Uncover the steamy twists in A Curse of Blood and Wolves by Melissa McTernan, where a classic fairytale meets sultry paranormal romance in the moonlit woods of Maine.

Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. This post contains affiliate links. That means we receive a small commission at no cost to you from any purchases you make through these links.

In this Little Red Riding Hood retelling, Ruby finds herself at the mercy of the wolf stalking her through the forest at night, but no amount of warning can prepare her for the world she’s about to enter with Rafe by her side. 

I really wanted to love A Curse of Blood and Wolves. It had all the hallmarks of stories I usually devour and think about for days. But, unfortunately, this romance fell short in multiple areas for me. 

First off, the marketing. This book was marketed as a romantasy, and it definitely was not. It has no real fantasy elements, instead featuring a werewolf in the backwoods of Maine. This falls completely into the paranormal romance category, and anyone picking this up expecting or hoping for fantasy will be sorely disappointed. 

I spent most of this book just wanting more. More character development, more inciting plot devices, and more danger. I love a good stalker/prey trope, especially when there are werewolves or other shapeshifters involved. But I never felt that danger through the writing, making Rafe’s stalking just kind of creepy and sad. I’m glad that Rafe’s stalking was a turn on for Ruby, because the lack of urgency and danger definitely didn’t do it for me. 

Everything, from the characters to the plot to the writing itself, was just middle of the road for me. I found the characters to be very one dimensional from the very beginning, and while there was minimal character growth, I never ended up really liking Ruby or Rafe. Nothing about either character was truly unique, and this story ended up feeling like a watered down version of a thousand other paranormal romances. 

I really wanted to love A Curse of Blood and Wolves, but unfortunately it ended up being a forgettable romance marketed under the wrong subgenre. 

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