“The Wolf and the Wildflower” is a standalone book about identity. Both Jules and James need to hide who they really are out of necessity. And this exploration of identity and evolution (growth) is so intriguing and interesting that it makes up for the weak point of the book: Their parents.

When Jules Southby’s mother gave birth to her she already had a daughter. Dr Southby is a doctor of the mind (psychologist) obsessed with the idea of having a son that would follow in his steps. Jules’ mother has had a good few years of miscarriages and stillborn babies and so her body is exhausted. That’s why when she gives birth a confusion gives her matron the idea of making this baby girl pass as a boy. So for the next 23 years Jules is a woman crossdressing as a man although she identifies herself as a woman at the core, however being thought a man allows her liberties and privileges that no woman had in Victorian England, for example being sent to Austria to study medicine of the mind at the university there. Still she longs to have a normal life, to be touched and loved and being close to other people without having to worry about revealing herself. And that’s when she meets James.

Dr Southby and his ‘son’ are called by the duchess of Wulverton. The lady is worried about her son, the duke of Wulverton, who got lost in an expedition and spent ten years alone in the wild. James isn’t insane but he’s not the same boy of 18, his priorities and perspectives have changed. He believes that he would have changed regardless, but his mother still misses the James of the past and is stubborn about recuperating that version of him. James has to hide his identity in a different way than Jules has, but still they’re both hiding, they’re both alone and lonely. Until they meet each other and they both see through the disguise. From that moment James won’t allow anyone else but Jules to get near him. James seeks mutual understanding and honesty, so they both agree to keep whatever happens in those sessions to themselves. The intimacy between them grows.

“The Wolf and the Wildflower” is not a page turner. The book is so well written, every line is so appropriately and carefully chosen that the reader really immerses themself in James’ and Jules’ conversations and thoughts. We get to know how they feel and what their perspectives of their environment correlated to their true selves are which is quite interesting and useful to make a comparison of the same aspects of them after they meet. We see their intimacy and how they guess who hides behind their masks, they see beyond appearances and behaviors, they smell each other like two animal mates recognizing each other. This book requires time because it’s crafted like a careful game of matryoshka dolls, so it’s not a page turner but it is incredibly engaging. I’m a big fan of Stacy Reid and I’ve read many of her works throughout the years and, in my humble opinion, this is her best book so far. I could touch it, taste it, be moved by it, be hugged and understood because at some point or other in our lives we all find the need to create a mask, a shield, around ourselves. And there are many people in this world who have to live in disguise for many reasons. I think that this book is for them especially.

There was only one weak point in my opinion and that was the parents, especially Jules’. Though loving and caring, their selfishness and their priorities are so wrong that I could find no love for them within me. But like I said in the first paragraph, the rest of the book, which belongs only to Jules and James, made up for it. Read this book, you are welcome.

Ahh, Stacy Reid books. I can always count on a Reid novel to pull me out of my reading slump. After LOVING her last book, I had been looking forward to this one, and it did not disappoint!

James, a duke, is accidentally lost in the Canadian wilderness for over 10 years. When he is found, he returns to England where his family is overjoyed to have him home. Here's the problem, though: James had changes. A LOT. He behaves more like an animal than a duke, which prompts his mother to seek the help of Dr. Southby, a 19th century psychologist, to see if her son is mentally ill. Dr, Southby brings his son along, Jules, to help him. However, Jules is a woman! She had been living as a man since birth because her mother's health was so bad that she didn't want to try for another baby. Now that the father had an "heir", he left the mother alone. Jules has grown up enjoying the freedom that comes with being a guy, such as going to university.

Firstly, let me say this: The plot of this novel is BONKERS, but I mean that in the best way possible. Seriously. The best way possible. I ate this book up. I couldn't put it down. The sexual tension between James and Jules is palpable. Part of this comes from the fact that James can sense that Jules is a woman from the very beginning. He smells her scent, and agrees to keep her secret if Jules spends time with him, as his psychologist (because that's what Jules studied in school). Then the sparks fly!

