🐺 New Release ➜ An Impossible Mate (Strength of the Pack 1) MM Paranormal romance by Joy Lynn Fielding is LIVE!!!

 

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: An Impossible Mate

Author and Publisher: Joy Lynn Fielding

Cover Artist: GetCovers

Release Date: January 29, 2026

Tense/POV: alternating dual third person pov, past tense

Genres: Paranormal MM Romance

Tropes: Fated mates, forced proximity, slow burn, reluctant mates, pack dynamics.

Themes: Trust, belonging, self-forgiveness, letting go of guilt, found family.

Length: 65 000 words/252 pages

Heat Rating: 4 flames (Graphic, but not frequent)

The story has a complete romance arc. One element of the larger series plot continues into the next book.

It does not end on a cliffhanger.

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Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

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The line between order and chaos, heartbreak and happily ever after, has never been thinner… or more tempting to cross.

Blurb

Alpha shifter Matt Urban is always in control. He has to be. Keeping his territory, his pack, and himself tightly leashed is the only way to protect his precarious peace. So when a defiant, smart-mouthed lone wolf stumbles into his territory, Matt’s first instinct is to drive him out. His second instinct? Quite the opposite, unfortunately…

Jesse Turner learned a long time ago that his safety depends on never belonging to anyone. No packs. No family. And definitely no bossy, overbearing, disturbingly hot alphas. Which means he should stay as far away from Matt as possible. Too bad doing what he should has suddenly lost all appeal…

It's not long before Matt will have to decide how far he’s willing to go to protect the mate he never wanted, and Jesse will need to decide if running from Matt is survival, or the biggest mistake of his life.

Easy, right?  

Try impossible…

An Impossible Mate kicks off the Strength of the Pack series—character-driven M/M fated-mates romances with an overarching plot, slow-burn tension, and men worth falling for. If you like reluctant soulmates, found family, and shifters who absolutely do not talk about their feelings (until they do), welcome to the pack. A complete six-book series releasing weekly January 29 through March 5

Content note: This series includes material that some readers may find distressing. Full details are available on the author’s website: https://joylynnfielding.com/cw.

Note: This novel is a substantially expanded new edition of the novella originally published in 2013.

Excerpt 

“What’s your name?” Matt asked abruptly, swinging around the chair Bryce had been sitting on and straddling it, his wrists resting loosely on its back.

“None of your damn business.” There was a mutinous spark in the blue eyes that glared at him, and the mulish jaw was set even more firmly.

“You don’t speak that way to an alpha.” Bryce’s voice sounded gentle, but Matt could hear the warning in it.

The guy didn’t even blink at the warning. Just curled his lip like he’d had too many people try to make him bow down before. “He ain’t my alpha.”

As Matt rose slowly to his feet, six foot two of coiled power and authority, the guy seemed to rethink the wisdom of his attitude. 

“Jesse.” It came out sullenly. 

“Jesse what?”

“Turner. And who the hell are you?”

“I’m Matt Urban, alpha of this pack. That’s my beta, Bryce. What are you doing in my territory, Jesse?”

Jesse shook his head and fisted his hands in the blankets he was holding to his bare chest. Like he was some kind of modest maiden. Or, Matt realized an instant later, like he was vulnerable and scared. The way his fists were twisted in the blanket looked like he expected to be yanked out of the bed.

“Didn’t know it was your territory,” Jesse said. Then he let out a little huff. “Sorry if I was trespassing.”

Matt didn’t believe him for an instant. It was impossible for any shifter to have missed the fact this was a pack’s territory. His best guess? Jesse was frightened of them, and he was saying what he thought Matt wanted to hear.

Matt stepped closer, holding his gaze. His wolf pushed against his skin, hungry for something. Truth, he thought. 

“Are you trying to tell me you didn’t pick up our scent markers?”

“Well, hell, the place smelled of a whole bunch of wolves, but I didn’t know it was your property,” Jesse protested. “Listen, this has been all kinds of nice, but I gotta go. I need my boots.”

It sounded snarky, but Matt heard the fear behind it, sharp and sour. He turned away to straighten the chair, using the movement to keep his wolf tamped down. He’d figure out later just why his wolf was so front and center tonight.

“How long since you found him?” he asked Bryce.

