No One Crosses the Wolf by Lisa Nikolidakis

This is a memoir about a troubled childhood full of abuse and neglect. It’s not an easy read and I wasn’t looking for one. It follows her growing up years with her brother and parents and all the trauma you can imagine.

Her father is a piece of crap, to put it lightly. He is an alcoholic that spends most of his at-home hours terrorizing his family. When he isn’t home, they dread his coming home so they are never truly free of him. After reading her recollections of him, I can understand that fear.

And her mother isn’t much better in comparison. She doesn’t abuse the kids but she doesn’t stop the abuse either. She puts her head in the clouds and pretends that everything is just fine. Domestic violence doesn’t go away because you want it to, you have to stop it! Her mother failed them all.

When her father finally snaps, I expected more somehow. More untangling the emotional threads of her life. More in-depth onion peeling. I wanted to see her do the hard work to undo all the lessons that her upbringing taught at such high prices. But she did none of it. She drank, slept around, and went to Greece. I’m healed!!! The end. What?? Yeah, I’m confused too.

My first inclination was to give this a 2-star review. I mulled it over though, for several days I might add. Three is as high as I can go. She writes well. She knows how to create an atmosphere and add texture and shade to a story but in the end, there’s no story. There’s no healing final chapter. There’s no Oprah “Aha!” moment. And that is a true letdown.

⭐⭐⭐ /⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Wife: Book 2 in The Bride Series by S. Doyle

This installment picks up right where the last one left us. Jake and Ellie are still struggling with the decisions they’ve made and the emotional entanglements that come with them.

Jake is still trying to be her White Knight. Ellie still wants to throw caution to the wind, especially where sex is concerned. Jake is fighting for both of them. He wants them to have the happy future they both deserve, whether that means being together or not. Ellie isn’t ready to see that. Will he make her understand?

Once again, they have heavy discussions and they make compromises. They yell and scream and storm off. They make bad decisions and they argue about that. It’s very realistic. I thoroughly loved every word.

I won’t tell you if they see each other naked. Read the book. I won’t tell you if they explored each other’s bodies. Read the book. I won’t tell you if they become intimate. Read the book. It’ll make you laugh, and Jake will piss you off. Read the book. Ellie will infuriate you but also make you realize you were once the same 18 year old kid. Read the book. Seriously, read the fricking book already.

As a warning, there is an assault in this book. It’s dealt with quickly and responsibly but I know that’s a huge stop sign for many readers.

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The Bride by S. Doyle

Jake is the foreman of a ranch in nowhere Montana. He’s been working the ranch for many years. He knows each animal and every inch of the land. It’s what he was bred for and what he loves.

Sam Mason owned the ranch, was raising his daughter Ellie after his wife’s death and doing it all to the best of his ability. That was, until he died suddenly, leaving Ellie an orphan.

Ellie is just sixteen and struggling to find her place in the world. That struggle becomes more visceral when her father dies. She’s faced with options. None of them are good. She can opt for foster care or marry Jake.

When faced with the impossible, always tackle the possible first. So she marries Jake – until she turns 18. Then they’ll divorce and move on. Does it happen that way? What happens when feelings emerge? Will they make it to the finish line the way they planned?

The main characters in this book are not just the hero and heroine. It’s more complex, more layered. It’s about family and the ties that bind. It’s a short installment but you get a fully developed, rich storyline.

Each of them have a life separate from the other. His life is ranching and dating his girlfriend, Janet. Hers is high school and learning the reality of being a rancher. Their lives intersect as they find a new normal. Each of them grows and things constantly change. It’s a very true to life adaptation.

Each character gets ample opportunity for emotional growth. With each chapter written from their point of view, we get in depth glimpses into what makes them tick. The writing is very representative of a teenage girl and the more mature voice of an adult man. They each reveal hopes, fears and dreams.

There is no sex in this book. It’s perfect without it. It’s mentioned throughout but it’s handled with dignity and realism. They tackle a lot of tough issues and sex is just one of them.

This book ends abruptly but instead of leaving you hanging, it actually makes you want to 1-click the next in the series. I plan to do that right now and suggest that you snag this one right away.

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Hunter: A Snow White Romance (Stud Ranch Standalone) by Stasia Black

In Brief

Isobel Snow’s grew up with money and privilege but still, her childhood wasn’t easy. She knew suffering and loss after the death of her mother. Following her father’s second marriage anxiety and frustration would follow in ways that would have felled weaker people. After losing both parents, and discovering the truth that had been present almost her whole life she flies into a rage and nearly hurts someone. That act causes her to flee from the only life she’s ever known. She finds her way out west to a horse ranch that she’s heard about that always needs help. That turns out not to be the case though so she’s stuck, nearly broke and needing a job.

