What do you think?
Willow Road
Jeremiah Pace hasn't left his house in thirteen years. He doesn't trust anyone, least of all shifters. School was a nightmare, and despite never interacting with anyone in the village, the bullying continues in his adult life. Someone is putting ads in the paper, encouraging people to drop by his house for one service or other, but Jeremiah never opens his door.
Zeeb Hemming is a lone wolf and the new chief of police. He's only been in Stoneshade for six weeks when he learns about the ads and goes to knock on Jeremiah's door. Not because of what today's ad said, but to get to the bottom of what's going on. Human or not, Jeremiah deserves to live life in peace. The moment Zeeb nears Jeremiah's house, he knows he's his mate. But he can't have a human mate.
Jeremiah pleads with Zeeb not to stir anything up. Yes, the ads are bad, but things can always get worse. Zeeb is furious someone is mistreating his mate and is willing to skin anyone who has any connection to the ads alive. But how is he to convince Jeremiah to trust him when he talks to Zeeb through a gap in the window instead of opening the door to his house?
Zeeb Hemming is a lone wolf and the new chief of police. He's only been in Stoneshade for six weeks when he learns about the ads and goes to knock on Jeremiah's door. Not because of what today's ad said, but to get to the bottom of what's going on. Human or not, Jeremiah deserves to live life in peace. The moment Zeeb nears Jeremiah's house, he knows he's his mate. But he can't have a human mate.
Jeremiah pleads with Zeeb not to stir anything up. Yes, the ads are bad, but things can always get worse. Zeeb is furious someone is mistreating his mate and is willing to skin anyone who has any connection to the ads alive. But how is he to convince Jeremiah to trust him when he talks to Zeeb through a gap in the window instead of opening the door to his house?
76 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 17, 2022
About the author
Holly Day
71 books173 followersAccording to Holly Day, no day should go by uncelebrated and all of them deserve a story. If she’ll have the time to write them remains to be seen. She lives in rural Sweden with a husband, four children, more pets than most, and wouldn’t last a day without coffee.
Holly gets up at the crack of dawn most days of the week to write gay romance stories. She believes in equality in fiction and in real life. Diversity matters. Representation matters. Visibility matters. We can change the world one story at the time.
Holly gets up at the crack of dawn most days of the week to write gay romance stories. She believes in equality in fiction and in real life. Diversity matters. Representation matters. Visibility matters. We can change the world one story at the time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 13, 2022
“I only want you, will ever only want you.”
I won an ebook of Willow Road and devoured this short novella in one sitting.
Willow Road follows the story of Jeremiah (a human) and Zeeb (a shifter). After something terrible happening in the past Jeremiah is afraid of leaving his house. He doesn't trust anyone, especially shifters. Zeeb is the new chief of police and a powerful shifter.
We have:
✅ A human and a shifter
✅ Mates
✅ Holiday themed
✅ Interesting plot
✅ Possessiveness /Mine, Mine, Mine/
The only thing I wished was different was that I needed this novella to be longer! 🥺 I needed to see more of them together and Jeremiah letting down his guards even more. I wanted to see them happy for a longer period of time, but I know this was a novella and I had a great time reading it.
I won an ebook of Willow Road and devoured this short novella in one sitting.
Willow Road follows the story of Jeremiah (a human) and Zeeb (a shifter). After something terrible happening in the past Jeremiah is afraid of leaving his house. He doesn't trust anyone, especially shifters. Zeeb is the new chief of police and a powerful shifter.
We have:
✅ A human and a shifter
✅ Mates
✅ Holiday themed
✅ Interesting plot
✅ Possessiveness /Mine, Mine, Mine/
The only thing I wished was different was that I needed this novella to be longer! 🥺 I needed to see more of them together and Jeremiah letting down his guards even more. I wanted to see them happy for a longer period of time, but I know this was a novella and I had a great time reading it.
January 5, 2023
GAH, this was fantastic.
Short and angsty and sweet, and I desperately wanted more pages, more Zeeb and Jeremiah, but at the same time their story still felt pretty well-rounded and satisfying to me.
