⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

𝗔 𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲-𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 & 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗺𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗸

“Is that what you wanted brave girl? You wandered through the woods hoping the big bad wolf would find you?”🐺

✨“Fate doesn’t make mistakes.”✨

•Dual POV
•Werewolf
•Fake dating
•Slow burn

Rafes & Rubys connection was like “BAM” right from the start!! There is a lot of sexual tension build up but so worth it once it gets there.
A quick read for me I finished in just 2 days!! (287 pages)
The plot was great, I couldn’t put it down, I just found myself wanting to finish to find out what happens next! Then to be left on a cliffhanger!!! 😱😱
Would have liked to hear more backstory about both of the MC. Overall great read!!
I will definitely be waiting for the second book to be released!!!
Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review

I want to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was an easy read with a very shallow plot, it lived up to its marketing of a perfect smuttok book. The book was not overwhelming good, but it was enjoyable, and I was thoroughly enthralled and finished it in less than 24 hours. It is a good short read and something brainless that does not have an over complicated plot and character arcs. I very much want to read the next book in the series as I feel like the plot will deepen with the next installment. The description of this being a red riding hood retelling was perfect and I loved how fast paced the book was, but I think there were a lot of holes and just cliché communication issues that I despise. My least favorite trope is the miscommunication trope, and this was steeped in it.

So fun and intriguing! Flew right through this book. It felt like a mix of Twilight and other popular paranormal books. Cannot wait for the sequel

4.5/5 Stars!!!!!

Thank you so much for the ARC of this book!

This was SOOOOO good. Like honestly, I've been needing a good paranormal/werewolf book (13 year old me enjoys them) and WOW did this deliver!!??? Like I was not prepared for how much I was going to enjoy this book. I enjoyed everything about this book, from the characters, Rafe and Ruby >>>>> and just the overall suspense. I have no idea where this is going but I'm very excited to keep reading! I'm actually upset I read this early cause I'm ready for the second book already LOL.

The only reason I did not give this the full 5 stars is because Rafe irritated me so bad. The irritation was necessary and something that did make sense because of the trauma he has been through, but MAN was he getting on my nerves. However, I really am enjoying where this is going (or where i think it is!)

Overall, this was a really good read!!! I love the way it flowed and didn't get stuck on unnecessary details and really focused on the romance of it all, and if the book did need to focus on other details we got a time jump. I can't stand a a breakup between characters and then 85% of the book is them separated, but this was the complete opposite and was SO GOOD. Looking forward to the next book for sure!!!

I was unsure of this book in the beginning, but it defiantly grew on me and I ended up really enjoying the story. This is a perfect spooky season read with a small, kinda creepy town with a creepy forest on the edge, a goth FMC, and several different creatures that go bump in the night. This is Little Red Riding Hood, all grown up and with a little spice.


I really enjoyed the FMC, Ruby. She's a kickass woman who takes no shit and works hard for the people she loves. I really respected her when she had to lay down some difficult boundaries for herself even when they were heartbreaking to keep. The MMC had a typical "I must stay away in order to protect her" mentality that got kinda whiney at times, but overall he was a tall drink of dark and handsome once he got his head on straight.

The writing took a few chapters for me to adjust to and really fall into the story, but once I did I was hooked! The mental images were spot on and very descriptive without info dumping. If anything, there could have been more world building, but that didn't feel like the focus of the book so I didn't mind it. Romance is defiantly the center of this plot line, but there are other subplot themes that I think will be continued in the next book. I'll be reading that for sure.

I couldn’t finish this book. I got 10% through before giving up. The last time I didn’t finish a book (even when I didn’t like it and it wasn’t well written) was years ago. I could see the potential this book had for the story and characters but I didn’t enjoy it. Why? The constant description of how large the guy is (he’s tall and wide and has big hands I get it) and how small the woman is. I also didn’t like the Insta-lust they had for eachother. The writing wasn’t enough to keep me hooked although I liked how snarky/sassy Ruby is.

🌹 Little red riding hood retelling
🌹 Werewolf
🌹 His & Hers POV

I received an advance reader copy and am leaving my review voluntarily.

A Curse of Blood and Wolves by Melissa McTernan, Book #1 of Wolf Brothers. A steamy retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood. Lots of spice and hardly a plot.

Being the first book in a series, specifically a fantasy series, I really wished I could have seen more world building and character depth. From what I learned of the characters I did like them, but they were superficial.

I will not be continuing the series.

Thank you, NetGalley and One More Chapter for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Melissa McTernan's "A Curse of Blood and Wolves" takes readers on an enchanting journey where fantasy, romance, and mystery seamlessly converge. This enthralling novel effortlessly immerses its audience in a tapestry of storytelling, leaving them craving more. One minor observation is the initial lack of background information and world-building in the first installment. It evokes echoes of the Little Red Riding Hood tale but with a darker twist, as the story begins with Ruby, the main character, being shadowed by Rafe, a brooding and enigmatic wolf. Ruby, a spirited and protective individual determined to safeguard her sister, contrasts with the quieter yet equally protective Rafe. The author adeptly constructs these characters by presenting multiple perspectives, providing readers with a well-rounded view. As the narrative unfolds, so does the intricate relationship between Rafe and Ruby, marked by their struggle to resist an undeniable connection. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to lovers of paranormal romance and eagerly anticipate discovering what the rest of the series has in store.

Holy Sh!t! I read this book in 2 maybe 3 days! I could not put it down! This was better than any reimagining of Red Riding Hood I could’ve ever imagined. I was hooked the second I started reading!

The relationship between the FMC Ruby and the MMC Rafe was frustrating at the very least. He starts off as a stalker, but turns protector that is in denial of what they are. But when he finally gives up fighting what they are they are magical together!

This book does have some spice towards the middle to the end. It was the perfect amount of spice! It wasn’t overbearing and just at the right times (although I do wish Rafe would have gave in sooner).

It does end in a cliffhanger and I can’t wait until the author releases the next one! I was speechless with the ending!

Overall, this was a great read! As a kid being obsessed with fairy tales and princesses, this was perfect!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️🌶️

It took a little while to get into this but once it got going man did it get going!
There were a few parts where I felt like the actions could have been explored more, or gone further into the world building, but in the grand scheme of the book I found those minor.
The dialogue was really funny. There were a lot of parts where I laughed along with them. The FMC wasn't a damsel in distress which I appreciate. Love me a self sufficient girlie. The spice was definitely spicing 👀
Definitely a solid choice if you're looking for a spicy fantasy that can be read in a day.

“Any sensible woman wouldn’t be travelling through these woods after dark. She shouldn’t be here. But she was not a sensible woman.”

Releases October 1st, 2023.

If you’re looking for an intro into paranormal & fantasy romance, this would be a good place to start.

A Little Red Riding Hood retelling, A Curse of Blood and Wolves features werewolves/fated mates, and is coming out just in time for fall/spooky season.

It was a very easy read and I enjoyed the FMC Ruby, and her chemistry with Rafe (🐺). Her sister Lena is one that has a lot of potential for the rest of the series, along with Rafe’s brother Theo.

I think that there could have been more world building added into the story, diving more into the werewolf lore and the town Ruby and her sister live in as a whole. I hope we see more of that in the sequel!

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book, and I loved the idea of a Red Riding Hood retelling. The first couple of chapters had me hooked, but it only went downhill from there. I found myself skim reading and not really enjoying the story. I decided to DNF, as life is too short to continue reading a book that feels like work to get through. It just needs more excitement than the FMC going back and forth from work, and I am not really interested in what happened with the MMC and a girl with the same color name. Sorry, but I was really hoping to enjoy this one.

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice meter: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

First off, thank you @netgalley and one more chapter publishing for giving me this eArc in exchange for an honest review!

I ate this book up and finished it in about a day and a half! It’s a little red riding hood retelling / werewolf romance, and it had my attention from the first chapter! It’s kind of a mixed dual pov within each chapter which I enjoyed! And I really liked the FMC and how she was unapologetically herself and didn’t care about what other people thought, how hard working she was, and how she cared for her sister. (Who also factors into the mystery of the plot🤭)

I’m excited to see how the rest of the story plays out, because it does leave you on a bit of a cliffhanger with some things left unanswered 😩 I do kind of wish it had touched on her sister and that part of the story more, because it was mainly focused on the main characters and their inner struggles / romance between them but I feel like her sisters struggles were important also. Hopefully we will get more of that in the next book and have it explained! But I still enjoyed this read!

If you like:
💫Fated Mates
💫 Werewolves, witches, seers
💫 Insta-lust
💫 Dual POV
💫 slow burn tension
Then this book is for you!

Sold 3.5 stars... Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this book for my honest review.

First off, the build up in this story is a slow burn, you're thrown into Ruby's mind right away. Ruby is single, walking the woods at night coming home from her job at a bar. She's unafraid, unabashed and bold - I loved her so much! Someone is following her home and it excites her, she doesn't know who it is but she's already attracted to that person... Rafe is a werewolf drawn to Ruby's "cinnamon sweet" smell and he cannot stop following her home from work.

The story jumps right in and leaves nothing to the imagination... The other cast of characters, Lena, Fee, Theo and Knox (just a few) made me want to know more about them, what they're thinking and feeling. When an author can draw you into the side characters lives and have that feeling, especially in a book series, it's just great!

As the story progresses, I felt that Rafe, who is working through some issues, just kept leading Ruby on and then pulling away. Not a few times, but 3-4 times. It became redundant but in the end, the story was a solid 3.5 stars and a great start to a fun, easy reading series. I cannot wait for the next book.

My foray into Fantasy Romance is rather new thanks to the craze of Tik Tok. However, I am obsessed. I didn’t know that a whole different sub-genre of fantasy awaited me. It’s fun, exciting, and definitely brings something new to the genre. The Curse of Blood and Wolves had me entranced from start to finish and I read cover to cover in about a day and a half. I usually take a lot longer with my fantasy reads.

I am a huge fan of the darker side of fiction (regular readers of the blog will know this) and I love a deeper, darker retelling of those famous fairy tales. This story stripped back the basic nature of Red Riding Hood and it took on arms and legs, monstrous ones. Just for a moment imagine the big bad wolf and Red Riding Hood, her skipping through the woods and then imagine the version we are faced with in The Curse of Blood and Wolves. It’s so dark it oozes blood from its spine, so dark you need a light on to read it.

Ruby has always believed in the occult, ghosts, and haunted houses, much to the frustration of her sister Lena. The sisters are orphans after their parents die in a car crash. Lena is the much lighter sister, whereas Ruby is a bit of a goth girl -black skirts, dark hair, pale makeup, black eyeliner and kick up the arse boots. She works in the town’s bar and often walks through the dark woods. It’s during these walks that she’s always felt a presence watching her, stalking her. She knows she should run away but her feet just won’t move.

I enjoyed the story but there was only a couple of things that stopped me from rating this five stars. One being the lack of world-building, I wanted and needed more. I wanted to know more about the wolves’ backgrounds, more than just a few past POV’s would have been good, I just felt they really lacked substance, I love a good backstory and it just felt like a missed opportunity.

I know this was an arc so I fully expect the book not to be perfect but there was quite a few grammatical errors which more than likely will be rectified in the final edits, it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story thankfully.

The Curse of Blood and Wolves is a great start to a new series and I’m looking forward to seeing where book 2 goes.

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I went to this book thinking it would have more world building and more developed MC.
Regarding the re-imagining of Little Red Riding Hood, I couldn't find much similarities than the existence of wolves and her name being Ruby.
The MMC is a werewolf with hundreds of years and behaves like an hormonal teen.. It got so frustrating!
We didn't get any hint on why and who did it. I understand this is a series but I hoped much more.
The fact there this is a dual pov and we could find them in the same chapter, sometimes was confusing and I had to reorganize my thoughts, but the writing is pleasing and it makes a quick read.
As expect it has few smutty chapters, and sometimes I had some deja vu and kept thinking it was similar to "True Blood", am I the only one?
The next book will probably follow a different brother, but I hope the plot has a better development. I want to know more about the world they live in, what type of creatures exist and how is their interaction.

Solid 3.5⭐️

Honestly this book has everything I (unashamedly) love.
Fated Mates ✔️
Badass FMC ✔️
Gruff MC who is turned into a little cute puppy when FMC looks at him ✔️✔️✔️
WEREWOLVES ✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️

Very much enjoyed this read and devoured it in one sitting. However was it anything I havent read before? No, Not really! BUT that’s not to say thats a bad thing! If it ain’t broke dont fix it.

All the characters were wonderful, the story kept me invested and the spice 🥵

I for one will be 100% reading book 2, because I want to know about Theo and Phoebe!!!

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the advanced copy!

A Curse of Blood and Wolves by Melissa McTernan is a loose Little Red Riding Hood retelling. The overall vibe of the book is just what you are looking for when you think of mixing LRRH and a shifter romance. The FMC Ruby has had a traumatic past. She lives with her sister and is trying to keep them afloat since her sister has started having moments where she seems to drop out of reality. The MMC Rafe is a wolf shifter who can not seem to stay away from Ruby as she walks through the woods every night after work. When the two come together their connection only grows stronger, and the mysteries of her sister's illness, and some attacks on Ruby only get more complicated. Overall the story was entertaining and kept me interested. I did enjoy Rafe’s background, it was different from other shifter stories I have read in the past. There were times where I felt there needed to be more information to deepen a moment or elaborate on a plot point. I also feel like this first book is going to be a very good setup for the next one. I will definitely look forward to the rest of the series. This is a solid 4 star book with a 2 spice rating.
Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Curse of Blood and Wolves is a fun, steamy and thrilling retelling of Red Riding Hood. I did not want to put this down and I was hooked from the very start, The characters were great and I love the twists on the original premise that made everything unique in its own way. This is perfect for any YA lovers who love romance with a bit of thrill and endings which leave your craving more.

Ruby knows that someone has been following her as she walks home from work. She feels the presences in the woods, and while she should be scared, she also feels excited about it.

Rafe can't seem to stay away from Ruby, especially once he's revealed himself as the person who's been following her. Ruby should fear him, but they both have bigger things to worry about with Ruby's sister Lena having disturbing episodes, and unknown wolves sniffing around Ruby's home.

I was hoping for a lot from a dark/erotic Little Red Riding Hood retelling, and while I finished the book and didn't hate it, I felt let down. The only homages to LRRH were Ruby's name and the fact that she walked through the forest; otherwise, I wouldn't really consider this a retelling.

While the ideas behind the book were interesting, the writing was immature and there was a lot of telling not showing. Ruby, especially, seemed like a caricature, and not in a fun, campy way. The page count is pretty high, so if I'm going to invest myself in a 400 page book, I expect a lot of rich world-building or character development, or in the case of erotic fiction, lots of steamy scenes, and we didn't really get any of that. The sex scenes were kinda meh.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with and ARC of A Curse of Blood and Wolves by Melissa McTernan.