It was hard to decide what to rate this book, I stayed between 3-4 stars. I ultimately went with 4 because I did enjoy it.

My biggest thing with this book was the pacing. I felt like the plot was sort of rushed and almost anticlimactic? For the sake of leaving out spoilers I won’t mention much. However, the big fight didn’t seem like one at all? Not to mention the ending was the dreaded thing to come but it was also anticlimactic.

On the flip side, I loved all the characters in this book, including side characters! The dynamic between Ruby and Rafe, while sudden, was nice! I loved their banter and how things ended up for them.

All this to say, I will be reading the next book!
4/5 ⭐️
4/5 🌶️

Thank you to the Publisher & NetGalley for the ARC!

Overall, I enjoyed this book! I think calling it an adaption on Red Riding Hood is more of a way to get people interested than a major plot point - her name is Ruby and he is a wolf, which are the only real similarities. I was immediately drawn into the characters - Ruby has a spunky personality and is drawn to oddities, which causes her to feel like an outcast. Rafe is the brooding type who carries a lot trauma with him and does not feel he deserves to be loved. Their connection is immediate, but the author writes a good slow burn, which helps establish their emotional connection.

My main critique is that I was thrown off by the setting. Initially, there was no established time period, so I had to slowly figure out that it was set in modern time after reading about cell phones and modern movies. You also don't find out that they are in Maine until a third of the way into the book. The book could've benefitted from moving these details up to better understand where and when they were in the world.

When I saw this was a steamy reimagining of Little Red Riding Hood I had to give it a go!

Starting with the cover, I love it. The design and the colours really stand out.

I definitely enjoyed the story but felt it was just missing something. I enjoyed the developing relationship between Rafe and Ruby but it was a little bit too much ‘I don’t want to hurt you so I’ll stay away’ for my liking. I was so glad when they finally got together and stopped the messing around!

There are some other interesting characters that bring in other mythological creatures to the story. I can’t wait to learn more about them. I want to know more about Ruby and her sister.

I kept expecting something really big to happen but it didn’t until the very last sentence. I know this series has a lot to explore and I want explanations for what has been happening. This was just the beginning and I know that I will definitely read more.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing the ARC for a honest review.

This is a loosely based Little Red Riding Hood retelling. Ruby who is our FMC is taking care of her sister and herself while working in a bar, and she finds adventure while walking through the dark woods to get home. The town she grew up in is small, the kind where everyone knows everyone, and she's outcasted because of her past. Well in comes our MMC, Rafe, he's a loner Werewolf stalking Ruby nicely...lol.

The Beginning definitely catches your attention and has you wanting more. Their banter and conversation is cute. Rafe isn't used human interaction which makes some things innocently cute from a big burly Wereman. The world is fun, but basic; small town, woods, skype. The relationship develops smoothly for awhile as their trust grows. I love that Ruby is on the curvy side, and has her boots, it paints a wonderful picture. There is a tiny bit of spicy, but a lot of angst.

Though with the easy flow and good world building, there is so many unanswered questions. I feel more so than normal. I'm hopeful that in the sequel they with be more forthcoming in answers. Along with some situations being repeated. I just wanted to shake them both.

When I saw that A Curse Of Blood And Wolves was a retelling of A Little Red Riding Hood, I was soooo excited. I'm a huge fan of retelling, and I absolutely gobbled this up. (Pun intended)



Ruby often walks home from work and passes the woods where she feels eyes watching her. She should run, She should be afraid, but something or someone calls to her. She just can't get this out of her mind, but will the person reveal themselves?

A fun romance with magic and werewolves galore. I absolutely loved the romance between the main characters. There's just the right amount of steam, but I love a slow burn where the chemistry is bought to life, and I loved that here. main characters. There's just the right amount of steam, but I love a slow burn where the chemistry is bought to life, and I loved that here. The world building I felt lacked something, but then I also think it sets things up for the next book in the series.

Overall if you enjoy the fated mates trope or just a really fun time then I would wholeheartedly recommend this one to you.

When I look for romance novels, I tend to reach for those that have some of my favorite tropes, at first this seemed like the perfect book for me. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a story I ended up not enjoy as much as I thought I would.

It is a werewolf and human, romance fantasy novel which seemed to be set in the present time. Some of the tropes included grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, fated mates, etc. although the chemistry between the two main characters just did not seem authentic to me. The characters were just a bit too insufferable in some scenes compared to what I normally go for when reading a romance fantasy book.

