Book Review: Gray's Dilemma + Giveaway!*
6:00:00 PM
A couple weeks ago, I collaborated with Cassandra Larsen to review her book Deceitful Circle. She was even generous enough to give away 10 copies and I've got to say, that was a pretty great giveaway!
Cassandra was then kind enough to send me a paperback copy of her most recent novella, Gray's Dilemma! And since I was still reeling from her last book, I knew I needed to read it right away!
Now, for those of you that are interested in reading the series, please don't read this book before reading Silent Circle and Deceitful Circle!
Synopsis:
Pack life can be harsh. The price for disobedience is swift and severe. Gray knows this. As the Alpha’s son, he’s even had to mete out a few punishments himself. But when a close friend of his lands on the wrong side of pack law, Gray must choose between loyalty to his friend and loyalty to his pack. And this time, a wrong decision could cost a lot more than a beating… Gray’s Dilemma is a novella from The Witches Circle series, told from Gray’s perspective. It covers events in the Silver Ridge Pack that take place at the same time as the first book in the series, Silent Circle.
Review:
When I decided to read Gray's Dilemma, I was a little worried. Even though I know Cassandra is a great writer, there were just some things that I wasn't sure about:
- I had never read a novella before and I've heard some iffy things about them.
- I haven't read a book written in a male's perspective in years.
- I was worried that Gray's Dilemma might be filled with werewolf cliches.
Now, that I've got that off of my chest, lets get to this review!
As usual, I've got to give props to Cassandra and her sister for their great cover! At first it was hard to tell where the lines ended on the paperback copy, but looking at the digital copy now, I think it looks fantastic!
I also have to give Cassandra props for her vocabulary! She definitely stepped it up a notch to the point that I was googling words to either see if they were used correctly or to just define them in the first place. I know that doesn't effect the story line, but I think it's important that we learn something from each book we read, whether its a life lesson or just some new vocabulary words!
In regards to this book being a novella, I have to say that I wish it wasn't. Not because I didn't like it, but because I loved it! I wanted to learn more about Gray and continue seeing things through his perspective even if it would intertwine with Emerson's story. Honestly though, I'd probably feel that way about anything related to the Witches Circle series!
Since I'm a writer myself, I was wondering what it would be like for a female author to write in a male's perspective. Cassandra warned me that it might not be for me and that it would be ok, but I thought it was pretty great! Personally, I think it'd be difficult to write in the voice of a male character but I think Cassandra did a great job creating a unique voice for Gray.
As for Gray's Dilemma being filled with werewolf cliches, that was definitely not a problem! Of course, there are scenes where Gray changes between forms, but the book was about more than that. I honestly loved that Gray was still aware in both his human and wolf form. He could sense each one and he knew what skills each form possessed. Unlike other books I've seen, Gray doesn't lose all of his human self when he changes. That's something that stood out to me and part of why I loved his side of the story.
Another great aspect of this novella was that it wasn't just the history of gray, it was also a place for Cassandra to drop little tidbits of information that helped piece together things we've learned in her other novels.
As I mentioned earlier, I really do wish that this had been a longer piece. I loved hearing from Gray's perspective and I hate the way the novella ended. I was really hoping that we would get to hear more of his story with Emerson.
Overall, I would 100% recommend this novella! The first two books in the Witches Circle series have been some of my favorite books read this year and Gray's Dilemma is no different. Now I just wish I didn't have to wait for the third book to come out!
Giveaway:
Lucky for you, Cassandra was kind enough to co-host a giveaway with me! So 10 lucky members are going to receive a free copy of the Gray's Dilemma e-book!
And for those of you that can't wait to see if you've won the giveaway or just prefer a physical book, you can purchase Gray's Dilemma here. If you still need to get the first book, you can find Silent Circle here and you can find the second book, Deceitful Circle, here.
Anyways, I am so excited to be collaborating with Cassandra! She is such a kind soul and a great writer. I just know that you guys are going to love her books!
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Please note that there is only one mandatory entry and a variety of ways to earn extra entries. You can also come back to enter every single day!
If you want to follow up with the author or purchase a copy of her books, please follow these links:
Have you read Gray's Dilemma? I would love to hear what you thought about it in the comments!
* This book was provided by the author in exchange for a review. However, all opinions and comments in this review are 100% my own. *
* This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I'll receive some type of commission. For more information, you can read our full disclosure here. *
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