Title: Sanctum

Author: Hannah McBride

Pub. Date: July 24, 2021

Pages: 532

Pub: Not Listed

Genre: UpYA/NA Paranormal Fantasy Romance

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads

A survivor on the run

Barely escaping with her life, Skye Markham and her mother flee their sadistic pack and seek sanctuary within Blackwater. Against all odds, Skye tries to create a new life for herself. A life she thought only existed in dreams is now within reach.

An alpha with a pack to protect

Remy Holt has spent years guarding his pack – his family – from threats as the next alpha in line. When the Blackwater pack decides to help the Markhams, Skye becomes one of his own … In more ways than one, if his wolf has anything to say about it.

A bond unlike any other

As Skye and Remy’s lives collide, the shifter world starts to implode. Missing shifters, a dying population, and pack wars are causing their sanctuary to crumble around them. Skye thought she was finally safe … but maybe there’s no such thing.

This will be a spoiler free review. I listened to the audiobook via Audible. I’d heard from a fellow blogger that this book was one of the best she’d read this year (this might have been in 2020 – I can’t remember exactly). But whatever year – it was one of the best she’d read. I was a little skeptical, but willing to give it a chance.

Y’all.

Y’all.

This book.

This fucking book.

I don’t know what it’s laced with, but I need more. I’m desperate for the rest of the series to be converted into audio. I downloaded the eBook for book 2, so I could read it right away. I’m 100% planning on buying the series in paperback because I need them on my shelves.

Skye and Remy own my soul.

What the fuck, this book had no business being this good – and I mean that in the best way possible. At first I thought it was going to be like every other wolf shifter book – based on the way it started.

But the story that Hannah crafts – I wasn’t prepared. This book definitely hits on some heavier topics – rape, graphic sex and kidnapping. This isn’t lighthearted read by any stretch. Skye and her mother go through so much. Lowkey not going to lie – I thought Skye would still be an outcast, or at least not immediately taken in. But she quickly finds friends and a support system, and I love that for her. Same for her mom. They deserved it. The shit they left behind – it was shit – terrible, horrible shit. Treated like disposable scum, so Blackwater is a haven.

I love that Skye goes off to school and has to figure out how to become her own person – a person who has choices and freedoms – something she didn’t have before. She has a whole future and I love that it’s quickly filled with a pack who welcomes her, who likes her and makes her feel like one of them.

As for the school – I loved the rivalry between the various packs. I loved the drama and tension it caused, though I hated the anxiety it caused me LOL.

As for Remy and Skye – you already know they own my soul. But I love the sort of slice of life moments they share. Their relationship is fast, and intense, but they don’t act on it in the way that you might expect. Even though it kind of just snaps into place, they take their time to get to know one another. Though the fact that they orbit around one another, adjust and compensate for one another, they still take their time. It’s sweet and addicting and I loved every minute of it. The softer moments mixed with the high action, drama and tension scenes made this so addicting. And the underlying plot that comes to light towards the end – I love it.

This was just so damn good and I need book 2 to be on audio like, yesterday. I have the ebook and physical but I want to listen to the audio so badly. I definitely recommend checking this book out if you haven’t yet. I had very few expectations going in, and was blown away with how much I loved this book.