“𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭, 𝐚 𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐝,
𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬.
𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞, 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞,
𝐎𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐮𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐰,
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐨.
𝐑𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐭,
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝,
𝐁𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐝.
𝐓𝐨 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭,
𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭.
𝐈𝐭 𝐢𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐥𝐲,
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐥𝐲.
𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞,
𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡’𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞.”

_____________________

Ok I’ll be first to admit this is my first foray into any kind of “monster” smut, and I’ll have to say I am HERE FOR IT!! If you loved Ice Planet Barbarians but actually wanted more plot and would have preferred a fantasy spin full of werewolves, necromancers, sorcerers/sorceresses, magic, runes, and spells, vs planets and aliens then this is for YOU!!

Briony is just trying to enjoy a night at the tavern when she is summoned by the king, subsequently kidnapped, and basically roofied by a necromancer before being stripped and bound in a cave as bait for the Shadow of Death, better known as a Vulk. Vulk are 8 foot tall werewolf like creatures who are trapped in Vulk form, unable to shift back to human form due to a hundreds year old curse. But when Hans finds Briony in the cave their attraction and her spell induced lust boil over into very consensual coupling. When a rune appears afterward delivering a prophecy the two find themselves teaming up to defeat the newly freed sorceress Morana and hopefully break the curse on the Vulk once and for all.

Briony is a spitfire and I absolutely adored her character. Hans, of course, was an adorable cinnamon roll of a monster and the way he loved Briony and cared for his pack of brothers was everything. The spice was excellent, and with prophesies, curses, mates, and Baba Yaga what more could you possible ask for??

If you’re looking for a new, spicy, monster romance series look no further. I can’t wait for book 2 now!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Net Galley and BooksGoSocial for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book very gripping and difficult to put down. The writing was fantastic and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the character development and the world created in this book. The only thing I would say is that it very much does fit that typical high fantasy romance plotline, where man meets woman and they team up to defeat villain, they fall in love, etc. However, I do know that lots of people love this so if you like this type of thing, I get why, but I tend to enjoy more unique storylines. Don’t get me wrong this novel was great, but in order for me to give it 5 stars it would have to be a less generic high fantasy romance plotline.

This reader is glad they adhered to the old adage of never judging a book by its cover because between the pages of this fantasy romance from an author who is new to me, I found an expertly written story with an interesting storyline involving magic, mystery and a monster Vulk (werewolf) who is so much more.
Hans cannot escape from his past and things become ever more complicated when he is drawn into a trap that was put into motion by an evil sorceress using human MFC Brioney as bait.
This is an adult book all the way as there is violence and plenty of steam between the leads throughout the story none of which detracts from this fascinating, enchanting and expertly executed feat of world building that at its heart is an immersive love story entwined within a battle of good and evil.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its action, adventure and wonderful characterizations that had me glued to the pages.
After much trial and unhappiness this narrative does end with a happily ever after and I was more than excited to see there is another book in the works, and eagerly await its arrival!

Wow I loved ulterra, the world building was excellent a vivid fantasy world of magical creatures. Han's is a vulk a werewolf and he is lured by a necromancer to the captured Briony.
Although they don't meet under the best circumstances their romance builds slowly and is beautiful.
The side characters were really good and I look forward to reading more of the vae especially Katisa, I'm already excited to read juri's book.
I will definitely be looking out for more from this author and I loved this world so much I can't wait to re-visit. A well written well thought out fantasy world.
I was lucky enough to read a copy of this on netgally but will definitely buy it as soon as it comes out to add to my fantasy collection. Fabulous read.

This was a great book! First I love the writing and world-building. Of course, the werewolf mate trope is also one of my favorites too. This was enjoyable, easy to read, and I’m interested in what Jocelyn Montana will put out next!

With so many contemporary/urban monster romances around, I’m always soooo excited to find one that’s set in an actual fantasy world. And Fate Awakened did not disappoint.

Briony is a doctor’s apprentice, spending a night out, drinking the tavern, when she is suddenly stolen away to be used as bait to capture a werewolf. Briony’s first thought is to do anything to survive, but when her scent draws said werewolf, who is almost made of shadow itself,… it becomes an entirely different story.

I was so very pleasantly surprised at how scorching hot the first steam scene in the cave is. Montana did not hold back and it made me so excited to see what was going to happen next if this was Briony and Hans’s first interaction.

However, with such a hot start to the book, the middle of the book did struggle a little bit to match the original pace, but there was enough action and relationship building between other characters to keep up attention (granted, it was going to be really, really hard to beat how good that cave scene was). Also, that Hans returns to his human form at the end of the book may appeal to some readers, but I’m a monster lover through and through so I was hoping for more Beastly Hans. This is entirely personal taste.

Overall, a solid 3 star fantasy monster romance, but I’m gonna bump it up a star for 1) that it’s actually set in a fantasy world, and 2) how good the cave scene was. No further questions.


*I received an eARC from BooksGoSocial & NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*

𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝑵𝒆𝒕𝑮𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚.

Fate Awakened is an enjoyable, engrossing, and spicy monster fantasy romance.

I'd say the writing is generally good, which kept me wanting more, especially when it comes to the plot that's being woven here.

The characters are also intriguing, particularly Brione and Hans; I enjoyed their interactions and personalities, and they are very likable. Their romance was also cute; I thought their development-romance was pretty good, but I didn't feel the rune bond that happened between them.

I also wouldn't leave out the side characters, who are just as entertaining, likable, and interesting. I'd like to learn more about them, especially the Princess, Hazel, and Morana.

