Book Review: The Wolf King (Wolf King #1) by Lauren Palphreyman

Rating: ★★★.75
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 475 pages
Author: Lauren Palphreyman
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: September 14th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When a princess is kidnapped by an alpha , war rages between the humans and the wolves. But soon, forbidden attraction starts to grow. . .

Princess Aurora longs to escape the castle and the marriage that has been arranged for her.

But on the night before her wedding, at a dog fight where captured werewolves are made to fight for sport, she spares the life of a young wolf. It puts her on the radar of the powerful alpha who was going to kill him. And it changes everything.

That night, when the alpha escapes, he kidnaps her and takes her to the rugged lands north of the border — where the once warring werewolf clans are beginning to unite. He thinks that she is the key to winning the war against the humans.

Only, as they spend time around one another, forbidden attraction starts to grow. And as Aurora learns that not all wolves are bad, the alpha discovers that she is in danger from both his enemies, and those he once considered friends.

With monsters on both sides, a bloodthirsty war between humans and wolves raging, and undeniable passion growing between them — will their story end in love? Or tragedy?

And will Aurora ever get home?

Does she even want to?

Y’ALL I’M BEGGING.

Please bring back the slow burn. I miss the torturous pull in the first book (or two) of a series where I am obsessed with the tension and angst between the leads. I loved a lot about this book but was frustrated by the spice forward nature.

THOUGH, I will say, the audiobook is absolutely where you need to be reading this book. It is DUET NARRATION Y’ALL. The best audiobook listening if you ask me. I love it (and he’s Scottish so…..). That made for an enjoyable time reading.

The plot is good, I do like the bones of this story. Hallmark fantasy things that I never tire of seeing and I haven’t read a wolf shifter in a minute so that was good too. I like many of the characters and felt we got a good feel of who everyone is while still wanting more.

Do I read the next book though? I DON’T KNOW. I want to know what happens next but also don’t want to be frustrated by the spice? It’s a toss-up.

Overall audience notes: