| Title | : | Moon Touched (Zodiac Wolves, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 324 |
| Publication | : | First published August 27, 2021 |
As the half-human outcast of the Cancer pack, I've been beaten and bullied my whole life. Gaining my wolf form and my fated mate is my only chance to change packs and hope for a better life.
Except when my fated mate is revealed, he's the future alpha of the Leo pack—our worst enemies. He rejects me in front of everyone, just before the Leos slaughter my entire pack and murder my family.
I manage to escape, but then I'm kidnapped by a far greater threat: the alpha of the mysterious lost pack. The 13th sign was banished from the Zodiac Wolves years ago, and I thought they were just a myth.
They're real. They're holding me captive. And the dark, dangerous alpha is offering me something I can't refuse—revenge.
Moon Touched is the first book in the scorching hot Zodiac Wolves series.
Moon Touched (Zodiac Wolves, #1) Reviews
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Plot- 4/5🌟
Spice- 4/5🌶️
Couldn't put it down once I really got into it.
✔️Rejected mates
✔️Found family
✔️Werewolves and witches
✔️Zodiac shifters
Ayla (FMC) is a half human, half werewolf who's mated to the enemy pack's heir- Jordan. Once the bond strikes in place, Jordan rejects her. Being an outcast all her life, losing her family soon, she's on the run from him and his pack. Stumbling upon Kaden, alpha of the pack that's no longer welcomed amongst the zodiac shifters, will she be able to get her life back, and seek revenge?
Honestly, this book did not gain my interest immediately, it did start off slow. It's only when I got to the 30% mark I immersed myself in it and boy it's unputdownable. The characters, including the supporting ones are so easy to like (except for Jordan- man's a jerk). Some of the vibes felt so similar to Zodiac Academy but that should not come across as a surprise. The smut is written so well and oh Kaden 🤤🤤🤤
The cliffhanger was so good, I've got to read the next one ASAP! 😩 -
I’m fucking screaming!!!! I loved this book so much i read it in one sitting while in awe. I’m speechless this was so good and fun and i love the rejected mate plotline and I love Ayla. The end destroyed me and i need the next one immediately. AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! Thank you for reading my review.
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1 ⭐️
I apologise for the amount of dislike I'm about to show for this book in advance.
First, I just want to understand, was the author aiming for this book to be exactly like all the other werewolf stories on wattpad?? cuz if the answer is yes, then I'd like to tell you she wasn't even on par with the average writers who write even better plots on wattpad. And yes, I've read more than 100 of them (on wattpad) and thought that maybe an author would write it more expertly. I was wrong :)
Second, where is the romance? The only 2 things that happened between Kaden and Ayla was sex, and that was all it was, just sex, and a kiss and there you have it; their entire romance in a sentence.
Last but not least, the beginning; it's written in the summary of the book that she gets rejected by her fated mate so everyone knew what to expect, but why waste 5-6 chapters of your book just describing that??? I understand that one can't just write "She was rejected." and stop and that we need elaboration but 5 chapters to say that her parents, pack, and everyone else (besides her bestie and her bro) hate her?!
Honestly, I'm so disappointed I wasted time reading this. There was absolutely nothing I enjoyed about this book. -
OK THIS WAS SO GOOD GUYS!!! A spicy wolf-shifter romance series? YES! YES!
Elizabeth Briggs has just become one of my favorite writers I discovered this year. Her writing pulls you in with every page, the book is unputdownable! I ended up binge reading this in 2 days and got a book-hungover from it and only the sequel will cure me :)
Moon Touched follows the story of Ayla, a half-breed wolf-shifter from the Cancer pack. Each of the wolf packs are based on zodiac signs and have unique abilities according to their sign. Ayla has been the outsider of her pack ever since she was born, mistreated and bullied by her family and the other pack-members, with exception for her half-brother Wesley and her bestfriend Mira. Her only hope of escape is that she might be mated with a wolf from another pack on the Convergence ceremony.
The worst possible outcome happens during the ceremony, and Ayla finds herself humiliated, rejected and alone. She ends up being taken captivate by the 13th zodiac pack, a myth that up until that moment she didn't even know existed. I really liked Ayla's character and found her easy to connect to. I felt true rage and a burning need for revenge for the things she had to go through. One of my favorite tropes is fated-mates and I was glad to see the spin that the author brought to this trope with an unexpected turn of events that now has me curious for what will happen.
At first I thought this was a YA read, but soon came to realize its a NA read and I am so glad it is! The spiciness and chemistry was on point, Elizabeth Briggs is a master of creating sizzling sexual tension! We have two extremely hot male wolf alphas; one who was thought to be evil but seems to be good and one who we thought was good but seems to be evil (YASSSSS all the morally gray characters!). Now I can't wait to see what Ayla will do after that cliffhanger ending!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy! -
Originally posted at:
This was a very well-written and character-driven story. I loved it so much. The cliffhanger ending did leave a bad taste in my mouth, however. Had the story cut off in the week it took for the final "meeting" to take place I would have been happier because I would have considered that a natural stopping point in the story. I won't take away any stars from my rating because of this just know that I'm very angry about it.
The author did a fantastic job introducing Ayla and making her a sympathetic character. I loved that we got a taste of what her "family" life was like before things went haywire. That's not an easy thing to do and I appreciated how the author went about it. I also liked her slow evolution into having a spine, realizing that she's not a waste of space and that she deserves to be treated with respect regardless.
Kaden. I love to hate him and still like him all at the same time. He's usually a hard*ss but when his armor shows the slightest crack he's a man who actually FEELS things. I know, I know! Impressive right? On a more serious note, he's gone through quite a bit not all dissimilar to Ayla. I really like them together. I just hope for Ayla's sake that he also feels the same way considering how this book ended.
The end, as I've mentioned in this review, really sucked. This wasn't a cliffhanger that hurt. This one was one of those frustrating ones. You know that things will eventually right themselves but it's going to be a long journey to get to that place. I'll just be over here pouting until that happens. I'm lucky in a way because the next book is already out (when I'm writing this) but I have a feeling that I'm going to have to wait for the third book and it's not going to be pretty. -
I absolutely loved this book!❤❤❤
It is in my top 2 rejected mates stories! For me it was right on par with Jaymin Eve's Rejected.
I loved the world, it was so original with the different Zodiac packs and their special powers. I liked the idea of the Sun and Moon witches, even if the Sun are bitches. -
"Little wolf, you were never broken, only beaten and bruised. All you needed was someone to believe in you."
5 stars!
This book was exactly what I needed after my lackluster previous read! This brilliant novel had everything that I love in a rejected mate shifter story--angst, drama, action, and steamy romance--compounded with great characters that were easy to love. I loved Ayla's strength in the face of everything that she's been through her entire life; she was stubborn in the best way and never gave up. Kaden is my absolute favorite kind of hero--broody, mysterious, and heartbroken--and I cannot wait for more from his angsty heart 🖤
Overall, I absolutely loved this story, and I am so stoked to meet Elizabeth Briggs at Apollycon next week!
Tropes: rejected mates, outcast heroine, heroine-on-the-run, broody hero, fated mates, found family, mating frenzy
My Kaden, the mysterious, broody and irresistible alpha of the lost pack...
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4 stars
WOAH
I can't believe I haven't read this sooner.
Zodiacs x Shifters. . . *Chef's kiss *
I'm a Leo, so I was kinda sad that we are the bad guys.
Can't wait to read the rest of the series -
This book has political intrigue, shifter pack backstabbing, pack battles and a poorly poorly written 'romance'. Our heroine is so beaten down from the start. She's physically beaten by her father, she's beaten by her fellow pack mates, all because she isn't a full shifter. Her only hope lies in a ceremony involving all 12 zodiac shifter packs coming together and some of them finding life mates.
This story had a lot of promise, but the writing felt juvenile. The way the hero is written, the way he treats the h, is silly. And she's been so abused that she just excepts his constant testing of her, his treatment of her as normal behavior. (I hated that he made her the pack janitor) I think his attitude is supposed to be all mysterious and sexy but it just comes off like he's somewhat aloof and an ass.
There is graphic I have a feeling the future books will have her kicking some butt but this one is just one big 'poor me, everyone is mean to me' story.
Seeing as this one ends on a cliffhanger, and I wasn't all excited about the overall story, I doubt I'll be reading further in the series. -
My first read of the year and it was pretty amazing! Classic wolf story about mate bonds and pack but with an addition of zodiac signs. Personally being a Cancerian I was a bit offended by the negative portrayal of my sign but later on I realized that each sign has their pros and cons and that I shouldn't feel so negative about so called signs. The characters were good. Although I don't relate much with the female MC on a personal level I still admired her courage to stand up to her bullies and trying to find a place where she belonged. The chemistry between the lead characters were off chart and I'm so looking forward to reading the next book. Also bonus points to this book for being fast paced. There was never any dull moment while reading it. Completed it in a single sitting. Onto the next book!!
PS the next book is named Star Cursed and I'm bracing myself if its going to be anything like Tory - Darius version from ZA 😂 -
I’ve read the first 3 books in this series in two days. I’m an addict now to the Zodiac Wolves.
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FMC is rude, lacks common sense & is TSTL. DNF 60% skipped ahead & it ends in a cliffhanger.
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I am so disappointed
Its a cliffhanger. And I looked and if I want the rest of the story I have to read four more books. This is like only the 2nd or 3rd shifter book I have ever read, and while not my favorite genre this one was intriguing but four more books? I just don't know. And it sounds angsty and I am not sure i.am that invested. She is a member of one pack and half human so everyone hates her. She is mated to a member of another pack but he rejects her, kills all of the pack and beats her up. She ends up with an exiled pack and is being trained and falling in love with the alpha of the pack, when her supposed mate comes back for her and then cliffhanger... I have to think seriously on this. Do I go on? -
This was a perfectly decent paranormal romance with a mates element. I like the concept of a rejected mates story and this one was pretty well done. I never felt blown away, which is why this is a three-star review and not higher. '
I liked where the relationship between Ayla and Kaden was headed but at the same time, I never felt like I understood why they liked each other besides the fact they both found each other hot. They are not mates (at this point anyway) so I don't even really have that as an excuse. I just don't think we got enough scenes of them together to really see their relationship develop. I think if we had gotten a few more scenes of them just talking and getting to know each other, I would have believed the relationship more.
the action scenes were decent but began to feel a bit repetitive at the end. There is also the middle section where Ayla is doing a lot of training that felt really dull to me. This book was a quick read and was generally interesting and held my attention. I just wanted a bit more for the first book of a series.
This does end on a cliffhanger and I will probably read book two because This was enjoyable and I'm reasonably intrigued. I may hold off on reading book two because I didn't realize that this series was incomplete and book three comes out in February so I may wait until closer to then to read book two. I would still recommend this book as a quick easy read, especially if you like fated-mates-with-a-twist plots. -
Strong start to a new series by Elizabeth Briggs!!
World build:
Each faction is completely laid out. Very unique play on the zodiac signs. Briggs grants each sign a special power such as venomous bite, ram charge which is like getting hit by a train, lions roar that prevents people from acting, cancer armor....just a very cool take on the signs and on shifters. LOVED this!
Storyline:
Built of a half human aka mutt's life this is dramatic with plenty of action. Briggs weaves the story and new characters in flawlessly constructing the story. There is foundational building of Ayla and Kaden but also of the secondary characters. We end on a cliffy...how else would it end?? Now I am in nail biting mode until the next release.
FMC:
Starts a little soft to say the least. Fortunately, the backstory is presented well so that I am able to understand where Ayla is coming from. Not a fan of weak FMCs. What I LOVED is Ayla's transformation into a bad ass chic. With many reads this is done like *poof* overnight, not the case here. We are led on the complete journey of Ayla's badassery and it was amazing!
MC:
What a hard ass with a dash of jerkness! Yet again, Briggs set me straight with another build of character. We get just enough of Kaden's backstory to get why he is the way he is. Plus, we see his transformation into acceptance of others leading to a great possibility of a mating. Until Briggs drops a BOMB on me!!!!! The nerve!!!! Ok I kinda liked it...made for great reading 😉
Secondary characters:
Yes sir/ma'am!!!! We have them and they are spectacular! I can't wait to delve further into their lives as book 2 approaches ever so slowly 😢
Happy reading,
DD💕 -
To my future self, I want to read the second book.
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I tend to be leery when it comes to some shifter romance books because sometimes they tend to be corny but this one wasn’t at all.
I have nothing bad to say about this, whatsoever. This story was really good and I’m super excited to read the next book!
The audiobook is fantastic too if you’re into audios, I highly recommend. 🔥
Love the rejected mate trope, it makes the story so interesting and I can’t wait to see where this one goes in the next book! :) -
Okay, I need book 2 asap
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Nice book.
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rtc
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I know what you are," Kaden said. "I suspected it before, but after seeing you move in the moonlight, it's obvious now. You’re Moon Touched.
I loved this hook so much! It was definitely a bud read. I mean, Briggs almost guarantees you won’t be able to put this one down with the way she starts the book. That was intense!! I loved seeing the growth of Ayla through the novel and I loooved Kaden’s character development. I’d also never read a rejected mates book and was a bit hesitant, but I loved the way Briggs wrote this trope. It did not disappoint!
Absolutely cannot wait for book two. That cliffhanger!!
Thanks to the author for gifting me a copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. -
This book was so good! Omg, I just finished and I have so many thoughts.
I know it is a common trope, but I have actually not read any rejected mate books, so I was extremely happy to start with this one.
Ayla is the daughter of the Cancer pack Alpha, but in name alone. She is an outsider in her pack, half human and the product of her father's betrayal. For 22 years, she lived the life as the unwanted daughter and pack mate, but she knows everything will change as soon as she gets her wolf and finds her mate.
And Ayla was right. Everything does change, but not in the way she wants it to be. She finally gets her wolf, a beautiful white furred creature, but her mate is the son of the alpha of the leader pack. And he wants nothing to do with her. That night soon turns deadly and Ayla is fighting for her life before she is taken by the thirteen pack.
Ayla soon learns how to be a wolf and her ways of life have been changed. And although she is already mated (and rejected) she can't seem to stay away from her new alpha.
I loved the concept of zodiac wolves and each pack having their own powers. I love the chemistry and desire between Ayla and Kaden and I just want them to get together soon. The ending to this book completely ruined me! I need book two now!
If you are in search of a good PNR, definitely pick up Moon Touched. -
Hated the MC
Usually I feel sorry for female wolves treated badly by family and pack. I could not find it in my heart to do so with the MC. She talks back and takes beatings. She doesn’t have any respect for those who saved her life and she throws herself into fights she can’t win. She is not badass, she is stupid and easily distracted by hotness. If the only family I loved was killed, I would be learning to fight and ignoring distractions. She showed little emotion of her brother dying. I guess he was only worth an hour of her time.
I like smart, witty heroines. This is not that. I also do not like unnecessary details that does nothing to the plot. I did a lot of scanning.
I gave it a second star for the pack that saved her. Trade out the MC to someone better and this would easily be 4 stars. -
4.5 stars! There's just something about a good werewolf romance that makes for such a great comfort read :') It had all the tropes I love: alphas, werewolves gone rogue (kinda), rejected mates, a heat (lol)... I also loved the unique addition of astrological signs as different wolf packs.
I took off a bit because it was a little over the top with how mistreated the heroine was by everyone else in her pack. But in the end I just went with it and enjoyed the angst. I had a fun time and will definitely be reading on! -
MOON TOUCHED is one of my favorite shifter romances to date! With its unique world-building, kick-ass protagonist and sexy storytelling, I was swept away from the very first pages. But let me tell you a little bit more about it.
The story follows Ayla, a young shifter of the Cancer wolf pack. Ayla’s life sucks. She is the alpha’s daughter, but because her mother was human, Ayla suffers not only the scorn and diffidence of her pack members, but also her father’s. Her only chance at a better life rests in finding her fated mate and starting anew. Unfortunately for her, her mate is revealed to be a member of the Leo pack—one of their worst enemies—and he rejects her. In running away from the bloodshed that ensues, Ayla runs into even more trouble when she taken by the Lost Pack and their handsome and mysterious alpha, who offers her the one thing she can’t turn away from: revenge. What will happen next? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out!
The rejected mate trope was a novelty for me. I know it’s common in shifter romances, but I’m just getting started with this genre so be patient with me! I found it to be quite interesting, and it gave me the right amount of curiosity and frustration…mostly because my BS senses are tingling and I have theories. As I mentioned before, I was a big fan of the world-building. As a lover of all things celestial, I adored the idea of star signs being incorporated into the pack lore. Each pack has their own unique set of gifts based on their sign that sets them apart from others. Also in this, however, Ayla is different from her pack members as she doesn’t possess the Cancer abilities, which leaves room to a whole lot of speculation on my part. I absolutely adored this character! Despite the beatings and humiliations she faces, she remains a headstrong woman who doesn’t cow before difficulties or abuses, and that made me love her from the get go! I couldn’t help feeling protective of her and wishing all the best for her.
All the best being Kaden, who is not her mate...*insert narrowing eyes here* He’s not her mate.
I still feel like we don’t know a lot about Kaden, but I’m very much intrigued to know more. I love him as an alpha for the Lost Pack. You could definitely see how much he cared for the well-being and safety of his pack members, and that obviously extended to Alya as the story progresses. Their scenes together were full of banter and spicy sexual tension! I do wish we had gotten a tad bit more on the romance department because I felt some changes were coming a bit too quickly…but we’ll see. Again, I have theories!
If you’re a fan of paranormal romance and sexy werewolves, check out this book! I cannot wait for the sequel to fall into my hands soon because the cliffhanger has me screaming!
Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy to review. All opinions are my own.
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Gotta love Ayla 💙
Though I must say, I don’t understand why she didn’t speak to Kaden or Stella through their pack bond so they knew what she was doing, but I guess the author did that for the added angst?
I am certain Kaden and Ayla are true mates. I will accept nothing else!
*Review to come* -
Well lets be honest-if you read the book
Rejected then a lot of this premise will seem similar to you....or maybe just me.
We have our h, Ayla, who has been treated like crap and abused by her own pack and the Alpha (her father) for reasons out of her control. The mistreatment has been going on all of her life, but now at 22 she is finally going to be able to shift into her wolf.
With this opportunity Ayla is also hoping that she will meet her mate, and that she can finally leave her shitty pack. However, her hopes are dashed in an instant when she finds herself mated to a (rival pack's) Alpha's son- and he immediately rejects her. Even though her mate's denial of their bond feels like she is being torn apart Ayla can't help but still feel the pull towards her ill fated partner.
(However, when a fight breaks out at the changing ceremony after Ayla is rejected the Leo's descend on her Cancer pack with vicious intent.) This leads her to discover a new mysterious power, and she ends up being kidnapped/rescued by a mysterious alpha named Kaden
Oh also the h is a redhead too...
So with those similar plot points out of the way the story does diverge when it comes to the lore and pack structure around the wolves. In this instance the packs are all connected to the Zodiac signs- except for the 13th and outcast zodiac- the Ophiuchus who represent snakes.
So yeah, while the plot is similar at the start...what's the saying...A rising tide lifts all boats?
In that spirit I will say that after the ceremony was over things moved in a bit of a different direction, and the book was an ok read overall. -
Such a fun series starter! Kaden is everything.
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Look, here's the deal, I need to stop having crushes on fictional men.
But my werewolf crush list is still very much open, welcome Kaden! -
I inhaled this book.
Is that what people say when they sit down and suddenly they’re done with the book? Well, it isn’t exactly what happened to me but I finished it in four days. FOUR! It usually takes me ten, but forcing myself to concentrate on other reads or to sleep was difficult, especially once I got to the point where the main character and the love interest were drawing closer.
Moon Touched follows Ayla, a half-human-half werewolf young woman of the Cancer pack. She’s always lived her life as an outcast within her own pack, too much of a human to be a true wolf. Her own father treats her like a waste of space. Unwanted by nearly anyone in her pack, she dreams of the Convergence, where all the Zodiac packs reunite to bless the newborns, to have those who come of age turn for the first time, and for the wolves to find their mates. Once she gets her wolf and finds her mate, she can hope for a better life. But her mate rejects her, and bloodshed ensues, bringing the end of the Cancer pack. Ayla runs for her life and is found by the Ophiuchus pack, and strikes a deal with its alpha, Kaden, to get revenge on the Leo pack.
So I have a theory, and I would love it if this theory is confirmed because when Ayla and Kaden breathe the same air, my heart does a little whoop. I’m relatively new to shifter romances, but I’ve read several already and this is the first time I read the rejected mate trope, which by speaking to a friend and a quick Google research, seems to be a pretty big trope in the genre. The concept was very intriguing, though I hope with all my heart that this bond definitely breaks between Ayla and her mate Jordan, not only because my shipper heart was sold on Kaden, but also because Jordan is a villain, and I’ll call him like that to keep this clean.
I loved the Ophiuchus pack and how they gradually embraced Ayla as one of their own. One of my favorite characters was Stella, Kaden’s sister, who immediately shows Ayla kindness. It seems such a small thing to be kind and hospitable, but when you see how Ayla was treated by the Cancer pack and the other Zodiac wolves in general, it’s a huge deal. It was beautiful. And I loved how Kaden, even with his sometimes aloof ways, believed in her potential from the start.
I’m very much looking forward to the sequel because that ending…ahhh, I can’t say anything. But this book was so good! Fans of paranormal romance, especially werewolves, will definitely love this one!
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy. Opinions are my own.
