The end of the world is upon us. What would you do?
Well, Major Atlas Brandt is going to get to work. He’s going to fight to protect his country, humanThe end of the world is upon us. What would you do?
Well, Major Atlas Brandt is going to get to work. He’s going to fight to protect his country, humanity, or he’s going to die trying. That was the plan, anyway, until one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse and an angel with black wings came and turned what was left of his world upside down. That’s only the beginning of what to expect from the first half of this companion duet to Moreau’s fan-flipping-tastic The Four Horsemen series.
Point of order: It is completely necessary to read the entirety of The Four Horsemen book series before starting this book. You will not understand anything going on in this book if you don’t read that series before starting this book. Atlas is not a whole story unto its own: it’s a companion story to a much larger and more complex story that begins and ends in The Four Horsemen series. Atlas is an entire story that happens within (and likely after) the main events of The Four Horsemen but is ultimately supplementary material borne of love for the character Atlas Brandt (at least that’s why I wanted it and have been excited for it) and wanting to read his side of the story. So if you start Atlas and are lost then don’t say you weren’t warned.
Atlas is finally here and I’m beyond excited. From the first time he was introduced in War, Atlas has been a completely transfixing character in The Four Horsemen series: A character that represented the human race in a story writ large for supernaturals. Atlas not only needed to stand out so his signal didn’t get lost in the noise, but we needed to be invested in him without seeing him as either a victim or villain. Sienna Moreau made him an advocate instead, and he is fierce. While he’s not my favorite character in this universe (that’s Paul, of course, iykyk), this book completely elevated him in my esteem.
Seeing The Four Horsemen story through Atlas’ eyes (this book covers the events of the series throughout War) is something I knew I wanted but didn’t know I needed this much. Atlas is somehow the best of what humanity should be, but he’s just so battered. He’s indefatigable. Resilient. Implacable. He’s also lonely. Desperate. Needy. Deep down, in the places sealed off from even himself, Atlas is terrified and so tired. What Atlas is the most, though, is angry. That’s what makes him burn so brightly and I’m here for it.
Sienna Moreau already built us a rich world for this book to take place in, but now we get to see her work with Conquest, Raziel, and Atlas down to a deeper, more emotional character level that wasn’t possible in The Four Horsemen series. Conquest is the shortest of The Four Horsemen books (not by much, but still), and it also had the job of introducing the series. That’s a tough job and doesn’t allow for the same amount of character-building that the other three horsemen received. Atlas part one clocks in at 411 pages, longer than any of the horsemen novels. This gives us a lot of time to get to know our trifecta, as well as lots of action and plot.
Let’s not forget the spice. All of the horsemen books are seriously spicy (I’d still say Famine is the spiciest and kinkiest) and Atlas doesn’t disappoint on that front. I don’t think it’s as spicy as the other horsemen books (it’s been a few months since I’ve read those), but it’s a rather fast burn and there are more than enough scenes. You’ll have to forgive Atlas for being human and not having the same…abilities as Con and Raz.
This book was totally worth the wait and I adored it. It ends on a mild cliffhanger but not an unexpected one given we know where the story is going. It was great spending time with familiar characters (PAUL) and I am just going to have to sit here and pout while waiting for part two.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: 5 Star Review/Book Series/Dark Romance/Apocalyptic/Gay Romance/Kink Friendly/LGBTQ Romance/Romance Series/Polyamorous Romance/Spice Level 3/Supernatural Fantasy ...more
The first book in this series, House of Omega, was one of my top indie romance of 2023 and remains one of my favorite omegaverse novels. Roxy Collins The first book in this series, House of Omega, was one of my top indie romance of 2023 and remains one of my favorite omegaverse novels. Roxy Collins is also one of my favorite omegaverse authors. So of course I was going to want to read The Alpha Club. I wasn’t going to miss it.
Thankfully, Roxy delivered a great novel about Jasmine, the omega who was resigned to having to bond to Grace’s psychotic stepbrother Kayden from the first book. In House of Omega, every time Grace tried to help Jasmine escape Kayden, the omega reluctantly told Grace she was staying where she was. Did Jasmine have good reasons for staying with Kayden? Yeah. She also had a plan. But you make plans and the universe laughs. Especially in romance novels.
This book has so many things I consider to be some of my top-tier omegaverse tropes: two omegas who are involved with one another, some serious spice, why choose with LGBTQ content, disability representation, polyamory, and a twist on designation. The choice to write both omegas and one of the alphas as disabled (yes, I am counting mental illness) was something I didn’t know I needed but was very welcome. I like the acknowledgement that it’s not only omegas that can have issues, and I like that it’s not only one character that has issues.
I always love Roxy’s characters, spice, stories, and writing style. There was only one issue with this book, and that was the plotting. The first half was even, but the second half felt very rushed. I actually feel like the book could’ve been longer (I wouldn’t have minded at all) in order to give the characters and relationships more time to interact, integrate, and develop. In the end it didn’t affect my overall enjoyment all that much, but it did affect the overall quality. I love everything Roxy Collins writes and I’ll always read it, though. That hasn’t changed!
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
She’s dressing for obsession, possession, protection, and to attain perfection in his eyes.
If you go into Morally Corrupt He’s dressing for revenge.
She’s dressing for obsession, possession, protection, and to attain perfection in his eyes.
If you go into Morally Corrupt thinking it’s going to be similar to the movie “Mr. & Mrs. Smith”, you’ll be pretty disappointed, because these love birds aren’t working against one another. It’s more of a moral quandary that puts a wrench in things between these two.
