In this fantasy world set in Canada, humans live in neighbouring settlements to werewolf shifters, but there is lots of hostility between the groups. Even though she is human, Aloka has always lived in a small secluded cabin within the werewolf territory as her family members were werewolves; Aloka has a human appearance but has ties to the werewolf community, so she has never been accepted into either group. After Aloka’s brother Pratt is killed by the humans rebels, leaving her all alone, Pratt’s will forces her to live with a nearby werewolf pack under the protection of Alpha Stark Lamont. Aloka feels an unexpected connection to Stark but is determined to fight her growing attraction to the Alpha as he is about to be mated. Aloka also has a big secret, which is challenging to hide whilst living in close proximity to so many werewolves. With a war between the humans and werewolves looming, Aloka must fight to protect her home and avenge Pratt’s death while also keeping her secret.
Red is a slowburn werewolf shifter romantasy featuring the forced proximity, fated mates, and found family tropes. It deals with themes and topics like family, secrets and lies, exclusion and rejection, isolation, love and heartbreak, trust, grief and loss, war and hostility, abuse and harsh punishments, propaganda, myths and legends, change versus tradition, magic, and intolerance of differences. Red is perfect for fans of werewolf shifter romances like Mating the Huntress by Talia Hibbert, Alpha’s Burden by Luna Lark, Bride and Mate by Ali Hazelwood, as well as The Fake Mate and The Mating Game by Lana Ferguson.
Firstly, being Canadian myself, I loved how Red was set in Canada. All of the high stakes secrets, fast-paced action, and spicy slow burn romance in Red made for a really addicting read that I didn’t want to put down. Furthermore, right from the stunning cover art and the first two sentences in chapter one, I was intrigued by and felt drawn into this book. I found the character of Aloka to be super relatable (and I think that other readers will too) as she loves reading and spends a lot of time by herself, plus she feels like an outcast and is constantly underestimated because of her differences. Red is the first book in The Myth Than Burns duology and I really appreciated that, even though there were still many open plot lines at the end of the book, there wasn’t a huge anxiety-inducing cliffhanger.
Honestly, there wasn’t really anything about this book that I didn’t like. The only small thing that I found a little bit frustrating was the miscommunication between Aloka and Stark; they consistently missed or misunderstood signs and actions that seemed obvious to the reader, especially at the beginning of the book. But, seeing as Aloka is keeping a big secret and is (at least initially) trying to keep her distance from Stark, some miscommunications were to be expected.
I really enjoyed reading Red and I cannot wait to read book 2 in The Myth That Burns duology! If you enjoy slow burn paranormal romances with fast-paced action and high stakes, then I definitely recommend picking up a copy of Red.
Red is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 16th 2026.
Will you be picking up Red? Tell us in the comments below!
SYNOPSIS
Forced into the home of an unyielding Alpha, a grieving girl bent on revenge ignites a slow-burn werewolf romance where loyalty is law—and legends burn.
Her brother is dead.
Her freedom stolen.
And her greatest danger may be the Alpha werewolf sworn to guard her.
Aloka Tutten never asked to live among the pack. To them, she’s just a human girl—too small, too fragile, an unwanted liability. Her unwilling protector, Stark Lamont, makes no effort to hide that he doesn’t want her in his territory.
But the walls between them aren’t as strong as they should be. His quiet strength pulls her closer. His touch lingers too long. And beneath the heat of his gaze, the truth inside her threatens to break free.
Aloka isn’t what they believe.
And as war looms, her secret will rise—either to save them all…or set their world on fire, even if it burns her too.
