This felt like a first draft or like someone got an AI to write a "werewolf romance". It also felt like an excerpt from a much larger story (which it is) but with very little context; unlike other series where they reorient the reader, this book felt like being dropped in the middle chapter and never given the full context. The world building and relationships suffered as a result. Because of this, nothing really draws me to want to read more to figure it all out. Time seemed to fly in the story and yet the same problems never got solved and were instead just ignored in the resolution. It took me so long to finish because I simply didn't believe any of the insta-love or care about the characters and their relationships. Any questions that I might have wanted answered were just ignored in the two epilogues.

I tried on multiple occasions to get through this book, but unfortunately I just don’t think it’s for me. For anyone who loves extremely spicy reads, I think you would really love this one. Even though the content wasn’t for me, I have to say the writing style was great.

Was and enjoyable read but felt like I'd read it before somewhere, but apart from that was an enjoyable story plot, loved the characters and the roles

Sofia Foster only knows pain when it comes to her pack. Considered a freak for her ability to heal, she has become their punching bag. They take their anger out on her, and she can’t leave because the alpha has ordered her to stay.When I started reading I couldn't put it down. Sam Crescent is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this book.Can't wait for the next book.

Unwanted Mate by Sam Crescent is book 15 in The Alpha Shifter Collection. This is the story of Sofia and Caspian. Caspian find that Sofia is his mate but she has been so abused by her pack that she doesn't trust the mating process. This was a quick hot read.

This one fell a little short for me. the storyline had promise but the execution was lacking. I didnt mind the main characters but I found it hard to stay hooked on the storyline.

I did like the characters and the plot is intriguing but the overall feel for the book was very rushed. I wish we could've gotten a bit more world building or backstory on our characters.

I enjoyed this quick sexy read. The characters were not to detailed with a lot of depth, but there was enough to really enjoy the storyline.

Unwanted.

I wasn't sure what I was getting in for.
It was honestly, very hard to read about how Sofia was treated by her pack.
Thankfully, its a quick read, focused mainly on when Sofia meets Caspian, a hot for her alpha from another pack.

This was an interesting twist on the rejected mate trope, so I was really intrigued to read this one. With most of these books it's the Hero rejecting the heroine. However, in this one, it's the heroine rejecting the Hero. The thing is though I went into this expecting a rejected mate story which typically comes with a lot of angst, but that isn't really what you get here.

In the Unwanted Mate, Sofia has gown up in a pack where she is the literal punching bag for the pack. They have treated her horrifically and she is saved when Caspian and his crew come up on them and break the pack up, freeing Sofia from that life. Unknown to Sofia at the time, Caspian is her mate. Caspian tracks her down and finally comes forward only to have Sofia not recognize that he is her mate and at first she tries to push him away. The rest of the story is Sofia coming to terms with who she is, who Caspian is to her, and how they make a life and pack together. This didn't seem to have a lot of angst to it, despite the trope, and I think part of the issue was that it's written completely in the third person. In addition, it's fairly short so you don't get the deep dive into all the characters and what makes them tick.

This wasn't what I was expecting. Hot, yes. But more of back story than I expected. And the twist at the end, surprising!

This was a short, steamy read with a compelling premise. I liked that the alpha waited a month before claiming his mate keeping her trust issues in mind and giving her space to flourish. I also liked the concept of a group of unwanted wolves forming a pack; it sure looks like the beginning of a great series with interesting stories to look out for.

However, I found Sofia and George's backstory lacking; this could have been better worked upon. As in, they do have powers which makes them a threat to the elders but the part where their parents were killed was skimmed over with a flimsy reason which didn't sound all that convincing.

The chemistry between Sofia and Caspian was through the roof and the steamy scenes were spectacular. Though for a shifter romance, it was noted that none of the characters in the book ever shifted to their wolf forms.

There was also the part where Caspian tells Sean that he is in love with Sofia and is going to marry her and Sean gasps saying, 'It's too soon, you don't even know her.' This entire exchange was contradictory to the whole 'mate' theme; as in, isn't a mate supposed to be the shifter's one-and-only love/ forever soulmate etc..etc...so why is this news to Sean who has been part of a pack before and was initially pushing for Caspian to tell Sofia he is her mate?

The short length and fast-pace of the plot made for a quick read, but I did find some of the writing odd; things like '...at the "remembered heat" his wife had,' sounds like bad grammar.

Overall, enjoyable. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Unwanted Mate is a relatively good story. The characters were well-matched and perfect for each other. The storyline was a little over the top but otherwise quite entertaining. Enjoyed!

I received an eARC of this book in return for an honest review.

I had no idea what I was going into when I started to read this book. I'm trash for the rejected mate trope and have read so many of these books.

Plot:
Sofia has been abused by her pack since she was a child for being a freak. She heals unnaturally fast and her pack ostracise her for it.

Caspian is the alpha of outcasts. He stumbles across Sofia getting beaten by her pack and decides he will rescue her. He quickly discovers that she is his mate and in order to allow her space to grow and find herself, he allows her to leave.

The two can't stay away from each other for too long, however, especially when Caspian realises that she is nearing her first heat. Can Sofia overcome her fears and allow herself to be swept away by the dangerous alpha?

What I liked:

- The sexual tension
- The dirty talking
- The pack

Why 3 stars?

This book did not develop the characters or the plot; but I guess that is the downfall of most novellas.

Overall, this was a quick, hot read.

Thank you Sam Crescent and co. for my copy.

This was poorly written rejected mate book. It was a chore to finish . I did not like the characters or the story.

I’m new to author Sam Crescent, and I see Unwanted Mate is book #15 The Alpha Shifter Collection. However, I generally enjoy books put out by Evernight Publishing, so I just went for it.

Honestly, I didn’t think I missed anything because this book read well as a stand-alone. It was a fast read, and while it didn’t have a lot of depth to it, it felt complete. We do get just the right amount backstory of both Sofia and Caspian, who I liked when he wasn’t being such a horndog. Personally, I would have like to have had a bit more meat and less heat, but it still was an entertaining quickie to lose myself in. I don’t plan on reading any of the previous book in the series. However, if the next book should come across my plate, I wouldn’t say no.

Stars: 3
I received this book from Netgalley. I was not compensated for the book other than the entertainment it provided. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a quick read for me. Sam Crescent books are a hit or miss for me and I'm afraid I'm kind of ambivalent to this story. I love the rejected mate trope in the PNR universe and I wouldn't really say that Unwanted Mate strictly falls into this trope. The H pretty much want the h from the get go, the moment he scent her, he's obsessed with her. So that's kind of a let down for me because I truly prefer where the H out-rightly rejects the h, even with their mating bond. For Unwanted mate, due to the abuse being done to the h (not by the H or his pack), she's very wary about committing. I have to say that Caspian is very patient with Sofia. The story is okay, I didn't hate it nor can I recommend it if you're looking for a Rejected Mate storyline.

Thanks NetGAlley for the copy, this is my unbiased review.

This was my first read from this series and I easily read it as a standalone. It was a quick read with great chemistry and the alpha growly “mine” aspects I like in my shifter reads. I would have liked a better exploration of Sophia’s abilities but maybe that comes in future books.

Quick read - a shifter tale but not much about the shifters per se, more about a female shifter that allows herself to get beaten for years, gets saved by her mate, and the adventure ensues as they battle their urges and wait for the bad guys to show up. Kind of choppy story and graphic sex that is rather raunchy versus erotic - so if you need a quick read, here you go.

Sofia is punished by her pack for being herself. She has a gift and they abuse her for it. Released from their cruelty she blossoms. Caspian finds his mate being tortured by her pack and is determined to free her but his wolf won’t let her go. Watching Sofia become the woman/wolf she was truly meant to be is fantastic. This is a wonderful, sweet and sexy read.