In terms of plot, I had a hard time grasping exactly what it was versus how it correlates to their love story. The story seemed to just jump into the action and not answer many questions, even when getting well past 50% of the book.

Unfortunately this was not one of the most enjoyable books I’ve read but I always think everyone should give a book a chance. What I did not enjoy might be someone else’s favorite story!

Thank you NetGalley and Melissa McTernan for the eARC of this book!

A Curse of Blood and Wolves was literally unputdownable and I read most of it in one sitting. Between the character building, the magical world, and the tension, I was hooked. It seems obvious there will be more story to come and I can't wait to dive in.

I got serious ACOTAR vibes, so if that's your thing, romantasy readers, pick this one up!

Is it hot in here or just me? Phew...the spice factor in this book is REAL people. I'm a sucker for a spicy fairy tale retelling and this one didn't disappoint. Ruby and Rafe have fantastic chemistry. You know you've enjoyed a book when you finish reading and immediately wish for the next one. Can't wait to see what's next in this Wolf Brothers series.

I received an advanced reader's copy of A Curse of Blood and Wolves by Melissa McTernan from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Melissa McTernan is a new-to-me author, but the summary interested me and I am glad that I had the opportunity to read A Curse of Blood and Wolves.

The premise was intriguing and the retelling of Little Red Riding Hood is dark and spicy. You’ll be swept in quickly, and all too soon the final chapter is almost at an end. The pacing of this novel could be smoothed out a bit so the flow is better, but the writing and plot is interesting.

I’m always curious when I see a book described as a retelling, as it can either be a hit or a miss. Spicy Little Red Riding Hood? I’m curious. While I think that calling it a retelling isn’t really what I would call this book, it could have just been described as a werewolf /mate story, and it would have done the job just right. I still found it to give me a little of what I was expecting, still I was kind of expecting more spice considering that it was perfect for lovers of smuttok.

Some of the great things about this book is the premise and how easy it is to read and get into through the book in a matter of hours. Still, the pacing was slightly off (things seems to happen way too fast, and it could have expended on some other things to help with that. I get it, Ruby and Rafe and the main focus of the book, but it just felt like it could have been a little more, since they seemed to introduced aspects and characters for what seems to be nothing.

I’m still curious to see what will happen next, and I might check out the next book to see if the story in itself goes somewhere. It was overall enjoyable read, while not highly memorable.

This is a dark red riding hood retelling where red falls for the wolf. It is pretty quick paced but definitely enjoyable. With werewolves, witches, nymphs and fated mates, I can’t wait to see how the story continues and who or what we will meet next.

If you are looking for something to get you into that full mood then this will be a good read for you. This is a good transitional book from summer to fall. It is a retelling of a classic fairytale, which is one of my personal favorite genres! I will say that you need to go in with an open mind because it is not going to be exactly like the fairytale.

ARC Review of A Curse of Blood and Wolves by Melissa McTernan
* * * * *
A fantastic werewolf romance with a twist of hot stalker trope, destiny, and a strong heroine entering the supernatural world for the first time.

Ruby knows someone is watcher her. She gets a thrill whenever she walks home in the dark, a quiet path to the home she shares with her sister.
One night, she's had enough, and demands her watcher speak.
The next time she feels eyes on her, it is that of a wolf...who soon protects her from an attacker.
Turns out, the man and wolf are one in the same!
Ruby is now tossed into a world of the supernatural, discovering that the attack may not have been random and that her and her sister's 'issues' may link to something happening that no one is prepared for.
There is also another problem...Rafe cannot let his little dark haired beauty go even when he means to protect her.
Can Rafe and Ruby survive breaking each other's hearts before the real threat comes for them?

Loved this read! Cannot wait to see what else is in store for this series and who it will feature next, although with the ending I do have speculation.
Rafe grew up in a harsh environment. After one event years ago that tore his family apart, he is now facing them to help Ruby, however, after his past heartbreak it is a challange for him. He wants her but he fears he will be the cause of her death. Ruby, one awesome gothic barmaid with a stubborn streak and boots I want to steal, isn't having any of that. She may be new to the whole werewolf and magic world, but she is not ready to give up on the man she just found that could be her forever...even if he was her stalker!
Giggles, awkwardness, super sexy scenes!

This was a good retelling of Red Riding Hood; it felt as though the romance was more of the plot than the actual story. I wish there was more in-depth descriptions about things and why things happened. It was easy to read and I was able to read it in one sitting!

I did really like Rafe’s and Ruby’s relationship- it was super cute and made me giggle a couple times.

I am definitely curious about what happens next in the series and to see where this goes!

I DNF this book about 30% in

I was excited about the premise of the book, but I just couldn’t get into it. I just think it was not for me.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK, one more chapter for the e-arc of a Curse of Blood and Wolves.
This was a quick, easy read. I enjoyed the characters and the writing style where you alternate between the pov of the two main characters. This kept my interest when the plot slowed down. This feels very much like a first in the series with setting up lore, although I wished for more details and feel it could have been fleshed out more. I liked the dynamic between Ruby and Rafe, but the overarching plot felt slow, I would have liked to have seen it pick up a bit more. That being said, the ending was a good cliffhanger and may have convinced me to continue with the next book. I hope there will be more from Lena and the werewolf brothers. A little red riding hood inspired story, worth a read if werewolves are your thing.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

I kind of struggled with the ranking of this book so I am going for 2.5 stars.

I am always interested in anything vampires, werewolves, fae, anything. So of course when I seen werewolves I had to give it a go. It seemed to have an interesting premise because I love a steamy retelling but I have to be honest and say it wasn’t my cup of tea.

I found there wasn’t as much world building as I would have wanted, sure it’s great to get right into the story but I feel like it would’ve helped with the background of it all. So it kind of fell flat for me in those aspects.

I didn’t mind the main characters Ruby and Rafe even though sometimes things seemed to be repetitive through their POVs.

The ending was a cliff hanger and I can maybe see myself picking up the next one to see what happens with the sisters and Rafes brothers.

This book was fun and ejoyable but not that good.
I think a lot of people will really like this, and i might have to read the sequel because I think it's about Theo.

Okay first of all, I know this was supposed to be a Red Riding Hood retelling, but naming Rafe's two love interests through time for Scarlet and Ruby seems a little lazy to me, but whatever I can look past that. I also know it falls into all the wolf tropes but the insta-lust turned insta-love was a little annoying.
Also I feel like the entire book was leading up to this big moment that we never got because there was no climax in this book (except for Ruby and Rafe hehe). No but seriously, it felt like the first half of a book and when I finished i was like "Where's the rest?"

Will I read the sequel? Maybe, well see, but I am curious about Theo and the overall plot.

Fun but nothing special
2.5/5

Melissa McTernan's A Curse of Blood and Wolves is a romantasy retelling of Little Red Riding Hood (the second I’ve read recently). The first book in a series, it focuses on Rafe, a werewolf, and Ruby, the woman to whom he’s mysteriously drawn.

The novel has some clever plot points that contribute to the fairytale elements, and the story is propulsive enough. I do wish that the writing had delved more deeply into the characters and their relationship.

Rafe has two brothers, also werewolves (the condition is hereditary rather than transmitted), who will —I think—be the focus of the next two books, along with other paranormal creatures. Ruby’s sister, who has visions, also offers some opportunities for development.

Overall, this was enjoyable, if not a book that stuck with me much.

Firstly, I would just like to say a massive thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Melissa McTernan for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

The premise of this story really drew me in. I mean, a dark and steamy retelling of Little Red Riding Hood? Yes pleaseeeee.
Also, I think the cover design for this book is absolutely beautiful!

Unfortunately however, I personally didn’t enjoy the story overall.
I didn’t mind the FMC at times and I liked that she was one to stand up for herself.
The MMC however, I didn’t particularly take much of a liking to. For someone who was centuries old, he acted a bit more like a teenager…
Overall, I didn’t personally connect with either of these characters.
I get the whole “fated mates” idea in a book and usually do like it, but this more felt like “insta love” than anything else (more specifically “insta lust”…)

I won’t lie, I did also get a slight “ick” at the MMC referring to the FMC as “brave girl” all the time 😂

Majority of this story is told during the present time, with a few being told from the past. I did find it a little confusing during some of these time switches and found I had to do some brief re-reading, before I was able to determine what I was reading in the book.
This also goes for the switch in POV’s between the FMC and MMC. The structure of the paragraphs made it a little tricky at first.

I would have loved to see a bit more world building and character development throughout this story. A lot of the plot unfortunately fell flat for me.

The ending does leave an opening for potentially another book to follow. I think with some tweaks, it could set out to be something promising, especially if we see a bit more in the way of world building and character development.

Although I didn’t personally love this book, it doesn’t mean everyone else will have the same experience. So please don’t let my review deter you from picking up a copy!!

Again, thank you so much for the opportunity to read A Curse of Blood and Wolves in exchange for an honest review 💙