Tea Ravine has switched gears for her Eleventh Hour Duet, but there’s no need to worry something has been lost in the change: The Eleventh Hour is an Tea Ravine has switched gears for her Eleventh Hour Duet, but there’s no need to worry something has been lost in the change: The Eleventh Hour is an excellent dark, paranormal, polyamorous romance with a suspenseful edge and a psychological thrill.
Jax Shade is absolutely stuck between a rock and a hard place: The rock is her stalker of six years and her hard place is the court-mandated psychiatrist who enjoys manipulating her and is in charge of deciding if and/or when she goes back to the insane asylum. Both of these figures rule over her entire life like two regents of fear, while the queen of all of her demons is her own mind.
Then two men from out of town show up, looking for answers about the disappearance of a loved one. Jax may be the only one who can help find the answers they need. They just need to work fast and safely, because it’s more than just Jax’s life on the line.
Who can you rely on when your whole world goes to hell?
Jess may have a boyfriend, but he’s not the person she’d turn to in a crisis. That dubious honoWho can you rely on when your whole world goes to hell?
Jess may have a boyfriend, but he’s not the person she’d turn to in a crisis. That dubious honor would go to her three best friends, even though she’s never met them: MourningStar, Quietek, and Minxy. The four of them have been gaming together for a long time and are as thick as thieves. The guys don’t know Jess has wanted them for ages, just like she doesn’t know they’re all in love with her.
But biology is gonna biology and nature always finds a way. When Jess’ boyfriend goes away with his friends and her heat comes, the selfish beta refuses to come back and help her. When her gamer friends sense something is really wrong, they ride to the rescue.
This is author Sabrina Bloom’s debut title, which is set to be the first in a series of omegaverse novellas all set in the same universe. The series doesn’t have a name or a theme yet. I’m excited at the idea of a new series of omegaverse novellas because there aren’t many of them out there, more’s the pity. I also really enjoy getting to see an omegaverse story with gamer representation! Sure, we don’t get to see much of them gaming because there’s other things to get to, but I like that these characters were brought together by gaming.
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
Have you ever gone into work and ran into someone you didn't expect to? Was it awkward?
Willow Dixon’s sixth book in the Crimson Club series follows JeHave you ever gone into work and ran into someone you didn't expect to? Was it awkward?
Willow Dixon’s sixth book in the Crimson Club series follows Jett, who works part-time at the Crimson Club as a bartender. His day job is construction and carpentry, which he learned from his former father in-law. Jett can only work so many hours, though, and he wants to try and get out and try to start living his life. So he goes out to a club, maybe looking to get a little action. He certainly finds it (in a series of scenes that are scorchingly hot). It just becomes a bit awkward when Monday rolls around and the same couple Jett unexpectedly and impulsively hooked up with over the weekend just happen to be his new coworkers (because this is romance and of course they are).
Willow Dixon’s cast of characters are just so endearing. They feel genuine without feeling cloying or cheesy. Their expectations of one another are realistic, their dialogue has a nice rhythm to it that doesn’t feel too practiced or overwrought, and there aren’t any speaking pieces that feel like a speech or soliloquy, which was a nice break from some books I’ve read recently. I loved the array of sexual preferences that could be found from other characters and how the main characters had tastes that were still developing and evolving.
The relationship between the core three characters in this book was sweet, and the growing pains all three went through were realistic when you consider all the angles. The spice was so, so hot. Some of my hottest hot buttons (exhibition, voyeurism, dirty talk) are included in almost every spice scene and I’m never going to complain about that. It was a fantastic book, and I highly recommend it for any MMM fan.
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.
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.
I discovered the Dark Witch Academy series late in 2023, gobbled up all three existing books in less than three days and have been waiting with baitedI discovered the Dark Witch Academy series late in 2023, gobbled up all three existing books in less than three days and have been waiting with baited breath ever since for the fourth book. I got myself a spot early on for the ARC team because I knew I wanted to read Gemini Wicked as soon as it was ready. It didn’t disappoint!
This installment picks up as Zara and her court (as it exists) head to her birthday celebration on a superyacht moored in the harbor outside the academy. The opening chapters of this book are tense and full of action, because of course they are. Nothing ever goes according to plan when a crown is up for grabs in a fantasy novel! (Plus, that’s kind of the major plot arc for the entire series, so we’d be without a story without a precipitating event, right?)
This disaster of a birthday celebration is only the start of a raucous set of events that stand between Zara and the crown. The pace of this book is fast, interspersed with action, lots of spice, and intimate conversations.
One of the things I love most about Laura’s Navarre’s writing in this series is her inner narrative for Zara. Most of the time I can’t stand first-person POV that breaks the fourth wall and has an extreme amount of slang. Somehow it just really works for me in these books. It fits the character, somehow. I can’t imagine Zara Gemini without her charming, cheeky inner voice.
Oh, and if you love breeding kink? Trust me, you’re not going to want to miss out. All of the Dark Witch Academy books are spicy af, but Gemini Wicked takes spicy af and adds a hefty dose of breeding kink on top for maximum effort. It’s giving ghost pepper levels of spice and I'm here for 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.
Bubblegum Pop is author Abigail Hunter’s (writing as Abby Hunter) debut omegaverse novel in the Suck It Up omegaverse series, set in the town of KnottBubblegum Pop is author Abigail Hunter’s (writing as Abby Hunter) debut omegaverse novel in the Suck It Up omegaverse series, set in the town of Knottinghill. As such, the series itself is labeled “Suck It Up”, while the universe is known as “Knottinghill”. (I’m noting this because at first I was a little confused, so I thought I would un-confuse it for anyone else that might be in the same position).
I’ve recently begun to assess the light to dark scale of omegaverse romances based on a 6-point scale that was inspired by a coffee roasting chart. 1 is a light omegaverse, and 6 is a pitch black omegaverse. Bubblegum Pop falls at about a 4 on the omegaverse roast scale: The story itself isn’t too dark, but the way it’s executed (along with some story elements that could be very triggering to some, so watch your TW/CWs) could be considered dark.
In the teasers and promos for this book, Hunter told us to expect a lot of smut, heats, knots, and nesting. The first thing is true: There is a huge amount of smut in this book. Now, I love a smutty book, and since this book is about a sex worker and her bodyguards working in a huge brothel I don’t think the amount of smut written into this book is invalid or out of character. Also, The way Hunter has chosen to write her omegaverse (sometimes authors write their omegaverses with a little tweak here and there) means that the fast burn and hypersexuality are completely in character for alphas and omegas in this universe.
Are there heats? Yes, but most of them aren’t on page. Are there knots? Yes, so many. Is there nesting? Yes. There’s also a lot of trauma (both on and off page), angst, violence, mental health issues, manipulation, coercion, extortion, and blackmail.
It was interesting, hot, and entertaining. I’m curious about where Hunter’s going with this and what she’s going to do next.
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.
Jade isn’t a mafia princess in hiding or on the run from a cruel alpha. No, Jade ended up at the High Roller Club the way most omegas probably do: SheJade isn’t a mafia princess in hiding or on the run from a cruel alpha. No, Jade ended up at the High Roller Club the way most omegas probably do: She didn’t a safe place to go or anyone to turn to and at least at the High Roller she had choices, safety, and money of her own. She doesn’t take on clients (except one that comes around every now and again that she just couldn’t say no to), she just serves drinks and dances. She loves the club, her co-workers, and her job. They are the family who filled in most of the hole left behind when her foster siblings (and alphas she fell in love with) forgot all about her after they left her behind to become huge rock stars.
Only, nothing is as it seems, as both Jade and the three alphas who stole her heart when she was a teenager find out during a chance run-in at the High Roller one night. It seems like someone conspired to keep them apart. But who?
I’m not going to lie, this book isn’t really what I thought it would be. It’s not truly friends to lovers, in my opinion: it’s closer to a second chance romance. There’s not really an age gap except with one character. And as for slow burn? Yeah, I don’t even classify this book as a slow burn and I don’t like waiting long for my spicy scenes to begin.
What does this book have for us? Two possessive, more than a little unhinged alphas (which is a trope I love), an omega who is more than a little turned on by that (which I love), and an established all-male alpha triad within the pack that is hotter than hot throughout the book.
There are weak spots in the plot and execution, but the story itself is solid. I loved the book as a whole and the spice is so nice. A 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.
Marie Mackay writes some of the best omegaverse out there right now and it’s like the woman has a direct wire to exactly what gets my engine revved whMarie Mackay writes some of the best omegaverse out there right now and it’s like the woman has a direct wire to exactly what gets my engine revved when it comes to spice, because Queen of Diamonds is full of some of my absolute favorite tropes, subtropes, and microtropes (I don’t care if that’s not a thing because I’m making it a thing).
For those not aware of the plot for Queen of Diamonds, this is the story of Glade, the bartender at the High Roller Club. Turns out, Glade has a lot of secrets and a lot of scars (both internal and external).
Where Queen of Hearts and Queen of Spades were both distinct mafia romances (and Queen of Clubs is a rockstar romance), Queen of Diamonds is a gang romance, despite Glade being born a mafia princess. Her being mafia-borne isn’t all that germane to the plot. All of the alphas in this book being born into gang families and the gang life is completely germane, because they’re all absolutely psychotic and violent. (Don’t worry, Glade digs it a lot). If they’re not busy being walking, talking red flags, they're busy being scary-brilliant or completely primal in either their rage or lust. Really, it’s hot either way. (There is more than one scene of primal spice between two alphas that’s beyond hot and I need more of it in my omegaverse romances, please and thank you).
There is a good deal of bullying in the first half of this book. There’s a very valid plot reason for this. It lightens up some around the halfway point, but doesn’t let up completely until maybe out 65% of the way through. The groveling wouldn’t nearly be up to par in a traditional bully romance, but for this subgenre of omegaverse romance, the grovel is totally apropos.
Glade is a touch-starved omega, so when she finally gets to actually indulge her omega a little, she gets possessive and feral about it. I loved it. Reading about how feral omegas nest and how their mates watch them with dopey gazes like their omegas are the cutest creatures in the world is one of my favorite things. The nest that Glade builds toward the end of this book is one of my favorite ones now. I adored 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.
There will never be a time in which I don’t look forward to a new Grace McGinty book. She’s one of my favorite writers–an auto-buy author, in fact. I There will never be a time in which I don’t look forward to a new Grace McGinty book. She’s one of my favorite writers–an auto-buy author, in fact. I knew I was done for the first time I read her Dead River Days series. She can even get me to read tropes I usually stay away from with a ten-foot pole, as evident with Make My Heart Race, in which the FMC is pregnant for a large part of the book and has an infant for the rest of it. Not only do I usually stay away from the pregnancy trope, but I don’t tend to enjoy infants in the main part of the story (in epilogues they’re great). Somehow, Grace McGinty will get me to shrug my shoulders and read it anyway.
Was I disappointed this why-choose didn’t have sword-crossing? Yeah, sure, but to tell you the truth, this book had a lot going on. Between the main plot involving Tally (our FMC), her pregnancy, and trying to climb her way back into the world of racing after being driven out by misogynistic buttheads, there’s a few B plots and even C plots running through the story that make this book very fast-paced. It also unfortunately tends to make it feel a little crowded in places and some characters and/or situations didn’t get the time and attention they deserved. I honestly could’ve dealt with this book being longer if it meant certain characters got more page time or relationships got to develop with a little less force or certain plot points weren’t as rushed to resolution.
Does that mean this book wasn’t extremely entertaining? No. As all of Grace’s books, it was entertaining as heck. I love romance novels set in the world of motorsports. I grew up in motorsports, in the pits on Saturday nights with my dad sitting inside of race cars pretending to drive while my dad and uncle talked shop with mechanics and other crew members. My dad would’ve let me drive midgets if we’d had the money. I’ve been on a superbike. I’ve been in the car during a street race. There’s just something about fast cars, and this book reminded me of that.
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.
We’re Sara Cate readers, so of course we love our good girls and good boys; however, we also love it when our good girls and boys go bad, too. That’s We’re Sara Cate readers, so of course we love our good girls and good boys; however, we also love it when our good girls and boys go bad, too. That’s exactly what The Home Wrecker has in store: A sweet married couple with a silly daughter who live in the suburbs and have gotten caught in a very big rut (not that kind of rut, get your head out of the omegaverse). What do these two happy marrieds need? A bit of a shake up. And if that shake up just happens to come in the shade of tall, dark, tattooed, sexy, and working at the local sex club? Well, they’re good people and he needs a place to stay. Charity begins at home, right?
Did I like The Home Wrecker as much as The Anti-Hero? No. Does that mean it isn’t good? Absolutely not. Sara Cate is just as amazing as always. I don’t know what it was about this book that just didn’t make it hit 100% with me, but it had nothing to do with the quality of the book or the writing. I just couldn’t vibe with it all the way. It happens with the best of authors, and Sara’s an auto-buy author for me anyway.
I did love just about every character in this book, especially Caleb with his need to please, his daddy issues, his protective instincts, and his endless well of love. I also adored Dean for every interaction he had with little Abby, because sometimes adults who’ve never interacted with kids have some of the most honest interactions with them.
I’m excited for this series to continue because this family is so interesting and I love seeing them learn, love, and grow.
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 compensation was offered or accepted in exchange for this review. Thank you.
The Daymakers is yet another feather for Grace McGinty to put in her cap. McGinty is already one of my auto-buy romance authors–especially when it comThe Daymakers is yet another feather for Grace McGinty to put in her cap. McGinty is already one of my auto-buy romance authors–especially when it comes to why-choose romance–and it’s books like The Daymakers that remind me why I love her so much.
You can read the plot synopsis online. I don’t need to repeat it here. (Go do that if you need to and then come back.)
Okay, so the plot isn’t exactly a brand-new idea, but I’m not taking off points for that because I rarely tire of why-choose rockstar romances like this. One of my favorite why-choose book series of all-time has a plot that’s in the same vein as this one (a desperate girl ends up on a rock band’s tour bus and ends up being their personal toy and they both have mm in them, but that’s where the similarities end) and as far as I’m concerned I could read several books with that same general vibe and never tire of it. McGinty does it particularly well here, leaning into the sex worker and feminist aspects of Charlotte’s (the FMC) role in the book and making it about her taking back control of her body and her life when so much of her life has been in the control of so many other people who used it and abused it. Sex work can be empowering for some, and I loved how McGinity leaned into that.
