Star-crossed Betas (The Northern Shifters) by Emory Winters

A debut series from author Emory Winters with two beta wolf shifters meant to be but needing to overcome a lot of obstacles in order to be together. Can Connor and Phoenix's love withstand coming from rival packs, hurt feelings, and hidden enemies?


From the blurb:

Star-crossed Betas  is an MM, paranormal, wolf-shifter romance set in the North of England. A hard-earned HEA is guaranteed. Book 1 in The Northern Shifters series follows Connor and Phoenix as they navigate first love, first heartbreak and a second chance to build a life. But is history doomed to repeat itself when a larger mystery begins to unfold?

Connor
Ending up in an arranged marriage with the man who ripped my heart out of my chest and put it through a blender—was not on my bingo card this year. Yet what did I expect when I made the most clichéd mistake of falling in love with the son of the enemy pack? If we don’t find a way to coexist and build a pack together, we’re in breach of the peace agreement.
But how do you forgive the unforgivable?

Phoenix
Regret should be the title of my memoir. One secret spilt to the wrong person toppled my life like a house of cards. I’m desperate for Connor to forgive me, but too much is at stake if I tell him the truth about why I betrayed him. How are we supposed to build a life together on a land filled with bitter-sweet memories? The last pack on this land died in a series of fires fifty years ago. I only hope that Connor’s fiery temper doesn’t lead us to the same fate.


SNik's review:

First in series (The Northern Shifters). Paranormal shifters. Second chance. Secret relationship. Arranged marriage. Hurt/comfort. Dual POV. 

Connor and Phoenix meet and instantly know they are mates, but they come from rival packs so they keep their relationship a secret for years. Pack politics intervene and they have to struggle back together regardless of their new marriage and newly formed pack, their trust has been broken as they learn to believe in each other again. 

My favorite part of this story is the fact that Connor and Phoenix never stop loving each other through everything life throws at them, and they really have to work on establishing their forever partnership. It was good to see how their relationship grew initially and the world build was good, but the current status of their pack and the mild cliffhanger as the overarching plotline continues leaves a lot unanswered. I did enjoy the high heat, and how Connor and Phoenix acknowledged their own personal foibles, as well as each other’s, and yet were determined to love each other no matter what. A strong debut and start to a new shifter series.


Star-crossed Betas is currently available as an e-book and paperback and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription