The Story in 4 Sentences or Less: When he was still a kid Jared Black was framed for murder, driven out of his pack and left for dead, and in order to survive he became the criminal known as The Rogue. He protects those without a pack and will do anything to eliminate the vampires that threaten all wolves and that means confronting his old pack and the love he left behind. Maeve Gray has had her entire life dictated by pack duties and she’s had enough of it so when The Rogue shows up with not only a way out but a plan to save her friends and family from the vampires, she has no choice but to trust that he will keep his end of the bargain they strike.








Like It? Hate it? Love it? Why? The third installment of the Seven Range Shifters series shakes things up a bit and I couldn’t have been happier about it. Wicked Cowboy Wolf takes a walk on the darker side where the line between right and wrong gets blurred and emotions run high. It also has a sense of urgency and desperation to it that its predecessors didn’t have and I felt that it aided in bringing Rogue and Maeve full circle since the circumstances all but kept these two side by side.

For me the one thing I loved about Rogue and Maeve’s relationship is how it evolved. In the beginning there was a lot of mistrust, doubt, tension, resentment, and a small amount of attraction. Rogue is more beast than man and he’s not afraid to let everyone know. In his world, brutality reigns supreme so I also found it interesting that while he resented the memories of his past that Maeve brought, her presence is what actually brought back his humanity.

For Maeve’s part, I’m so glad she wasn’t a whiny, pampered wretch of a woman. She’s technically considered wolf royalty due to her bloodline and her brother’s reputation as leader of the Grey Wolf pack. You’d think that being who she was Maeve would have acted like an entitled princess, but she didn’t. I felt her frustration at being more prisoner than member of her own pack, and how she was treated more like a broodmare than an individual. Honestly, her life was dull, hopeless, and totally in the hands of the MALES around her.


She was a quick learner and wasn’t prone to hysterics. But I do wish Maeve had adapted more to the lifestyle of the outsiders she was with and fought in the actual battles rather than just having as Jack Sparrow once put it a “fight to run away” role. I felt that Maeve was used throughout the whole book as simply a tool to make Rogue seem more heroic and dashing by making him always rush to her rescue. Not that their relationship wasn’t romantic, it was when there wasn’t any male posturing or fighting going on and Rogue and Maeve could talk and get to know each other again. Well, I say again for Rogue because he never forgot Maeve while she didn’t even know who he really was.


All in all though, Wicked Cowboy Wolf is such a welcome addition to the series. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed the previous two books in the series but thus far it’s been a very male dominated series. The men do all the heavy lifting, fighting, and saving, while the women are mostly hidden away with little to do except be protected. It’s starting to get old. But by the end of Mae and Rogue’s story I had hope that maybe, just maybe, we’ll see the women take more proactive, more aggressive roles in future books. I want to see an alpha female dang it!

Click It or Skip It? Click It. I’m loving the grittiness of the series but I’m hoping that all the macho man/rescuer stuff tapers off soon and that we get to see the women become their equals in the battlefield and that they step into more dominant, leading roles.

This is an enjoyable paranormal western romance. The Rogue. The name alone lends itself to mysery and he is quite the rogue. Maeve is a reluctant princess. You wouldn't expect the two to mix. The ending was very good. I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and freely leave this honest review.

Maeve (mae) lost her best friend when she was a teenager and she's never really gotten over what happened. Her uncle was a scumbag and her father was a jerk and now her brother is the packmaster or alpha in charge. He loves her but she knows she'll have to marry an alpha she doesn't love for the good of her pack.

Rogue is a rogue wolf that takes in other rogue wolves who have no where else to go. He's essentially the leader of the rogue wolves. He has had a rough life because of a choice he made when he was just a kid.

Rogue saved Mae from the vampires when they kidnapped her to steal her blood to experiment on for nefarious purposes. But he had plans to use Mae to get back what is rightfully his. He doesn't want to hurt her but he doesn't see any way around it. He made a deal with her when he saved her and now he's come to bring her back to his ranch where she'll be safe from the vampires who are looking to kill her.

Mae doesn't want to do what is expected of her anymore so when Rogue comes and tells her that she can be free and safe from the vampires, she willingly goes with him. But the vampires keep coming after her so they have to track down a scientist who can help then get the serum they need in order to keep her safe. Once they get that the vampires should stop coming after her. But while she's with Rogue, the attraction they feel for each other explodes. Rogue is hurt because she doesn't recognize who he really is and she gets hurt later on when she realizes that he and her brother lied to her.

This was such a good book. Not only does this book have vampires and wolf shifters but it also has a great romance. My heart broke for Rogue so many times because of what he's gone through. Mae's uncle and father were awful people and even though her brother is not like them he lied to her which hurt her.

The secondary characters were great, I especially like the kids and Tucker the pig. Imagine a wolf shifter having a piglet as a pet, it was hilarious. This book made me laugh, cry and get mad so many different times.

Disclosure: I was given an ARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wicked Wolf Cowboy by Kait Ballenger

3rd book in the Seven Range Shifters series. Paranormal romance. Can be read as a stand-alone but better to read this as part of the series.

Jared and Maeve were friends as children. After fighting to protect her at the age of 15, he is beaten and thrown out of the pack. Years later, with the reputation of being a killer but a protector of rogue wolves, Jared and Maeve meet again. She doesn’t recognize him because of the scars on his face. He doesn’t tell her who is is, or was, because he loved her.

It’s a bit sad because he is willing to sacrifice everything for her. Or maybe it’s just about revenge. They fall in love again and he still doesn’t want to tell her.
Without spoilers, it’s a romance so of course, happily ever after is guaranteed, but being noble and protective can be a difficult choice.
Sexual content is not often but high heat when it does happen.
Mauve is strong, smart and independent. Her pitching in with chores and unselfish choices made her an admirable character.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I also purchased a copy to share.

You get the best of three things in this one. Luscious cowboy whom happens to be a shifter in a romance. But the bad things out there are not just a few snakes it also happens to be vampires also. It was good to get back into this world again with another episode as in this series. Jared and Maeve will fill us up in this one. He comes at the right time. So with the one battle going on battles of the heart will wage also. They are the best to watch and feel. This one has all the stops-action,humor,danger, steam with much more. I got so into this one I felt alittle lost when it was done.

Full of action and an anti-hero with nothing to lose, this enemies to lovers/second chance romance was a great read. This is the third book in this series (easily read as a standalone) and my favorite to date.

I am a huge fan of Maeve Gray. She’s tough and loyal, but also bound to a life that has been set out for her simply by the fact that she is the alpha’s sister…and inside she’s always wanted more. It was no surprise that when opportunity knocked on her door (well, broke into her home), she was ready to do what she had to for her pack, which also offered her a chance to experience some of the freedom that she has always desired. Rogue has always been considered an outlaw, but at his core he is honest and decent, something that Maeve quickly begins to see. These two together definitely had chemistry, which was no surprise since they also have a past. I did find myself getting aggravated with Rogue for not being truthful with Maeve, but after the life he has led, it wasn’t totally surprising that he didn’t feel he was worthy of redemption…or her love, so I did understand why he hesitated with the truth.

The supporting characters were great. You can feel the loyalty and bonds between all the lone wolves, and I loved how it was so clear that this group truly embodied what a pack should be – even if they are not seen that way by anyone on the outside. Maeve’s brother, on the other hand, is going to need quite a bit of redemption, so I look forward to seeing if/how that will happen, perhaps in another book? There were also appearances of other characters from the series, and it’s always nice to see a familiar face on the page, as well as the addition of some new ones that really helped this story and the overall story arc of the series along and hopefully be the subject of a future book…perhaps for Sophia?

There is plenty of action and at times the scenes can be a bit on the dark side, but there is also romance, a pet pot-bellied pig named Tucker, and some horses that tie that knot, which help add a lightness and additional emotional depth to the story. Things get a bit intense at the end, but the ending pulled things together nicely with a hard-worked for happily-ever-after. This one is definitely worth checking out.

