Name: Defiant
Rating: 3.454545454545455 (11 reviews)

Ann  Denton

Defiant

Tatiana Alvarez 

I like to think of myself as an avid reader of shifter books and I feel as if I know a good amount of shifter lore. However, Denton definitely schooled me with this book! I’ve never read a shifter book with the omega concept like this!

Before I express how much I enjoyed this book, I do want to point out that this series roll not be for everyone. It’s dark and there are tons of triggers that the authors points out at the start of the book. So please make sure you read those and don’t push through. If you are on the fence, err on caution!

But for those of you who are unfazed by the themes, then this book is going to be one to add to your list! Elena’s wolf is a late bloomer, but she’s sure she’s an alpha. Her mother is, after all. But when her wolf finally comes, it turns her life around for the worst. Not only did her wolf desert her, but Elena Is actually an omega. 

Black, the top alpha in the pack, is one of two love interest. Jonah is the other. And to be honest, I like Jonah more! I just need a little more connection between Elena and Jonah, but not sexually because they definitely have that down! 🔥🔥🔥

This book is smutty! I love it! 

I’m excited to read the next one!

Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia

This must be the spiciest book I have ever read. 

Defiant follows Elena, a young woman whose life changes drastically the moment her wolf appears for the first time. Something that brings her joy quickly lands her into a…complicated situation when she smacks into Black Maddox, the alpha of her pack. Shifters whose wolves haven’t manifested are not allowed to join in any of the wolf activities, so Black doesn’t know who she is and is convinced she’s a member of a rival pack. Elena tries to escape, but Black catches her and locks her up in a basement, only to discover that she was telling the truth. Not only that, but Elena is an omega, a rare kind of wolf that drives alpha into a sexual frenzy. Resisting her is nearly impossible. And while Elena hates Black for her current predicament, a part of her cannot help but be drawn to her alpha. 

As I teased at the beginning of this review, the levels of spice in this book are wild. Without a hint of a doubt, it’s the book with the biggest amount of sex that I’ve ever read. I was certainly intrigued by the approach taken by the author, who explores a more animalistic side to these shifters than what I’ve encountered in other books. Black Maddox, especially, often seems to be more wolf than man in the way he acts around Elena. Elena is a strong and determined female lead, and I can’t help but feel for her in various moments of the book. The situation she’s thrust into isn’t easy, and her heart, mind and body are often at odds with each other. It’s not easy for her, and it’s not pretty. 

This book is a ménage romance. For my followers who might be new to this term, it means there will be a relationship between three people. One of the love interests—and admittedly, the one many will find difficult to warm up to—is Black, the alpha. The other is obviously Elena. And then there’s Jonah, one of the pack’s betas. Jonah is Elena’s friend (with benefits) and he’s always treated Elena kindly and with respect. Between the two male characters, Jonah is the one I like most. He’s exactly the kind of guy I like reading in books.

I recommend this book to people who love reading spicy, dark romance. However, please read the Author’s Note at beginning of the book if you have already bought it or downloaded it on Kindle Unlimited, because there are elements that may be triggering for some. Mainly, dubious consent. Again, this is a dark romance, and everyone knows their limits. 

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy. Opinions are my own.

Chiara Vitale Zelaia

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

DEFIANT is by far one of the steamiest books I’ve ever read. Before I dive into this review, however, I do want to point out that this book has trigger warnings and you should read the author’s note before diving into it. Triggers include dubious consent, kidnapping and forced marriage.

Now that that’s out of the way, let me tell you a little bit about this spicy werewolf dark romance! Defiant follows the story of Elena, a twenty-year-old shifter who has been waiting several years for her wolf to manifest. When Elena feels her wolf for the first time, she’s overcome by the need to run to the forest and revel in her first shift, but when she does she crosses paths with Black Maddox, the alpha of the Lobos Pack. The Lobos are Elena’s pack, but Black doesn’t know it because she’s never been allowed to join the pack events. She has all the characteristics that Black is drawn to: she’s beautiful and half his age , and for that reason he believes she may be a spy from a rival pack sent to mess with his head. Despite Elena’s claims to the contrary, Black chases her down and captures her, locking her up in his basement until further notice. He quickly discovers Elena is telling the truth, but refuses to free her regardless. Elena is an omega wolf—a rare kind who is particularly appealing to alphas. Black is determined to mate and keep her for himself, but doing so may start a conflict between wolf packs as he isn’t the only alpha who wants Elena. How will this unfold? You’ll have to read the book to find out!

As this is a character driven story, the strength of the narration relies heavily on the characters and their relationships. The three main players are Elena, Black Maddox and Jonah, a beta of the pack who is also Elena’s friend (with benefits). Elena was the sort of main character I love. Her strong attitude and confidence made her immediately likeable to me. She’s not a woman who’s afraid to admit what she wants and has complete ownership of her body and sexuality. I really appreciated her strength throughout and—at least for now—she was my favorite character.

Things are a bit more complicated with the boys. In the author’s note, the author states that the series will end with a MFM relationship, so while Elena isn’t meant to be the peak of a love triangle, I couldn’t help but compare her relationship with both men. Black Maddox is meant to be the kind of character that I usually obsess over: big, dark, arrogant, a bit wild…I usually throw myself at men like him. Jonah—by far more submissive toward Elena, kinder, softer, is usually the one I give the friend treatment to. And yet, despite Black and Elena’s relationship is the one explored the most, and despite the fact it was extremely spicy, I couldn’t warm up to Black. Maybe if there had been more time to explore their bond as people and not merely alpha and omega, I would have been more involved. With Jonah, on the other hand, we get to see a lot more emotion. He doesn’t see her as an omega, but as the strong, reckless woman he’s falling in love with, and I was far more curious to explore that relationship (and my wishes may just come true with the second book!)

Overall, this was a very quick and enjoyable read. I definitely recommend it to fans of werewolf fiction—especially the spicy kind—but again, check your triggers because it’s quite dark!

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy to review. All opinions are my own.

Defiant

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