Wolf Gone Wild (Stay A Spell #1) by Juliette Cross – Dual Review

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Description:
What’s the worst thing that can happen to a werewolf? Unable to shift for three months, Mateo Cruz knows all too well. His wolf has taken up residence in his head, taunting him night and day with vividly violent and carnal thoughts. Convinced he’s cursed, he needs the help of a powerful witch before he literally goes insane.

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Sandy’s Review:

WOLF GONE WILD is the first instalment in Juliette Cross’ contemporary, adult STAY A SPELL erotic, paranormal romance series focusing on the Savoie sisters. This is witch, waitress and aspiring artist Eveleen ‘Evie’ Savoie, and werewolf/ metal sculptor Mateo Cruz’ storyline.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Mateo and Evie) WOLF GONE WILD follows the building relationship between witch, waitress and aspiring artist Evie Savoie, and werewolf/ metal sculptor Mateo Cruz’. Mateo needs help. Someone has cast a spell, and our hero is unable to shift thusly allowing his blood lust to build to extraordinary levels. Hoping the Savoie sisters of New Orleans are able to help, Mateo approaches the witches in an effort to get the ‘hex’ removed. Enter Evie Savoie, witch and Hex-breaker, and the woman with whom Mateo will fall in love. What ensues is the slow building romance and relationship between Mateo and Evie, as Evie and her sisters struggle to unravel the hex that has spelled Mateo into something he’s not.

Evie Savoie is a powerful Hex-breaker but struggles with the spell surrounding the man that she loves. Unable to break through the layers of magic, Evie, along with her sisters Jules, Clara and Violet go in search of something else, a book that quite possible holds the cure to what ails Mateo Cruz. Mateo Cruz is a renowned metal sculptor who owns his own gallery in New Orleans but someone or something has bound Mateo’s powers, powers that are slowly tearing him apart, from the inside out.

The relationship between Mateo and Evie begins as a business arrangement as Evie is forced to work with a man she considers dangerous and dark. Witches and werewolves do not get along but something about Evie calls to Mateo when his Alpha demands Mateo make Evie their mate. The $ex scenes are limited but intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to three of Evie’s sisters Jules, Clara and Violet; their mother Serena Savoie; Mateo’s assistant Missy; his cousin Nico; fellow artist Sandra; ancient vampire and overlord Ruben Dubois; witch and seer Beryl; numerous employees at the family run bar the Cauldron; Bam, the comic store owner, as well as Mateo’s alter ego-the Alpha; Z and Fred the bow-time wearing rooster.

The world building introduces the Savoie sisters-their personalities, their powers, and the individual specialities, as well as the different supernatural beings that inhabit New Orleans, Louisiana.

WOLF GONE WILD is a story of power and control; of betrayal and vengeance; of family, friendship, romance and love. The premise is imaginative and engaging; the characters are sassy, fun and flirty-there is plenty of non-stop back and forth between Evie and her sisters, as well as between Evie and Mateo, and Mateo and the Alpha; the romance is heart warming and energetic. WOLF GONE WILD is an animated and sensual introduction to Juliette Cross’ STAY A SPELL paranormal, romance series.

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Barb’s Review:
Wolf Gone Wild by Juliette Cross is the 1^st book in her new Stay a Spell series.  I cannot say enough about Juliette, who is one of my favorite authors.   She never fails…never ever…to give us a fantastic story in an equally fantastic series.   Did I like Wolf Gone Wild??  I loved it, and was thrilled to see a different kind of series for Juliette.  Loved all the witches and werewolves….awesome.

Mateo Cruz, our hero, is a wolf shifter and has not been able to shift to his wolf for over three months; his inner wolf has been driving him crazy with loud, snarky and violent comments. He knows something is wrong, that he is cursed; so, desperation drives Mateo to seek out a witch who is known to be a hex-breaker.  The problem?  Witches do not help werewolves.

Evie Savoie, our heroine, is the hex-breaker in her witch family, the Savoie sisters.  Evie is working at a local bar, where she meets with clients, and immediately notices Mateo.  She tries to avoid him, knowing the rules…no werewolves; but Evie sees the desperation in his eyes, not to mention her immediate attraction. To make matters worse, Mateo’s wolf (Alpha) is constantly yelling to him about his insatiable desire for the pretty witch.

Evie decides to help Mateo, and brings him home for her to plead her case to her sisters, each of whom have their own powers.  They all agree to help Mateo find out who has cursed him, even though they discover that he has been affected by a powerful witch. 

What follows is an exciting, intense, and sexy adventure to save Mateo.  Juliette’s addition of Alpha, was not only downright dirty, but a lot of fun too.  I loved Evie and Mateo together (with the added comments from Alpha); they did make a fabulous sexy couple with amazing chemistry.  No surprise here, as Juliette always comes up with fantastic couples.  The sisters were also great, especially Jules, Violet and Clara, just to name a few; I can’t wait to meet them all in the future books.

Wolf Gone Wild was so well written by Juliette Cross.  To tell too much more would be spoilers.  If you enjoy a paranormal romance, exciting action, surprise twists, great secondary characters, and a couple that has sizzling chemistry; you need to read this book.  I cannot wait to see what Juliette has in store for us next. 

Copies supplied for Review

Link to Read First 3 chapters: https://www.juliettecross.com/single-post/2020/01/04/Wolf-Gone-Wild-First-3-Chapters

Juliette calls lush, moss-laden Louisiana home where the landscape curls into her imagination, creating mystical settings for her stories. She has a B.A. in creative writing from Louisiana State University, a M.Ed. in gifted education, and was privileged to study under the award-winning author Ernest J. Gaines in grad school. Her love of mythology, legends, and art serve as constant inspiration for her works. From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the Gothic romance–brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.

Juliette is a multi-published author, including her Nightwing series with Kensington Publishing and The Vessel Trilogy with Samhain Publishing.

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