Cruel Mate

Yep, still love Sam Crescent. The conflict resolved in a way that seemed realistic and Phoenix's reasoning became clear and semi-understandable

ARC Review of Cruel Mate by Sam Crescent
* * * * *
A shifter/mate rejection romance that is another added favourite from this fabulous author.

Ashley has just turned eighteen and shifted into her wolf for the first time. Happy and excited, she did not expect to walk outside and meet her mate so sudden...and to be cruely rejected by him all at once after a steamy first kiss.
To make it all the more complicated, her mate was her pack's nomad alpha, and after breaking her heart he has left again.
Pheonix was too old to be with Ashley, a beautiful curvy young woman just having entered adulthood. Five years later, he's had enough of the travelling. His bike no longer appeals to him. The open road means nothing. He misses the little community he became responsible for...as well as certain young wolf who is making sure to avoid him.
He cannot keep ignoring her.
The issue of her age still lingers but he can no longer fight the urge to claim her as his.

Another fantastic shifter romance that I love getting from Sam Crescent. Having being raised from two different worlds really puts the perspective of the age gap issue into play, and how a love can overlook it. Love that Ashley's extreme dieting came up and how it can be very unhealthy.

Huh... The rejection scene was... not kind. Poor Ashley. Unfortunately, on the day of her transition, Phoenix struck her with his brutal rejection. This shapes her accordingly and leads to the fact that she does everything in the following 5 years to avoid him.

- Well, if Mister nomad biker didn't lay an egg with it himself. Because at some point you can no longer escape the pull of the mate bond. He also has to realize that Ashley interpreted his words completely differently than he meant them.
- So what to do? - Grovel (Big time)! And be sneaky (The big boy plays the alpha card here).
... Ah.. I really liked that part. Also that the plot primarily revolves around the couple; without other distractions. That fitted very well here. The story was nice to read.

I have read the entire series and this might be the best one yet. When Ashley is 18 she gets her wolf and finds her mate, Phoenix, reluctant alpha of her pack. Phoenix is 40 and a nomad and doesn't think he wants a mate and cruelly rejects Ashley. Ashley then spends the next 5 years avoiding Phoenix when he comes into town and considers leaving the pack. Phoenix spends those 5 years regretting his decision but since he grew up among humans he had the human mentality that he thinks that he is just too old for Ashley. What he doesn't realize is that he words he said that day when he rejected her, had lasting hurt for Ashley. Phoenix spent most of the novel proving his worth and devotion by quite a bit of groveling to get Ashley's forgiveness. Ashley is no pushover and it takes her some time to get past the cruel words and actions from 5 years before. There was a depth of emotion in this book that is sometimes missing in past books in the series. I also liked the character development and the groveling and that Ashley didn't give in to easily.

Still love Sam Crescent. There was a depth of emotion in this book that is sometimes missing in past books in the series. I also liked the character development and the groveling, and that Ashley didn't give in to easily.

I will say that any rejection from a mate is brutal and this was one of them. I didn't know what to expect but his reasoning was enough for me to forgive him. I liked how everything in the story unraveled and came together. I enjoyed reading it. It's sad for just a moment and then the warmth of instant mate connection is there.

When Ashley was eighteen, she had her first transition into a wolf and found her mate. Phoenix was a nomad biker and a wolf shifter. He arrived in town just in time to save the pack and ended up becoming the Alpha. He never stayed more than a few days. One day he goes into a bar and smells something heavenly. He has found his mate but she's only eighteen and he says some things that hurt her.
Five years later, Phoenix comes back to town and is ready to claim his mate. Ashley was terribly hurt by him and tries to avoid him. Phoenix will do anything to get Ashley to forgive him.

Sex. A biker. A full figured woman. Secrets. Wolf shifters.

* Received from Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it *

Let me start off by first saying, i have found me a new author!!! This book was awesome! My emotions were everywhere. It kept me on edge and intrigued the whole time! Some of the parts of the plot I could relate to. If you want a HEA that sends your emotions haywire, this is the book for you! Now on to read the next one in the series!!!!