Note: Make sure you read the list of TWs thoroughly before you start because it’s long and not to be taken for granted.
If you like dark or mafia romance then this book is a ton of fun to read. I love my feral female murder kittens, and Bianca is an excellent example of such a creature. She has no solid identity of her own, but she’s got loyalty down pat. She kills because it gives her an outlet and because she likes it. She does it as a contract killer because that means she gets to have awful people picked out for her. And when she’s not working at that she’s free to spend every waking hour ensuring no one comes anywhere near Theo, who’s been her ultimate obsession since she was a teenager.
Nothing stays a secret forever, though. Especially not between spouses.
It’s an enjoyable read, if a little long. I really loved the twists and turns of the story and the way the main characters had to constantly adapt and change tact in order to keep ahead of the enemy and solve conflicts. There’s some great spice, great action, and great suspense. A really solid read.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Age Gap Romance/Book Series/Contemporary Romance/Dark Romance/Mafia Romance/Romance Series/Spice Level 2 ...more
I absolutely adored Bewitched, the first book in this series, and Bespelled ensnared me with its charms just as effectively. I’m not the hugest fan ofI absolutely adored Bewitched, the first book in this series, and Bespelled ensnared me with its charms just as effectively. I’m not the hugest fan of straight-up MF romance, but there’s just something about the way Laura writes her lead couples that sucks me every time and causes me to become heavily invested in them and their story. I can’t pinpoint what it is about them yet (yes, even though we’re at the end of the second book) that has me so captivated, but I know there has to be other authors out there that wish they could bottle this particular blend of writing witchcraft.
Bespelled picks up almost right where Bewitched left off, with Selene having been framed for the witch murders by Memnon, because someone’s still stuck on his tour of vengeance. Selene has the memories of her past life back, but it’s kind of hard to focus on anything but being, well, under arrest for crimes she didn’t commit. Luckily, the situation rights itself pretty quickly, and soon we get back to the incredibly charismatic push-pull dynamic between Selene and Memnon as they try and navigate each other, the situation they find themselves in now that Selene can remember the past, and what to do about the ongoing murders.
We get to meet a whole slew of supporting characters, see the overarching plot develop some more, see a new major plotline develop, see the rise and fall of a whole subplot within this book, and have it end with not a cliffhanger but a huge question mark. There’s a ton of magic, a whole bunch of intrigue, a great deal of action and violence, some great swoon-worthy romance, decent spice, and buckets of blood.
A lot happens in this book. I mean, a lot, a lot. Thalassa does a great job keeping the story moving and not letting everything get too tangled together at the same time. There is a pretty large infodump via looking into memories (not by flashback) near the beginning of the book, but I can’t in all fairness call it lazy storytelling in this instance because it falls in line with the way magic works in this series and the way the characters exist. There just wasn’t a better option to get the necessary information across to we readers.
It was a fantastic read and I’m absolutely anticipating the final book!
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I could just leave this review at, “It’s Onley James, it’s in the Necessary Evils universe, of course I gave it five stars do you even know me?”, but I could just leave this review at, “It’s Onley James, it’s in the Necessary Evils universe, of course I gave it five stars do you even know me?”, but I made a promise to myself that this year I’d try and post more reviews for ebooks I read and love and not just leave star ratings for them online. This task got away from me for most of February because I had more titles to read than days in the month, but this is the first Onley James title of 2024, so I’m taking the time out to write a review for Rogue because it simultaneously reminded me of why I fell in love with Onley’s work in the first place and why I’ve grown so obsessed with how the Necessary Evils universe has grown and expanded into the wonderful, violent, slutty three-headed creature it is now.
Rogue is about Levi, one of Jericho’s boys, and Shiloh, a seemingly terrified bunny of a boy who was sent by his older brother to kill Levi. But this is the Necessary Evils universe–attempted murder ranks up there with kidnapping as a courting ritual. Poor bunny Shiloh can’t pull the trigger, Levi takes it from him when he pulls him in to kiss him to cover up the attempt from the security cameras, and you just know the two imprinted on one another like duckies.
Levi and Shiloh aren’t as cute as Arsen and Ever (from Paladin), but they’re so sweet to one another. My heart broke for Shiloh time and again because no one had ever had the time or capability to take care of Shiloh beyond basic necessities before. It was so obvious that underneath all of that trauma there’s a huge heart waiting to love everyone. Definitely a plus for the Feelings Faction, and a great bestie for Ever.
One of my favorite parts in the whole book was watching the Feelings Faction take care of Shiloh when Levi didn’t know how to and Levi trusting them to do it. It’s okay to admit that you might not have all the answers for your partner’s problems and letting people you love and trust help you.
I don’t need to talk about the spice, do I? I mean, it’s Onley James.
All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
The Gunrunner Princess series is connected to Elizabeth Knight’s prior mafia why-choose romance series, Caprioni Queen, by way of the feral, unhinged The Gunrunner Princess series is connected to Elizabeth Knight’s prior mafia why-choose romance series, Caprioni Queen, by way of the feral, unhinged smuggler (that’s the best way I can describe it, really) Von, also known as The Wolf. The Wolf and her mute companion, Bear, helped Astin and her men complete her takedown and takeover of the Five Families. In the process, Von finally gave up her vow of neutrality and swore a blood oath to Astin. At the end of the last book in the Caprioni Queen series, Von was last seen going off on the task she was set to: tracking down and killing the last two remaining Accardi heis, who have been in hiding for years. One for the Money starts with not only seeing the beginnings of the fallout from Von’s vow to Astin, but the story arc also follows Von’s quest to find those heirs and their awful stepmother, Serena Accardi.
I fell in love with Von during the Caprioni Queen series. I have a serious weakness for feral FMCs and the characters who love her, especially when the characters love her because she’s absolutely feral. Von is, unquestionably, unhinged. Personally, I wouldn’t have her any other way. Von is fun to read, as are her paramours. Her paramours in this book are Bear (of course), her longtime bodyguard and companion; and Erik, a veterinarian of dubious providence whom Von and Bear kidnap after an emergency that has them breaking into his vet office in the middle of the night.
This book does a terrific job of setting up the rest of the series without sacrificing character building, spice, relationship blocking (by which I mean building the connections between Von and her paramours as well as teasing about who else Von may be interested in), and letting us have insight into Von’s past. We also get to hear from Astin and Ivy from the Caprioni Queen series, even if Von doesn’t see them in the flesh.
There is no mm action in this installment, but it is suggested that in future installments there will be such a dynamic. This is always a plus for me, but I know it’s a no for some readers. I’m really looking forward to the next book, Two for the Show, because I absolutely need to know where Von’s search for the Accardi heirs is going and how they plan to take Serena Accardi down.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Shattered Omega, part one, will be published on the one-year anniversary of the publication of the very first PoisonVerse novel, Havoc Killed Her AlphShattered Omega, part one, will be published on the one-year anniversary of the publication of the very first PoisonVerse novel, Havoc Killed Her Alpha, which was also written by Mackay. The PoisonVerse novels have ushered in a whole new world of omegaverse novels over this past year because they’ve all been so good. In addition to the two novels Mackay wrote directly for the PoisonVerse, she also wrote two novellas and one two-part novel set in the PoisonVerse. Now she has gifted us Shattered Omega, which is set somewhere even darker and deeper than the regular PoisonVerse novels, in a subset she’s calling “PoisonVerse Noir”.
“PoisonVerse Noir” has all the PNR and omegaverse trappings of Mackay’s regular PoisonVerse novels, but seems to be rooted in something deeper, darker, and more mysterious.
This book is Mackays best work since the beginning of the PoisonVerse. Havoc Killed Her Alpha was one of my top 23 indie romances of 2023. We’re switching out the urban settings for an academy setting and delving into an unsettling and deadly side of bonds, auras, scents, and packs. Of course, no PoisonVerse novel would be complete without intrigue and scandal too, now would it?
Shatter, our FMC, is almost a feral omega. She’s fiercely intelligent, but she’s also ruled by her instincts and is shockingly naive for a 19 year-old. Dusk, Umbra, and Ransom are the MMCs in this book, and you’ll forgive me if I don’t share much of their story because that’s a whole box of spoiler rocks and I don’t want to spill them. You don’t get to see too much of Ransom in this book, but if you’re like me you’ll fall in love with conniving charmer Umbra and clever caretaker Dusk.
The spice is a 3 out of 3 on my scale for the hotness of the spice scenes and the kinks.
Do watch out for your TW/CWs, because while I don’t think they’re quite as dire as Mackay warns, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared. I also don’t get shocked by much, so I might have missed something. I just thought the whole thing was smokin’ hot. Just beware that cliffhanger! It’s a doozy.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. No offer of compensation was asked for, nor provided in exchange for this review. Thank you.
So, the thing is: I’m still not sold on alien smut. But I am sold on this alien smut. Because when I was reading this series, but especially this finaSo, the thing is: I’m still not sold on alien smut. But I am sold on this alien smut. Because when I was reading this series, but especially this final book in said series, the fact that the MMCs were aliens didn’t matter in the least. It hasn’t mattered the whole time. When I’m reading the spicy scenes in these books I’m often too caught up in the way C.M. Stunich writes (which is always stunning) to bother worrying about which parts goes where. Who cares how many tentacles are in which orifice? Not me. I care about what Officer Hyt is saying and feeling, and I care about what Eve is saying and feeling. No more. No less. Because what they’re saying and feeling is actually hotter than which part is going where.
To be honest, everyone’s possessiveness, attentiveness, and protective natures is a way bigger turn-on than almost everything else. The way Hyt, Abraxas, and Rurik constantly cover Eve in pheromones and mark spaces is both touching and sexy in a way I’d never condone in real life but find distinctly appealing when a tiny human female is stuck in outer space among environments and alien races who would love to see her dead.
I loved the first half of the book as Eve spends time with Hyt on Yaoh, waiting for Abraxas to arrive and playing “fake-fiancee” with Officer Hyt. She gets to play “possessive girlfriend” and it’s so much fun. I loved the second half of the book more, as she reunites with Abraxas and Rurik and all four of them try to figure out the rest of, well, everything. (Anything more than that would be spoilers).
The playful, sisterly banter Eve has with Jane is hilarious and familiar for anyone who has a bestie who’s as close as a sister. After not seeing much Abraxas since book one I was so happy to have him back. He’s just a dragon-y cinnamon roll who’s incredibly competent.
Watching Eve and the guys come together and pull their stuff together in order to make everything work is everything I could have wished and hoped for out of this series. I loved it so much. I’d love to see what happened to some of the supporting characters in the aftermath of this story. I’ll wait and see what Stunich will do.
All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I read Pheromone and freaking loved it so much, but I didn’t write a review for it. I don’t remember why. Knowing me, I meant to and forgot. After I fI read Pheromone and freaking loved it so much, but I didn’t write a review for it. I don’t remember why. Knowing me, I meant to and forgot. After I finished Seminal, though, I knew I had to write one because this series is absolutely phenomenal and I need people to get up and not sleep on it.
