I loved the beginning where the mother was giving birth and the baby turned out being a girl the father thought it would be two boys and the mother wouldn’t have to have anymore kids till her midwife corrected her and told her she was a girl so the mother had a good idea to make her a disguise as a boy all the years and name her Jules. I don’t know how the dad never found out all these years that his son was a “daughter.”

Then it goes to 23 years later she’s still being called a son.

James Wulverton Duke of wulverton they thought he was lost at sea turns out he was living in the mountains in secret. He was returned to his family and had to do his family’s duty even though he thought they were nosy and he didn’t like them knowing where he really was. So his mother doesn’t want him to be bad she calls to hire Jules and her dad to lead him in the proper direction.

When Jules meets James it is a instant attraction and James knows of Jules secret that she is really a woman. And he wants her to help him put on a disguise as well. I really loved their relationship with one another and how he called her my wildflower and loved her scent. I loved the story it was perfect. This is my 100% opinion. Thank you for the arc.

3.5 stars
James, Duke of Wolverton, has been lost in the wilderness for 10 years and living with wolves, when he is found and returned home his family doesn't like how remote he's become and worry that he's gone insane.
Jules, who has lived her whole life as a man(even her father doesn't know) to protect her mother, and her father have been called in to evaluate and aid the Duke as they are both doctors of the mind. Jules is excited to be able to start practicing now that she's finished school, but the instant the Duke gets her into a room with fewer people in it he can smell she's a woman(this is where the story lost me a bit), they form a friendship around keeping each others secrets and then things get naughty.
This was an interesting story line but all the focus on smell just kept losing my attention.

BOOK: The Wolf and The Wildflower
GENRE: historical romance
TROPES & THEMES: hidden identity, recluse hero, forced proximity, workplace romance, forbidden, trauma, secrets
TRIGGER WARNING: ptsd, gaslighting
HOTTIE METER: 🔥🔥
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
RELEASE DATE: February 27, 2023

just when you think "another recluse duke historical" here comes stacy reid and brings the twist to it and as always, there is so much heart and emotions in her book, which is something that I am used to it by now from this author -
yes, I am spoiled by the fantastic Stacy Reid!!!

this book is also a great example of how parents can mess up their children so badly with their own issues and expectations
this might be historical, but all of those things are very current too!!

perfect for readers who like fated mates vibes in historical romance with independent heroines and a unique storyline

what didn't work for me is a purely subjective thing that I don't like in any type of book is hidden/fake identity and it just gives me anxiety plus I don't know why but I spend way too much time being taken out of the story thinking about how no one didn't figure out that heroine is a woman?

* thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion

I never saw it happening this way!!! Yes, there were all those wonderful, twisty incidents and decisions that led our hero and heroine to become who they are, but once they met this story veers far away from the expected. This doesn’t rely on all the tricks that tropes of mistaken identity have fallen on through the years. Instead, this is fresh and original.

My heart hurt for Jules, although I suspect her character was not created to cause the ache I felt on her behalf. I couldn’t help but feel she had been forced to live life in a manner that went against how she was born. Yet, she was fiercely independent and loved the freedom her charade provided her.

James captured my attention immediately! I wanted to know more about living in the wild with wolves. I mean, I totally understood that it was that way of life that made him into the man he was, quiet, finding food distasteful and people annoying. However, once he interacted with Jules, he found peace and I loved how he was able to sense her secret.

Jules and James are fire together! From the beginning there is an attraction that they can’t deny and they act on it pretty quickly. What a steamy lesson for Jules who has lived her life as a man! I did have to sustain belief a bit through the story and the reason for that also hindered the authenticity of the time period. Nevertheless, this was a multi-layered story that kept me enthralled from the beginning.

Will their differences stand between them …

What if a Cast Away Greystoke and The Rose of Versailles had a child, it would be this book.
A sensual encounter between a wild man in need of reconnecting with his origins and the woman who knows all the codes he has forgotten.

I did not even read the blurb before requesting this book, just the author’s name was enough to decide I had to read it.
And wow, just wow.

A tale of two mates recognizing one another, James seeing beyond the society’s mask Jules wears and Jules understanding his struggles to go back to the strictures he had to give up to the pint of forgetting to be able to survive.

