Author: Alana Ankh
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pages/Word Count: 117 Pages
Rating: 4 Stars
Blurb: For Killian Marsden, werewolf romance is overrated. After all, he should know, since he’s a half-werewolf and an editor for a romance-publishing house. He’s tired of reading mate bond fairytales, because real life doesn’t work that way. In the real world, Alphas abandon their half-breed children. Not that Killian’s jaded or anything. Simply realistic. So when werewolf Alpha Brett comes knocking, demanding explanations on a rejected manuscript, Killian reels away, or at least tries to.
Brett is a walking, talking Alpha cliché: big, possessive, and growly. His last name is Wolfe, for crying out loud. But Brett is also trustworthy, devoted to his pack, and a little silly when in love. Soon, Killian discovers that maybe, just maybe, he might love Brett in return.
Unfortunately, Killian is not the only one who wants to claim Brett. He will have to set aside his beliefs about mate bonds and deadbeats if he wants his own happily ever after werewolf romance.
Review: Alana Ankh was a new writer to me, and I thoroughly enjoyed my first go round with her. I’ll be honest and say I’m not ashamed to admit it was the title of this one that pulled me in, as I am not real fond of shifter novels. Why, you might ask, since this book is all about shifters. Well, mainly I don’t like the genre for exactly the same reasons our MC has.
Killian just knows mating bonds aren’t real, and Alphas have overblown egos and possessive complexes. Not terribly sexy in his, or my, opinion. Not that I am a werewolf or anything, but the same principal applies. They are usually clichéd and overdone. And this one wasn’t any exception. Bret is all these things and more, so I kinda fell in love with the characters who were clichéd and yet new as well. Sorta.
So, yeah that’s my story and I am sticking to it.
I adored this book. I laughed out loud so many time at this story. The author and the MCs pick fun at the genre, and have fun doing so. Poor Killian ends up in his own mate bond fairytale, and it is just as crazy as he’d always thought it would be. I’d say it’s more like a mate bond soap opera, but still…
The premise behind this novel was golden. There are reasons clichés happen, and why so many novels embrace them. They are beloved, or hated, but tried and true ways to tell stories and sell novels. Even our MC Killian mentions this in the story. Alana Ankh uses each trope in the shifter genre to a T. Everything from a possessive, space-invading, snarly alpha to the uber-bitch ex-girlfriend; each one had its time in the spotlight. The writing itself was cliché as well, but I think it was meant to be. And aside from Brett’s irritating tendency to call Killian ‘baby’, which again is a genre staple, I think it was practically perfect. My copy of the book was pretty flawlessly edited, too, and that’s always a plus.
Tongue-in-cheek and over the top, this novel was fun and funny. I recommend it to all who enjoy shifter tales since all the genre’s best loved tropes are here, and I kept waiting for male pregnancy and/or knotting to show up, but alas to my not-so-disappointment, they never did. I think, though, if they had, I really don’t know what I would have done, except maybe explode from Ankh’s brilliance.
Ankh finished this leg of the story but leaves the tale open for a sequel. And **gasp** can you say more clichés are just waiting in the wings? How about an evil twin? Will that work? I can’t wait for the sequel when, and if, Ankh gets around to it.
Thank you for a fantastic read, author!
Your newest fan,
You can buy All’s Fair in Mate Bonds and Publishing here:
