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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*3.75*I immediately grabbed this story when I read it was about SHIFTERS! Umm, yes please!
The premise. Medieval warrior Jorah (alpha of the Varkash wolf pack) is looking for a bride after years of being at war. Lady Isolde is a three and twenty, insecure and always overlooked. She takes a "lust potion" in the hopes it will turn Jorah's head her way.
What I enjoyed: The multiple characters! I love a good found family.
✔️I need to know about the human woman who mated with the two shifter stable hands. Why isn't this a full-length story?!!
✔️I also need the story of the two men in a shifter relationship!
✔️Jorah's uncle. What a sweetheart.
✔️The steamy scenes. This author writes in such a way that makes everything feel so intimate and emotional. Plus, dang, I love how Jorah's wolf is obsessed with Isolde.
What didn't work so well: Isolde's insecurities took up too much space here. I get it, she has always felt inferior to her gorgeous, bodacious sister, but dang woman, you've got this man that ADORES every part of you, embrace that!
Jorah takes WAY too long to come to terms with their relationship. I won't go into details, but he needed a serious kick to the ass.
The premise. Medieval warrior Jorah (alpha of the Varkash wolf pack) is looking for a bride after years of being at war. Lady Isolde is a three and twenty, insecure and always overlooked. She takes a "lust potion" in the hopes it will turn Jorah's head her way.
What I enjoyed: The multiple characters! I love a good found family.
✔️I need to know about the human woman who mated with the two shifter stable hands. Why isn't this a full-length story?!!
✔️I also need the story of the two men in a shifter relationship!
✔️Jorah's uncle. What a sweetheart.
✔️The steamy scenes. This author writes in such a way that makes everything feel so intimate and emotional. Plus, dang, I love how Jorah's wolf is obsessed with Isolde.
What didn't work so well: Isolde's insecurities took up too much space here. I get it, she has always felt inferior to her gorgeous, bodacious sister, but dang woman, you've got this man that ADORES every part of you, embrace that!
Jorah takes WAY too long to come to terms with their relationship. I won't go into details, but he needed a serious kick to the ass.
September 2021 Reread: the new audible version of this book just dropped, and I enjoyed the voice actor who read it. I've been hesitant to listen to Coldbreath's stories since she—understandably—picks British actors to read. While I can enjoy that in a visual medium, I often find it distracting and off-putting in an audio book. No problems with this one.
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A historical romance...with wolf shifters. A bit of a slow starter, but once it gets going, it's a lot of fun. This is a pretty smooth read with no peril, very little drama, and the potion + self esteem issues is the big sticking point for the heroine while the hero refuses to mate despite what his wolf wants, making this a good read for when you want something sweet that won't cause too much tension.
It's always interesting to look back on older works from authors I currently enjoy. This book has a lot of editing and formatting issues—which I did not count against it due to the age—but I can see a lot of what has developed into Coldbreath's formula for historical romances: all of the elements are there to one degree or another.
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A historical romance...with wolf shifters. A bit of a slow starter, but once it gets going, it's a lot of fun. This is a pretty smooth read with no peril, very little drama, and the potion + self esteem issues is the big sticking point for the heroine while the hero refuses to mate despite what his wolf wants, making this a good read for when you want something sweet that won't cause too much tension.
It's always interesting to look back on older works from authors I currently enjoy. This book has a lot of editing and formatting issues—which I did not count against it due to the age—but I can see a lot of what has developed into Coldbreath's formula for historical romances: all of the elements are there to one degree or another.
3.5 stars. I normally read regency historical romances, and this feels more medieval. Or maybe that's just the werewolf part. Although this is not my favorite, there are a lot of good parts to this book (the overall storyline is entertaining, it is well paced and has a good running to the airport scene). I know this is Alice Coldbreath's first book and is almost 10 years old now, so I will definitely check out more recent books.
Did not finish after 30%. Sadly, not a great story. Don’t like to heroine’s over concern with being fat. It makes no sense. I hate that kind of over emphasis on the “I’m ugly” trope. Not worth continuing.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I *loved* the Vawdrey Brother series, the Brides of Karadok series, and the Victorian Prizefighters series. I thought, "Why not try out some of Alice's other works?" You can tell that this book is an early attempt at her craft. While I did not enjoy it, I know we would not have her other delightful series without it. For that, I am grateful.