Wild Mark is a paranormal romance and the first novella in the Wild Mountain Mates series by Sadie Drake. Gemma is a biologist who has come to Wild Mountain with her friends in order to research the wolves in the local area. Cody is escaping back to his cabin high in Wild Mountain for a well-needed breather from work and family. But paths cross, and one steamy interaction has them both begging for more. We all know fate isn’t something you can run from, especially if your fate is one that will enjoy the hunt.
Gemma has had a hard history with partners; coming from a family that is in the limelight, there was a lot of pressure as to what her life was meant to be like. Which made her feel left out and like she didn’t fit in. That doesn’t mean she didn’t try, but after realising every guy who wanted to be with her was really only with her for what her family could offer, she gave up hope that anyone would see her for her. Thankfully, she found family among her friends, and she found a job she greatly enjoyed. But this little worry of no one really seeing her makes an appearance after a very filthy scene and results in her doing what everyone does when they feel used. She ran.
Cody has had somewhat of a bad childhood; he was taken in by his grandmother and raised, but being in a family of animals all fighting for the top spot puts a lot of pressure on him. Cody made sure to earn his place and rose through the ranks, but being suited, booted, and stuffed into board meetings isn’t something of a comfortable position for someone with wilderness running through their veins. He dreams of creating a sanctuary for those who call to the wild. And still, his heart calls for more, for something—or someone. So he’s hardly going to let her slip through his fingers.
I love any book with fated mates; the desire to meet someone that makes falling in love so quickly feel like magic, and the actual feeling as though you were drawn together by a spark is entirely sweet. I adore that Wild Mark gave me that little treat. Also, I think it’s very clear by now that I am a slu- sucker for the word “darlin’.” I don’t know why, but seriously, I’m immediately in love with the author who wrote it and the character using it. So thank you, Sadie Drake, for using one of my favourite words. And for giving us Cody, who has the filthiest of mouths, I was melting along with Gemma every time he spoke. Plus, that touch of what the bond can allow between their minds (IYKYK) is absolutely perfect; seriously, I wish this was a real thing. Where is my fated mate? And finally, I love a book with banter, and in this case, it really helped to carry me through the second half of this novella. I love how Gemma and Cody can both be sarcastic and quick-witted with each other.
I really enjoyed the beginning of this novella, but I have to admit that the way it was written confuses me. There seems to be a great deal of scene jumping, as a character will be in one place and then in another with little to no travel. It took me reading the same line over and over again just to really cement in my head that we have now moved. But just as I was getting used to it, I would then get confused about who was talking and have to read a line again. It was something that would constantly pull me out of a scene. Another thing that would pull me out of a scene was the nickname. I love nicknames, but not all books require one, and ‘Pussycat’ was a hard pass for me.
Also, there’s this big part in the novella where something has happened that requires them both to be together and fly off to solve this problem, and by saying something, I’m not being vague because I literally cannot tell you what it is. It seems like there’s an urgency to the situation, but as soon as they touch down, the problem is solved by two phone calls made by Cody and a quick explanation. All I could think was that the urgency seemed pointless. Can someone read this just to explain why it was a necessity to fly back except for the characters needing a reason to get back to Wild Mountain for the next scene? Finally, by now, I think it’s obvious from all the books I have reviewed that I love romance and all things fated mates, but I have to say the confessions of love in the last half of this book were too much for me; they were just too frequent and a little bit dramatic in some scenes.
I have struggled massively to rate this novella; in all honesty, I struggled to even write the summary for Wild Mark. Outside of the fated mates, love, and smut, I really couldn’t explain what happened. I felt like Wild Mark was a book of two halves. I really liked the first 31%, and all of my likes have been mentioned in one paragraph of this review. But after that, the love was a bit too much, the smut seemed to fall flat, and the nickname was a hard pass every time it was spoken. And I just didn’t understand, outside of love, what the plot was. I’m sure that Sadie Drake had one because Gemma was there to do a job, and obviously Cody had a big-picture plan, but I don’t feel like any progress was made, but maybe I’ve just missed it in my confusion. Therefore, I am rating Wild Mark, Two out of Five Stars.
I would recommend Wild Mark to anyone over the age of 18 who enjoys shifter romances with filthy-mouthed MMC, smart and curvy FMC, a healthy amount of spice, and of course the ever-needed HEA. Despite my rating, I’m sure I will give Wild Shift, the next novella in the Wild Mountain Mates series, a go in the next couple of months.
Favourite Quote
“Logical me wanted to run—but the glimpse of his eyes in the moonlight said he’d love the chase.”
page 14
““Animals are all around you, darlin’.””
page 15
““So what’s my name?” I teased. “Mine,” he growled.”
page 17
““Gemma, I’m not like—” “Don’t you dare say ‘like other men’.” I grinned. “I’m not like other men. And you know it.””
page 46
““You know what they say about curiosity and the cat.” He raised a brow. “Satisfaction brought her back.””
page 53
“But he wasn’t civilized. He was mine.”
page 82
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Finer Details
Title: Wild Mark
Author: Sadie Drake
Pages: 93
Publisher: Sadie Drake
Publication: 2023
Language: English
Rating: 2/5