Zhan

I started this book expecting just lots of comfort and healing (I was craving it), but I was surprised to see that there was also a really good plot (lol xD).

Somehow I missed trigger warnings (rape, self-harm, torture) and I'll admit that I wouldn't have started the book if I've noticed this earlier, but I'm glad that I did. I was captivated from the first paragraph and I just couldn't drop the book until the end, despite struggling with the mentioned heavy themes. I love this story so much and it easily became one of my favorites.

"I looked up at the shelf that held my books. I had dozen now. Faithful friends who took me on journeys without judgement and without pity."

I absolutely love Tobin. He is so gentle and so protective of Lyon. And Lyon is one precious dude that needs all the love in the world. His struggle with ptsd is so agonizingly realistic, but his relationship with Tobin was filled with so much love, gentleness and hope. It's stories like this that comfort me and give me hope.

“No one's that afraid of nothing.”
“I am.” I glared right at him. “I am, all right? I am that afraid. There's nothing left of him, and his ashes were no doubt sprouting weeds long ago. Nothing taps at my window or cozens me through the gap beneath my door. And I'm still that afraid.”

“It's my fault. I'm abnormal.”
“You're wounded.”

“I'm not a boy!” Not anymore. Not for fifteen years. “And I'll drive you all out. Out!”

That's it. I just loved it so much, I don't even know how to convey it. If you can handle the CW mentioned, then just read this book, you won't regret it.

Okay, 3.5 but I am so, so, so torn.

I liked the plot and how Alaskan wilderness was portrayed, and I was absolutely intrigued by Keegan. The danger they faced was engaging and kept me going (except the middle part of the book, where I considered dropping the book, but once I got past it, it was okay). However, I couldn't feel the chemistry and love between August and Keegan, and I was so disappointed by this. Like, you can see that the relationship they developed is realistic considering their traumatic circumstances, but it's not really romantic and the “unconditional love” between them at the end of the story felt so forced and unnatural.

Keegan's love for August was instant, but this felt believable for two reasons.
First, Keegan has spent over a decade in isolation, but even before that he was never in love with anyone and he had a traumatic childhood without being able to form any relationships with other people. And then, after years of living alone in the wilderness, without human connection and touch, it's not surprising he'd fall hard and fast for a beautiful guy (a model!) that was stuck with him and in need of his help. Keegan literally fell in love with August during the first month when August was feverish and unconscious most of the time - they barely even talked. Even Keegan says at some point that he loved August from the moment he held him at nights to keep his body warm.
Second, since Keegan has spent years and years living among animals, you can easily imagine that he'd be a man who relies more on his instincts. So, yeah, him falling in love with August at first sight, while barely haven spoken to him, knowing nothing about him except his name and only watching him sleep, all vulnerable and beautiful, does make sense in a way.

August, on the other hand... Oh boy. Listen, Keegan is absolutely lovable and there are so many reasons why August could've fallen head over heels for him, but we see none of that (maybe it happened during these time skips that we know nothing about, we're neither shown nor told). What we see is codependency (which makes sense considering the situation August is in), fear of being left alone, August remembering his past where he was loved and admired by everyone, then thoughts where he believes no one would look at him that way anymore due to the scars from the crash... and then there's Keegan who looks at him like he's an angel and calls him beautiful and perfect despite these scars. Rather than genuine feelings for Keegan, it felt more like August was afraid that no one but Keegan would genuinely love him and want him despite his now imperfections - which sounds very realistic and human, tbh, but as I said, I couldn't enjoy this as a romance.

Later on, August started claiming that he loves Keegan, that he can't live without him and it felt very forced. August could be selfish and mean at times, which he acknowledged. When he worried about Keegan's safety, he made it very clear (to Keegan and us readers as well) that it's because he's afraid he won't be able to survive if something happened to Keegan (honestly, August cared more about one animal's safety - I absolutely loved Daisy btw! - and his own than he ever did about Keegan's. But if Keegan was putting himself at risk to get August out of there - when he was about to cross that dangerous terrain that he knew he wouldn't have survived - he agreed. Like, he was only worried about Keegan's safety because he'd be left helpless and with no one to protect him. And he got angry if Keegan didn't put himself at risk to get him out of there - when Keegan didn't approach the hunters (who were hunting illegally) in the woods to ask for radio or help. August only calmed down when he realized he'd be screwed too.

There is one part that really describes it, and I quote August:
“Who could understand loving an animal enough to risk the life of the person who loved them?”
Basically, August risked Keegan's life for an animal.

Again, this is very realistic considering August circumstances and (a little mean) personality, which is why the book is good, but it wasn't really enjoyable romance for me. Also, Keegan made some very bad decisions as well (I'm talking about him burrying the antenna) , but both of them are just humans and we all know that humans in general mess up a lot. I don't approve of what he did, but him showing some flaws made a realistic human character.

Until the very end, we constantly see just how much August wants to leave. Then, at the very end, he makes a 360 degrees turn and doesn't want to leave Keegan and would sacrifice himself for Keegan.

Steamy scenes are well-written, but I couldn't enjoy them because I didn't feel the connection and chemistry between the characters. I'm so, so disappointed by romance in this book, I have no words to describe it, especially because the rest of the book was really good.

Some details from the beginning of the book were suddenly changed. For example, when August first met Keegan, he says how his height barely reached to Keegan's nose, and how as a model he hasn't met many people in his life who are taller than him. But then, in the middle of the book, he pointed out how they were the same height but Keegan just had a ton of muscle of him, which made even less sense because August's injured leg ended up shorter than his other leg, due to it being crooked and wrongly healed. Like, if anything, he is supposed to be shorter than he was at the beginning, and not suddenly the same heights as Keegan.
Also, I understood at the beginning that three of his toes his were amputated on only one leg, but later it said he had two toes missing on his other leg too.
At some point August says how, in the past, people were put off when he wanted to bottom (due to his height and muscles, idk?) so he was always insecure, but later on he says how in the past guys were put off when he wanted to top so he was expecting to be rejected. Like, which is it?

There were some other inconsistencies in the story and thinks that didn't make much sense. Some parts were very somewhat exaggerated and unrealistc - the parts with Daisy and the bear in particular - but it was enjoyable to read so it's forgiven.

In short, I really loved everything except the romance, which is breaking my heart. During the first third of the book, I was so captivated that I almost came here to give it 5 stars without even finishing it. I was really hoping for a good love story, and I did get a good story, but romance - which was a big part of the book - felt forced and flat.

Second read: November 19 -22 (2024)
Thoroughly enjoyed it this second time too. Interesting mystery solved by two special agents, one human and the other one a werewolf. I really can't say much more about the plot without spoiling it, but I loved both the mystery and romance. You really just have to dive in and I promise you won't have any regrets.

This time I actually made notes about the timeline. The same thing I mentioned last time still remains; the relationship between Cooper and Park developed so nicely, but it feels like it took weeks, not just a couple of days. The chapters are long and detailed (and immersive), so it feels like a long time passed, but the whole book covers less than one week. They literally meet on Sunday morning, start with distrusting each other, go through stuff together, bond and learn to trust each other, then the story ends on Thursday evening.

But I swear it's still so damn good.
And I need to learn more about Park and werewolves. Onto the next book!
°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•
General Notes
-mystery, crime, human x werewolf;
-MCs with scars (both); similar height, but werewolf is more muscled and stronger.
-Cooper is approaching middle thirties. Park is around Cooper's age or older.

Intimacy Notes
-Top/bottom/verse: they are both open to switching, but in this book we only see Park topping and Cooper bottoming.
-Kinks/sex notes: frotting; drunk sex; bj; penetration; holding down.
-Other: protectiveness; if you pay attention, you'll notice Park covertly scenting Cooper a couple of times; one MC likes being pushed down, held down and overpowered (Cooper); the other MC likes hair being pulled, touched and combed through (Park); nape bitting;

°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•⁀°•
4.5
I gotta say, I really enjoyed this book and I've read it in one go. There were some things that were weird to me, however.

Okay, so, I'm very seriously questioning whether I somehow got confused with the timeline in this book. I must have. Because if not, the whole story literally happens in a matter of a couple of days - less than a week - during which the characters go from not getting along well, to starting to get closer to each other, actually having a a very strong bonding moment where things drastically change, feelings developing, trust building, then falling in love and being willing to protect each other with all their might.

This all happens very smoothly, it's very enjoyable to read, I loved the mystery, the hints, the chemistry between the characters and how their relationship developed... My only issue is, well, the timeline. It felt like the relationship was developing through weeks but no, again, unless I somehow managed to misunderstand this completely, everything happened within four or five days max, without time skips, each day described, each next morning stated, reminiscing about what happened the day before...

At least at the end they acknowledge that they still don't know each other well (even though they progressed quite a lot!) and that this is just the beginning of their relationship, that there's still a lot to learn about each other.

I had some other minor complaints while reading but I sort of forgot about them as the story went on. A lot of things become much clearer at the end of the book. The author shows rather than tells, which I really loved. And despite the timeline, I enjoyed every single chapter, every interaction.

Definitely gonna read the second book.

This is plagiarized. Rey Luca is Layla Moran's alter ego and she's stealing works from AO3 for her own profit.

Updated: EnduringParadox, one of the SEVENTEEN(!!!) confirmed authors Moran plagiarized, has created an ongoing spreadsheet with links for Layla Moran and Rey Luca's plagiarized books.

Here's a link the comment where you can find it.

Here's the link to all the proof of plagiarism: link

This is plagiarized. Rey Luca is Layla Moran's alter ego and she's stealing works from AO3 for her own profit.

EnduringParadox, one of the TWELVE discovered authors Moran plagiarized, has created an ongoing spreadsheet with links for Layla Moran and Rey Luca's plagiarized books.

Here's a link the comment where you can find it.

Here's the link to all the proof of plagiarism: link

This is plagiarized. Rey Luca is Layla Moran's alter ego and she's stealing works from AO3 for her own profit.

Updated: EnduringParadox, one of the SEVENTEEN(!!!) confirmed authors Moran plagiarized, has created an ongoing spreadsheet with links for Layla Moran and Rey Luca's plagiarized books.

Here's a link the comment where you can find it.

Here's the link to all the proof of plagiarism: link

Honestly, I want to give this book two stars because of all the shudders it gave me, but I feel like that would be too harsh because the book is not THAT bad. Writing is beautiful and engaging, and the bickering between the characters is my favorite part of the book. But some other things, oh boy...

First of all, the blurb of this book. The reason I picked up this book was because I thought the story would revolve around two mater reuniting after three years of separation. I love stories like this. The very last line of the blurb says “Three years later, the boy is back. Except now he's a man – charming, handsome, but haunted – and Ox can no longer ignore the song that howls between them.” So I thought that was the premise of the story, but guess what? That happens basically AT THE END of the book. They reunite, Ox is upset, they talk and resolve things, there comes the danger and climax and the book is over.

I liked Ox at first, he seemed like a clumsy but endearing (and relatable) guy. Later he started creeping me out. I'll leave this one part from the book here:
"Dude," Kelly said. "You didn't build a pack. You built a harem."

- and that describes perfectly what happens. There's a scene (later in the book, I won't spoil it) where Joe's mother nuzzles Ox in her wolf form and he calls her “needy”. The chills I got from this, man. And then we have so many other characters - humans too - suddenly becoming completely devoted to Ox and, I don't know... It just got creepy, okay? Like, the loving relationships from the beginning suddenly turned into something that looked more like adoration and worshipping.

Now, this is my biggest complaint... but I feel like we've barely gotten to see Joe's character and his relationship with Ox, which is crazy because it's a complete contrast with the relationships Ox has with other characters (at least in the first half of the book).

For example, we can see how Ox gets attached to his Alpha, how he looks up to him and learns from him. We can see how he becomes brothers with Carter and Kyle, how they accept him and treat him as one of their own, how he opens up to them. Then, relationship with his mom, Gordo, Elizabeth, Rico, Chris, Jessie, even Robbie later on... We learn a lot about these characters and we can cleary make sense of their personalities, which are all very unique and precious, and I loved every single one of them.

But I feel like, with Joe, we never get to see any of it, we are just told. We are told that Joe is like a tornado, and we see that in the first scene when they meet and never again. We know that Joe is traumatized, but except one scene where he has a nightmare and calls for Ox, we don't get to see how trauma affects him. Honestly, there were barely scenes where we saw Joe interact with anyone and when we'd finally get a scene, it'd be short and I constantly kept waiting to see more. It's like he was in the background the whole time (even though he is supposed to be a major character!), and we learn about him through Ox's interactions with other characters, or brief mentions about how the relationship between them developed.

We are told how they spent time, but we are not shown. We are told that Joe and Ox became best friends, that Joe is possessive, that they are attached to each other, that they never lie to each other... But, again, we don't see this. For example, we know that Joe is possessive through scenes where Jessie (Ox's gf) complains about him. There were some scenes between Ox and Joe, but I felt like they were brief and there was a “gap” between them (the said gap being filled with focus on development of Ox's relationships with other characters), so it felt unnatural, while with other characters, that development felt gradual, smooth.

And I hate this, because I wanted so badly to see development between Joe and Ox. I wanted to get a clear picture of Joe, like I had with other characters, but until he returned after three years of absence (which - again - happens at the end of the book), Joe's personality remained blurry. It was only at the end that we see more of him and his interactions with Ox.

Perhaps this is done with purpose, so we don't have to watch Ox being all creepy with underage kid. Because Joe is underage for the majority of the book and I really feel like this could've been avoided. It'd work just as well if Ox was only 2-3 years older. But 23 years old getting a boner for 17 years old kid... shudders I couldn't get over the age gap until the end of the book. Especially when Ox kept saying “the boy he loved” while he was, y'know, already an adult.

Well, this is what stuck out to me the most. Giving it 3 stars just because I feel like lower rating would be unfair, as the writing is really engaging, but I'm giving it 2 stars in my heart for all the chills and shudders it gave me.

I loved the other characters and I am curious to read their stories, but after this book, I seriously don't know what to expect...

This is plagiarized. Rey Luca is Layla Moran's alter ego and she's stealing works from AO3 for her own profit.

EnduringParadox, one of the TWELVE discovered authors Moran plagiarized, has created an ongoing spreadsheet with links for Layla Moran and Rey Luca's plagiarized books.

Here's a link the comment where you can find it.

Here's the link to all the proof of plagiarism: link

This is plagiarized. Rey Luca is Layla Moran's alter ego and she's stealing works from AO3 for her own profit.

Updated: EnduringParadox, one of the SEVENTEEN(!!!) confirmed authors Moran plagiarized, has created an ongoing spreadsheet with links for Layla Moran and Rey Luca's plagiarized books.

Here's a link the comment where you can find it.

Here's the link to all the proof of plagiarism: link

This is plagiarized. Rey Luca is Layla Moran's alter ego and she's stealing works from AO3 for her own profit.

EnduringParadox, one of the TWELVE discovered authors Moran plagiarized, has created an ongoing spreadsheet with links for Layla Moran and Rey Luca's plagiarized books.

Here's a link the comment where you can find it.

Here's the link to all the proof of plagiarism: link

This is plagiarized. Rey Luca is Layla Moran's alter ego and she's stealing works from AO3 for her own profit.

Updated: EnduringParadox, one of the SEVENTEEN(!!!) confirmed authors Moran plagiarized, has created an ongoing spreadsheet with links for Layla Moran and Rey Luca's plagiarized books.

Here's a link the comment where you can find it.

Here's the link to all the proof of plagiarism: link

This is plagiarized. Rey Luca is Layla Moran's alter ego and she's stealing works from AO3 for her own profit.

Updated: EnduringParadox, one of the SEVENTEEN(!!!) confirmed authors Moran plagiarized, has created an ongoing spreadsheet with links for Layla Moran and Rey Luca's plagiarized books.