If I had to sum up this plot, it'd be this: Male-presenting heroine falls for a feral duke who had to survive in the wilderness for 10 years. A sort of "Tarzan-meets-a-male-presenting Jane and falls in love."

Both of the MCs fall hard and fast. I loved that, actually. Every now and then, I love when there is no dancing around each other; they want each other. Plain and simple. It's a nice change of pace from a lot of the angst in HRs. I absolutely loved this book, and if you like Reid's pervious novels, you won't be disappointed. This plot in another author's hands would've been ridiculous, but Reid's writing is so swoony and detailed that you 100% buy it and eat it up. I totally did.

**A big thanks to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for a copy of this book to read and review**

I would give this book 10 stars if I could but 5 will have to do. This was a perfect historical romance, and I absolutely loved every single moment. Stacy Reid knows the perfect way to bring people together which makes my heart feel warm and full.

What James went through broke my heart, living 10 years alone in the Yukon wilderness, then coming home with all his family expecting you to be the same boy they knew. Not the man he has become. Jules has been living a lie her entire life, and for the most part, is ok with it, that is until she meets James and all her previous plans go out the window. As soon as they meet sparks fly!!

I loved how even though Jules and her father were hired to make sure James wasn't addled... he def wasn't.. and to basically turn him into who he was before he went missing. Jules just listens and lets him be who he is.
I love them as a couple and watching them fall in love left me with that warm and fuzzy feeling.
I'm not sure if this is a standalone or part of a new series but I hope we get to see James and Jules again in the future!

I am a huge Stacy Reid fan and the cover of this book is chef’s kiss perfection. Stacy writes so beautifully you feel taken away and caught up in the couple’s world. A very different kind of story (think Tarzan) that you do have to suspend belief a little bit but a lot of it is plausible. James needing to be alone and being comfortable outdoors but his no touching policy just went on and on and on. Okay, so Jules was a girl pretending to be a guy – again belief suspension but I did like how it afforded her the opportunities of men at the time and I really felt like she enjoyed her work and wanted to help others. Here is what really got to me – too much inner dialog. It drove me crazy but I am a person who likes a lot of dialog, not inner thoughts. Again, it is a beautifully written story from the always talented Stacy.

Well this was absolutely delicious. One of Stacy’s previous books had a dumb meal lead that didn’t get magically cured and that book is honestly a favorite. In this book, our male lead also has a disability except its not one that is so immediately apparent. After surviving 10 years in the wilderness living with wolves (yes, you read that right LOL), James is back to society and having lots of difficulty. Enter Jules a woman who has lived a lie all her life and man, do the sparks fly.

I really enjoy Stacy Reid’s writing. I loved all the intricate details she put in these characters. I like how James’s things didn’t all get magically cured by the ‘power of love’ and also enjoyed his visceral reactions. I absolutely adored how he gave no effs to society. Jules story was so far out that it made me laugh. It also made me very angry at her mom.

Nonetheless Stacy made the outlandish plot and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Huge thank you to Entangled and NetGalley for the ARC.

This regency romance has a wild plot. James, the Duke of Wulverton has returned after having survived 10 years alone in the wild. Jules has lived her entire live as a man since her father desperately want an heir. James his mother hires to Jules who just graduated in psychology to deals with everything James has to deal with since he is back.

This was such a unique plot. James and Jules where very good for one another, they had great chemistry. I couldn't stop reading this steamy bonkers romance

James Winters, had been presumed dead since he disappeared as a young man in the icy reaches of the Northern Sound. He returned to find himself the Duke of Wulverton, and his family along with the gossip rags worried that he has turned feral.

Jules Southby has studied hard to help ĥer father in his practice as a psychologist. She has lived disguised as a male all her life. Even her father doesn't know her secret.

This is an absolutely fascinating historical romance. I could easily see how our heroine lived in disguise, but knowing the book is a romance I couldn't see how our author could make it work. She does it marvellously.

Our hero has suffered terribly and the after effects make everyone around him nervous. His character is so exciting.

I loved every page.

Amazing, thought-provoking romance!

What makes a man a duke? What makes a child a son? What would a person be willing to sacrifice to be with the one they love?

