Kent is trapped. Stuck between wolfdom and humanity, he has no pack and no place to call home. Worse yet, the collar around his neck binds and breaks him, preventing true freedom. Now Kent must complete one final job to see the hated collar removed forever. He is sent to the north to rescue an Alpha called Hadrian and while reaching him is easy enough, getting him back to York will not be.

Hadrian wasn’t meant to be an Alpha. There were nearly a dozen others ahead of him, but fate forced him into the position and he’s been drowning ever since. Now he’s on the run with a half mad creature from legends decades old. He’s scrambling to trust Kent while dealing with his own maturing power. Kent finds himself drawn to Hadrian, to the dream of a home and a pack, and the bond between them quickly becomes unshakeable. But he and Hadrian must each embrace their true selves if there is any hope of becoming whole.

I’m prone to enjoying shifter novels, yet the genre has become bogged down by too many bad clichés and over the top fated mates. So sometimes it’s hard to find a shifter novel that really resonates. Luckily, Wolf in King’s Clothing is one of the good ones. Well paced and written in a strong, almost fierce style that matches Kent’s personality, this book achieves an excellent balance between traditional and non-traditional shifter romances. Yes, some of the clichés are there, but they’re handled in a new light or with more deftness than I usually see. It’s action packed and never slows down to let the reader catch their breath. There are times when I felt slightly out of step with the characters and plot, as though there were pieces to a puzzle I wasn’t given. As a result, there is a chaos to Wolf in King’s Clothing that is both exhilarating and occasionally maddening. I felt jarred at times, but that wasn’t always a bad thing.

The characters steal the show here, especially Kent. We don’t know his full story, but we do know his life has been nothing but pain. Always different and trapped between one half of himself and he other, he is utterly alone. His despondency and fear and rage are all wrapped up a mixture of bravery and self-annihilation. Hadrian is not as complete a character. We know even less about his background, but he is clearly struggling to become the Alpha he must. The power is there; he just hasn’t learned what to do with it. So his natural protectiveness towards Kent is doubly endearing because as readers we know what Hadrian does not – that his ability to love fiercely and calm the wild storm of Kent’s emotions are the same things that make him such a powerful Alpha.

Wolf in King’s Clothing is a strong addition to the shifter genre. An action-packed plot, deeply emotional characters, and a powerful bond all serve to create a wonderful novel. There were some moments I found myself needing more information or wanting the plot to untangle itself ever so slightly, but on the whole, it was a truly enjoyable read.

Ahhhh wolves. Do you ever picture them going at it in their wolf forms and not their human ones.
No? Just me?

I know I should never request shifter books. I just don't do shifters. My fault. this one sounded so good on the blurb but overall just did not work for me so I had to throw in the towel.

Thank you Carina Press/Netgalley for the chance

Kent is an outcast, his shifter instincts have been muted by a collar, when he is offered a chance at freedom if he rescues Hadrian, he doesn't expect this to be a hard challenge. He follows Hadrian scent and goes to rescue him, but they fall into a trap.

This was a good book, both Kent and Hadrian were interesting, while you could tell from the beginning that something was off with this mission, it was never easy to tell what exactly was off, it made for a nice paced book that kept me guessing.

I enjoyed the book. Nice story. Not heavy enough in the romance part.

Sandy M’s review of Wolf in King’s Clothing by Parker Foye
Paranormal Gay Romance published by Carina Press 1 May 17

Lately I’ve wanted to branch out to read other authors’ gay romance. I have a favorite author whose books I love when it comes to this genre, and I thought it would be nice to find another whose work I could also enjoy – expand my horizons, so to speak. I had high hopes for this book because it’s also paranormal, of which I read a lot. So it had a lot going for it at first glance.

While the action and time period in this story work well, it’s the characters who I never could warm up to. To a point I do feel for Kent, who is magically collared by Tabitha, who only wants more and more power. She has used him quite effectively over the years just for that purpose. especially since Kent is one of a myth not many have seen and don’t believe may exist. He’s held in between the human and other worlds by the collar and longs to be free. When he’s given the option of one last assignment which will release his collar, he accepts and heads out to find Hadrian, an alpha wolf. It’s never really explained why Tabitha wants Hadrian and what she’ll do with him once she has him.

Hadrian, on the other hand, is a flat character for me. He never expected to be alpha, but as such, he should have something about him that is indeed alpha. However, he never acts like an alpha – at least in a way I like in romance. If he were, could have handled Kent in nothing flat, gotten out of his current situation, fixed whatever problem at home, and still have gotten the guy in the end. But it’s like he just goes along for the ride with Kent just to see what will happen. There is a feeling of awkwardness that never really goes away as they feel and fight their way along.

Also, an explanation is never given for why Kent is collared. I kept thinking that will come out eventually, maybe in his conversations – limited though they are – with Hadrian, who would have to be as curious as me, but not a word is ever uttered on that subject. And there’s not nearly enough shifting in this shifter romance. That’s the reason I read wolves and jaguars and cougars and bears and any other shifters. Without that, the book won’t keep my interest for very long at all. This story is nitty-gritty, in keeping with Kent’s circumstances; he keeps Hadrian safe, especially once their attraction is clear; it feels unfinished at the end, leaving questions in its wake, the biggest of which is will Kent finally be full wolf – or something else.

Initially I liked the idea of this book, but that diminished as I read and it’s unfortunate that it doesn’t deliver on any other level.

Grade: D

In all honesty, I struggle with anything historical. Unless it's PNR. Sadly, this time around I was not happy. I felt no chemistry. The writing style made the story confusing to me, making it difficult to really enjoy it.

There is so much to love in WOLF IN KING’S CLOTHING, it’s hard to decide which part of this m/m Victorian-y werewolf paranormal romance novel I enjoyed the best. Wait, no, I loved Kent. He’s a rough character who has been magically collared, his tail and ears docked. He’s the driving force behind this novel.

This world is grimy and sticky, filled with dirty locales and even dirtier people. Hadrian, the alpha Kent is sent to fetch, doesn’t fit into that world. Kent does fit; he is barefoot most of the time, wears clothes that are little more than rags and lives in a room in a boarding house.

There’s a great deal of attention given to the smells in this book, something I always enjoy with werewolf novels. It helps to convey the animal nature of the characters. Haidan smells like seawater and home to Kent, which is the only thing that keeps him from attacking him when he goes into a berserker rage. Kent nuzzles into Haidan’s neck and inhales him to calm down, to find himself. Despite them knowing each other for a short amount of time, the characters had a believable bond built through experience and fate. I’m so over the “fated mate” trope. Without trial, that motif is no longer enough for me.

I do wish there had been another 100-200 pages of WOLF IN KING’S CLOTHING. Although Kent and Hadrian find each other, there are still unanswered questions about why Haidan was trapped up north and who wanted him released. Is it someone from his own pack setting him up to fail? He is a non-traditional alpha werewolf, being strong in magic instead of brute force - it’s a fun twist, and one that makes him unpopular within his pack. I would have loved to see these two interacting with the pack more, see what they could build together. This is still a solid, fast-paced novella, with characters you can’t help but want to follow.

Post goes live 17 JUL

Here’s the thing, I liked this book. I thought the pairing was cute and was all for their happily every after. But liking a book isn’t enough to ignore the fact that it basically doesn’t make sense. I’ve finished it and still have no idea what exactly was happening. Was it a power grab? And if so, was it against Hadrian or Kent’s boss? Was Kent actually an outcast, as the blurb suggests? If so, when and why? What exactly happened at the end? How did Hadrian heal Kent? What of Hadrian’s pack? Friend or foe? The plot was so full of holes that I couldn’t follow the story. I liked the mechanical writing. I liked the characters. But the rest o the book was a mess.

I had a hard time feeling the chemistry in this one. It was kinda choppy and it switched back and forth from attraction to danger too quickly I felt. Also, the progression of the story didn’t flow very well with their developing feelings. For instance, they would be traveling together and share heated looks with very little dialogue. Then they would *ahem* ‘do stuff’ and I couldn’t see how they got there. I couldn’t understand how they knew what each other felt without saying something more profound.

The plot was a good one but could have been explained a bit better. Something along the lines of Hadrain being low on the alpha totem pole until several higher ups die. Then everyone wants a piece of him so Kent is hired to bring him to Tabitha. But its not really explained very well because I never knew if she meant to help him or to harm him. If it was explained, I didn’t catch it.

And I never did understand WHY Tabitha wanted to help him or why Felicity helped them. And I didn’t get Kent’s backstory. Why are wardens bad? Because it seemed like it was just the ones who put the collar on Kent. But references are made to them being evil, yet Felicity helped them. And Kent’s ailment wasn’t really explained in detail. Is he a half-shifted wolf? Or is he a wolf kept in a constant state of in-betweeness? Can he ever be made a full wolf? Or is being made a full wolf just a symbol and he doesn’t physically change? It was all kept very mysterious. But it was so mysterious that I never really found out what he was. And it wasn’t made clear if in this world shifter’s were a common occurrence and everyone knew about them or if they were all in hiding from humans.

Just….a lot of confusion all around for me.

I appreciated not being explicitly told about everything in this universe. It was good to discover as I went along with Kent on his hopeful journey to freedom.

But the swapping pov was sometimes messy and made the story more confusing that perhaps it had to be. I loved the way Kent blossomed with his interactions with Hadrian, and I appreciated the efforts made to really create two quite different characters.

The heat between them was evident, and the slow burn worked for the most part. I regretted Kent's inability to articulate at the intimate moments, but it did allow Hadrian to show how much of a gentleman he could be (sometimes).

There was more than just romance, and the kidnapping betrayal power grab plot drove the narrative, as we watched these two circle each other. I was also a little confused about what exactly Kent is - a wolf? not a wolf? something else? more? I would have liked all that to be clearer.

This is more a HFN end than HEA. Is there more to come? Copy provided by Publisher via Netgalley and read with thanks. Out May 15th.

Wolf in King's Clothing by Parker Foye, this book is on the edge of being an exceptional read. It hovers there for the entire story span. Unfortunately for me never quite makes it to greatness. But there is huge potential here.
Kent or Prince, he has been held captive for many many years. He is more animal than human in most ways. He has a chance to be free, one more mission for his mistress. He is willing to do it. Anything to finally be free from the collar that keeps him a slave.
Hadrin is an alpha. He really can't get why Kent is trying to save him from his own people. But he goes along with it. He knows Kent is something to him. Someone important. And he wants to explore that.
The problem with this match is the chemistry. It just is not there. I wanted it to be there. I kept thinking ohh they just need time. Well then the book ended and they were out of time. I felt this story itself has some great truly great ideas. Maybe if it were longer? Or if the characters could find that middle ground and spark? However as this one stands, it was okay. Some very original ideas as well.


Four Twinkling Stars

Rating: 3 stars out of 5



An exiled shifter. His alpha mate. And a desire so intense it could be the death of them…

York, England, 1912

Kent was a pack outcast. His shifter instincts cruelly muted, he was collared and kept as a stray. Until he was offered his freedom—for something in return. He must rescue Hadrian, an alpha held hostage in the wolf highlands. It's a pleasure for Kent to follow the captive's scent, one so wild and virile it gives him a rush. Though he despises being treated like a mutt called to heel, he'll gladly fall to his knees for an alpha like Hadrian.

Hadrian has never met anyone like this damaged wolf warrior. His savior who licks the blood from his wounds and who arouses in him feelings he doesn't understand or want to control. But Hadrian suspects that more than desire binds them. It's betrayal. Pawns in an elaborate and feral deceit, they're now caught in the deepening maze of a vengeful shifter world, where navigating the mysteries of the heart could prove just as unpredictable and dangerous as the enemies they face.

I thought Wolf in King’s Clothing by Parker Foye had many terrific elements to it. Foye's writing was able to engage me in Kent's situation and his need for Hadrian. In fact, Kent is the best thing about the story. He's almost feral, a wild being yet one we are able to connect with. Foye's decision to make him a berserker was a good one that plays out against his size and constant state of disorder and more. We feel compassion for Kent and that allows us to come to his side of the story and remain there.

Hadrian is more of a shadow character, elusive as we don't have as much background on him and honestly, I didn't believe in his character as I did Kent's. Or the ugly people and beings that surrounded Kent, they were very much alive.

I found it odd that Foye decided to place his story in York, England, 1912. There didn't seem to be any firm reason for that. This could have been any fantasy world or alternate world, there was nothing or no real reason other than to bring the Titanic into it (and that was sort of absurd). Anything else, avalanche, earthquake, bomb, could have been used to the same effect...get rid of a bunch of leaders in one place. Because the reference disappears and you really don't care when the story is placed again. It's merely an oddity and a jarring one at that.

The pathos at the end of the real is real. It tugged at my heart. I felt for both characters. But again, with the good comes the bad. I was also let down because there was no comeuppance for the person who put Kent through all that. It was "oh well, that happens". I'm all about the revenge here. Ah well.

As I said, there were some good elements here, enough that overrode the bad that I'm giving it 3 stars. The writing made me connect to one of the main characters, enough to pull at me at the end when it looked like he was going to die. I only wish the author had built on the good elements they had going, and scattered the others away.



Cover art is just so so. Doesn't speak to the era or show the interesting characteristics of the MC's. Could be any book.