The 5-Time Rejected Gamma & the Lycan King

Coalescence of the Five #1

by Stina's Pen

After 5 failed mate-bonds, she’ll do anything to escape another heartbreak.

Gamma Lucianne learns that her prayers to the Moon Goddess were ignored, and she’s being bonded once more. But this time, she’s not giving an inch—even offering the lycan king a chance to reject her on their first meeting…
… but he refuses.

The lycan king owns everything… except her heart.

King Alexandar considers his mate a gift from the Goddess. Yet she seems determined to reject him. His patience is tested as he finds any and every way to win her heart and protect her, especially when Lucianne becomes a magnet for danger.

Certain creatures don’t want her as queen, and they’ll do anything to stop Alexandar from making her his. Even if it means eliminating her.

Alexandar won’t stand for anyone disrespecting his mate, let alone harming her. He’ll remove anyone who stands in his way. He will win Lucianne’s heart, no matter the cost. Blood will be shed, and in the end, will the king and queen still be standing?

[This book contains mature themes. Reader discretion is advised.]

Genres: Fantasy, Werewolves, Romance, Shapeshifters, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Suspense

669 pages, Paperback

Published August 18, 2021

About the author

When Stina is not writing, she can be found reading anything that piques her interest, accidentally buying books on accidental visits to bookstores despite the shelves of unread novels at home. Always a daydreamer, she often fantasizes about what could unravel if something that didn’t happen happened. She is also prone to buying stickers and washi tapes (by complete accident) and then wondering what to do with them.

With a goal of inspiring others and hoping they draw strength from her characters, she wishes to write in a way that makes everyone’s days a little brighter, that allows them to appreciate who they are and fall in love with the magic they add into the world.

Reviews

[Olivia Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a feel good story! I love love love Xander and Lucy so much! They are so sweet! It’s completely unrealistic and fluff, but sometimes that perfect fun to read!

The plot in this is what steals the show! It was so good and captivating! It’s long but held my attention for all 240 chapters!

My only ick is how every guy is in love with the FMC except the 5 mates who rejected her. It was a bit much.

Still a fantastic read and if your looking for something fluffy with a great plot, this is it!

[Book Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 5-Time Rejected Gamma and the Lycan King, written by Stina’s Pen, will have you sucked in in no time. Gamma Lucianne Freesia Paw has been rejected 5 times but ends up being bonded once more. This time to the lycan king. Lucianne wants to end the bond as quickly as possible to avoid any heartbreak, but King Xandar does not. He is hurt and confused about why she wants to end things immediately. He manages to convince her to give him a chance. Xandar does everything in his power to show her that he loves her and is afraid of losing her. Lucianne and Xandar get to know each other as the days go on during the collaboration. Lucianne being the top Gamma of her species, helps teach the wolves and lycans how to fight in both of their forms. She quickly wins the hearts of many lycans, but not all. Some are downright murderously jealous.

This novel was long but absolutely phenomenal! I loved that the story took place over the course of 4 weeks and didn’t jump timelines so much. The only time it moved forward in time was at the end, but that helped the book come to a fantastic conclusion. The plot of the story was fantastic, but that plot twist got me! I did not see that coming at all.

Pen has created excellent characters that are fully developed and interesting. At times Xandar did seem a little too possessive, but I reminded myself that he is a fictional character and the lycan king. Of course, he was going to be so possessive of Lucianne because he loved her so much and wanted to protect her and felt like a failure anytime she got hurt. Lucianne was a spectacular character. I loved that the author shows that size doesn’t matter. It is all about your actions and words that can show people who you really are. Christian was a great supporting character, and his back story with his wife, Annie, was so sweet. Greg’s character ended up surprising me in the end. He changed a lot. I would say he had the most personal growth, but I do have some suspicions about him.

I hope this will not be the last I have read about Lucianne and Xandar. The 5-Time Rejected Gamma and the Lycan King quickly became one of my favorite novels. I loved that it was so long and had so much information and details. It made me feel so many emotions. I caught myself feeling angry at the characters, as well as happy and sad. I even laughed out loud quite a few times! I hope to read more by Stina’s Pen.

[Gabriëlle Beumer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story so much. He has the patience to wait for her while she slowly paves down the wall and believe in the guy who sees an amazing woman that even lifts him up beyond expectations. She is a queen in the making and he just adores and is in awe of her by every step she makes and the growth she builds because of him. True team couple ❤️

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please tell me how to read the book

[Elizabeth Johnson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horrible writing style.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.8
The storyline and details of this book were well thought out and made it an enjoyable read but I believe it could have been written in at least 200 less pages. It felt like it dragged on too much at certain points and there were unnecessary details that didn’t add to the story development.

I really enjoyed all of the characters in this book especially the funny banter between the friendships of Xander and Christian and of Lucy and Toby!
Lucy’s feelings of inadequacy and rejection were written in a very genuine way and I enjoyed her character development and the way her relationship with Xander developed because of this.

[Chelesea Ferello · Rating 3 out of 5]

App read. I stumbled on this from Facebook. The story and world had depth that I enjoyed. There was many plot threads and that was distracting at times. Still enjoyable!

[Veronica Ammons · Rating 5 out of 5]

AMAZING

This book was amazing from the first page to the last page. Great story, action packed. Loved it. Will read again.

[Jade · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This book took me nearly 2 months to read due to having downloaded Passion: Reading App x I loved this story and I liked Xander, Lucy and their friends/family more xxxx

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story. Too long at parts. Needed editing for sleeker storyline and proofreading for grammar and tense as well as overused terms. Enjoyed overall.

[JCV · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came across this read by accident and got intrigued by the start so much so that I read it in a bit over a day! Enjoyed the level of details, how the relationships were described and how the plot went, the author managed to put in unexpected twists too! Love and hate it when a book gets you annoyed for the main characters and cheering on for them etc! But I was rather disappointed to be left still with quite a few unanswered questions. And some parts at the end felt a bit rushed to just get wrapped up. But over all a very attention holding enjoyable read.

***NOTICE!!! Possible SPOILERS below***

At times the “female rivals” plotting got rather frustrating to read (but I guess some “biatches” can be so dumbstruck by their lust for power or what they very mistakenly perceived as “love” - which was very off putting but thus well described to get the reader all “icked” by them, heh), but once over those parts and as it still held my interest to read it in such a short time and with a happy ending - therefore I’m giving it the 4 starts instead of an ok read’s 3.
But the unanswered questions we’re left with nearly made it drop to 3 stars. But since there seems to be other writings in this universe by the author, there’s the chance the author addresses these questions in those books - hopefully so at least! Like especially the biggest question being left unanswered: what the heck is the reason for the FMC’s “qualities”? I was so curious to learn of the backstory relating to her and where it all comes from!

[Linsy Gusey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is creatively and beautifully written. It's been a while since I've read a book that isn't directly written in the first person. I love the uniqueness of diving into their emotions but also following around so many characters at the same time.

Xander's dedication to Lucy can't even be expressed in fewer pages. She's been hurt so many times in the past but is so loved by those around her. Juan, Hale, Tate, and even little Russell are so wonderful and protective of her, despite Lucy's amazing combat skills.

[Natalie Catalano · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is huge, heavy, and intimidating, but I (kind of) like it that way. Lucy is incredible, and Xander is so patient and caring. And because the book is so long you really get to know and love Lucy, her brother, and her chosen family of friends, including Xander's cousin Christian and his wife, Annie. Also, Toby has made me laugh out loud multiple times. Yes. This is also the only time I will make an exception for the pregnancy trope.
I have hopes for book two, but I honestly don't know where the story is going from here from the end of book 1.

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the other reviews before reading this, and I feel like I'm taking crazy pills. If I could have given this zero stars, I would have. The MFC is a Mary Sue, the MMC displays no positive traits (unless you consider daftness and perpetual jealousy as delights), and the entire book feels like it was created in a 5th grade creative writing course. I should have DNFed 50 times over, and I will be haunted with that inaction for the rest of my life. I am awarded no points, and may the flying spaghetti monster have mercy on my soul.

[Torey Grant · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of filler dialogue that wasn't needed for the story. Hard to find the King attractive when he mostly seemed clingy, whiney, and possessive (not in a good way). Not exactly the mate you would think a "head strong and independent" woman lead would have.

[Mayo]

The plot was quite interesting but the entire story dragged on longer than necessary. There were lots of things that could be cut out

[Mary Kirkland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy has been bonded to 5 different mates and rejected 5 times. She's not looking to ever be bonded again. She doesn't want to go through that again. But when she meets King Alexandar - The Lycan King, she knows that they are mates and he wants to initiate the mate bond. She's not having it though and lets him know right away that if he wants to reject her, to do it fast.

King Alexandar doesn't understand why Lucy would ever think that he would reject his mate when the goddess blessed him in finding her in the first place. So when he finds out that she's been rejected 5 times, he's shocked but pleased that he has the chance to show her that he's not like the others and has no intentions of rejecting his mate.

Lucy is a werewolf while Alexandar is a Lycan. Lycans are traditionally bigger, stronger, faster and look down on their smaller werewolf cousins. The past Lycan King's haven't been very welcoming or helpful to the werewolf's either so when it's obvious that Alexander and Lucy are mates, the werewolves don't know what that will mean for them in the long run. But Alexandar isn't like the past King's, he's trying to help all of his subjects, but Lycan politics and Lycan government issues raise some real concerns for him when he looks deeper into what's been going on.

The fact that rogue Lycans are attacking werewolf villages and killing many of the packs, has Lucy in harms way because she is a warrior and fights the rogues when they show up. There's also some betrayal going on behind the scenes that puts some in danger.

This is a long book, over 700 pages long. But the story kept me engaged the entire time I was reading. I never wanted to put this book down because the story was that good.

Disclosure: I was given an e-ARC of this book but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Penny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rejected mate? Huh! No one is more rejected than Lucianne in The 5-Time Rejected Gamma and the Lycan King by Stina’s Pen. In most shifter romances the most times a wolf could be rejected is once … then they could possibly get a second chance mate. Many do not even survive rejection. So, can you imagine how strong Lucianne is to survive 5 rejections?

When she meets Xandar, the Lycan King, at a gathering of Alphas, Lunas, and Gammas and he asked for her name, she already assumed that he was going to reject her. Turns out it was furthest from the truth! Xandar was eager for his mate and while he could not understand why anyone would reject her, he was glad they did because it meant that he got to be her mate. He set out to prove himself worthy to Lucianne. Can you imagine that? The Lycan king trying to convince a werewolf that he is good enough.

This story is really good and is unlike most shifter stories I have read. Despite Xandar being the king, it is obvious from the start that Lucianne is our protagonist and is stronger than most. Unlike what we are used to, she is well-loved by many and is actually on good terms with most (if not all) of the men who rejected her. I know that is weird but you have to read the book to find out why. There is something very special about her and a large part of the book is devoted to either following Xandar and Lucianne’s romance or figuring out what makes her special.

As with most strong protagonists she has deadly enemies who put a smattering of spice to an already rich story.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had no idea what I was getting into when I picked this book up. I’m used to longer books, but this might be the longest one I’ve read this year! For such a somewhat straightforward storyline, I didn’t expect to be 200+ chapters in by the end. That being said, if you’re looking for a book you can really really settle into - this is one for you.

Lucy is the 5-time rejected gamma from the title. She has had a lot of ups and downs in her life, but her unique standing and her unmatched fighting abilities have put her in a position where she is at the big gathering of werewolves and lycans. In this world, both are “out” in the public and there is a definite class system where lycans have been the ruling class for a long time. Xandar, the king of both species, has set about to change that, and has just now realized that by doing so he has met his fated mate.

Lucy, having gone through this several many times before and been burned each time, almost immediately rejects the king. Lucky for us all, she ends up giving him a chance and that’s the story we get. It is filled with lots and lots of political machinations, rogue attacks, death, love, romance, and yes even some smutty goodness. Lucy ends up having some even more extraordinary talents by the end, and it was super satisfying to watch all the bad guys get their punishment. All in all, a very satisfying universe, but it certainly took many many chapters to take us there.

[Melinda Elek]

Xander and Lucy are like yin and yang, the sentimental overprotective black Lycan and the logical thinking, cold headed white Wolf. They are for sure made for each other.
Toby is my second favourite character after Lucy. His approach of certain situations is hilarious, refreshing and unexpected most of the time, putting the others in their place. Christian is also an entertaining figure, being a really good friend to the King, his real helper. The relationship between the King and his second in command is never boring. This book is one of the best I have ever red. It is wholesome, depicting a situation from multiple points of view, just like in real life, where not everything is black and white. The characters are relatable, believable, their depiction trough their actions, thoughts, reactions makes them come to life and I see them almost walking, breathing, even fighting or just bickering among ourselves. The writer's attention to the details, the characters' development, their growth through hardship, the never ending and different situations, cliffhangers, makes this book a real joy to read. There are many types of books about werewolves (and lycans) but this one belongs to a special cathegory setting the bar quite high for other writers.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was intimidating with its size. It's been awhile since I've read a book over 500 pages. I do feel it could have been written with a few less pages, but I read the whole thing in about a week. When things started slowing down, there was plot twists and turns and action. It kept me interested and I couldn't wait to finish it.

Lucianne starts out as a respected Gamma that has had a string of really bad luck with mates. She's sensitive to this fact. Xander is refusing to give up on their mate bond. As the story grows, Xander develops a touch her and unalive mentality and Lucianne starts to grow as a character.

The ending felt a bit rushed. There was 2 different issues going on and the last few chapters just threw all the resolutions out there into the wind. No cliffhanger and happily ever after.

But overall a great read. I don't know that I'll tackle it again just because of the length.

[Megan (sporadic hiatus due to law school) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this was an interesting take on a popular genre, and I thought Lucy's feelings/responses after all her rejections were written very well. The world-building was easy to understand, too, and I was glad it was explained. Xandar and Lucy were cute, too, and I was excited when they finally got together.

However, I think a good 200 pages could have been shaved off; there was a lot of repetition that I was skimming through by the end. I also love how strong and capable Lucy was- but she had no faults, no mistakes, no issues, and was just the "perfect" character (with no explanation, too). While I'm glad it didn't become "she's so unique because she's meant to be queen of the universe" or whatever, I also wish there was at least one thing she messed up on or couldn't do or had to rely on Xandar for. I like equal character, and less of books where the tides turn just because one character constantly appears.

thank you Hidden Gems and Stina's Pen for the arc!

[Laurine Entendencia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I consider it a blessing to have discovered this book. It's captivating. Having a strong, intelligent, avid reader, problem solving female main character who has overcome so much in her young life is inspiring. The storyline had me coming back for more, practically shirking off responsibilities just to cozy up & keep reading 📚 I would read this book all over again. If this series of books were a show or on the silver screen I would watch it BUT NO DETAIL OR CHARACTER CAN BE LEFT OUT. That's how a great saga can be ruined. I wish this world was real. I would like to be a part of the Royal Family. I want to know what happens when all the elements come together. I can't wait!

Stina's gift 🎁 of writing ✍️ is impeccable 👌 I give the entire series (though I have only read 3 books in the series) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Aloha! HaYnRain 🤙🏽

[Brandilyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow…just wow!

While I initially began this story on a reading app that was a pay as you go, I stumbled on the completed works here and was so happy I did! This book was amazing. The hero has his dark and broody moments, but he’s also adoring, confident and insecure at the same time. The main female character is a strong, inspirational character with a heartbreaking past. You see not just a love story, but a well thought out world where a kingdom has a history of oppression and is fracturing from within, but with the help of some HILARIOUS friends, family (even those thought to be beyond redemption), they make their world stronger, safer and happier than it has ever been in history. I’ll definitely be reading the next books in the series because with the small bombs dropped near the end of the story I can’t wait to see what happens next!

[Desi Black · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately DNF’d this book at 35% through.
I love a good werewolf, shifter story. The idea of mates, warriors (gammas, betas, etc) are all here.
What stopped me from enjoying this book was that it felt like it wasn’t going anywhere, or if it was, it took too long to get there.
The main story is about Lucy, a werewolf bada** gamma warrior who has been mated and rejected 5 times for various reasons. Her heart is done with love, she wants no more of it. Then the moon goddess mates her with the Lycan king, the strongest of the Lycan (already bigger, stronger) shifters. He wants her but she doesn’t believe it. He treats her like the queen she should be and tries to convince her she deserves it.

The majority of the 300 pages I read are all about the king falling instantly in love with Lucy and everything she does. Lucy is admired from everyone she meets in other packs too, except those women jealous of her or men with nefarious intentions. The point of how amazing Lucy is way over emphasized, even when she is verbally going off on people in public, everyone is just like “wow, you are so awesome!” The jealous women try to kill her, she has special powers, and I am bored with the book, which is still 65% not done.

Thank you for the voluntary arc, hopefully Lucy finds her happy ending.

[Marcela Garcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

So i was able to find this in the novelwolf after seing so many ads in my socials and being left intrigued by the premise...i do caution, it will take a while to finish if you want it free (need to do daily tasks for free vouchers), but for me it was worth it.

Lucianne is not like any other wolf, she is called the gamma of gammas, she is dedicated and loyal and above all humble. She is a strong FL and take no sh!t from anyone, even the ML.

Xandar is the lycan king that meets his match in Lucy, and does everything he can to not only win her over but show her that they are meant to be.

Although everything happens in a month´s time, the story does not feel rush...and boy if they are plots within plots.

[Dot Morrow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy’s feelings of being rejection 5 times were written in a very genuine way. I enjoyed her character development and the way her relationship with Xander developed. The story of a love being found in the most unusual way.
I liked the storyline and details of this book were well thought out. I believe it could have been written in at least 200 less pages. There were unnecessary details that didn’t add to the story development and made the story so much longer than it needed to be.
I really enjoyed all of the characters, especially the funny banter between the friendships of Xander and Christian and of Lucy and Toby. The whole cast of characters were unique in their own way, and this made for a good story.

[Amanda M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the storyline especially Lucy’s. Xandar was a bit too much sometimes but who can blame him😂, love him too. Hope he knows 😉 His all 5 love languages are wrapped into one.

Christian and Toby, are my favs always made me laugh. Love how the book covered all the characters ’ stories, at least a little so you could understand the story better.

Russell and Envie have my ❤️ I’m really happy theirs gonna be another book let’s see what our Queen and King are gonna defend now.

Oh btw Greg, I have mixed feelings about him🫣

Love that Lucy likes to read not my cup of tea but still love it 😂

This book is wrapped in a song = Conversations in the Dark by John Legend

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read all 3 of these books this month. I am in love. I can’t wait for the next book. I totally binged read these. Amazing characters, plots, and endings. Love, love, them so good! Thank you for writing them. I especially loved how each character grows into something special finally embraces who they are and can be. Just wonderful. I came upon them on Facebook thank goodness I love a good read yet once I read one I couldn’t stop. I haven’t had time all year to read because of my classes but when I was done I decided I wanted to pick a good book and yours is what I found and I am so glad I did, thank you!

[DeJa Sams -Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first read into the fantasy genre. I had always been interested in reading this genre but not many books capture me when reading an excerpt of it. The 5-Time Rejected Gamma &the Lycan King. I read a snippet of this book from one of those reading apps that only give you a chapter a day. Lucianne’s character immediately made me want to know how the story turned out. She resonates with myself and a lot of women I know of the human species. She is strong genuine heart of gold. This book will definitely be a top tier competitor for all fantasy werewolf books I will read in the future. I have already purchased the second book and cannot wait to see what lies ahead.