Review: Wall by Cate C. Wells

October 6, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

WALL
Series: Steel Bones Motorcycle Club #4.5
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Cate C Wells
Release Date:  June 30, 2020

What’s more dangerous than a second chance?

Wall

I want my wife back, but I lost the right to go after her one drunken night four years ago. She’s moved on, but I’m not going anywhere. I’m gonna be right here. And when she finally comes to me? I ain’t letting her go again.

Mona

John Wall wrecked my life, but I’ve put myself together again. I’m not the broken woman whose husband betrayed her. I can fight my own battles.

Then a favor for a friend backfires, and I run into more trouble than I can handle. I need backup, and John is still the biggest man I know. But he won’t help me for free. He wants something in return.

I thought I knew what tore us apart, but when I let John back in, I realize the past isn’t always how you remember. And second chances? They can heal you–or break you forever.

Wall is a 43,000-word novella set in the Steel Bones Motorcycle Club World. It takes place before the action of Charge and Nickel’s Story, and it can be read as a standalone. Wall is a second chance, redemption romance that deals with infidelity and pregnancy loss.

HEA guaranteed.

AMAZON

And so we’re clear. This ain’t me leaving.”
“It’s not?”
“Nope. ‘Cause I guess you don’t know this, but my heart’s right there.” He nods to where I sit on the bed. “Has been since I first laid eyes on you.”

Alright, so elephant in the room, this book is certainly not for everyone. But as a reader that loves a good redemption and the angst of cheating, I was all over it. Cheating in romance is hard to pull off. It has to be a reason where you can buy the redemption arc. And as ridiculous as it is for me to say, note I’m talking about fiction. So please don’t come at me with morality lectures, kay? But anyhoos.

I first discovered Cate with her PNR series and then her mafia Run Posy Run. This was my first MC read of hers and yes I know I read it out of order, but I had no issues diving right in. John (Wall) and Mona have been together since they were teens, but then life and tragedy happened and John made a decision that cost him his marriage and the love of his life. When he fessed up his one night mistake, Mona kicked him out. Now it’s been four years and neither have moved on. Wall protects her from afar while Mona has been in a state of limbo.

This was an entertaining read albeit a little fluffy for my taste. I wanted more grit considering the subject matter but it packed more sweet. I also can’t say I loved Mona. She didn’t annoy me but she wasn’t a memorable FMC either. So while it didn’t blow me away, I did read it in one sitting and plan on reading the rest of the series.

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Review: Nicky The Driver by Cate C. Wells

September 7, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

NICKY THE DRIVER
Series: Underboss Resurection #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mafia
Author: Cate C. Wells
Release Date: September 2, 2022

He can’t take his eyes off me.

I remember Nicky Biancolli from school. Back then, he was always staring. My cousin warned him off, and after that, he faded into the background.

Now, ten years later, he’s in my mother’s kitchen at two in the morning, and there’s a dead man in a pool of blood on the floor. Lucca Corso—the rat who killed my father—says that if I don’t marry Nicky to make peace between our families, the little brother I raised is next.

I don’t have a choice.

I have to go with the man who looks like he wants to eat me alive, and I have no idea whether this is about following orders or something much darker.

All I know is that Nicky isn’t stalking me anymore. He owns me now, and no one is going to stop him from taking what he wants.

Nicky the Driver is a dark mafia romance. It’s the second book in The Underboss Insurrection series, but it can be read as a standalone. Intended only for adult readers. HEA guaranteed.

NOTE: This story contains scenes that may be difficult for some readers. Please check the Look Inside for details.

AMAZON

Some men have Jesus. God and country. A dream. Ambition. I have Zita.

I became instantly obsessed with this world when I first read Run Posy Run. And when I saw that it will be a series? Sign me up immediately!!! And when I read the blurb to this book, I had to have it! I love me a good stalker, and beyond the cold blooded killer for hire persona, Nicky is a dang cinnamon roll. He’s completely and entirely obsessed with Zita beyond all reason, and when I tell you I was here for it, I mean I WAS HERE FOR IT. Oh and an arranged marriage? Yes please!