I think I might need to read more of this author's stuff: the writing was fantastic.
Short and angsty and sweet, and I desperately wanted more pages, more Zeeb and Jeremiah, but at the same time their story still felt pretty well-rounded and satisfying to me.
I think I might need to read more of this author's stuff: the writing was fantastic.
December 18, 2022
Great potential, but really rushed… both the pacing of the book and Jerimiah and Zeeb’s relationship.
I also find that Holly Day likes to throw in a large dose of trauma, but then gloss over it with the same kind of nonchalant way you would cope with McDonald’s telling your their ice cream machine is broken. And it seems to be happening with more and more frequency with her books… or maybe I was just reading with blinders on before.
Not to mention the illegal epilogue set just a few days later.
I also find that Holly Day likes to throw in a large dose of trauma, but then gloss over it with the same kind of nonchalant way you would cope with McDonald’s telling your their ice cream machine is broken. And it seems to be happening with more and more frequency with her books… or maybe I was just reading with blinders on before.
Not to mention the illegal epilogue set just a few days later.
December 18, 2022
Another fantastic read by Holly Day. Willow Road had a compelling story line, beautiful characters, and it kept me captivated until the last page.
The only weakness for me was that it felt a bit rushed, and this is purely a reflection of the novella length. Since Jeremiah was pretty much agoraphobic and terrified of shifters, his acceptance and relationship with Zeeb seemed a bit rushed, as was the climax with the abusive ex. It just happened a bit too quickly.
However, I still adored this story, and enjoyed every moment. If you are looking for a quick but still satisfying read, you can't go wrong with this book.
The only weakness for me was that it felt a bit rushed, and this is purely a reflection of the novella length. Since Jeremiah was pretty much agoraphobic and terrified of shifters, his acceptance and relationship with Zeeb seemed a bit rushed, as was the climax with the abusive ex. It just happened a bit too quickly.
However, I still adored this story, and enjoyed every moment. If you are looking for a quick but still satisfying read, you can't go wrong with this book.
December 22, 2022
Wow! This story was a little bit different, but still top notch!
This was one seriously intense story. The author managed to pack a huge amount of punch into a minimum number of pages. I totally loved Jeremiah, he was so brave to have survived and overcome everything that happened to him! Am so thrilled that he got his happy ending!
This was one seriously intense story. The author managed to pack a huge amount of punch into a minimum number of pages. I totally loved Jeremiah, he was so brave to have survived and overcome everything that happened to him! Am so thrilled that he got his happy ending!
December 10, 2022
Sweet fated mate romance with a little suspense
Jeremiah and Zeeb were delightful. Jeremiah was such a strong character. He had every reason to be terrified of everything in his life and whilst he clearly struggled with some things the way he worked to create a warm home for himself and to keep living despite his fears and the constant harassment he was subjected to was incredible. Zeeb was a bit of a mystery at first. He’s clearly very dominant (which can have its own issues) and has moved to a little town with no real links. I liked that while Jeremiah was fairly easy to work out quickly, Zeeb took a bit more time. He wasn’t as gruff or as forceful as you would expect and when he was with his mate he had a gentle softness that was incredibly endearing. The sub plot of the town baddies was interesting and I really liked that it wasn’t quite as clear cut as I had initially thought. Just as you shouldn’t judge a person based on their species I think there was an element of you shouldn’t judge someone solely on their familial connections. It’s surprising how much this novella packs into the story in so little time. It’s definitely one I’m going to come back to in the future.
Jeremiah and Zeeb were delightful. Jeremiah was such a strong character. He had every reason to be terrified of everything in his life and whilst he clearly struggled with some things the way he worked to create a warm home for himself and to keep living despite his fears and the constant harassment he was subjected to was incredible. Zeeb was a bit of a mystery at first. He’s clearly very dominant (which can have its own issues) and has moved to a little town with no real links. I liked that while Jeremiah was fairly easy to work out quickly, Zeeb took a bit more time. He wasn’t as gruff or as forceful as you would expect and when he was with his mate he had a gentle softness that was incredibly endearing. The sub plot of the town baddies was interesting and I really liked that it wasn’t quite as clear cut as I had initially thought. Just as you shouldn’t judge a person based on their species I think there was an element of you shouldn’t judge someone solely on their familial connections. It’s surprising how much this novella packs into the story in so little time. It’s definitely one I’m going to come back to in the future.
December 11, 2022
Jeremiah & Zeeb
This is another one of those interesting short stories that was fun to read. I enjoyed following the story as they got their HEA.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
This is another one of those interesting short stories that was fun to read. I enjoyed following the story as they got their HEA.
I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion
December 20, 2023
I love Holly's writing, but this one needed more. Zeeb was great and nicely developed. I loved his immediate recognition of the harassment Jeremiah was receiving and his intent to stop it before ever even meeting Jer.
Jeremiah, though, needs work. He and his story just aren't developed in a satisfying way. He's a bit like me in wanting to ignore and downplay his trauma while letting that trauma control every aspect of his life. Sure, he's content with the circumstances he's chosen to live in, but it just doesn't connect for me how he got to be that way after what happened to him. I feel like what happened has to have been worse than what's said, but that could just be me seeing it through the lens of my own trauma. Sexual assault is never explicitly denied or acknowledged, but, as a survivor of that type of trauma, the brief mentions we get of what happened to Jeremiah honestly triggers some of my own memories. It's nothing explicit, but it's written in such a way that one can easily remember instances of their own where they were helpless and subject to unwanted physical contact in intimate places. "There would be no fur stroking against his naked skin, no teeth nipping or claws scratching." Just implies a kind of assault and violation that goes further than the author or Jeremiah admit, but I can imagine with a vividness that makes my skin crawl.
The escalation of villainy was also off. It goes from harassing ads to continue the bullying of Jeremiah in hopes that he'll leave town to someone trying to trap Zeeb and Jeremiah inside then burn the house down to kill them both? And the man who planned that homicide just tells all once he's arrested? He's from a clearly connected family, he wouldn't have lawyered up or called in favors before saying a word?
This story, unlike Holly's others, just doesn't have a balanced or clear and concise storyline. It was a quick read, as always, but it's the first time I've felt dissatisfied with what I just read from her. It's the first time that I feel she lost focus or changed her mind about the plot and it just needs more to feel complete.
Jeremiah, though, needs work. He and his story just aren't developed in a satisfying way. He's a bit like me in wanting to ignore and downplay his trauma while letting that trauma control every aspect of his life. Sure, he's content with the circumstances he's chosen to live in, but it just doesn't connect for me how he got to be that way after what happened to him. I feel like what happened has to have been worse than what's said, but that could just be me seeing it through the lens of my own trauma. Sexual assault is never explicitly denied or acknowledged, but, as a survivor of that type of trauma, the brief mentions we get of what happened to Jeremiah honestly triggers some of my own memories. It's nothing explicit, but it's written in such a way that one can easily remember instances of their own where they were helpless and subject to unwanted physical contact in intimate places. "There would be no fur stroking against his naked skin, no teeth nipping or claws scratching." Just implies a kind of assault and violation that goes further than the author or Jeremiah admit, but I can imagine with a vividness that makes my skin crawl.
The escalation of villainy was also off. It goes from harassing ads to continue the bullying of Jeremiah in hopes that he'll leave town to someone trying to trap Zeeb and Jeremiah inside then burn the house down to kill them both? And the man who planned that homicide just tells all once he's arrested? He's from a clearly connected family, he wouldn't have lawyered up or called in favors before saying a word?
This story, unlike Holly's others, just doesn't have a balanced or clear and concise storyline. It was a quick read, as always, but it's the first time I've felt dissatisfied with what I just read from her. It's the first time that I feel she lost focus or changed her mind about the plot and it just needs more to feel complete.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2023
Holly Day usually writes very unique and engaging stories and, while this had some of those aspects, it lost a lot of its potential by being rushed. Up to about halfway through I was really intrigued by the characters and the storyline. I really felt for the MC, Jeremiah. As a human in a shifter dominate town, he's suffered from bullying his whole life. A tragic event right out of high school has left Jeremiah a recluse - unable or unwilling to leave his home and suffering from severe panic attacks. Zeeb, a very strong Alpha wolf shifter, is the new police chief and when he goes to investigate harassment of Jeremiah, he discovers that they are fated mates. Up to this point I was fairly certain that I knew what had happened to Jeremiah and I was actually disappointed when the author sort of gave a quick "not as bad as you thought" explanation and let it go at that. It certainly didn't jive with the deep emotional and psychological trauma that Jeremiah exhibited. I don't want to spoil anything but the entire last half of the book was thrown out at lightening speed and, while the author does resolve things, it's all done far too quickly, illogically, and with no supporting information. A few extra chapters would have gone a long way to tying everything up in a realistic manner and I was left extremely frustrated and disappointed. This is definitely not one of this author's best works, which is really sad because it starts out with so much promise. I'm giving it 3* stars for the first half alone.
I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.
I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.
December 31, 2022
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
This novella packs a great deal of punch for such a small package. Jeremiah was a brilliant child, stuck in the local human schools where his education could only go so far. His father decided to try to have him placed in a local shifter school for better teachers, more resources, and maybe even the chance at college, but something happened that left Jeremiah terrified of leaving his house. He knew, through horrible experience, that the big bad wolf was on the other side of his door, and is still somewhere out there.
Things change when Zeeb realizes Jeremiah is his mate, making him more determined than ever to do something about this horrible situation. The harassment, the bullying, it is going to stop, whether Jeremiah is his or not. And Zeeb isn’t even certain he should do anything about the mate bond. Jeremiah is a human, not a shifter, and won’t feel the pull the same way. A shifter/human relationship isn’t unheard of, but it’s not exactly accepted, and less so in Stoneshade where humans are targets, not neighbors.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
This novella packs a great deal of punch for such a small package. Jeremiah was a brilliant child, stuck in the local human schools where his education could only go so far. His father decided to try to have him placed in a local shifter school for better teachers, more resources, and maybe even the chance at college, but something happened that left Jeremiah terrified of leaving his house. He knew, through horrible experience, that the big bad wolf was on the other side of his door, and is still somewhere out there.
Things change when Zeeb realizes Jeremiah is his mate, making him more determined than ever to do something about this horrible situation. The harassment, the bullying, it is going to stop, whether Jeremiah is his or not. And Zeeb isn’t even certain he should do anything about the mate bond. Jeremiah is a human, not a shifter, and won’t feel the pull the same way. A shifter/human relationship isn’t unheard of, but it’s not exactly accepted, and less so in Stoneshade where humans are targets, not neighbors.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
December 7, 2023
Jeremiah is a young human who suffered trauma when he tried to attend a shifter school.
Now he lives trapped in his home, forever fearful.
He's also become the brunt of the village's jokes, subjected to harassment in the form of personal ad's in the paper just below his beloved crossword puzzles he does daily.
Zeeb is the new police chief and when he learns of the situation is absolutely livid.
He goes to Jeremiah to try to get more information in order to put a stop to it but Jeremiah is terrified and just wants to leave well enough alone.
Zeeb comes in close contact with Jeremiah and realizes they're mates.
He's unsure how to proceed because he doesn't want Jeremiah to ever fear him and it also wouldn't be very well received to have a human mate as a shifter.
When things reach a boiling point and they're both put in danger, Zeeb finally catches who's been watching Jeremiah.
I really enjoyed this because even though it's short it still feels very complete.
Now he lives trapped in his home, forever fearful.
He's also become the brunt of the village's jokes, subjected to harassment in the form of personal ad's in the paper just below his beloved crossword puzzles he does daily.
Zeeb is the new police chief and when he learns of the situation is absolutely livid.
He goes to Jeremiah to try to get more information in order to put a stop to it but Jeremiah is terrified and just wants to leave well enough alone.
Zeeb comes in close contact with Jeremiah and realizes they're mates.
He's unsure how to proceed because he doesn't want Jeremiah to ever fear him and it also wouldn't be very well received to have a human mate as a shifter.
