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pallavirajanala's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
_mkarys's review
5.0
Actual Rating: 4.5
Edit: I can't stop thinking about this book. 4 stars feels like too little so I rounded the rating up.
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I have become obsessed.
Wolf Marked has all the elements that I enjoy in a book. Magic, supernatural elements, an intense love interest and an incredible protagonist. And let’s not forget mystery! I love mystery. I definitely do watch it more than I read it, but whenever I find it in a book I’m extremely happy, especially if the plot is engaging and the author keeps the wheels in my mind spinning with theories and doubts, as was the case for this book.
The story follows Savannah, small-town waitress who finds herself in a difficult situation when two strangers chase her down. Turns out, they’re werewolves and they want her dead. The only way Savannah can get to the bottom of this with her life intact is with the help of the hot Chicago alpha, Jaxson. Sparks fly and there’s an undeniable attraction, but Savannah discovers she’s related to the LaSalle, a family of sorcerers who happen to be mortal enemies of Jaxson’s pack, turning this book into one of the angstiest enemies-to-lovers thirst traps I’ve ever read.
As you can probably tell, the slow-burn romance was one of my favorite elements of this book. Surprised? If you know me, you’re not. I have always proclaimed my love for romance plots and subplots loudly. The chemistry between Savannah and Jaxson was undeniable, tangible, real—and I’m not just speaking of their sexual attraction. Their banter was on point, and added with the story’s mystery element, it reminded me of couples from some crime dramas that I used to love watching once upon a time, like Castle and Beckett from Castle or Booth and Brennan from Bones. What makes them even better is the enemies-to-lovers twist for which I am weak in the knees. I’m sure their story is going to get even better with the next books. I cannot wait! Should you read this book for the romance alone? Yes, but there’s more.
As I mentioned, there’s a mystery aspect to the story. People are disappearing, and someone wants Savannah dead. How is everything connected? Who can Savannah and Jaxson trust? The author—actually authors, which makes this book even more special, as I am also a co-author under the C.M. Karys penname—do a good job of planting clues and instilling doubt. I was invested in the story not just for the couple, but because I wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery. There was a plot-twist that I suspected, but overall the book surprised me a lot.
I recommend this to people who love reading paranormal romance books, with a dash of mystery and a couple with great chemistry. And werewolves! I know there’s a lot of you thirsty readers who want werewolves. Now I demand book 2. *throws imaginary glass like Thor*
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy. Opinions are my own.
Edit: I can't stop thinking about this book. 4 stars feels like too little so I rounded the rating up.
---
I have become obsessed.
Wolf Marked has all the elements that I enjoy in a book. Magic, supernatural elements, an intense love interest and an incredible protagonist. And let’s not forget mystery! I love mystery. I definitely do watch it more than I read it, but whenever I find it in a book I’m extremely happy, especially if the plot is engaging and the author keeps the wheels in my mind spinning with theories and doubts, as was the case for this book.
The story follows Savannah, small-town waitress who finds herself in a difficult situation when two strangers chase her down. Turns out, they’re werewolves and they want her dead. The only way Savannah can get to the bottom of this with her life intact is with the help of the hot Chicago alpha, Jaxson. Sparks fly and there’s an undeniable attraction, but Savannah discovers she’s related to the LaSalle, a family of sorcerers who happen to be mortal enemies of Jaxson’s pack, turning this book into one of the angstiest enemies-to-lovers thirst traps I’ve ever read.
As you can probably tell, the slow-burn romance was one of my favorite elements of this book. Surprised? If you know me, you’re not. I have always proclaimed my love for romance plots and subplots loudly. The chemistry between Savannah and Jaxson was undeniable, tangible, real—and I’m not just speaking of their sexual attraction. Their banter was on point, and added with the story’s mystery element, it reminded me of couples from some crime dramas that I used to love watching once upon a time, like Castle and Beckett from Castle or Booth and Brennan from Bones. What makes them even better is the enemies-to-lovers twist for which I am weak in the knees. I’m sure their story is going to get even better with the next books. I cannot wait! Should you read this book for the romance alone? Yes, but there’s more.
As I mentioned, there’s a mystery aspect to the story. People are disappearing, and someone wants Savannah dead. How is everything connected? Who can Savannah and Jaxson trust? The author—actually authors, which makes this book even more special, as I am also a co-author under the C.M. Karys penname—do a good job of planting clues and instilling doubt. I was invested in the story not just for the couple, but because I wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery. There was a plot-twist that I suspected, but overall the book surprised me a lot.
I recommend this to people who love reading paranormal romance books, with a dash of mystery and a couple with great chemistry. And werewolves! I know there’s a lot of you thirsty readers who want werewolves. Now I demand book 2. *throws imaginary glass like Thor*
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy. Opinions are my own.
_ckarys's review
4.0
Reading this book made me very happy. I was transported back in time to when teenage Chiara was wholly consumed by TV shows such as The Originals or Castle. But let me tell you a little bit about this wonderful book.
WOLF MARKED follows Savannah, a small-town waitress whose life gets completely overturned when two rogue werewolves attempt to kill her. Barely able to escape with her life, Savannah’s only hope of protection seems to be Jaxson Laurent, the handsome and broody alpha of the Chicago pack. However, things take a complicated turn when Savannah discovers that she has family in Magic Side—the secret supernatural city within Chicago. She’s related to the LaSalle, a family of sorcerers who are sworn enemies of Jaxson’s pack. Savannah must now learn to control her newfound magic as she deals with the rogue wolves on her heels and the animosity of the local wolves who want her head for having murdered one of their own. And to further complicate matters, there is the hot tension between her and Jaxson that neither of them want but are helpless to stop. Want to know how it ends? Well, you’ll have to read the book!
Wolf Marked unites elements of the paranormal with elements of mystery. While the story focuses primarily on the werewolves and sorcerers, the world-building is far richer than that with the presence of witches and demons as well. I loved all the lore and felt completely in my element with the intricate relationships between factions. I really hope we get to see more of this world explored in the future books!
The story is definitely character driven. Savannah and Jaxson’s relationship has many elements that I enjoy. She’s feisty and he’s broody, which made for excellent banter, further enriched by the family feuds and enemies-to-lovers dynamic. Their interactions were fun and hot at the same time. Though the sexual attraction was strong from the beginning, I appreciated that the authors took the slow-burn road and made me angst for sexy scenes. The payoff was worth it, and I feel like it will be even more so in the next books!
I did have some minor “complaints”, but they all come down to personal tastes. I loved Savannah as a protagonist, but sometimes I also wanted to strangle her for how she threw herself into dangerous situations with little regard for the risks. I also wasn’t always a fan of the alpha language that Jaxson used when thinking about Savannah. I know it’s part of the animalistic allure, but alpha dominance is sometimes too much for me.
All in all, this book was amazing! It was a fun reading experience from start to finish, with sexy tension but also lots of plot twists and action. Perfect for fans of action-packed adult shifter fantasy with a good balance between romance and plot.
Thank you to the authors for gifting me a copy of the book to review. All opinions are my own!
WOLF MARKED follows Savannah, a small-town waitress whose life gets completely overturned when two rogue werewolves attempt to kill her. Barely able to escape with her life, Savannah’s only hope of protection seems to be Jaxson Laurent, the handsome and broody alpha of the Chicago pack. However, things take a complicated turn when Savannah discovers that she has family in Magic Side—the secret supernatural city within Chicago. She’s related to the LaSalle, a family of sorcerers who are sworn enemies of Jaxson’s pack. Savannah must now learn to control her newfound magic as she deals with the rogue wolves on her heels and the animosity of the local wolves who want her head for having murdered one of their own. And to further complicate matters, there is the hot tension between her and Jaxson that neither of them want but are helpless to stop. Want to know how it ends? Well, you’ll have to read the book!
Wolf Marked unites elements of the paranormal with elements of mystery. While the story focuses primarily on the werewolves and sorcerers, the world-building is far richer than that with the presence of witches and demons as well. I loved all the lore and felt completely in my element with the intricate relationships between factions. I really hope we get to see more of this world explored in the future books!
The story is definitely character driven. Savannah and Jaxson’s relationship has many elements that I enjoy. She’s feisty and he’s broody, which made for excellent banter, further enriched by the family feuds and enemies-to-lovers dynamic. Their interactions were fun and hot at the same time. Though the sexual attraction was strong from the beginning, I appreciated that the authors took the slow-burn road and made me angst for sexy scenes. The payoff was worth it, and I feel like it will be even more so in the next books!
I did have some minor “complaints”, but they all come down to personal tastes. I loved Savannah as a protagonist, but sometimes I also wanted to strangle her for how she threw herself into dangerous situations with little regard for the risks. I also wasn’t always a fan of the alpha language that Jaxson used when thinking about Savannah. I know it’s part of the animalistic allure, but alpha dominance is sometimes too much for me.
All in all, this book was amazing! It was a fun reading experience from start to finish, with sexy tension but also lots of plot twists and action. Perfect for fans of action-packed adult shifter fantasy with a good balance between romance and plot.
Thank you to the authors for gifting me a copy of the book to review. All opinions are my own!
rza1002's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-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
3.5
So for the most part I really enjoyed this book. The plot was pretty good and the characters were great for the most part. But I really didn't like how no matter what she was always to blame. Even in self defense or when she showed her true colors by saving people regardless of who they were, they still hated her with a passion. No real softening from anyone.
browsingthebooks's review
adventurous
funny
medium-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? N/A
2.5
This book is a slow burn romance. Honestly, I found the plot to be a bit boring and skimmed most of the series. There were enough action sequences or romantic moments for me to keep going.
FYI the books get spicier as they go along, but the way it’s written makes it pretty easy to skip over those scenes if you (like me) prefer things to fade to black.
FYI the books get spicier as they go along, but the way it’s written makes it pretty easy to skip over those scenes if you (like me) prefer things to fade to black.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
az_green's review
3.0
Ok, but not fantastic
The author skipped over and summarized dialogue a lot. I get that dialogue can be difficult, but its harder for me to believe the draw between the two main characters when all i got were their thoughts and not their social interactions. I would rather banter and dialogue run on for pages than skip it like it often was in this book.
Regardless of this, i did like the characters and find the world interesting enough to continue on with book 2.
The author skipped over and summarized dialogue a lot. I get that dialogue can be difficult, but its harder for me to believe the draw between the two main characters when all i got were their thoughts and not their social interactions. I would rather banter and dialogue run on for pages than skip it like it often was in this book.
Regardless of this, i did like the characters and find the world interesting enough to continue on with book 2.
madison_bell's review
5.0
4.5. Just what I was looking for. Entertainment with a side of a few unbelievable plot points that I am willing to overlook in the name of a good time.
kueh's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0