A review by mrsgames2u
Wolf Marked by Veronica Douglas

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.0

Savannah is an average waitress from an average small town when one night she is attacked by werewolves. Jaxson Laraunt shows up to the scene to investigate and warn her to be careful. That sends her to Magic-side for answers and meet family she didn’t know she had. 

Jaxson is alpha of the pack in Magic-side. There’s been some heat from “the order” due to recent disappearances. He meets Savannah while investigating her attack and it’s clear she doesn’t know anything about the magic world, although he can detect magic within her. He warns her and tells her not to leave town, but of course she doesn’t listen. What’s worse is when he follows her back to magic side and discovers she a Lasalle relative. His sworn enemy for their hand in his sisters murder. Despite that fact, he can’t stay away from her. He tells himself it’s because of the disappearances and luring out the criminals with her presence. 

Savannah is clear headed enough to know that nothing is ever black and white. She shouldn’t fully trust her new family nor jaxson. Everyone has a hidden agenda and she seems to be right in the middle of it all. 

This book is for you if you like a shifter romance, with forbidden love, dom/sub vibes, physical battles, and some mystery.

This book is not for you if you prefer standalone books, and hate a primal dom. 

[Pros:]

•great slow burn : typically I do not like those but this author includes all the little things that really sell the tension. (Him scenting her arousal, locking eyes across the room, saying flirty things then immediately wanting to hide, etc) 
•mystery is not faked: I mean that the moment the reader is like “I know that guy is a bad guy,” the author soon acknowledges that too. She doesn’t make us endure stupidity for mystery’s sake. 
•world building: I love how it isn’t just werewolves. There’s mages, sorcerers, vamps, druids, demons etc. and they live fairly close to one another which means nuance friendships/business relations/enemies. My fav was the shared spaces….the weird places where all the magical beings had to interact and tolerate each other. 

•Strong FMC: Although Jaxson is the alpha and can use a bit of persuasion on savannah, she often goes toe to toe with him. His persuasion isn’t as effective or long lasting as it is on others. This means she frustrates him with her hot headed nature, strong will, and impulsivity. She has a mind of her own while still gaining insight and comfort from Jaxson. It’s a rare but amazing dynamic for a shifter romance. 

[Cons:]

•certain character development: overall we learn a lot about the characters, but I’m not sure why so much was left out about savannahs parents. I expected her to have more conversations with the Lasalles about them. If my parents died, then I found family who grew up with one of my parents, I would love just to sit and hear about the side of them I didn’t know or simply just speak about them with someone who loved them too. Idk. I’m sure there’s a reason but I thought we should’ve learned at least a little more. 

•Lacking some detail: Jaxson worries that all of these issues will get back to “the order,” and they’ll make things difficult for their pack or disband them entirely. Aaaaand that’s all we know about them. Since they’re such a threat and alphas are bound by The Order’s laws, it would be nice to know •How many people are in this governing group? •. Is it just werewolves? • How does their system work? (do you get a trial? What infractions require their intervention? What are the punishments?) • Can anyone be a part of the order? Or only retired alphas? 

Overall, this is one of the best shifter romances I’ve read, and I’ve read a ton. I know this will shock some people, but I’ve actually enjoyed this more than ACOTAR 🫢🫣