James has recently returned after spending ten years - his entire adult life - stranded in the mountainous wilderness of the Yukon, surviving by whatever means necessary. Jules has been raised as a son to protect her mother from yet another life-threatening pregnancy, and she has followed her father in the study and practice of psychology, which, in 1883, was still new enough to have many skeptics.

When Jules and her father are summoned by the duke's well-meaning mother to help her son reacclimate to Society, James immediately realizes that Jules is in a surprisingly unique position to be able to help him sort through what he needs to change and what he doesn't. So much of their relationship could not have had the opportunity to grow if it weren't for the foundational deception of her life.

Their interactions are deeply intriguing, pairing his primal outlook on the world with her well-educated insight into human connection and the roles we play in society. There are no villains here; the only conflicts are those within each of our two main characters as they come to terms with their own roles and how they can still hang on to the essence of their true selves while avoiding bringing scandal and shame to their families.

James has all the "hot Tarzan" stuff going for him, and I loved every bit of it. His first meeting with Jules - what he does that immediately tells him everything he needs to know about her - was viscerally intense and absolutely perfect. Jules' entire life was exquisitely balanced between two worlds yet she had the maturity and unique perspective to navigate all the ups and downs with compassion and patience. Their romance was a slow build-up to an explosive union that paralleled their individual journeys to forge their own futures out of the truly unfortunate circumstances they were dealt.

This is a compelling story that rises far above the genre standards for historical romance. It's an intricately detailed treatise on relationships of the mind, and by the time we get the very well-deserved HEA we're rejoicing not just for James and Jules but for everyone who has ever found their soulmate. I can't recommend this book highly enough for all romance readers, as it truly transcends its historical setting. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

I was back and forth on this book between 2-4 stars.

I’m leaving it at 3 stars as I ultimately found the premise too hard to believe and connect to with the lost in the woods Duke or that Julie could live as a male for 20 something years.

The idea that he could smell her and hear her heartbeat after living with wolves for years was a step too far for me. And the fact that with makeup and a fake mustache Jules was able to fool everyone was just odd.

That said I did like the chemistry between the characters and the sex scenes were steamy!

I think this book could’ve been better if it totally leaned into a fantasy genre with him as an actual werewolf or dialed it back so it was just a bit off putting where it was.

Thanks to Netgalley and Entangled for an ARC in exchange for my review

The Wolf and the Wildflower by Stacy Reid. Ladies this was a wonderful read for the romantics at heart. The background story to Jules and James story was absolutely incredible. I was completely intrigued with this book. I love how the writer wrote James character as a Duke completely different than other Dukes that I have read. James personality and his mannerisms is so dark, demanding and commanding. His story played so well on my sympathy. Jules was great herself. I was rather intrigued how her story would be revealed to her father. I was even more interested in his reaction with Jules mother.
All the characters was magnificent. The writer was correct with commenting on how steamy the book will be. I must say that the pages was burning, because Jules and James actions was deliciously hot. I give this book two snaps and a twist. Until next time my fellow readers… read on.

I truly loved this book. I will forsure read other books from this author.
I was intrigued right from the start to keep a secret so deep for so long and pull it off.
Definitely pick up this read n

Put a Stacy Reid book in front of me and I will read it no matter what! That is exactly what happened to me with this book, and I dove in without reading the synopsis.

I was surprised and delighted to find such unique back stories for the hero and the heroine. Individually, their stories were fascinating and unique. Together, I found the idea that two people with very rare experiences finding love and acceptance in each other-when the rules and norms of society would deem them mad or unsuitable- to be quite lovely.

This story had a slow burn element to it that worked well for the character development and tension. There was also an almost old school historical romance feel to the story and characters that was fun and a bit necessary for any plausibility to the behaviors of the main characters and the outcome of the romance.

I did struggle a bit with some inconsistencies in the story, yet I must account for this being an ARC, and perhaps these details will be cleaned up in the final product. Unfortunately, it was these inconsistencies and lags in detail that affected my reading and propelled me out of the story a few times- leaving me with questions and no real clear answers.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and would recommend it to romance readers who like older historical romances with a slightly bananas plot, and characters with incredibly unique back stories.

I read and reviewed an advanced eARC of this book thanks to Entangled Publishing, LLC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

Stacy Reid's The Wolf and the Wallflower had me captivated from the very beginning. I was extremely fortunate to receive an ARC of the story from Netgalley and all thoughts and opinions are my own. For 23 years,Jules Southby has pretended to be a male, for the sake of her parents. She is now the "son" of a renowned mind doctor and both have been requested to determine the sanity of the Duke of Wulverton, James Leopold Winters, who had been lost for 10 years in the wilderness since the age of only 18. When the two see each other, there is an immediate recognition of a connected personality, with similar dispositions and a facade they portray. They promise each other an honesty that supersedes all medical and public interests. I cannot begin to describe the raw emotions that Stacy Reid has so vividly and poetically humanized so that everyone can relate to their cares and concerns, a stark gut wrenching truth of trials and tribulations that people suffer. A 6 out of 5 stars.

Tarzan woos Gentleman Jack is how I would describe this story. I'll be honest I struggled with the premise of the story. I suspect I'm the traditionalist in my historical romances. This is not Regency it's set in the 1880's which is Victorian. I think Eva Devon on the cover describes lovers of regency will enjoy this romp. There is no romping apart from the bedroom. It's dark brooding and tragic. A man lost in the wilderness for years finding his way back to family, society and responsibility. A women trapped pretending to be male for 20 plus years. To think a mother would force thai on a child all to satisfy the patriarchal desires of her husband and the unwillingness to explain she had a baby girl and not a boy. I guess the theme of this book might have been males enjoy such freedom compared to women in this era.
To read this story is to suspend desire for a believable plot. I will say this is a beautiful cover and I really wish it reflected the story.
For me there was too much internal dialogue. Endless agonsing by James as he struggled to adjust to society and Jules struggling with what she must disguise. There really isn't much more I can say. If you love a different approach to an historical romance and you enjoy lots of angst and emotional turmoil with a side order of WTF is going on? Then this book is for you.

I loved this book so so much. I’ve only read one book by Stacy Reid and I didn’t really love it, but I had high hopes going into this one. My main reason for having such high hopes was because of the tropes. “I’m actually a girl pretending to be a man” is probably one of my favorite tropes because it’s so angsty and fun and this book was no different. After James, the Duke of Wulverton, is found in the forests, his family is elated to have him back. What they don’t expect is the different man that comes back to their home. James is a different man, a decade older than when they last saw him, and he has no emotions for this family who missed him so. James’s mother hires the help of Jules and Dr. Southby to help James and the problems of the mind she thinks he has.

Jules Southby has been parading herself as a man since her birth. After a long and drawn out birth, Jules’ mother could not bear to have another baby, lest it kill her. Therefore, her mother decided to present Jules as a boy to appease her husband and his wishes to have an heir.

At their first meeting, James can tell immediately that Jules is a phony. And their story goes on from there. Like I said, I LOVED this book. I had so much fun reading this and I flew through it with flying colors. The plot was absolutely bonkers, but I was okay with that. I didn’t mind that the ending was a bit rushed and we didn’t get to see and extensive meeting with her father after he learned the truth. While the plot was crazy, the romance was the front runner for me.

Another thing about the plot was how well James could use his nose. The scent of Jules was such an important thing to him. He describes many times how much he craved her scent, which is usually not my favorite thing, but I loved it in this book. James could even tell what mood Jules was in just by her scent. So, like I said, the plot is really out there.

The romance between Jules and James was so romantic and that was the winning part of this novel for me. Their romance was sweeping and so so sweet. And the letter from James at the end of the novel had me swooning!

I absolutely recommend this novel to any historical romance girly because of how fun and romantic it was!

Thank you to the publisher for an e-ARC via NetGalley.