I don’t usually go for the alien romances where the aliens aren’t humanoid. I know, right? I wasn’t even a fan of Ice Planet Barbarians. There’s something about Stunich, however, that always makes me want to give any genre or trope a try. She’s a terrific writer with fabulous FMCs, an absolutely hilarious sense of humor, and I’ve always enjoyed how sex-positive her writing is. There’s no shame in Stunich’s game, folks.
Stunich has always had such a talent for writing dialogue and creating an amazing amount of sexual tension and chemistry between her love interests that even I, as someone who doesn’t get hot for non-humanoid aliens, was able to feel flushed and squirmy during the spicy stuff because the “alien” aspect of everything was almost the last thing I was thinking about–it was the snap, crackle, and pop of how intense everything felt between Eve and the aliens she’s falling for.
A lot of stuff happened in Seminal, but somehow the book didn’t seem rushed or crammed. That’s proof of good writing, pacing, and editing. Eve has a lot thrown at her, but there are MMCs and supporting characters to help absorb some of the exposition and some of the emotional blows. Poor Avril gets to bear the brunt of Eve’s reckless, stubborn, and sometimes careless behavior, but honestly she’s one of my favorite characters (and the inside jokes between Rurik and Eve about how they should go about killing her made me snicker continuously).
I love that Eve and Rurik both have some internal conflicts regarding the physiological manipulation that their bodies and minds are going through to make them compatible mates, but I love that Eve wants to find a way to free Rurik from the same fate as his father, too. Rurik truly wants to be a good mate and king, but there’s a lot of deprogramming to do there. Officer Hyt? Oh, you poor baby. And steady, protective, fierce, dedicated, loving Abraxas. I love him to the moon and to Saturn.
I can’t wait for Venery, which should be out soon. I never thought that I’d be so happy for a side project that took Stunich away from the F*ckboy Psychos series, but I am.
This review was written without any offer of compensation. All opinions, thoughts, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. ...more
I’ll admit to not being the hugest fan of the first book in this duology (at least I think it’s going to end up staying a duology). I loved the storylI’ll admit to not being the hugest fan of the first book in this duology (at least I think it’s going to end up staying a duology). I loved the storyline but I wasn’t completely on board with all the monsters present in Fractured Shadows (I’m terrified and grossed out by snakes, if you need a clue) and that affected some of my enjoyment of the book. It’s a little hard to completely enjoy a book where one of the MMCs makes you kind of wanna throw the book out of sheer squick.
I found myself absolutely enchanted by Shadowed Heart. This book was all the storyline and plot I loved from Fractured Shadow, but with more fluff and less squick.
I will go ahead and say, as I do with most of K.A. Knight and Kendra Moreno’s darker co-writes: Please check your TW/CWs. Take care of you.
This book begins almost right where Fractured Shadow left off. You can read these books as standalones, but they are deeply interconnected. I personally don’t recommend reading them as standalones. YMMV. This, of course, means we’re in a very dark and sad place for the FMC of Shadowed Heart, Kai. Kai spent the entirety of Fractured Shadow inside the palace of the evil Gilded King as her sister fought to gain strength and confront the king to rescue her sister. Well, they might have won that battle, but Kai has been through a tremendous amount of trauma and a kingdom in time of transition is always a volatile thing.
Kai finds herself in the Dead Lands, where the monsters dwell. It’s here that she is healed by the first of her eventual mates, and as she spends more time in the now-healing Dead Lands she meets the rest of her mates, learns not all monsters are bad, and grows to love the dark beauty of the place. Then Kai and her mates discover that the Dead Lands are being threatened, and they need to seek her sister’s help to heal the land.
It was really nice to see something sweeter and more subtle from Knight and Moreno. These monsters may be hungry, but they’re conscientious of Kai and her trauma. They nurture her, court her, spend time with her and with each other, and just travel the Dead Lands so we readers can learn to care for the lands as much as the characters do. The spice starts out slow and sweet, but it does grow in heat and intensity so that by the end it’s hitting hard and heavy.
I really loved having the time that can be taken up sometimes by too much spice to get to know more about the MMCs in this book, since they all had interesting backstories. It also allowed for available page space to devote to a few passages from Cora’s (Kai’s sister) POV as the book goes along so we get a peek inside her mind as the plot progresses.
It’s a great read and a great continuation from Fractured Shadow. I highly recommend it.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you. This review was written without compensation.
I’ve been so excited for this novella. You wouldn’t be my greedy, grabby hands! Pansexual camgirl? Genderfluid stalker? High spice, low plot? Dark romI’ve been so excited for this novella. You wouldn’t be my greedy, grabby hands! Pansexual camgirl? Genderfluid stalker? High spice, low plot? Dark romance? Oh yes, please and thank you to all of it!
This novella was a bit of a fun project for Dana Isaly, sprung forth from her brain when she saw the cover (Can you blame her? It’s a great cover!). Clara is a camgirl, just trying to get by on her own in Boston. She works in a coffee shop during the day and cams by night.
Io is a private investigator, of sorts. They’ve been hired by Clara’s father to find her. The guy’s sketchy though, so Io’s been taking their time to study Clara thoroughly to really make sure they’ve got the right girl. Yeah. That’s totally why they’ve been taking their sweet time and fobbing off the client with excuses as to why there are no answers yet. It’s not because Io’s obsessed.
As Io works to gain Clara’s trust online, her obsession grows into a sense of possession and a hard protective streak. Clara needs to learn some lessons.
This book isn’t meant to be anything but what’s advertised: an erotic thriller novella with low plot, high spice, gender fluid and pansexual representation, a camgirl, and a masked stalker. The spice is very nice, though it’s mostly solo until the back end of the story. When those couples scenes hit, though, BOY HOWDY was I here for it. Io and Clara were smokin’ hot together. Steam up the windows and burn up the sheets.
Terrific novella just in time for Halloween. Loved it.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
So what’s a trauma-bonded quartet of super soldiers all in love with the female super soldier who could easily take them all out after taking out almoSo what’s a trauma-bonded quartet of super soldiers all in love with the female super soldier who could easily take them all out after taking out almost all of her maniacally evil scientist daddy’s experimental laboratories do?
Well, it turns out they go home, rest up, train, research, and try to find out where that crazy mofo went. He’s squirrely. At first time doesn’t seem to be the largest issue; but after a tragic incident, Nova willingly goes back into her own personal hell, and her men are left to track her down as quickly as possible.
If you look at my rating for Unstoppable, you can see that Unbreakable gained a half-star in rating over Unstopppable. When I read Unstoppable I didn’t feel it was exactly good enough to reach that four star mark, but I am certain Unbreakable is. Read together, the duet is a solid four star read.
What Unbreakable has over Unstoppable, believe it or not, is less spice, which makes way for more plot and character development. We get more of the character’s inner narratives, more of everybody’s feelings and a better look at how they interact, and some of the thought processes behind their decisions, no matter how painful. Like I said in my review for Unstoppable: I do enjoy the way Knight writes spice, but after a while I start to forget who’s even having sex with Nova because it starts to blur.
I enjoyed this duet, and I recommend it highly for the non-squeamish. If you’re squeamish, please check TW/CW before you start.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Come for the spice, stay for the spice. Because there’s a whole lot of spice. I mean it. If you’re looking for a book with a lot of plot and depth theCome for the spice, stay for the spice. Because there’s a whole lot of spice. I mean it. If you’re looking for a book with a lot of plot and depth then don’t look here, because this book is almost all spice while other people take care of the tiny slice of plot in the background.
I went back and took a peek at my review for Little Bird, the first book in this series, and I remembered how I felt about that book and why before I started Venomous Queen, and I was very satisfied with how much this book improved on what I saw from an objective POV in Little Bird. I may have given both books the same rating, but it was for very different reasons.
While reading book one I hated Link, and I couldn’t understand Raven’s attraction and reactions to him. I stated in my review that I didn’t think it vibed with who she was or how she believed women should be treated. I also said that I thought the book had really good bones and that there was time to fix a lot of the issues I had with Little Bird when book two (Venomous Queen) came out. I’m proud to say I do believe the issues I had with Little Bird have been ironed out, including the issues I had with the dynamic/relationship between Link and Raven. Williams seems to have taken some time to use Quinton (Raven’s silent and shadowy guardian from the first book) as a sounding board to explain why Raven loves the way the other men she loves, even Link, treat her. We also gleaned some knowledge from her inner narrative about the attraction of Link’s dominance and feral nature, which helped me understand where Raven is coming from and I count this as a very good thing and a smart move by Williams.
I love that Quinton was brought on board as a contrast to the other four men in Raven’s life, giving her a developing relationship like she’s never been able to experience before. He’s such a deadly teddy bear. Love that for her.
Like I said, the spice is plentiful, and it is both rough and sometimes very kinky. I was totally down for all of it. Does it come at the expense of a solid plot? Yes. Do I care? Not really. I didn’t come here for a solid story. I came here for smut. And smut is what I got. I’m not sorry.
I was provided a copy of the title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
This book had me feeling a certain kind of way. Or, rather, it had me feeling two certain kinds of ways, and so I had to view it through two differentThis book had me feeling a certain kind of way. Or, rather, it had me feeling two certain kinds of ways, and so I had to view it through two different lenses. One part of me, the one who loves dark, kinky, vampire romances with a lot of gore and blood kink and if they happen to be a why choose romance also was happy as a kitten with a brand new ball of yarn. That part of me was also the one who doesn’t like monster romances, especially with monsters who are partially shifted or with monster parts that detach. To me, that’s not hot. It’s just not for me.
That’s when I have to shift gears and let the objective book reviewer out of the box to make sure I’m not just rating this book based on my own preferences. Monster romances have earned their place in the romance novel marketplace and they aren’t going anywhere, so I doubt this is the last book I’m going to come across where there is unexpected kinky sex with monsters. I can’t let that get in the way of giving these books an honest shot when I’m reviewing them.
Let’s go with my only truly objective con when it comes to this book: It’s far too long. I have read a great many of K. A. Knight’s books, and she’s always packed her books with spice scenes. It’s one of her hallmarks and it’s one of the reasons she’s such a popular author. But this book could’ve honestly been 100 pages shorter, had copious sex scenes, got the whole plot across, and it would’ve kept that latter part of the third act from dragging so much. Honestly, by the end of this book I was numb to the sex scenes. What’s the worth in a sex scene if you feel like you’ve already read it before in the book or you know what’s coming and you just say, “Been there, done that”?
Oh, look! That was my only con about the book, right there in one small paragraph.
What do I love about K. A. Knight novels the most? That’s right: Her BAMF FMCs. Althea starts out this book as a young, impish vampire in the court she was born into; but after a tragic, humiliating, and life-changing event happens shortly after she turns 18, she flees the court and begins to repeatedly violate some of the vampire world’s most important laws, killing herself from the inside out in the process until she is captured by the Judges, seven unknown men who play judge, jury, and executioner to vampires who have been weighed, measured, and found wanting for their crimes. It seems the gods and fate have plans for Althea, though, as she is given a chance to come back and become a Judge herself. It seems there is a lot the vampire race at large has a lot to pay for.
Althea, while not a complicated character, is vengeful, violent, powerful, hungry, insatiable for her men, and bloodthirsty. I am here for all of it. Her love for the other judges is as violent and bloody as her thirst for vengeance is against all those vampires who would use, abuse, and kill others for their own gains. She shines under the sun and moon, and loves both those who live in the light and dark. She knows beauty can hide true horror and nightmares can hide true beauty. Either way, she isn’t afraid. Her rebirth and the love and support of the other judges not only helped her heal from her former life, but gave her a scaffolding to hold onto while she rebuilt herself from within.
While I’m not fond of monster romances, I respect Knight for being brave enough to take the stuff truly spawned from some people’s worst nightmares and turning them into love interests. Each of the seven judges has a distinct voice, aesthetic, and they all have their own traumas. While I don’t necessarily like that the plot makes it so Althea is the balm that seals all their wounds and makes them whole (it seems too corny for me), it does truly seem that’s just how the plot ended up working out and not a conscious thing that happened.
Okay, onto the thing that I loved the most: blood. Blood and blood and more blood. I love vampire romances, but far too many of them are so dainty about it. In my opinion, if you’re going to have vampires, I want them bathing in blood. I want them dripping with it. I want bites everywhere. I want tears in the skin when things get heated and rough. And this book brings me that. These vampires rend and tear with claw and fang and I loved it. They drink and drink and lick and lick and rub it in their skin and it’s hot. To me, it’s the best of vampire romance and blood kink rolled into one. This alone made this book worth reading.
I did have a great deal of fun reading this, even when I was reading the scenes I personally didn’t care for when it came to my own preferences but thought were well-written from an objective POV. Just beware the nightmares, my friends!
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Talk about a book that meets and exceeds expectations. Talk about a book that hits the sweet spot (and yes, I do mean BOTH kinds of sweet spots, my daTalk about a book that meets and exceeds expectations. Talk about a book that hits the sweet spot (and yes, I do mean BOTH kinds of sweet spots, my darlings). Did you think your body was ready for this book? This book will take you to church, my lovelies!
Reminisce for a moment, if you will, and think about the Triad series. Take Scarlet’s go-to, take no prisoners, give-no-effs attitude and stunning looks and mix them with Sebastian’s bloodthirsty tendencies, impulsivity, imperiousness, talent with knives, and (again) stunning good looks. Now combine them into one firecracker full of power, money, and a ton of confidence. That’s how you get Izabela Deluca, the sole heir apparent of the Triad. Like most mafia princesses, she’s had to grow up too fast to ensure she was ready to take over the reins as soon as she became an adult, if needed. Furthermore, she seeks out trouble like a cruise missile and sometimes trouble just comes to find her. Either way, Izabela thinks trouble means a damn good time is coming her way.
Izabela’s most tempting piece of trouble comes in the form of Niko, the Triad’s head of operations. He’s twice her age, won’t give her the time of day, but she can tell he’s not immune to her…charms. She’s wanted him for quite some time, and on the night of her eighteenth birthday she sets out to get Niko. Not too long after that night, Izabela’s assigned a business trip to Ireland to secure a weapons deal. Niko is a native to Ireland, and Izabela finagles a deal to make him the head of her security, sending the two of them alone to the Emerald Isle, even though Niko’s family warned him to never return when he turned his back on the family business.
These two are like feral animals with one another, unable to keep their hands off one another, sinking their teeth and claws into one another, leaving bruises and marks all over each other’s bodies, and I am her for it! Their chemistry is off the charts and I couldn’t love Niko’s pet name for Izabela more if I tried. They’re both so invested in the reputation of the Triad and enmeshed in one another it’s as if they are of one mind sometimes, knowing what the other has said or done without even needing to speak. It’s not love so much as it’s obsession and possession, at least until the very end. For Izabela there is no one but Niko, and for Niko there is not one but her. Both would rather kill an entire room full of people in unspeakable ways than let the other be touched or let themselves be touched by someone other than each other.
The forced proximity. The age gap. The bodyguard trope. The bloodthirsty female willing to kill for her man. The way Izabela submits to Niko and only Niko. The way she was meant to wear a crown and he was meant to stand behind her throne like a watchful sentinel. The way Izabela looks to her mother as both a guiding light and a cautionary tale and looks at her dads as both father and authority figures. The way she knows it’s her responsibility to care for her many younger siblings as well as the Deluca name. Izabela is a powerhouse and only a man as strong as Niko deserves to stand by her side as she prepares to helm the Triad empire.
I hope Dana plans to write more Triad (next generation) books in the future. I don’t care when, or if they come in any sort of order, or if we have to wait. If they’re all as on fire as this one, then I’ll totally wait for the burn.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All ideas, thoughts, views, and opinions contained herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
Super secret scientific experiments! Psychopathic dad who uses his daughter as his test subject! Like potato chips, the psycReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
Super secret scientific experiments! Psychopathic dad who uses his daughter as his test subject! Like potato chips, the psychopath couldn’t only stop at torturing his daughter: He tortured numerous children, and all but four of them managed to live. But the genetically engineered birds have come home to roost, and they long to use their enhanced brains and bodies to peck some eyes out. They’re more than up to the challenge. Sayeth the Daft Punk:
“Harder Better Faster Stronger”
Off the cuff, this plot sings to me. A BAMF female who would rather kill a warehouse filled with combatants before a drop of blood touches her men, and a cadre of men who would die for her but will shed more than their fair share of blood before that will ever come close to happening. It’s not “touch her and you die”, it’s “touch any of us and you will die”.
The violence goes hand-in-hand with the kind of bonding that would usually form a tight-knit band of soldiers; but in this case it spins a reverential and uncompromising web of shared trauma, emotional intimacy, and deep love between these five survivors turned rescuers. Their mission is to ostensibly root out the deepest, darkest seeds of our FMC’s father’s research, his labs, and to find any and all other test subjects, if there are even any left. Then they are to help burn it all to the ground.
See all this? This, ALL of this, is my jam. If this were The Voice, I’d be begging this book to pick me as its mentor. I’d smash that red button. The thing is, there’s a lot of issues with this book that interrupt the fun.
I’m not even talking about Nova’s (our FMC) relationship(s) with the fabulous males in this book. Those dynamics and relationships are fine. The men sound hot, have great personalities, and recognize Nova for being far more dangerous than they are. And they’re here for every blood-soaked minute.
No, the main issue I have about this book is predictability and repetitiveness. These characters are supposed to have enhanced intelligence, yet they’re written like they don’t. And the spice scenes? Well, don’t get me wrong–I adore the kind of spice scenes Knight writes in this genre of book, where the characters both crave and can take it hard, fast, and violent, but the spice scenes seemed so much the same with almost every male character and proceeded almost all in the same manner that I stopped trying to keep track of who Nova was engaging with because it all blurred together. In the end, the spicy scenes stopped being hot and started being boring.
In the end, I decided I couldn’t rate it a full four stars because I just didn’t feel like it earned it, but it didn’t warrant a 3 star because the story is too good all on its own. You could’ve removed half the spice and I would’ve still been happy.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. Any views, thoughts, or opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
You want an awesome dark fantasy romance novel full of witches, curses, and an ancient warlord sorcerer that manages to bespell a vulnerable witch intYou want an awesome dark fantasy romance novel full of witches, curses, and an ancient warlord sorcerer that manages to bespell a vulnerable witch into opening his well-hidden and buried sarcophagus and lifting a 2,000 year old curse? You want that sorcerer to be sexier than sin, possessive like a barbarian, Machievellian and vengeful, and yet still have space in his dark heart to truly care for you?
Oh yeah, you’re going to absolutely love Bewitched.
Laura Thalassa is absolutely a reliable author of the character-driven dark fantasy romance novel. Her men aren’t good men–they’re definitely callous and unemotional to start out with and surely strung along the darker shades of the greyscale. Her women are feisty and often out of their element with their male love interest to start off with: a little lust drunk, unsettled by their power and mood swings, and yet they learn somewhere along the way how much power they hold both as women and as lovers.
This first installment in this series is heavy on exposition, to be sure, but the characterizations of Memnoch and Selene don’t suffer for it. If anything, the exposition helps to fill these characters out, to help us understand Memnoch’s motivations, goals, and experiences, and to also help us get a glimpse into Selene’s anger, frustration, weaknesses, and strengths. In essence, Thalassa wields exposition in the manner it’s meant to be wielded: showing us instead of merely telling us.
There is a lot of magic flying around in this book, and while there is a nominal effort made to explain the magic system, I still found myself a touch confused at times. I’m going to chalk it up to this being the first installment and there was so much going on in this book that it’s likely we’ll learn more and more about the magic in this series as it moves on.
There is also a lot of plot running around. Besides the main plot between Memnoch and Selene, there’s also two (maybe even three?) subplots running under the surface that keep the pacing flowing nice and steady, waiting there to mix it up so us readers aren’t simply sitting here reading your standard romance novel. There’s some heft to it. Some pizzazz. It’s simply a great read and a great win for Thalassa under her new imprint.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. Any thoughts, views, ideas, or opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I’m going to put up a disclaimer here, because I feel like I need to be honest: Were I doing my regular mood reading, just trying to find something thI’m going to put up a disclaimer here, because I feel like I need to be honest: Were I doing my regular mood reading, just trying to find something that hit all my buttons, I wouldn’t have finished this book, because it’s just not my cup of tea. So, as such, I’m taking off the hat I usually wear when I read when I review romance/erotica novels and I’m putting on the hat I wear when I’m objectively reviewing a book for what it is, analyzing the aspects I did enjoy, and looking overall at Williams’ approach to the story and storytelling and how much potential the series may have going forward.
Okay. Now that the minutiae is out of the way, here’s the review.
After much debate, I rated this book four stars because I really like the storyline and the potential it has to grow in future books, I love our FMC (Raven), I love her steady and true shadow guardian (spoilers!), I love found family tropes and I’ll gobble them up wherever I can find them, a great deal (but most definitely not all–and I really, really mean it) of the tropes and spicy buttons are right up my alley, I love the vigilante/gang aspect of the overall story arc, and I love how unreserved Raven is in just about every way. She’s uninhibited, hedonistic, and wild in a way only someone who feels completely sure of herself and what she wants and needs can be. That is an inner power most women would slay to have.
I tend to love the way Alisha Williams writes her stories. Most of her FMC’s are like Raven in some way, especially in that empowerment aspect. They know who they are and they largely don’t need outside influences to give them self-worth. Her FMCs are one of the reasons I keep coming back for more, even if I don’t always end up finishing the book because it just doesn’t end up being my thing.
And that’s my con here: There’s a character in this book I can’t stand, and the way he talks and acts toward Raven and the way she reacts, in turn, without any true explanation at any point as to why he inspires such reactions when they’re so different from the way she wants to live her life and the way she views herself and other women just caused me to turn up my nose like something smelled bad every time he was on page in any way. He ruined most of the book for me by turning me off completely and making me roll my eyes at Raven whenever he was involved.
But the bones are good. There’s not enough damage done that the series can’t be redeemed or the characters can’t evolve into different people. You can already see Raven undergoing a rapid evolution by the end of book one, and I was living for it. So bring on book two and show me more.
I was provided with a copy of this book by the author. All thoughts, views, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone and are given of my own free will without reservation. Thank you.
Okay, okay. I’m a sucker for certain tropes. I’m totally going to admit it. That’s totally the reason I snapped this book upReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
Okay, okay. I’m a sucker for certain tropes. I’m totally going to admit it. That’s totally the reason I snapped this book up.
It’s dark!
Our FMC has gone through some deep, dark stuff!
It takes place at a Catholic boarding school!
It’s bully RH with mm content and a little bit of ff!
Oh, a little professor/student cum priest/penitent action?
Oh, and it’s got a secret society twist?
Well, heck. Count me in, sugar. All of that is like catnip to me.
I gotta tell you: It wasn’t perfect, but it wasn’t bad, either!
It’s got some obvious flaws in copy editing and proofreading, and the writing is a bit immature. There are some jumps between scenes that don’t make a lot of sense or leave plot holes. These mistakes aren’t things that can’t be fixed with time and experience by the authors. Both Amber Nicole and Jenn Bullard have room to grow in their writing when it comes to this series and I’m sure they’ll come back in the second book with the notes in hand from the reviewers of this installment and it’ll make editing the second installment that much easier and the read will be that much smoother. I’m a big believer in growth.
The bones of the story are good. The tropes and fun stuff this book is framed around are sound and have the makings of being an excellent series. The characters have the outline of being fantastic characters. Therein lies the issue: It’s all potential unrealized. Everything about this book has the potential to be great, but this book reads like the rough draft of what will eventually be a fantastic book once everything is fully fleshed out and realized.
Some proofreading, copy editing, and content editing would smooth out the continuity, spelling errors, grammar issues, and plot holes. The authors spending some more time with their characters, fleshing them out and bringing them from mere outlines to full realization, would definitely make this book among some of the more excellent novels in this genre.
What's great is even with the deficits this first installment has, I still enjoyed the read for what it was. It’s still a story that intrigues me and I enjoyed reading simply for what it was. It simply could’ve been much better.
I was provided with a copy of this title by the authors and Peachy Keen AS. All opinions and views expressed in this review are my own. Thank you.
File Under: Alphabet Soup Romances/Polyamorous Romances/Contemporary Romance/Dark Romance/Gothic/LGBTQ Romance/Romance Series/Read at Your Own Risk Romance/RH Romance/Why Choose Romance/Spice Level 3/Secret Society/High School or Boarding School...more
Well, the steam is coming off the pages in this new book from A. J. Merlin. I mean, I knew I was going to read it as soon as I knew it involved camminWell, the steam is coming off the pages in this new book from A. J. Merlin. I mean, I knew I was going to read it as soon as I knew it involved camming (one of my favorite tropes and real-life turn-ons), but then you add in this pretty little thing falling in with two men who are utterly obsessed with her and the promise of a plot that’s looking more dark and complicated than what the short blurb is alluding to? Aw, come on. You might as well have told me you had a whole pen full of piglets for me to play with if I’d just follow you!
Blair just needs to earn some money, but doesn’t want to work in another restaurant or coffee shop while she’s trying to take a heavy course load before she hits her senior year and has to work on her thesis. Shortly before her semester starts, she comes across a cam site she’s surfed before and watches a user that tempts her and causes her to feel things she hasn’t felt before and she wonders if she could do that. Could she put on a mask and make just about the same amount of money per month as she would at a part-time job without having to work as many hours and on her own schedule?
It turns out she can, and she quickly gains two fervent followers who tip well to keep her from having to do the lascivious things other tippers try to get her to do on screen. At the same time, she’s taking a photography class with a guy she has a crush on who doesn’t even need to take the class but is anyway and seems to have the strangest dynamic with their professor. She feels this tension between them, and she feels a push-pull within herself between the sweet and playful Oliver and her icy, stern professor. There’s just something about them both that she wants, but what it is yet she doesn’t know. What she does know, though, is that there’s just something a little off with both of them and it should send her running…but she just can’t bring herself to do it.
I don’t want to spoil most other aspects of the plot, because that would ruin so much of the fun of the book for you. There are some great surprises in store for you, both in the erotic sense and in the plot sense. I love how Merlin can manage to write a great deal of romantic suspense and psychological fiction into these dark romances. It’s not all physical violence–it’s a whole lot of mind games and I’m here for it.
The book is the first in a series, but thankfully it ends on a natural break in the storyline and not on an abrupt, torturous cliffhanger. There is an important question asked near the end that is meant for Blair to contemplate between this book and the next, but it’s no emergency. There’s no rush. The only ones who’ll be in a rush are us readers, who’ll be begging nonstop for the next installment.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. All views and opinions expressed in this review are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Contemporary Romance/College Romance/Alphabet Soup Romance/MMF Romance/Dark Romance/Forbidden Romance/LGBTQ Friendly/Romance Series/Read at Your Own Risk/Spice Level 3/Very Bad Folx Doing Very Hot Things ...more
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