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Axton & Leander #3
Everything Carries Me to You
Everything Carries Me to You is the third and final act in the Axton and Leander series. What started off as a sweet story about a reclusive gay werewolf finding love has become a high stakes action packed drama, and now lives are on the line.
Love is all you need--unless love is not enough. In Los Angeles, Axton and Leander were blissfully, peacefully in love, navigating the warm, deepening waters of their relationship. But a man from Axton's past took it all away in an instant. With Dana threatening Leander's safety, Axton has no choice but to leave in order to save his human lover's life. After a painful good-bye on a hospital bed, Axton goes away for what might be forever.
Axton knew the price was high: a life for a life. But Axton has no idea how much higher the price can still get. Dana might still be in love, so he claims, but mercy will not temper his hand. How far can Axton be pushed before he snaps? How much can Axton take before he's out of his mind with pain and grief? And when he snaps--not if--then who will land the killing bite? Axton? Or his ex-boyfriend turned jailer?
Left with two broken legs and a shattered heart, Leander nonetheless knows what he must do. He swore to Axton that they would be reunited, and Leander is a man who keeps his promises. Physical recovery might be slow, but love doesn't wait. Leander sets his plans in motion before he's even out of the hospital. Before he can follow Axton, Leander has to find him...
Separated and longing for reunion, Axton and Leander reach for each across the sprawling American landscape. They live under the same moon, they might wish on the same stars, but nothing is easy. Working apart, they will nonetheless have to fight together, fight for each other, fight for their future--or else the good-bye is forever.
Sometimes bleak and despairing, sometimes soft and tender, sometimes spitting with rage, Everything Carries Me to You spans the full spectrum of human emotion. From the sublime and lonely mountains of Montana in Winter Wolf, to the friendly and welcoming community in City Wolf, the Axton and Leander series has been a fresh voice in the werewolf romance genre. Though often serious, the story still finds time for subtle humor, and also very unsubtle humor. With a growing, varied cast of characters, the story has kept on evolving.
By turns brutal and bloody and then benevolent and beautiful, Everything Carries Me to You is an epic, heart wrenching finale. It's a tale of fighting, of friendship, of freedom. It's romance and angst and action. It's about love measured against loss, about revenge against mercy. Ultimately, the lesson is this: not all fights are the same.
There's more than one way to be a hero.
Love is all you need--unless love is not enough. In Los Angeles, Axton and Leander were blissfully, peacefully in love, navigating the warm, deepening waters of their relationship. But a man from Axton's past took it all away in an instant. With Dana threatening Leander's safety, Axton has no choice but to leave in order to save his human lover's life. After a painful good-bye on a hospital bed, Axton goes away for what might be forever.
Axton knew the price was high: a life for a life. But Axton has no idea how much higher the price can still get. Dana might still be in love, so he claims, but mercy will not temper his hand. How far can Axton be pushed before he snaps? How much can Axton take before he's out of his mind with pain and grief? And when he snaps--not if--then who will land the killing bite? Axton? Or his ex-boyfriend turned jailer?
Left with two broken legs and a shattered heart, Leander nonetheless knows what he must do. He swore to Axton that they would be reunited, and Leander is a man who keeps his promises. Physical recovery might be slow, but love doesn't wait. Leander sets his plans in motion before he's even out of the hospital. Before he can follow Axton, Leander has to find him...
Separated and longing for reunion, Axton and Leander reach for each across the sprawling American landscape. They live under the same moon, they might wish on the same stars, but nothing is easy. Working apart, they will nonetheless have to fight together, fight for each other, fight for their future--or else the good-bye is forever.
Sometimes bleak and despairing, sometimes soft and tender, sometimes spitting with rage, Everything Carries Me to You spans the full spectrum of human emotion. From the sublime and lonely mountains of Montana in Winter Wolf, to the friendly and welcoming community in City Wolf, the Axton and Leander series has been a fresh voice in the werewolf romance genre. Though often serious, the story still finds time for subtle humor, and also very unsubtle humor. With a growing, varied cast of characters, the story has kept on evolving.
By turns brutal and bloody and then benevolent and beautiful, Everything Carries Me to You is an epic, heart wrenching finale. It's a tale of fighting, of friendship, of freedom. It's romance and angst and action. It's about love measured against loss, about revenge against mercy. Ultimately, the lesson is this: not all fights are the same.
There's more than one way to be a hero.
540 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2015
About the author
S.P. Wayne
3 books133 followersS.P. Wayne lives and writes, sometimes even at the same time, in the American South. Her undergraduate degree is in psychology with a focus in animal behavior, and she's still not really sure why she did that to herself. She did briefly work in a zoo and was best friends with a gorilla, though, and that's pretty cool. Sometimes she writes articles about minority representation in comic books and sometimes she writes reviews of red lipsticks. As a Latina who grew up in Miami, she enjoys tropical and sub-tropical temperatures and yet writes endlessly about snow. Secretly, she writes poetry.
You can find her at used book stores, comic book shops, cafes, discotheques, the gym, and anywhere the sleepless over-caffeinated people of the world go late at night.
You can find her at used book stores, comic book shops, cafes, discotheques, the gym, and anywhere the sleepless over-caffeinated people of the world go late at night.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
February 17, 2015
I'm a big fan of series and I really appreciate it when an author is able to bring a series home well. This was fun and a great ending to the saga of Axton and Leander. It's kind of a mix of the wildness and otherworldliness in book one and the smart city life feel of book 2. The story picks up immediately after the cliffhanger ending in book 2. Our MC's are separated and the story switches between their POV's. Leander is slowly and painfully recovering from his attack and plotting how to find Axton. Axton is being held prisoner in a remote werewolf pack, struggling to find a reason to go on without Leander.
This is a long book. I can't see the number of pages anywhere but it felt like at least 350 pages. It's full of longing and romance and thrills. I enjoyed the story as much as the romance. In the first 30% Axton is Dana's prisoner. At first he just wants to give up and it's heartbreaking. Dana is a total asshole and at times Axton's growing Stockholm Syndrome response to Dana's behaviour really worried me. I was ready to throw the book down in a huff if there was any funny business but Axton smashes any growing dynamic between them in a totally inspired way. In the second third of the novel the other members of the pack play a bigger role and I enjoyed the (mostly) oblivious way Axton interacts with them. (lol Fridge Guy!)
Leander's road to recovery is not glossed over. It takes a long tome for him to get out of his wheelchair and back to his full physical strength. His pain at losing Axton and his unwavering determination to rescue him is totes romantic. I really felt the passing of time when I was in Leander's head. I think they are separated for about a year? Not really sure. It's quite a while. I loved Leander's two friends, especially 'New York'. When Leander, New York, and Sarah get together and do the whole detective thing to find Axton and then the James Bond thing to rescue him it was genuinely exciting.
The two MC's get back together at about 60% and it's so beautiful. The lines from Pablo Neruda's poem 'If You Forget Me' are threaded through the story in a way that enhances the timelessness and depth of their love. But they have a plan to set themselves free and it's kickass and totally dangerous and I loved it.
There is plenty of subtle humour in this book. The dialogue between Leander and his 'scooby gang' really amused me. Especially when they were confronted with Axton.
I wish I'd gone back and reread books 1 and 2. Not that I needed it to understand what was going on but because I think it would have been great to revisit this couple right from the beginning. In fact I think I might read Winter Wolf again now. Recommended for fans of the series and those who enjoy longer stories you can really sink your teeth into. Haha! See what I did there? Werewolf joke!
This is a long book. I can't see the number of pages anywhere but it felt like at least 350 pages. It's full of longing and romance and thrills. I enjoyed the story as much as the romance. In the first 30% Axton is Dana's prisoner. At first he just wants to give up and it's heartbreaking. Dana is a total asshole and at times Axton's growing Stockholm Syndrome response to Dana's behaviour really worried me. I was ready to throw the book down in a huff if there was any funny business but Axton smashes any growing dynamic between them in a totally inspired way. In the second third of the novel the other members of the pack play a bigger role and I enjoyed the (mostly) oblivious way Axton interacts with them. (lol Fridge Guy!)
Leander's road to recovery is not glossed over. It takes a long tome for him to get out of his wheelchair and back to his full physical strength. His pain at losing Axton and his unwavering determination to rescue him is totes romantic. I really felt the passing of time when I was in Leander's head. I think they are separated for about a year? Not really sure. It's quite a while. I loved Leander's two friends, especially 'New York'. When Leander, New York, and Sarah get together and do the whole detective thing to find Axton and then the James Bond thing to rescue him it was genuinely exciting.
The two MC's get back together at about 60% and it's so beautiful. The lines from Pablo Neruda's poem 'If You Forget Me' are threaded through the story in a way that enhances the timelessness and depth of their love. But they have a plan to set themselves free and it's kickass and totally dangerous and I loved it.
There is plenty of subtle humour in this book. The dialogue between Leander and his 'scooby gang' really amused me. Especially when they were confronted with Axton.
I wish I'd gone back and reread books 1 and 2. Not that I needed it to understand what was going on but because I think it would have been great to revisit this couple right from the beginning. In fact I think I might read Winter Wolf again now. Recommended for fans of the series and those who enjoy longer stories you can really sink your teeth into. Haha! See what I did there? Werewolf joke!
February 23, 2016
4 Stars
Fair warning: this review will be filled to the brim with spoiler tags. I just have so much to say – most of which is in reference to plot points that I consider extremely spoiler-y in nature to anyone who has yet to read this book/series. We’ll see how we go…
The second book (City Wolf) ended on quite a distressing note . It was a heartbreaking and painful ending to an otherwise fun and joyous read, which kind of made it harder to handle. That unhappy solemn feeling we glimpsed at the end of City Wolf remained as an ongoing undercurrent through this entire third story. This was angsty, with Axton and Leander being separated for a great deal of the book and although the separation was vital to the whole story, it was extremely hard going – not just on Axton and Leander, but on me too. The sorrow and heart-sickness; the forced isolation and the abuse ; and the desperate longing they both felt for one another was so god damn tangible. I was in a state of mourning right along with Ax and Leander, with their feelings being so intense at times that I became so overwhelmed I had to take a break (sometimes for days at a time). It was very well written in that regard. I don’t think I could ever put myself through the emotions of this story again – that’s a compliment to the author.
As one would assume, my favourite part of this story was when my boys were finally reunited . It was a joyous and emotional reunion, but there was so much left unresolved at that point that I was still stressing the fuck out that they would be hurt and separated all over again. .
The crux of my problems with this story lies with my utter hatred for Dana. I assume that we as readers were meant to dislike him initially, but then with prolonged exposure in this story, paired with detailed insight into his past and his feelings for Axton, we were meant to grow to understand and feel sorry for him?? At least this is my assumption. If so, it didn’t work for me. The more I got to understand him the more I grew to despise him with an intensity that I haven’t contributed to a book character in a great long while. I found myself completely unforgiving of his behaviour. He didn’t deserve my pity or my empathy. The entire book, all I wanted was for him to get his comeuppance . In the end, my hopes weren’t meet sufficiently, . If I’m being honest, I also lost a lot of respect for Axton during this story because even with all that Dana put him through, he still didn’t want to do him harm and wanted him to be okay. He’s so pure and he emanates goodness, offering forgiveness where none is deserved. This makes Axton a better person than I am, by far.
I’m making this sound like an extremely depressing story – and to be fair, a lot of it was – but there were some really great moments too, which balanced the story out beautifully. There were moments of joy and happiness (e.g. When Ax and Lee were finally reunited). There were moments of fantastically witty (sometimes ridiculous) banter (e.g. Almost every scene featuring Leander’s best friend, New York, were outrageously funny). And moments of intimacy, which were tender and erotic and full of love (e.g. ).
This story definitely ended on a HFN note and I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to reading more about these two in the future.
Great series – Highly recommended!
Fair warning: this review will be filled to the brim with spoiler tags. I just have so much to say – most of which is in reference to plot points that I consider extremely spoiler-y in nature to anyone who has yet to read this book/series. We’ll see how we go…
The second book (City Wolf) ended on quite a distressing note . It was a heartbreaking and painful ending to an otherwise fun and joyous read, which kind of made it harder to handle. That unhappy solemn feeling we glimpsed at the end of City Wolf remained as an ongoing undercurrent through this entire third story. This was angsty, with Axton and Leander being separated for a great deal of the book and although the separation was vital to the whole story, it was extremely hard going – not just on Axton and Leander, but on me too. The sorrow and heart-sickness; the forced isolation and the abuse ; and the desperate longing they both felt for one another was so god damn tangible. I was in a state of mourning right along with Ax and Leander, with their feelings being so intense at times that I became so overwhelmed I had to take a break (sometimes for days at a time). It was very well written in that regard. I don’t think I could ever put myself through the emotions of this story again – that’s a compliment to the author.
As one would assume, my favourite part of this story was when my boys were finally reunited . It was a joyous and emotional reunion, but there was so much left unresolved at that point that I was still stressing the fuck out that they would be hurt and separated all over again. .
The crux of my problems with this story lies with my utter hatred for Dana. I assume that we as readers were meant to dislike him initially, but then with prolonged exposure in this story, paired with detailed insight into his past and his feelings for Axton, we were meant to grow to understand and feel sorry for him?? At least this is my assumption. If so, it didn’t work for me. The more I got to understand him the more I grew to despise him with an intensity that I haven’t contributed to a book character in a great long while. I found myself completely unforgiving of his behaviour. He didn’t deserve my pity or my empathy. The entire book, all I wanted was for him to get his comeuppance . In the end, my hopes weren’t meet sufficiently, . If I’m being honest, I also lost a lot of respect for Axton during this story because even with all that Dana put him through, he still didn’t want to do him harm and wanted him to be okay. He’s so pure and he emanates goodness, offering forgiveness where none is deserved. This makes Axton a better person than I am, by far.
I’m making this sound like an extremely depressing story – and to be fair, a lot of it was – but there were some really great moments too, which balanced the story out beautifully. There were moments of joy and happiness (e.g. When Ax and Lee were finally reunited). There were moments of fantastically witty (sometimes ridiculous) banter (e.g. Almost every scene featuring Leander’s best friend, New York, were outrageously funny). And moments of intimacy, which were tender and erotic and full of love (e.g. ).
This story definitely ended on a HFN note and I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to reading more about these two in the future.
Great series – Highly recommended!
February 24, 2015
This is a good end to the series although the separation was really frustrating. Axton and Leander have really great chemistry and you can feel it when they were finally reunited. I hope S.P. Wayne would write follow up stories, I would love to read more about Ax and Lee! I want more of them!
I really love the cover of this entire series, a big thumbs up to the artist!
I really love the cover of this entire series, a big thumbs up to the artist!
October 26, 2022
[Worst book hangover since Daniel May's Last Man Standing, so this review might take me a while.]
And yep, it did take a while. I responded so strongly to so many aspects of this book that I had no idea how to begin talking about it; but I keep coming back to the sense that, hilarious dialogue or no hilarious dialogue, repaired family relationships or no repaired family relationships, HFN or no HFN, this series is ultimately about the price love exacts. And it's a romance, sure, but it's a tragic one.
To begin with there's the obvious tragedy -- the one almost certainly waiting for Axton and Leander in a decade, or two decades, or five, depending on accident or illness: Leander will die a century or more before Axton's natural lifespan ends, and Axton, as we learn from his father, will probably die of grief when that happens.
I mean. Every love story ends -- either the partners break up or it's an "HEA" and they're together all their lives, where "all their lives" is a euphemism for "until one of them dies and leaves the other behind." Romances mostly ignore this, which is mostly what we want from them, maybe especially after living a few decades of our own love story and becoming more and more aware of its inevitable end. It's almost funny that a werewolf romance should in this way be the most realistic one I've read, even if it's relatively rare for humans to actually die of grief.
(Rare, but not unheard-of.)
Anyway, that's one aspect of the tragedy. The rest is tragic in a more formal sense, not quite the lit-crit sense but adjacent to it, & that's the other costs love can exact. Add up the costs in this series:
New York is the only person in this series who doesn't suffer for love -- or is he? I'm not big on clean living, myself, but New York isn't just getting high on weekends; he chases oblivion about as hard as Leander hunts for Axton, which is a pretty good marker for unhappiness. God, I wish S.P. Wayne had stuck around to give us New York's story.
Something else you don't see a lot of in romance is moral cost. Axton comes very near to -- and Leander ... wow:
And what does it say about me that I loved him anyway?
What a great series. I was shook up when I finished it, and days later I'm shook up still.
And yep, it did take a while. I responded so strongly to so many aspects of this book that I had no idea how to begin talking about it; but I keep coming back to the sense that, hilarious dialogue or no hilarious dialogue, repaired family relationships or no repaired family relationships, HFN or no HFN, this series is ultimately about the price love exacts. And it's a romance, sure, but it's a tragic one.
To begin with there's the obvious tragedy -- the one almost certainly waiting for Axton and Leander in a decade, or two decades, or five, depending on accident or illness: Leander will die a century or more before Axton's natural lifespan ends, and Axton, as we learn from his father, will probably die of grief when that happens.
I mean. Every love story ends -- either the partners break up or it's an "HEA" and they're together all their lives, where "all their lives" is a euphemism for "until one of them dies and leaves the other behind." Romances mostly ignore this, which is mostly what we want from them, maybe especially after living a few decades of our own love story and becoming more and more aware of its inevitable end. It's almost funny that a werewolf romance should in this way be the most realistic one I've read, even if it's relatively rare for humans to actually die of grief.
(Rare, but not unheard-of.)
Anyway, that's one aspect of the tragedy. The rest is tragic in a more formal sense, not quite the lit-crit sense but adjacent to it, & that's the other costs love can exact. Add up the costs in this series:
New York is the only person in this series who doesn't suffer for love -- or is he? I'm not big on clean living, myself, but New York isn't just getting high on weekends; he chases oblivion about as hard as Leander hunts for Axton, which is a pretty good marker for unhappiness. God, I wish S.P. Wayne had stuck around to give us New York's story.
Something else you don't see a lot of in romance is moral cost. Axton comes very near to -- and Leander ... wow:
And what does it say about me that I loved him anyway?
What a great series. I was shook up when I finished it, and days later I'm shook up still.
August 27, 2016
Awesome story, although it took way too long (in reading time, not story time, if that makes sense) for Axton and Leander to be reunited, and I thought the capitulation scene was a bit flimsy.
There were some great scenes, though. A lot of action, interesting characters, complicated emotions, and best of all...intense love. Axton and Leander are one of my favorite couples and I loved having more time with them.
Also, I love New York :D
There were some great scenes, though. A lot of action, interesting characters, complicated emotions, and best of all...intense love. Axton and Leander are one of my favorite couples and I loved having more time with them.
Also, I love New York :D
June 14, 2017
I want to start off by saying that I loved this series as a whole. Axton and Leander will forever be branded into my very being. These characters have such a distinct voice and this is one of the few stories I've read where I felt that their love was truly epic on an absolutely out of this world scale.
The fact that our MC's are separated by tragic circumstance for more than half the book obviously decreased my enjoyment significantly. What doesn't decrease is the impact of all the feels wrought from what they both endured. So yes, I didn't enjoy this as much as City Wolf. City Wolf was fun and funny and it gloriously basked in Lee and Ax's love. How could one not swoon over that? You couldn't. There was no way to resist such pure joy. This book however, cemented, reaffirmed and brought to the fore just how strong their tie was. These two went through absolute hell. Each had a chance to move on, to give up, but they didn't and that's where this book shined.
Axton literally was tortured. His despair so great, he almost died from grief. His guilt was profound but he learned some things about himself. He realized he was no longer afraid. With the absence of fear from being different, of being found out, he found a strength in himself to carry on and eventually return to Lee. Axton was no longer willing to compromise his truth. Ever.
Leander was left physically impotent. He had to draw on all his other skills and smarts and resources to find Axton while he painstakingly healed. He knew himself enough to realize that he had found the true love of his life and he was never going to give up. Ever.
So this made me feel. It made me angry and frustrated and anxious. But also I celebrated and squeed and smiled. It pretty much satisfied every romantic bone in my body, and ultimately, I hope it does the same for you too.
The fact that our MC's are separated by tragic circumstance for more than half the book obviously decreased my enjoyment significantly. What doesn't decrease is the impact of all the feels wrought from what they both endured. So yes, I didn't enjoy this as much as City Wolf. City Wolf was fun and funny and it gloriously basked in Lee and Ax's love. How could one not swoon over that? You couldn't. There was no way to resist such pure joy. This book however, cemented, reaffirmed and brought to the fore just how strong their tie was. These two went through absolute hell. Each had a chance to move on, to give up, but they didn't and that's where this book shined.
Axton literally was tortured. His despair so great, he almost died from grief. His guilt was profound but he learned some things about himself. He realized he was no longer afraid. With the absence of fear from being different, of being found out, he found a strength in himself to carry on and eventually return to Lee. Axton was no longer willing to compromise his truth. Ever.
He wanted the name of his lover emblazoned about his chest like a scarlet A.
He wanted everyone to know that he had found love in the arms of a man.
He wanted everyone to know so that his lack of shame would be defiant.
He wanted everyone to know exactly what he was defiant about.
He wanted everyone to know.
Leander was left physically impotent. He had to draw on all his other skills and smarts and resources to find Axton while he painstakingly healed. He knew himself enough to realize that he had found the true love of his life and he was never going to give up. Ever.
"But for you? Doubt my speed. Don't doubt my intent. Any oath. For you."
So this made me feel. It made me angry and frustrated and anxious. But also I celebrated and squeed and smiled. It pretty much satisfied every romantic bone in my body, and ultimately, I hope it does the same for you too.
He threw back his wolf's head and howled, in greeting, in despair, in closing, in opening, in fear and hope and loss and love, forever, amen.
February 24, 2015
I'm done! I'm done!
This was such a good series! So good and I will say it again. Shifters so ain't my thing.
But Axton and Leander are like the best couple ever. When they are together you feel that love! You feel it right in your bones.
Mare~Slitsread
This was such a good series! So good and I will say it again. Shifters so ain't my thing.
But Axton and Leander are like the best couple ever. When they are together you feel that love! You feel it right in your bones.
Mare~Slitsread
December 12, 2023
Note: book 3 picks up directly where book 2 ends; book 2 spoilers below, not tagged
I absolutely devoured this series, doing a full read and re-read in the space of a week. The first time around, I was struck by how the three books were so different – not so much stylistically (although that, too, to some extent – book 3 in particular, having two narratively distinct POVs, was less head-hoppy than the first two books) – but in terms of the feel and the storytelling. Book 1 was interior and intimate: we are deep in Axton’s head and world and the challenges and freedoms of the wilderness that he inhabits and Leander enters (somewhat haplessly) into. Book 2 is the mirror image: the scene shifts to Leander’s terrain, with his co-workers and friends and family and the urban environment in which he moves as naturally as wolf Axton moves in the mountains. Book 1 is Axton keeping his secret and keeping Leander safe in the harsh, unforgiving nature; book 2 is Axton and Leander learning to be a couple and Leander establishing his own alpha credentials in the wider human world (and, not least, the bedroom). But just as we’re lulled into thinking book 2 is a cozy fish-out-of-water story, it veers into stalker suspense drama, as Axton’s wolfy ex, Dana, appears and – for reasons both personal and wolfy-political – makes it his business to separate the devoted lovers. Book 2 ends at a low point, with Leander gravely injured and Axton forced into Dana’s harsh custody.
This is a book where, at least for a large part of it, the author is giving what the story needs rather than what the reader wants. Because Axton and Leander are apart for a good 60 percent of the book: not just apart, but entirely ignorant of how the other is doing and the dangers they’re facing. Leander must recover physically and emotionally from Dana’s vicious attack and the loss of Axton; he pushes away most of his friends out of fear for their safety, while obsessively plotting to first find, then orchestrate the escape of, Axton. Axton, who has traded his freedom for Leander’s life, struggles to find a reason to go on. Forcibly integrated into Dana’s pack – ruled by a toxic alpha – he must keep two potentially lethal secrets: his and Dana’s queerness, and his relationship with a human.
But while most authors would be content to fill the pages with pining and plotting, keeping the promised reunion always at the center, Wayne really digs into Leander and Axton’s other relationships, the ones shaping their day-to-day realities while apart: Leander’s push-pull friendships with his boss/ partner-in-crime New York and his assistant (who is also hopelessly in love with him), Sarah; and, more meatily, Axton’s contentious, dependent relationship with Dana. This is one of the few (only?) books I’ve read where the ex is on-page for a lot of the book but is neither a co-parent nor a love interest (i.e. second-chance romance). Axton and Dana’s past relationship was hugely formative, in both good and bad ways, for Axton; the physical and emotional trauma Dana inflicted on Axton and Leander is always present, but we also get insight into Dana’s logic and motivation, and into his own (to a large extent self-imposed) struggles and pain. This isn’t a story about forgiveness, per se, but about acceptance – of hurts inflicted, of futures stolen, of what people can and can’t give of themselves. So while, yes, this is the story of Leander and Axton’s eventual reunion, it is at least as much about each man’s separate past and relationships, and how these carry into and inform their shared present and future. The Axton-Dana stuff was particularly rich, as was Axton’s relationships with some of the pack members – and how Leander eventually navigates some of these relationships.
This is a very satisfying conclusion to an excellent, absorbing, swoony series, although I can see how people who liked the tight Leander-Axton focus of the first two books may get frustrated with how long they are apart. And yet, given the worldbuilding – werewolves’ lifespans are measured in the centuries rather than decades, and werewolves who survive their mates linger on in heartbreak, never to mate again – it is necessarily an HFN, albeit one that both Leander and Axton are aware of and accept. But then, that’s true for all HEAs: eventually, at some point, they end.
I absolutely devoured this series, doing a full read and re-read in the space of a week. The first time around, I was struck by how the three books were so different – not so much stylistically (although that, too, to some extent – book 3 in particular, having two narratively distinct POVs, was less head-hoppy than the first two books) – but in terms of the feel and the storytelling. Book 1 was interior and intimate: we are deep in Axton’s head and world and the challenges and freedoms of the wilderness that he inhabits and Leander enters (somewhat haplessly) into. Book 2 is the mirror image: the scene shifts to Leander’s terrain, with his co-workers and friends and family and the urban environment in which he moves as naturally as wolf Axton moves in the mountains. Book 1 is Axton keeping his secret and keeping Leander safe in the harsh, unforgiving nature; book 2 is Axton and Leander learning to be a couple and Leander establishing his own alpha credentials in the wider human world (and, not least, the bedroom). But just as we’re lulled into thinking book 2 is a cozy fish-out-of-water story, it veers into stalker suspense drama, as Axton’s wolfy ex, Dana, appears and – for reasons both personal and wolfy-political – makes it his business to separate the devoted lovers. Book 2 ends at a low point, with Leander gravely injured and Axton forced into Dana’s harsh custody.
This is a book where, at least for a large part of it, the author is giving what the story needs rather than what the reader wants. Because Axton and Leander are apart for a good 60 percent of the book: not just apart, but entirely ignorant of how the other is doing and the dangers they’re facing. Leander must recover physically and emotionally from Dana’s vicious attack and the loss of Axton; he pushes away most of his friends out of fear for their safety, while obsessively plotting to first find, then orchestrate the escape of, Axton. Axton, who has traded his freedom for Leander’s life, struggles to find a reason to go on. Forcibly integrated into Dana’s pack – ruled by a toxic alpha – he must keep two potentially lethal secrets: his and Dana’s queerness, and his relationship with a human.
But while most authors would be content to fill the pages with pining and plotting, keeping the promised reunion always at the center, Wayne really digs into Leander and Axton’s other relationships, the ones shaping their day-to-day realities while apart: Leander’s push-pull friendships with his boss/ partner-in-crime New York and his assistant (who is also hopelessly in love with him), Sarah; and, more meatily, Axton’s contentious, dependent relationship with Dana. This is one of the few (only?) books I’ve read where the ex is on-page for a lot of the book but is neither a co-parent nor a love interest (i.e. second-chance romance). Axton and Dana’s past relationship was hugely formative, in both good and bad ways, for Axton; the physical and emotional trauma Dana inflicted on Axton and Leander is always present, but we also get insight into Dana’s logic and motivation, and into his own (to a large extent self-imposed) struggles and pain. This isn’t a story about forgiveness, per se, but about acceptance – of hurts inflicted, of futures stolen, of what people can and can’t give of themselves. So while, yes, this is the story of Leander and Axton’s eventual reunion, it is at least as much about each man’s separate past and relationships, and how these carry into and inform their shared present and future. The Axton-Dana stuff was particularly rich, as was Axton’s relationships with some of the pack members – and how Leander eventually navigates some of these relationships.
This is a very satisfying conclusion to an excellent, absorbing, swoony series, although I can see how people who liked the tight Leander-Axton focus of the first two books may get frustrated with how long they are apart. And yet, given the worldbuilding – werewolves’ lifespans are measured in the centuries rather than decades, and werewolves who survive their mates linger on in heartbreak, never to mate again – it is necessarily an HFN, albeit one that both Leander and Axton are aware of and accept. But then, that’s true for all HEAs: eventually, at some point, they end.
April 7, 2015
Reviewage on Prism Book Alliance
Some of my initial reactions, all within the first 10% of this book:
~ Jerkhole!!!
~ Oh… potty mouths abound, me likey.
~ I’ve missed these people.
~ No!!!! Leander, no… no.
~ C’mon Axton, Dana is no match for you, neither physically nor in humor and intelligence.
By the time I’d reached the end, say the last 20%? Here are some of those reactions:
~ Omg Leaaaanderrrrrr, you’re fabulous!
~ I love jizz flavor jokes! (I’m still waiting for it, just FYI)
~ Banter!!! Teamwork!!!
~ Oh… Dana… how did you manage that? all of this?? And now, you bathturd, I want to know more.
~ I have over seven pages of notes. O_O
So, what happened during alllllllllllllll of the most of the rest of this book? Here it be and, I promise, I’ve pruned much from those seven pages in the interest of our collective sanity.
Just as City Wolf (book 2) was different from Winter Wolf (book 1), this third installment is different than either of those. Tone, structure, focus, all of them and more are different. The consistencies come in the forms of the characters, the humor, the writing, and this unique take on werewolves, their “society” and rules. This still ain’tchur Grandma’s shifter story.
Longing for Leander lived in Axton’s chest, throbbing dull and sharp in the exact spot Axton had been stabbed, near his heart. There was no scar on his skin, and Axton ached for one. He wanted memories of his lover scrimshawed onto his skin.
I’m a rather patient reader, I enjoy experiencing a story as it unfolds, especially one written well and by a storyteller I trust. All of these are the case with this author. However, I had none… none! I wanted Axton and Leander to find each other IMMEDIATELY. They’re such a formidable team. Their love is… as tall as that building over which only Superman can leap in a single bound. My impatience – and this is all me – was at such a heightened level that I threatened the book with great harm if it didn’t give me what I wanted RIGHTNOW.
I was made to wait. Tension would build and then slide away, falsely, mind you, only to return and smack me in the literary face mask. Wayne is very good at maintaining that underlying layer of tightly sprung tension, thrumming through everything. No wonder I was wound up.
The dialogue is smooth and made it so easy for me to hear these characters. The consistency in speech patterns, attitude and intentions, everything created conversations that find that subconscious spot inside all of us that recognizes truth when touched. I felt like I was right there, engaged in the discussions.
(insert dirty joke here - S’ok, I would, too.)
Axton has Dana’s number and it’s on speed dial. Or does he? Or does he but it’s not at all the number he thought it was? I can’t believe I’m saying this but… Dana is practically a revelation in this book. He’s the neon sign, amongst all of the other more subtle ones, that tells me this a very personal story. I feel like I want to scream like Taylor in Planet of the Apes, “Daaaaamn youuuuu, Dana!!!” Of course, the Dana part is the artistic license bit. Dana is one of the most well-written, believable, surprising, and complex in nature but not at all in motivation type characters I’ve encountered.
I had to keep reminding myself that, no, Wayne doesn’t actually know any werewolves, despite how well she writes them. Because she does and, ya know, because they don’t really exist. Her physical descriptions, always coupled with emotional filling, had me right there with whatever was happening, whether to Axton, Dana, Helen or any of the other wolves.
Axton coiled his body low to the ground and then leapt, the dull thud of his paws on the buck’s side lost to the air as he sunk his teeth into the jugular.
Along the same vein is Wayne’s talent for creating atmosphere. Her detail is meaningful and useful, melding physical description and emotion in a way that engulfs me, pulling me in deeper and deeper as I read.
Getting back to Helen. And Jack. And Trevor. And Ilias! And New York!! And Sarah, of course. The supporting characters are just as robustly portrayed as Axton and Leander. I mean, New York!! Some of the best humor fell from the interactions twixt Leander and New York. What. A. Treat! I laughed.
Family is a continuing theme. In this book, it’s approached from an entirely different perspective, filled with heart, pain, the past, and all that goes into working through all of these things.
Here is my conundrum: the first act of this story went on for well more than half of the book and, while I love spending time in this universe for all of the reasons I’ve outlined here, that was too long. It was filled to the brim with the wonderfully satisfying exploration of friendship, life and death decisions, history and how we all have to deal with it, motivations, and learning about one’s self and, ultimately, accepting that self, grabbing life by the hand and not letting go, reaching for what you want. I’m still going back and forth about whether this approach worked for the story. Maybe it’s a mix. I think it impacted the beginning of that second and final act. I think it undermined the powerful last quarter of the story, which is kind of huge.
What always works? Axton and Leander. Axton and Dana (what?! I know! It’s complicated). Sarah and Leander. Leander and New York. And now Jack, Trevor, and Helen.
Bottom line is, Axton and Leander build upon the incredibly strong, rather indestructible foundation that is their relationship. They do for each other that which they can’t do on their own. Their love does that. I wanted more of that. I got some, but I wanted more. I wanted more of the chemistry, inside the bedroom and out, shared twixt Axton and Leander. It’s the real fuel to this series. I wanted more of this:
”I’ll show you poetry,” Leander said.
“I don’t know if your mouth is going to be free for that.”
“Poetry in motion, motherfucker.”
The writing is emotional and grounded, all of the characters pulled me in, the humor is spot. ON., damnyouDana, and this is a personal story. I love this series. I love this universe. I love these characters.
I highly recommend you start from the beginning with Winter Wolf, revel and laugh and dance through the flowers (until…) of City Wolf, and then settle in for a cross-country train ride for Everything Carries Me to You. I’ll be making a return trip of my own. :D
Some of my initial reactions, all within the first 10% of this book:
~ Jerkhole!!!
~ Oh… potty mouths abound, me likey.
~ I’ve missed these people.
~ No!!!! Leander, no… no.
~ C’mon Axton, Dana is no match for you, neither physically nor in humor and intelligence.
By the time I’d reached the end, say the last 20%? Here are some of those reactions:
~ Omg Leaaaanderrrrrr, you’re fabulous!
~ I love jizz flavor jokes! (I’m still waiting for it, just FYI)
~ Banter!!! Teamwork!!!
~ Oh… Dana… how did you manage that? all of this?? And now, you bathturd, I want to know more.
~ I have over seven pages of notes. O_O
So, what happened during alllllllllllllll of the most of the rest of this book? Here it be and, I promise, I’ve pruned much from those seven pages in the interest of our collective sanity.
Just as City Wolf (book 2) was different from Winter Wolf (book 1), this third installment is different than either of those. Tone, structure, focus, all of them and more are different. The consistencies come in the forms of the characters, the humor, the writing, and this unique take on werewolves, their “society” and rules. This still ain’tchur Grandma’s shifter story.
Longing for Leander lived in Axton’s chest, throbbing dull and sharp in the exact spot Axton had been stabbed, near his heart. There was no scar on his skin, and Axton ached for one. He wanted memories of his lover scrimshawed onto his skin.
I’m a rather patient reader, I enjoy experiencing a story as it unfolds, especially one written well and by a storyteller I trust. All of these are the case with this author. However, I had none… none! I wanted Axton and Leander to find each other IMMEDIATELY. They’re such a formidable team. Their love is… as tall as that building over which only Superman can leap in a single bound. My impatience – and this is all me – was at such a heightened level that I threatened the book with great harm if it didn’t give me what I wanted RIGHTNOW.
I was made to wait. Tension would build and then slide away, falsely, mind you, only to return and smack me in the literary face mask. Wayne is very good at maintaining that underlying layer of tightly sprung tension, thrumming through everything. No wonder I was wound up.
The dialogue is smooth and made it so easy for me to hear these characters. The consistency in speech patterns, attitude and intentions, everything created conversations that find that subconscious spot inside all of us that recognizes truth when touched. I felt like I was right there, engaged in the discussions.
(insert dirty joke here - S’ok, I would, too.)
Axton has Dana’s number and it’s on speed dial. Or does he? Or does he but it’s not at all the number he thought it was? I can’t believe I’m saying this but… Dana is practically a revelation in this book. He’s the neon sign, amongst all of the other more subtle ones, that tells me this a very personal story. I feel like I want to scream like Taylor in Planet of the Apes, “Daaaaamn youuuuu, Dana!!!” Of course, the Dana part is the artistic license bit. Dana is one of the most well-written, believable, surprising, and complex in nature but not at all in motivation type characters I’ve encountered.
I had to keep reminding myself that, no, Wayne doesn’t actually know any werewolves, despite how well she writes them. Because she does and, ya know, because they don’t really exist. Her physical descriptions, always coupled with emotional filling, had me right there with whatever was happening, whether to Axton, Dana, Helen or any of the other wolves.
Axton coiled his body low to the ground and then leapt, the dull thud of his paws on the buck’s side lost to the air as he sunk his teeth into the jugular.
Along the same vein is Wayne’s talent for creating atmosphere. Her detail is meaningful and useful, melding physical description and emotion in a way that engulfs me, pulling me in deeper and deeper as I read.
Getting back to Helen. And Jack. And Trevor. And Ilias! And New York!! And Sarah, of course. The supporting characters are just as robustly portrayed as Axton and Leander. I mean, New York!! Some of the best humor fell from the interactions twixt Leander and New York. What. A. Treat! I laughed.
Family is a continuing theme. In this book, it’s approached from an entirely different perspective, filled with heart, pain, the past, and all that goes into working through all of these things.
Here is my conundrum: the first act of this story went on for well more than half of the book and, while I love spending time in this universe for all of the reasons I’ve outlined here, that was too long. It was filled to the brim with the wonderfully satisfying exploration of friendship, life and death decisions, history and how we all have to deal with it, motivations, and learning about one’s self and, ultimately, accepting that self, grabbing life by the hand and not letting go, reaching for what you want. I’m still going back and forth about whether this approach worked for the story. Maybe it’s a mix. I think it impacted the beginning of that second and final act. I think it undermined the powerful last quarter of the story, which is kind of huge.
What always works? Axton and Leander. Axton and Dana (what?! I know! It’s complicated). Sarah and Leander. Leander and New York. And now Jack, Trevor, and Helen.
Bottom line is, Axton and Leander build upon the incredibly strong, rather indestructible foundation that is their relationship. They do for each other that which they can’t do on their own. Their love does that. I wanted more of that. I got some, but I wanted more. I wanted more of the chemistry, inside the bedroom and out, shared twixt Axton and Leander. It’s the real fuel to this series. I wanted more of this:
”I’ll show you poetry,” Leander said.
“I don’t know if your mouth is going to be free for that.”
“Poetry in motion, motherfucker.”
The writing is emotional and grounded, all of the characters pulled me in, the humor is spot. ON., damnyouDana, and this is a personal story. I love this series. I love this universe. I love these characters.
I highly recommend you start from the beginning with Winter Wolf, revel and laugh and dance through the flowers (until…) of City Wolf, and then settle in for a cross-country train ride for Everything Carries Me to You. I’ll be making a return trip of my own. :D
October 26, 2020
The end to the Axton & Leander's trilogy by S.P. Wayne had, for me, the same qualities and the same flaws of the other two instalments in this series.
Very well rounded characters, snappy dialogues and a good balance of melancholic scenes, romanticism and action are certainly the aspects that must be appreciated in these novels. At the same time, however, the evident tendency towards verbosity really managed to annoy me during the reading process.
Side stories and characters in such a complex worldbuilding tapestry - made of family sagas, internal and external feuds, werewolves' folklore - add interest to the main backbone of the story but indulging too much in them means that at times (especially at the beginning when Axton finds himself confined with Dana) some of the dramatic tension risk getting diluted if not entirely lost.
The real strength of the story is obviously still found in the two MCs - Axton and Leander grow steadily in terms of nuances and motivations from book one to book three and it's a pleasure to observe them navigating the ups and downs of domestic, wild and urban life.
I'd definitely suggest reading this series for its solid worldbuilding and compelling characters. A bit of patience might be required but it'll definitely be worth it!
An overall solid 4-star rating.
Very well rounded characters, snappy dialogues and a good balance of melancholic scenes, romanticism and action are certainly the aspects that must be appreciated in these novels. At the same time, however, the evident tendency towards verbosity really managed to annoy me during the reading process.
Side stories and characters in such a complex worldbuilding tapestry - made of family sagas, internal and external feuds, werewolves' folklore - add interest to the main backbone of the story but indulging too much in them means that at times (especially at the beginning when Axton finds himself confined with Dana) some of the dramatic tension risk getting diluted if not entirely lost.
The real strength of the story is obviously still found in the two MCs - Axton and Leander grow steadily in terms of nuances and motivations from book one to book three and it's a pleasure to observe them navigating the ups and downs of domestic, wild and urban life.
I'd definitely suggest reading this series for its solid worldbuilding and compelling characters. A bit of patience might be required but it'll definitely be worth it!
An overall solid 4-star rating.
March 16, 2015
I was really looking forward to getting my teeth into this book and seem to have been waiting forever for it to come out. Sadly I just couldn't get into the story and I really tried. Axton and Leander were apart for such a large part of the book and I believe the reason I love the first two books so much is because of their amazing chemistry. Therefore by the time they finally did get back together I was beyond frustrated.
October 11, 2022
I loved this book. It was also about 50% too long. I could have done with less alone time with the two of them apart, although then we would have missed out on New York who is possibly the best side character ever. Overall it ended well, and I loved the series overall.
March 5, 2015
I didn’t get the feelz from this one. It semed very different from the first two books. I didn’t like the way the story played out, but I can’t put my finger on just why the writing felt so different. Maybe it’s just me. I considered abandoning it a few times but stuck it out because it was the final installment.
It needed better editing and I think great gobs of it could’ve been cut, but I‘ll put my specific story problems behind a spoiler tag.
I'm not sure what story I wanted told to wrap up this series, but this wasn't it. The whole book is basically Axton and Leander solving Dana’s problems so he’ll leave them alone. There was just too much time apart and too few happy moments for this to be a satisfying sendoff for this couple.
It needed better editing and I think great gobs of it could’ve been cut, but I‘ll put my specific story problems behind a spoiler tag.
I'm not sure what story I wanted told to wrap up this series, but this wasn't it. The whole book is basically Axton and Leander solving Dana’s problems so he’ll leave them alone. There was just too much time apart and too few happy moments for this to be a satisfying sendoff for this couple.
January 20, 2024
Bloated 4th Act but
otherwise brilliant friendships,
romance, revenge, peace.
otherwise brilliant friendships,
romance, revenge, peace.
December 15, 2023
I started this book fresh on the heels of the cliffhanger of book two where Dana, Axton’s ex, seriously fucks over Axton and Leander, causing them to separate. This review will contain spoilers for book two.
I love Axton and Leander. They are an incredible couple with so much chemistry and so much romance and so much love. Because of this, I had so much book anxiety - that feeling in your chest that you NEED to get to the resolution asap so you can feel calm and comforted by the main couple again and they reiterate their love for each other. However, every 10% further I got into the book without Axton and Leander being even remotely close to reuniting, I started losing that “good book/big feels” anxiety and I started to feel angry and frustrated. Not only are Axton and Leander forcefully separated for SIXTY PERCENT of this 540 page book, but the majority of that time is spent trying to make us readers feel sympathetic for Dana? That’s going to be a hard no for me. I found the first bit quite good -Axton’s reactions were fantastic before Dana took him to his pack. They were understandable and full of grief and passion and hatred. I enjoyed reading about Leander’s single-minded mission to rescue Axton while recovering. But then, once they were with Dana’s pack, the way the author had Axton feel sympathy and empathy for Dana, his literal captor who nearly killed his soul mate, and literally had Axton say multiple times that he doesn’t hate Dana hurt me so much. Yes Axton was full of rage towards him, but he was also “understanding” of why Dana was the way he was, and clearly didn’t understand Dana was a fucking stalker psychopath. Also the 100 year comments made me uncomfortable. Is there an implication there that once Leander died, Axton would give Dana a chance? I don’t think the author meant it that way but it could be interpreted that way. Honestly I’ll never get over my anger regarding the sixty percent separation and the sympathy for Dana.
Axton and Leander reuniting is beautiful. It is love, they love each other so fucking much it hurts me as a reader. But even those reuniting scenes are cut short for us. Axton and Leander are immediately thrown into problem solving mode FOR THE REST OF THE BOOK!!! Their romantic moments together are few and far between and honestly none of this is enough payoff for what the first sixty percent of the book put me through. The sex scenes are almost exclusively fade to black and the one we did get was…meh. I felt like I was picking up breadcrumbs of Axton and Leander moments and begging for more. I was starving for more of what we got in book one and two between them and I still am.
Even the epilogue feels like “one shots” where we get humour with other characters but barely no Axton and Leander time. This author does do a great job with dialogue. I want to make that clear, that any dialogue between all characters was always fulfilling and often humerous. It is the author’s strong suit. There just needed to be far less dialogue between Axton and Dana, Axton and Fridge Guy, etc. etc. and far more between Axton and Leander. I did like the addition of New York, and appreciated the crew Leander built to help find Axton. There are lots of small moments to appreciate in the book. Leander’s clever maneuvering to fix their problems near the end was delightful. But overall I was so angry and frustrated that I would just love a redo. I don’t know what to do with the knowledge that Leander will not live as long as Axton and will far out-age him. Like that is just…terrible romance writing.
Lastly, the reunion with Axton’s homophobic POS father suddenly wanting to be a part of his life and Axton just being like ya okay!! Was fucking absurd.
I love Axton and Leander. They are an incredible couple with so much chemistry and so much romance and so much love. Because of this, I had so much book anxiety - that feeling in your chest that you NEED to get to the resolution asap so you can feel calm and comforted by the main couple again and they reiterate their love for each other. However, every 10% further I got into the book without Axton and Leander being even remotely close to reuniting, I started losing that “good book/big feels” anxiety and I started to feel angry and frustrated. Not only are Axton and Leander forcefully separated for SIXTY PERCENT of this 540 page book, but the majority of that time is spent trying to make us readers feel sympathetic for Dana? That’s going to be a hard no for me. I found the first bit quite good -Axton’s reactions were fantastic before Dana took him to his pack. They were understandable and full of grief and passion and hatred. I enjoyed reading about Leander’s single-minded mission to rescue Axton while recovering. But then, once they were with Dana’s pack, the way the author had Axton feel sympathy and empathy for Dana, his literal captor who nearly killed his soul mate, and literally had Axton say multiple times that he doesn’t hate Dana hurt me so much. Yes Axton was full of rage towards him, but he was also “understanding” of why Dana was the way he was, and clearly didn’t understand Dana was a fucking stalker psychopath. Also the 100 year comments made me uncomfortable. Is there an implication there that once Leander died, Axton would give Dana a chance? I don’t think the author meant it that way but it could be interpreted that way. Honestly I’ll never get over my anger regarding the sixty percent separation and the sympathy for Dana.
Axton and Leander reuniting is beautiful. It is love, they love each other so fucking much it hurts me as a reader. But even those reuniting scenes are cut short for us. Axton and Leander are immediately thrown into problem solving mode FOR THE REST OF THE BOOK!!! Their romantic moments together are few and far between and honestly none of this is enough payoff for what the first sixty percent of the book put me through. The sex scenes are almost exclusively fade to black and the one we did get was…meh. I felt like I was picking up breadcrumbs of Axton and Leander moments and begging for more. I was starving for more of what we got in book one and two between them and I still am.
Even the epilogue feels like “one shots” where we get humour with other characters but barely no Axton and Leander time. This author does do a great job with dialogue. I want to make that clear, that any dialogue between all characters was always fulfilling and often humerous. It is the author’s strong suit. There just needed to be far less dialogue between Axton and Dana, Axton and Fridge Guy, etc. etc. and far more between Axton and Leander. I did like the addition of New York, and appreciated the crew Leander built to help find Axton. There are lots of small moments to appreciate in the book. Leander’s clever maneuvering to fix their problems near the end was delightful. But overall I was so angry and frustrated that I would just love a redo. I don’t know what to do with the knowledge that Leander will not live as long as Axton and will far out-age him. Like that is just…terrible romance writing.
Lastly, the reunion with Axton’s homophobic POS father suddenly wanting to be a part of his life and Axton just being like ya okay!! Was fucking absurd.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 8, 2022
2nd Read
Well, I don't say this lightly, I think Axton & Leander's series is one of the best MM wolf-shifter series out there. I can only name three other authors that have blown me away as thoroughly as S.P. Wayne did in regards to this particular sub-genre. 5 glorious stars.
S.P.Wayne is the type of author where even on the second read, I cherished every word and felt every emotion as if it was the very first time. Highly recommend!
1st Read
😭😭😭
I'm emotionally incapable of saying goodbye to Axton & Leander.
I want more *sad sigh*.
What a truly well-done series.
Everything carries me to you had me exploring a spectrum of emotions. It is a testament to distance making the heart grow fonder . Because seriously, S.P.Wayne enjoys separating the lovebirds.
This one takes you to the brink with all the anguish, heartbreak, bone-deep sorrow, and hopelessness. It's quite relentless and when you can't take it anymore it lifts and it's restorative and exhilarating.
So many things to love.
Unconditional love.
Earned love.
Heroic displays of love.
Comedic relief provided by drug-addicted eccentric wealthy BFF New York.
More than anything though Axton & Leander are just so freaking sentimental, demonstrative, and loving.
Also, all the wolf politics is very well done. I would have happily kept on reading endless books set in this universe. There is so much room for more in the lives of Axton & Leander. Alas, it is a satisfying and beautiful ending.
My only niggle is the outcome with the resident villain. Though I did appreciate the diversion from the usual blood and gore of shifter stories, I was not mollified. But I have a vengeful spirit and the MCs do not.
Wonderful memorable series!
Highly recommend. Especially for those who enjoy a slow-paced storyline that encompasses a large time frame.
Well, I don't say this lightly, I think Axton & Leander's series is one of the best MM wolf-shifter series out there. I can only name three other authors that have blown me away as thoroughly as S.P. Wayne did in regards to this particular sub-genre. 5 glorious stars.
S.P.Wayne is the type of author where even on the second read, I cherished every word and felt every emotion as if it was the very first time. Highly recommend!
1st Read
😭😭😭
I'm emotionally incapable of saying goodbye to Axton & Leander.
I want more *sad sigh*.
What a truly well-done series.
Everything carries me to you had me exploring a spectrum of emotions. It is a testament to distance making the heart grow fonder . Because seriously, S.P.Wayne enjoys separating the lovebirds.
This one takes you to the brink with all the anguish, heartbreak, bone-deep sorrow, and hopelessness. It's quite relentless and when you can't take it anymore it lifts and it's restorative and exhilarating.
So many things to love.
Unconditional love.
Earned love.
Heroic displays of love.
Comedic relief provided by drug-addicted eccentric wealthy BFF New York.
More than anything though Axton & Leander are just so freaking sentimental, demonstrative, and loving.
Also, all the wolf politics is very well done. I would have happily kept on reading endless books set in this universe. There is so much room for more in the lives of Axton & Leander. Alas, it is a satisfying and beautiful ending.
My only niggle is the outcome with the resident villain. Though I did appreciate the diversion from the usual blood and gore of shifter stories, I was not mollified. But I have a vengeful spirit and the MCs do not.
Wonderful memorable series!
Highly recommend. Especially for those who enjoy a slow-paced storyline that encompasses a large time frame.
April 1, 2015
3.5 stars
It’s always good to visit with Axton and Leander, much love for these guys. But this just didn’t do it for me like the first two books in the series did. There are some wonderful bits here, but I struggled the whole way through. It’s difficult connecting to a romance where the two MC’s are apart for most of it. That was the point… to build up the frustration of that separation, but it made for some very frustrating reading too (the many, many line edit errors didn’t help either).
What stood out in the story: the well-done secondary characters (New York, Jack, Trevor (who might be bi-curious); the werewolf world and culture; and Dana’s dysfunctional werewolf clan. I especially liked the nod to Shakespeare’s Hamlet And, as always, sweet Axton— who shows such growth— always trying to balance his wolf and human sides…
“He did remember, clearly, what it was like to move and make decisions without words for his reasoning process. It was easy and beautiful and simple and he longed for it again already… But he remembered, too, being able to recall Leander’s face but not his name, and what it was like to forget even the word for what they had together. Love.”
Shelved as 'to-read-yes-own'
March 9, 2015Book #3 ~ to start soonish
...as I was supposed to buddyread with my friends Are and Therese, but RL interfered (as so often) again.
...as I was supposed to buddyread with my friends Are and Therese, but RL interfered (as so often) again.
October 30, 2022
Emotionally destroyed once again. The perfect embodiment of everything is fair in love and war. And while love may seem like the pure most lovely of emotions it can destroy too.
Original review
I love this couple. Absolutely adore them.
Long separation but so worth it. The first part of the book was hard. So many feeling and anguish. But very needed. By the end I couldn’t stop smiling.
Axton and Leander have a special place in my heart.
Original review
I love this couple. Absolutely adore them.
Long separation but so worth it. The first part of the book was hard. So many feeling and anguish. But very needed. By the end I couldn’t stop smiling.
Axton and Leander have a special place in my heart.
October 29, 2021
This book is very clearly divided into two halves. And after the sweet idyll that was the second book, I really struggled with the first half - where Axton and Leander are apart and suffering in their own ways. And it's a long book, this was so much time apart. The plot in the second half gets rather convoluted and detracts from the romance, which is my favourite thing about this series. In fact, Lee and Ax hardly get on-page time together. But I think Wayne is a really talented writer, I really enjoyed the style and the wry humour. She could have really, really used a copy editor though because there are about a million tiny text mistakes and word misusages, but it's a testament to her skill as a storyteller that I mostly didn't mind. At the core of it all, is this sweet, aching romance between two really endearing people and I liked them so much, I could forgive quite a lot. Glad they got their happy ending.
February 25, 2015
I love this series! It has strong characters, an awesome plot, a heartwrenching romance and a Werewolf culture that makes total sense! FOR ONCE!!!
I've read a lot of werewolf stories, and so many of them have a 'mate' system in place, where there is one random person in the world who they will truly love.
It was cute the first few times I read it but then it became repetitive and I started to find it hollow and cheap. An easy excuse for love at first sight.
[Spoiler Warning]
This series does away with that and actually builds a relationship that could actually happen (minus real werewolves)
This series then adds flavor to the werewolf culture by adding extreme prejudices, and genuine disgust.
Then there is the abusive dictatorship system in place that most other stories have. Yeah...it's still there but it's toned down a lot and beautifully explained away.
Last but far from least is how all the hate and discrimination is explained away by heartache and how that once a Werewolf is in love, there is no going back and that to love a human is to have a life of mourning. (The added fact that turning is nearly impossible is pause for more grief and heartache)
This entire work dose a wonderful job creating a believable hidden culture, with healthy, realistic relationships.
I'm a fan of this author for life now.
I've read a lot of werewolf stories, and so many of them have a 'mate' system in place, where there is one random person in the world who they will truly love.
It was cute the first few times I read it but then it became repetitive and I started to find it hollow and cheap. An easy excuse for love at first sight.
[Spoiler Warning]
This series does away with that and actually builds a relationship that could actually happen (minus real werewolves)
This series then adds flavor to the werewolf culture by adding extreme prejudices, and genuine disgust.
Then there is the abusive dictatorship system in place that most other stories have. Yeah...it's still there but it's toned down a lot and beautifully explained away.
Last but far from least is how all the hate and discrimination is explained away by heartache and how that once a Werewolf is in love, there is no going back and that to love a human is to have a life of mourning. (The added fact that turning is nearly impossible is pause for more grief and heartache)
This entire work dose a wonderful job creating a believable hidden culture, with healthy, realistic relationships.
I'm a fan of this author for life now.
October 9, 2022
Honestly, I still don't know how to feel about this series. The first book for me was marvelous, such a beautiful story, and then the second book was okay for the most part but this book?
This book is seriously all about Axton and Dana. I felt frustrated and anxious reading this, I understand the story took a turn and Ax and Leabder got separated but it felt like I was reading a story about Axton and his crazy obsessive ex-boyfriend and not Leander's and Axton's romance.
There were passages on this book that threw me off, too much Axton wondering what would be like if Dana had accepted him for who he was and the consequences of it (Leander out of the picture), too much Axton so fixated on his feelings for Dana and that he still loves him but just loves Leander more? That just didn't do it for me and the ending of this series was just a shame compared to the first book.
This book is seriously all about Axton and Dana. I felt frustrated and anxious reading this, I understand the story took a turn and Ax and Leabder got separated but it felt like I was reading a story about Axton and his crazy obsessive ex-boyfriend and not Leander's and Axton's romance.
There were passages on this book that threw me off, too much Axton wondering what would be like if Dana had accepted him for who he was and the consequences of it (Leander out of the picture), too much Axton so fixated on his feelings for Dana and that he still loves him but just loves Leander more? That just didn't do it for me and the ending of this series was just a shame compared to the first book.
July 28, 2019
I'll be honest. I spent a HUGE portion of this book pissed off and annoyed with the seeming effort to try to make Dana sympathetic or understandable or explain his behavior in an way to make it reasonable for Axton to forgive him. It annoyed me. So much. It really overshadowed a good portion of the book for me. HOWEVER. Once Axton shut that down (for the most part, they were still way too tolerant of him for my liking) the book improved. The reunion and aftermath were so emotional and I really felt Axton and Leander's desperation and relief to be back with each other. I like how everything with the packs were resolved. Though I wish Dana got more of a punishment. I hope there's a fourth book, maybe with Axton reconnecting with his father and that pack. That'd be interesting.
September 13, 2020
4.5 Stars!
This chapter for Axton and Leander was so heavy. I thought I’d spend a lot of time skimming, but I never did because of my love for both characters individually. However, that doesn’t mean it was easy to read - it definitely wasn’t. They spent so much time apart, and suffered endlessly.
“What a stupid, cruel world it was--people could love you and you could love them and still nothing functioned as a whole and everyone was hurt. Legs were broken and fathers were murdered and hearts were killed and crippled and still the world turned, because nature was beautiful and timeless and beyond you, gorgeous, uncaring, eternal.”
However, their eventual reunion was beautiful and they ended up getting almost everything I wanted for them, so I’m satisfied.
If I could change two things this may have gotten a 5 star rating despite the epically long separation.
#1 - I hate that nothing is done in regards to Leander’s unavoidable demise because he’s human. 😭
#2 - Dana. The big bad from book 2 was just way too sympathetic of a character in this story. Either they should’ve dialed him back a little in book two or continued his extreme villainous antics throughout this book. I can’t be mollified with neutralizing something I want destroyed. 😂
Still, despite that, I continued to be sucked into Axton and Leander’s minds and hearts. I’ll be nursing a book hangover and comparing every couple to them for a while to come.
This chapter for Axton and Leander was so heavy. I thought I’d spend a lot of time skimming, but I never did because of my love for both characters individually. However, that doesn’t mean it was easy to read - it definitely wasn’t. They spent so much time apart, and suffered endlessly.
“What a stupid, cruel world it was--people could love you and you could love them and still nothing functioned as a whole and everyone was hurt. Legs were broken and fathers were murdered and hearts were killed and crippled and still the world turned, because nature was beautiful and timeless and beyond you, gorgeous, uncaring, eternal.”
However, their eventual reunion was beautiful and they ended up getting almost everything I wanted for them, so I’m satisfied.
If I could change two things this may have gotten a 5 star rating despite the epically long separation.
#1 - I hate that nothing is done in regards to Leander’s unavoidable demise because he’s human. 😭
#2 - Dana. The big bad from book 2 was just way too sympathetic of a character in this story. Either they should’ve dialed him back a little in book two or continued his extreme villainous antics throughout this book. I can’t be mollified with neutralizing something I want destroyed. 😂
Still, despite that, I continued to be sucked into Axton and Leander’s minds and hearts. I’ll be nursing a book hangover and comparing every couple to them for a while to come.
May 28, 2020
1 extra star because New York is awesome. I love me a good bromance.
October 4, 2022
313.
313 pages.
The first 60 per cent of the book these guys are separated. It should be called Axton; Leander not Axton & Leander.
In the first book I felt like the author was getting to know the characters herself and portraying them beautifully. In the second book I enjoyed the everyday love and the pondering of what the future will bring and disliked the ex.
The third book is all about the ducking ex. Entirely. I hate love triangles and it isn’t even one it’s just one stupid closeted wolfy wolf who can’t let his ex be happy.
I did not need 313 pages of separation for them to get together again and those passages to be less detailed and feel less than during a convo with “Fridge Guy” just for them to separate again to help the bloody triangle lad.
Everything I was hoping book 3 to be: what’s the future as a couple going to look like? Return to Montana… was packed into the epilogue. That should have been the book. Disappointed as hell.
NSFW infos:
- one out gay guy
- one admitted bisexual lad
- in theory vers but they’re not together the entire time
313 pages.
The first 60 per cent of the book these guys are separated. It should be called Axton; Leander not Axton & Leander.
In the first book I felt like the author was getting to know the characters herself and portraying them beautifully. In the second book I enjoyed the everyday love and the pondering of what the future will bring and disliked the ex.
The third book is all about the ducking ex. Entirely. I hate love triangles and it isn’t even one it’s just one stupid closeted wolfy wolf who can’t let his ex be happy.
I did not need 313 pages of separation for them to get together again and those passages to be less detailed and feel less than during a convo with “Fridge Guy” just for them to separate again to help the bloody triangle lad.
Everything I was hoping book 3 to be: what’s the future as a couple going to look like? Return to Montana… was packed into the epilogue. That should have been the book. Disappointed as hell.
NSFW infos:
- one out gay guy
- one admitted bisexual lad
- in theory vers but they’re not together the entire time
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2016
Unfortunately, this was the weakest of the series for me: major drama for the most part, the kind that tears your heart and with no hope visible in the horizon, it became too dark even for me. And I hated the middle with a passion as we read daily descriptions of Ashton's life with the clan while nothing really happens, Dana gets even more unlikable IMO and Dru's clearly a dictator whom everyone hates but no one's doing anything to change it. Rinse and repeat. For a loooooong while. And then, finally, comes the action. It was nice, but a major editing would have served this book very well indeed. Pity, because the first books were amazing.
September 1, 2015
This was really really good! I loved Winterwolf and wasn't so keen on Citywolf, and this third installment was so enjoyable.
It had so much sarcasm, banter and humor, but also a lot of very good drama and action.
An all around good mixture. And very deep feelings.
It made me understand if not like Dana - something I wouldn't have thought possible.
I loved Axton in this book.
It had so much sarcasm, banter and humor, but also a lot of very good drama and action.
An all around good mixture. And very deep feelings.
It made me understand if not like Dana - something I wouldn't have thought possible.
I loved Axton in this book.
February 28, 2015
This last book in the series was, despite a tiny bit overlong in places, very entertaining and easy to read.
One thing I really liked, was how the author portrayed the passing of time. It was, like for Axton during the first time in “captivity”, hard to tell how long had passed, with the days coming and going a blur.
Neither Axton nor Leander had an easy time in this one, although in many ways in opposite ways. Axton went through a more mentally disturbing time, with a self-induced captivity, whereas Leander’s suffering was of the physical kind, with physio and getting used to manage with two broken legs. But of course they both suffered the loss of the other:-(.
The story was very good, and elaborate and I liked the greater insight in the were-universe of this series. It developed so many things that have only been quickly mentioned in the earlier books, and continued the good work from the earlier books.
There were some things I was not too fond of though :
New York was certainly an interesting addition to the characters, although a bit too convenient at times (millionaire, doesn’t ask many questions...). But as with earlier books, the addition of side characters like NY, Jack, the twins, Helen created a great world in which the story took place.
As for the ending,…
Merged review:
*3.5*
This last book in the series was, despite a tiny bit overlong in places, very entertaining and easy to read.
One thing I really liked, was how the author portrayed the passing of time. It was, like for Axton during the first time in “captivity”, hard to tell how long had passed, with the days coming and going a blur.
Neither Axton nor Leander had it easy this time around, although kind of in opposite ways. Axton went through a more mentally disturbing time, with a self-induced captivity, whereas Leander’s suffering was of the physical kind, with physio and getting used to manage with two broken legs. But of course they both suffered the loss of the other:-(.
The story was very good, and elaborate and I liked the greater insight in the were-universe of this series. It developed so many things that have only been quickly mentioned in the earlier books, and continued the good work from the earlier books.
New York was certainly an interesting addition to the characters, perhaps a bit too convenient at times (multi-millionaire, doesn’t ask many questions...). But as with earlier books, the addition of side characters like NY, Jack, the twins, Helen helped to create a great world in which the story took place.
There were some things I was not too fond of though :
As for the ending,…
One thing I really liked, was how the author portrayed the passing of time. It was, like for Axton during the first time in “captivity”, hard to tell how long had passed, with the days coming and going a blur.
Neither Axton nor Leander had an easy time in this one, although in many ways in opposite ways. Axton went through a more mentally disturbing time, with a self-induced captivity, whereas Leander’s suffering was of the physical kind, with physio and getting used to manage with two broken legs. But of course they both suffered the loss of the other:-(.
The story was very good, and elaborate and I liked the greater insight in the were-universe of this series. It developed so many things that have only been quickly mentioned in the earlier books, and continued the good work from the earlier books.
There were some things I was not too fond of though :
New York was certainly an interesting addition to the characters, although a bit too convenient at times (millionaire, doesn’t ask many questions...). But as with earlier books, the addition of side characters like NY, Jack, the twins, Helen created a great world in which the story took place.
As for the ending,…
Merged review:
*3.5*
This last book in the series was, despite a tiny bit overlong in places, very entertaining and easy to read.
One thing I really liked, was how the author portrayed the passing of time. It was, like for Axton during the first time in “captivity”, hard to tell how long had passed, with the days coming and going a blur.
Neither Axton nor Leander had it easy this time around, although kind of in opposite ways. Axton went through a more mentally disturbing time, with a self-induced captivity, whereas Leander’s suffering was of the physical kind, with physio and getting used to manage with two broken legs. But of course they both suffered the loss of the other:-(.
The story was very good, and elaborate and I liked the greater insight in the were-universe of this series. It developed so many things that have only been quickly mentioned in the earlier books, and continued the good work from the earlier books.
New York was certainly an interesting addition to the characters, perhaps a bit too convenient at times (multi-millionaire, doesn’t ask many questions...). But as with earlier books, the addition of side characters like NY, Jack, the twins, Helen helped to create a great world in which the story took place.
There were some things I was not too fond of though :
As for the ending,…
July 21, 2023
While I still really enjoyed the book and love the characters (even Dana grows on you a little bit at the end) this was maybe a bit too ambitious. It's twice as long as the other two books in the series and I don't think all of it needed to be in here. There's too much back and forth and a lot of time spent just doing daily tasks, especially when we're with Axton and then later with Leander in the pack village. I think even Wayne was feeling it was too long towards the end because during the last 25% of the book, the POV sections are shorter and shorter, with one section being only a single line from Leander.
Overall, however, it didn't feel like it was a chore to read through since I enjoy this world so much; it just needs a good editor like the rest of the series. There were still grammar errors and typos but I put up with it as a risk of self-publishing and, after reading all three books back to back, you kind of stop noticing it as you get engrossed in the narrative.
The ending itself is a bit anticlimactic but I don't think Lee and Ax would have "won" any other way without making the series longer and/or at least one major death.
This series was a treat to read. It gets tied up fairly satisfactorily so, while I always want more from authors I really enjoy reading, I don't feel like we're missing anything important by ending it here. But I will always need more werewolf romance stories like this in my life!
Overall, however, it didn't feel like it was a chore to read through since I enjoy this world so much; it just needs a good editor like the rest of the series. There were still grammar errors and typos but I put up with it as a risk of self-publishing and, after reading all three books back to back, you kind of stop noticing it as you get engrossed in the narrative.
The ending itself is a bit anticlimactic but I don't think Lee and Ax would have "won" any other way without making the series longer and/or at least one major death.
This series was a treat to read. It gets tied up fairly satisfactorily so, while I always want more from authors I really enjoy reading, I don't feel like we're missing anything important by ending it here. But I will always need more werewolf romance stories like this in my life!
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