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Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde #1
A Wolf in Duke's Clothing
A delicious mix of Regency romance and shapeshifting adventure from author Susanna Allen...
Alfred Blakesley, Duke of Lowell, has long been an enigma. No one dares to give a man of his stature the cut direct, but there's simply something not quite right about him. What would the society mamas say if they learned that the something they sensed was the fact that Alfred is a wolf shifter...? He's been looking for his mate for a long time, but not just any young lady will do for him, or for his pack.
Felicity Templeton has one goal: to remain unmarried. If she can manage that until her twenty-fifth birthday, she stands to inherit a large fortune. But when she meets Alfred, the dashing duke is determined to have her for his very own...and a wolf who's a duke can be very persuasive...
Alfred Blakesley, Duke of Lowell, has long been an enigma. No one dares to give a man of his stature the cut direct, but there's simply something not quite right about him. What would the society mamas say if they learned that the something they sensed was the fact that Alfred is a wolf shifter...? He's been looking for his mate for a long time, but not just any young lady will do for him, or for his pack.
Felicity Templeton has one goal: to remain unmarried. If she can manage that until her twenty-fifth birthday, she stands to inherit a large fortune. But when she meets Alfred, the dashing duke is determined to have her for his very own...and a wolf who's a duke can be very persuasive...
352 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 27, 2021
About the author
Susanna Allen
4 books86 followersAlso writes as Susan E. Conley
Susanna is a graduate of Pratt Institute with a BFA in Communication Design and counts The Village Voice, New York Magazine, and Entertainment Weekly as past design experiences. Born in New Jersey, she moved to Ireland for twelve months—in 1998. She is the author of the Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde series, published by Sourcebooks: A Wolf in Duke’s Clothing, an Amazon Editor’s Best Book of the Month, is available now; A Most Unusual Duke debuts in December 2021.
Writing as Susan Conley, she is the author of Drama Queen and The Fidelity Project, both published by Headline UK; Many Brave Fools: A Story of Addiction, Dysfunction, Codependency…and Horses is available from Trafalgar Square Books. Susanna is living her life by the three Rs—reading, writing, and horseback riding—and can generally be found on her sofa with her e-reader, gazing out a window and thinking about made-up people, or cantering around in circles. She loves every minute of it.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews
June 14, 2021
I was so disappointed!!! I really wanted to like this book but it was sooooooooo boring
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
April 7, 2021While I love the idea of a historical paranormal romance and the premise holds so much promise, the writing is trying too hard to be Regency. The convoluted sentences, Random Capitalization, and obscure vocab distanced me from the story, which is a shame because it's interesting at its core. I soldiered on to 20% but when the heroine's agency was taken away from her and luxury was used like a bribe to keep her happy, I was out.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing a review copy.
Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing a review copy.
April 19, 2021
A Wolf in Duke’s Clothing by Susanna Allen starts Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde series. It’s a Regency romance with paranormal elements, not a paranormal romance set in a Regency world. It might seem like a small difference, but it can mean a lot for readers who like one but not the other genre. Luckily, I like both.
All the tropes are from Regency romances. We have an orphan heiress at the mercy of a dastardly guardian, a duke who sweeps in to rescue her, Ton parties, ball gowns, and a lot of floral language that borders on incomprehensible as a synonym after another is thrown at the reader.
As a Regency romance, the book works fairly well, but it drags on far too long after the plot has already ended. Nothing significant happens after the consummation of the marriage and some storylines are completely forgotten, like the missing horse. And I don’t think the author understands what an epilogue means. The ending was positively bizarre.
The weakness of the book is in its paranormal elements. There’s a lot of mythology, but none of the excitement. The dynamics of the pack are really off. Everyone shows constant deference to the alpha—Alfred, the romantic hero—and the moment they aggravate him, he subdues them with his alpha power. They seem to believe he’s a great man, but I couldn’t help thinking that they were hostages to his power and said whatever he wished them to. I certainly wasn’t shown otherwise.
His behaviour is at worst in his dealings with Felicity, the heroine. First he abducts her. Then he tries his alpha powers on her. It’s bad enough in an ordinary situation, but then he tries to subdue her with the power when she refuses sex. The moment she says no, his first instinct is to take her will away. Not once but several times.
That she’s able to resist him isn’t relevant (it could’ve been demonstrated in a different situation completely), nor is it relevant that he was, for the most part, a nice man. The point is that he’s the kind of man who naturally considers taking a woman’s will away to have his way with her the moment she resists him. He stops this after a while, but only because he knows it doesn’t work. That he shouldn’t do it isn’t even addressed.
Not all alphas need to be the same. That would make a boring read. But all romantic heroes, regardless of the genre, should be strong enough that their weaknesses don’t manifest as bullying. I was so disgusted with Alfred that I ended up skipping all the sex scenes. Luckily they were at the end of the book, which was overlong as it was.
This could’ve been a good book, a fresh take on two genres. Now it sort of failed both because the hero was such a disappointment. Fans of Regency romances might find this a refreshing change of pace, if they can ignore the hero. Fans of paranormal romances might want to give it a pass. However, I think I’ll read the next book too, if only to find out if it has a better hero.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
All the tropes are from Regency romances. We have an orphan heiress at the mercy of a dastardly guardian, a duke who sweeps in to rescue her, Ton parties, ball gowns, and a lot of floral language that borders on incomprehensible as a synonym after another is thrown at the reader.
As a Regency romance, the book works fairly well, but it drags on far too long after the plot has already ended. Nothing significant happens after the consummation of the marriage and some storylines are completely forgotten, like the missing horse. And I don’t think the author understands what an epilogue means. The ending was positively bizarre.
The weakness of the book is in its paranormal elements. There’s a lot of mythology, but none of the excitement. The dynamics of the pack are really off. Everyone shows constant deference to the alpha—Alfred, the romantic hero—and the moment they aggravate him, he subdues them with his alpha power. They seem to believe he’s a great man, but I couldn’t help thinking that they were hostages to his power and said whatever he wished them to. I certainly wasn’t shown otherwise.
His behaviour is at worst in his dealings with Felicity, the heroine. First he abducts her. Then he tries his alpha powers on her. It’s bad enough in an ordinary situation, but then he tries to subdue her with the power when she refuses sex. The moment she says no, his first instinct is to take her will away. Not once but several times.
That she’s able to resist him isn’t relevant (it could’ve been demonstrated in a different situation completely), nor is it relevant that he was, for the most part, a nice man. The point is that he’s the kind of man who naturally considers taking a woman’s will away to have his way with her the moment she resists him. He stops this after a while, but only because he knows it doesn’t work. That he shouldn’t do it isn’t even addressed.
Not all alphas need to be the same. That would make a boring read. But all romantic heroes, regardless of the genre, should be strong enough that their weaknesses don’t manifest as bullying. I was so disgusted with Alfred that I ended up skipping all the sex scenes. Luckily they were at the end of the book, which was overlong as it was.
This could’ve been a good book, a fresh take on two genres. Now it sort of failed both because the hero was such a disappointment. Fans of Regency romances might find this a refreshing change of pace, if they can ignore the hero. Fans of paranormal romances might want to give it a pass. However, I think I’ll read the next book too, if only to find out if it has a better hero.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 14, 2023
In this case you shouldn't take my rate serious. Seriously. This book combines things that I super enjoy, like historical romance and paranormal romance in one. Is it a silly book? Definitely. But that is the beauty of paranormal, to be out of the ordinary, to strech the silliness to over the line and be just fine with it.
If you don't like paranormal you will NOT enjoy this book. That is a heavy aspect of the whole. For me it was highly enjoyable and the narrator was great!
PS: just to make things clear, if you are a paranormal romance lover but not a historical romance lover, you will also hate this book. I believe only people who actually enjoy both worlds would truly appreciate it all. It is a historical romance where the hero happens to be a shape shifter and an alpha to a huge pack.
If you don't like paranormal you will NOT enjoy this book. That is a heavy aspect of the whole. For me it was highly enjoyable and the narrator was great!
PS: just to make things clear, if you are a paranormal romance lover but not a historical romance lover, you will also hate this book. I believe only people who actually enjoy both worlds would truly appreciate it all. It is a historical romance where the hero happens to be a shape shifter and an alpha to a huge pack.
May 26, 2021
A Wolf in Duke's Clothing is book #1 in the new series Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde that mixes terrific romance with paranormal elements and a shape-shifting world.
Alfred Blakesley, Duke of Lowell has been traveling around the world for 5 years searching for his mate. The search ends during a ball with a hint of lavender smell in the form of Felicity Templeton. Orphaned and unfairly treated by her oily uncle guardian, all she wants is her freedom to explore the possibility of rearing and breeding horses. Alfred of course has no patience to woo and court the woman who is ignorant of everything shapeshifters. Cutting of her freedom and forcing her into marriage is Alfred’s way of getting Felicity but Felicity refuses to bow to anything without explanation and it does produce some endearing and chuckling moments. Yes, of course, it does grate to imagine a woman being treated so unfairly but was an expected factor in these alpha hero books.
It was super fun to see the wolf Alfie connecting to Felicity while Alfred in his human form blunders thru every chance that is open to him. Fearful of Felicity’s rejection in knowing the truth Alfred flounders in explaining the truth of their identity to his would-be mate.
The romance is good with desire playing a major part and Felicity was such a lovable character. I loved her open dialogues with Alfie the wolf and how she is so comfortable opening up about her dreams and wishes to the animal. A Wolf In A Duke’s Clothing is a good start to this series of paranormal romance but having everyone that Felicity encounters as a shapeshifter was stretching it a bit too far was my thought.
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Facebook, and Twitter.
Alfred Blakesley, Duke of Lowell has been traveling around the world for 5 years searching for his mate. The search ends during a ball with a hint of lavender smell in the form of Felicity Templeton. Orphaned and unfairly treated by her oily uncle guardian, all she wants is her freedom to explore the possibility of rearing and breeding horses. Alfred of course has no patience to woo and court the woman who is ignorant of everything shapeshifters. Cutting of her freedom and forcing her into marriage is Alfred’s way of getting Felicity but Felicity refuses to bow to anything without explanation and it does produce some endearing and chuckling moments. Yes, of course, it does grate to imagine a woman being treated so unfairly but was an expected factor in these alpha hero books.
It was super fun to see the wolf Alfie connecting to Felicity while Alfred in his human form blunders thru every chance that is open to him. Fearful of Felicity’s rejection in knowing the truth Alfred flounders in explaining the truth of their identity to his would-be mate.
The romance is good with desire playing a major part and Felicity was such a lovable character. I loved her open dialogues with Alfie the wolf and how she is so comfortable opening up about her dreams and wishes to the animal. A Wolf In A Duke’s Clothing is a good start to this series of paranormal romance but having everyone that Felicity encounters as a shapeshifter was stretching it a bit too far was my thought.
This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Facebook, and Twitter.
April 29, 2021
Ok, this one was a lot of fun. A historical romance with a paranormal hero. I found their dynamic interesting from the start, and I do think we spent a little less time with the couple due to setting up the series. I will be picking up more of the series, because I found it charming, and witty.
April 5, 2021
DNF @ 18%
The premise was right up my alley yet the writing style & the voice of the author were not my cup of tea.
A struggle to fall into the story. The POV shifted to where I was continually attempting to figure out who was currently narrating. While befitting the genre, something that could be stated in 2 or 3 words took sentences to say the same. A lot of words to say so little- overwritten by thesaurus.
One of those times where the story was buried beneath the details, I could skip an entire page or two & nothing had progressed.
Just not to my taste, even if a wolfy historical romance sounded amazing. I couldn't connect to the characters or fall into the story, finding it tedious.
No two readers read the same book. My experience may not be the same as other readers.
The premise was right up my alley yet the writing style & the voice of the author were not my cup of tea.
A struggle to fall into the story. The POV shifted to where I was continually attempting to figure out who was currently narrating. While befitting the genre, something that could be stated in 2 or 3 words took sentences to say the same. A lot of words to say so little- overwritten by thesaurus.
One of those times where the story was buried beneath the details, I could skip an entire page or two & nothing had progressed.
Just not to my taste, even if a wolfy historical romance sounded amazing. I couldn't connect to the characters or fall into the story, finding it tedious.
No two readers read the same book. My experience may not be the same as other readers.
April 4, 2023
I randomly picked the audio book up and I was happy it turned out to be the first book in the series as I don't like to pick up series out of order.
It was an okay regency romance with a shifter spin on it. The characters was a bit easy to forget but it was an enjoyable listen while I did. Not sure if I want to continue with the series or not.
It was an okay regency romance with a shifter spin on it. The characters was a bit easy to forget but it was an enjoyable listen while I did. Not sure if I want to continue with the series or not.
September 16, 2022
I have to say that I was excited to pick this one up, I always love some historical PNR and the covers of the series are really pretty. But I was highly disappointed with this one here. It was a real struggle to read this one, and I had it in audiobook. And if a audio is slow then that's a sign lol but I stuck with the story because it does getting better the more you read, but I will say that I wanted so much more from this story and it just didn't connect for me. I found the set up of the story to be fascinating and I really enjoyed the world building, but there was a disconnect in the pacing and writing style from the actual plot and character development. I will probably try another book from this author but I was discouraged in reading this and almost became a DNF. I just wanted to stick with the story as I really wanted to know how it ended. I did find the plot development's with the uncle of the hero to be fascinating and was curious to see how the climax of the story would turn out. The romance was solid and I adore a pining hero or heroine, in this case, it was the hero who was pining for the heroine and it was delightful to see this happen. And even though there were plenty of factors about this one that I did enjoy, there were some major issues with the writing style that affected my enjoyment from the story.
May 25, 2021
The concept for this book was great. I’m a fan of both paranormal and historical romance so I was excited to have the best of both worlds. I mean, supernatural beings have been around a while, right? So why not tell their story in a historical setting? It sounded fun. Unfortunately, the voice of the novel was confused and it just never hit the right notes.
It was trying far too hard to be a regency and it never succeeded. The vocabulary was incredibly overthought and over embellished. If I hadn’t inferred the meaning of certain words by context I would’ve been glued to a dictionary to find out just what the heck the characters were trying to say.
I was also not a fan of the heroine. I’m all for girl power and independence, but her type of girl power didn’t match the setting. There were even times that I had to re-read a sentence and wonder if the author meant to put such modern colloquialisms there. Also, her character seemed too perfect. She lived in a rundown house with very few servants after her parents died, yet she knew just what to say and do in the duke’s home? She sees a huge wolf in a clearing and convinces herself it’s just a big dog, shows zero fear, and then tells it her life story? Come on! She constantly says the right thing to make everyone in awe of her and it’s just too perfect. I like my leads to have more depth and less “nerd girl takes of glasses and is revealed as a hot girl all along without actually doing anything.” I digress.
I did enjoy the concept of an Alpha in charge of a menagerie of species instead of just wolves. How exactly does the hierarchy work? Do animal instincts just disappear when predator and prey work together? I would’ve loved to see more development there
Overall, the concept was lovely, but I couldn’t grasp the author’s voice and I found myself just trying to hurry up and finish. It just wasn’t for me.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for releasing this arc to me in exchange for an honest review.
It was trying far too hard to be a regency and it never succeeded. The vocabulary was incredibly overthought and over embellished. If I hadn’t inferred the meaning of certain words by context I would’ve been glued to a dictionary to find out just what the heck the characters were trying to say.
I was also not a fan of the heroine. I’m all for girl power and independence, but her type of girl power didn’t match the setting. There were even times that I had to re-read a sentence and wonder if the author meant to put such modern colloquialisms there. Also, her character seemed too perfect. She lived in a rundown house with very few servants after her parents died, yet she knew just what to say and do in the duke’s home? She sees a huge wolf in a clearing and convinces herself it’s just a big dog, shows zero fear, and then tells it her life story? Come on! She constantly says the right thing to make everyone in awe of her and it’s just too perfect. I like my leads to have more depth and less “nerd girl takes of glasses and is revealed as a hot girl all along without actually doing anything.” I digress.
I did enjoy the concept of an Alpha in charge of a menagerie of species instead of just wolves. How exactly does the hierarchy work? Do animal instincts just disappear when predator and prey work together? I would’ve loved to see more development there
Overall, the concept was lovely, but I couldn’t grasp the author’s voice and I found myself just trying to hurry up and finish. It just wasn’t for me.
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for releasing this arc to me in exchange for an honest review.
June 29, 2021
Ugh, so disappointing. I wanted to love this one, but this missed the mark for me. There weird formality at strange times and as a romance, there was just so much lacking. Too much of Felicity and Alfred's relationship was dependent on them being "fated mates". Just cause your fated doesn't mean you don't mean that the romance and the emotions behind it can be skipped! (Or at least, it seems that way to me).
December 9, 2021
Love this new shapeshifter series set in Regency times. Very clever! I do think the next in the series speaks more to me though.
April 24, 2021
A Wolf in Duke's Clothing
Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde Series #1
Susanna Allen
https://www.susannaallenwriter.com/
Release Date 04/27/2021
Publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca
➪ https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B08BV94WMY/r...
𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯
A Duke in want of a wife...
Alfred Blakesley, Duke of Lowell, has long been an enigma. No one dares to give a man of his status the cut direct, but there's simply something not quite right about him. What would the society ladies say if they learned the truth—that the Duke of Lowell is a wolf shifter and the leader of a pack facing extinction if he doesn't find his true love? So now he's on the hunt...for a wife.
Felicity Templeton has a goal of her own: to remain unwed until her twenty-fifth birthday, when she will inherit a significant fortune. But that all changes when she meets Alfred, the dashing duke who's determined to have her for his very own...
𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
Will he be able to make her see right for the future of his kind...
While I am first a historical romance reader, I do like a good paranormal tale so when I saw both categories set in one book, I jumped on the occasion to read it.
And this was an unexpected read for sure.
It has the slow pace of many historical stories and the danger vibes of some PNR tales but it lacks true actions, it looks like more a day to day recounting of life in this strange estate than a pack’s dynamic with a alpha who subjugated at every turn his subjects.
The opening scene sets the story in regency England with an over the top alpha hero taking the marriage mart by storm and a heroine bordering spinsterhood who has others views than wedding bliss for her future.
While I liked Felicity immediately as she is a woman who after loosing everything tried to find a way to better her life and refuses to give up because she is said to, Lowell is an other affair, so set on his alpha position, he quite uses and sometimes overuses his power as such. Even by trying to subdue the heroine to bend to his desire. Luckily she is rather immune to his will-stealing aura.
So when he fails to get her to follow her voluntary, he kidnaps her and thus ruins her in the eyes of the ton.
It is from there that the story takes its turn on the paranormal side. As Felicity now navigates an unknown place surrounded by people who appear to be more than whom she thinks they are.
She is a force to be reckoned as she does no cry nor shout, she refuses to give up and plots alternative exit ways.
Lowell is at loss, completely lost about what to do with this unexpected twist in his mate’s hunt. He not really anticipated a human, so he does not know how to react around her, how to break the news he is not what he seems to be nor his people. So he most often than never runs away instead to having to answer her questions.
I understand the answers were not easy to present but slowly offering clues could have soften the blow.
The story touches many tropes, like the vile uncle, he was painted a bit to flatly greedy. Then where is the missing horse. Will the side characters have their own story or will it focus on another Duke...
The part around and after the wedding was too long, I felt like the story dragged for length and length as nothing truly happens along these pages.
3.5 stars rounded up because it has many promises of a good series but needs to find its marks to sit it in both genres.
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen lovemaking scenes
I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...
Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde Series #1
Susanna Allen
https://www.susannaallenwriter.com/
Release Date 04/27/2021
Publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca
➪ https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B08BV94WMY/r...
𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯
A Duke in want of a wife...
Alfred Blakesley, Duke of Lowell, has long been an enigma. No one dares to give a man of his status the cut direct, but there's simply something not quite right about him. What would the society ladies say if they learned the truth—that the Duke of Lowell is a wolf shifter and the leader of a pack facing extinction if he doesn't find his true love? So now he's on the hunt...for a wife.
Felicity Templeton has a goal of her own: to remain unwed until her twenty-fifth birthday, when she will inherit a significant fortune. But that all changes when she meets Alfred, the dashing duke who's determined to have her for his very own...
𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
Will he be able to make her see right for the future of his kind...
While I am first a historical romance reader, I do like a good paranormal tale so when I saw both categories set in one book, I jumped on the occasion to read it.
And this was an unexpected read for sure.
It has the slow pace of many historical stories and the danger vibes of some PNR tales but it lacks true actions, it looks like more a day to day recounting of life in this strange estate than a pack’s dynamic with a alpha who subjugated at every turn his subjects.
The opening scene sets the story in regency England with an over the top alpha hero taking the marriage mart by storm and a heroine bordering spinsterhood who has others views than wedding bliss for her future.
While I liked Felicity immediately as she is a woman who after loosing everything tried to find a way to better her life and refuses to give up because she is said to, Lowell is an other affair, so set on his alpha position, he quite uses and sometimes overuses his power as such. Even by trying to subdue the heroine to bend to his desire. Luckily she is rather immune to his will-stealing aura.
So when he fails to get her to follow her voluntary, he kidnaps her and thus ruins her in the eyes of the ton.
It is from there that the story takes its turn on the paranormal side. As Felicity now navigates an unknown place surrounded by people who appear to be more than whom she thinks they are.
She is a force to be reckoned as she does no cry nor shout, she refuses to give up and plots alternative exit ways.
Lowell is at loss, completely lost about what to do with this unexpected twist in his mate’s hunt. He not really anticipated a human, so he does not know how to react around her, how to break the news he is not what he seems to be nor his people. So he most often than never runs away instead to having to answer her questions.
I understand the answers were not easy to present but slowly offering clues could have soften the blow.
The story touches many tropes, like the vile uncle, he was painted a bit to flatly greedy. Then where is the missing horse. Will the side characters have their own story or will it focus on another Duke...
The part around and after the wedding was too long, I felt like the story dragged for length and length as nothing truly happens along these pages.
3.5 stars rounded up because it has many promises of a good series but needs to find its marks to sit it in both genres.
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen lovemaking scenes
I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher Sourcebooks Casablanca, here is my true and unbiased opinion.
https://www.facebook.com/429830134272...
July 5, 2021
Audiobook Review:
“A Wolf in Duke’s Clothing (Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde)” is a first read and believed to be a debut by Susanna Allen a new author to this reader. As someone who loves historical regency and paranormal romances as a genre, I thought combining both in this story might prove interesting and interesting it was. This was a historical romance that had a paranormal take on it. I too agree with another reviewer that if your sole focus in this story was just on HR or paranormal, you may not be able to grasp the plot the author is trying to convey to her readers.
Felicity Templeton was orphaned at an early age and was raised by her uncle who was a cruel and uncaring person who only wanted to see her downfall and convinced her that if she remained unmarried until her 25th birthday, she would inherit her fortune, however it was the total opposite. On the other hand, there is Alfred Blakesley, Duke of Lowell who dislikes the ton, balls and the pomp and circumstance that they stand for. For five years he has been searching for his mate and on one night when he attends a ball, his senses pick up on Felicity as the woman.
My take on this story…I understood the intent of the plot but the story dragged way too long. The regency romance worked well but fell short on the paranormal portion of the story. For me, I would have preferred the dynamic of the pack staying with one type of shifter (wolf) and not including others. There was too much explaining of the paranormal elements versus letting them play out on the pages. There were parts left unclosed…the missing horse.
It was not until a third of the book did Alfred uncover himself to Felicity. Because of all of the other shifter elements in the story, it made the paranormal weak in the book. I could not get a take on the pack’s deference to the alpha. On one hand he is a romantic and on the other he shows an abundance of power to control them, including his power to control Felicity that did not work. I thought this was where the author missed the mark on putting this on paper..think this should have been addressed somewhere as to why is powers didn’t work and why she was able to resist it...something most alphas are successful at accomplishing. In addition, I thought the author might be a bit inexperienced with writing epilogues for this one was left open-ended I guess to introduce the next book in the series…a bit confusing for me.
The story was enjoyable and could have been better as I do love HR. However, I thought it was refreshing from the normal on two genres that I love to read. Not a good read for those looking for a lot of paranormal. The narration by Sienna Frances was not very good. I would have preferred male/female narrators.
Would have rated this one higher if the main characters were more developed and the paranormal written a bit well. 2.5 Stars rounded to 3.0 Stars.
“A Wolf in Duke’s Clothing (Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde)” is a first read and believed to be a debut by Susanna Allen a new author to this reader. As someone who loves historical regency and paranormal romances as a genre, I thought combining both in this story might prove interesting and interesting it was. This was a historical romance that had a paranormal take on it. I too agree with another reviewer that if your sole focus in this story was just on HR or paranormal, you may not be able to grasp the plot the author is trying to convey to her readers.
Felicity Templeton was orphaned at an early age and was raised by her uncle who was a cruel and uncaring person who only wanted to see her downfall and convinced her that if she remained unmarried until her 25th birthday, she would inherit her fortune, however it was the total opposite. On the other hand, there is Alfred Blakesley, Duke of Lowell who dislikes the ton, balls and the pomp and circumstance that they stand for. For five years he has been searching for his mate and on one night when he attends a ball, his senses pick up on Felicity as the woman.
My take on this story…I understood the intent of the plot but the story dragged way too long. The regency romance worked well but fell short on the paranormal portion of the story. For me, I would have preferred the dynamic of the pack staying with one type of shifter (wolf) and not including others. There was too much explaining of the paranormal elements versus letting them play out on the pages. There were parts left unclosed…the missing horse.
It was not until a third of the book did Alfred uncover himself to Felicity. Because of all of the other shifter elements in the story, it made the paranormal weak in the book. I could not get a take on the pack’s deference to the alpha. On one hand he is a romantic and on the other he shows an abundance of power to control them, including his power to control Felicity that did not work. I thought this was where the author missed the mark on putting this on paper..think this should have been addressed somewhere as to why is powers didn’t work and why she was able to resist it...something most alphas are successful at accomplishing. In addition, I thought the author might be a bit inexperienced with writing epilogues for this one was left open-ended I guess to introduce the next book in the series…a bit confusing for me.
The story was enjoyable and could have been better as I do love HR. However, I thought it was refreshing from the normal on two genres that I love to read. Not a good read for those looking for a lot of paranormal. The narration by Sienna Frances was not very good. I would have preferred male/female narrators.
Would have rated this one higher if the main characters were more developed and the paranormal written a bit well. 2.5 Stars rounded to 3.0 Stars.
August 10, 2021
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher. This in no way impacted on my view.
Throwing the supernatural into Regency romance, A Wolf in Duke's Clothing sees the mysterious Duke of Lowell steal a bride in order to help his pack. Most of the ton think of Alfred as a strange and secretive Duke, who rarely spends time in society, and has been travelling for years. But now he has returned, and it's clear he's on the hunt for a bride. But not just any bride; the woman he marries has to be perfect, and be is mate, in order for the rag tag bunch of shape shifters he is alpha of to survive. As soon as he see Felicity Templeton, he knows she is the one, but she has other plans. All Felicity wants is to remain unmarried until her 25th birthday, when she will no longer be in her uncles control, and she should inherit a fortune her father left for her before he passed. When the normal gentlemen - especially a duke - would simply have to woo his intended bride, Alfred has no patience for that, and so he seizes Felicity, and takes her to his estate, where all the residents attempt to hide the truth about their shifting, in order to slowly allow Felicity to acclimate to the new world she's living in, and agree to the mating ritual. Will Alfred be able to convince Felicity to take him, and his pack, on, or will her will be too much for even this Alpha?
This book completely took me by surprise. I'll admit, I wasn't sure how much I'd like it, what with the supernatural element added to the Regency era, but I loved it! It read like a fantastic Regency romance, and the fantasy elements of the shifting and supernatural creatures rather accentuated the good in the book, rather than detracting from it. Felicity was an amazing heroine, strong and full of vim and vigour, who refused to back down and accept the situation she was in, and fought for what she wanted. She had suffered at the hands of her uncle - who was only interested in her money - and when freedom and independence was on the cusp, it was snatched from her. I didn't really like the whole abduction plot line, but I can see why it was necessary for the book. As Felicity slowly warmed to Alfred and his staff, it was good to see her pick up on little differences and aspects of the estate which made it other. Her romance with Alfred was funny to read - he didn't really have a clue on how to act with someone he was in love with, and the fact that when he was Alfie, he got closer to Felicity than he did in his human form, was hilarious. This book has definitely taken me by surprise, and I'm glad I've got a review copy of book 2, because the cliffhanger is making me anxious to read on!
Throwing the supernatural into Regency romance, A Wolf in Duke's Clothing sees the mysterious Duke of Lowell steal a bride in order to help his pack. Most of the ton think of Alfred as a strange and secretive Duke, who rarely spends time in society, and has been travelling for years. But now he has returned, and it's clear he's on the hunt for a bride. But not just any bride; the woman he marries has to be perfect, and be is mate, in order for the rag tag bunch of shape shifters he is alpha of to survive. As soon as he see Felicity Templeton, he knows she is the one, but she has other plans. All Felicity wants is to remain unmarried until her 25th birthday, when she will no longer be in her uncles control, and she should inherit a fortune her father left for her before he passed. When the normal gentlemen - especially a duke - would simply have to woo his intended bride, Alfred has no patience for that, and so he seizes Felicity, and takes her to his estate, where all the residents attempt to hide the truth about their shifting, in order to slowly allow Felicity to acclimate to the new world she's living in, and agree to the mating ritual. Will Alfred be able to convince Felicity to take him, and his pack, on, or will her will be too much for even this Alpha?
This book completely took me by surprise. I'll admit, I wasn't sure how much I'd like it, what with the supernatural element added to the Regency era, but I loved it! It read like a fantastic Regency romance, and the fantasy elements of the shifting and supernatural creatures rather accentuated the good in the book, rather than detracting from it. Felicity was an amazing heroine, strong and full of vim and vigour, who refused to back down and accept the situation she was in, and fought for what she wanted. She had suffered at the hands of her uncle - who was only interested in her money - and when freedom and independence was on the cusp, it was snatched from her. I didn't really like the whole abduction plot line, but I can see why it was necessary for the book. As Felicity slowly warmed to Alfred and his staff, it was good to see her pick up on little differences and aspects of the estate which made it other. Her romance with Alfred was funny to read - he didn't really have a clue on how to act with someone he was in love with, and the fact that when he was Alfie, he got closer to Felicity than he did in his human form, was hilarious. This book has definitely taken me by surprise, and I'm glad I've got a review copy of book 2, because the cliffhanger is making me anxious to read on!
June 7, 2021
Alfred Blakesley, the Duke of Lowell, has long been considered strange and unapproachable by the Ton but no one dares treat him with rudeness. They’d all be very shocked to learn that one of society’s most eligible bachelors is a wolf shifter. He’s been searching for his one true mate for a long time and his pack’s future depends on him securing a love match.
Felicity Templeton has done her best to render herself unappealing to prospective suitors. If she can remain unmarried another two weeks until her 25th birthday, she’ll inherit the fortune of her father’s barony. But Alfred is determined to make her his and despite her resistance, she finds him very hard to deny.
I decided to give this audio a try when my library got it just to have something a little different since I don’t read much paranormal. I enjoyed it fine, but the narrator was a bit off-putting for me much of the time and I found some of the key premises here to be a bit far-fetched even for a fantasy story. I’ve seen many reviews disliking the hero for being too pushy, but I think he was just utterly clueless and while I didn’t particularly like him, this was a little charming. Felicity didn’t work for me as a heroine. Yes, her slimy uncle and cousins did wrong her grievously, but she still somehow came off as a spoiled brat. She complains initially that her social status is too low to merit a duke’s notice and he couldn’t possibly be truly interested in her. Then she later complains about the duke’s proposal, saying it’s not up to the standard a lady of her rank deserves. Then she laments several times about not being young anymore, which at 25 is ludicrous, especially given her immaturity. I’m fine with a strong heroine, but Felicity didn’t fit the story much at all and her chill reaction to Alfred’s revelations just left me incredulous. I wanted more depth from both Alfred and Felicity that just wasn’t shown enough to satisfy me. The concept was new and intriguing but I’m not sure I’ll continue the series.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Felicity Templeton has done her best to render herself unappealing to prospective suitors. If she can remain unmarried another two weeks until her 25th birthday, she’ll inherit the fortune of her father’s barony. But Alfred is determined to make her his and despite her resistance, she finds him very hard to deny.
I decided to give this audio a try when my library got it just to have something a little different since I don’t read much paranormal. I enjoyed it fine, but the narrator was a bit off-putting for me much of the time and I found some of the key premises here to be a bit far-fetched even for a fantasy story. I’ve seen many reviews disliking the hero for being too pushy, but I think he was just utterly clueless and while I didn’t particularly like him, this was a little charming. Felicity didn’t work for me as a heroine. Yes, her slimy uncle and cousins did wrong her grievously, but she still somehow came off as a spoiled brat. She complains initially that her social status is too low to merit a duke’s notice and he couldn’t possibly be truly interested in her. Then she later complains about the duke’s proposal, saying it’s not up to the standard a lady of her rank deserves. Then she laments several times about not being young anymore, which at 25 is ludicrous, especially given her immaturity. I’m fine with a strong heroine, but Felicity didn’t fit the story much at all and her chill reaction to Alfred’s revelations just left me incredulous. I wanted more depth from both Alfred and Felicity that just wasn’t shown enough to satisfy me. The concept was new and intriguing but I’m not sure I’ll continue the series.
Blog link: https://mustreadalltheromance.blogspo...
Shelved as 'dnf'
February 13, 2023dnf @ 36%
The concept of this was SO COOL and I wanted to love it, because it combines two of my favourite things (werewolf romances and historical romances). But unfortunately, the execution didn't work for me - nothing was really explained, we were just expected to suspend our disbelief beyond the point of reason, and it was super confusing. I need more explanation rather than the author just randomly throwing new shapeshifter lore in for the plot (read: to hide any plot holes/any issues the characters come up against). It was very like me alpha male you little woman grrrr type vibes, and sometimes that works but in this case it was just a bit much. I found the writing style and word choices to be a bit strange too, it felt it was trying too hard to be regency and high brow and it just didn't work for me.
The concept of this was SO COOL and I wanted to love it, because it combines two of my favourite things (werewolf romances and historical romances). But unfortunately, the execution didn't work for me - nothing was really explained, we were just expected to suspend our disbelief beyond the point of reason, and it was super confusing. I need more explanation rather than the author just randomly throwing new shapeshifter lore in for the plot (read: to hide any plot holes/any issues the characters come up against). It was very like me alpha male you little woman grrrr type vibes, and sometimes that works but in this case it was just a bit much. I found the writing style and word choices to be a bit strange too, it felt it was trying too hard to be regency and high brow and it just didn't work for me.
April 27, 2021
Content warnings:
It’s hard for me to articulate exactly what I was expecting with this book, but I think I expected more of a paranormal romance with historical elements. This is definitely more of a regency historical with a paranormal layer over top. And while overall I enjoyed the book, there were parts that were very problematic for me.
Alfred, Duke of Lowell, has spent the past five years traveling the globe, trying to find his mate. Frustrated by his fruitless search, the last place he wants to be is a ball – at least until he finally scents her. Felicity’s biding her time until her twenty-fifth birthday, when, according to her uncle, she’ll inherit her parents’ fortune, enough to fund her dreams of horse breeding enterprise. All she has to do until then is stay unmarried. But when the handsome duke sweeps her into a dance – and then into his carriage – her dreams may end up in the gutter with her reputation.
There’s definitely some good things about the book. I liked Felicity and how absolute horse-mad she was, and I liked her friend Jemima. There’s some interesting world building (leading back to Romulus and Remus) to explain shifters, and the side characters were humorously very much like their animal selves. The language tended a bit to the overwrought and there’s a lot of very regency vocabulary, from the various groups (Corinthians and Antidotes and Cits, oh my!) to Felicity talking about her “honeypot.” It was at times a bit much but for the most part I enjoyed that. What really soured me on the book was the hero, Alfred.
I give a lot of leeway to paranormals and alpha hole heroes. There’s usually some sort of plot reason why they act all alphaholey (and there is in this one!) but a lot of the satisfaction I get from these books is seeing the heroine push back using her own strengths. That’s not really the case in this book. Alfred continuously overrode Felicity’s will and there was seemingly nothing Felicity can do about it – or that she particularly cared to. The initial kidnapping raised my eyebrows because after Felicity was happily ensconced in the lap of luxury, she seemed to quickly lose her anger at the situation – even though the quick marriage that Alfred is pushing would ruin all of her hard work towards her dreams. When he muttered about seeking vengeance against her Evil Uncle, she insisted that he not resort to violence, but he put her off, saying it’s his duty. The worst bit, though, was the dominatum power which he used several times throughout the book to stop his underlings from speaking up against his highhanded ways – though somehow they still viewed him as an exceptional alpha, which does make me wonder how horrible the other ones are. The most unforgivable bit for me was that when she puts a stop during a sexual encounter, he tried to use his alpha powers against her to make her continue. When that failed, he did give in and stop, marveling at how strong she was – without once seeming to understand exactly how wrong what he tried to do was.
Overall, I’d probably give this 2.5 stars. There’s some interesting things going on, but the problematic content squashed a lot of my enjoyment.
I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
It’s hard for me to articulate exactly what I was expecting with this book, but I think I expected more of a paranormal romance with historical elements. This is definitely more of a regency historical with a paranormal layer over top. And while overall I enjoyed the book, there were parts that were very problematic for me.
“Fate! I believe in choice, although choice is as elusive to women as is the opportunity to address the House of Lords.”
Alfred, Duke of Lowell, has spent the past five years traveling the globe, trying to find his mate. Frustrated by his fruitless search, the last place he wants to be is a ball – at least until he finally scents her. Felicity’s biding her time until her twenty-fifth birthday, when, according to her uncle, she’ll inherit her parents’ fortune, enough to fund her dreams of horse breeding enterprise. All she has to do until then is stay unmarried. But when the handsome duke sweeps her into a dance – and then into his carriage – her dreams may end up in the gutter with her reputation.
“There is an explanation,” he began.
Felicity exploded. “Wonderful! Finally!” She flung her hands about like a lunatic. “How unlike other men I thought you, Your Grace, as you eschewed explanations left, right, and center. How surprised I was, as there is always some godforsaken reason for every outrage when it comes to men, much more so for titled men.”
There’s definitely some good things about the book. I liked Felicity and how absolute horse-mad she was, and I liked her friend Jemima. There’s some interesting world building (leading back to Romulus and Remus) to explain shifters, and the side characters were humorously very much like their animal selves. The language tended a bit to the overwrought and there’s a lot of very regency vocabulary, from the various groups (Corinthians and Antidotes and Cits, oh my!) to Felicity talking about her “honeypot.” It was at times a bit much but for the most part I enjoyed that. What really soured me on the book was the hero, Alfred.
“It is known as the dominatum, the power of the Alpha. It is employed to prevent poor decisions at best, and insurrection at worst. And to get my way when my way is what is needed…or what I desire.” He belatedly pulled his banyan closed and retied the sash. “It is yet another indication you are meant for me. There is no one else in my life who can resist the compulsion of my power, only you.”
I give a lot of leeway to paranormals and alpha hole heroes. There’s usually some sort of plot reason why they act all alphaholey (and there is in this one!) but a lot of the satisfaction I get from these books is seeing the heroine push back using her own strengths. That’s not really the case in this book. Alfred continuously overrode Felicity’s will and there was seemingly nothing Felicity can do about it – or that she particularly cared to. The initial kidnapping raised my eyebrows because after Felicity was happily ensconced in the lap of luxury, she seemed to quickly lose her anger at the situation – even though the quick marriage that Alfred is pushing would ruin all of her hard work towards her dreams. When he muttered about seeking vengeance against her Evil Uncle, she insisted that he not resort to violence, but he put her off, saying it’s his duty. The worst bit, though, was the dominatum power which he used several times throughout the book to stop his underlings from speaking up against his highhanded ways – though somehow they still viewed him as an exceptional alpha, which does make me wonder how horrible the other ones are. The most unforgivable bit for me was that when she puts a stop during a sexual encounter, he tried to use his alpha powers against her to make her continue. When that failed, he did give in and stop, marveling at how strong she was – without once seeming to understand exactly how wrong what he tried to do was.
Overall, I’d probably give this 2.5 stars. There’s some interesting things going on, but the problematic content squashed a lot of my enjoyment.
I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
April 14, 2021
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review, my thoughts are my own.
So this had everything I wanted at first glance, paranormal soulmate romance in a time period Victorian setting, YES PLEASE. Unfortunately it did not deliver with my most wanted guilty pleasure read.
This book left me disappointed, I had the urge to skim parts and felt highly uncomfortable with the setting the ML was making, I am all for a mate alpha possessive ML (when well done, not that is healthy in any way, but as a "would do anything to protect you' type of read when the mood strikes) in a guilty pleasure read, but this was just not it. HE RUINS HER REPUTATION, which if you know anything about that time period could be equivalent to social suicide since woman cannot own properties and rely on a man to survive, which a good match comes from the reputation you have, which is weirdly not an issue in this book since she can inherit her stuff at 25 ???? that baffled me...; TO MAKE HER FORCED TO BE WITH HIM. This is just no no no no NO, he basically closes all other doors, she is left with no free will.
I could not get behind a romance that completely ripped any choices our MC Felicity had, she wanted to not get married and inherit her dues, but he was like nope your my mate, here you are ruined now I am your only option. WHICH EUW.
I was also SOOOOO bored thought the read, thing were much longer than they needed to be and the writing style drawn out which made for a lot of instances where sentences could've been shorter.
ANYHOW disappointing read, a book really not for me.
1/5 stars
Bookarina.
So this had everything I wanted at first glance, paranormal soulmate romance in a time period Victorian setting, YES PLEASE. Unfortunately it did not deliver with my most wanted guilty pleasure read.
This book left me disappointed, I had the urge to skim parts and felt highly uncomfortable with the setting the ML was making, I am all for a mate alpha possessive ML (when well done, not that is healthy in any way, but as a "would do anything to protect you' type of read when the mood strikes) in a guilty pleasure read, but this was just not it. HE RUINS HER REPUTATION, which if you know anything about that time period could be equivalent to social suicide since woman cannot own properties and rely on a man to survive, which a good match comes from the reputation you have, which is weirdly not an issue in this book since she can inherit her stuff at 25 ???? that baffled me...; TO MAKE HER FORCED TO BE WITH HIM. This is just no no no no NO, he basically closes all other doors, she is left with no free will.
I could not get behind a romance that completely ripped any choices our MC Felicity had, she wanted to not get married and inherit her dues, but he was like nope your my mate, here you are ruined now I am your only option. WHICH EUW.
I was also SOOOOO bored thought the read, thing were much longer than they needed to be and the writing style drawn out which made for a lot of instances where sentences could've been shorter.
ANYHOW disappointing read, a book really not for me.
1/5 stars
Bookarina.
August 8, 2021
For the most part, this was a good read - I loved the H/h.
I would have enjoyed the book more if the author wasn't so intent on her use of BIG WORDS. The overdone vocabulary - which was also used in the character's conversations - was getting old, and interrupted the flow of the story.
An example of this crap was when the word quotidian was used, when ordinary would have worked just fine.
Anyway... along with the intrigue and the steamy sexy-times, there was also humor. I laughed out loud when the heroine Felicity first saw Alfred in his wolf form, and thought he was a huge, sweet doggie. However... the ending was rather abrupt. And what about Himself - the missing horse?
Putting the overdone phraseology aside, I'm still interested in reading the next book, 'A Most Unusual Duke'. The cover of the book caught my eye, as the male model looks a little like the actor Aiden Turner. Hot damn.
3.5 stars.
I would have enjoyed the book more if the author wasn't so intent on her use of BIG WORDS. The overdone vocabulary - which was also used in the character's conversations - was getting old, and interrupted the flow of the story.
An example of this crap was when the word quotidian was used, when ordinary would have worked just fine.
Anyway... along with the intrigue and the steamy sexy-times, there was also humor. I laughed out loud when the heroine Felicity first saw Alfred in his wolf form, and thought he was a huge, sweet doggie. However... the ending was rather abrupt. And what about Himself - the missing horse?
Putting the overdone phraseology aside, I'm still interested in reading the next book, 'A Most Unusual Duke'. The cover of the book caught my eye, as the male model looks a little like the actor Aiden Turner. Hot damn.
3.5 stars.
April 27, 2021
My Review: A Duke In Wolf's Clothing:
Romance, Sexy Alpha wolf, Acceptance, and Humor.
Alfred Blakesley, the Seventh Duke of Lowell, and wolf shifter has found his mate in the Honorable Felicity Templeton, a twenty five (25) year old Wallflower (human). Their courtship begins with Alfred kidnapping his mate, and ruining her reputation. Felicity is no timid woman, and has her own plans to remain unwed, and start a Stud Farm. Time is short for Alfred, as he must marry for love, and Felicity wins him, and his pack over daily with her acceptance, and kindness shown to them even before Felicity finds out they're shape shifters. Will Felicity admit her love, and accept Alfred as her mate, and break the curse of infertility among Alfred pack?
Romance, Sexy Alpha wolf, Acceptance, and Humor.
Alfred Blakesley, the Seventh Duke of Lowell, and wolf shifter has found his mate in the Honorable Felicity Templeton, a twenty five (25) year old Wallflower (human). Their courtship begins with Alfred kidnapping his mate, and ruining her reputation. Felicity is no timid woman, and has her own plans to remain unwed, and start a Stud Farm. Time is short for Alfred, as he must marry for love, and Felicity wins him, and his pack over daily with her acceptance, and kindness shown to them even before Felicity finds out they're shape shifters. Will Felicity admit her love, and accept Alfred as her mate, and break the curse of infertility among Alfred pack?
February 24, 2022
I like the concept: Regency + Paranormal. And I liked the hero & heroine. But there were a lot of murky bits, such as the whole idea of behind Felicity's inheritance. It just made no sense. And the narrator (Sienna Frances) was bad. Her interpretation of Felicity was just wrong, and she spoke in a way that made it hard to understand the writing. I missed some details and ended up not really 'getting' many of the secondary characters. I think part of that was Allen's writing style, but a larger part was the narrator's delivery.
February 17, 2021
Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately I could not get into this paranormal historical romance. The Duke is intense in his pursuit of Felicity, his mate. He knownly ruins her reputation in order to convince her to marry him. She resist his pursuit but gives in eventually. Im not a fan of this type of romance. I much prefer for the heroine to be able to choose her own path.
Unfortunately I could not get into this paranormal historical romance. The Duke is intense in his pursuit of Felicity, his mate. He knownly ruins her reputation in order to convince her to marry him. She resist his pursuit but gives in eventually. Im not a fan of this type of romance. I much prefer for the heroine to be able to choose her own path.
May 5, 2021
This was a god damn delight. A HISTORICAL ROMANCE with a DUKE who was a WEREWOLF oh my god I was giddy. Some of it confused the hell out of me, but on a deeper level I feel like maybe that was supposed to happen? Because everything unfolded more logically as our heroine found things out?? But overall: Loved it. Laughed a lot. Had a great time. I need more like this.
Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for my review copy!
Thank you Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for my review copy!
December 18, 2022
This was honestly one of the most ridiculous books I've ever read. Not bad, but truly ridiculous!
I cackled at way too many moments, and they were certainly not trying to be funny.
Unfortunately, it was not quite the paranormal regency romance I was hoping for. But I can see it appealing to others. It blended the two specific genres quite well.
Considering it was only 300 pages, it took me ages to get through!
I cackled at way too many moments, and they were certainly not trying to be funny.
Unfortunately, it was not quite the paranormal regency romance I was hoping for. But I can see it appealing to others. It blended the two specific genres quite well.
Considering it was only 300 pages, it took me ages to get through!
April 10, 2023
****4.5 stars!****
January 14, 2024
DNF at 36% - this is the worst book I’ve read probably ever.
February 1, 2024
not enough regency.
April 27, 2021
Alfred Blakesley, the Duke of Lowell is a wolf shifter looking for his mate. An alpha male who has been searching for years across the world, Alfred is stunned to find her in a ballroom near his home. He also realizes that his mate is human and knows nothing about shifters, but he won’t be deterred.
In the hopes of convincing Felicity Templeton that he is her future, Alfred kidnaps her and attempts to woo her. Poor Alfred! Not only does he have to hide his shifter world from Felicity, but he’s also clueless when it comes to courting a human woman! This part of the story reminded me so much of Beauty and the Beast. Alfred, much like the beast, is eager to please but bumbling and awkward in his execution. It made for some humorous and endearing scenes.
I like Felicity’s character and her determination to have some independence. Her involvement in the horse trade is unique for the time period and something that connects her to her deceased mother and is an interesting part of the story. Felicity has a way with animals, which is good considering she’s mated to a wolf shifter!
Knowing that she must remain single until she can claim her inheritance, Felicity purposely makes herself less attractive and avoids potential suitors as much as she can. Hiding behind plants, avoiding eye contact, and wearing unflattering clothing are just some of the clever ways she stays out of the spotlight, much to her uncle and cousins’ irritation. Felicity is strong-willed and feisty, and I like that she challenges Alfred, who is a bit stubborn at times.
The chemistry between Felicity and Alfred is strong, and it is clear that they are attracted to each other from their very first dance. Some of my favorite scenes are when Felicity talks to Alfred while he is in wolf form. It is then that Felicity lets her guard down, and Alfred gets to really understand her. These are touching moments in their love story.
I do wish that Felicity had a bit more choice in her future, and this got in the way of the romance for me at times. It feels like, though Felicity does everything she can to maintain a modicum of independence, the men in her life, especially her uncle and cousins, continually take that from her. Even Alfred, who had good intentions, takes her freedom of choice away when he kidnaps her and thus tarnishes her reputation. Though Alfred is driven by the mating call, it’s a selfish way to start a relationship.
Overall, this is a good story with romance, mystery, supernatural elements, and vicious antagonists. I liked reading about the growing relationship between Felicity and Alfred and how Felicity slowly learns about Alfred and the shifter world that he leads. I also like that the story twines Regency and paranormal romance, though I did feel that it was a bit unevenly paced. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
In the hopes of convincing Felicity Templeton that he is her future, Alfred kidnaps her and attempts to woo her. Poor Alfred! Not only does he have to hide his shifter world from Felicity, but he’s also clueless when it comes to courting a human woman! This part of the story reminded me so much of Beauty and the Beast. Alfred, much like the beast, is eager to please but bumbling and awkward in his execution. It made for some humorous and endearing scenes.
I like Felicity’s character and her determination to have some independence. Her involvement in the horse trade is unique for the time period and something that connects her to her deceased mother and is an interesting part of the story. Felicity has a way with animals, which is good considering she’s mated to a wolf shifter!
Knowing that she must remain single until she can claim her inheritance, Felicity purposely makes herself less attractive and avoids potential suitors as much as she can. Hiding behind plants, avoiding eye contact, and wearing unflattering clothing are just some of the clever ways she stays out of the spotlight, much to her uncle and cousins’ irritation. Felicity is strong-willed and feisty, and I like that she challenges Alfred, who is a bit stubborn at times.
The chemistry between Felicity and Alfred is strong, and it is clear that they are attracted to each other from their very first dance. Some of my favorite scenes are when Felicity talks to Alfred while he is in wolf form. It is then that Felicity lets her guard down, and Alfred gets to really understand her. These are touching moments in their love story.
I do wish that Felicity had a bit more choice in her future, and this got in the way of the romance for me at times. It feels like, though Felicity does everything she can to maintain a modicum of independence, the men in her life, especially her uncle and cousins, continually take that from her. Even Alfred, who had good intentions, takes her freedom of choice away when he kidnaps her and thus tarnishes her reputation. Though Alfred is driven by the mating call, it’s a selfish way to start a relationship.
Overall, this is a good story with romance, mystery, supernatural elements, and vicious antagonists. I liked reading about the growing relationship between Felicity and Alfred and how Felicity slowly learns about Alfred and the shifter world that he leads. I also like that the story twines Regency and paranormal romance, though I did feel that it was a bit unevenly paced. Thanks so much to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Casablanca, and the author for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Shelved as 'dnf'
April 28, 2021DNF at 15%.
I wanted to like this, I really did. A paranormal Regency romance? Yes, please! From the first few pages, though--heck, maybe even the very first page--reading it was a struggle. The writing is clunky and awkward--long rambling sentences (and that's saying something coming from me, I know) liberally sprinkled with words that seem determined to show the author's mastery of a thesaurus--reading for pleasure should not feel like such a chore. The way that the hero kept using his power to dominate his subordinates (who then showed him their necks in deference) was a major turn-off, and the way the author seemed bound and determined to show she knew every single bit of Regency lingo ever was beyond annoying. Maybe the name of the series should have given me a clue here...
I am honestly amazed that this was picked up by a major publisher given the (lack of decent) editing. Simpler language and more concise sentences maybe could have made it easier to digest, though I have a suspicion I wasn't going to be a huge fan of the hero either way...
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
I wanted to like this, I really did. A paranormal Regency romance? Yes, please! From the first few pages, though--heck, maybe even the very first page--reading it was a struggle. The writing is clunky and awkward--long rambling sentences (and that's saying something coming from me, I know) liberally sprinkled with words that seem determined to show the author's mastery of a thesaurus--reading for pleasure should not feel like such a chore. The way that the hero kept using his power to dominate his subordinates (who then showed him their necks in deference) was a major turn-off, and the way the author seemed bound and determined to show she knew every single bit of Regency lingo ever was beyond annoying. Maybe the name of the series should have given me a clue here...
I am honestly amazed that this was picked up by a major publisher given the (lack of decent) editing. Simpler language and more concise sentences maybe could have made it easier to digest, though I have a suspicion I wasn't going to be a huge fan of the hero either way...
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
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