Here's a link the comment where you can find it.

Here's the link to all the proof of plagiarism: link

"He was always meant to be mine."

“But getting spanked likke this feels... emotional. Like he really is taking care of me, not just punishing me. Like he's devoted to my well-being.
And like he loves me, which of course he does.
But more like I'm... I'm worth loving.
Worth taking the time for.
Worth taking care of.
Like I'm not a bother after all.”

that

This is plagiarized. Rey Luca is Layla Moran's alter ego and she's stealing works from AO3 for her own profit.

EnduringParadox, one of the TWELVE discovered authors Moran plagiarized, has created an ongoing spreadsheet with links for Layla Moran and Rey Luca's plagiarized books.

Here's a link the comment where you can find it.

Here's the link to all the proof of plagiarism: link

DNF. I dropped it in the middle of the chapter 3 (out of 30+epilogue.) Not gonna rate it as I haven't read much, but if I ever do finish it, I'll come back here to edit my review and add rating.

I wouldn't say this book is badly written, even though I was annoyed as heck when Atlas popped the P - you know the “Nope/Yup”, he/I said, popping the P sentence that, for whatever reason, seems to be popular in books nowadays. I wish this sentence would be permanently marked as You-know-which-one or It-that-must-not-be-named.

I just couldn't bring myself to like Callan and I feel like this might be because I picked up this book to read as standalone. As I understood, Callan has went through a rather traumatic experience in the past, so there's a reason why he's behaving the way he does, but I still couldn't get over him using - which he admits - his best friend Zak to that extent. Callan's trauma really doesn't give him excuse for repeatedly hurting Zak like that and then coming back into his arms when he clearly sees that his friend is hurting and yet hoping they'll be together.

There was insta-attraction between Atlas and Callan, and Callan's months (or years? idk) of painters block is cured after only exchanging two sentences with Atlas. My heart broke for Zak here, because he literally tried to be there for Callan and support him while he was dealing with depression, and then this stranger who has barely even spoken gets Callan to - within a couple of seconds basically - light up the way no one else could.

And speaking of these two sentences they exchanged... They are sitting there with everyone, Callan not saying a word and Atlas giving crude answers when asked something. Atlas looks at Callan and gauges that he can't be more than 17. So, because he is intrigued by him, literally the first thing he asks him is “How old are you?” and when Callan says he's 18, he comments (inwardly, thankfully it was just his thoughts), I quote: “his di*k likes this answer”.

I knew there is a huge age gap here and I do love age-gap romance, but this was just... Yikes.

But tbh, I was quite neutral about Atlas. Just like in the blurb, you can see that he's a “a rebellious, bossy, mouthy brute” and that's cool, he could've been an interesting character if I stuck long enough to see more of him. But I disliked Callan and, I don't know, maybe I would've been able to understand his behavior better if I read the previous books. Again, we do know what happened to him (it's explained in the beginning), but still, it's not an excuse.

I just couldn't enjoy the book so I'm dropping it.

My review for this one is gonna be a little short. I didn't like the first book (Wolfsong) that much (I wrote review for that one too), but I loved Ravensong. Good plot, good chemistry between Gordo and Mark, and more funny moments with characters I loved from Wolfsong. I even enjoyed Ox more in this book.

Honestly, I wish there were more books with focus on Gordo and Mark (that's how much I love them), but I'll check out the rest of the stories because I'm curious about Kelly and Carter's stories.

One huge “shame on you” star from me for Layla Moran for PLAGIARIZING free works from authors on AO3.

https://www.tumblr.com/pilgrimagesource/782644134449217536/heres-the-link-to-all-the-amazon-pages-as-well?source=share

This is plagiarized. Rey Luca is Layla Moran's alter ego and she's stealing works from AO3 for her own profit.

Updated: EnduringParadox, one of the SEVENTEEN(!!!) confirmed authors Moran plagiarized, has created an ongoing spreadsheet with links for Layla Moran and Rey Luca's plagiarized books.

Here's a link the comment where you can find it.

Here's the link to all the proof of plagiarism: link