A Wolf in the Garden

Lost Moon: Unravelling Monsters Universe, Book 1

By: Allegra Hall

Narrated by: Ali Jaynes, Drew Mehrtens

Length: 15 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

Ellie never expected to see him again.

Two years after the Unravelling revealed monsters and their hidden realm to the world, garden designer Ellie Harding seems to have her life together, living out her cottagecore dreams on the picturesque island of Motuwai, New Zealand.

What she never expected was for Van Livingston, the wealthy American she grew up with every summer, to walk back into her life nine years after a tragic event destroyed their romantic relationship. What's more, it turns out Van is a wolf—a hybrid werewolf/wolf-shifter, to be exact—with two wolves and two wolf forms. He's just as handsome as ever, and without the glamour, his gold eyes and towering height have her feeling hot and bothered all over again.

Van was her first love, and she could never blame him for how things ended… but that doesn't mean Ellie's ready to take him back. She has her own problems to sort out, including a secret that's been eating away at her.

Van's wolves know that she's his mate.

He wasn't supposed to find Ellie yet. After breaking away from his father's pack, Van's plan involved settling into his newly purchased vineyard on the island of Motuwai. Only then did he plan on tracking Ellie down—to apologize, grovel, and beg for her forgiveness.

But the moment he scents her in the unlikeliest of places, he's done for. His wolves won't let it go—Ellie is his fated mate—and this time around, he's not going to ruin things.

However, Ellie isn't quite the same woman he used to know, and something sinister has been lurking in the shadows. Van's alpha instincts drive him to protect her, but will it be enough to keep the danger at bay?

A Wolf in the Garden is a first-person, dual-POV novel, and the first in the Unravelling Monsters universe. It is a monster romance that features a female lead of mixed New Zealand European and Māori descent who is not afraid to love her man in both his human and his werewolf form. HEA guaranteed!

©2023 Allegra Hall (P)2024 Podium Audio

So Immersive I Can Smell The Gardens

Gleeful Goblin Review: This book, especially in audiobook format with these narrators, is a TREAT. The setting is beautifully rich and I adore the details the author gives that made me feel so immersed in my listening experience. The fact that culture and family, both human and paranormal, are incredibly important themes in this book was incredible and I think the author did a superb job of exploring that emotional space in a nuanced and authentic way. The fact that there is so much richness and depth in the setting truly meant that I felt the characters come alive in this story which is always a joy for me. This story will catch you up in its arms and never let you go. 5/5 Stars

steamy wolf shifter romance

I just finished the audio book combo for this one, I truly enjoyed it.
Loved the Maori representation, the maturity of their relationship, and the message it conveys: it's fine to have feelings and be vulnerable. The vulnerability of expressing emotions and crying is not hindered or hidden as prototypical toxic masculine behavior in males in our society.
It was such a sweet romance to read. As far as the smutty parts, like KNOTTING, the author ensured there would be a plethora to enjoy.

perfect amount of smut

could use a little more story. I want a sequel! I need to know about their future pups

Cozy smut

I loved this from start to finish. It gave me really great almost cozy fantasy vibes, but then it gets into the spice and stays pretty heavy through the whole story! Just a really great recipe for a cute but smutty story!

Second chance - childhood friends to lovers - fated mates

The only things for me that would have even pushed this over the top - if the narrators each performed their own lines between chapters. Having this be read more like it had a full cast would have just kept me so much more immersed. listening to each of them try to do a voice for the other main character just sort of breaks that immersion when we already get the pleasure of having two narrators - and Secondly the resolution to the problem with the fae was just sort of quick and I personally would have loved just a little bit more of a fight from them.

I want more from this author and can't wait to see what the next book brings!