Jules has become upon her birth the center part of a deceit she had no means to prevent. Yet when understanding the weight of being brought up as a boy instead of a girl, it is more than normal she has learned to doubt the soundness of revealing the truth about her sex, it would probably shatter her present freedom, one she won by being seen as a man.
James to survive had to extract the ton polish from his skin, to keep only the as-old-as-humanity skill to fight for one’s life and resilience to move forward. But after a decade of loneliness in a hostile environment, readapting himself to who he once was, appears an impossible feat, he feels so altered from his younger self.
Why there is an instant recognition between them, he sees in her, a woman who unknowingly from others has found a way to fit without really fitting. She intrigues him with her ability to blend when she is bewitched by this man who endured the impossible and is alive to tell it if he had not closed himself from others’ perusing. She senses in him his inner turmoils and agitations.
Together they form an unique bond, as while Jules knows how to hide who she is, James must learn to fit and conceal part of the man he has become.
But their time together is counted, they are bound by their position for Jules to love openly James would require what she sees as a sacrifice.

With this incredible moving beautiful story, the author brings together two persons standing each at one edge of society, yet really seeing the other.
Their courting while unconventional is the easy part, it is making it last their main challenge without loosing themselves in the process.
5 big fat stars

𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen foreplays and lovemaking scenes

I have been granted an advance copy by the publisher, here is my true and unbiased opinion.

Wow, this book was so interesting and unique!

I went in blind and this book threw me after a few pages because I wasn't expecting the storyline, but it was really good and different. I love reading historical romances, and I love finding those with different concepts!

I was just getting impatient toward the end because I was just so anxious to see how everything would fall, but I really enjoyed this one.

I have yet to read a book from Stacy Reid I haven't liked!

*I was provided an eARC by the publishers and NetGalley for my honest review.

Summary:

Jules Southby has lived as a man her entire life because of her mother's decision to hide the fact that she couldn't birth an heir from her husband. Now Jules is a burgeoning psychologist tasked with helping James, the Duke of Wulverton transition back into society three weeks. James was lost in the wilderness of the Yukon and lived among wolves for a decade, and has now returned a changed man. A bond grows between Jules and James even as the time they have together grows shorter... and it goes from there.

Some Background:
The Wolf and the Wildflower was actually my first Stacy Reid book! I went in with 0 expectations and I ended up quite enjoying it. Also, before we jump into the review, talk about this cover?? Look at this shirtless long-haired man! Look at him tenderly cupping her cheek! Look at her hair! It's great.

Review:
Something I particularly enjoyed was how early on James not only saw through Jules's disguise (BY SNIFFING HER. Can there be anything more HR, I ask??), but also how they marked one another as almost equals, if that makes sense? Like, they're in similar circumstances in that they need to present a facade to the rest of the world for their security and well-being (in James's case it's that he's a changed man because ten years of solitude in extremely harsh conditions would obviously have a psychological impact). I also love how they work through these facades together, helping each other along the way. That's when we get the best of the romance between them- when they're together in the woods in his little treehouse, and just talking, flirting, confiding... and more.

On a sillier note, I used to think the best HR men were inevitably compared to big cats. I have now revised that standard to include wolves. And Stacy really went all in on the wolf thing. James bonded with a wolf pack in the Yukon, he howls, has wolf-y eyes, a wolf-y sense of hearing, he sniffs her A Lot, wants to lick her (he does), there is the inevitable doggy-style... now that I think about it, for a man trapped in the wild for ten years, he really gives good sex. Maybe not as "primal" as I thought it would be, but it works for them and their characters.

Regarding Jules's gender identity, my one point of historical romance (erotica) comparison is His Valet by S.M LaViolette aka Minerva Spencer. The main character Jo is assigned female at birth but is made to hide their gender early on by their father out of concerns for their safety. But as time goes on, they grows more comfortable with their masculine persona and live for the most part as a man, but they're still genderfluid. So there is some question as to how much their father making him to live as a boy made them the way they are, versus the question of biology. The difference between His Valet and here is that Jules identifies as a cis woman and by the beginning of the book, she's at the stage where she wants to reveal her gender to her family, but she does not want to give up the privileges afforded to her as a male in this society like a career in psychology. That is more her conflict than any question of gender identity.

Overall, I really did love the emotions in this book, especially the depth of understanding between Jules and James. And there was a lot more humor than I would have expected based the seriousness of the plot. I'm always glad to read HR written later in the 1800s because you can delve deeper into topics like psychology within the context of your romance, which worked really well here.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Entangled Publishing for this ARC.

Wow, this book is different than the average historical romance. Jules is born female but because her father was demanding a heir her mother claims she has a son and raises her as a boy. Mother always thinking she would tell her husband sometime in the future. Jules has gone through life living as a boy and has been educated and able to attend university etc. Her father is a doctor of the mind and Jules is assisting him in his work. James Winters, Duke of Wulverton has been discovered after being missing for ten years. He was 18 when he was lost and spent the time alone in the wilderness. His mother calls on the doctor to come and help James adjust in his return to his family and society.

He has some sensory issues with touch and noise. He likes to be in the woods behind his grand home. But his mother insists that he must be fit to assume the Dukedom, meet the queen and function in society. James doesn’t like the doctor but is willing to talk and spend time with Jules. This is a very clever set up and allows them time to speak frankly and openly about his experiences. I did find some of the formality of their discussions tedious wanting to move the relationship forward and the story eventually gets there. I’m not going to spoil how things work out. But they discuss some interesting possibilities. It does wind up fairly quickly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. (3.5 Stars)

*Received a copy for review.*
This book was very unexpected. I’ve read many books where someone is digitizing themselves to live as they wish or to hide. I don’t think I’ve read the trope quite like this.
Jules has been disguised her entire life because her mother was frail and her father was desperate for a son. She was raised and has lived as a boy and never w a man.
The Duke of Wolverton was lost in the wilderness for 10 years and is having great difficulty reintegrating into society. He needs space and does not wish to be touched.
I really loved how these two orbit one another. I love that he has heightened senses and that she understands how important touch is.
It gave me a bit of a Tarzan vibe.

4 ⭐️ This was both exactly what I expected, and somehow better!

Jules has spent her entire life living as a man. When her mother gave birth for the second time to yet another girl and knowing that her husband would most likely kill her in his attempt to have an heir, she lied and told everyone that the babe had been born male. For twenty-three years Jules has been able to maintain her male persona, going to university and becoming a psychologist. Now, when a long-lost Duke is rescued after ten years in the wilderness, Jules and her father are hired to assess if the duke is fit to reenter high society.

When I read this book’s blurb, I imagined how the plot would be laid out, and what would most likely be its ending. And although it very much went in the direction I had presume, it also surprised me with how funny and tender some of the scenes and the characters were. I found myself rooting for Jules and James to be together, even knowing that I didn’t truly want for either of their wishes and freedoms to be revoked. And the ending, although predictable and a tad annoying, was more fulfilling than I thought it would be.

This book is very much a work of fiction, since I don’t think for a second this story could have been possible irl -but I kind of wish it would. Still, it was interesting to read about a story like this, since I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it before. Also, am I counting this as my favourite Tarzan fanfic ever? Yes. Yes, very much so.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️ / 5

*Thank you so much Net Galley and publisher for providing me with an eARC!*

This review has been posted on Goodreads ahead of its publication!

Another beautiful romance from one of my favorite authors!

I had no idea what to expect from Jules and James, but I was swept away by their connection and the way their souls just seemed to call out to one another. I loved this uncivilized hero and I felt such compassion for how he must have lived for all those years alone. It reminded me a little of a Tarzan situation, even if he was a little older when he was lost in the wilderness.

Stacy Reid is just able to make me feel so much for her characters and even with a plot that is off the wall and parents that I want to slap a few times, I can't help but be enamored with the story. I read this all in one sitting and I immediately want another one. I'm so happy Stacy Reid has a whole line up coming for us this year!

Let your logical brain go and just be swept away with this beautiful romance!

5 stars
2.5 on the spice scale

CW: gaslighting by parent

This was absolute and utter perfection.

Deeply romantic with a bonkers plot reminiscent of old-school historical romance. I both devoured this book and wanted to savor every single page.

One of the rare books that as soon as I finished, I wanted to go back to page one and read it all over again.

Historical romance, no just romance novel perfection.

Before I begin my review, I want to say that if I could, I would give this novel 10/5 stars. This was my first time reading Stacy Reid and let me tell you, she did NOT disappoint. I finished this book within a night! Okay, let's get into it, shall we?

