“The whole time, I was just scared of losing more and this was the only way I could hang on.”

“Hunted by Wolves and Shadow,” by Jo Holloway

Emi is on her way to her grandmother’s cottage but is attacked by a beast. When she makes it to the cottage there is a man, and her grandmother is nowhere to be seen. Wolf is trying to break the curse of the forest and save the people he loves. Being stuck together is complicated and growing attraction does not make it any easier.

This book is a fun and cute red riding hood retelling. I loved the spins Jo Holloway took with the story with the beasts and the gemstone witches, it was a very good story. The book had a lot of slow times, but it still was really good. I would say despite the death and drama it gave me more cozy fantasy feels while I was reading. I liked the backstory and personalities of the two main characters. 4 out of 5 stars.

-Witches
-Shifters
-Magic
-Forced Proximity
-Enemies To Lovers

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

Hunted by Wolves and Shadow is a Red Riding Hood retelling, featuring Curses, Witches and Shifters. With a sprinkle of forced proximity and a smidge of spice it's an easy read for fairytale lovers.

Emi is on her way to visit Grandma’s cottage but this time the Mist is thicker, the beasts are too close . . . And the handsome stranger who answers her frantic knock is definitely NOT her Grandma Ruby.
Wolf had one job. Kill the witch and end the curse plaguing the land. Instead, the forest feels more menacing than ever when a fiery redhead comes screaming out of the Mist for the safety of the cottage.
Trapped together by the dangers outside the door, Emi and Wolf find unexpected chemistry sparking between them. But when explosive secrets come out, their bond shatters.
While Emi struggles to face her family's sordid truth, Wolf fights to keep his protective instincts under control. He needs to figure out what went wrong, not deal with this feisty new problem who gets under his skin. Neither trusts the other, but if they hope to break free from the Mist, they'll have to learn to trust their hearts. Because the fate of every lost soul in these cursed woods depends on it...

It's a fast paced, easy read. The concept of being stuck in forced proximity with a stranger, an enemy for safety intrigued me and I liked that new take on Red Riding Hood. It felt more insta-lust/love than enemies-to-lovers but their chemistry read well and I enjoyed their banter. If you like your fairytale retellings add it to your tbr.

Thank you Netgalley and Jo Holloway for the eARC to read and review.

Emi never has a problem visiting her Grandma's cottage in the woods, but this time the mist is so thick that it swirls around her ankles, and the path isn't clear. When a shadow-y beast chases her to the cottage, she runs inside and right into the arms of,,,,,,someone who isn't her Grandma. This handsome stranger named Wolf is there to try to end the mist that is changing his friends into monsters. He never expected a young witch like Emi to run into his arms, but she may be just what he needs to destroy the mist. Emi has no idea she is a witch, and refuses to believe it when Wolf tells her. When Wolf tells her what happened to her Grandma, she is bent on revenge. Since neither one can leave the cottage, they must learn to co-exist, while working together to destroy the mist, keep from destroying each other, and fight the attraction that is slowly growing between them.

This is billed as a retelling of Red Riding Hood with mild spice, ad that describes it perfectly. I loved the evolution of both Emi and Wolf, seeing their characters make a complete 180 in how they viewed each other and their situation. I also enjoyed seeing Emi as she came into her powers and how she dealt with them, especially when it came to her sister. I love reading fairytale retellings and this is first one I have read about Red Riding Hood. It was fresh & exciting, and if you enjoy fairytale retellings like I do, you are going to love it.

“The walk to Grandma Ruby's house was always eerie, but I usually felt safe enough on the path. This time my breath fisted tight in my chest.”

Hunted by Wolves and Shadow is a red riding hood retelling that is one of ten books in the Enemies Ever After series- a collection of standalone novels featuring enemies-to-lovers fairy tale retellings.
Emi and Wolf, the dual POV narrators who find themselves trapped in a cottage surrounded by the cursed mist of the Aglonbriar forest, are left wondering who is the hunter and who is the prey between them in this forced proximity situation.
This had a unique twist on the traditional fairytale, featuring witches and shifters, while still giving ode to the original story.
I enjoyed this, but I found myself wanting more interactions between Wolf and Emi, and less of their inner monologues. I felt there was some opportunity for more plot that seemed to be glossed over to allow room for inner monologues/thoughts/worries of the characters.
Overall, while I felt there was room for more, this was a cute and quick read, and it left me curious about more retellings in this collection!

Favorite quotes below 👇🏼

“I didn’t know whether to kill him or kiss him. And how could I want both?”

“Every soft moment got catalogued in my head and branded on my soul until I was etched in lines of Emi, Emi, Emi.”

“All the better to love you with, my dear.”

This was a no brainer read for me. I love a good enemies to lovers and a fairy tale retelling. I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about this when I started, it took me a little bit to feel invested. But once I really got into it, I was hooked.

This turned into a slow burn redemption story that had a great payoff. I loved how the storyline played out and was pleasantly surprised by the found family aspect that didn’t start until about halfway through. Those secondary characters really added another layer to the story that I loved.

I also loved the character growth of the MCs. I started by being incredibly annoyed at the naivety and basically all other characteristics of Emi. But she really did grow into a strong, feisty, proud character. I enjoyed Wolf from the beginning, but his arc was as beautiful as well and exploring the layers, especially related to his found family were nice to see play out for both the reader and Emi to see.

This was my first Jo Holloway book and I will read more in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Jo Holloway for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

**Ratings**
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️
Setting: 🌎🌎🌎
Characters: ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖

**What to Expect**
-Enemies to Lovers -ish
-Little Red Riding Hood Retelling
-Forced Proximity

**Characters**
Emi is disliked and treated poorly by the people in her town, a direct contrast to how her sister Jade is treated. She is very close to her Grandma Ruby. She is very gentle and kind, but has a strength to her that shouldn't be underestimated.

Wolf is very flirty and charming, trying to save his people from a curse. When he finds out who Emi is there is some serious beef. He is very flirty and drawn to Emi despite his reservations.

**World/Setting**
This is definitely an expansive world and I am so excited to check out the other books. I have so many theories on who could be who and can't wait to see how everything unfolds and if these stories intersect at all.

The different towns and worlds leaves the door open for so many things which makes me beyond curious to learn more!

**My Thoughts**
I really do love a retelling! Knowing the general story, but seeing the path and unique ways of getting there is just so much fun! I loved the hints at other potential characters and books to come and am very curious where this will lead and if my initial theories are spot on or not.

The pacing matches with most fairytales and this was a super easy and fun read! I liked that the story didn't get bogged down with mundane details and progressed at a reasonably steady pace.

The art details throughout the book were such a great touch and really added to the overall feel of the story.

**My Favorite Quotes**
“Emi removed her hooded cloak and hung it on the coat rack neaxt to one of ruby red. My stomach twisted, something ugly rising at how similar they were. That red hood had only every meant one thing.”

“My brain likes to torture me with all the things I could have done better, what I could have said to be funnier or smarter or more interesting. All the things I could have held back to be less annoying or boring, or not such a burden. It’s supid, I know. Trust me, none of it ever makes a difference.”

“I’d had enough. “Better a loon than a self-absorbed fool, looking through glass eyes, seeing only what suits you. No one is this naive, Emerald.”

“I was in trouble. Big… bad… trouble.”

this didn’t hit as hard as i thought…

honestly skim read the last 20% of it, i just wasn’t captivated. the mmc was less flynn-rider-cocky (which i love) and more smarmy, and i DESPISE smarminess. his ego needed a serious blow.

and i know it was a novella, but the actual enemies-to-lovers progression seemed so rushed?? even though their enemies phase was so unrealistic and mild??

overall i just didn’t love this one :// though the retelling aspect was interesting, and the actual plot was decent. thanks to netgalley anyway!

This was by far the cutest retelling of little red riding hood that i have read! I loved that it took the classic fairytale and made it into a witchy romance! It gave all the classic feels of the original fairy tale while bringing in new light to the loved story. I loved every minute of it (and that there was a witch with my name!) and that the story ended with a line you would get from the classic telling of the story! I also loved that the fmc had a strong character growth and learned to be who she was and learned to love who she was as the story progressed. This story also shows how a found family can feel more like family than your own and that you dont have to settle for less when there are others out there who will make you see and feel differently and show you that youre worthy of a true family and love and care. Overall this story was just the right pace and just the right amount of every little twist and turn that was needed to give it that true fairy tale vibe while incorporating such a bigger story! Honestly loved it!

"Hunted by Wolves and Shadows" is an enemy to lovers, Red Riding Hood retelling. Now, when I saw this categorization a different image and plot came to mind. The one that I read wasn't bad per se. Emi goes to visit her grandma to find a handsome stranger. The whole story is set in this world plagued by a magical mist. The premise and the world-building seemed interesting and clear enough to me. The execution? Not so much, in my opinion.
The thing is that the whole thing reads like a first draft. The characters were barely sketched and the dialogue and the writing lacked definition. You get a pretty good idea of their personality, background story and character arc. Still, it felt like it was missing something.
IT read pleasantly, I did enjoy it. But this lack of finesse and depth made it a bit lacklustre to me.

Red Riding Hood was one of my favorite stories as a child, so I had to pick up this book! I really didn’t know what to expect, but I’m always down for forced proximity and a villain.

In Hunted by Wolves and Shadows, Red Riding Hood is a witch, and the Wolf is a human shifter! This was such an interesting retelling that stayed true to many parts of the original story but had such an original twist to it. I couldn’t fully predict what would happen, which is nice when reading a retelling.

I will say, it was hard for me to get fully engaged with this book—I don’t know if it was the pacing or the story, but I found myself bored in the middle of it. However, I did enjoy the beginning and the end!

Thank you, NetGalley and Jo Holloway Books, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

𝙴𝚖𝚒 & 𝚆𝚘𝚕𝚏 ♡

"𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒎 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒄𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑰 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒖𝒕, 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖."

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒇𝒖𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔."

Oh how I absolutely adored Emi & Wolf's story! We have a shorter but jam packed Red Riding Hood retelling where our Red (Emi) is a witch. There are rumors not to travel through the mist surrounding their town but her grandmother lives in a cottage out there & has always told her not to fear the mist so she goes to her often. Our story starts with her going there only to find Wolf instead of her grandmother. She finds out he killed her grandmother & while he has his reasons - she doesn't believe him. They are stuck in the cottage together, hating each other & they have to learn to trust each other to find a way to help each other break the curse of the Mist.

And if they fall in love along the way, well who can blame them? 🤭

I loved how fiery Emi was, every time she insulted Wolf had me in tears because they were so outlandish, clever & she had SO MANY insults ready. 😂 I loved their banter & how despite the fact Wolf had trust issues - the entire time his subconscious saw into Emi's heart & wanted to protect her. Emi's family treated her like dirt & I thought Wolf was truly her perfect other half. Him helping her see that she was deserving of love & kindness, that she was beautiful & worthy - ugh my heart. And Emi gave him a safe place, he always thought he had to take the burden of protecting all the cursed people alone, he was their protector & never allowed himself to relax or enjoy life, enter Emi. She gave him a safe place, a home, & showed him he too was deserving & more than just a beast.

We also meet some other interesting side characters from other famous fairytales/plays & I loved those little easter eggs. I saw that the author has a series planned for more in this world where it's fairytales meet Shakespeare. How exciting!

Thank you Netgalley for sending me a copy.

𝑹𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔:
🌶: 4/5
✨: 2.5/5

A new retelling of Red Riding Hood featuring a witch who just discovered her family's terrible secret and the wolf who is cursed and needs her help. Emerald "Emi" is a witch, hated by her village, and only knowing her grandmother's love. When she goes to visit her grandmother she does not expect to discover a handsome stranger in there. Wolf has been trying to end the curse plaguing his forest and the only way to do so is to kill the Ruby witch... who just happened to be Emi's grandma. Yet the curse is still going on despite Wolf killing the ruby witch and now he needs the help of another gem stone witch to end the curse. Emi doesn't have any magic so when a strange man tells her that she is a witch and that everything she knew about her grandmother is wrong, Emi freaks out. Yet the more time Emi and Wolf spend together the more she is beginning to realize that maybe she didn't know her grandmother as well as she had expected. There is also the growing chemistry between them... but can two people who are on opposite sides really be together despite everything they've done to one another? This was definitely a unique take on the classic story. I really wanted to like it more but I just didn't find myself all that invested. I adore fairytale retellings and was really hoping this one would be for me but I just found myself not liking the characters or feeling like the couple had any chemistry. I do think it's a fun read for anyone who is a fan of fairytale retellings and that you should give it a go just to see if you'll have more fun with it than I did! Fairytale retellings are always fun to read and if you like them, definitely try this one!

*Thanks Netgalley and Jo Holloway Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Release Date: May 29,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

3.5 stars.

Little Red Riding Hood, but she’s a witch and The Wolf is a shifter??!!

The banter in this was unreal. I was constantly laughing. Plus, it’s dual POV. I appreciate that the reimagining aspect basically just sets the scene. Then it moves on and becomes its own story.

He’s trying to break a curse. She was intending to visit her grandmother. Both get stuck in the tiny cottage because The Mist (aka the curse) has gotten out of control.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

Hunted by Wolves and Shadow by Jo Holloway.

This a red riding hood retelling but with a whole different story line.

Emi goes to visit her grandma but when she arrives, her grandma isnt home, a handsome man by the name of Wolf is in grandmas house. Why is he there? Where is grandma?

This is a enemies to lovers and a slow burn.

I was intrigued by a retelling of red riding hood, but this book wasn't really for me. I felt it lacked some excitement. Dont get me wrong, it had a story line, but, it just wasn't my kind of read...

I love fairy tale retellings, and this was a great one. There were a lot of aspects that were recognizable from the original fairy tale, but the changes the author made it into its own unique story as well.

Emi is such a great character: she wrestles with her own self-doubt, has to overcome her family's neglect, and come to terms with her own strength. Wolf is *chefs kiss*: A morally gray, MMC who falls first and has his own found family.the little bit that we get to know the gang from the Enclave is so fun; you can just how strong of a found family they are and how much they truly care for each other.

There was some mild spice. The few spicy scenes are well written. You can feel the chemistry between Emi & Wolf.

I felt that the story moved at a great pace and kept me enthralled. This was a unique take on the story of little red riding hood and it was highly enjoyable.

I don’t normally like stories that start off the way this one did, but it worked for this fairytale retelling. The author set up the story well enough afterwards that everything blended.
The pace was great and I liked the detailed descriptions following the curse/cursed. It was an easy to enjoy read with spice, magic, big strong alpha male, delicate FMC who gains much needed confidence, and a nice conclusion that leaves nothing to be questioned. I like retelling, and this was nicely done and made its own.
I really liked the set up of good guys and bad guys all having their own grey areas and that being acknowledged in their stories. It was a good writing decision on the authors part to include “ yes so and so did this but here’s the reason”. It just gave everyone more layers.
Fun read I super enjoyed it and would recommend to my book club!

I can't really say that this book blew me away because it didn't, it was just lacking something that i can't quite put my finger on.
The red riding hood aspect as a retelling was very intriguing, and i did really like the way the author played around with the stereotypes and made the story more their own, and the magic system was very well done! I really liked that all of the witches were classified as gemstone witches, all kind of related to each other, and that the coming of age aspect with their magic stems from the very first wish that they make. I also really liked all of the subtle connections between the names of the witches and the different types of powers that they have, for example Emi is the emerald witch and she decides to help people, whereas her grandmother is the ruby witch and deals in curses and pain.

Like i said before there was just something lacking when i was reading this and i think that it might have been a lack of detail/world building or build up & foreshadowing. I'm not saying that every book has to have these things in order to be a good book, far from it, but this story just seemed a little unfinished and less descriptive. The plot however was perfect as well as the pacing, everything seemed to move and progress just right, there were plenty of twists and turns, and i wasn't really bored, it was just missing the background detail that would have made this a knock out book for me. I mean that there were a lot of times i couldn't really imagine what characters and places looked like because there wasn't too much of a description, just a general overview.

I also quite enjoyed how Emi and Wolf interacted with each other, and even more so how Wolf was the one to fall first and realise that he was in trouble, i mean after all he was supposed to hate all witches. The budding romance and teasing/flirting was also adorable, and even sweeter when they revealed how they felt to each other!
Honestly though, and i don't say this very often, but i think this story also didn't need the intimate sex scenes, or it could have just been fade to black. I know its meant to be a romantasy book and they usually have tonnes of sex in them, but this story seemed so much more about the plot and finding a way to break curses & awakening magic that it was a little bit jarring to have a sex scene and then go straight back into the action.

Overall, i did enjoy this book, i just know that it could have been even better.
A thank you to the author and publisher for giving me a chance to review this book though!

This is my first fairytale retelling, and first introduction to the author.

The book was a very fun and light interpretation to Red Riding Hood. I enjoyed reading Emi's growth, and really felt her struggles. Wolf was fun to read, by annoyed me more often then not (a little too brooding for most situations). Up until the last 20% or so, the story was captivating, but a lot was lost on me during the forced "romantic" scenes - felt added for the SJ Mass fans than anything. Overall, I enjoyed it and would recommend for some light reading!

Thank you to Jo Holloway & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I rated this book 4 stars. Loved the storyline of this book so much. Loved every single second of it. I recommend everyone to read this.

Title: Hunted by Wolves and Shadow by Jo Holloway

Release Date: May, 29th, 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Stars

This book is part of the Enemies Ever After series, offering standalone fairy tale retellings.

In "Hunted by Wolves and Shadow," Emi finds herself at her Grandma's cottage, only to encounter a handsome stranger named Wolf instead.

Wolf's mission was to kill a witch to end a curse, but when Emi emerges from the Mist, their paths collide in unexpected ways. Trapped together, they discover a chemistry between them, but explosive secrets threaten to tear them apart. As they confront their pasts and learn to trust each other, they must navigate the dangers of the cursed woods to find redemption and love.

This story offers a fresh take on the classic Red Riding Hood tale, blending familiar elements with exciting new twists. Jo Holloway's storytelling skill shines through as she introduces an engaging enemies-to-lovers theme, weaving in elements of witches, shifters, and magic.

The emotional depth of the story, particularly Emi's journey of overcoming loneliness and mistreatment, strikes a chord with readers, emphasising the importance of empathy and support! The well-developed characters, including Emi, Wolf, and the enclave residents, captivated me with their relatability and growth throughout the story.

With the tension and delightful banter between Emi and Wolf, the narrative is both entertaining and charming. Highly recommend to all the romatasy retelling fans out there!


Thank you to The Author Jo Holloway Books & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest review.