“You are like a thief in the night, entering my dreams and stealing my peace. I have seen the unsounded depths in your soul, and I hope you have seen mine….” - the Wolfe
What a beautiful cover❣️
I loved this! It’s my favorite of the authors. It was intense and I just couldn’t get enough of James. I also thought the romance was enduring and on fire. I’m still smiling and I’m sad that it’s over. Stacy Reid is an automatic read. She always delivers.
I highly recommend this.
Thanks Entangled Publishing via NetGalley.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

Until she was 12 years old, Jules Southby had no idea she was a girl, as she was raised as a boy since birth, a deception put forth by her mother and one Jules continues to uphold. Her mother suffered greatly giving birth to their first daughter and was warned not to have more children, but Jules’ father, a respected psychologist and the younger son of a viscount, desperately wanted a son and pressed his wife to try again. When Jules was born, her mother mistakenly thought she was a boy and told her father as much, only to learn the truth once he left the room. The midwife suggested that she pretend that the baby was a boy for a few years until she healed enough to try again. Her mother agreed, but as time passed, it became harder to admit her deception and she decided not to reveal it, forcing Jules to continue the deception. As time passes, Jules begins to appreciate the freedom being a man affords her and she follows in her father’s footsteps studying psychology. She is thrilled when her father suggests that she join him on an unusual case. A man who was lost in the Yukon and missing for ten years has returned to his family, but he is not the same man his family remembers and Dr. Southby is to meet with him and determine if he is sane.

That man is James Winters, the new Duke of Wulverton. He was mountain climbing in Canada when he fell and was lost. For ten years he survived the harsh Yukon territory with nothing but his wits. It was another fall that lead to him returning to his family, but sadly his father passed away before James returned. James is not insane, but neither is he the same genteel man this mother recalls. She insists that he needs to return to society and find a wife, she has decided that she will host a ball in a month and expects him to find a wife by that time. She contacts Dr. Southby to examine him and help ease him back into society. But it is not Dr. Southby that captures James’ attention, it is Jules. Because despite fooling everyone she has ever met – including her family, James immediately knows Jules is a woman and agrees to share his experiences with her, on the condition she does the same for him. What starts as an exchange of information, transforms into a love affair that could destroy everything Jules has worked for and potentially ruin her family. Walking away is the logical thing to do, but when was love ever logical?

I will be honest, to really enjoy this story, you will have to turn a blind eye to certain facts and just accept that he was not declared dead after being lost for ten years and that he can just take up his father’s title with no opposition, you will also have to accept that he can “smell” Jules through doors and crowded ballrooms and you will so have to believe that in 23 years no one figured out that Jules was a woman. If you can do that, you will be treated to a story, unlike any historical romance you have ever read. This was a bit of a “Tarzan” meets “Just One of the Guys” story and as corny as that sounds, it works – I was completely drawn into this book and invested in their HEA. I loved the chemistry between James and Jules and I was awed by the depth of emotion that Ms. Reid was able to evoke through her words. I devoured this book, reveling in the bond they formed, and dreading the moment that they would inevitably have to part. This book was so emotional, yet it wasn’t depressing, and did I mention the steamy love scenes or the sigh-worthy declaration? This was a unique and satisfying story that I am happy to recommend and hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that I requested and was provided to me by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.*

Jules has spent her entire life living as a man. Hiding her gender has been relatively easy until she meets James Winters, the Duke of Wulverton, who has just returned after surviving the bitterly cold Canadian wilds for over a decade. Presumed lost at sea, James’s family is thrilled to have him back, but James is not the same man they remembered, which is where Jules comes into the picture. Jules and her father, a renowned psychologist, are hired to help James reacclimate to polite society, much to James’s irritation.

I thought the premise of this book was really intriguing. Suspend your disbelief a bit, because even though the plot is not overly realistic, it’s such a good read! James and Jules are both such compelling protagonists, and I enjoyed their individual stories as much as their swoon-worthy romance. James had to survive on his own for ten years, which emotionally traumatized him. I can’t imagine facing what he faced. Between the unrelentingly difficult weather, the lack of connection, and the inability to find safety, he faced insurmountable obstacles and survived.

Though Jules doesn’t face the same obstacles, living a life pretending to be someone she’s not also caused some emotional trauma. Jules has a need to please her father and to be accepted by her parents, as her mother is the one who forced her to hide her gender, and her father wanted an heir. I can’t imagine how much she must have questioned her worth, sense of self, and lovability throughout her life.