Wicked Cowboy Wolf is the third title in the Seven Range Shifters series, and while I’ve been waiting for the Rogue’s story to be told I wasn’t quite prepared for how emotionally involved I was going to end up feeling about this couple. And, unfortunately, there also is a whole lot that I’m not comfortable talking about from this story as that would definitely involve spoilers. Yet, if you’ve followed the series then the cover description is enough to draw you into Rogue and Maeve’s story. Can you start the series here? You “could” but you won’t get nuances and understanding of what brought us to this point firsthand. I would read the series in order, but that’s my opinion, you do what works for you.

There are twists and surprises in Wicked Cowboy Wolf that will keep any reader on their toes. There are also secrets that need to come out in order for some people to heal from what was done in the past. A very present danger will drive much of the action but this fast-paced story mixes the past, the present, and the possible future very well in a realistic (for the genre) way with characters you’ll either love or loathe – there really isn’t a lot of in-between feeling for the most part.

I enjoyed watching Rogue with his band of misfits become so much more than even he expected from himself. Although, at times Maeve made choices that I’d shake my head over, the growth she goes through and the woman she ended up being made that journey well worth the tears and the smiles. One little teacup pig is sure to steal your heart along the way as well. In all, I had a great time back in this world and would not hesitate to recommend this one to any Paranormal Romance or Shifter Romance reader who loves a solid plot, some steamy times, villains to loathe and a couple to root for throughout.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Kait Ballengers books keep me engaged and I’m definitely becoming addicted to these stories. In this book, we get to see the chemistry between Maeve and the Rogue. Love this book because it’s more concerned with the concept pack vs rogue, even with all the fight with the vampires.
Maeve, the she-wolf heroine, has a huge sense of duty towards her pack, so she was capable to sacrifice her happiness for them. Despite never leaving the pack and being kept there like in a cage, she has great inner strength. The Rogue, with so much dark past, helps Maeve escape from the vampires. His character passed from so many difficult things in the past and yet he stills a very kind person. I enjoyed reading their relationship grow, the concerns around them and the strong connection that comes from their past.
It was fun to read, now I’m curious about the next one.

✦Review, Excerpt & Giveaway: WICKED COWBOY WOLF by Kait Ballenger https://wp.me/p3d0RZ-bnW
Publication Date: January 28, 2020
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Reviewed by: Reading in Pajamas/ Donna
Rated 4 Stars

I enjoyed this installment in the Seven Range Shifter Series. In large part to the Rogue and his group. They had a great bond and camaraderie that made me like them all instantly. They were fun to read about and showed what a good man Rogue/Jared was. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Mae but came to realize that is because she was kept in the dark about so much in the past. Despite being kept in a gilded cage for so long, she showed inner strength when needed. For me, the story was all about Rogue. His tortured past and wounded heart grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. It was fun watching their relationship grow - despite their best efforts – into a passionate romance.

The story was nicely written and flowed nicely from one scene to the next. I had a problem with some things being glossed over. Especially obtaining the main driving force of the story. Poof, it was there, leaving me feeling a little cheated. A fun read. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

*Review copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Kindle https://amzn.to/35bI5MW‬

I absolutely LOVED this book! Kait Ballenger keeps getting better & better! I adore all her cowboy wolves! Maeve, our shewolf heroine, is a Grey Wolf who wants to help her pack from the vampires. Rogue, our sexy hero, is a cowboy wolf that doesn’t belong to a pack. He and Maeve don’t really get along and have so much sexual tension! Maeve goes to stay on Rogue’s ranch while he keeps her safe from vampire danger. I enjoyed watching these to open up to one another and learning secrets & passion. Rogue has only ever loved Maeve. But Maeve finding out he was Jared changes her. These two were always destined for their HEA! Each book in the series keeps me engaged page to page! I can’t recommend this book enough!

Mae is getting over her abduction at the hands of vampires when Rogue offers her a deal. Will she accept and save not just her pack but all wolves? This romance builds as we are introduced to all of the characters and fall in love with them all. This is a standalone in the Grey Wolves saga. It contains domestic abuse, rape and molestation,

It is worth the read, fair warning you will want to read the books in the saga as well.

