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nineinchnails's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
this wasn’t what i was expecting but i loved it! i really enjoyed the writing style and the characters i just wish there was more tension and development. i think i’d like it more with a reread and managed expectations.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, and Ableism
Moderate: Violence and Sexual harassment
Minor: Transphobia, Rape, and Sexual violence
spicycronereads's review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I read the fourth book in this series first as it was part of a giveaway. I loved that this first one focused on Una and Killian as I had already liked her character. Una is a great MC - strong, smart, brave. Her and Killian’s love story was unexpectedly sweet. I liked this one much better than the fourth one, and it has me rethinking some of the things that I didn’t love about the fourth in light of events and characterizations in this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Ableism, and Bullying
Moderate: Violence, Body shaming, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual assault
Minor: Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Trafficking
coraotf's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I laughed so much, but also felt feelings. Killian J’s so dumb, but he ended up being the endearing kind of dumb. Una was very much a girl crush. She deserves every good thing and I love her. I want to see all her girls fall in love (though I am a bit worried about Mari’s age gap situation), especially Kennedy. Kennedy was my favorite of the side characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Violence and Pregnancy
Minor: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Vomit, Sexual harassment, Rape, and Sexism
noellelovesbooks's review
3.75
Content Warnings: Sexual situations, ableism, violence, sexism, misogyny, sexual assault, sexual harassment, child abuse, transphobia, toxic relationships, and domestic violence.
Mention of: rape, death of parents, murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, eugenics [in the form of killing anyone considered weak or "damaged", and captivity.
I instantly liked Una and her personality and wanted to punch Killian where it hurts 😤
The pack history was interesting, angering but interesting...and you don't find many shifter books where mated pairs sleep with other people...so that was something I wasn't expecting.
Loved that Una constantly challenged Killian and didn't back down from his BS...which was A LOT. haha Really wish he'd done more groveling tbh 😤
Overall it was a fun read and I'll most likely be checking out the rest of the series 💜
Mention of: rape, death of parents, murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, eugenics [in the form of killing anyone considered weak or "damaged", and captivity.
I instantly liked Una and her personality and wanted to punch Killian where it hurts 😤
The pack history was interesting, angering but interesting...and you don't find many shifter books where mated pairs sleep with other people...so that was something I wasn't expecting.
Loved that Una constantly challenged Killian and didn't back down from his BS...which was A LOT. haha Really wish he'd done more groveling tbh 😤
Overall it was a fun read and I'll most likely be checking out the rest of the series 💜
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Ableism, Sexism, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Transphobia
Minor: Rape, Death of parent, Murder, and Kidnapping
livruther's review
emotional
4.25
why did i enjoy this so much??? i feel like sometimes there was too much going on and sometimes there wasnt enough going on, but other than that it made me really emotional and i got surprisingly attached to the characters
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Domestic abuse
unsuccessfulbookclub's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book had absolutely NO BUSINESS BEING THIS GOOD.
This title, this cover, this concept? None of it looks like a book I would like and yet - I stayed up way past my bedtime finishing it. The pacing is great and the characters are so so so realistic (lol yes, I am saying that about wolf shifters, fated mates, magic and uhhhh…knots).
Anyway, if you need me I’ll be busy making this series my whole personality.
👍🏻Recommended!! If you love groveling and modern fantasy with gripping plots and incredible tension? This is for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Abandonment, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Transphobia, and Sexual assault
smithrachaelynn's review
emotional
tense
slow-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? Yes
5.0
So good! There was tons of angst between the characters. I thought Killian did a great job asking for forgiveness and listening to how he could be better. Una was a great main character to me. I liked that she had steady, silent strength. This definitely had a slower build too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
mx_virg's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A rejected mate story where the heroine actually has some back bone and the hero grovels? Yes, please and thank you.
🐝 Una Hayes is a great heroine. She's a fighter, a survivor, in a way her pack will never truly appreciate. She has a bad leg and that's all they see, but she doesn't let it stop from taking care of herself and her packmates. She also has that resilience, that quiet determination to keep on moving and living. Her wolf is also a riot.
