Fate made her his. He just has to hunt her down…
For centuries Emma has sought to keep herself from being bound to a mate, immortal or otherwise. But Jean-Cristophe is an alpha wolf, and he will take what belongs to him.
She will be claimed, marked, and ravaged until she screams his name, even if that means first stripping her bare and spanking her until she is sore, sobbing, and shamefully … until she is sore, sobbing, and shamefully in need.
Publisher’s Note: Fated includes spankings and rough, intense sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.
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I loved reading this shifter book. It has strong characters and was wonderfully written and the author is one of my favorites. I can not wait to see what is written next. I highly recommend this book to everyone who loves shifter books.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Fated follows in the lines of James’ earlier shifter books, but it moves to a “future” setting that is actually a step back to older times and behaviors. Much of this book uses the patented approach that James takes to her fated mates shown in her Wayward Mates series; the hero Jean-Christophe is even a descendant from a couple in that series. So you have another uber-alpha hero and a heroine who’s feisty but can’t win anything against the hero. But there were elements in Fated that didn’t make sense to me, and that made me struggle with this book.
For one thing, the heroine Emma is a vampire, one who’s lived for hundreds of years. Despite this, she came across as the typical James heroine, instead of James exploiting the unique nature of vampires to put a whole new twist on this series. You’d think a long-lived vampire would be wily and able to avoid the typical alpha wolf-shifter dominance techniques of James’ heroes. But other than a brief shape shift, she really doesn’t do much else vampiric. Also, vampires usually are exceptionally strong. But Jean-Christophe easily overpowers Emma at every turn, and that to me was a missed opportunity. What would a wolf shifter do against another type of paranormal being who would have strength equal to his? This also made Jean-Christophe less sympathetic; he never listens to Emma’s concerns and barrels ahead with his sure-fire belief that she’s his and that their relationship will work.
That’s because Jean-Christophe also insists that if he bites Emma, she’ll turn into a wolf shifter and cease being immortal and undead. That’s a major twist from most vampire lore, and I would have appreciated more discussion of how that had been done to other vampires, how many times it had been done and worked, etc. For example, Emma alludes to an earlier time where she was offered to be turned; if this was easy to do, why wouldn’t more vampires who were just tired of being immortally undead asked to be turned into wolf shifters to live normal lifespans? Without much structure to this, I couldn’t make sense of it.
There was also a major continuity error in the books. Only 100 years elapses between two points in Emma’s life, but the way things are written indicates multiple centuries have passed, not just 100 years. Jean-Christophe speaks of his ancestors Darby and Jean-Michel as if they were long-past antecedents and mentions “hundreds” of years between them. If it was truly only 100 years, they’d be his grandparents or at best great-grandparents. And many people today would remember someone that closely related to them, rather than speaking as if they lived in ages past. This is an easy fix for James to make that I hope she does (as the years are referred to by date only at the beginning of chapters), especially if she wants to write more in this setting.
Fated also unique in that heroine and hero don’t meet until just about the halfway point. If this is something that bothers you in your reading, be advised. Finally, there’s a villain introduced, and not a lot happens with him. I don’t know if James will be writing more about this couple, or if the villain is supposed to be the Big Bad of a new series, but right now, he really wasn’t developed enough to be a credible threat.
If you like James’ style with heroes and heroines, you’ll be happy with Fated overall. But for me, everything wrapped around that plot led to more questions than answers.
I wasnt too sure about it in the beggining. I got confused but then it all came together and I understood that this story was Emmas.
It was beautiful and dark and sexy and I want more.
I loved it!
I just also thought the spanking was overdone 4 out of 5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed this book. I was admittedly a bit confused at first with where the vampyrs came in, but it made sense. I really liked Emma, and I thought Jean-Christophe was just the perfect alpha for her and she for him. It was steamy and fun, but it also had part of a subplot which I eagerly await more of.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
*Spoiler Alert*
Emma (FMC) hasnt had an easy life in this book. Widowed, kidnapped by a sexual deviant Sir Nickolas who then tries to dominate and break her. A misogynistic, misguided man who thinks women are only good for one thing and little else. She escapes only to live a lonely existence whilst she tries to evade him until a chance event changes the course of her life. Loved her relationship between Emma & Jean – Cristophe. The banter was funny & they played off against each other well. Just wondering if theres going to be more from them though? Just feels like the story isnt finished yet especially with Emma & Sir Nickolas. I hope so because this book is a great start and i really enjoyed reading it
I will tell you I was sadden when the original series featuring the Coalition gals ended. It had been a crazy chase those ladies lead their Fated Mates on. The ending of the last book gave me hope that it wasn’t over completely.
So here we are over 100 years in the future, in a post-apocalyptic world that had been ravaged by a virus. Wolf-shifters are the dominate species that rule the world. Some packs are bad and some are good. The Coalition packs have withstood time.
So this story crosses time and ties an act that occurred with characters in the old series with this new one. I love it because it bringing it full circle. Emma is a vampyr. She was turned against her will and has to escape after being used by him for years. Fast forward a couple hundred years, a good deed never goes unpunished as Emma is still being pursued by her Master. She flees back to the a place of safety, a place where she was promised a second chance. . . or was it something more. Emma always wanted what the wolves had – pack, home, family, children, love, a Fated Mate but she has denied it. That chance encounter from so long ago, the good deed that changed the lives of one wolf pack has tied her life to it she just didn’t know how. But is she ready for what lies ahead and can she give in if it means submitting.
I can’t wait for more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Being a fan of the Wayward Mates series, as well as finding myself often conflicted about the initial non-con aspects of the alphas and their fated mates, the beginning of this book threw me off guard.
Emma’s fate at the beginning of the book was so off putting to me that I was hesitant to move forward. I do have to say that the threat of Sir Nicholas added an aspect of suspense to the entire story.
Revisiting Jean-Michel and Darby added another layer of suspense and intrigue to the tale. Not to mention including Emma’s circumstances at the time.
By the time Emma encounters Jean-Christophe, I could only begin to wonder what next. I had some idea due to how the Wayward Mates, Overlord, Warlord, etc., books played out, what direction the story would take. Yet, there was that special twist hanging over Emma’s head.
The end of the book put paid to any doubt regarding the fated mates and their HEA, but left me with the feeling that there is much more to come. 3.5 stars.
If spankings, intense sexual scenes, etc., offend you, take a pass on this book. Othetwise, read it and form your own opinion.
I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy of this book received from the author.
This talented author has by far surpassed my expectations with this magnificent dark post-apocalyptic wolf shifter romance & I thoroughly enjoyed reading each & every page until the end, in particular, I found the way the past influenced the future quite riveting & it certainly influenced the well-thought out, intriguing plot. The characters are well-developed with realistic individual personalities & portrayed believable emotional feelings to the current situations they find themselves in.
There is : a female vampire (Emma Chandler) with terrible memories of abuse is on the run from her sire ( Nickolas Stanfield) & definitely has no intentions of taking a mate but a alpha wolf shifter (Jean-Christopher Gautier) is determined to claim her with or without her permission, various kinds of shifters, vampires, twists & turns, intrigue, suspense, drama, magic, danger, threats, memories, deceit, confrontations, disagreements, defiance, discipline, spankings, contentment, steamy scenes & a satisfying conclusion. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy reading this genre; I really doubt that you would be disappointed in it.
ONE PHENOMENAL THRILL RIDE!!!
Gaping gators! Delta has outdone herself, completely blowing me away with this brilliantly composed approach, spinning this spectacular storyline and gripping plot, keeping you riveted on a razors edge, wrapping this baby up sleek, shiny and tight. Satisfaction rocks this little jewel, bringing it home with such intensity and precision, riding roughshod and imparting one jaw dropping dynamo, launching this baby to a whole new level. Rolling with the drama, intrigue, turmoil, magic, denial, danger, spiraling suspense and unnerving situations along with a boatload of trouble while dodging evil intentions, you have one thrilling rollercoaster ride. Anarchy, escapades and havoc run amuck, kicking this gem into a tempest, bursting it into a tailspin with a mind-blowing realization. The attraction and chemistry sizzles from the pages and suck you in so deeply until you feel the heat and electricity thrumming through your veins. Braided, bound and entangled, showcasing the explosive ups and agonizing downs, grounding in it’s strength and awe inspiring in it’s depth. You feel everything the characters feel, you become a part of the adventure instead of on the sideline. The characters, banter, dialogue, interactions and charged atmosphere along with relatable qualities and individual traits, blend and flow, transforming into genuinely approachable personalities. The scenes are written with such realism, impressive talent and unique insight, blasts this sparkling jewel to life, making the storyline pop. Remarkable job Delta, thanks for sharing this little guy with us.
I’m an emotional puddle… Jean-Christophe and Emma bring my favorite characters full circle. I found this an exciting and poignant story with visits to the past based on Emmas’s experiences and how everything comes together in the future. Wayward Mates is my absolute favorite series by this author, and this updated, twist in a new direction has my imagination in overdrive in the hopes there is more to come. Jean-Christophe is a worthy descendant, and Emma could be an honorary member of the original female pack – so if you are a fan of the series, you know that the road to fated mates is spicy, sizzling, and shiver-inducing. Think I need to make a trip to New Orleans… Fabulous read – keep them coming.
This book to say the least was quite emotional… yea im a wass. Anyways without giving to many spoilers away i really loved that we had once mare a chance to hear more about Darby and Jean-Michel and it was a delight in the way Emma first met them for she saved Darbys life, making them life long friends and Jean-Michel gave her a medillion letting her know that if she needed protection the pack was there for her.
But little did she know that on the run from her sire she would end up fated to the alpha an alpha of Jean-Michel and Darbys linage.
This really is a must read, once you start there really is no stopping. I really do hope that this is a beggining of a new series because Delta James is really the best at wrting her fated wolf stories without a doubt
Emma goes through a lot on her own. She meets Jean-Christophe, and is reluctant to believe they are meant to be together. Really good book!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Once again I could not wait, I read this as soon as I got it on my kindle. So with 11 other books waiting to be read and reviewed before the 14th of May, I could not wait, and finished on the May Day.
I loved Emma’s story, the Gautier Pack of New Orleans is special to her, because of her relationship with Darby. To find her fated mate in one of Darby’s family is unexpected.
I want to gush but don’t want to give anything away. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
We start in the past with Emma being stolen from her life and abused. Then we jump to Jean-Michel and Darby in current time. Emma saves Darby and is given a doubloon that promises her the protection of the New Orleans pack. And then we go to the future where most of the human world has died and wolf packs rule. Emma is still being chased by the man who abused her. She goes to the New Orleans pack and discovers she is the fated mate to a descendant of Jean-Michel and Darby.
I love how the author pulls all the little pieces from previous books and series and weaves them together. I had many ‘aha’ moments when something from a previous story suddenly made sense. It just made this book all the more enjoyable. Emma has her HEA, but the story will continue in future books.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Oh I love this book. We meet Emma, a woman from Regency London who is turned into a vampire and begins the journey which will take her to her fated mate. If you like the Wayward Mates series (especially Jean-Michel the alpha of New Orleans) you’ll love his post apocalyptic descendant, Jean-Christophe.
As usual Delta has given us a great story, a kick-ass woman, a strong hero and steam in all the right places.
Can wolfshifter DNA give a vampire the chance to see the sunrise again…………
You can read this book as a stand-alone but WARNING – these mates are addictive.