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.Evie Savoie has always obeyed the house rules of her coven–no … coven–no werewolves. They’re known for being moody and volatile. So, when a distempered, dangerous werewolf strolls into the bar and almost strangles one of her late-night customers, she’s ready to bounce him through the door. But the desperation in his eyes when he begs her to help him softens her heart and convinces her to bend the rules.
What Evie doesn’t know is that Mateo’s wolf has a mind of his own. And now that she’s in his sights, he wants only one thing. Her.
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Wolf Gone Wild is book one in Stay A Spell series by Juliette Cross. This is a brand new series by Ms. Cross and it’s different from her previous work in that it’s more light-hearted and fun. Not as intense or deep as her previous work.
Evie Savoie is a talented curse/hex breaker. She works at her sisters bar/restaurant and also her other sisters book shop. She’s a well rounded women who is full of life, but also has some insecurity’s about her art work; which her x-boyfriend put into her head.
Mateo Cruz and his wolf side Alpha. Cruz has always had control over Alpha, but something is blocking him from shifting and now things are getting out of control. He thinks someone has cursed him. He’s a loner and a wonderful metal worker.
The Savoie sisters. We meet several of them since the witches are a close nit family. Each has their own personalities, issues, and specialties with magic. I had fun meeting the Savoie sisters and look forward to more.
As for Mateo and Evie their romance was a slow build. Evie has always been told to stay away from werewolves and Mateo has this issue with shifting, so both are hesitant at first. We slowly see them moving out of their comfort zones and as they spend time together, they form a bond, a friendship which becomes more.
The romance was just ok. The novel was enjoyable and light-hearted. I liked the monologue of Alpha and how he drove Cruz a little crazy with his thoughts. It add humor. As to why Cruz can’t shift, well that mystery surprised me. I never guessed who it was and when it was reviled; I was like really. I had no indication it was that person.
Wolf Gone Wild is a fun, cute, and magical read.
Rated: 3 Stars
*Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy provided by Juliette Cross via NetGalley with the sole purpose of an honest review. All thoughts, comments and ratings are my own.
Werewolfs,witches ,vampires and a zombie cat oh! My!!!!
Another fabulous read from Juliette cross and it’s a twisty,snarky and full of awesome one liners with hot sexy paranormal male characters from Mateo who’s a werewolf who’s had a hex put on him so he can’t shift to his wolf and is being drove crazy by Alpha his wolf spirt and all alpha cares about is fucking and fighting and of course he won’t shut up for one moment!! Until Mateo goes to see evie a witch who breaks hex’s! Mateo and evie along with her sisters have tried to help him break the curse but some very powerful witch has cast a blood spell !! It will take not only evie and her witch sisters,and a powerful vampire to find a book to break this curse and they don’t even now who the witch is. This book had all juliette’s trade Mark’s from amazing writing to a great storyline to steamy lovemaking and hot sensuality!! It’s set in New Orleans were their are many paranormal creatures and you never know what or who you might come across. The build between evie and Mateo is slow at first because Mateo is a loner like most wolf’s he likes his own company. He doesn’t get to close to any women for fear that they’ll start asking questions on why he takes off for days on end,it’s just easier this way, And ever since evie’s break up with Derek the douche bag evie hasn’t been with any other guys. Their becoming best friends and she’s teaching him all about star wars and wolverine and comics,and their growing closer. Mateo wants evie but he’s afraid of alpha taking over and him not being able to control him,but the fires building and soon neither will have a choice!!! And when alpha starts the ball in motion mateo can’t control the beast any longer and the need to claim to his sweet little witch is now!! the time is well past stolen kisses and caresses its time to make her his!!!
Lots of foreplay and off the charts chemistry !!!! And the characters are awesome as well I loved both evie and Mateo she was sweet and sexy girl who loves starwars, wolverine and comics and Mateo is a artist who makes mythical metal sculptures . And then theirs secondary characters like evie’s sister jule,violet and Clara who all have special talents who just as intriguing and then theirs a sexy gorgeous vampire Ruben Dubois who is the head of the southern vampires,he’s so sexy!!! Can’t wait for more of him!!! I highly recommend this book if you like a entertaining funny sexy read with fabulous one liners and plenty of snark to go around with passion and a sexy werewolve who’s wolf spirt Alpha is a delicious dirty bad boy who just can’t keep his thoughts to himself. Until next time luv’s.
I’ve read all of Juliette’s work to date and, while I love each and everyone of her stories, this one just jumped to the front of the pack. It’s so very fresh and packed with a perfect mix of contemporary romcom and off the charts sexy paranormal. I loved the setting (New Orleans). I loved the characters. (Not just the heroine and hero, but the secondary cast as well.) I loved the chemistry between Mateo and Evie and the easy but well-crafted pace. No over blown angst. No over-complicated world building. Just solid, engrossing writing and a love story that makes you sigh. If you haven’t read her stories yet, this one is a slam dunk to pick up.
What a dirty thinking Alpha dog!!! I LOVED him!!!
When Mateo has a hex put on him, he is no longer able to shift into wolf form. As a result, his inner wolf, Alpha, is driving him crazy. His only hope is Evie Savoie. Her witchy specialty is removing hexes but it doesn’t take Mateo long to realize that just being in her presence soothes and quietens the beast within him.
I can’t express how much I absolutely loved Mateo as well as his raunchy, dirty talking sidekick, Alpha. Mateo was a bit shy, uncertain, and adorably cute, while Alpha lived for only two things: blood and sex. Together they entertained the heck out of me.
’”I wanted to come by and sort of look at you, I mean, see you. Hang out with you.” That was the stupidest —-ing string of words I’d ever put together.
She laughed. My heart soared. “You just couldn’t live without me, could you?”
You have no —-ing idea.’
Evie was a total geek when it came to sci-fi movies and comic books. The fact that Mateo didn’t have a clue what she was talking about opened up the door for lots of witty banter as she introduces him to pop culture. Add in the extreme chemistry between them and the intensity of Alpha’s desire and Evie was pretty much a goner.
’Mateo was the key. Alpha was the welcome mat. And I was loving the [heck] out of walking through this door, pushing my werewolf over the edge. I wanted us to go together.’
There isn’t a lot of dark drama that many of this author’s books have. Instead, this is lighter, flirtier, a bit whimsical. That isn’t to say there isn’t any drama or conflict. There is something seriously wrong going on, but rather than consuming the story it helps to push it along. Of course when it all comes to a head, there is nothing fun and flirty about it.
I loved everything about this book, this hero and heroine as well as all the secondary characters. I hated having to set it aside when life demanded attention and at a less busy time I could have easily read this through in one sitting and then dug back in for a reread. It’s just that good! Easily my favorite by this author!
The predecessor to ‘Wolf Gone Wild’, this was a decent followup to the ‘Stay & Spell’ series which centers around the next Savoie sister in line, Isadore.
Isadore was far more relatable and due to our similarities, I was able to connect with her a lot more than with Evie. Then we have our vampire Bollywood star, Devraj Kumar (who I picture as Ranveer Singh because I mean… look at him!). He was woo-wee hot! And the diversity, bravo! They were complete opposites in every single way but what I liked the most about their relationship besides the scorching chemistry was how they were able to balance each other and work seamlessly together when searching for the missing women.
Addition to that, the side characters were everything! I seriously can’t wait to read Jules and Ruben’s story and what led to their disastrous relationship as well as Violet and Nico. The cousin to Mateo, Nico seems like a troublemaker and I’m here for it.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed this more than ‘Wolf Gone Wild’ and can’t wait to see which sister is next. Fingers crossed it’s Ruben and Violets because I need to know what their history was and the nature of their relationship.
I haven’t read a paranormal romance in quite some time and honestly wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I went in to Wolf Gone Wild. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this rom-com PNR!
Mateo Cruz is a werewolf, but he hasn’t been able to shift in a few months and he fears it’s because of a spell that’s been cast on him. He seeks out a hex-breaker witch and that leads him to Evie.
I loved the chemistry that was so evident between Mateo and Evie as soon as they met. Cross knows how to write a sensual slow burn. I would definitely classify Wolf Gone Wild as a slow burn, and I loved the way that Mateo and Evie developed their relationship. It was the perfect amount of sweetness and sexy.
I didn’t expect Wolf Gone Wild to be so funny, but I loved the internal dialogue between Mateo and his wolf who is aptly named Alpha. These two had some of my favorite parts of the book and I absolutely loved their parts!
I also really enjoyed Evie’s relationship with her sisters. Sometimes when there are so many secondary characters in a book they can get lost, but in Wolf Gone Wild I was invested in all of the characters and want a story on each of Evie’s sisters!
The suspenseful/mystery part of the book was also intriguing. I was hooked immediately from the beginning and was left stunned with the final reveal. So many parts of this book played out like a movie for me and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
If you’re looking to try a paranormal romance I think Wolf Gone Wild is the perfect book to start with. It was funny, sweet and sexy! I really really enjoyed this book and can not wait for the next book in the series!
LOVED THIS SO MUCH!
I thoroughly enjoyed this delightfully witty and snarky and sexy paranormal romance about witches and werewolves.
I finished this book right before I went to bed one evening. And let me tell you, I was in seventh heaven swooning dreamily over Mateo & Alpha right before drifting off to sleep.
I would like ‘next time’ with Mateo please & thank you.
Evie, a beautiful witch, is a hex breaker and Mateo needs her. A spell is cast on him that keeps his wolf trapped inside and makes it so he can’t shift. Evie is the only one who can break the spell.
Mateo and Evie together was pure perfection. Their connection was strong, their chemistry was sizzling hot and spine tingling. Sparks flew, and not from any witch’s spells either.
I loved their friendship.
I adored their attraction.
I craved their need.
I absolutely loved the way Mateo had to be near her, to touch her, to quiet the wolf.
The wolf intruding/invading on his thoughts was highly entertaining and fun and sometimes so naughty and sexy. I always looked forward to reading Alpha’s thoughts. I’d love to have him growl for me.
This story gave me smiles and laughs and butterflies and tingles (in all the right places) and I never wanted to put it down. It’s full of so much goodness! The passion, the heart, the magic, the LOVE, the characters… I loved everything and everyone. I felt like I knew them.
This was my first read by this author and I can’t wait for more!
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EDITED TO ADD ~ Audiobook Review, May 18, 2021:
This is one of the best audiobooks I’ve listened to! Not only is Aiden Snow the perfect voice for Mateo, but his voice is hot enough to melt kindles and ear buds everywhere. And Johanna Fairview did fabulously with Evie.
I read this book over a year ago and loved it A LOT. It was one of my top reads of 2020. So imagine my squeals of excitement and delight when I heard there would be an audiobook! And then add Aiden Snow on top of that news? YES. PLEASE. NOW.
From the first chapter, I was easily pulled into the fun and sweet and sexy story full of beautiful witches and growly, alpha wolves. As I said before, I loved the book. But this time, listening to the story read to me by a voice so smooth and sultry was even more magical and way more delicious.
Do you love paranormal romance?
Do you love audiobooks?
You need this in your life!!
This is one of the hardest reviews I’ve ever had to write. I’ve been going back and forth, trying to figure out how to adequately capture just how freaking AMAZEBALLS this story was. How can I get you, my fellow reader, to fully understand the necessity of adding this book to your reading experience? How can I provide you with sufficient information to tempt you into taking the plunge, without giving too much of this story’s SENSATIONAL goodness away? Juliette Cross will always be one of my favorite authors and this book only further cemented that fact!
There’s an insanely sexy werewolf named Mateo. I mean, this man is freaking SEX-SAY!
He’s a metalwork artist, owns his own gallery, and the author created him with such perfection that I was left swooning and silly all over the place. Every scene left me with a goofy smile on my face and I was in absolute heaven with this man!!
He’s been cursed, he doesn’t know who did it, and honestly it was hard to believe someone would do that to him because he was such an incredible man. Honest and kind, humble and talented, he was everything a girl could want and wish for in a fantastic hero.
Then there’s Evie, a witch, a hex breaker, and generally impressive person
She was a heroine after my own heart. She was a geek when it came to all things Marvel (like me), she was obsessed with Star Wars (like me) … to be real, if I had even a modicum of artistic talent (like my kids), I’d totally see myself in her. As it was, she was AWESOME! She was full of pure and positive energy, she was sweet and smart, and she was breathtaking.
While working to help Mateo unleash his wolf, she befriends him and quickly learns that remaining friends isn’t what she truly wants. How can she possibly resist his stunning temptation?
Seriously, if you love romance… if you love great characters… if you love all things paranormal… if you love to laugh and swoon and grin like a loon… you will most definitely LOOOOOVE this book!!
You’re like the perfect man conjured from my nerdiest fantasies.
Alpha, you freaking beast boy, I seriously don’t know who I like the best. Mateo or his wolf, Alpha. Did I mention that Alpha lives up to his name and is H-O-T?
Evie Savoie is a talented hex breaker. There is no hex that she can’t break. But as a rule, all witches have stayed away from the werewolves. They are temperamental, unpredictable and there is no amounting to their blood lust when they shift. So imagine Evie’s surprise and caution when a wolf seeks her out for help.
Mateo Cruz is no longer himself. One of the most important things for a werewolf is to be able to shift and Mateo hasn’t been able to do that for three months, putting him and his wolf on edge.
Going with his gut instinct and believing he is hexed, Mateo goes to the only person who is powerful enough to break the spell put on him.
What Mateo wasn’t expecting was his wolf to quiet down as soon as he came near Evie.
I kissed his scruffy cheek, my heart pounding like mad. “I love you. So much. I love you.”
His mouth tipped up on one side. “I know.”
“Oh, my God, Mateo. Did you just quote Star Wars to me?”
He grinned. “I sure did.
Evie and Mateo were fire together. Evie was so full of life, happiness and exuberance. Mateo, on the other hand, was a quiet, intense artist and not only did they bring out the best in the other, but also uplifted each other. Evie lacks confidence in herself and Mateo helped her with that, whereas, Evie brought out a side of Mateo that surprised even him. He never knew that he could be this romantic, fun and even sappy as f*ck, when needed.
With all the heat, love and mystery there was good ol’ laughter as well. So much laughter! Alpha, Mateo’s wolf, lived up to his name. He was intense, had a one-track mind and was insanely hilarious!
Wolf Gone Wild was such an enjoyable read! The sass, the heat, the love, the laughter, the characters, everything was on point and checked all the boxes for me!
4 Stars!
Every page of this was a delight. This was the best paranormal romance I have read in a VERY long time.
Mateo is a werewolf who is the epitome of an alpha-mellow. He was so sweet and kind and thoughtful, but do NOT mistake that for him not being dominant, at least in the bedroom. I really loved him. The way he just completely falls for Evie and basically worships her was so beautiful.
Evie was a badass witch and I loved her, too. She has a bit of a hard exterior. It’s hard for her to let people in, but she is VERY loyal to the small circle of people that matter to her.
Together, Mateo and Evie are quirky, sweet, funny, endearing, and pretty spicy, too!
I also could NOT review this without talking about Alpha. Alpha just absolutely MADE this book. His commentary was hilarious and sounded exactly what I imagine a werewolf would sound like in your head. I love him.
I loved the way this ended. I did NOT see the twist coming and the next books were set up so well. I already bought Don’t Hex and Drive and I definitely do not plan to wait long before diving into it. I can’t believe I waited so long to read this, but I am SO glad I finally did.
This was my first book by Juliette Cross and it was everything I needed! This was such a unique story I could not put it down. It was layered so well you really get the modern with the magic. Mateo is masculine yet sensual as he battles his inner wolf for dominance. I love the desperation he has for Evie and the strength she possesses to tame him. This book absolutely makes you want to Stay A Spell!
This book made me laugh. A lot. The interactions with Alpha, the inner werewolf, reminded me a lot of Venom. Loved the setting and the fact that it was clear that the author did her homework about New Orleans. (I lived there, so when I read a New Orleans book, it’s often clear that the writer has never been there.) But this gives you a nice glimpse of the city outside of Bourbon street. Also loved all the comic book references. (Wolverine forever.) I stayed up way too late reading it and I’ve already bought the second book. Very entertaining.
If you’re looking for a fun and unique paranormal romance with a spellbinding HEA, this book checks all the boxes. Also, I’m a huge Marvel fan, so I adored Evie and her unapologetic love of all things comics. Fantastic start to an awesome new series!
What an exciting to start to a new series. I am chomping at the bit to get my hands on the next ones. Luckily I have #2 waiting for me to devour. I love a great series that not only grabs your attention with the MCs, but has just as well executed secondary characters you can’t wait to read. I need every single sister’s book, yesterday. Mateo and Evie’s story was filled with so much heart, humor and sassy sarcastic ladies, I couldn’t help but read it in one sitting.
A fun read with witty, unique characters, whether it’s the crazy animal companions (Fred, Z, and Alpha) or the witch sisters themselves. I loved Mateo’s banter with Alpha, it provided a whole other dimension to the story I wasn’t expecting. Great sexy scenes, and great MCs. I can’t wait for Ruben and Jules’s book!
This was a first from this author for me and I really enjoyed it. Evie a hex-breaker witch meets Mateo a hexed werewolf and the chemistry begins. Evie isn’t sure she should help Mateo since her sister (Jules the enforcer) has never been a big fan of werewolfs. This story was funny, steamy, with twist along the way.
This book had great potential; intriguing world, interesting cast of characters, magic and love. What it didn’t have is a proper plot. It had enough of a story to keep the reader going, but mostly it’s just filled with endless scenes of two people getting to know each other in a safe environment, unchallenged by outside forces. Since it’s a romance, scenes where the couple falls in love are important, but I’d prefer even those to stem from the plot, not to be the sole story.
There were great opportunities for the book to have an interesting and intriguing plot. Mateo has been cursed. But does anyone investigate who’s done it and why? No. He says he doesn’t have enemies and it’s left at that. You’d think he would be even a little curious, but he’s not. He’s not even angry at the person who cursed him, even though he has anger issues because of it. And when it turns out the curse is done with forbidden magic, does the sisterhood of witches who are the leaders of their community investigate? No. A criminal is amongst them, targeting civilians with magic, and they do nothing. As a result, it’s the villain who gets to set the pace. The baddie shows up out of the blue in the last chapter and the entire story is acted out then. So, a waste of potential.
I liked Mateo. He was a mature man who knew what he wanted and was in a good place in his life despite the curse. I liked Evie too, as long as I imagined her to be in her early twenties and not late thirties, like she was. She was a too wide-eyed innocent for a middle-aged woman — or a grown-up who’ll live for centuries. But the two were good together and made a believable couple, which in the end saved the book from its lack of content. I liked the writing style and I’ll read the next book too, even though it’s about the one sister that wasn’t properly introduced in the first book, so that I’m not emotionally invested in her yet.
This was a fun and cute read. Evie, the heroine is a witch who is also a Star Wars, Marvel and comics nerd. She is what made this story cute. She just seemed like she loved life and I like how she was around Mateo.
Mateo, the hero is a werewolf, metal artist, all around good guy, and a bit of a grouch who was constantly trying to tame his inner werewolf. Their inner monologue was very entertaining and brought the fun to the story.
The romance was a bit of a slow burn. We got to see them start out as acquaintances, to friends, to more. I couldn’t wait for these two to finally move onto the more and I was not disappointed. They were adorably cute as a couple.
Evie is from a family of witches and we got introduced to all her sisters, a couple of cousins and her mom. Her family are all close nit and I felt like they just added more fun to Evie and Mateo’s story.
The sisters are like what you would think they would be, all up in everyone’s business. They are all powerful witches on their own so I’m pretty excited to see this series expand if the sisters all get their own books.
I read this book because I had requested an Arc of its follow up, so I needed to get up to speed!
Wolf Gone Wild is a great start to the series – which I believe will follow the group of sisters love lives and their HEAs.
The chemistry between Evie and Mateo was sizzling and the steamy scenes left me a little flushed.
I had an inkling about certain events, and the conclusion was slightly anticlimactic, but I love revenge so maybe that’s why I feel like the villain of the story didn’t get what they deserved (Alpha ripping her limb from limb – just a suggestion).
I’m interested to find out more about the dynamics between the sisters. I can’t wait to read Jules and Violet’s tales too – the ground work is ready laid for them.
All in all this is a solid 4s and the perfect book to help fill the PNR hole I find myself in.
Mateo Cruz has been unable to shift into his wolf for three months. His wolf has taken up residence in his head and is slowly driving him insane. Believing he is cursed he seeks out a powerful witch who is known for breaking hexes. Evie Savoie can see the desperation in Mateo’s eyes and can feel the curse on him, but it’s going to take a lot more power than she thought to free him from the spell.
This is my first Juliette Cross book, but it won’t definitely won’t be the last one. I really loved this book. Evie was a powerful witch, with a big loving family. I adored her and her crazy sisters. While she is powerful, she has self-confidence issues with her art, which was very relatable for me. Mateo was an alpha male, but also a really great guy. His wolf side was controlling and possessive but he always was careful with Evie. Mateo, and Alpha, were just great heroes that totally deserved to find happiness.
Overall, this was a wonderful slow building paranormal romance. I cannot wait to read the second book and see the other sisters fall. Also this cover is beautiful and I can’t get enough of its beauty and simplicity.