I really liked the characters in this story. Ben and Alex are not looking for love but it finds them. He wanted some fun and his wolf is telling him she is very important to him. She has been burned before by love and reluctant to put her heart on the line.

You will find yourself smiling a lot as you read their story. They have some interesting quirks and it is not a direct course to love for them.

I am a big fan of this author's books. She tends to be able to combine humor, heat and action into a mix that really is a pleasure to read. While you can jump into the books at any point, it is good to use the authors recommended reading order if you really want to have the best understanding of the background for the stories.

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received.

I received a copy of The Wolf's Joy by Holley Trent from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I found the summary for this novel to be very intriguing, and although the execution was not completely polished, it was still an enjoyable read!

A fun and entertaining novella set in Holley Trent’s Masters of Maria series.

The characters are a bit quirky and are so right for each other that this short romance will raise your spirits which is fantastic as it releases just before the holidays. The author brings her characters to such brilliant life that readers can just feel the chemistry and heat from each and every page and it they can definitely see where Ben and Alex are perfect for each other.

Their romance is so full of amusing quirks and leaps that it brought a smile to my face throughout each and every page which brightened my day and of course the supporting characters have certainly caught my interest and ensured that I want to visit the town of Maria again and get to know them all.

Which as you may have guessed means I need to go back and read the first two books in this series. I just hate it when life gets in the way of my reading time, because then I get behind on all the wonderful books out there and Holley Trent is definitely one of to be read authors and The Wolf’s Joy is a fantastic quick read.

Alex wiped down the table for the former queen of Elves- Marissa- and pulled out a chair for her. Alex asked Marissa if she had brought the fruitcake and she said it was at Noelle’s. Alec had gotten her first bite of fruitcake when her old roommate Beel had left it on the counter and Alec couldn’t resist seeing what was in the foil covered package. She had loved the fruitcake. Marie was a sleepy New Mexican town. At three in the afternoon the sidewalks were basically empty and the roads quiet. The rest of Clarissa's party was outside .on the sidewalk- Noelle and Jenny who worked in real estate . There was about to be a bunch of new people in town- warehouse workers and they were trying to find houses for the early white collar arrivals. Maria was a supernatural hot bed but wasn’t common knowledge to humans. Alex has inside information as Belle who had been her former roommate was a cougar shifter and her father had been the cougar’s group’s alpha before he died. Alex had lived in Marie since she was five. In thirty minutes Alex got off work. Then she turned to find a werewolf right next to her - they hung around Clarissa - he asked Alec her age. Ben was at the point in his life where he had to find a mate or go feral. He really didn’t want a mate he was finally making good money.but he had no choice in the matter. Belle had told Alec to avoid werewolves. Ben eventually asked Alec to hook up for the night. Alex had been the first one he had asked and Ben’s wolf liked Alec so more Ben and less wolf came out. He asked Alec about her foraging or stealing as he put it and she told him about the business she hoped to start. Ben is a mechanic yet he was afraid of change and that included having a mate in his life. Alex can’t seem to resist Ben but she had been hurt before and she wanted someone she could stay with and build a life with.
I liked reading this paranormal shifter book. I wasn’t sure at first but something kept me reading and I am glad of that. This definitely has a different take on a shifters romance. But as I read on I grew to really enjoy the book. I liked the plot as well as the pace. This made me laugh at times and that is always good. This novella was a light, fun, easy read. Ben and Alex did compliment each other and I really liked that. I liked also how Ben ended up wanting to be the man Alex needed. I liked the characters and the ins and outs of this book and I recommend.

If you are going to read holiday you have to add paranormal to the mix such as this one. This author knows how to entertain so I was not shy in opening it up. This centers around Alex and Ben. Alex surprises you then you follow to see where it goes. The magnetism between the two pulls you in also. A bit of humor to bring on the joy. This is also a quick one that you get through in no time.

The Wolf's Joy by Holley Trent is book Three in the "Masters of Maria" series. This is the story of Ben Swain and Alex Cavanaugh.
Alex is a waitress who friends seem to keep finding their mates so she just works and tries to collect her plants. But when a young male/wolf tries to set her up with a one night stand with his friend Ben she tells him to meet her after work to hear this request out. But she only gave him a few minutes and she starts walking off. But Ben then moves forward to actually say something to her...granted its a few words but he doesn't want to let her go.
Ben pack and his inter wolf have been after him to find a mate..which he keeps putting off. Thinking that if he can have a quick one night stand it will help calm his wolf but when he sees Alex...his wolf does calm. It appears that the wolf knows he has found his mate...but getting Alex on that thought is a little work.
I enjoyed this book and will look for more from Ms. Trent.

The Wolf's Joy is a holiday novella due out 20th Nov, 2017 from Simon & Schuster's Adams imprint. Written by Holley Trent, this is a standalone tie-in with crossover characters from her other 'Maria' novels. (Maria is a town, not a person).

Alex Cavanaugh is a waitress in a diner in Maria, New Mexico where paranormals live side by side with humans. Ben Swain's a wolf shifter who's in town on bodyguard duty and looking for a temporary encounter to keep his wolf hormones in check. Alex has had some bad experiences (her ex's nickname, 'Deputy Dipsh*t' almost made me snort diet coke out my nose), and she swears she's not looking for anything other than a temporary measure to keep her hormones in check, so she can concentrate on her budding horticulture business.

Yes, they bonded in about 5 minutes flat. Yes, it's goofy in places and the sarcastic humor doesn't always ring true. On the other hand, sometimes you need a really sweet, silly, light, romantic sexy read and this one is sweet and undemanding. There's enough dramatic tension to give the denouement a fluffy and romantic payoff.

I wasn't particularly pleased by portraying the local conservationist/ecology park ranger type character as a complete doofus, and I'm very much against gathering native plant materials irresponsibly (which Alex doesn't do, exactly), but I'm probably the only person who will react to that part of the story.

For fans of playfully light paranormal romance, this quick read (128 pages) will satisfy. NSFW, but not erotica, either. I'm not really the target audience; I'm sure paranormal romance fans will enjoy it very much.

Three and a half stars.

A fun little story about the human Alex and her wolf mate Ben. It is a novella, so it is a section of time, but still felt complete. Some of the story line was a little hard to follow, the elves, etc, but otherwise fun. I liked reading about them searching for seeds, and talking in their own weird language. Liked them alone more than with others. Would recommend if you want a quick holiday romance.