First I do have to say that the premise of this book was really good. The characters are amazing and I loved that even though I had not read the rest of the series I could jump right into the story and understand what was going on. In saying that I did think a lot of the book was not necessary and this made the book drag on. I felt that more time could have been added to build the action, suspense and romance so that as the reader I would have been drawn back into the story and not wanting to put it down, when it took me what felt like forever to finish and almost like a chore to just finish it. It also did not end with intrigue or anything that would make me dying to read the rest of the series.

Not much worries Noah Wulfenbach, one of the most powerful shifters in North America, but questions about Iva Yamauchi’s recovery had made him anxious. He was vigilant in his caring for his mate, sitting beside her tree, talking to it—to her. Now that she’s back, Noah’s relief is matched only by his desire to drag the feisty dryad to his house to complete their mating bond.
I used to read this author a long time ago, before I got so bogged down in reviewing books, so I was excited to read something from her. Unfortunately, I wish it hadn’t been the 5th in a series. It made things a little confusing for me. However, I still enjoyed the story and characters. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.
**I voluntarily read and reviewed this book

I think I did myself a disservice joining the series at book 5. There appears to be *a lot* of characters floating around with lots of stories that I felt very lost trying to keep track of. As a paranormal romance, though, it is super unique.

Iva has just recovered from some horrible torture/kidnapping from the big bad Van Helsings. Noah, who apparently discovered that Iva was his mate, has been trying to balance sitting by Iva's tree and managing the North American shifters. They are both rulers in their races, so them coming together is a great match. Iva seems like a free spirit, worried more about others than herself, but pairs off nicely with Noah. Noah, who has taken to being an adoptive father to two young kids, is the real-world to her wandering mind. Oh, and there's chemistry that lights up the page.

The larger storyline here, other than their fated mate status, is hunting down the big bad. They use all of their larger paranormal network to their limits - there's magic, dragons, unicorns, vampires, shifters, ghosts - you name it! Their combined power might be able to keep the bad at bay and give us a happy for now ending, but it's clear there's still more story to be had.

I picked up this series last year during #Rombklove and fell in love with the unusual paranormal small town with dryads and vegetarian vampires. It’s so fun and the characters are amazing. I was so excited for this release and this ARC in particular because Iva is one we’ve watched go through a lot in the series and I wanted to see her HEA badly! But I couldn’t even finish this because nothing seemed to make sense. Iva and Noah’s relationship was incredibly easy with no barriers which does not jive with the rest of the series at all. There also seemed to be inconsistencies with previous books in the series which bothered me. I’ll still continue with the series but hope the rest return to the earlier sense of fun and romance.

Noah Wulfenbach has been vigilant in his caring for his mate, sitting beside her tree, talking to it but now she’s back and his relief is matched only by his desire to drag the feisty dryad to his house to complete their mating bond. Iva is ready to make for lost time, curious and excited to find out just how firmly she’s tied to Mr. Tall, Dark and Growly. But before they can explore the depth of their connection they have to kill the most powerful of demons…or die trying.

‘Maggie’s Grove is the place to be… the strong, solid characters are easily connected to and draw readers into their story which is full of passion, strength, loyalty and a willingness to fight evil. The romance between Noah and Iva is sweet with lots of powerful chemistry but their relationship has started off with trouble which they must overcome before they can hope to fulfill their destined bond. This keeps emotions and passion flowing from the pages as readers become enthralled with this couple.

The plot is fast paced and a bit complex with lots of suspense and excitement and readers can’t help but continue to turn the pages until they have read every last word. The battle with the Van Helsings is an ongoing one, so the story is best read in sequence for complete understanding of the character relationships and the nuances of the conflict but the story is still quite enjoyable if readers haven’t read them. This series is full of wonderfully unique and fascinating characters in a vivid and entertaining world that readers can’t get enough of and this one is a powerful and exhilarating reading experience.

I enjoyed this but didn’t realise it was book 5 in a series, I felt a bit lost at times. It was a nice story with interesting characters but the pacing felt a bit wrong, going too fast at one point but then too slow later, could have been better if this was worked on, so sadly although interesting enough not really for me


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I have been an intense follower of everything this author writes for a few years now, and time and time again i’m pulled into her storytelling and charismatic characters. I wanted to enjoy this book as much as I did the others, I wanted to dive into it and not look away until it was completed but I found myself trying to find reasons to put it on hold.

First off, I have been waiting for Iva and Noah’s story since the begging hints of her arrival back into the story- I wasn’t aware these two would be the couple until (I believe) the last book release in this series. It seemed like a perfect set up to the story, Iva has been damaged by something and we have Noah here to help her gain that back, but the whole relationship between the two characters seemed to easy. They just met and Iva has gone through something horrible but... it’s all okay? I expected a little “growth” and learning from one another. I understand that he is her mate, but her trust for him should be a little stand offish at first.

other that the basic issue with the full development of the MCs relationship, I also felt that the story was moving too fast- and then it was moving too slow. One aspect of the story would merge with another and then I would be left feeling that something just wasn’t adding up. I felt bored and found reasons to stop reading and do something else, which was a complete 180 from how I normally devour Dana Marie Bells books. I’m excited to see what her other stories have to offer, i’ll not give up over this little hiccup and patiently await more of her stories!

Bell delivers another fantastic entry in her Maggie’s Grove series which is sure to spark a series re-read. Fans finally learn Iva and Noah’s story, with numerous appearances by characters from the previous books. If Bell isn’t an auto buy, what are you waiting for?

I love the rest of the books in this series and this one was a great new addition. I really enjoyed the story and the characters were very well written.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. What a great book , I really enjoyed it. Highly recommend to everyone.

I’m a sucker for werewolves and it’s not surprising that I liked this sweet romance. However:

1) This doesn’t really work as a stand-alone and that’s how I read it. The MCs have clearly been through a lot and I feel like I missed a significant part of their journey. So that’s on me. I should have caught up on the series before trying it out.

2) A few book friends of mine were upset because they saw clear worldbuilding inconsistencies from earlier books. I can’t speak to this as I haven’t read the earlier installments, but they say that the errors are obvious to anyone who cares about worldbuilding. So just keep that in mind.

After a long gap, Ms. Bell comes back to Maggie's Grove and picks up from where she left off with Iva hidden deep within her tree battling with the poison and the aftermath of the torture that she was subjected to. Noah the wolf alpha and her mate has spent a lot of hours parked under the tree awaiting her recovery. Iva emerges from her tree changed but ready to embrace life and her brothers and sisters and catch up on the life that has passed her by while she recovers in her tree.
Given her situation Noah delays the mating ceremony to keep his pack safe. All the residents of Maggie's Grove band together to create a plan to find and defeat the demon who is leading the opposition. Along the way the relationship between Iva and Noah develops as they hunt demons and eradicate evil. This is a series that needs to be read in order in order to understand what's going on.
While there are some new characters introduced it does feel like this is the last book in this series.

This is book five in the Maggie's Grove series. I have read the previous books but didn't reread before picking up this one, and I think that would've helped. It felt like there was momentum from previous books that was supposed to be carried into this one but because I couldn't remember there were gaps. I would not advise this be read as a standalone; it would be too overwhelming with all the characters and backstory needed so they should read the series in order.

The book opens with the mystery of what is Iva now? How has she been affected by the torture she underwent previously? She and Noah put off their claiming until they have some medical answers. There's also the fact that Noah is now raising his niece and nephew after their parents were killed in previous books, something that Iva is unsure about. The kids aren't relevant to the story; they just keep eating cereal, sitting in front of the tv, and being left with babysitters.

There are a few battles with their foes throughout the book as Noah and Iva work on their relationship. The characterization isn't very good, there is more of a sense of their roles (within the pack and the dryads) than their personalities.

Hour of the Wolf will work best for readers who are looking for some resolution to previous storylines and who've been looking forward to Iva and Noah's story.