Is this when you rape me?” I squeeze my balled fists tighter, so hard my knuckles ache.
He rolls onto his back and stares at the ceiling, his mouth twisting in the corners. “Not tonight. I got a headache,” he says.

Zita is a mafia princess who grew up in the life and no stranger to the darkness of it. After the death of her cold and brutal mafia boss father, she’s still dealing with the fall out. Her only desire is to keep her family safe, especially her younger sibling. She’s happily engaged to her high school sweetheart, but the sins of her father still hang over her family. So when their life is on the line and she has the choice to keep them safe in exchange for marrying her stalker from school, she’s not thrilled, but she agrees.

She’s beautiful. Her smile fucks my heartbeat up. Her body haunts my dreams. I know she doesn’t see it that way, though.

I loved the build up of this book. I loved how obsessed Nicky is with Zita yet he handles her with kid gloves. He will literally do anything for her and my heart swooned. Zita in turn took a bit to warm up to. She’s a complex character and watching her deal with her ED was very painful, particularly when you see how aware she is of the toll it takes on her and yet unable to stop. At times I wanted to scream at her for the way she pushed Nicky even though you can see the man would sell his soul for her. But given that she was happily engaged and forced into the marriage, I understood it too.

Up until the end this was a solid 4 star read for me. But then the lackluster rushed ending brought it down. It felt like there should have been half a book left when I finished. It didn’t feel satisfying nor complete. We literally go from 0 to 60 to come a screeching halt to 0. There was so much that was left unresolved, but the main part was the relationship. I just didn’t buy it. They spend the entirety of the book with Zita pushing Nicky away. We don’t get the satisfaction of seeing her fall for him. We didn’t get the satisfaction of the love. It just felt very surface level. I also felt like for the big chunk of the book that Zita’s ED made up, it was also left not dealt with. I did see that Cate will have a bonus epilogue in her newsletter, but I can’t help but feel this book needed more. It could have easily been twice longer and not suffered for it. I would have loved more of these two and felt so much was left unresolved by the time we hit the end, that I couldn’t felt a pang of disappointment.

Did I enjoy the story? Absolutely! Was it my favorite, not quite, but you can’t love them all. Ultimately this was one of those middle of the road reads that I enjoyed but just didn’t love.

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Review: The Heir Apparent’s Rejected Mate by Cate C Wells

April 22, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

THE HEIR APPARENT’S REJECTED MATE
Series: The Five Packs
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Cate C Wells
Release Date: April 22, 2022

He rejected me for “reasons.” Too bad for him. No take backs.

Rosie

Fate made a huge mistake when she mated me to Cadoc Collins. He’s the heir apparent. I’m a scavenger. My people are so low in this pack, we don’t even rank.

I should have known better, but for one night, I let myself forget the facts of life in Moon Lake. Cadoc Collins might be powerless to resist me, but he’s not going to claim me, either.

A pink line on a stick makes it a much bigger problem than my bruised heart.

I’m eighteen, knocked up, and publicly rejected by the future alpha. And this baby in my belly? It might as well be a target on my back.

Lucky for me I’m a scavenger. My kind are good at finding things, but we’re great at getting lost.

Cadoc

The fate of Moon Lake rests on my shoulders. I can’t claim the scavenger female.

The pack is on the verge of a revolt, and a mating so controversial could push our warring factions into open conflict.

All I need is time. I’ll do what’s expected of me as our future leader, and when the politics are sorted, I’ll do right by the odd little scavenger.

I’m the heir apparent. She’ll be there when I’m ready.

Right?

The Heir Apparent’s Rejected Mate is a wolf shifter romance. No cheating. HEA guaranteed. Intended for adult readers only.

AMAZON 

 

Rosie isn’t the scavenger who is my mate, the female who I can’t claim—she’s air.

After riding the high that was The Tyrant Alpha’s Rejected Mate, I was giddy with excitement for more in this series. And while this hit the spot, I can’t help but feel that my expectations also got the best of me here too.

Rosie is a scavenger. Which in her pack, they’re the lowest of the low on the totem pole. With little respect and zero recognition, she’s used to going unnoticed and overlooked, until the moment she realizes her mate is Cadoc Collins. As the heir apparent, he’s the next one in line to take over the pack, if he finally manages to flip shift in order to beat his known challengers.

There was a lot of world building here, and even though I enjoyed it, I couldn’t help but feel the romance came in secondary. Add into it how young the two of them were, I really wished we got more of the romance. Additionally, I’m not a fan of surprise pregnancy trope in general, but I can overlook it for the right story. I think Rosie’s age here just really made this not work for me. I don’t even know how to explain it, but it didn’t feel pivotal to the story. Rosie is just 18, and I wanted something else to bring them closer. But it is what it is.

Cadoc places his duty to the pack above all else, and so he rejects Rosie. Rosie of course doesn’t take this lightly and writes him off so he has some groveling to do. And while he does work for it, it wasn’t as satisfying as I’d hoped. I loved the history of the secondary characters that we got here, but also couldn’t help but feel that some things went unanswered. Perhaps we’ll get that in future books, but it felt a bit left in the air.

This series is seriously addicting though and I can’t wait for the next installment. While I didn’t love this one, I didn’t dislike it either. It hit the spot nicely and I’m looking forward to my next hit.

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Review: Run Posy Run by Cate C. Wells

February 23, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

RUN POSY RUN
Genre: Dark Adult Romance
Author: Cate C. Wells
Release Date: April 21, 2021

She’d better run…

Posy
When I fell for Dario Volpe, I thought he was Prince Charming, and I was the luckiest girl alive. He didn’t care about my past. The talk. The stain on my family’s reputation.

Then he saw something I never wanted anyone to see.

He cares now.

This isn’t a breakup, it’s a warning shot, and if I want to get out of this bad romance alive, I have to run and never look back.
Dario Volpe is no storybook hero. He’s a psychopath, and he can’t decide–kiss me? Or kill me?

Dario
I’m the man behind the curtain, the power behind the throne. I could have killed her, and no one would have blinked an eye. Posy Santoro isn’t exactly a mafia princess.

No one sees her as clearly as I can–the perfect mind hidden by that knockout body in the tight dress.

I made a mistake, running her off, but now I get to play one of my favorite games.

Posy can run, but she isn’t made to be free. She’s made for me. And when I catch her? Game over.

Run Posy Run is a standalone mafia romance with dark elements. Intended for adult readers.

HEA guaranteed.

AMAZON  

Dario and I aren’t a love story. It’s the other kind. Girl meets mysterious, brooding mafioso. Convinces herself they’re in love. Lets him take over her life. And in the end, mysterious is criminal. Brooding is cruel. And the mafioso is a monster.

And so my Cate C Wells binge continues. After devouring The Tyrant Alpha’s Rejected Mate, I immediately jumped on this book. Why? Well, because I love me a morally gray hero, and it doesn’t get more morally gray than Dario.

Now look, if sociopath mafioso heroes aren’t your cuppa, you won’t like this book. They happen to be my book crack so I devoured this in one sitting. Posy is not a heroine I’d generally like, but I really enjoyed her. She’s got issues galore; daddy issues, abandonment issues, looking for love in all the wrong places issues. When the man she thought she was going to marry thinks she cheated on him, he cruelly throws her out on her ass. When his protection is gone, her uncle’s betrayal in the mafia puts the target right back on her and so she runs. Except then her mafia boyfriend realizes his mistake and wants her back. But not in the traditional grovel for here back. Oh no. In the chase her, kidnap her, and force her to be his sort of way. And this girl? SO HERE FOR IT.

This book was a touch dark, and a lot fucked up and I enjoyed every page of it. Dario is a true sociopath, a man without feeling or emotion…except when it comes to Posy. I loved watching them rediscover each other but with their masks now fully off. A deliciously dark romance that I enjoyed form beginning to end.

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Review: The Tyrant Alpha’s Rejected Mate by Cate C Wells

February 21, 2022 by · Leave a Comment

THE TYRANT ALPHA’S REJECTED MATE
Series: Five Packs #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Author: Cate C. Wells
Release Date: November 12, 2021

He rejected me, and then he realized I’m the center of his world. Bummer.

Una
I keep my head down. In this backwards pack, females rank low, and my bad leg makes me damaged goods. It doesn’t help that I’ve never shifted. I don’t mind the late twenties single life, though. No one’s paying any attention as I build an illicit farmer’s market empire.

My roomies and I are doing it for ourselves, and if life under Killian Kelly is stifling, at least it’s predictable. We can deal.

But when biology finally kicks in, I lose my mind. I claim our alpha as my mate. And he rejects me in front of the whole pack.
It’s all good. It only hurts when I breathe. I’ll survive. That’s what I do.

Who wants an arrogant jerk for a mate, anyway? I’ve got a business to run.

Killian
To lead this pack out of the dark ages, I’ve had to be hard. Merciless. I don’t flinch, and I don’t make mistakes.

Una Hayes isn’t my mate.

My wolf might have some kind of strange infatuation, but if she were mine, I’d know it. And I can walk away, can’t I?
And if I keep coming back? If she starts living in my head?

I’m the strongest male in five generations. My pack scrambles to do my bidding. I can bring one quiet female back in line. No one can possibly be as stubborn as I am.

There’s no way I’ve ruined the best thing that’s ever happened to me.

I’m the Quarry pack alpha. I don’t lose.

The Tyrant Alpha’s Rejected Mate is a full-grown shifter romance. No cheating. HEA guaranteed. Intended for adult readers only.

AMAZON  

I need not to have fucked up the best thing that’s ever happened in my life before it even happened.

Say it with me: Book. Crack. Where has this author been all my life and why am I only discovering her now? I’m obsessed!

After seeing a friend talk about this book on Instagram, it took only three words to hook me immediately: rejected mate & grovel. Yep. The magic words and formula. I’m a sucker for the rejected mate trope, but a good one is impossible to find. See I love the rejected mate trope but when the MMC is doing the rejecting. Because the grovel that’s surely to come is the most delicious thing about it. And oh my god, the grovel here was just GAH.

Killian is this fascinating combination of fierce and cinnamon roll. Because while his strength is unmatched as an alpha, when he realizes how badly he screwed up, this man does everything to get back in his female’s good graces.

Killian is the alpha of the pack with a unique ability to flip shift at will. His strength is unmatched and his ferocity unquestionable. He’s made peace with the fact that as he’s gone this long without finding his mate, he doesn’t have one. So when the runt of the pack who he’s known his whole life announces she’s his mate, his response is swift and cruel.

Una is the black sheep of the pack. An grossly injury from her youth never having healed properly has impacted her wolf, and she’s never been able to shift. Denounced to the bottom of the totem pole of her pack, she’s made peace with this. Until suddenly the mating bond activates and her mate rejects her. Hurting, desperate, and heartbroken she barely escapes the humiliation of the night. And when she’s offered to remove the mating bond, she jumps at the chance. Then, the true deliciousness kicks in, because her mate comes to his senses and realizes what he did. While he didn’t feel the bond before, he feels it now, but it’s a little too late. And oh the way he tries to get back into her good graces. Half the book is his grovel, and I was so here for it. There was just the right touch of spice to make this even more satisfying. I loved the slow burn of it and I loved watching Una grow into the fierce she wolf, her injury aside. I am absolutely hooked. HOOKED on this series. I’m already dying for book two!!

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