When things reach a boiling point and they're both put in danger, Zeeb finally catches who's been watching Jeremiah.
I really enjoyed this because even though it's short it still feels very complete.
December 22, 2022
😞Good, brief but complete, MM romance🐺
I love the way Holly Day creates stories like this one that play on unusual and random themes. This one celebrates crossword puzzles by having the crossword page of the local newspaper kick off the action. The story is brief but focused, with a good plot and world building, and a happy, Christmassy conclusion.
It's not the crosswords themselves, but the anonymous personal ads appearing regularly adjacent to the daily puzzle designed to intimidate a local crossword enthusiast who's never hurt a fly, that set new, alpha wolf shifter police chief Zeeb off on a campaign to uncover and stop the bullies. Destined mates and shifter-human partnering issues come into play along with some danger and a brief steamy interlude.
A feel-good outcome with drama along the way.
I love the way Holly Day creates stories like this one that play on unusual and random themes. This one celebrates crossword puzzles by having the crossword page of the local newspaper kick off the action. The story is brief but focused, with a good plot and world building, and a happy, Christmassy conclusion.
It's not the crosswords themselves, but the anonymous personal ads appearing regularly adjacent to the daily puzzle designed to intimidate a local crossword enthusiast who's never hurt a fly, that set new, alpha wolf shifter police chief Zeeb off on a campaign to uncover and stop the bullies. Destined mates and shifter-human partnering issues come into play along with some danger and a brief steamy interlude.
A feel-good outcome with drama along the way.
January 7, 2023
Sweet fated mates romance
As with all Holly's books, I was charmed by Jeremiah who was a virtual prisoner in his own house, a target of shifters who make his life unbearable until the new police chief lands on his doorstep and everything changes.
This was short but had enough going on and kept me reading. Jeremiah's history was gradually revealed, and we learnt a bit about Zeeb's but I would have liked to know more about his superior 'alpha-ness'. I loved how thoughtful and gentle Zeeb was with the obviously traumatised Jeremiah, and seeing Jeremiah find someone who truly wanted to help him and look after him was lovely to watch.
I would have liked it to be longer because I liked them as a couple so much, but also because then we could have found out what happened to all the shifters who I wanted to be locked up for their horrific treatment of Jeremiah over many years.
As with all Holly's books, I was charmed by Jeremiah who was a virtual prisoner in his own house, a target of shifters who make his life unbearable until the new police chief lands on his doorstep and everything changes.
This was short but had enough going on and kept me reading. Jeremiah's history was gradually revealed, and we learnt a bit about Zeeb's but I would have liked to know more about his superior 'alpha-ness'. I loved how thoughtful and gentle Zeeb was with the obviously traumatised Jeremiah, and seeing Jeremiah find someone who truly wanted to help him and look after him was lovely to watch.
I would have liked it to be longer because I liked them as a couple so much, but also because then we could have found out what happened to all the shifters who I wanted to be locked up for their horrific treatment of Jeremiah over many years.
December 20, 2022
I’m a fan of Holly Day’s short stories based on holidays, most of which are obscure, such as National Crossword Puzzle Day, which is celebrated in Willow Road. The human in this shifter story is Jeremiah, who loves crosswords, and he is the victim of discrimination, to put it mildly. The reader will immediately like the new police chief, Zeeb, who believes no one should be targeted just because they are human. The violence against Jeremiah accelerates and Zeeb tackles it head on. Of course he succeeds in uncovering the perpetrator and the epilogue shows Zeeb well on his way to HEA. I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 22, 2022
Interesting quick read. There was a lot to take in within this story. But it felt like I was reading the middle of another story. We get very little background regarding what happened to Jeremiah and then his mate, Zeeb, swoops in the save the day. But then the epilogue is only a few days after the big drama and we’re told some of what happened; but does it solve everything? The big missing element is that we’re not given any kind of explanation or world building for their society. We’re told shifters pretty much run everything and humans are treated as second class citizens (hmm, interesting concept). I think it would have been helpful if that had been included.
December 14, 2022
This book was enjoyable. I loved Zeeb. When he learns about the pranks and bullying focused on Jeremiah, he is determined to help him long before he realizes the human is his mate. And poor Jeremiah. He has been scared for so long it takes him some time to realize Zeeb isn’t a threat. Watching Jeremiah realize that he can trust the shifter and then that they are mates was beautiful in its own way. Nice book and great characters.
January 13, 2023
This is a short, paranormal fast paced story about Zeeb, who is the new Chief of Police, new to town and Jeremiah, a human, who was bullied at the local shifter school. Zeeb has found his mate… his mate is scarred my shifters… this story will immediately hook you and you won't be able to put it down!! You will love the surprises, suspence, twists and the chemistry between Zeeb and Jeremiah.
I received this as an ARC and leaving my review voluntarily.
I received this as an ARC and leaving my review voluntarily.
February 9, 2023
I really enjoyed the small-town rural setting in winter that was so atmospherically described in this story. I found it the perfect backdrop for Zeeb and Jeremiah's fated mates romance.
The story itself, of Jeremiah overcoming past trauma and bullying with the help of Zeeb's support, was moving and very enjoyable. Another lovely story from Holly Day!
The story itself, of Jeremiah overcoming past trauma and bullying with the help of Zeeb's support, was moving and very enjoyable. Another lovely story from Holly Day!
December 26, 2022
A sad and painful read as it seems a town of shifters bully and harass the one lone human to the point of break down. The new chief of police is not having it and is incensed when he finds how close to home the culprit, or I should say, culprits, are.
December 31, 2022
Like many of Holly Day's short stories, this really does pack a punch. The bullying that's mentioned in this is horrendous and has had an everlasting affect on Jeremiah, however, I really did admire his braveness and spirit. When Zebe comes along, and immediately expresses his interest in Jeremiah, I liked that the latter kept his distance. This was totally true to the story, and wouldn't have worked if the writer had gone the insta love route. Quite an intense read, well-written and worth a read. 4.5 stars.
December 22, 2022
I was looking forward to reading a nice suspenseful romance but got a rushed story with no depth to either the solving of crimes or the relationship between the MCs. Very disappointing.
December 23, 2022
4.5 stars A really great book that left me with a grin at the ending. Poor Jeremiah had been bullied most of his life.
Zeeb was the new chief of police of Stoneshades and didnt know about the town joke on poor Jeremiah.
Jeremiah was human and the towns bully victim.
I loved these guys and loved the banter included. Unfortunately there’s attacks on Jeremiah that endangers him. The baddies get caught and I loved the ending. Dual POVs and a HEA ending.
Zeeb was the new chief of police of Stoneshades and didnt know about the town joke on poor Jeremiah.
Jeremiah was human and the towns bully victim.
I loved these guys and loved the banter included. Unfortunately there’s attacks on Jeremiah that endangers him. The baddies get caught and I loved the ending. Dual POVs and a HEA ending.
March 6, 2023
3.5 stars
I wish the pacing would have been slower. I am not happy that the whole story happens in only 2 days.
Besides that I liked the story and characters.
I wish the pacing would have been slower. I am not happy that the whole story happens in only 2 days.
Besides that I liked the story and characters.
June 9, 2023
2.5 stars
February 10, 2024
Good disability rep about a man who hadn't left his house in years but was still being bullied.
January 2, 2025
Just once it would be nice if Holly Day wrote a society that was not messed up/infuriating. Why do the MCs have to go through so much :(
December 7, 2022
I liked the first 60 percent or so of this book more than the end but it was still a good book. I originally rated this book 3 stars and am changing it a few days later as I've thought about it and I am a bit overly harsh on shorter stories sometimes but that's on me this was a good hurt comfort novella and I would recommend it for those looking for a good short read.
October 3, 2023
very fun.
A nice, short, fun read. I liked it!
But who was in the abandoned-looking house next door? It is a mystery!
A nice, short, fun read. I liked it!
But who was in the abandoned-looking house next door? It is a mystery!
Read
December 1, 2023Writing quality isn’t worth my time. DNF @15%
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews