Wolf, Shifted by Rebecca Ethington is the first in a new series called Exiled World: The House of the Crescent Moon and follows Nova, a lone wolf shifter who has been in hiding since she survived the slaughter of her pack as a child. “Summoned” to the high alpha’s home for a festival that all the shifter packs are required to attend, Nova becomes suspicious of the high alpha’s intentions and questions what others think of her. The story also follows Asher, a true alpha, his sister Peyton, and his beta Dax. Asher arrives at the festival to “make nice” with Greyson, the high alpha, after shifting and taking over his pack. He hopes to stop a war and find out why his father would submit to Greyson. But he isn’t prepared to find Nova.

I really enjoyed Nova. She has a special brand of dark, dry humor that I subscribe to. I like that despite her circumstances she just rolls with it. Her father kept her in hiding for several years after the demise of their pack, and with his death two years prior, she’s been alone. Something a wolf should never be is lonely. Now, after all her years on the run, Greyson has found her. Conflicted is an understatement. Nova is torn at the idea of being with other wolves and also curious. She wants to understand her nature, but the idea of shifting scares her, and that is exactly what Greyson plans to force her to do.

As much as I liked Nova, I loved Asher. He is cocky, a little arrogant, but wholly focused on his pack and doing whatever needs to be done to protect them. Not only did he shift early and without Greyson’s permission, he took over as alpha of his pack, again without permission. In this hierarchy that Ethington has created, that is a big no-no. Then he sees Nova, and he knows he’s found his mate. But who she is? Why is Greyson so interested in her? And can he save her and still protect his pack?

This book really focuses on building the hierarchy of the shifters in this world and introducing you to the key players. However that doesn’t mean it lacks plot. Nova and Asher are separated for most of the book, their own stories and plot running parallel to one another. Nova struggles with trusting Greyson and not jumping him, something that confuses her to no end. Asher struggles with submitting to Greyson as all the other pack alphas have done. There is something about Greyson that doesn’t sit well with Asher or Nova, neither can place it though, and the consequences are dire.

Overall, I really enjoyed Wolf, Shifted. This lays the groundwork for the series and is an excellent start. I like Nova and Asher, I even loathe to like Greyson. I cannot wait to find out what happens next! If you enjoy dark paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and shifters, I highly recommend it.

Trigger Warning:

Spoiler

Nonconsensual sex, I’m happy to explain this in more detail if you need it. Please PM me on any of our social media channels or feel free to email me at lillian@momwithareadingproblem.com

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

Willodeen is the newest book from NYT's bestseller Katherine Applegate about a young girl who risks everything for a creature no one wants. An intelligent animal-lover, eleven year old Willodeen spends her days in the forests surrounding her village, studying the animals who live there and their habitats. Her favorite animal is the screecher, who she fiercely protects when she can. The screechers put off a foul smell, make horrible noises at night (hence the name), and root among some of the town’s favorite trees. Considered a pest, the town put a bounty on their heads much to Willodeen’s disappointment. Now she studies them in secret, protecting them when she can. Through a series of events, a baby screecher winds up in Willodeen’s care. Now it is up to her to prove that these animals and all the animals surrounding her village are in need of protecting.

“Angry tears have magic in them,” said Birdie.
I rolled my eyes.
“She’s right,” said Mae. “There’s great power in tears born of anger.”

I adore Willodeen. She is a traumatized young girl, losing her entire family in a fire a few years prior. Now she lives with the two elderly ladies in town who grant her the freedom to do as she wishes. Willodeen doesn’t enjoy crowds so she avoids them, staying out of school and learning through observation. She loves studying the wildlife around the village: screechers, hummingbears, the blue willow trees, etc. She even has a hummingbear she rescued who survived the same fire she did.

But like the screechers, the hummingbears are disappearing. This is a puzzle that plagues not only Willodeen but her village as well. Her village depends on the hummingbears to bring in tourists for the annual fall faire. Without them, many of the villagers will go broke. Through her tears, Willodeen finds a baby screecher or maybe turns one of her friend’s “puzzlers” into it. She really isn’t sure. But in studying her baby screecher, she may find the hope her village needs.

The story told through Willodeen in this book is so important. Like all of Applegate’s books, there are hidden lessons. Here the reader learns through Willodeen the importance of protecting the wildlife and habitat around them. She learns how nature is interconnected and how one missing piece affects the whole puzzle. I appreciated what the author conveyed here. I also loved the creatures that are purely fiction and add a bit of whimsy and magic to the otherwise heavy tale.

Final Thoughts: Through beautiful imagery and magical creatures, Katherine Applegate weaves a cautionary tale about the importance of protecting nature and its inhabitants in her newest release Willodeen.

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

How Sweet It Is by Dylan Newton is an over-the-top rom-com about the queen of happily ever afters falling for the knight of nightmares. Kate Sweet is famous in the event planning community for creating the perfect “ahhh” moments for her clients as she sends them off on their honeymoons. When her best friend, a publicist for an A-List author, asks her to take over planning a book release, Kate sees it as her way of finally cementing her name in the community. What she doesn’t plan on is the author being the king of horror, Drake Matthews. Miscommunication, a little sexual tension, and a lot of attraction make for an equally sweet and funny fall romance.