As much as James’s mother and some other members of his family mean well, they frustrated me by not seeing what James needed. Their livelihood depends on James’s success, so their concern is understandable. However, they were so insistent on James fitting into the mold of a proper duke and member of the ton, but they didn’t really take the time to help or understand him. Give the poor guy a little time to adjust! I think that’s why James connects so deeply with Jules. She sees what he needs, why he’s struggling, and how to reach him. She’s not worried about societal or familial expectations. Her only focus is James’s well-being.

And the connection between Jules and James is amazing. They are able to spend a lot of time alone together, and they get to know each other quite intimately. Not only do they explore their feelings for each other, but they also talk about their fears, anxieties, and experiences with and without their families. They also spend a lot of time smelling each other? James’s actions (the acute sense of smell, the need to be outdoors, etc.) highlights his animalistic nature that developed when he was lost. It’s an interesting juxtaposition of character, showing his conflicting desire to ingratiate back into his family and society with his need to be surrounded by open space and nature. And, yes, I would like for James to growl at me the way he growls at Jules. Just once, and then I can die a happy woman. lol He’s the perfect mix of refinement and wildness, and I was totally here for it (as was Jules!). And the reason he calls her Wildflower? SA-WOON!!! I wasn’t sure how they would find a happy ending together and was pleasantly surprised with how it all played out.

Special thanks to Entangled Publishing for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.

A duke newly returned from being lost in the Yukon for a decade and a psychologist who has lived her entire life disguised as a male are an unlikely yet perfect match in The Wolf and the Wildflower. Stacy Reid leans into the type of far-fetched premise found in old-school historical romances but are far less common nowadays. The result is an entertaining, dramatic ride.

All of London – and most of his own family – believes James Winters, the Duke of Wulverton, to be feral after his rescue and return to England. James has survived nearly impossible conditions and has come out remarkably well. The things everyone is scandalized by are perfectly logical given what he’s been through, as Jules sees from the first. Jules Southby has been disguised as a boy since birth. At twenty-three, there are things she yearns for that she cannot have without risking revealing herself. But she also enjoys the freedoms of men and the ability to study and become a psychologist. James sees through her disguise from the first and she too is able to see beyond what others perceive of him. The two of them strike an agreement to be honest with each other and I thoroughly enjoyed watching both James and Jules peel back each other’s walls.

The attraction between James and Jules is instantaneous but the romance builds as they learn to know one another. There’s mutual respect and understanding that goes with the passion. I enjoyed watching them fall in love and seeing their mutual attraction build into heated encounters. I also really liked that Reid kept me guessing how things would work out for the wolf-like duke and his wildflower. James’s mother wants him to find a woman of his station to marry and be his duchess. Jules doesn’t want to leave the freedom and opportunities she has living as a man. Both clearly want one another and have a deep pull they cannot ignore. The result is high drama and emotion that leads to a satisfying happily ever after.

Our hero,James, has just come back to society after being missing for 10 years in the cold mountains alone. His family is worried about him acclimating back to civilization, and his duties as the Duke of Wulverton. His mother ends up hiring psychologist Dr. Southby and his “son” budding psychologist Mr.Southby to get James presentable in just 3 weeks to show the Queen he is fit for society. James would much rather sleep under the stars and run around barefoot, but he will not cause his family scandal so he endeavors to try.

Mr. Jules Southby is hiding a secret. Jules is actually a female, and has been posing as a male her entire life because of her mother forcing her to be the heir her father always wanted. Jules is back from school and eager to go with his father to study the Duke and attempt to civilize him. What she finds however, is a very civilized and intelligent man..who sees right through her disguise.
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I have to admit..when I learned the plot I was extremely intrigued. At times I had no clue how this was all going to work between James and Jules, but it ended up with an HEA that I felt was a little too neatly wrapped up. I kept expecting an explosive scene when both of their families realized what was going on, and let’s just say it went in an unexpected direction lol. I did absolutely adore the romance though. Stacy Reid writes some of the most beautiful scenes between her characters, and this book was no exception.