ARC Review: Sanctum (Blackwater Pack #1)

Sanctum (Blackwater Pack #1)
Hannah McBride

Publication Date: August 21, 2020
Date Read: July 22, 2020
Genre: NA – Paranormal Romance
Source: eARC from Hannah McBride
Format: E-Book
Pages: 477

From 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.

“You don’t need a hero, Skye. You’re the strongest person I’ve ever met. The things you survived… You went through hell, and you’re still standing.”

Sanctum is without a doubt the most surprising read of the year so far for me. I hadn’t heard of this book until early July when my amazing bookish friend Vonetta asked if I would be interested in helping spread the word on release day. After agreeing to this Hannah McBride very kindly offered me an ARC. I didn’t really know what to expect as I’m not usually a big lover of books including shifters, especially wolves. However, this was absolute perfection. I raced through this book at lightening speed as I just could not put it down and now I am left reeling, dying for more from Hannah and this incredible world.

Sanctum tells the story of Skye. A 17 year old wolf shifter who is living in a pack who treat the women wolves horrifically. Kept as an Omega, the bottom of the pack, Skye knows her future contains violence. However her and her Mom escape at the last minute and have to try and find their way in a new, nicer pack. Always expecting the worst of everybody, Skye has to learn to trust again and her new alpha Remy will do anything in his power to protect her and make sure nobody hurts her again.

I can’t even tell you how much I freaking loved this book. Hannah has such a brilliant writing style. Right at the beginning when Skye is with her violent pack, I was both loving the book but at the same time not wanting to read it because of the violence that I knew was bound to happen. I’ve never had such a strong emotional reaction to characters so fast in a book before. This was all within the first three chapters of the book and that really shows how incredible a storyteller Hannah really is, to make me feel like this so fast. The more I read, the more I loved this book.

Before picking up Sanctum I was in such a reading slump. Nothing was grabbing my attention. I’d read a few pages and then put the book down. Right from the start of Sanctum I couldn’t put the book down. I spent the entire day sat reading and I didn’t even realise the time ticking by. To me that truly shows how amazing this book is. Right away I was in love with both of the main characters and I cannot praise Hannah enough for the fantastic characterisation that goes on in this book. Skye has been through some dark stuff in her past and the way Hannah dealt with those issues was utterly brilliant. She really captured Skye’s journey into healing and didn’t shy away from having scenes that were really hard-hitting and emotional. I can’t praise her enough for this.

Remy is officially one of my all time favourite book boys ever. He is the alpha male but he’s very different to any other alpha male’s in shifter books I have read. The reason I don’t enjoy reading wolf shifter books is too many of them have the alpha males being total assholes who are too controlling and think they can control the girl. Hannah instead wrote an absolutely perfect alpha male, who is brilliantly protective while also being the sweetest most loving guy in the world. He was happy to step in and protect Skye but he gave her the control in every situation and was there for her if and when she needed him and that was perfect to me.

Nothing I write in this review (and I know it’s a long rambling, fangirling review) will ever actually do justice to this perfect book. I read this book so damn fast and when I finished, started reading it all over again immediately. I have never done that with a book… ever. This has definitely become one of my all time favourite books ever. It’s fast paced and action packed and filled to the brim with the most swoon-worthy, heart-melting romance ever. I cannot recommend this book enough. I think anyone who is a sucker for romance needs to read this book. It is one of the most brilliant romances I have ever read. If you love paranormal romance this is also going to be the perfect book for you. This book is right up there with Jennifer L Armentrout’s as my all time favourites, which is a huge compliment as usually nothing comes close to my love for Jennifer’s books. I can’t wait to read the next book. I am so here for it and I can’t wait. Sanctum was, in a word, perfection.

“This is real, Skye. I’m not going anywhere. I know this is fast, and I know on paper it looks completely crazy. But it doesn’t change the way I feel when I’m with you. I’ve been raised to be a leader. To be strong and think of the pack first and above all else. When I’m with you… it’s like everything is clearer. You ground me.”

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