Bryce tipped his head as he thought back, working it out. “Must be about an hour.” He evidently saw the way Matt was clenching his jaw. “There was no point in letting you know when you were driving. Figured I’d fill you in as soon as you got home.”

Matt supposed that was fair. But it didn’t mean he liked it. The safety of the pack was his responsibility, and it was a sacred trust. 

Jesse was practically vibrating with adrenaline. If Matt kept pushing, he’d only get more lies. He’d try a different tack. Not least because that corporate catered lunch had been hours ago, and the scent of food had made its way in from the hallway until Matt wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into a juicy steak.

He’d get Jesse to let his guard down, to lose that snarky defiance he clearly used as a defense. Then, it would be easier to wrest the truth out of him. 

“I’ve only just gotten in, and I need to eat,” he said casually. “You can join us for whatever Jason’s cooked up tonight before you go.”

He hoped Jesse would agree. Otherwise, he’d have to make him, and after a long and frustrating day dealing with shifter bureaucracy, he didn’t want to go to the effort.

“Think he’s doing steak and baked potatoes,” Bryce said. His voice was just as casual as Matt’s, but he knew what he was doing. “And cheesecake for dessert.”

Jesse’s stomach gurgled. They all pretended not to notice.

“Reckon I could stay just a while longer,” Jesse said, after due consideration, as if he were doing them a great favor.

“Do you want a shower before you get dressed?” Bryce asked.

“You sayin’ I need one?”

“Hell, yes,” Matt said, before he could stop himself.

To his surprise, Jesse suddenly grinned. Without the strain in his face, and with a smile like that, he was a goddamn heartbreaker.

Matt turned away. 

“Ten minutes,” he said. “We eat in the kitchen. Bryce will show you.”

He left. If he stayed, he might just do whatever it took to see that smile again, and Matt didn’t get to want things like that anymore. Not when he still tasted blood in his dreams.

It took me a few chapters to really get lost in the storyline, but once I did, I was 100% invested.

This is the first book in the Strength of the Pack series. So the author does spend a little time setting up the series. But not with weighty, unnecessary lines of dialogue and scenes that would just be filler that I normally see.

Matt never wanted to be Alpha, never wanted his own pack.

But here is, and he takes their protection seriously.

He doesn't take unnecessary risks, doesn’t invite complications.

Until Jesse

Jesse stumbles into Matt’s territory injured and a little aggressive.

Matt’s first instinct is to get rid of him. 

But there is something about him that calls to his wolf.

As Matt “interrogates” Jesse, he finds himself wanting to know more about his past

About him

Will he have to choose between Jesse and the safety of his pack?

Will he let his mate walk away, or will he find a way to have both?

Let’s talk about Jesse first.

Once his walls are down, he is actually quite adorable.

Before that though

I wanted to dunk that kid in ice water so many times!!

He was a professional at defense. 

Honestly, he had reasons to be, but still UGHHHH.

However, watching him “grow up” and let down his defenses was the sweetest thing 🥰

He deserved to feel safe, to find his happiness in this world; And Matt, along with the Pack would gave him that.

Then you had Matt, who was torturing himself over a past he had no control over, survivor's guilt.

He is battling against accepting Jesse as his mate because he does not believe he deserves to be happy

I may have wanted to toss him into the lake a few times as well

He is a bit overly protective at times and darn right stubborn

Thank goodness Jesse is just too much of a draw for Matt to deny

The back and forth between these two.

The little subtle innuendos.

They didnt have a chance 😂.

Lots of heat and tension, along with some hilarious banter

I enjoyed the slow build to their relationship; 

It made their hesitations feel justified instead of just a plot thing.

Plenty of action with a bit of mystery

Some “ I didnt see that coming” plot twists

Dark pasts that shadow the present

Solid series storyline.

Well-written secondary characters. 

I loved how diverse the pack was, a group of misfits that found sanctuary in each other

There were some areas I would have liked more details in/about, but that is a me thing.

I am looking forward to the next in the series.

About the Author 

Joy Lynn Fielding lives in a small English market town, where she nurtures enthusiasms for vintage aircraft, horses and gardening. An avid researcher for her books, she delights in uncovering unusual facts and sharing them with anyone within earshot. She insists this has never led to anyone hiding behind the furniture.

Joy writes at the pace her health allows, powered by enthusiasm, optimism and, above all, coffee. She hopes her books offer good company to anyone navigating their own winding paths.

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