🐺 I ended up actually really liking Killian and empathize with the path he's taken. It's easy to just focus on the bad and how at times he should have known better. But when you read about how the pack worked before he became alpha, the amount of work and energy he had to put into the pack to get them out of the caves, protect the weak, earn enough money so everybody's taken care of... That required a single-minded focus and determination that unfortunately made him oblivious to other things. Seriously, he can be really dense, especially in the first half of the book. But his hard work also paved the way for Una's ability to take care of her packmates.
💞 They make a really great pair. While he was busy with the big issues in the pack, she made sure the weaker and forgotten wolves were taken care off instead of just left alone. They both grew into strong, resourceful people who complement each other very well. I'll probably read other books in the series just to see how well the pack is now doing thanks to their partnership.
💗 I really like the rejected mate trope here. In many books, this trope is used to have a bully romance where the hero treats the heroine like trash but she's still coming back to him because "the bond makes me do it". It's gross. You have a bit of that here, there were some moments where I didn't understand the dynamics or the choices made (the biology/magic behind the fated mates bond is wonky, no one really knows much about it it seems, plus the wolves have a mind of their own), but overall Una doesn't just give in, and Killian doesn't just demand. It helps that Killian is never an absolute asshole, or is being mean just for the sake of being mean. He hasn't done anything that I see as unforgivable, and he tries to make amends for the harm he's done.
🗒️ I also quite liked the writing. Not overly descriptive, direct and to the point. There are some cringey moments (especially from Killian's POV in the first half), but I really enjoyed the writing overall.
↘️ My main complaint is how little is known/explained around fated mates and their bonds. Between the baffling relationship we see between already existing fated pairs, the ramblings of the crone and her magic... It feels like the author has been purposely vague so she could do with it what she wanted when she wanted it. It was confusing and not very satisfying.
🐝 Una Hayes is a great heroine. She's a fighter, a survivor, in a way her pack will never truly appreciate. She has a bad leg and that's all they see, but she doesn't let it stop from taking care of herself and her packmates. She also has that resilience, that quiet determination to keep on moving and living. Her wolf is also a riot.
🐺 I ended up actually really liking Killian and empathize with the path he's taken. It's easy to just focus on the bad and how at times he should have known better. But when you read about how the pack worked before he became alpha, the amount of work and energy he had to put into the pack to get them out of the caves, protect the weak, earn enough money so everybody's taken care of... That required a single-minded focus and determination that unfortunately made him oblivious to other things. Seriously, he can be really dense, especially in the first half of the book. But his hard work also paved the way for Una's ability to take care of her packmates.
💞 They make a really great pair. While he was busy with the big issues in the pack, she made sure the weaker and forgotten wolves were taken care off instead of just left alone. They both grew into strong, resourceful people who complement each other very well. I'll probably read other books in the series just to see how well the pack is now doing thanks to their partnership.
💗 I really like the rejected mate trope here. In many books, this trope is used to have a bully romance where the hero treats the heroine like trash but she's still coming back to him because "the bond makes me do it". It's gross. You have a bit of that here, there were some moments where I didn't understand the dynamics or the choices made (the biology/magic behind the fated mates bond is wonky, no one really knows much about it it seems, plus the wolves have a mind of their own), but overall Una doesn't just give in, and Killian doesn't just demand. It helps that Killian is never an absolute asshole, or is being mean just for the sake of being mean. He hasn't done anything that I see as unforgivable, and he tries to make amends for the harm he's done.
🗒️ I also quite liked the writing. Not overly descriptive, direct and to the point. There are some cringey moments (especially from Killian's POV in the first half), but I really enjoyed the writing overall.
↘️ My main complaint is how little is known/explained around fated mates and their bonds. Between the baffling relationship we see between already existing fated pairs, the ramblings of the crone and her magic... It feels like the author has been purposely vague so she could do with it what she wanted when she wanted it. It was confusing and not very satisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Ableism, and Misogyny
Moderate: Murder, Bullying, and Blood
Minor: Sexual violence, Transphobia, and Pregnancy
rakizaka's review
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, Misogyny, and Violence
sunnyxviii's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content