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Wolf Brothers #1
A Curse of Blood and Wolves
A dark and steamy fairytale re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood. Perfect for romantasy readers and lovers of smuttok Is it possible to be drawn to someone you’ve never met? When Ruby feels the eyes of a stranger in the woods, she knows she should be scared, that she should run away, but she can’t. Instead, she feels a thrill, feels drawn to this stranger who follows her in the woods. Yearns for his eyes on her every night as she walks home, hoping to hear the crunch of leaves under his feet that signals he’s there. Will he ever reveal himself? After all, fate doesn’t make mistakes . . .
356 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 11, 2024
About the author
Melissa McTernan
11 books198 followersMelissa McTernan writes sweet and steamy romantasy. She loves grumpy heroes, sarcastic heroines, and grown-up fairy tales. She won the Stiletto award in 2022 for her Christmas novella and the first book in her new trilogy The Wolf Brothers series will publish in 2023.
When she’s not writing, she’s most likely reading or wrangling her kids as a stay-at-home mom. Melissa lives in upstate New York with her husband, kids, cats, puppy, and full bookshelves. She writes romance to keep her sanity.
For exclusive content, sneak peeks, and plenty of pet pics, sign up for her newsletter at melissamct.com
When she’s not writing, she’s most likely reading or wrangling her kids as a stay-at-home mom. Melissa lives in upstate New York with her husband, kids, cats, puppy, and full bookshelves. She writes romance to keep her sanity.
For exclusive content, sneak peeks, and plenty of pet pics, sign up for her newsletter at melissamct.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 837 reviews
April 12, 2024
Go girl, give us nothing!
Summary of book:
Prologue - growl - growl - growl - growl WE ARE MATES growl - growl - growl - growl - The End
My thoughts:
Wow. This is the kind of book that ChatGPT would churn out with the prompt “write me a cis het yt wolf shifter romance.” This was unbelievably boring and the spice was HELLA cringey. Maybe this might be good for some but hell no not for me. There wasn’t anything unique about this AT ALL, there was zero character development for the most generic of characters, and non existent world building. She’s not like other girls and he’s oh so big and yummy and they’re mates no they’re not oh yes they are he’s so big growwwwllllll. It was all just a blur of words on a page. DEFINITELY skipping my May Fairyloot Romantasy sub.
Summary of book:
Prologue - growl - growl - growl - growl WE ARE MATES growl - growl - growl - growl - The End
My thoughts:
Wow. This is the kind of book that ChatGPT would churn out with the prompt “write me a cis het yt wolf shifter romance.” This was unbelievably boring and the spice was HELLA cringey. Maybe this might be good for some but hell no not for me. There wasn’t anything unique about this AT ALL, there was zero character development for the most generic of characters, and non existent world building. She’s not like other girls and he’s oh so big and yummy and they’re mates no they’re not oh yes they are he’s so big growwwwllllll. It was all just a blur of words on a page. DEFINITELY skipping my May Fairyloot Romantasy sub.
May 21, 2024
I decided to pick up A Curse of Blood and Wolves because it’s the May pick for Fairyloot’s Romantasy subscription box. I hope Fairyloot starts picking better books because A Curse of Blood and Wolves was not it.
A Curse of Blood and Wolves follows Ruby as she walks home from work every night through the woods. She feels a presence watching her but can’t help but feel exhilarated by it.
McTernan’s writing was juvenile and unpolished, consequently making the characters all one dimension and the world building messy.
Ruby is not like all the other girls because she’s the weird goth girl who’s into the morbid because her parents died at a young age. Ruby was needlessly sexualized.
Rafe’s personality boiled down to he was a big sexy werewolf who growls more often than not.
There’s an interesting world buried underneath the poor writing and character work. Unfortunately, readers are left with a world full of magical creatures that are just sort of there with multiple mysteries left unresolved.
Halfway through the novel, the little plot the book had disappeared in favour of spice. The cover promotes the novel as being a 4 chili pepper spice level, however I strongly disagree. I would rate it a generous 3. With the added spice comes Rafe’s indecision. Buddy couldn’t make a decision and stick to it to save his life. It was incredibly annoying.
The novel randomly ends with no resolution and with an epilogue from another character’s perspective implying that the next novel will follow a different set of characters. While I was happy to leave Ruby and Rafe’s perspectives, this change was unexpected and, as mentioned previously, there is a lot left unresolved.
Overall, A Curse of Blood and Wolves was a disappointing read with one dimensional characters and messy world building that lacked direction.
A Curse of Blood and Wolves follows Ruby as she walks home from work every night through the woods. She feels a presence watching her but can’t help but feel exhilarated by it.
McTernan’s writing was juvenile and unpolished, consequently making the characters all one dimension and the world building messy.
Ruby is not like all the other girls because she’s the weird goth girl who’s into the morbid because her parents died at a young age. Ruby was needlessly sexualized.
Rafe’s personality boiled down to he was a big sexy werewolf who growls more often than not.
There’s an interesting world buried underneath the poor writing and character work. Unfortunately, readers are left with a world full of magical creatures that are just sort of there with multiple mysteries left unresolved.
Halfway through the novel, the little plot the book had disappeared in favour of spice. The cover promotes the novel as being a 4 chili pepper spice level, however I strongly disagree. I would rate it a generous 3. With the added spice comes Rafe’s indecision. Buddy couldn’t make a decision and stick to it to save his life. It was incredibly annoying.
The novel randomly ends with no resolution and with an epilogue from another character’s perspective implying that the next novel will follow a different set of characters. While I was happy to leave Ruby and Rafe’s perspectives, this change was unexpected and, as mentioned previously, there is a lot left unresolved.
Overall, A Curse of Blood and Wolves was a disappointing read with one dimensional characters and messy world building that lacked direction.
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May 25, 2024I’m not really rating books these days but this was an easy one star read. 10/10 do not recommend.
July 14, 2024
"fate doesn't make mistakes", but I sure as fuck did, when I picked this book🤡
absolutely atrocious, one of the worst books I've ever read
I'll summarize it for you so you don't have to read this:
growl, growl, stalking Ruby makes me horny, growl, growl, Ruby is sad crazy emo girl, who would fuck ghosts, growl, I'm an animal, growl, growl, I'm a beast, growl, after one meeting she brings wild wolf to her home, he turns into naked man overnight, tells her he's werewolf and she's like "I'm not scared of him, he's so hot", growl, I'm a monster, growl, growl, my father bad, growl, growl, growl, we hunted people and got horny, when they pissed themselves, growl, growl, wanna fuck Ruby, growl, growl, I'm an alpha, growl, growl, growl, fuck Ruby, growl, he's so big and solid, growl, growl, Ruby I want you so bad🥺, growl, growl, growl, mates, growl, we need to break up, cus I'm bad for you🥺, it's for your protection🥺, her heart is missing, she's hollow, she'll forever miss what they could have, growl, everything good, can't live without you, growl, growl, fuck Ruby, growl, the end
idk who let this be published and who picked this for fairyloot
absolutely atrocious, one of the worst books I've ever read
I'll summarize it for you so you don't have to read this:
growl, growl, stalking Ruby makes me horny, growl, growl, Ruby is sad crazy emo girl, who would fuck ghosts, growl, I'm an animal, growl, growl, I'm a beast, growl, after one meeting she brings wild wolf to her home, he turns into naked man overnight, tells her he's werewolf and she's like "I'm not scared of him, he's so hot", growl, I'm a monster, growl, growl, my father bad, growl, growl, growl, we hunted people and got horny, when they pissed themselves, growl, growl, wanna fuck Ruby, growl, growl, I'm an alpha, growl, growl, growl, fuck Ruby, growl, he's so big and solid, growl, growl, Ruby I want you so bad🥺, growl, growl, growl, mates, growl, we need to break up, cus I'm bad for you🥺, it's for your protection🥺, her heart is missing, she's hollow, she'll forever miss what they could have, growl, everything good, can't live without you, growl, growl, fuck Ruby, growl, the end
idk who let this be published and who picked this for fairyloot
August 28, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review 💛
I toyed between giving this book a two or a three star throughout reading it, so you may consider it a two and a half.
The strongest parts of this story for me were the premise and the easy-going storytelling. I think the writing style suited the story and the characters well and helped make it an enjoyable experience to get through.
Unfortunately, I struggled with understanding the way the plot was paced. Since I read the majority of the story in one sitting, I felt that the flaws in the pacing were more obvious to me and I mostly fault this over the fact that this books tries to follow a pattern more commonly seen in contemporary romances, where each book follows a different couple. Unfortunately- whilst admitting that I cannot completely consider myself as disinterested in the other couples in this world- this meant that everything had to happen quickly (in two weeks, to be precise) in order for it to be wrapped up for that couple. This being said, some other paranormal romance books I've read in the past have managed to successfully write beautiful books using this structure, so I encourage the author to experiment further with it to help find that happy balance.
Further, where one would expect world building and an atmosphere of anticipation, this book simply breezed through and used a sense of "normalcy" amongst characters as an excuse. Even more noticeably, most reveals in the plot were anticlimactic and fell flat.
Despite this, I will still be keeping an eye out for the rest of the series as I do believe it has the potential to get better. Thank you once again to Net Galley for the opportunity.
I toyed between giving this book a two or a three star throughout reading it, so you may consider it a two and a half.
The strongest parts of this story for me were the premise and the easy-going storytelling. I think the writing style suited the story and the characters well and helped make it an enjoyable experience to get through.
Unfortunately, I struggled with understanding the way the plot was paced. Since I read the majority of the story in one sitting, I felt that the flaws in the pacing were more obvious to me and I mostly fault this over the fact that this books tries to follow a pattern more commonly seen in contemporary romances, where each book follows a different couple. Unfortunately- whilst admitting that I cannot completely consider myself as disinterested in the other couples in this world- this meant that everything had to happen quickly (in two weeks, to be precise) in order for it to be wrapped up for that couple. This being said, some other paranormal romance books I've read in the past have managed to successfully write beautiful books using this structure, so I encourage the author to experiment further with it to help find that happy balance.
Further, where one would expect world building and an atmosphere of anticipation, this book simply breezed through and used a sense of "normalcy" amongst characters as an excuse. Even more noticeably, most reveals in the plot were anticlimactic and fell flat.
Despite this, I will still be keeping an eye out for the rest of the series as I do believe it has the potential to get better. Thank you once again to Net Galley for the opportunity.
May 22, 2024
I simply do not even know where to begin with this review. This was terrible.
Personally, I'm just irritated that I spent $35 on a FairyLoot Edition of this book and then turn out a complete and utter mess. It has beautiful artwork and has good design... but MY GOD what a WASTE. Please forgive me, I am truly not trying to sound like an asshole and I don't want to put down an indie author, but I'm always honest in my reviews and this was one of the greatest fumbles I've ever seen in a romantacy.I'm almost... angry?? I now understand why there are people who chuck books across the room.
This is marketed as a spicy little red riding hood with wolf shifters. I am so dead serious when I say this... there is absolutely NO plot. NONE!! No plot. No character development. Like we know nothing! We randomly find out that this takes place in Maine by like page 60 something? All we have is this **I'm Not like other girls** dumbass and this doofus idiot of a **I'm dangerous and I'm a monster and I am a bad guy** MMC... then all of a sudden they are all IT'S TRUE LOVE YAY WE MATES! The End. THAT IS THE STORY. If this guy were ugly, none of this crap would've happened. The only reason why Ruby even is okay with him being around is because he is hot. Cringey writing. Secondhand embarrassment. Plot timing, relationship development, world building, introducing characters, descriptions of body parts and looks, writing the romance - CHEAP. If I am scowling, rolling my eyes, saying "STFU", and wanting to die of embarrassment... it's not good.
Guys.... like.... this is just so so bad. I TRIED to find redeeming qualities, I TRIED. The only good thing is that the book is short and at a 7th grade reading level, but with spice that wouldn't even raise the eyebrows of a Catholic nun. The idea and the premise sounded like this would've been fun! I don't know any red riding hood romantacy books! It could've been dark, dreamy, spooky or eerie. It could've made me believe that these characters truly had complex and difficult pasts. It could've made me feel like I was transported to this world and got excited to learn about the wolves and different mythical creatures! It could've given me butterflies as the two main characters got to know each other more. It could've given me side characters to be curious about and be interested in getting to know more of. It could've done literally ANYTHING else and it would've made it a better experience.
My rage could be coming from buyers remorse or it could just be that I've fallen into the trap of being entranced in a premise only for it to completely miss the mark. This one hurt though. Ugh. I mean this was just NOT it. I'm sorry, but this is a 1 star.
Personally, I'm just irritated that I spent $35 on a FairyLoot Edition of this book and then turn out a complete and utter mess. It has beautiful artwork and has good design... but MY GOD what a WASTE. Please forgive me, I am truly not trying to sound like an asshole and I don't want to put down an indie author, but I'm always honest in my reviews and this was one of the greatest fumbles I've ever seen in a romantacy.I'm almost... angry?? I now understand why there are people who chuck books across the room.
This is marketed as a spicy little red riding hood with wolf shifters. I am so dead serious when I say this... there is absolutely NO plot. NONE!! No plot. No character development. Like we know nothing! We randomly find out that this takes place in Maine by like page 60 something? All we have is this **I'm Not like other girls** dumbass and this doofus idiot of a **I'm dangerous and I'm a monster and I am a bad guy** MMC... then all of a sudden they are all IT'S TRUE LOVE YAY WE MATES! The End. THAT IS THE STORY. If this guy were ugly, none of this crap would've happened. The only reason why Ruby even is okay with him being around is because he is hot. Cringey writing. Secondhand embarrassment. Plot timing, relationship development, world building, introducing characters, descriptions of body parts and looks, writing the romance - CHEAP. If I am scowling, rolling my eyes, saying "STFU", and wanting to die of embarrassment... it's not good.
Guys.... like.... this is just so so bad. I TRIED to find redeeming qualities, I TRIED. The only good thing is that the book is short and at a 7th grade reading level, but with spice that wouldn't even raise the eyebrows of a Catholic nun. The idea and the premise sounded like this would've been fun! I don't know any red riding hood romantacy books! It could've been dark, dreamy, spooky or eerie. It could've made me believe that these characters truly had complex and difficult pasts. It could've made me feel like I was transported to this world and got excited to learn about the wolves and different mythical creatures! It could've given me butterflies as the two main characters got to know each other more. It could've given me side characters to be curious about and be interested in getting to know more of. It could've done literally ANYTHING else and it would've made it a better experience.
My rage could be coming from buyers remorse or it could just be that I've fallen into the trap of being entranced in a premise only for it to completely miss the mark. This one hurt though. Ugh. I mean this was just NOT it. I'm sorry, but this is a 1 star.
August 24, 2024
I am reading & rating the first 6 Fairyloot Romantasy books in order to see whether or not the sub is suited for my taste in Romantasy.
Short Review:
He is so big. His hands are so big and she is not like other girls. She is crazy. He stalks her. She knows it, is afraid but oh so turned on (because he is big). Wtf. 🙄 Oh and he growls a lot. The plott was jumping too much and sometimes I didn't know if it was past or present... Ruby or Scarlet are interchangable. I see no difference. Super boring plott and the writing didn't even make for a good "guilty pleasure" read besides the plott.
Fairyloot Romantasy 2024
04 Lore of the Wilds ⭐⭐
05 A Curse of Blood and Wolves ⭐
06 Nectar of the Wicked ⭐⭐⭐
07 The Wren in the Holly Library
08 Bonded by Thorns
09 The Half King
10 The Coven
Short Review:
He is so big. His hands are so big and she is not like other girls. She is crazy. He stalks her. She knows it, is afraid but oh so turned on (because he is big). Wtf. 🙄 Oh and he growls a lot. The plott was jumping too much and sometimes I didn't know if it was past or present... Ruby or Scarlet are interchangable. I see no difference. Super boring plott and the writing didn't even make for a good "guilty pleasure" read besides the plott.
Fairyloot Romantasy 2024
04 Lore of the Wilds ⭐⭐
05 A Curse of Blood and Wolves ⭐
06 Nectar of the Wicked ⭐⭐⭐
07 The Wren in the Holly Library
08 Bonded by Thorns
09 The Half King
10 The Coven
July 14, 2024
There’s no plot to be found, the spice is cringe and the only open plot point hasn’t been resolved 🤝
September 19, 2023
My foray into Fantasy Romance is rather new thanks to the craze of Tik Tok. However, I am obsessed. I didn’t know that a whole different sub-genre of fantasy awaited me. It’s fun, exciting, and definitely brings something new to the genre. The Curse of Blood and Wolves had me entranced from start to finish and I read cover to cover in about a day and a half. I usually take a lot longer with my fantasy reads.
I am a huge fan of the darker side of fiction (regular readers of the blog will know this) and I love a deeper, darker retelling of those famous fairy tales. This story stripped back the basic nature of Red Riding Hood and it took on arms and legs, monstrous ones. Just for a moment imagine the big bad wolf and Red Riding Hood, her skipping through the woods and then imagine the version we are faced with in The Curse of Blood and Wolves. It’s so dark it oozes blood from its spine, so dark you need a light on to read it.
Ruby has always believed in the occult, ghosts, and haunted houses, much to the frustration of her sister Lena. The sisters are orphans after their parents die in a car crash. Lena is the much lighter sister, whereas Ruby is a bit of a goth girl -black skirts, dark hair, pale makeup, black eyeliner and kick up the arse boots. She works in the town’s bar and often walks through the dark woods. It’s during these walks that she’s always felt a presence watching her, stalking her. She knows she should run away but her feet just won’t move.
I enjoyed the story but there was only a couple of things that stopped me from rating this five stars. One being the lack of world-building, I wanted and needed more. I wanted to know more about the wolves’ backgrounds, more than just a few past POV’s would have been good, I just felt they really lacked substance, I love a good backstory and it just felt like a missed opportunity.
I know this was an arc so I fully expect the book not to be perfect but there was quite a few grammatical errors which more than likely will be rectified in the final edits, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story thankfully.
The Curse of Blood and Wolves is a great start to a new series and I’m looking forward to seeing where book 2 goes.
I am a huge fan of the darker side of fiction (regular readers of the blog will know this) and I love a deeper, darker retelling of those famous fairy tales. This story stripped back the basic nature of Red Riding Hood and it took on arms and legs, monstrous ones. Just for a moment imagine the big bad wolf and Red Riding Hood, her skipping through the woods and then imagine the version we are faced with in The Curse of Blood and Wolves. It’s so dark it oozes blood from its spine, so dark you need a light on to read it.
Ruby has always believed in the occult, ghosts, and haunted houses, much to the frustration of her sister Lena. The sisters are orphans after their parents die in a car crash. Lena is the much lighter sister, whereas Ruby is a bit of a goth girl -black skirts, dark hair, pale makeup, black eyeliner and kick up the arse boots. She works in the town’s bar and often walks through the dark woods. It’s during these walks that she’s always felt a presence watching her, stalking her. She knows she should run away but her feet just won’t move.
I enjoyed the story but there was only a couple of things that stopped me from rating this five stars. One being the lack of world-building, I wanted and needed more. I wanted to know more about the wolves’ backgrounds, more than just a few past POV’s would have been good, I just felt they really lacked substance, I love a good backstory and it just felt like a missed opportunity.
I know this was an arc so I fully expect the book not to be perfect but there was quite a few grammatical errors which more than likely will be rectified in the final edits, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story thankfully.
The Curse of Blood and Wolves is a great start to a new series and I’m looking forward to seeing where book 2 goes.
April 11, 2024
DNF @ 53%
Picked this up to see if I want the FL Romantasy book.
God it was so boring. I wasn’t invested in any of the characters. They were so one dimensional, and for the record giving them trauma doesn’t make them more dimensional. It was instalove and there’s zero tension between them.
The plot itself was sooooo slow and there world building was nonexistent. The entire book was 50% growling 20% fmc in “danger” 18% I love you but idk why 10% bad smut 2% OoOo we’re fated (who would’ve thought)
I lost hope that the book was going to get better at the end.
Picked this up to see if I want the FL Romantasy book.
God it was so boring. I wasn’t invested in any of the characters. They were so one dimensional, and for the record giving them trauma doesn’t make them more dimensional. It was instalove and there’s zero tension between them.
The plot itself was sooooo slow and there world building was nonexistent. The entire book was 50% growling 20% fmc in “danger” 18% I love you but idk why 10% bad smut 2% OoOo we’re fated (who would’ve thought)
I lost hope that the book was going to get better at the end.
February 6, 2024
If you’ve seen new moon this book is it except the whole book is if we can hear Edward saying he needs to leave but doesn’t every single chapter
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 22, 2024 DNF at page 132 … because I cannot bear it any longer.
✧.* Poorly written, terrible pacing, insta love and irritating characters.
✧.* I need to stop picking up romantasy debuts.
✧.* Poorly written, terrible pacing, insta love and irritating characters.
✧.* I need to stop picking up romantasy debuts.
September 20, 2023
It took a little while to get into this but once it got going man did it get going!
There were a few parts where I felt like the actions could have been explored more, or gone further into the world building, but in the grand scheme of the book I found those minor.
The dialogue was really funny. There were a lot of parts where I laughed along with them. The FMC wasn't a damsel in distress which I appreciate. Love me a self sufficient girlie. The spice was definitely spicing 👀
Definitely a solid choice if you're looking for a spicy fantasy that can be read in a day.
There were a few parts where I felt like the actions could have been explored more, or gone further into the world building, but in the grand scheme of the book I found those minor.
The dialogue was really funny. There were a lot of parts where I laughed along with them. The FMC wasn't a damsel in distress which I appreciate. Love me a self sufficient girlie. The spice was definitely spicing 👀
Definitely a solid choice if you're looking for a spicy fantasy that can be read in a day.
Shelved as 'dnf'
April 2, 2024DNF at 57%
I wanted to like this and kept hoping it would get better, but I’m over halfway through and nothing has really happened. The pacing is too slow and I don’t feel invested in the characters at all. The world building is pretty nonexistent and I can’t bring myself to continue.
PS - I don’t understand why this is being promoted as a Little Red Riding Hood retelling. Her name being Ruby and Rafe being a wolf is stretching it for “retelling”. Also, why of all the names available, did Rafe’s ex have to be named Scarlet?
I wanted to like this and kept hoping it would get better, but I’m over halfway through and nothing has really happened. The pacing is too slow and I don’t feel invested in the characters at all. The world building is pretty nonexistent and I can’t bring myself to continue.
PS - I don’t understand why this is being promoted as a Little Red Riding Hood retelling. Her name being Ruby and Rafe being a wolf is stretching it for “retelling”. Also, why of all the names available, did Rafe’s ex have to be named Scarlet?
August 22, 2023
A Curse of Blood and Wolves, a dark and twisted Little Red Riding Hood retelling is the perfect werewolf romance. Ruby always feels like someone is watching her while on her way home in the woods, although it doesn't make her afraid- she feels thrilled. Rafe can't get her out of his mind, he needs to follow her.
I really enjoyed this paranormal romance, their romance was super sweet. The way fate destined them to be together, even though they both had personal yhings to work on was beautiful.
The book was most definitely a page turner, the plot was extremely entertaining- I wish there was some more focus on it, and the author's writing style was simple and easy to get through. There was a lot of good dialogue as well, it was very engaging.
The novel did end on a cliffhanger, and although I normally enjoy these, it seemed very abrupt in this book.
Overall this steamy romance novel was a delicious read. I would definitely recommend if you're in the mood for a werewolf romance. Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and the author for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date: 1 October 2023
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I really enjoyed this paranormal romance, their romance was super sweet. The way fate destined them to be together, even though they both had personal yhings to work on was beautiful.
The book was most definitely a page turner, the plot was extremely entertaining- I wish there was some more focus on it, and the author's writing style was simple and easy to get through. There was a lot of good dialogue as well, it was very engaging.
The novel did end on a cliffhanger, and although I normally enjoy these, it seemed very abrupt in this book.
Overall this steamy romance novel was a delicious read. I would definitely recommend if you're in the mood for a werewolf romance. Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins UK and the author for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date: 1 October 2023
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May 25, 2024
A Curse of Blood and Wolves is a fantasy romance by Melissa McTernan. As the title might suspect this book will be about wolves, werewolves. In addition this book is the first in the Wolf Brothers trilogy. A Little Red Riding story mixed with werewolves, this sounds just like a typical fantasy retelling, but what will make this book stand out? What will I think of this title?
I really liked this storyline. It is unique and has a nice vibe. This book is really a fantasy romance which I enjoyed. I loved the way the whole story was built and everything made sense in the storyline.
Check out my full review on my blog Boekensteeg
I really liked this storyline. It is unique and has a nice vibe. This book is really a fantasy romance which I enjoyed. I loved the way the whole story was built and everything made sense in the storyline.
Check out my full review on my blog Boekensteeg
May 26, 2024
3.5/5, it close to a 4. This was little Red Riding adjacent so once I reset my expectations I was hooked.
There is a mystery and a romance. I was as invested in the mystery, other characters, as the romance. I assume there will be 3 books for the 3 brothers. Theo’s book is next and I’m excited to read it.
There is a mystery and a romance. I was as invested in the mystery, other characters, as the romance. I assume there will be 3 books for the 3 brothers. Theo’s book is next and I’m excited to read it.
April 14, 2024
Mmmh you know what in the end this book was not as horrible as I thought it would be in the beginning. Still bad but just not shitty as I thought it would be.
I love shifter romances and that is why it got 2 stars. The suspense of the couples was nice and I did like the storyline. But omg the maincharachters were the worst. Ruby is so different from other people and so special, b fucking for real. Rafe is this all big amazing man but damn he was stupid and just an asshole tbh. Also the pacing in this book is weird, the beginning was so fast and then it just slowed done to almost boring. She met this dude and invited him in, in the first 50 pages and then the next 300 pages was them just arguing whether yes or no to date.
It was not a good book, it was very cringe and the story could have been better. But it was also entertaining in some way.
I love shifter romances and that is why it got 2 stars. The suspense of the couples was nice and I did like the storyline. But omg the maincharachters were the worst. Ruby is so different from other people and so special, b fucking for real. Rafe is this all big amazing man but damn he was stupid and just an asshole tbh. Also the pacing in this book is weird, the beginning was so fast and then it just slowed done to almost boring. She met this dude and invited him in, in the first 50 pages and then the next 300 pages was them just arguing whether yes or no to date.
It was not a good book, it was very cringe and the story could have been better. But it was also entertaining in some way.
June 5, 2024
I would like to start with there was nothing wrong with the book. I’m just not in my werewolf era. So sadly dnf’ed - I will deffo give this book another try and hopefully get past chapter 5!
June 20, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.
April 16, 2024
This book must be getting one hell of a rewrite for Trad Pub, because in its current state, it is terrible.
The writing was boring, there was NO plot. And sometimes, I can absolutely move on from this and accept it if the spice is good. But it isn’t, it’s dull and there is way too much “will they / won’t they”. Which isn’t even enjoyable to read, just immensely infuriating.
There’s like a tiny cliffhanger at the end, clearly this is going to be a planned series but a cliffhanger for what? Characters which are monotonous and uninteresting?
There’s Ruby, the ✨goth girl, but I’m different because I secretly like colourful nail polish ✨, sister, Lena, who has no personality or even a decent description to picture her with and then Rafe, the burly but sensitive MC who is the most indecisive, tedious, man I’ve had the misfortune to read about.
One star for an attempt at spice (the teasing at the beginning was fairly enjoyable)
The second star is because of the probable Twilight reference where she describes having a werewolf has been a fantasy of hers for a long time (and then confirms it later with a #TeamJacob joke). It was so cringe it made me laugh out loud at the awkwardness of it.
The writing was boring, there was NO plot. And sometimes, I can absolutely move on from this and accept it if the spice is good. But it isn’t, it’s dull and there is way too much “will they / won’t they”. Which isn’t even enjoyable to read, just immensely infuriating.
There’s like a tiny cliffhanger at the end, clearly this is going to be a planned series but a cliffhanger for what? Characters which are monotonous and uninteresting?
There’s Ruby, the ✨goth girl, but I’m different because I secretly like colourful nail polish ✨, sister, Lena, who has no personality or even a decent description to picture her with and then Rafe, the burly but sensitive MC who is the most indecisive, tedious, man I’ve had the misfortune to read about.
One star for an attempt at spice (the teasing at the beginning was fairly enjoyable)
The second star is because of the probable Twilight reference where she describes having a werewolf has been a fantasy of hers for a long time (and then confirms it later with a #TeamJacob joke). It was so cringe it made me laugh out loud at the awkwardness of it.
March 29, 2024
Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book was personally a good place for me to start delving into the world of supernatural romance. The writing was simple enough that I found it easy to get into the story and this was helped along by the main characters being quickly introduced in the first few pages.
I did have a few issues with the repetition in the dialogue - specifically, the cliched descriptions when describing the size of the two main characters were rather grating (i.e. the male character was ‘huge’ and the female character was ‘tiny’). However, this was minor enough in my mind that it didn’t take me away from the story.
What I liked the most was that the FMC wasn’t portrayed as helpless or completely under the control of the MMC. Ruby knew her own mind; worked tirelessly for herself & her sister; and demanded respect from Rafe, her werewolf love interest, from the very beginning. I am often put off reading paranormal romances because of the elements of control & abuse, but this one was softer and was therefore much more palatable.
Rafe was also a surprisingly mixed character. The author chose not to focus too much on the territorial aspects of his wolf alter ego, and instead focused more on his self-critical attitude & his desire to nurture Ruby, rather than intimidate her. He did still have the protective instincts that are to be expected in a supernatural romance, but they didn’t feel overly stifling.
The romantic connection between Ruby & Rafe was super sweet - they were both respectful of each other and I never felt uncomfortable reading about it. I really enjoyed the ‘chase’ part of it as I love seeing a relationship slowly blossom, along with the frustration & anticipation of the build-up.
I was admittedly the most absorbed in that part of the story; however, that is purely from a personal perspective. Rafe’s family background and the plot around Ruby’s seer sister were interesting, and the tale as a whole was very well-rounded. The ending was predictable, but left the reader on an intriguing cliffhanger.
Whilst this book would be a great first step for fantasy & supernatural beginners, I think that veterans of the genre would be disappointed by the simplicity of it. Either way, I would be interested in reading the next in the series.
This book was personally a good place for me to start delving into the world of supernatural romance. The writing was simple enough that I found it easy to get into the story and this was helped along by the main characters being quickly introduced in the first few pages.
I did have a few issues with the repetition in the dialogue - specifically, the cliched descriptions when describing the size of the two main characters were rather grating (i.e. the male character was ‘huge’ and the female character was ‘tiny’). However, this was minor enough in my mind that it didn’t take me away from the story.
What I liked the most was that the FMC wasn’t portrayed as helpless or completely under the control of the MMC. Ruby knew her own mind; worked tirelessly for herself & her sister; and demanded respect from Rafe, her werewolf love interest, from the very beginning. I am often put off reading paranormal romances because of the elements of control & abuse, but this one was softer and was therefore much more palatable.
Rafe was also a surprisingly mixed character. The author chose not to focus too much on the territorial aspects of his wolf alter ego, and instead focused more on his self-critical attitude & his desire to nurture Ruby, rather than intimidate her. He did still have the protective instincts that are to be expected in a supernatural romance, but they didn’t feel overly stifling.
The romantic connection between Ruby & Rafe was super sweet - they were both respectful of each other and I never felt uncomfortable reading about it. I really enjoyed the ‘chase’ part of it as I love seeing a relationship slowly blossom, along with the frustration & anticipation of the build-up.
I was admittedly the most absorbed in that part of the story; however, that is purely from a personal perspective. Rafe’s family background and the plot around Ruby’s seer sister were interesting, and the tale as a whole was very well-rounded. The ending was predictable, but left the reader on an intriguing cliffhanger.
Whilst this book would be a great first step for fantasy & supernatural beginners, I think that veterans of the genre would be disappointed by the simplicity of it. Either way, I would be interested in reading the next in the series.
May 20, 2024
I went into it it’s extremely low expectations which helped. I got this from a fairyloot subscription and based on the other reviews I can whole heartedly say I wouldn’t have picked it up otherwise. The idea was there but the execution just wasn’t and it gave major whiplash. This felt like someone saw a werewolf tv show/movie as a teenager, had an awakening, and wrote this. I howled (😏) with laughter a couple times cause it was so ridiculous.
September 26, 2023
3.5 (RTC)
I’d like to thank NetGalley and One More Chapter for approving me for an ARC of this book. I buddy read this with my fellow smut pals, Bex and Amanda, who always deliver on entertaining notes and make a reading experience all the more enjoyable.
🌶️I went into this story expecting spice and in all honesty, it is probably the best part of the story. The lingering tensions between Rafe and Ruby were palpable and Melissa McTernan did not disappoint on the spice front.
🐺Whilst we are introduced to a lot of characters I didn’t feel like I really got to know them properly. Maybe this is something that will develop over the next few books but I wanted more depth to the characters. Having said that I’m intrigued about the three brothers and their complicated history. Rafe, frankly was annoying, Theo is cheeky but I have a feeling that Knox is going to be my favourite.
⭐This was a quick, easy read that certainly had its smutty moments. I’ll be checking out the next book just to see what happens next.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and One More Chapter for approving me for an ARC of this book. I buddy read this with my fellow smut pals, Bex and Amanda, who always deliver on entertaining notes and make a reading experience all the more enjoyable.
🌶️I went into this story expecting spice and in all honesty, it is probably the best part of the story. The lingering tensions between Rafe and Ruby were palpable and Melissa McTernan did not disappoint on the spice front.
🐺Whilst we are introduced to a lot of characters I didn’t feel like I really got to know them properly. Maybe this is something that will develop over the next few books but I wanted more depth to the characters. Having said that I’m intrigued about the three brothers and their complicated history. Rafe, frankly was annoying, Theo is cheeky but I have a feeling that Knox is going to be my favourite.
⭐This was a quick, easy read that certainly had its smutty moments. I’ll be checking out the next book just to see what happens next.
June 13, 2024
4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A Curse of Blood and Wolves
Author: Melissa McTernan
Romantasy
Fairyloot May Romantasy! Enjoyed this more than the April one. Apparently I am in a fantasy werewolf mood… this is a spicy Little Red Riding Hood retelling. This was super different though and did not make it seem like a monotonous retelling of the original story. Ruby can feel herself being watched by someone and it turns out to be Rafe who is a werewolf. He ends up saving her from an attack from another werewolf. This was fast paced and spicy. It was an easy read and I enjoyed it. I liked it more than the April Romantasy Fairyloot book. Really trying to actually read each book I get this time. 😂
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
A Curse of Blood and Wolves
Author: Melissa McTernan
Romantasy
Fairyloot May Romantasy! Enjoyed this more than the April one. Apparently I am in a fantasy werewolf mood… this is a spicy Little Red Riding Hood retelling. This was super different though and did not make it seem like a monotonous retelling of the original story. Ruby can feel herself being watched by someone and it turns out to be Rafe who is a werewolf. He ends up saving her from an attack from another werewolf. This was fast paced and spicy. It was an easy read and I enjoyed it. I liked it more than the April Romantasy Fairyloot book. Really trying to actually read each book I get this time. 😂
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
September 15, 2023
DNF @30%.
It took me way too long to figure out the setting for this book, and I really dislike when I can't tell early on if a book is supposed to be modern or set in the past. The worldbuilding just isn't there. By the time it made sense I realised I wasn't particularly invested in the characters. Sadly, this is just not for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
It took me way too long to figure out the setting for this book, and I really dislike when I can't tell early on if a book is supposed to be modern or set in the past. The worldbuilding just isn't there. By the time it made sense I realised I wasn't particularly invested in the characters. Sadly, this is just not for me.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.
September 19, 2023
I've been reading this for 3 days and I got to 37%. I can't describe what's wrong with it, but I know I have no desire to continue reading it and am finding it tedious. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for an arc of this.
June 5, 2024
A Curse of Blood and Wolves features Ruby, a waitress with very little personality except dark clothes and red lips and Rafe, a werewolf who cannot stick to a decision to save his life (or other peoples lives!) This is a reimagining of Red Riding Hood in the sense that there’s a wolf and she walks through the forest a lot, while wearing red lip stick.
The writing style and character development were really lacking for me. We didn’t really get a plot, just a whiplash back and forth of Rafe either deciding he can’t stay away from Ruby or the exact opposite. Ruby was just a pair of red lips who let Rafe walk all over her. The world building was also non existent. It felt like the author had a page count goal with no idea how to get there.
Also, it is worth noting, that a lot of Rafe’s hangups stem from his previous relationship with a woman named Scarlett. So he only falls for girls who are named for shades of red.
All that being said, I started the book and finished it the same night. Couldn’t put it down out of sheer bewilderment at what I was reading? Maybe.
The writing style and character development were really lacking for me. We didn’t really get a plot, just a whiplash back and forth of Rafe either deciding he can’t stay away from Ruby or the exact opposite. Ruby was just a pair of red lips who let Rafe walk all over her. The world building was also non existent. It felt like the author had a page count goal with no idea how to get there.
Also, it is worth noting, that a lot of Rafe’s hangups stem from his previous relationship with a woman named Scarlett. So he only falls for girls who are named for shades of red.
All that being said, I started the book and finished it the same night. Couldn’t put it down out of sheer bewilderment at what I was reading? Maybe.
August 25, 2024
The book was exactly as expected! I was going into this, in the mood for something kitschy and clichéd, and that was exactly what I got!
There was an air of insta-romance about this, while simultaneously having this extremely palpable sexual factor. If you are expecting a cutesy and demure "Little Red Riding Hood"-retelling, than this isn't it. For that matter, apart from the main character being named Ruby and the male lead having this werewolf-persona, nothing much of the storyline reminded me of the original fairytale.
The deep emotions weren't really coming across the page, most likely due to the amount of conversations ending in sexual innuendos, or sex in general. It was a quick and spicy read, which I still really liked, mind you!
3.5/5 stars
There was an air of insta-romance about this, while simultaneously having this extremely palpable sexual factor. If you are expecting a cutesy and demure "Little Red Riding Hood"-retelling, than this isn't it. For that matter, apart from the main character being named Ruby and the male lead having this werewolf-persona, nothing much of the storyline reminded me of the original fairytale.
The deep emotions weren't really coming across the page, most likely due to the amount of conversations ending in sexual innuendos, or sex in general. It was a quick and spicy read, which I still really liked, mind you!
3.5/5 stars
August 24, 2024
Ruby was okay but she felt younger than her age. Rafe didn't feel an adult either and he was several hundred years old. I liked how Ruby cared for her sister. Rafe's younger brother was really likable and actually the next book is about him. Overall characters were lacking some depthness.
I adore when fantasy meets the modern world. It's so easy to dive into that kind of stories. I loved different creatures, even though the world-building was really light.
There didn't happen really much but this was light/easy to read.
I adore when fantasy meets the modern world. It's so easy to dive into that kind of stories. I loved different creatures, even though the world-building was really light.
There didn't happen really much but this was light/easy to read.
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