We meet Jules and James in two different places in their lives. Since birth, Jules has been told to live like a boy - a deception her mother willingly engaged in to bring her child bearing days to an end. While James, who disappeared after a mountain climbing excursion ten years before, appears suddenly on the doorstep of one his ancestral homes. To the elation of his mother. His eccentric behaviors, however, worry his mother and she seeks out an alienist or a head doctor. This particular head doctor is Dr. Southby, Jules' father. After endless conversations, the Duchess of Wulverton, retains both Dr. Southby and his 'son' Jules. She wants them to study James and help him become a productive member of society again. Since his wild and untamed ways are wholly unacceptable for a duke of such high rank and breeding. Upon first smell (you read that correctly!) James becomes aware of the simple fact that Jules is not who she claims to be. Instead of being a distinguished man, she is a woman! A woman he finds himself insanely attracted to.

At first they prowl around each other, not knowing what to make of the other. Jules silently wills him to keep her secret since if revealed it would bring shame and scandal to her family. And James does! They get to know each other and their attraction intensifies.

“I like you too much, she whispered silently, feeling as if her soul cried for his.”

This novel had it all! Spice, romance and complex characters (which are my favorite, of course!). There was not one moment during my reading where I wasn’t rooting for Jules or James. James was an interesting character because he did not allow society to dictate his personality or normality. Yes, he knew his duty was to find a duchess and rejoin society, but he did not allow that to compromise the person he’d become. It was apparent he wasn’t the same man he’d been before his disappearance. A feat his mother couldn’t wrap her mind around. But during their love story, the audience got to experience James learning to interact with his family again. He begins to mourn his father and feel emotions he hadn’t allowed himself to feel during his decade-long journey in the Canadian wilderness.

Let’s not even mention the spice, which was 5 chili peppers sizzling (🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️). At certain parts of the book, I was fanning myself. It was steamy, ya’ll! Just goodness overall has me grinning like an idiot right now as I write this.

I think for me what made this book a five star read was the romance itself. The build up, the tension, the stolen kisses, and hidden nights encapsulated the characters in the most enlightening way. AND there was character development! Which is always one of the best parts for me! James learnt to feel his emotions again, learnt to get out of that survival mode that had kept him alive for all those years. While for the first time in Jules’ life she got to feel love and the emotions of being wanted by a man. Which changes her and makes her want to drop her disguise and be honest with her father! I was especially proud of her when she put her foot down and began to put her feelings first.

“I feel, Wildflower.” The way he said this rumbled through her. “Do you?” Her heart started to pound as she awaited his answer. “All of it seems centered on you.”

I want to add there were moments during this novel where I cried and punched the air in excitement. It was breathtaking and beautifully written with characters who were just as complex as you and I.

This book is one of those books where you wish you could read it again just to feel the excitement, pain and all encompassing emotion of falling in love with these characters for the first time.

If I were you, I’d do myself a favor and buy this book! It comes out on February 23rd!

Another Amazing Romance by Stacy Reid 🐺🌺 This story makes you believe love conquers everything and even against a huge hurdle the Wolf and his Wildflower get their Happily Ever After! I loved the characters, Jules & James, they definitely have some sexy romps in the woods! Can you say “Treehouse Love Nest” - Stacy Reid knows how to crank up the heat and she definitely doesn’t disappoint in this story.

I also enjoyed the unique topics included in the plot and thought they were well explored which added additional depth to the story and vulnerability to the characters. I would be remiss not to mention the sexy cover - the cover artist chose the perfect couple to grace this book!

Overall 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 5 Flames 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 - I can’t wait for the next book from the talented Stacy Reid!

📚Disclosure: I received a review copy of this book from the Entangled Publishing via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, comments, and interpretations of the story are my own and bias free. I did not receive any money in exchange for this review. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me the opportunity to review. Reviews are usually cross-posted to social media, goodreads, and blog. 🦄

I was captivated from the start and knew this was going to be something special. A slow simmering romance that burns with a primal desire and need. James (Wolf) and Jules (Wildflower) are wonderful, their connection instant and I enjoyed how their romance built into an all-consuming love.

Stacy Reid as done it again and written another one of the most unique and heart string pulling hero's you will ever read. I think that Stacy's gift of writing historical hero's with such flaws or challenges and how they overcome them is truly a gift.

James is a hero that you fall right for, and how your heart breaks for him after being lost alone is the Alaskan/ Canadian wilderness for ten years and being pulled right back into society to figure out how to be a duke. "Jules" is also a very interesting character who I don't know if I should be mad at her mother or happy for the life she has be able to lead. I completely understand where the mother is coming from with this secret, but for it to go on for so long seemed odd.

A slow burn, five star read, with such a great take on historical romance.

