A Curse of Blood and Wolves by Melissa McTernan is a loose Little Red Riding Hood retelling. The overall vibe of the book is just what you are looking for when you think of mixing LRRH and a shifter romance. The FMC Ruby has had a traumatic past. She lives with her sister and is trying to keep them afloat since her sister has started having moments where she seems to drop out of reality. The MMC Rafe is a wolf shifter who can not seem to stay away from Ruby as she walks through the woods every night after work. When the two come together their connection only grows stronger, and the mysteries of her sister's illness, and some attacks on Ruby only get more complicated. Overall the story was entertaining and kept me interested. I did enjoy Rafe’s background, it was different from other shifter stories I have read in the past. There were times where I felt there needed to be more information to deepen a moment or elaborate on a plot point. I also feel like this first book is going to be a very good setup for the next one. I will definitely look forward to the rest of the series. This is a solid 4 star book with a 2 spice rating.
Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Curse of Blood and Wolves is a fun, steamy and thrilling retelling of Red Riding Hood. I did not want to put this down and I was hooked from the very start, The characters were great and I love the twists on the original premise that made everything unique in its own way. This is perfect for any YA lovers who love romance with a bit of thrill and endings which leave your craving more.

Ruby knows that someone has been following her as she walks home from work. She feels the presences in the woods, and while she should be scared, she also feels excited about it.

Rafe can't seem to stay away from Ruby, especially once he's revealed himself as the person who's been following her. Ruby should fear him, but they both have bigger things to worry about with Ruby's sister Lena having disturbing episodes, and unknown wolves sniffing around Ruby's home.

I was hoping for a lot from a dark/erotic Little Red Riding Hood retelling, and while I finished the book and didn't hate it, I felt let down. The only homages to LRRH were Ruby's name and the fact that she walked through the forest; otherwise, I wouldn't really consider this a retelling.

While the ideas behind the book were interesting, the writing was immature and there was a lot of telling not showing. Ruby, especially, seemed like a caricature, and not in a fun, campy way. The page count is pretty high, so if I'm going to invest myself in a 400 page book, I expect a lot of rich world-building or character development, or in the case of erotic fiction, lots of steamy scenes, and we didn't really get any of that. The sex scenes were kinda meh.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with and ARC of A Curse of Blood and Wolves by Melissa McTernan.

"A Curse of Blood and Wolves" is a book that falls into the supernatural fantasy genre and offers an engaging experience for lovers of gripping and mysterious stories.
The plot of the book is filled with magical elements and supernatural creatures, capturing the reader's imagination from the very beginning. The author creates a detailed and fascinating world, populated by complex and interesting characters.
One of the aspects I appreciated the most was the characterization of the protagonists. They were developed in a thorough manner, with nuances and motivations that make them realistic and engaging. Their evolution throughout the story was well-handled, creating a sense of suspense and curiosity in the reader.
Furthermore, the plot is well-structured and full of twists and turns. The author skillfully maintains the reader's attention, creating suspense and tension effectively. I also appreciated the presence of subplots and narrative interweavings that further enrich the story.
However, there might be room for improvement. Some readers may find the plot slightly predictable or certain characters less developed than others. Additionally, there might be a sense of familiarity with typical elements of the supernatural fantasy genre, which may not surprise more experienced readers. The novel ended on a cliffhanger, and although I normally enjoy these, it seemed very abrupt in this book.
In conclusion, "A Curse of Blood and Wolves" is a book I recommend to fans of the supernatural fantasy genre. It offers an engaging plot, well-characterized protagonists, and a fascinating world. Despite some weaknesses, it is able to entertain and keep the reader glued to the pages until the very end.
Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the opportunity to read this book in advance!
Publication Date: 1st October

3.5 Stars.
A thrilling, steamy red riding hood retelling. The book gripped me from the start, and focused on the relationship of the two MCs, although I truly wanted to slap the MMC a few times over his indecisiveness.
As a lover of Romantasy books, this was executed very well, with lots of angst, pining and push and pull.
Lots of breadcrumbs being left, which hopefully are answered or explored in the next books.
Great steamy scenes, and ends on a cliffy.
Will read the rest of the books that are released.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins One More Chapter for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Meh. The plot, writing, dialogue, characters, and world building are barely 2 stars. The spice was 3 maybe. Some of it was pretty hot and I wish there was more.

The writing, plot, and world building/history were all pretty shallow, the characters were annoying. Especially Rafe. He is over 500 years old and acts like a toddler. Won’t be continuing the trilogy. It had some elements that could have been really cool, but overall it was pretty mediocre.

A Curse of Blood and Wolves is a dark and alluring read, tailored for readers who enjoy a mix of romance and fantasy, with a generous dose of sensuality. This book has captured the hearts of many, including mine, and I found it deserving of a solid 4-star rating.

The story revolves around Ruby, a young woman who experiences an inexplicable and tantalizing connection with a stranger she encounters in the woods. The allure and mystery of their connection pull her in deeper with every passing moment, leaving her unable to resist the temptation of his presence. The tension and anticipation that build as she yearns for his unseen but keenly felt presence make for a captivating and steamy narrative.

However, be warned that it does leave on a cliffhanger. Now, like many other fans, I'll be eagerly waiting for the release of the second book to see where Ruby's journey takes her next.

Truly a “Red RidingHood” retelling in a fantasy romance spin. Really enjoyed it and can’t wait to see how the others in the series showcase even more details with the brothers, the sisters, and what other magical elements might be at play!

Reviews

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“Beneath the terror of knowing she was being watched, a deep sense of relief settled into her. He was still there, still waiting”

The first book of the Wolf Brothers series started out of the gait by introducing Ruby, our would be Little Red Riding Hood, as she wanders through the forest. As she makes the short journey from work to home a feeling of being stalked washes over her, but this isn’t out of the ordinary. We quickly meet our next main character Rafe as the author wastes know time in having the big bad wolf show himself.

I really enjoyed the two main characters and their dynamic together. In particular, I liked Ruby’s non damsel in distress, I can kick your ass, attitude. It was a far cry from many of the damsel in distress female characters we are left with in many other romance/shifter novels.

The plot came together quickly and the story moved at a fairly fast pace with minimal down time. I did really enjoy this however, I also wish we had delved more into the plot as it felt like it came to an abrupt end.

Overall this was a medium burn quick read. A good start for the first time fantasy/shifter romance reader and I am definitely intrigued to see where the sequel heads in terms of relationships and story progression.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of the book. The concept of the book is good, it follows a similar story to a lot of other fantasy romancies you’ll be used too. The problem is there was absolutely no world building. We are chucked straight into the story but without building I sort of don’t care about the characters. The dual POVs didn’t work for me and weren’t clearly defined. I think it has good potential but I think it was a 3 star at best. Some good spice in the book!

Five stars because I have no idea how to rate it. I don’t read much in the genre, so extremely unsure of how it would fit with target audiences. That said, vampires and werewolves are coming back in vogue, so I anticipate grabbing some for our libraries.

I stopped after three chapters (8%). The story felt like it wanted to be modern but the woods were an odd juxtaposition and the writing felt more traditional.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Melissa McTernan, and the publisher for a copy of A Curse of Blood and Wolves. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ok, I loved this book! Rafe and Ruby were just so perfect. I loved Ruby’s sass and quirks and bravery. Rafe was a bit whiny, but also a super hot alpha MC. The on-page action was steamy, the twist on Little Red Riding Hood was so fun, and the story kept me invested from the start. Rafe and Ruby both have some tragic backstories, and Rafe takes much longer than Ruby to work through his issues, but that didn’t seem to stall the plot at all. I can’t wait to read Theo’s book next!

This is a slow burn involving werewolves and fated mates. I highly recommend this book if you want a fun, easy, and spicy read.

Ruby is brave and caring, and Rafe is broody and strong. Ruby feels someone is stalking her on her walk home from work each night through the woods, but this doesn't frighten her, she feels excited and alive. Rafe can't stop thinking about the woman in the woods, he needs to be with her.

There will be a second book since this one ended with several parts of the plot uncompleted and a sudden cliffhanger.

I want to thank NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

(was published to goodreads, linked down below)
Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

💫ARC Review💫

Title: A Curse of Blood and Wolves
Author: Melissa McTernan

Rating:⭐⭐⭐
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️


I went into this book with high expectations, and that’s something I probably shouldn’t have done. This book was not bad! It just lacked in plot for me immensely. I would have loved to see the “why” behind a lot of things pertaining to the plot, but they were never revealed or nothing more got added to it, which was unfortunate. Maybe in book two some more things might be revealed? But I’m sensing that we won’t be following the two main characters so that doesn’t give me a ton of hope. If I’m being completely honest, this book was more romance then it was fantasy for me. Which is not a bad thing, but I wish there was more to the fantasy aspect of it. The main characters, we see our girl main character who doesn’t take shit, but knows when to understand someone from another perspective. The boy main character was a little annoying considering he was too focused on his past but then ALL of a sudden he was okay with loving her in the end. I don’t know if maybe that’s because they’re mates? Also they’ve only known each other for a week? It felt kind of too Instalove for me. It was a back and forth from one chapter being “I can’t love you because I’m a monster” but then within the next chapter it was “I’m so glad you understand me and see me for who I am” I felt like that was the whole book If I am being completely honest. In the end though I’m glad they ended up together. Loved the smut scenes, they were different and spicy to read!

I was lucky enough to receive this book as an arc, and I absolutely loved it! The suspense, the romance, the spice, everything about this story was so good! Right when I picked it up I could not put it down. I also didn’t know until finishing it that it’s the first book in a trilogy, so clearly I need the other two books like now!

Rating - 3.75 stars, rounded up.

I picked up this book after a particularly dark romance, and this was the PERFECT chaser.

It was sweet, slow-burn, angsty, funny, and cozy. The stakes may be high, but since there was minimal worldbuilding it didn't leave with you in suspense. It more so just left you forgetting about the overall plot and enjoying the romance - much like the main characters do as well! While there was minimal worldbuilding in this book, it is certainly starting to lay the groundwork for future books in the series. It leaves you with more questions than answers which may be frustrating to some but some readers will enjoy that feeling of not knowing.

I very much enjoyed my reading experience with this book, but was starting to get quite frustrated with Rafe's stubbornness. He fought the relationship every step of the way, and he fought himself for fighting the relationship, and everyone else fought him for fighting the relationship.

Overall, I am already looking forward to January when book 2 releases.

Big thank you to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter, and NetGalley for providing an arc of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Ok, let me just say that this emphasizes the statement that men are idiots.....a lot. Rafe is so stubborn but the fire between him and Ruby is undeniable, he just needs to quit being stupid. Definitely some dark red riding hood and big bad wolf vibes, but red is sassy, sexy, and brave, and the wolf is sexy, troubled and full of self doubt. This was a great story with elements of intrigue and danger thrown in, attacks for unknown reasons and the need to protect this human woman that completely dumbfounded Rafe. Of course, once he finally got his crap together they have another crisis come up, but that's for book two I'll assume. Can't wait for the next one!

DNF @ 50%.

I always give my reads until the halfway mark to DNF, but this time, I was counting down percentage marks until I reached 50%. While there were some humorous moments that I look forward to in romantic banter, the rest of the story was not for me. The world building is minimal, the plot moves in stunted sequences, the characters are not thoroughly developed, and the dialogue is very this then that, this then that and unnatural. The MMC is emotionally stunted, lowkey creeper status, and almost like a teenager, the FMC is not super likable, and every other character felt like a cardboard cutout placed in the scene to keep the story moving. I really wanted to like this book but I just didn’t. Thanks for the opportunity to try this out early!

I just could not get into the book, i read it over several days and it just wasnt my cuppa tea. I was also schocked to see there were multiple povs, that was not explained in the book description. For people who dont mind that it’s totally fine, personally i get way to cunfused with multiple pov so it would be nice to know that there is indeed multiple povs.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book.

I went into this thinking this book was going to be completely different from what I read and to be very honest, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. The inner thoughts and how ready they both were to risk it all within the first chapter was off putting to me.

I expected a bit more world building and connection from the two main characters. I’m sure this is something many people would absolutely enjoy but it just wasn’t for me. Which makes me sad, but I know it can’t be helped.

I give it a 2/5 for a rating.