I received my copy of The Wolf Den in my October LoveMyRead (https://lovemyread.com/) subscription box and I was so ecstatic about finally receiving my copy because I had seen this book everywhere in the months beforehand and I had even seen some fantastic window displays in Waterstones stores across the country. So I really hoped it lived up to my very high expectations...

Sold by her mother. Enslaved in Pompeii's brothel. Determined to survive. Her name is Amara. Amara was once a beloved daughter, until her father's death plunged her family into penury. Now she is a slave in Pompeii's infamous brothel, owned by a man she despises. Sharp, clever and resourceful, Amara is forced to hide her talents. For as a she-wolf, her only value lies in the desire she can stir in others. But Amara's spirit is far from broken.

By day, she walks the streets with her fellow she-wolves, finding comfort in the laughter and dreams they share. For the streets of Pompeii are alive with opportunity. Out here, even the lowest slave can secure a reversal in fortune. Amara has learnt that everything in this city has its price. But how much is her freedom going to cost her? Set in Pompeii's lupanar (brothel), The Wolf Den reimagines the lives of women who have long been overlooked.

I absolutely fell in love with the main character and narrator, Amara. I thought she was so well developed and an excellent protagonist. My heart broke for her because of how she ended up in the Pompeii brothel but I also admired her because she didn’t let her situation defeat her. She remained as determined as ever and played/used men’s desires and emotions to her advantage.

Out of all the women at the brothel, Amara came from a very well-esteemed background as she was the daughter of a Greek doctor. I definitely think that this education allowed her to understand her situation more and work with people to get what she wanted. Yet, there were also moments where I didn’t agree with what she was doing and perhaps saw her in a different light...and I think that made my love for Amara even stronger. It was as if Amara had to become as deceitful and mischievous as her owner and prostitute master, Felix, in order to keep herself safe, sane and hopefully free.

Friendship was also a huge theme in the book and the power of sisterhood meant that all the prostitutes had each other’s back. I admired that each woman understood (or at least tried to understand) each other’s struggles and backgrounds to help make the days manageable. I think as the protagonist, we see Amara's allegiance to the brothel sisterhood get put to the test and ultimately, should she get the freedom and the life she so desires, she will have to say goodbye to the women who have helped her through some of the darkest moments. So is her freedom really everything she wants?

The story ends with some unclear events and unanswered questions so I cannot wait to see where the story goes from here. Each character also has a well-deserved place in my heart so I am beyond thrilled to hear that the author, Elodie Harper, has decided to make this a trilogy! Bring on the next book...

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