Veronica Douglas

Wolf Marked (Magic Side

** spoiler alert **
           Wolves, Witches, And romance? Ummm yes! I am such a sucker for a good slow burn/enemies to lovers read. The world building was beautiful, everything about it was easy to put together in my mind! 

I enjoyed the characters, Savannah was one of those main characters that doesn’t let you down. Her wittiness and her determination to deal with what has been thrown at her was pretty impressive, especially when that something has do to with all things supernatural. I don’t know what I would do in her case! 

The romance, can we talk about how sexy wolf guys are? And they’re traits, completely lure you in for sure. Jaxson was that guy you want to learn more about regardless of how mysteriously dangerous he may seem. The dynamic between Savy and Jaxson was awesome, the banter kept me going, that tension was hysterical. I laughed out loud several times while reading this book! Especially on the Jaxson chapters… the amount of patience he need with Savy was impressive Lol. 

I was impressed with the side characters too! They left their stamp for sure. Learning about the different creatures and the gist of The LaSalle’s magic was pretty intriguing. 

In my brain this was the perfect combo between The Vampire Diaries (but with wolves as the focus) and Teen Wolf in an adult version… I see some true Blood as well, maybe the bad ass eerie aesthetic. 

Super excited to read more about the Magic Side Series! Thanks to the author for sending this my way!

Elaina Wells

I really loved Wolf Marked! Savannah was a kickass main character, and I am enjoying her everchanging relationship with werewolf Alpha Jaxson Laurent. I have kept up with Linsey Hall's books for a few years now, and Douglas's book comes straight from it. Getting a closer look into Magic Side after the Wicked Wish series is awesome, especially since this book isn't from the perspective of the Order chapter in Chicago. 

Something I really liked about this book was just how much Savannah grew as a character even just in book one. She went to someone ignorant about the Supernatural world, and the role her family plays in it, to trying to cement her own place in it. Even though a lot of stuff was thrown her way and she was frightened more than once, she still fought back and stood up for herself to the best of her ability. Jaxson is also a really good bonus to the story. While he may hate Savannah's family and what they did to his, it is hard not to notice the tension between the two main characters. I look forward to having a front row seat to their progressing relationship. 

Wolf Marked was longer than the previous series the writing duo published, and I enjoyed reading the book for just a little bit longer. Bring on book two!

Shelby Goodwin

First and foremost, I’d like to thank author Veronica Douglas for sending me an EPIC swag box that included a ton of amazing goodies in addition to my very own, gorgeous paperback copy of this awesome book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed below are entirely my own.

Right from the start, I adored Savannah, a totally badass heroine with her super relatable internal conflict and nonstop defiant energy. Jaxson’s brooding stoicism starkly contrasts with the electric, reckless protagonist and for me, this is a perfect recipe for a super hot enemies-to-lovers paranormal romance! Their chemistry was beyond steamy and very much reminded me of the dynamic between MacKayla Lane and Jerricho Barrons from the Fever series which is one of my all time faves.

I appreciate the sprawling worldbuilding in this one and was fascinated by the inclusion of so many supernatural elements, such as vampire and werewolf lore alongside sorcerers and demons. The best part by far was the delicious slowburn tension between Savannah and Jaxson that kept me burning through this story page after page. All things considered, this is exactly the kind of fast-paced urban fantasy my soul has been yearning for all year and I am SO happy that the sequel released Halloween of this year!!

Tatiana Alvarez 

Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy! All thoughts are my own.

I’m a wolf girl, so throw a werewolf book in front of me and say “read it!” You know I’m going to be all about that!

Wolf Marked is a cross between True Bloods meet Romeo and Juliet. (Let’s pretend that True Bloods focused on the shifters more than the vamps.)

Savannah is a typically young woman, working as a waitress in order to make ends meet. However, one night as savannah is on her way home from work, she is suddenly jumped by people who turned out to be wolves. After accidentally killing one, she realizes that her life is in danger. Not only that, but there is a whole world of magic and whether savannah is ready or not, she must face this threat head on. 

Unfortunately, the only ally she currently has is a man named Jaxon. Turns out, Jaxon is actually an alpha and her family’s number one enemy. Not only does she have to come to terms with her own magic, she also has to control her ever changing feelings about Jaxon and not die. 

I really enjoy books that make an entire magical world, I think it’s so neat and creative. I immediately get suckered in at that point. The chemistry between Jaxon and Savannah was amazing! They always seemed two seconds away from doing it, so if you are into a slow burn romance, this is definitely that. 

My only “complaint” was how obsessed Savannah was with her car and how she threw herself into dangerous situations because of it. I’m just not a car person so I was like, girl, just Uber. 😂

Other than that, the book was a fun and quick read! The writing was good and easy to binge.

Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia

Actual Rating: 4.5

Edit: I can't stop thinking about this book. 4 stars feels like too little so I rounded the rating up.

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I have become obsessed. 

Wolf Marked has all the elements that I enjoy in a book. Magic, supernatural elements, an intense love interest and an incredible protagonist. And let’s not forget mystery! I love mystery. I definitely do watch it more than I read it, but whenever I find it in a book I’m extremely happy, especially if the plot is engaging and the author keeps the wheels in my mind spinning with theories and doubts, as was the case for this book. 

The story follows Savannah, small-town waitress who finds herself in a difficult situation when two strangers chase her down. Turns out, they’re werewolves and they want her dead. The only way Savannah can get to the bottom of this with her life intact is with the help of the hot Chicago alpha, Jaxson. Sparks fly and there’s an undeniable attraction, but Savannah discovers she’s related to the LaSalle, a family of sorcerers who happen to be mortal enemies of Jaxson’s pack, turning this book into one of the angstiest enemies-to-lovers thirst traps I’ve ever read. 

As you can probably tell, the slow-burn romance was one of my favorite elements of this book. Surprised? If you know me, you’re not. I have always proclaimed my love for romance plots and subplots loudly. The chemistry between Savannah and Jaxson was undeniable, tangible, real—and I’m not just speaking of their sexual attraction. Their banter was on point, and added with the story’s mystery element, it reminded me of couples from some crime dramas that I used to love watching once upon a time, like Castle and Beckett from Castle or Booth and Brennan from Bones. What makes them even better is the enemies-to-lovers twist for which I am weak in the knees. I’m sure their story is going to get even better with the next books. I cannot wait! Should you read this book for the romance alone? Yes, but there’s more. 

As I mentioned, there’s a mystery aspect to the story. People are disappearing, and someone wants Savannah dead. How is everything connected? Who can Savannah and Jaxson trust? The author—actually authors, which makes this book even more special, as I am also a co-author under the C.M. Karys penname—do a good job of planting clues and instilling doubt. I was invested in the story not just for the couple, but because I wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery. There was a plot-twist that I suspected, but overall the book surprised me a lot. 

I recommend this to people who love reading paranormal romance books, with a dash of mystery and a couple with great chemistry. And werewolves! I know there’s a lot of you thirsty readers who want werewolves. Now I demand book 2. *throws imaginary glass like Thor*

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

Chiara Vitale Zelaia

Reading this book made me very happy. I was transported back in time to when teenage Chiara was wholly consumed by TV shows such as The Originals or Castle. But let me tell you a little bit about this wonderful book.

WOLF MARKED follows Savannah, a small-town waitress whose life gets completely overturned when two rogue werewolves attempt to kill her. Barely able to escape with her life, Savannah’s only hope of protection seems to be Jaxson Laurent, the handsome and broody alpha of the Chicago pack. However, things take a complicated turn when Savannah discovers that she has family in Magic Side—the secret supernatural city within Chicago. She’s related to the LaSalle, a family of sorcerers who are sworn enemies of Jaxson’s pack. Savannah must now learn to control her newfound magic as she deals with the rogue wolves on her heels and the animosity of the local wolves who want her head for having murdered one of their own. And to further complicate matters, there is the hot tension between her and Jaxson that neither of them want but are helpless to stop. Want to know how it ends? Well, you’ll have to read the book!

 Wolf Marked unites elements of the paranormal with elements of mystery. While the story focuses primarily on the werewolves and sorcerers, the world-building is far richer than that with the presence of witches and demons as well. I loved all the lore and felt completely in my element with the intricate relationships between factions. I really hope we get to see more of this world explored in the future books!

The story is definitely character driven. Savannah and Jaxson’s relationship has many elements that I enjoy. She’s feisty and he’s broody, which made for excellent banter, further enriched by the family feuds and enemies-to-lovers dynamic. Their interactions were fun and hot at the same time. Though the sexual attraction was strong from the beginning, I appreciated that the authors took the slow-burn road and made me angst for sexy scenes. The payoff was worth it, and I feel like it will be even more so in the next books! 

I did have some minor “complaints”, but they all come down to personal tastes. I loved Savannah as a protagonist, but sometimes I also wanted to strangle her for how she threw herself into dangerous situations with little regard for the risks. I also wasn’t always a fan of the alpha language that Jaxson used when thinking about Savannah. I know it’s part of the animalistic allure, but alpha dominance is sometimes too much for me.

All in all, this book was amazing! It was a fun reading experience from start to finish, with sexy tension but also lots of plot twists and action. Perfect for fans of action-packed adult shifter fantasy with a good balance between romance and plot.

Thank you to the authors for gifting me a copy of the book to review. All opinions are my own!