Hunter Dawson is a vet in the same small town in Wyoming where he grew up. He works long hours in his very labor intensive job. He does it because he loves it but also because it allows him to forget that his life hasn’t been easy either. He also knows loss and suffering so he sees a kindred spirit in her. They have a one night stand, complete with all night sexcapades, but unfortunately, it leads to a morning after that neither will forget when she leaves without waking him.

Imagine their surprise when she ends up being hired by him for an internship for the summer and living with some of his clients. Turns out that she is just one year shy of her vet degree and needs practical hands-on training. He can give her that. He will give her attitude too but she can deal with him.

Nutbarn Notes

The Writing

This book contained all the needed elements of a good book; drama, angst, betrayal, etc. However, this story fell flat for me. I think it took me almost a whole week to finish it. That’s very hard to believe when I normally read a book in under 4 hours. It felt somehow like too much and not enough. I liked the elements of farm calls and the play between all the characters but could have done without the tornado and the hotel debacle. It just went over the top.

Technically Speaking

I found a few minor mistakes in spelling and proper names that bothered me but not tremendously so. I had a harder time with issues of continuity. It was easily caught so I’m not sure why it wasn’t. The first example that comes to mind is a farm call. She ties up a heifer and they have this very comical episode where the cow keeps opening the gate. Hilarious! But!! Later both of them reference the fact that she didn’t tie up the heifer. Really? Am I having a stroke?

The Sex

The sex scenes were well written but a bit vanilla. This wasn’t ever meant to be a BDSM book but these were a bit more vanilla than normal. The author tried to make the H seem like an alpha but for me at least that was only laughable.

Cons

As the title says this is a retelling of Snow White brought into the modern age but only in the slightest way. Yes, there’s a damsel in distress and an evil stepmother and an attempted murder but it didn’t work for me. I would’ve liked a little more adherence to the classic story.

Rating

Can I recommend this book? Yes, but not heartily. I would still encourage others to give it a try. You can buy it here. It is also available via Kindle Unlimited.

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#Hunter

#SnowWhite

#StudRanch

#StasiaBlack

Crave (Undone Book 1) by Jennifer Dawson

In Brief

Layla Hunter has been tightly wrapped in her own private hell on Earth for the last year. She has pushed everyone away, kept herself separate, except for the moments when the need escapes and explodes inside her. When that happens, she goes fishing for anonymous, rule following sex with faceless men. It’s not enough – it will never be close to enough – but it’s all she can handle.

Michael Banks is a homicide detective by profession, but a Dom by nature. He spies Layla across a crowded room and knows that he will own her. He also knows he’ll have to break her for that to happen but he knows she will be worth it. Upon introduction, he’s proven right on all fronts.

Their relationship is tumultuous, because Layla isn’t like other women. She’s been a crime victim. Her body knows trauma and her mind is fighting recovery. He sees her and understands. He has to be patient or lose her. When crime comes calling again will they weather the storm or go down in the storm surge?

Nutbarn Notes

The Writing

The plot of this story was very intriguing from the start. I love flawed, damaged characters and Layla spoke to my soul. Michael was a healing balm and a delicious delight. He stood fast when she ran, he pushed when she shut down, he owned her body when she lost control. (Sigh) We all need a Michael in our lives.

Technically Speaking

The flow felt natural and unrushed. I wanted to run headlong to the ending while savoring every written word. This book wrecked me. I loved it. It wasn’t a tear jerker but Layla’s emotional state frayed my nerves, tested my patience, and made me love her.

I spotted only one small typo and it was easily overlooked. No other issues related to grammar, word misusage, etc. It was basically technically flawless.

The extended cast of characters flesh out the book but also give the appropriate amount of depth and backstory to both of the mains. Family members and friends are brought in effortlessly. We are given a complete story.

The author covers a lot of heavier topics. Domination amd submission has to top the list, but it also has to include crime, death, spousal loss, grief, panic attacks and PTSD, amongst others. It’s heavy without being dark.

Sex

There are only passing mentions of dungeons, floggers, or other more traditional elements of BDSM. It’s all covered maturely, without added distractions. It was real talk between two consenting adults. Brilliant.

The way that her panic attacks and obvious psychological traumas are dealt with are true to life. She has coping mechanisms and known triggers. They have very frank conversations about her hard limits, and use a safe word. It’s responsible and realistic. It’s not at all like a ‘Made For TV’ movie. Thank God.

My only gripe? I wanted more. I needed it. I can’t help myself. I want it all! Yes, there is an HEA without cliffhanger. I just wanted more. It’s there, but unsaid. I needed the words. I’m greedy like that.

Rating

Can I recommend this book?

Grab a copy today. It’s well worth a few hours of your time. Get to know Layla and Michael. Fall in love with them and maybe learn a thing or two about yourself. It’s not a part of Kindle Unlimited and it IS the first in a four book series, but it’s a complete standalone.

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#Crave

#Undone

#JenniferDawson