A Little Red

Kayla Barton

Feb 21, 20226 min read

Updated: Mar 18, 2022

A Little Red

by Bethany Maines

A wolf, a girl, and the city…

not everything here is what it seems.

Scarlet Lucas arrived in the big city determined to use her MBA to change the world for the better, but New York City is full up on small town girls with big dreams, and Scarlet is forced to take work as a secretary for the ferociously attractive and mysterious Liam Grayson. On Halloween, when Liam rescues Scarlet from an overly handsy date, Scarlet decides that Liam must be the Wolf to her Little Red Riding Hood. As a shifter wolf, Liam knows that a relationship with a human is the last thing his pack would ever allow, but Scarlet in an itty-bitty red hood is just too tempting and he can’t resist bringing her home for just one night… and the night after… and the night after that. As Liam and Scarlet grow closer, threats from their families, warlocks and their own employer have them questioning whether or not their relationship is meant to be. Before Liam and Scarlet can share their truths, Liam is the victim of a vicious attack that leaves him trapped in wolf form. Now Scarlet must face down not only warlocks, but Liam’s own pack in order to save him. This Little Red Riding Hood is truly lost in the woods, but the Wolf is depending on her to survive, and Scarlet must call on resources and magic she didn’t know she had in order to get her happily ever after.

Spice Level: 3/6

Story Score: 3/10

Rating: 2/5

I’m pretty sure I looked through 220 titles yesterday trying to find a book that would cover more than one challenge for me because I am running out of time! I came across this one and thought: Fairytale, February release, letter “L”. Score! It also wasn’t very long which seemed like a bonus. As far as tropes go, it was basically shifters, fairytale, and workplace romance. Unfortunately I don’t feel like it did any of them well enough to take a spot on the trope challenge. (Sorry, author.)

This wasn’t a clear retelling of Little Red Riding Hood (which is normal) but they did talk a lot about the fairytale in it which was a little fun.

Scarlet is Liam’s secretary - although, from the sounds of it, she’d been his secretary for a bit and while they found each other attractive, that was all it was. I don’t know how long that lasts before on Halloween night, Liam leaves the office to find her dressed as Little Red Riding Hood at her desk. She was on a date, the date got handsy, and she was close to work so she came in to doctor herself up. From the second on, it’s like: poof!

They go for drinks at an “others” bar. What’s an “others” bar? Well, I couldn’t really tell you. The supernatural community are others, but I have no idea what that meant in THIS book. Anyway, while there, she gets into a confrontation with a vampire which Liam takes care of. Then they’re back at his place having sex. Yup. Claiming that it’ll just be a weekend thing, they go back to work and then Liam points out that he didn’t agree to that. So they start sleeping together regularly, but I don’t think they talk. They seem to have sex and sleep, work and repeat.

They go their respective ways for Thanksgiving and we learn that neither of them seem to have great family ties. Liam’s mom is the wolf pack leader and a bitch (both ways, I suppose). Scarlet’s sister is too, but only the one way. Scarlet helps her sister save a group of trees because we find out that they are very into nature. Also, they’re witches? That wasn’t super pressed upon until there it was.

When they return back to the city, there are a lot of misunderstandings - because these two people have barely spoken to each other. Of course, she’s heartbroken and It’s to the point that she tries to quit, but then he shows up and tells her no, demanding that she explain. She doooooes? Eh. They continue on.

Christmas comes and Liam goes home, gets into a fight with his mom, and tries to come back to the city. He’s ran off the road by warlocks - the true villains of the story! Ah ha!

Yeah, I don’t know either.

Anyway, meanwhile, Scarlet goes for a run and is attacked, also by a warlock - though I’m not sure she knows what it is? Unclear there. But she is assisted by a wolf, they win, and they go back to her place. Scarlet, the nature lover that she is (which includes animals) thinks nothing of the wolf that seems smitten with her. She notices that there is something on his fur that she can’t remove except with magic, and she’s out of magic at the moment, so she tries to take him to her grandmother’s house. They’re attacked again, this time being rescued by his brother, who then takes them back to pack territory where Scarlet is wholly unwelcome. She demands that her wolf be returned to her which doesn’t go well. She escapes and find her wolf in a cage and then puzzle pieces are added for her and then she knows Liam is not only a wolf, but also stuck in his wolf form.

This time she breaks them both out, still intent to get to her grandmother’s. When Liam is human again, he doesn’t remember anything from the last three days. His brother shows up, because brothers, they’re nosy and protective. After some food, they head back to pack territory where Liam is forced into a situation by his mom to choose between pack and Scarlet and he picks Scarlet.

They go back to the city again and make plans for her to move in, but she knows he’s sad. Wolves are pack animals. So with a little help from his brother, they try to mend the bridge. His mom just wants puppies, dammit! But humans and wolves can’t have children anymore.

Buuuuuut, Scarlet isn’t realllllly human, so it’s all good. Everyone goes home happy.

I’m fully aware that I don’t normally do plot summaries. Why did I do this one? BECAUSE THAT’S THE WHOLE DAMN STORY! It just took 179 pages. There is such little build up, no world creation, no explanations, no anything, that I can encompass this whole story into the above paragraphs. Ok, ok, I did leave out that there’s some political play because the newer generation thinks they need to have someone on their side in politics to help them progress.

I just, I can’t.

I almost fell asleep reading this book. There was nothing that made you feel anything. There was no draw to the characters. The sex scene at the beginning is boring even though it’s weird and the second one is better but still. I told my friend that it was like someone trying to tell a bedtime story to an adult. There were just sentences presented with no reason for it because there was no history or explanation. I’m sad I’m going to put this book on my page in three places. Honestly, if I make it through in time, I’ll probably try to find more to swap it out with some places. I wanted to like it, and honestly, the second half was more enjoyable than the first, but that’s just not saying much. Also, they made it seem like Liam is uncommonly smart for a wolf...All the other wolves aren’t this smart. What?

The world building that I did gather was as follows: the Fae were the glue and the bridge between all the supernatural creatures. (Don’t know how or why.) But when humans started creating technology and expanding to every corner of the planet, the Fae (being bothered by certain technological waves) retreated somewhere else. (Nope, don't know where, don’t ask.) The older generation of supernaturals are very much “this is the way we’ve always done it so this is the way we’ll continue to do it” and the new generation wants to make more of an impact. Warlocks don’t want any supernaturals in the world. They want to be the only magic users.

There are two more books in this series and they could help out with the world building, but I won’t find out. I’m not that curious.