My Rating: 3 stars: Liked it, but I had some issues (B-)
This review was originally posted at That's What I'm Talking About
I received a copy of the novella from the author as a freebie for subscribing to her newsletter.
After her alpha male brother Cash died suddenly, Alice, the alpha female is left trying to hold the Savage pack together. However a pack must have an alpha male and female, and unless Alice finds an alpha mate before the full moon, she will find herself the unwilling mate of nasty Roscoe (and let me tell you, based on some of his actions, he is creepy!)
Since time is of the essence, Alice turns to shifter-friendly dating service, Midnight Liaisons. The only alpha at Midnight Liaisons is the mysterious Jackson. Way too laid-back and terribly easy on the eyes... Is he truly the alpha Alice is searching for? Jackson and teen Dan are the only two wolves left after their former pack was killed by a fire. They've been on the road for about a year and like the idea of settling down.
Single Wolf Female is a playful novella with shifters at the heart. I enjoyed the light-natured banter between Alice and Jackson. I did like both characters and felt eventually, they made a perfect match. The slow, smoldering path that brought them together as true alpha mates was both smexy and sweet. I really liked Jackson from the start, and he honestly was too good to be true!
On the other hand, I did take some issue with Alice. I understand that she is grieving horribly, but Alice is a complete wreck. Her own life is in such a disarray... Garbage rotting for weeks, dirty dishes, unfinished laundry. I'm horrified by her house and life! I wanted to know what made her an alpha. She comes across insecure and scatterbrained. She's a virgin who has been hiding behind her alpha brother. At one point her instinct is to chase after her beta to smooth things over. She doesn't like or want confrontation. To me, all of these behaviors are not those of an alpha.
With that said, I liked Alice in spite of and because of her quirks. She may not have come across alpha, but I enjoyed her motherly and nurturing instincts. I also appreciated her strong will and her desire not to have to take a mate in order to remain the alpha female.
Single Wolf Female is a good novella. It is fun and light, but I found Alice a little annoying and Jackson almost too good to be true at times. However Alice could be enduring, and I did like their romance and how they came together. There were other aspects to the book, including a lesson in forming alliances and not everyone is as they appear, which add to the overall story. Based on the novellas I've read so far in this series, I would definitely pick up one of the full-length novels.