As much as I enjoyed this book, I would like to point out that it did feel a little dragging at times, particularly near the middle to the middle of the story. Along the way, I also noticed a few plot holes. The ending was also a little anti-climatic, and I wished it was a little more detailed and longer, as was the world-building.

Overall, this is unique in its way. Despite what I believe could have gotten better, I enjoyed the majority of it. I would read the author's next book.

"Are you ready for me to show you how much you want me? To see exactly what's between us?" - Jocelyn Montana (Fate Awakened)

Fate Awakened is a stunning story built in a lush, and magical world. Fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses will enjoy Jocelyn Montana's newest book!

Tropes I love in this book:
*Instant Lust to Slow burn romance*
*Fated Mates*
*Alpha Hero & Heroine*
*Healing Magic*

Going in I expected monster smut, but this book is so much more then I ever hoped for! It was a quick and easy read with world building, well written characters, character arcs, and werewolf spice that always left me wanting more. Briony, the dark haired, gorgeous human turns out to be so much more then she ever expected she could be. And Hans, the black furred, strong, sexy Vulk (werewolf) has been on his own for 100 years, crossing paths with Briony will help him find himself and his family. But going up against a demon and a sorcerer he thought dead, could lead him down a path of power that he won't be able to come back from.

Enter the world of Ulterra, and get lost in Jocelyn Montana's magical world on July 26th! And thank you to NetGalley and Jocelyn Montana for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I finished this one quite fast (2 days) because it was so entertaining. I enjoyed reading this, but at the same time, it has a lot of problems that SHOULD have deterred me from reading (it didn't).

For the benefit of the author, I'll mention the things I didn't like and liked in the book.

I liked Hans as a character. It's obvious he loves his clan and family so much. I also like dark, brooding men so this was a no brainer. I also liked the Heroine for being a courageous survivor of abuse and neglect. She is indeed strong and inspired me through her fearlessness. I liked the dialogues, conversations, banter, 🌶 scenes, and Juri. He made the experience 10x better. Oh, and let's not forget the Vae (fae) Princess. She's a real friend and sister-in-arms.

Now, onto the things I disliked.

The setting is medieval-ish yet all characters speak modern dialogue. It threw me off for a while, and then I got distracted at how entertaining this was. I also disliked the romance during the last half. The indecision with Hans really soured my mood for the book. I get it's to build angst, but when one rejects you as a potential partner yet continues to be possessive and treat you like you mean so much more to them, that's really f*cked up. It's HEA tho, so don't worry. Lastly, the antagonists really fell flat, especially the soul-sucking king (I forgot the term at this point). I kinda remember him as just this sadist tree guy.

There are also littered sentence fragments, spellings, grammar, and punctuation problems in the book.

Then again, I have said I was entertained by this book. It was so easy to read and so far, I didn't find any of the characters insufferable. Therefore, despite the technical problems (and others, story-wise) I'll give this one 4 🌟s. I believe this book served its purpose as an quick and simple read. I didn't regret picking this up!

Thank you BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for giving me this e-arc in exchange for my honest review!

Wow, this book completely blew my mind off. I went into this with a little trepidation, as the books I read recently were not in my favor. This book was a great reprieve. And personally, I love reading about healing magic.
I really loved this book, both Briony and Hans. Even though this appears to be insta-lust, mutual love was developed and nurtured between the Protagonists, as a slow-burn romance.

"You're mine. It ripped from deep inside him. Clawed its way out."

The turmoil and angst of both the characters were well drawn out and developed. The plot was also engaging. I would love to read more about Katisa and oh and I can't wait for Hazel and some grumpy Vulf, who thinks mates make you weaker. Humph. Let's wait and see.

A tale as old as time, with a dash of modernized flavor.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The other day I was perusing NetGalley and the travesty that is the cover of this book caught my eye. It seemed like a pretty sketch premise, but I was in the mood for a Fantasy Romance and figured, what the heck? I'll go into it with low expectations and maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

Nope.

In all fairness, the idea of werewolves that don't change back was cool, and Montana clearly has a vision for her world. Sadly, the near-constant info dumps and the use of super modern language despite a medieval-ish Europe-inspired world just pulled me far out of the story before I even had time to get into it.

I did think the inclusion of a Glossary of Terms was cool, that's not something you see often in Fantasy Romances.

I received an advanced reader's copy of Fate Awakened by Jocelyn Montana from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, I felt this was a decent romance novel and I found it to be well written. The plot was engaging and the pacing moved swiftly. I also appreciated how nicely crafted the main characters were.

This novel was a bit predictable, but was a quick, fun read.

I loved this story!!

I loved the characters, the development of their relationship, the development of the story, the stakes at hand... Just everything basically!

The world-building was great, I could picture myself in the surroundings. The history, mythology, and lore were explained just enough to understand but still leave you learning at the same time as the characters.

I loved Briony and I loved Hans. The relationship development was great.

I also loved all the side characters. Juri <3 I need more of him.

I cannot wait for the rest of these books. I just want to read more from this author!!

I could not put this book down. I finished it in one sitting. I loved the world building in the story, everything connected so well and there were many twist throughout the book. This was a different take on the werewolf mate trope that I'd come to love from my early days on Wattpad. It was very refreshing and engaging. Our main characters Briony and Hans had a lot to overcome if they wanted to be together. They had a lot of up hill battles to fight to become their best selves and leave their painful pasts behind. I was screaming at Hans through half the books because I couldn't believe how stubborn he was being. Jocelyn Montana is a great story teller and was able to weave together multiple elements to completely bring this story to life. I could tell she really took her time and tried to make every trope her own and succeeded in doing so.