I really enjoyed this one. Kate is the perfect balance between believing in the happily ever afters she creates and being a tad cynical. She’s worked hard for her job and puts all her time and effort into it. What she doesn’t want is to be the laughing stock of the community, and she absolutely refuses to return to med school and follow in her family’s footsteps, no matter how many times they bring it up. I love how crafty she is. She can take the most mundane thing and turn it into a work of art for her events. This book launch not only stretches her imagination, but shows the work she is capable of on a daily basis for her clients.

Drake Matthews is a doll. I adore him! I love that the author includes his perspective in the story so we do have some alternating POV. Drake is a successful horror writer. With his newest novel about to release and his next novel’s deadline already past, he is in a bit of a rut. Drake has writer’s block, and the story that is wanting to be told is NOT the horror he is known for, but a historical romance based slightly on his grandparents’ love story. Insecure about his ability to write a romance and his own romantic life after a duplicitous relationship, Drake hides the story from everyone, except Kate.

The catalyst that brings these two together is sweet and funny all at the same time. Leave it to a mom to poke her nose in

A Spark of Vengeance by Rebecca Ethington is the first in a new spin-off Imdalind series about Ryland Krul. I’ll admit I was equal parts excited and nervous for this book. Ryland was my favorite character at the beginning of the Imdalind series and by the end I was heartbroken for and terrified of him.

A Spark of Vengeance picks up three years after the end of [b:Crown of Cinders|32059737|Crown of Cinders (Imdalind, #7)|Rebecca Ethington|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1475781146s/32059737.jpg|52702197]. Ryland is now Jos’s second in command. Ilyan is missing, presumed dead and she has become the rightful queen of Imdalind. At first I really wasn’t sure how this would work. Ry went from loving Jos to trying to kill her to being completely crazy thanks to Edmund. However I love how Ethington handles this. Told exclusively from Ry’s POV, you get to understand his thought process and his daily struggles. My heart broke all over again for this boy, now man.

The plot of this book is fairly simple at first glance. Ry and the survivors of Sain’s war are looking for Chosen (those bitten by the infected Vily) in order to save them and teach them to use their new found powers. Joclyn is the only one that can heal them properly from the infected magic. At the beginning of the book Ry and Thom are attacked while looking for these Chosen. Now there is suspicion that Ovailia, who they thought was dead, is planning an attack on them.

Wyn and Ry travel to London to investigate and things get hairy. I personally like the plot of this series more than Imdalind I think (and that’s saying a lot!). There’s more magic, more history about the people of Imdalind, just more everything. I love seeing my favorite characters in a new light and new situations. And I LOVE the dystopian element of this series as it is set after the fall of Prague.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Ryland has his hands full and I cannot wait to see where Ethington takes his character. His character has a lot of growing to do still and there are many things ahead of him that will test and try him. I can’t wait

I received an eARC of this book via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

What Once Was Mine by Liz Braswell is the twelfth installment of the series A Twisted Tale that takes a single action in a fairy tale and asks “What if”. This time the question is “What if Rapunzel’s mother drank a potion from the wrong flower?” I quite honestly loved this book. From start to finish, it is engaging, entertaining, and heartfelt, much like the cartoon version it is based on. Braswell does something that I haven’t seen her do before here: she writes a story within a story.

In the same vein as The Princess Bride, the story begins with Brendan at a hospital with his younger sister who has cancer and is receiving treatment. To cheer her up and not read the same story he has read more times than he can count, he decides to tell her his own Rapunzel story. I love Brendan’s version of the story. I also love how Daniella continuously interrupts the story to interject her own thoughts about what should happen next. It brings levity to the story while also bringing awareness to childhood cancer, which is a cause near and dear to my own heart.

In Brendan’s story, Rapunzel’s mother drinks a potion from the Moondrop flower, and so her healing powers are much different. Rapunzel’s hair is now silver instead of gold, and her power is tied to the moon. Instead of healing, her hair can kill. With broken hearts, her parents send her away to learn how to control her magic and hopefully one day return, but Mother Gothel has other plans.

Rapunzel is not quite as naive as she is in the origin cartoon. She is still unused to the world at large, but she is more scared of killing others than of them hurting her. In fact, I’d say she’s quite fearless in that she quickly trusts those around her, knowing that if it comes down to it, she can protect herself. I loved reading how her character grows and learns through her adventure to see the floating lights.

Flynn is not my favorite character though as he is in the source material. While I like him, Gina is my favorite. Gina is a new character created by Brendan for the story. She is like a female Flynn. She’s daring and courageous and wants nothing more than to be a ruffian as Rapunzel calls them. When she crosses paths with Rapunzel, she promises to help her find Flynn Rider in exchange for a bit of gold and notoriety.

Overall, I really enjoyed What Once Was Mine. Rapunzel’s journey is more here than in the cartoon, and it is even more accurate to history at the time the story is set during. I loved the characters and bits of history Braswell adds to the story. Again I loved the story within a story as well. Brendan and Daniella are fun, even if their presence isn’t always seen. If you are a fan of this series or a fan of fairy tales, I highly recommend this one!