ONCE UPON A WOLF, gay romance novella with solid omega vibes

ONCE UPON A WOLF (Wayward Wolves #1)
RHYS FORD
Dreamspinner Press (non-affiliate Amazon link)
$4.99 ebook, available now

Rating: 3.75* of five

The Publisher Says: Once Upon A Time, There Was A Wolf….

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.

I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FROM THE GOODREADS M/M GIFT EXCHANGE. THANKS!

My Review: A series-starting novella whose series never started. It kinda shows; there are details that don't always track. Like Zach seemingly both does and doesn't know what Gibson and Ellis are before they become neighbors.

Ellis as a werewolf with PTSD is really not a lovely, cheery fella, and younger brother Gibson works around it as best he can where Zach is concerned. Zach's newfound heart-family, Ruth and Martha, don't figure that much in the story, but seem to be primed for more...that never came. Speaking of coming, Zach and Gibson did Rhys Ford's insta-lust thing that works for you or really does not. Consummation is not as rapid to arrive. A slower burn is more appropriate here because Zach really has trouble believing he's in this relationship with a shapeshifter.

The usual werewolf strong possessiveness is mitigated in Ellis. He behaves more as a human would, feeling awkward about his powerful drive to own Zach. I found that made sense to me...he's brother to a man so psychically wounded as be stuck in his wolf form, it's going to make things about his own nature clearer for him.

The tender and loving care both men exhibit for Ellis, the careful way they coax healing into him, makes the book feel more like it's about Ellis than the lovers. Their first physical union is the only one in the story. It's a novella, maybe 45,000 words, so it's not like there's a lot of room to add more.

Low steam, relationship focus, strong emphasis on forming family...if that's for you, and it was for me, this is a good example of it. Available on Kindle Unlimited.