her loyalty, and her and Rafe's romance was very sweet.
I like Greek Myths, but I will admit- Orpheus and Eurydice was one I was not as familiar with going into this. When I was about 25% of the way through with The Wolf's Golden Deception, I decided to review it to help with background knowledge story, then was terrified it would end the same way. Then with the mashup of Little Red Riding Hood on top of that... I was intrigued!
I loved the villain in this story. (No spoilers!!!) The mystery behind the identity of the wolf kept me guessing until my suspicions started growing stronger. I was very satisfied with how it all turned out!
Anyway, one of my favorite lines was after a character had a foot amputated. It read, "I love every single part of you. But it doesn’t matter how many feet or hands you have. I’ll still love you, because it doesn’t change who you are at your core.” With that level of wholesome romance, I knew this book was a win.
Side note- Is it just me, or am I the only one hard core shipping Marion and Kyron, who are continuing to drive each other crazy as they love and hate each other. Their story will be amazing, and I can't wait for that.
November 1, 2022
Alesha Adamson has a way with words. After reading her first book, The Dark King and the Eternal Dance, I was hooked and wanted more from her. Like the first book this one, The Wolf's Golden Deception, did not disappoint! Such a fantastic story full of love and heartache. It kept you guessing until the end. The plot twist was a little bittersweet but I loved it. Yes it was a bit sad but it was also a fantastic love story. Don't we all dream of a love like that. A love that can conquer all and no matter our mistakes or faults they still love and see the real you. I can't wait for the next book featuring Mira's sister Aria but I really hope that Rafe's sister Rowena gets her story told! I feel like that story, about a fairy, would be epic. I would absolutely recommend this book and this author!
June 6, 2024
This book is one of my favourite Little Red Riding Hood retellings. I loved how Mira kept on defending and believing in Rafe, even though the evidence against him was overwhelming. Mira was such a strong heroine. Even while going through trials and traumatic experiences, she was still able to stand up for Rafe and do her best to get through her own trials. Rafe was also an amazing hero. No matter how many times he was accused of a crime and banished from the kingdom, he didn't care about the consequences, instead choosing to be there for Mira and help her.
The romance in the book was very sweet with both characters drawing strength from each other and helping each other grow, choosing to firmly believe the best in each other.
Overall, it was an amazing story and I would definitely recommend it to everyone.
The romance in the book was very sweet with both characters drawing strength from each other and helping each other grow, choosing to firmly believe the best in each other.
Overall, it was an amazing story and I would definitely recommend it to everyone.
April 19, 2024
The Wolf’s Golden Deception was unique blending of fairy tales and Greek mythology. It was very creative of Alesha Adamson to mash up Little Red Riding Hood with the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Key elements of each original tale were there, yet completely stood out as its own tale. There were many twists and turns that I did not see coming! I loved the redemption arc of Rafe’s character. He went from self loathing to trying to atone for his wrong doings. Mira went a journey of self acceptance when certain events changed her life. Both Rafe and Mira were adorable together. I loved the banter between them! This book was an enjoyable read. The romance is clean with only kissing. If you love fairy tale retellings and Greek mythology, give this book a read!
February 28, 2025
Oh Grandmama, Tsk, Tsk
Blending two of my favorite stories, Red Riding Hood with Orpheus and Eurydice! Bliss!
I’m a huge fan of Hadestown so I was really excited to read the scenes of Mira following Rafe through the woods mirroring the haunting journey of Orpheus leading Eurydice out of the underworld.
And I’m very thankful for Rafe and Mira’s Happy Ending in this story, especially since Rafe paused to look behind at Mira many times to be sure she was following him through the woods…. 🫣
So would it be weird to wish for a written melody to accompany the lyrics of the songs Rafe sang? I made up my own melodies and sometimes modified other songs to fit the lyrics, but I would enjoy singing and playing the songs as the author intended.
Blending two of my favorite stories, Red Riding Hood with Orpheus and Eurydice! Bliss!
I’m a huge fan of Hadestown so I was really excited to read the scenes of Mira following Rafe through the woods mirroring the haunting journey of Orpheus leading Eurydice out of the underworld.
And I’m very thankful for Rafe and Mira’s Happy Ending in this story, especially since Rafe paused to look behind at Mira many times to be sure she was following him through the woods…. 🫣
So would it be weird to wish for a written melody to accompany the lyrics of the songs Rafe sang? I made up my own melodies and sometimes modified other songs to fit the lyrics, but I would enjoy singing and playing the songs as the author intended.
September 18, 2023
THIS BOOK IS SO AMAZING!! One of the top best fairytale retellings ever, and YOU must read this!! This is my second favourite book ever, and I'm sure that you'll love it as much as I did! It's so thrilling, and Alesha have written it so beautifully!! The mystery behind "the wolf" was so intriguing and I was so shocked to find out who it was! To be honest, I didn't expect it at all, which is why I found this book so interesting!
June 9, 2024
Fun, light bit not always lighthearted
Love this take/twist on Little Red Riding Hood! Not one I've encountered before and I greatly enjoyed the novelty!
Took a while to get through this book. Not sure if it was b/c of headspace, or a struggle to get into the book. The world building makes the language anachronistic at times, and that was a bit jarring.
Love this take/twist on Little Red Riding Hood! Not one I've encountered before and I greatly enjoyed the novelty!
Took a while to get through this book. Not sure if it was b/c of headspace, or a struggle to get into the book. The world building makes the language anachronistic at times, and that was a bit jarring.
October 6, 2025
Overall, very, very good. This is the first book I've read by the author (having gotten it for free) and I really enjoyed it.
The kissing was slightly overdescriptive at times, but what can you expect from a fairytale retelling but fairytale kisses...
Rafe and Mira were such a beautiful couple, and I loved the way their story was told.
The kissing was slightly overdescriptive at times, but what can you expect from a fairytale retelling but fairytale kisses...
Rafe and Mira were such a beautiful couple, and I loved the way their story was told.
December 27, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. Alesha Adamson is very talented, weaving her adventures with inspiration from classic fairy tales and Greek mythology. This one held me in suspense until the end. I couldn't put it down!
January 2, 2026
Wow! Such a great read. I figured out the villain super early on. But uncovering the plot was fun!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews