Wanton for the Wolven King

The Monsters Ball #3

by Kristen Strassel

Dear Miss Phillipa Willoughby, on account of your preference for plants and stones over people, and your complete withdrawal from society, Her Majesty has deemed your Season a failure. Considering your utter defiance for all proposals, you are hereby ordered to attend The Monsters Ball.

Phillipa Willoughby already had one successful Season, betrothed to Wesley, Duke of Chelmsford. But after her kind and gentle husband mysteriously disappears on their wedding night, she finds polite society intolerable and withdraws to the woodlands. With her hands happily in the dirt, she is delighted to learn the ways of the herbs and crystals she’s found in the forest, and the traditions of the fae who call the woodlands home.

But all is not peaceful in this newly found sanctuary. The woodland creatures are being terrorized by a Wolven King.

When Her Majesty demands she attend The Monsters Ball, a three-day affair at a remote gothic estate, her family threatens to shun her if she attends. But Phillipa welcomes the invite. She plans to seduce the noblest members of this monstrous society to get information on the fearsome Wolven King.

Few have seen the beastly royal with their own eyes, but she’ll stop at nothing for the chance to confront him. To make life better for the residents of the woodlands she loves.

But the Wolven King is on a mission too. He refuses to believe his condition is permanent, or to give up on his bride. He’s been watching over her while attempting to steal magic from the woodland fae to regain his humanity. When he's given a chance to reveal himself to Phillipa in his wolven form at the ball, he’s reluctant. He’s feral. And he’s determined to reclaim the love of his life, even if the lady has vowed to destroy him.

Wanton for the Wolven King is a spicy monster romance with ballgowns, pleasure gardens, and redemption. If you like grumpy sunshine with a side of feral and awkward, and lovers to enemies to lovers, you’re in the right place.

This story is part of The Monsters Ball collection and Wesley will stay in his wolven form for the entire story.

Genres: Romance, Monster Romance, Historical, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Second Chance

340 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 28, 2023

About the author

Kristen Strassel is far cooler than she’ll make herself sound in this bio. She enjoys spending time with the voices in her head—nudging the characters toward those bad decisions and a happily ever after. When she’s not writing, she’s often still in the land of make-believe—doing makeup for film and television. And when she’s not doing any of that, she enjoys making her house look like a Pinterest board, watching football, and road trips to the middle of nowhere.

Connect with Kristen!
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Reviews

[kymagirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phillipa (h) marries Wesley, the Duke of Chelmsford, but he goes missing on their wedding night leaving their marriage unconsummated and her bereft over his disappearance. Her family wants her to annul the marriage and can’t understand why she continues to hold out hope that Wesley will return to her. He’s much closer than she knows, as he has been watching over her since a virus overtook him. Wesley was transformed into the fearsome Wolven King who drains the magic and kills off Phillipa’s fae friends. When an invitation arrives for Phillipa to attend The Monsters Ball as a second chance at finding a husband, albeit a monster, Phillipa attends against her family’s wishes. Phillipa intends to kill the vicious wolven but finds him charmingly disarming as she gets to know the growly beast whom she refuses to believe is her Wesley. Lovel monster-human regency romance with plenty of heat and a bit of drama.

[Elizabeth]

DNF at 3%.

This doesn't make any sense. Read reviews and I think this will continue to annoy me

[EJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wanton for the Wolven King is a lovely story premise that Kristen Strassel offers that I love. Here, we have a loving couple torn apart by fear and misunderstanding and finding reconciliation and healing to be better than before. My ultimate complaint is the impression that the plot got in its own way as it accomplished this goal.

Given a chance for a rewrite, the fairy side plot and Stone Henge felt like extra fluff. The mother’s reluctance, likely connected with whatever was going on with that priest, was woefully under-explored. I wanted more from the story, which is a good sign that I liked a lot about it. I just wanted more for it.

[ajscenic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is a completely different change of pace from Kristen’s normal books but it is still a very compelling story. You get absorbed from page 1 and hope that Phillipa and Wesley find their happiness.
I fully recommend this book.

[Sharon🔮👽 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so heartwarming to read. I’m glad that our main characters got what they needed!

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked that Phillipa had the courage to follow her heart and conviction against her mother, priest, and ithers to the contrary. Phillipa's mother is a shrewd manipulator. I liked Wesley's tenacity to go after what he wanted . What a magical unpredictable ending!!

[Hillary · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 ⭐️s

The story has so much promise - a genuinely fun plot with a lovers to enemies to lovers vibes - but it suffered from poor pacing and dialogue.

I loved the premise of this book and thought Kristen did a good job of laying the groundwork in the first few chapters! Phillipa seems strong and steadfast in her desire to kill the Wolven King to defend her Fae friends. That aspect really should’ve been focused on more (it fizzles out so quickly - like, a one-page confrontation, and she’s practically done fighting him).

That really highlights my biggest issue with this book: the pacing. We make it almost halfway through the book before Phillipa and Wesley even interact. There’s all this build up, and the moment they finally confront each other is so anticlimactic. It’s also when I noticed some issues with the dialogue too (really, that first scene of them in the library was cringeworthy).

After that, the murky characterizations became almost unreadable. It constantly feels like these characters are having completely different conversations - Case in point: While lamenting how his actions have cost the lives of some of Phillipa’s Fae friends, Master Bow is simply telling him how perfect he and Phillipa are for each other and that he has high hopes of their match. What?

One high was the storyline with Phillipa and her mother, but even that had a bizarre conclusion. I think Kristen Strassel really did have the foundation for a great book here, but the execution of it just didn’t work.

Spice: 1/5 🌶️

[Len · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m gonna say it. I just can’t root for a romantic hero whose backstory is “got addicted to fairy magic and became a mystical serial killer because he wanted to be a human again.”

Especially when there’s no punishment for him murdering a ton of sentient creatures beyond a guilty conscience.

“Oh the poor mass murdering Duke, he only did it because he was going through something really hard! Sympathize with this man! Cheer for his happily ever after!”

How about I fucking don’t?

I wish Phillipa had stabbed the self-declared “Wolven King,” murdering bastard that he was, just like she had originally planned.

Also I just don’t buy Phillipa’s forgiveness for a man that abandoned her to have a multiple-years-long self-pity party and murder fest in the woods while she struggled against a mother who was hell-bent on institutionalizing her and suffered the scorn of all of the members of the ton.

This character has the gumption to defy her mother and the social expectations of the ton and hatch a daring plot to execute an ultra-powerful magical beast in order to avenge her dead friends but she doesn’t have enough spine to demand that her deranged serial killer husband be held accountable for his behaviour? Or that he at least do anything to make amends for the whole “oh I caught a magical illness and that’s why I abandoned you and let you think I was dead for years and forced you to suffer through grief in your own”?

Watching a courageous, self-confident heroine dissolve into a lovesick fool over the course of this book was depressing. This was bad, actually.

[Helena · Rating 3 out of 5]

PLOT: Phillipa's heart is broken when her husband runs away on her wedding day and is never seen again. Not one to give up hope, Phillipa waits every day for his return. One day, after her season is deemed a failure by the Queen, she is ordered to attend the monster ball. What she does not know is that her husband is alive, just in a beastly form and waiting to win her back.


THOUGHTS:

- This had so much potential but a few things ruined it for me. The world building felt shaky to me. It seems like Phillipa's family is a normal regency era human family but apparently she has a fairy sidekick and uses her magic regularly? Does that mean that monsters roam freely through this world (it seems not since the monsters ball is where they go to meet women, but they are also members of the gentry and have titles)? The whole book felt like it wasn't sure what it was trying to be and I felt lost trying to figure that out

- I didn't get Phillipa's "kill the wolven king" thing. I get it, this wolf king hurt your fairy friends so you want to get back at him, that makes sense, but to actively try and train to kill him? She's supposed to be (to my knowledge) a regular human who was married to a regular human. Where does she learn archery and get a wolf killing pendant? Why is she so willing to use it? The whole thing just feels really extreme and unusual for the times.

- I did not get Wesley as a character and a love interest. So apparently this wolven curse runs in his family and NO ONE thought to mention it to him / put a plan in place for when he changed? Why did he never tell Phillia in all the time they spent courting? You love this woman, you married her and you can't even confront her and tell her what's going on? You don't let your family tell her either? Just let her be sad and think her husband is dead or doesn't want her?

- Phillipa drove me nuts. With all the weird and magical things that happen she can't believe the wolven king is her husband?? Really? And she doesn't listen when he does tell her.

- the spice / sexy bits were meh and honestly the only thing that kept me reading.

- CAN SHE PLEASE STOP CALLING HIM WOLVEN !? like it's like if someone started calling you "human" or your race, he has a name and she knows it. It drove me up the wall.

[shadiedaze · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first time reading or listening to a novel by this author. I picked this novel because the cover looked interesting. Also, the novel is part of the Monster Ball series and one of my favorite authors wrote a novel for this series. The audiobook was less than 7 hours long. My kind of audiobook.

The main female character, Phillipa, is a married woman in waiting. A year prior she married Wesley, Duke of Chelmsford, but he disappeared on their wedding night. She is living with her mother and sisters. She believes Wesley is alive and will return to her any day. Her mother wants Phillipa to file for an annulment and have another season. However, she can't abandon her hope of Wesley's return and she has to protect the woods of her property from the vicious Wolven King, who is attacking the wood fae. Before Phillipa's mother can get her to sign an annulment, Queen Charlotte orders Phillipa to attend the Monster's Ball. Phillipa decides that would be the perfect time to find out more about the Wolven King.

To me, this novel seemed like an odd retelling of "Beauty and the Beast". The introduction of the Monster's Ball is fair. I wish there had been more information about that, but since this novel was down the line in the series, the earlier novels may give more details. The chemistry between Phillipa and the Wolven King is okay, but not that intense. The love scenes are okay. The author attempted to spice things up by having things happen outside. I liked that the Wolven King was "morally gray". He took the light of a lot of fae people in his attempt to find a "cure" for his condition. I wish he could have been a little more morally corrupt and less inclined to make amends. Phillipa's character was flat. She did not grapple with her conscious much after realizing she was falling for the Wolven King. It appeared she readily cast aside her plan to help the fae. Overall, the audiobook was a good listen. I enjoyed the story. I would listen to other novels by this author.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a different kind of story then I have read before about monsters. It is set in the Regency Era. Phillipa and Wesley, Duke of Chelmsford, have met during her Season, taken in love, and married. Then, on what should have been their wedding night, Wesley disappears. No one can give Phillipa a good reason for his absence and he never comes back. Heartbroken, she returns to her family home. Her mother tries to convince her to put herself back out there for another Season, but Phillipa considers herself a wife, even if her marriage was never consummated. She throws herself into creating a beautiful garden and makes friends with the local fae. It seems a wolven, who calls himself the Wolven King, is terrorizing the fae by stealing their magic and sometimes causing their deaths. When she receives the Queen's summons to attend the Monsters Ball, she makes plans to kill the Wolven King and avenge the fae dead.

Wesley so can't believe that the virus that plagues his family, and others, has turned him into a wolven. He has tried stealing magic in the hopes of shifting back to human, but it hasn't worked. When a woman shows up and invites him to the Monsters Ball, telling him that his wife will be attending, he reluctantly agrees. He has been living in a muddy den near Phillipa's family home so he could stay near and watch over her. It is going to take some effort to make him presentable enough to attend the ball. He is determined to tell Phillipa everything and hope she will accept him in his new beastly form. Then he hears that she plans to kill the Wolven King, is there any way to change her mind?

I was given an advanced copy of this book by the author. My review is voluntary.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phillipa and the Wolven King . . .

When Miss Phillipa Willoughby’s beloved husband, Lord Andrew Wesley, Duke of Chelmsford, disappears on their wedding night, she was devastated and virtually dropped out of society, spending her time in the woods with her Fae friends who were teaching her about herbs and crystals. But the Queen has ordered her to attend the Monsters Ball since she won’t choose anyone else. With the woodland creatures being terrorized by a Wolven King, this may be an opportunity for her to confront the creature and make life better for the residents of the woodlands that give her comfort.

The Wolven King, stuck in this form, has been trying to regain his humanity from stealing magic from the Fae, causing many of them to die. All are becoming weaker trying to hide from him. But she has a plan. At the Ball, he is uncomfortable about showing himself to Phillipa in this frightening form. But he wants her back in his life. And when she does meet him, he is not the heartless murderer she had assumed. Can he find a way to regain his human self? Can he win back Phillipa’s love? Or is she determined to kill the Wolven King to save her Fae friends?

[Maddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh…

I think I liked this more than some of the authors other works, but it didn’t feel enough like a historical romance. Like it had balls, and carriages, and sometimes stays but I don’t feel like it had the aesthetics and awe of a HR. However I think it’s just because she is a shifter author, clearly.

Story is very unique though, something only seen in historical monster romances, where a couple got married, but wasn’t consummated because he turned into a beast.

I feel like the wolves king was forgiven way to fast for anything he did wrong, like it was quickly brushed over by everyone.

I also don’t think that there romance was believable because I don’t know what there past relationship was like. They even stated that they didn’t feel like they new each other, but reuniting was a little hesitant but quickly turned to the “I love you’s”. I think it could have benefited from being a little longer, maybe with some flashbacks to them courting.

It was a really cute story of a feral beast falling in love with a trait-less woman, but I think it was just lacking.

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNR at 67% and that was after some strong skimming. 2 stars for the Monsters Ball but not the rest of the story. And 2x, Goodreads changed the status from "currently reading" to "read". Irritating.

So I stopped and this is an example of the corn in the story:
“How dare you tell me such things, you vile beast. Pretending to be my beloved Wesley when you know I have been mourning his disappearance…” She stopped. “I’m not sure why I’m the one who’s leaving when you’re the one behaving so atrociously.”

Yes- you vile beast! Its too dramatic and over the top. I hated the Fae angle, wasn't it weird how they appeared brown and near death but then revived quickly? And the Wolven King thing was weird, her submission to her Mother was weird, kissing a wolf was weird and why did Wesley just stand there and let them take her from the Ball?

The whole thing was weird, the Ball was the most intriguing part. Oh well, I may or may not continue, I was hoping for more info on the Countess but I find myself just NOT CARING anymore after this unfortunate story.

[Carole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wanton for the Wolven King is a Regency Romance taking place in a world of humans and monsters with an excellent blending of the two genres that delivers on its promise of an enticing read.
MFC Phillipa Willoughby has retreated to the woodlands she loves after the mysterious disappearance of her husband Wesley, Duke of Chelmsford on their wedding night.
Upon receiving a demand to return to society for the upcoming Monsters Ball the story soon takes some surprising twists becoming a provocative mystery filled with steamy romance and secret revelations that are infused with the author’s engaging writing and fabulous world building.
I enjoyed this addition to a series boldly envisioned by various authors and look forward to reading more!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phillipa marries Wesley but he disappears before they can consumate it leaving her mouning his loss.
When Phillipa's new husband Wesley disappears she is left in limbo a wifw but not a wife. Her mother urges her to get an annulment and tries to get her to go through another season and when she refuses threatens to admit her to a mental hospital. Then she gets a letter from the Queen ordering her to attend the Monster's Ball. Since he became Wolven on his wedding day Wesley has been living in a den in the woods until he is invited to the Monster's Ball and hears that Phillipa has been ordered to attend. A lovely fairytale like story to relax and enjoy.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I started the book, I thought it would be similar to beauty and the beast, I was quite surprised it was not. Not a curse but a virus Westly leaves behind his new bride and time is running out for Phillipa, as her mother has ideas about her grief. Phillipa misses her husband and her only comfort has been her gardens and the fae who befriended her. With the fae being threatened by the Wolven King she is determined to do right by them even if it causes her more trouble with her family.
The story did drag for me in a few places, but the depth of the characters really made the story worthwhile to the end. I'm really quite interested in reading the series about the Monster Ball.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tallyho · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy enough storyline... Runaway husband leaves the bride on the wedding night before the "final festivities" take place. Therefore in the eyes of everyone (except for the bride) she's not officially married because it is not been consummated. She's firmly convinced her husband will come back. Everyone else is like fat chance of that happening... And so she is sent off to the Monster Ball. I really enjoyed the storyline! It had just enough twists and turns, a tiny bit of a miscommunication trope..but it was quickly resolved so it didn't drive me bonkers, and some interesting side characters to keep things lively.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Patricia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I just can’t move past the fact that the “hero” starts out this story as a serial murderer of sentient beings (the fmc’s friends, no less), addicted to feeding on their magic, fully cognizant of what he’s doing, and never experiences any real consequences for that. In fact, nobody in the story ever experiences real consequences for anything they do. The story repeatedly promises that danger and ruin loom if X happens, and then when X happens it’s brushed off like so much lint. Apparently saying “sorry” is all one needs to be excused for even the most heinous of crimes in this version of magical England. Ultimately, because nothing has consequences in this world, nothing really matters, either.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid premise, interesting mythos, a fun continuation of the series' central mystery and features a rare trope of "already married." The chemistry was pretty good, the spiciness will check the boxes for fellow monster-f*cker romance fans. My overwhelming criticism however is that this book feels like watching the two most clueless people figure out an overwhelmingly simple mystery at the slowest rate possible. I think the "he ran when cursed" plotline could have worked just fine without adding in the whole host of unnecessary angst caused by the murdered-fae plotline. There was plenty great romance material without having to address and resolve that sub-plot.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.0

This wasn't a bad read. I actually enjoyed it for the most part. I loved the whole mystery not so mystery behind the disappearing of her husband, the duke Wesley. I love the Beauty and the Beast spin that this book had. However, the sex scenes felt lack luster as well did the romance. While I understand their relationship was already established (due to their history) I was I could see them fall in love again and believe it. Truthfully, (I know this is going to be shocking) I would have loved to see an amnesia trope thrown in here. But I digress. It was okay. Nothing to write home about.

[Candy Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wolven King a win

Although I cannot imagine kissing a Wolf, perhaps the author doesn’t put a good enough description to allow me to imagine it happening a kiss between between him and his mate. I really enjoyed this book. I’d like to know who writes the scandalous little gossip stories that everyone reads on a daily basis. They seem to know everything going on. I believe this is one of the earlier stories in this series and I’ve read several more. I’ve enjoyed them, they show acceptance to differences and I always look forward to reading another.

[Kelspar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, I know I've been hating on this series, but this one was pretty solid. I felt like it had an acceptable amount of plot and feelings develop, all things considered. Sure, it was a bit slapped together but there was at least an attempt. It was all a bit rushed and felt like an extended novella but that's ok. I liked that this one had both POV's.

I listened to this as an audiobook and thought it was acceptable and def better than the others in the series (but honestly still not great and don't actually recommend anyone waste time on this)

[Keaty · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like the Netflix show, Bridgerton, and shifters/monsters/creatures…this is the series for you! It even has its own take on the mysterious Lady Whistledown.

High society isn’t always as it seems. Even well-bred monsters are looking for a lovely lady to come home to.

This was an interesting case of miscommunication and circumstance, but I don’t want to give away plot away…you will just have to take my word for it.

[Emzy Strong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is truly an amazing story. I love the way that it takes regency romance with all of its rules and restrictions and mocks them. The world that the author created is breathtaking. I love all the intricacies I found in the story. The spice was very intense. The relationships growth and change pull at your heart. If you love regency romance and monster romance this is the perfect blend of the two. Truly amazing.

[Sav🩵 · Rating 2 out of 5]

unfortunately I had to DNF this book about 30% in, there was nothing holding it together for me. I was really interested based off the synopsis but I feel like the book lacked delivery. It seemed somewhat redundant after a while and I felt like the themes were all over the places even somewhat a mess. The series is written by 9 different authors so ofcourse everyone’s writing style is different but out of the 3 I’ve read so far, nothing holds a flame to the 1st book.

[Kourtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic fun regency monster romance

Wesley and Phillippa were such a star crossed match. You couldn’t help hoping they found a way to be together. The turns they took to find their way back to each other was a delight. The setting and time period were well crafted and I was transported back to the regency era. I love the meshing of monsters, regency, and romance. This was another excellent addition to this series. I am a fan!

[LeMiliere · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Wesley and Phillippa's story, I couldn’t help hoping these two star-crossed lovers would find a way to be together. I loved all the twists and turns it took for them to find their way back to each other. I liked their story and the setting and that Wesley was willing to do whatever it took to get his duchess back.

Be aware if you are looking for hot and sexy this is not the book for you but it's still an enjoyable read and I did like the mixing of monsters, regency, and romance.

[Jasmine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I miffed at the ending

I enjoyed the story, but there were a lot of mistakes I noticed, like improper word placement and grammatical errors.
It feels like the book needs someone to proofread it..

The ending also felt like it had weird pacing, rushed and anticlimactic

If you're looking for something along the lines of: 'missing love come back changed'
Go read Wolf's Bane by Nancy Cummings

[Lisa Bing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun regency/monster romance! I really enjoyed seeing Phillipa and Wesley work their way to an HEA, despite her mother's manipulations and his curse. Of course, he was determined to win her back and I loved that about him :) There was a fab mystery to be solved, drama, suspense, twists and plenty of steam to make this a real page turner.