I really enjoyed this. Ruby and Rafe were great characters and I'm already looking forward to the next installment in the series!

I really liked this book. It was super interesting and I kept wanting to know what would happen. I love how feisty Ruby was and how sensitive Rafe was. I can't wait to read book 2.

I have waited for a long time to get stuck into a werewolf story and this sadly fell very flat for me. I wanted more from this book and the biggest issue I had with it was the fact it felt like I was reading a wattpad fanfic authored by a sixteen year old girl - not that there is anything wrong with that, it just wasn’t what I wanted to read.

Not my favourite read of recent times

2 stars

The blurb for this book immediately caught my attention. It promised a dark and steamy retelling of Red Riding Hood, and I was fully on board for that.

In the end, my feelings about the book are a bit mixed. There was so much potential in the story, but it didn't quite reach the heights it could have. The underlying plot has ample room for development, which could have resulted in an action-packed and intriguing narrative. However, in this first installment, we only scratched the surface.

The romantic aspect of the story, at times, left me feeling a bit frustrated. While I appreciated Rafe's character, his persistent belief that he was a danger to Ruby felt more like stubbornness than genuine concern.

The book also delved into Rafe's backstory from an alternative timeline to explain his character, but I found it somewhat disconnected from the main narrative. This led to occasional confusion as we transitioned back and forth between timelines.

Overall, this was an okay read. It was relatively quick, but it didn't quite have the page-turning quality I was hoping for. I want to express my gratitude to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book.

Sorry this story was not what I was expecting! A retelling of Little Red Ridding Hood was right up my alley but this one did not hit the mark for me.
I would not consider this a dark romance, Rafe is sweet and caring not the type when you picture a dark romance!
The pace of the story felt rushed, everything happens in a couple of weeks and the plot felt lacking.

I enjoyed this book! A good read, good storyline, characters, world building, etc. It had everything I like in books, and definitely would recommend!

The blurb of this was right up my street - described as a dark and steamy retelling of Red Riding Hood I was 100% here for it.

Overall it was ok - what we got was a whole lot of potential that to be honest didn’t wholly go as far as it could have done. The background plot has a lot of room for development that could be action packed and intriguing, but in this first book we’ve only really had a taster.

The romantic aspect of this story was at times frustrating - there’s fighting your feelings and building tension and then there’s this next level. I really liked Rafe, but his goodwill in thinking himself dangerous to Ruby was more in the realms of stubbornness.

We got quite a lot of backstory on an alternative timeline when it came to Rafe to explain why he is as he is, though if I’m honest I’m not sure it did loads to add to the story and at times it was hard to tell we’d made that jump back over.

Overall this was an ok read - relatively quick though not the pageturner I was hoping for.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this story.

Not bad read. Good concept, good storytelling, but feels something's too much and something's missing. Not sure how to express this.

2.75 Rounded up to 3 stars

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

I had a hard time thinking about what to rate this book and whether I should round up or down. Ultimately, I decided to round up because I realized this book didn't have a whole lot of objective writing things wrong about it, the story and character dynamics just aren't my cup of tea. I realized I wasn't severely let down because of the expectations I had set for the book going into it.

Some positives:
- I really liked how level-headed our FMC was. She knew what she wanted and didn't waste time whining about things that didn't matter.

- Spice was written well. Didn't border on too cheesy or cringy with its dialouge.


Things worth working on:
- I know that the fated mates trope kind of forces is to be at least insta-attraction, but the pacing of everything just threw me off for a loop. 90% of the book was told in the span of a week, but we awkwardly jump to 1 month in the end for like 1 chapter?

- The characters tend to flip-flop quickly between what their motivations and feelings are. I love you, but we can't, but I love you, but we can't. There comes a point where it becomes redundant in the book because the switch up just happens so fast.

- Ruby just accepting everything was also kinda weird? Like it doesn't make sense for her character to just accept the the whole werewolf thing that quickly

- Lena was such a big focus point of the story, but nothing ever gets resolved with her being a seer/clairvoyant. Things are conveniently laid out in the end of the book to progress her plot line, but for how important and integral she and Ruby are, you think we would have gotten more about that plot-wise at least.

- Some grammar mistakes

Overall, the book was fine. It wasn't written badly, nor was it written well. I just think it was trying to do too much at the same time, and could have highly benefitted from focusing on just the romance plot of things. I am not interested in continuing the series as I believe this story could have been told in one book.

- - - - - - -
Thanks again to Netgalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for sending me this arc! i really enjoyed the writing style in this story because i felt like it matched the easygoing storytelling very well. i also really liked Rubys character! however, i felt like the pacing in this book could’ve been better. i felt like the book moved on at a pace that was not fitting for this fantasy/paranormal romance and probably could’ve been executed a little better. additionally, i was just not a fan of the constant reminders of the characters sizes. i also wish we could’ve had more world building because i feel like this book just breezed through it.

Sadly, it just wasn't the book for me. I really wanted to enjoy this book but I just couldn't get into it and the characters were just not something I connected with!

Dnf'd at 30%

The writing feels strongly like Cassandra Clare’s, but more adult themed. I liked the story idea but I’m personally not a fan of the writing style.

✨My Thoughts✨

Ruby knows she should walk the long way home after her shift at the bar but she walks through the dark woods because she knows HE will be watching, she can sense him with every step she takes.

Rafe knows he shouldn’t be following an innocent woman through the woods but her scent consumes him and even though he tries he can’t stop thinking about her.

This kept me reading all night long, it’s hot as hell and filled with werewolves, small
town vibes, mystery and so much more than you could ever dream of.

Ruby is so feisty and relatable, I was rooting for her and Rafe all the way through, I was living for the touch her die and vibes from Rafe.

Who knew Fated Mates could be so sexy?
The spice in this was off the CHAIN!.

I can’t wait for the next in the series.

✨Favourite Quote✨
“ He tasted like vanilla and summer and home”

Unfortunately, this book was a bit of a let down for me. I loved the idea of a red riding hood re-telling but the plot kinda fell flat for me. The first third is pretty slow and I struggled to get into the story until about halfway through. Then, when I finished it, I had so many more questions about the characters than answers. It kinda felt incomplete. However, I did enjoy the writing/flow of the story and I loved Ruby. She was tough and fierce and protective, especially over her sister. She was what really kept me invested into the story.

GR rating: 3 ⭐'s
My rating: 3.5 ⭐'s

It took me a while to get into this book. I don't know if it was the pacing, or what, but it took me a bit to finish.

Overall it was a fun and easy read. Spice was good(probably the funnest part of the read), and it was very refreshing that the FMC wasn't a damsel in distress.

Would be a great, entertaining quick read for those that love paranormal romantasy!

This is the first book in a new series.
Slow burn romance with really spicy intimate scenes once you get there.
Highly recommend to anyone who likes a modern retelling of old fairy tales.
Love the authors sense of humor, definitely enjoyed this book.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and One More Chapter for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

While I did have fun reading this book, looking back on it, there wasn't a whole lot that happened, aside from exploring the mercurial relationship between Ruby and Rafe in this Little Red Riding Hood retelling. We find Ruby being hunted by werewolves, a sister who may be a seer, and a whole bunch of pack politics. But beyond that.... meh. It was fine. Not a whole lot else going on.

Book 1 leaves off with a cliffhanger, and the book did grab my attention enough that I do want to find out what happens next.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc.

A Curse of Blood and Wolves was a cute werewolf romance. I found it to be an easy and enjoyable read. The main character Ruby gave off modern little red ridding hood vibes.

The setting being modern times with magical creatures lead to some interesting interactions. Having the wolves almost living in the past while the rest of the world moved forward help to set up the disconnect between their lives

In this dark and alluring retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, I was captivated by the mysterious connection between Ruby and Rafe. The magnetic pull they felt, drawing them together in the depths of the woods, made for a thrilling romantic fantasy. Despite the swift pace typical of contemporary romances, the story's enchanting atmosphere and witty dialogue kept me engrossed. While some plot twists felt underwhelming, the strength of the characters, particularly Ruby's independence, added depth to the narrative. I appreciated the blend of humor and steamy romance, even if I wished for more world-building. Overall, it is a spicy and suspenseful fantasy read that, despite its flaws, offers an enjoyable escape into a world of mystery and desire.

Let me just start by saying I absolutely LOVED this book. The pacing was a little slow to begin with but once I got into it I was hooked! If you grew up reading werewolf books and always fantasised about dating the werewolf MMC then do yourself a favour and read this book. Melissa perfectly captured how it would feel to finally get to date the wolf man of your dreams as an adult. I loved how Ruby was written, she was funny and kind and had so many relatable moments!

The perfect mix between plot, romance, humor and spicy, this is an excellent read to add to your TBR.

Rating: 5/5

Thank you to netgalley and harpercollinsuk for an advanced copy of this book! I cannot wait for book two 😻