Once upon a Wolf

The Wayward Wolves Series, Book 1

By: Rhys Ford

Narrated by: Derrick McClain

Length: 3 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Gibson Keller’s days are fairly routine: wake up early, get some work done, drink lots of coffee, and take care of Ellis, his older brother, stuck in wolf form after coming home from the war. It’s a simple life made up of long runs on two legs - or four - and quiet evenings...until Ellis chases a handsome man off a cliff and into the frozen waters beside their cabin, changing Gibson’s life forever.

For Zach Thomas, buying an old B&B is a new start. Leaving behind his city life, he longs to find peace and quiet, and hiking the trails behind his property seems safe enough - right up to the moment an enormous black wolf chases him into a lake, nearly drowning him. Discovering werewolves are real astounds him, but not as much as the man who rescues him from the icy water, then walks into Zach’s heart as if he owns it.

Loving a werewolf - loving Gibson with all his secrets - has its challenges, but Zach believes their love is worth fighting for, especially since his heart knows the big, bad wolf is really a prince in disguise.

©2018 Rhys Ford (P)2018 Dreamspinner Press

Good start to a new series

Really liked the story, the concept based on Ellis being stuck as a wolf because his human half was haunted and broken after time spent in the military in a war zone. Gibson has put his own life on hold to care for his brother so when Zach pops into his carefully constructed way of doing things, it's slow going. Zach has some dark spots in his life as well. His family is not supportive, not really a part of his life, and he's still healing from a bad accident. On top of everything else going on with these three, someone is hunting the wolves.

I liked that Gibson and Zach take things slow, really getting to know one another before doing anything aside from some very, very heavy petting. Of course the story is intricate and intense, it's Rhys Ford. I'm anxious to see if Ellis's book is next.

I did not care for the narration. McClain voiced the story with a tone that was intense and urgent throughout and I never got used to it. It came across like a very serious situation at all times, even during down time, and at times some words were enunciated very dramatically. I was exhausted by the end of the book.

A good start, recommended

One broken man (literally), one traumatize shifter stuck in wolf form and a brother who loves him. This doesn't have the usual pack, pack, mate, mate theme but simply love of another and finding what family should be. This is a good start to a sequel and I hope there is one coming. Derrick McClain is one of my favorite narrators and doesn't disappoint with this one. I love his diversity of characters.

Not enough passion

I wanted to like this story. I didnt hate it, but it took to long for the main characters to begin. The narrator did a good job.

Derrick McClain makes werewolves sexy!

I received a free audiobook copy of this book to listen to and review for Wicked Reads.

For a novella, Rhys Ford packed a lot of story into Once Upon a Wolf and Derrick McClain does a wonderful job of bringing that story to life. The story opens with Zach running for his life – or so he thinks – when confronted by a larger than life black wolf after getting lost while wandering his property. Unbeknownst to Zach, the wolf is actually a shifter who may have gotten ideas of matchmaking when their paths crossed. Unfortunately, Zach’s natural instinct to flee danger and Ellis’ natural instinct to chase prey ends with Zach nearly drowning and having to be rescued by Ellis and his brother, Gibson. But before Gibson has a chance to convince Zach that he was chased by an oversized dog, Zach witnesses Ellis as he partially shifts, taking the situation from bad to catastrophic in Gibson’s eyes. And that’s merely the not-so-fluffy meet cute for Gibson and Zach.

As the first book in a new series, Ford does a very nice job of balancing the world building for her shifters and the romance between Zach and Gibson. Because of how they met and Ellis’ condition, we learn about the brothers and wolf shifters through conversations between Zach and Gibson post-rescue and as their friendship develops. Due to rather extreme circumstances and a sense of loneliness on the part of both men, things seem to progress rather quickly – or so it seemed to me, but I did have some difficulty keeping up with jumps in the timeline because I was listening as opposed to reading the story. Yet, their relationship doesn’t feel rushed because of the outside events that occurred between the time they met and the time they finally consummated their relationship. Between Ellis’ issues and the close quarters of the cabin, Zach and Gibson were forced to get to know one another before any physical intimacy occurred and I think that’s why it didn’t feel rushed. Being as both men were invested in keeping Ellis safe and helping him get better, that added to the foundation of their relationship, making its progression even more believable, in my opinion.

I’m just gonna say it, Derrick McClain makes werewolves sexy. This is not the first wolf shifter audiobook narrated by him that I’ve listened to and the man has a great tone to his voice when the wolves are getting all growly – I don’t know a better way to say it. You know that moment when a story says that the shifter’s wolf is riding the surface, trying to break through? That moment, that’s when McClain infuses his voice with a bit of growl and I can actually envision the wolf trying to break through even as the man fights to hold on and communicate with those around him. For me, it gives his narrative performances in stories like Once Upon a Wolf a bit of an edge over the usual shifter romances by giving the wolf more of a presence in the story. McClain is only one of two narrators I can think of at the moment who bring the wolf out in an audiobook and it’s why I was so quick to sign up to review Once Upon a Wolf. I can only hope that Ford is hard at work on book two and that McClain will return to the mic to narrate it because I cannot wait to find out where Ellis’ journey will take him.

What a way to find love .

Awesome and well written story so much left unsaid\unanswered though. how is the brother,where is he and will he come back. Where did the sheriff go and what's happening with him. How is the
inn doing ,and the romance writing going ( after all there is more to write about now) .......loved this book and am really looking forward to the rest of the series.

i love this series

it's one of my favorites it is so worth it I can't wait for the next book it is so worth it

I'm ready for the sequel

I really enjoyed this book but I have been really disappointed that the sequel(s) hinted at haven't been written

Absolutely loved it !

I absolutely loved this start of a new series by one of my favorite authors. I also love the fact that she has moved into the shifter arena. I admired Zach for accepting the brothers for who they are. Yes he was frightened at first, who wouldn’t be, but it didn’t stop him. I also liked the slow moving to sexy times. First it would have been just wrong doing it where Ellis could hear. And not only that, Ellis has come back from the war totally messed up. I loved how Zach help Gibson work to bring his brother back, which brought them closer together and really develop feelings instead of just jumping into bed. Though I have no issues with insta love and jumping straight to sex, I just don’t think it would have worked here. The world building was awesome, I could just picture the cabin and the mountains. I so can’t wait to see where Ms Ford takes this series and will be waiting patiently, not, for the next book in the series.

Short but sweet

The story and characters  are engaging and the narrator has very distinctive voices for each character, always a plus for me.

Awful

I usually love this authors work but this one wasn't for me. I really found this hard to listen to, I can't put my finger on why but it really was disappointing

OK but could have been bettrer

Not the best book from Rhys Ford as it drags and never really finds it flow. Shame really as it could have been so much better.