This is the third book in the series, which I hadn’t read the other two. There were some things going on that I think the other books would have prepped me for but I seemed to be able to following along. Maeve and Rogue/Jared shared a past and they reunite to help save the shifters from the vampires. Not something I normally would read but the story was well written.

This was a great paranormal shifter romance that was filled with second chance romantic tension and intrigue. I loved the hero's character and how he protected the downtrodden and was tender at times. I loved the heroine because she was independent and sassy. The secondary characters were a great comic relief. I received an advanced reader's copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

While this is the third book in the Seven Range Shifters series it can be read as a stand alone (although it is better to read the first 2 books). This is my favorite in the series so far. Ms. Ballenger's world building is getting bigger and better. The plot continues the story of the werewolves fighting off the vampires, but delves into more of pack vs. rogue dynamics.

Mae and Rogue are fantastic characters. They are very well developed and intricate. Together they make a very explosive couple. Their story line is both beautiful and tragic and makes for a epic romance. These 2 main characters could carry the story themselves but there are many fascinating secondary characters we are introduced to. Again the world building is so well done. I love reading a well thought out plot that keeps you interested throughout the whole book while making you love the main characters more each page. This is such a story. I would definitely recommend reading this series it keeps getting better and better.

Received as an ARC from Netgalley

Wicked Cowboy Wolf is a wonderful tale of lost love. Pack princess Maeve Gray may have escaped the pack's bloodsucking enemies with some help from the outlaw wolf known only as the Rogue. Now he needs her for her blood to develop an antidote to the serum the bloodsuckers made from her blood; but he needs her for so much more. Mae is strong, smart and sassy with a heart as big as Texas. Watching her tame the Rogue will have you laughing and sighing. Though this is part of a series it can be read standalone.

CW: Heroine's backstory includes childhood sexual assault; depictions of physical abuse.

I picked up WICKED COWBOY WOLF, book 3 in the series, without having read books 1 and 2, but I wasn't lost at all. Ballenger quickly orients the reader to pertinent plot and the world of the book. A world of cowboy werewolves and other shifters (though we don't really meet any) and evil vampires.

A sort of Beauty and the Beast retelling. Mae, the dutiful daughter, has followed the life prescribed for her and keeps the books for her pack. Rogue is the King of the Misfit Werewolves, an outcast and a criminal (which a secret heart of gold), and half of his face was purposefully disfigured by, well, someone. Rogue absconds with Mae for vampire related plot reasons and they get to know each other better.

I enjoyed the story. And I like pet pigs in books. There was a ton of fun action and danger, and a good amount of lust. I bet it would have been even more enjoyable with books one and two under my belt.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for review.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I knew from the title that there would be a lot going on in this book… but… there was a lot going on in this book and details and inconsistencies got in the way.

But honestly, that isn’t why I didn’t enjoy it.

I was sort of intrigued by Mae and who doesn’t love a dark and brooding antihero like Rogue? When I realized I had sort of read this story before… and then it came to be when there was almost a word for word scene that reminded me so strongly of Sarah MacLean’s Wicked and the Wallflower that I actually found the scene and double-checked. This felt like questionable fan fiction with too many tropes or storylines to be enjoyable.

I really enjoyed Rogue/Jared and Mae’s story. There were things that happened in the past for both of these characters that pulled them apart. Slowly you get to see what happened and what has jaded them who they are and brought them to this point. These two love each other but is that enough to keep them together on the end? Rogue/Jared wants revenge for what happened to him in the past but if he gets it and losses Mae will he regret the decision? Great job and I look forward to more.

Wicked Cowboy Wolf is the third book in Kait Ballenger’s Seven Range Shifters series. If you read the previous book in the series, then you would’ve been introduced to Maeve Grey and The Rogue. The Rogue saved Maeve from the Vampires, and now he’s back to protect her from the Vampires again. Maeve has to decide to save her pack by going with the Rogue. Otherwise, her pack will be in danger of her being there. What she doesn’t know is the Rogue has his plans when taking her from her pack. Years ago, the Rogue was apart of the Grey Wolf pack, until he was driven from the pack after he took the fall of a murder of one of the Grey Wolf pack members. He has revenge on his mind for the Grey Wolf Pack, and unfortunately, Maeve is caught in the middle of that revenge.

Maeve though, finds it difficult not to have feelings for the Rogue when he whisks her away to his ranch. Unfortunately, he’s her pack’s enemy and should be hers also. This wicked cowboy has a secret that he’s keeping from her, and it may hurt her at the end when the truth comes out. I was not too fond of the fact that the Rogue, aka Jared Black, was keeping the secret. He should’ve told her right away, but instead, he was stubborn throughout the book. Stubborn Wicked Cowboy Wolf!

I loved that Rogue and Mae got their book, after what happened in the second book. I needed to know more about the Rogue and why he was the mysterious criminal wolf. He had another side of himself that was soft, and readers will find out more about him in this book. He’s not the big criminal that everyone assumes. He reminds me of Robin Hood when it comes to the rogue wolves that he hangs out within this book. Let’s not forget the tension and passion between Mae and Rogue too. These two had a story behind that tension.

Forewarning, though, that this book does have dark triggers in it that involves rape, assault, and murder. I was uncomfortable with certain parts of the book but was able to power through it. I felt for the characters when the truth came out in the end and loved how Kait ended the book with a HEA. They deserved that HEA after everything they went through in the past and present. Now I anxiously wait for the next book in the series to find out who will be the next couple. I love this paranormal world because it involves shifters that wear cowboy hats and work on ranches. Kait Ballenger makes me want to visit Montana and Idaho after reading about this series. If you are a fan of paranormal romance that involves action-packed adventures and sexy cowboy/rancher wolf shifters, then this book is for you.

Story Rating: 4 stars
Steaminess Rating: 3 stars
Standalone or part of series: Part of series, but each book follows a new couple.
Do I recommend this book? Yes.
Will I read other books from the author? Yes.
Tropes/Elements: Enemies-to-Lovers; Friends-to-Lovers; Triggers: Rape/Assault/Murder

When two persons who have been childhood friends meet again decades later, is there a future for them when everything was stolen from them ...

I learned about this author when she was invited in a Facebook event even if contemporary romances are far from my favorite reads, the paranormal side intrigued me.
So sure, by entering a series with book 3, it is not the best way to understand all the ramifications of a society, but I gathered enough intel to comprehend the working of their society.
With everything Rogue/Jared went through, it is amazing he became such a good man. And despite everything he says, he is a hero, a protector of the weakest, a savior of the hopeless. And his revenge, to me, was no revenge, only a reclaim of what was his and should have stayed his if he had not been robbed of his rights.

“You’ll go to hell for this,” she slurred. “You forget, Princess”—he brushed his thumb over her cheek—“I’m already on the list of permanent residents.”

He might hide his true identity to Maeve, but she is also the one to not recognize him, the boy whom sacrificed everything for her. And even when detail after detail, she is able to put her finger on the truth, she can shake herself to see who is really facing her.
Maeve, I am a little confused by her, if she had been 20, I might have accepted her mistakes, her blindness and her carelessness to make the right decisions, but she is around 32, no more a child or a young woman, and still she acts with a lack of maturity rather confounding.
What astonishes me is after the abuses she suffered as a child, it looks like it was just a bad experience you turn the page after it, when it should have left scars and leave her wary of men and their power over women. And as it is left as a secret, it does not appear she had seen a counselor to help her overcome the events.
Why I was unsettled by her, on one side she appears like a pampered spoiled person, unable to think straight when under pressure and prone to act rashly, then she takes the orphaned kids under her wing, she even help save Rogue.
In all, it is a fun and entertaining read, with actions, great side characters and some sensual times.
4 stars

I am now curious about whom will be next, if it is Maeve’s bother, he has a long way to me to redeem his way.

I was granted an advance copy by the publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca through Netgalley and Edelweiss.
Here is my true and unbiased opinion.