I know that when I read a Stacy Reid book, I will love it. But for some reason, this book will live in my heart and head rent-free for some time! I LOVED IT! I can't decide what I love most about it - the setting, the duke and his wild tendencies, a woman dressed as a man who happens to be one of the best alienists in the country or the fact that both of them are willing to let go of themselves to be with the other.

The Duke was in fact a wolf - he had all the characteristics of a lone wolf and you can't make me change my mind. He was lost to the wilderness for 10 years when he stumbled down a mountain and was found and taken back to England. He can't get used to his new life and most of society thinks he is crazy. That is when his mother enlists the help of two doctors of the mind - the Southbys.

Jules Southby is an alienist that has studied overseas and is one of the most sought-after doctors of the mind. But this alienist holds a secret that could ruin the career. Don't want to spoil and won't spoil.

Their love is one of understanding and a lot of communication. Their love language is him smelling her and she makes him talk about his feelings. It was lovely! I won't stop recommending this book (and I mean shoving it down people's throats every chance I get). Great story!

Gloriously captivating and sensual romance that deserves nothing less than 5 stars.

Stacy Reid’s stunning ‘The Wolf and the Wildflower‘ will live on my keeper shelf as a paperback version.

Utterly beautiful and magical writing. And incredibly absorbing and tension-filled story line. Great mental health rep. Main characters that are thoroughly and lovingly perfect for each other as we get to know them in depth and strength and courage. Both James and Jules see each other completely and love with all their might.

James Winters, the Duke of Wulverton—thought lost—survived the unforgiving wilderness of Canada for over a decade and has returned to London. “He has 3 weeks to become a refined, elegant duke for the Queen…or doom the entire family to ruin and scandal.


Promising psychologist Jules Southby knows a lot about disguises as she’s secretly been living as a boy since birth, enjoying the freedoms of men. When she meets the alluring duke, she’s unprepared for his raw, masculine beauty and icy intelligence…or that he can see through her darkest secret.


Jules has very little time to transform the duke into a true semblance of an English gentleman. Yet his very presence seems to unravel her in every way. Their attraction is stark and achingly real—and forbidden. But loving the lost duke would mean losing every sacrifice she’s made to earn her freedom…”


> Tropes: instant attraction, forbidden love, working heroine
> Heat level: 4/5 (the emotional connection makes this super sensual!)
> Overall rating: 5/5
> Publication date: Feb 28

Special mention goes to the stunning cover!! It perfectly shows how Jules and James are described in the book. Absolutely wonderful.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Entangled for granting me an opportunity to read this romance ahead of the publication date.

Content guidance: grief, mention of miscarriages, mental trauma

Wow. This book was unlike anything I’ve ever read before, and I loved it!

James is a Duke who has just returned to high society after getting lost in the wilderness and surviving on his own for the last 10 years, and he’s understandably having a hard time adjusting. That’s where Jules comes in. Having been dressing as and pretending to be a man for as long as she can remember, she has had the freedom to travel, attend university and study psychology. She and her father get brought in to assess and help James re-acclimate to the ton, but when they first meet, sparks fly and the two have an increasingly difficult time trying to resist each other.

This book tackled difficult issues of the social norms that come with regency England, especially familial expectations and sexism against women. Jules and James’s story was so angsty, touching, HOT…just everything. My only issue is the ending - it felt very rushed and I wished we got more closure with Jules’ father, who is the main reason she is pretending to be a gentleman. But overall, a great read. It was my first Stacy Reid novel, but it certainly won’t be my last!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Standalone novel. We’ve got tragic background for both the characters here in this story and it makes for an unbelievable connection. Jules has lived her entire life as a man, despite being born a girl; her mother endured difficult childbirths and was warned against having more children, but her father was insistent on a son… so her mother and midwife presented the baby as a son so that she could find relief from marital relations and pregnancy. James, the son of a duke, was lost in the Canadian mountains at the age of 18 and survived there alone for ten years before his rescue and return. Now that he’s back in England and the duke, his mother is concerned that he is addled and savage. Jules and her father are both mind doctors hired by James’ mother to assess the man and fix his behavior. Of course, Jules is the one who understands his plight and need for isolation and quiet amongst his busybody chattering family. James also sees through Jules’ disguise with his heightened senses and awareness and he has been the only one to truly see her in her whole life. The quiet moments where these two are alone are the only times they can be themselves without the judgments of society or putting on an act. It’s sweet and soulful and just the right amount of teary. Probably my favorite Stacy Reid book ever, and I love all her books, so that’s saying a lot.