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Release Blitz: The Wolf and the Wallflower by Devin Harnois

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The Wolf and the Wallflower | Devin Harnois

Wolves of the Ton #1

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Release Date: February 22nd, 2023

Publisher: October Night Publishing

Cover Design: Kanaxa

Length: 73,000 words

Buy Links:

Amazon US | Amazon UK

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Blurb

Lord Jasper Thorne is the most eligible bachelor of the season, but he chafes against the expectation to marry a suitable lady and forge a strong alliance for his pack. Acting polite and proper at balls makes him want to take his wolf form and flee into the woods. Then he meets shy wallflower Ambrose and suddenly social events are much more tolerable.

Ambrose Linfield is hopelessly smitten the moment he meets handsome, charming Jasper. They discuss books they aren’t supposed to be reading, chat with each other at balls when Jasper should be dancing with ladies, even shift together under the full moon.

When Ambrose takes a bold chance and Jasper discovers the truth of his own feelings, everything changes. Secret kisses and stolen moments consume them, but the end of the season draws closer. Soon Jasper will have to do his duty, unless both of them are willing to defy their parents, their packs, and all of society.

Excerpt

“Lord Thorne—” Ambrose managed before the man cut him off.

“Jasper, please.”

“Jasper.” And oh mercy, that name felt so good on his tongue, like the finest wine or decadent chocolate. Ambrose paused, struggling to remember what he was going to say. “You’re the son of a duke, his heir. I’m third in line to a minor baron. I’m barely qualified to even attend noble events, I’m in my fourth season, and everyone generally avoids me as best they can.”

Lord Thorne blinked, opened his mouth, started to say something, closed it. Then he tried again. “Are you saying we can’t be friends?”

That sounded rather bleak, and it brought back painful memories from childhood. “I’m saying we’re… mismatched.”

“Well, I don’t think so. I like you. If you don’t want to be friends, then just say so. But if you’re trying to, I don’t know, warn me off for the sake of my reputation or something”—Lord Thorne chuckled—“I think my reputation can handle it.”

Ambrose desperately wished he hadn’t stood up because his legs had gone weak. He sat back down, hoping it looked like acquiescence and not a necessary move to keep from falling over.

Lord Thorne watched him with a curious and slightly worried expression. “Truly, if you’d rather not, if you think it might draw too much attention to you… I’d be greatly disappointed, but I would understand.”

The fact that his most pressing concern was Ambrose’s comfort nearly stole his breath. He hadn’t even known Lord Thorne for a full day, and yet this man had more consideration for him than members of his own family. Lord Thorne was watching him expectantly, and Ambrose struggled to find something to say. “I would be honored to have you consider me a friend.”

Lord Thorne smiled warmly. “I already do. Can I call you Ambrose then?”

To hear his given name on Lord Thorne’s lips nearly undid him. It was said plainly enough, a request any friend might make to another when they wished to be more familiar, and yet it felt like a caress. Say it again, Ambrose thought, his heart pounding. “I… I would… I… yes,” he finally managed.

Lord Thorne—Ambrose couldn’t bring himself to think of him as Jasper—studied him for a moment. Then his expression eased. “Well, why don’t we go get those drinks? Then we can talk more about the subtext in Vogel’s operas.”

About The Author

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Devin Harnois writes YA and Romance of the fantastical sort. Most of his books involve magic, monsters, and hope. Somehow they keep getting more queer. When he isn’t writing he spends too much time on Discord and plays a lot of Dragon Age.

In second grade he wrote his first story, a romance about two mice falling in love. He still has the original draft.

Social Media

Website: devinharnois.com

Twitter: @devinharnois

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/devinharnoisauthor/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/devin-harnois

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4090299.Devin_Harnois

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A solid opener to this alternative Regency shifter romance

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TheWolfandtheWallflower_Digital_HighResThe Wolf and the Wallflower by Devin Harnois

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

This MM shifter take on the whole Bridgerton Regency historical romance is quite a sweet story but I have to admit that it didn’t grip me quite as much as I had hoped.

That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with the storytelling. Devin weaves a really good historical alternative romance in which the men of the Ton are paraded and shown off in the same way as young women used to be in the Regency period.

The setting is fictional, no London escapades, but it’s a thinly disguised version of the usual fare of the period I’d expect, there are men’s clubs, a great reading library, parks, social gatherings etc.

Both Ambrose and Jasper are sweethearts, they compliment each other well and their difference in status isn’t played into a huge amount. Jasper is the son of a Duke (ruler of a wolf territory and pack) while Ambrose is the grandson of a minor Baron without their own lands.

The female characters in this were a very pleasant surprise in the main, strong women with character who didn’t kowtow to societal pressures in the main, although adhering to pack hierarchy and I very much loved Louisa, Jasper’s childhood friend.

As for the romance itself, the conclusion does involve a little bit of suspend disbelief but overall I liked the slow build up to Jasper realising the feelings he had for Ambrose were more than just friendship.

The first time they have penetrative sex was excellently done, with all the nervous tension of two young men who didn’t really know what they were doing. It was incredibly sweet and very emotionally connected.

Overall this was a good, solid introduction to this new series and I’m looking forward to seeing what’s coming next.

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review

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This paranormal series just keeps getting better

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Redeeming Nick coverRedeeming Nick by Annabelle Jacobs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In Redeeming Nick we find out more about the cocky witch who is Mase’s best friend and why he’s been so cagy about the circumstances which led him moving up to the Dark Forest Pack area.

He’s a bit of an enigmatic character so it’s amusing to see him stunned into silence when he meets Axel’s cousin Dathal, a member of the Fae Guard sent through the Gateway to help with the investigation into the Blue Alhuirn smuggling.

Dathal is a mysterious violet eyed Fae and Nick cannot understand why he’s so drawn to him. It seems the same is true for Dathal and there’s plenty of speculation among their friends as to just why that might be 😉

Annabelle then takes the reader on a journey which seems like it can only end in heartbreak as Nick and Dathal’s magically connection has unexpected results while they’re burning up the sheets with a chemistry that’s off the charts.

There are unexpected developments in the investigation, there’s something odd going on with Max and his flat (and pack) mate Jake, Axel and Talis are still ignoring each other (and thank the lawd their book is up next!) and we have danger almost around every turn.

The adrenaline rush is really pumped up in this book as the plot twists and turns as the net draws closer around those responsible for the smuggling ring and there’s an unwelcome return from a Hunter group with connections to a traumatic time in Axel’s past.

As ever the world-building is second to none as we get to visit the Fae Realm and Annabelle creates a vision of a place where everything is a little bit lusher, brighter and shinier, simply just more than the human world.

Along the way Dathal and Nick’s connection roots firmly in their magic and each begins to feel a pull when they’re apart which adds a level of tension to the narrative outside of what’s happening with the police work that I really appreciated.

When the shoe finally drops and the proverbial hits the fan, they have to give in to the forces that stand in their way and just hope that fate will be kind.

I loved everything about this book. The pacing is superb, it has lulls where you get a chance to take a breath, scorching hot sex scenes between them in which their magic comes along for the ride, some mystery and further developments in the series long arc as well as a glimpse of what’s to come.

Getting these books early is both a blessing and a curse, because now I have to wait to see if Axel and Talis will finally get over themselves enough to fix what’s gone wrong between them and to discover what’s happening with Max and Jake’s pack that’s bringing them grief.

June can’t come soon enough (although I’m likely to get it a bit early because I am a smug beta reader!

As ever, I beta read this book for Annabelle.

#ARC kindly received from the author in return for an honest and unbiased review

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