The spice was a solid 3 / 3 on my spice scale. This was due to the number of spicy scenes, the language, the kinks, and the shared partners. There are no large group scenes in this book, but I actually think the book was better for it for once. This book is more about Charlotte’s individual dynamics with each band member than it is with the band as a whole, so the individualized attention works better (save for the shared experiences with Hero and Poet).
I don’t think I need to tell you that the boys are definitely book boyfriend material. Grace McGinity does love her bad boy exteriors with marshmallow interiors. And the villain in this one is most definitely someone you’re going to love to hate (I personally wished he could’ve been done in). The supporting characters were fun and sweet, and the concert scenes were fun.
You’re going to want to read it. You’re going to love it.
All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. This review was written without compensation. Thank you.
I feel like categorizing and marketing R. M. Romero’s books strictly as YA is doing them and her a huge disservice, because her writing transcends sucI feel like categorizing and marketing R. M. Romero’s books strictly as YA is doing them and her a huge disservice, because her writing transcends such boundaries: they’re novels in verse, poetry made into a novel. Poetry doesn’t know age groups. It only knows beauty.
While it’s not my favorite of Romero’s books (The Ghosts of Rose Hill is still my fave), I was still enraptured by the writing, swept away by the story, and was crying onto my pillow by the end.
Polyamory is still a titillating topic for fiction in adult books, let alone a book about 16 year-olds. On a personal level, I would love to see polyamory more normalized and treated as compassionately and as well as Romero did in this book, because every heart has the capacity for infinite love; however, that doesn’t mean that every person is capable of it. Capacity and capability are two different things, and no one is poorer for being capable of loving more than one person or not being capable of loving people at all (on a romantic level). Love is love, and no one has the right to tell you who you can or should love. I’ve met polyamorous teenagers because I’m polyamorous myself and raised my kids in a polyamorous household. My older kid is polyamorous.
There was so much in this book I loved: The musical references to David Bowie (beloved but deceased bisexual icon), at least three significant references to Sylvia Plath, a haunting homage to Gianni Versace, and the unique spin on the Orpheus and Eurydice myth (which I almost forgot about at some points in favor of the more original points in the story).
The feel of this story is very much soaked in duality: light and shadow, but look deeper. It’s bright neons and glaring sunlight against deepest shadows and darkest nights. It’s a gorgeous and important vibe that Romero executes well and is important to the story. As with all Romero novels, I recommend it.
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.
(Please Note: This story is connected to Olivia Lewin’s other PoisonVerse novel, Pack of Lies, via that book’s character Marlowe. This book is about M(Please Note: This story is connected to Olivia Lewin’s other PoisonVerse novel, Pack of Lies, via that book’s character Marlowe. This book is about Marlowe’s older alpha sister, Leighton and the pack Marlowe left behind.)
First of all, y’all should know I’m a huge fan of all the PoisonVerse novels. I’ve read them all. They’re all on my wishlist to own as paperbacks. So I was happy to come across a post where Olivia Lewin had some copies of her ARCs up for grabs. I know I already have ARCs to review, but it turned out to be great timing, because I wasn’t feeling so good yesterday and when I’m not feeling good all I want to read is spicy books anyway. So I took the time to read this a couple of days ahead of schedule and finished it up just this morning. I have to say that I liked it better than I did Pack of Lies, and that’s all due to a little someone called Kiara.
Kiara is the desperate, almost-feral omega at the center of the conflict in Lonely Alpha. Kiara isn’t gold pack like most of the omegas at the center of the conflicts in the other PoisonVerse novels. No, Kiara is actually just about omega royalty: well-bred and raised in luxury to be the best omega she can be for whatever pack her father decides to marry her off to. Too bad she was raised by nannies, her father was cruel, and her beta brother was even worse. One night, on the advice of [spoiler] she gets away from her cruel brother by grabbing a jeweled dagger and attacking him and fleeing to the home of professional corporate fixer, Leighton Winston, and begging Leighton to dark bond her.
This is the first of the PoisonVerse novels I’ve ever read to employ a dark bond. Honestly, I was wondering if they (the collective authors who have written books in this universe) were ever going to deploy it as an actual bond device or if they were going to let it always simmer around the edges as a constant, looming threat to all omegas instead of trying to turn it on its head and try to show it being something an omega could actually want, need, or desire. I’m glad Olivia Lewin (who does tend to delve into the darker side of omegaverse) decided to be the one to finally approach the dark bond, because she did a wonderful job of showing not only why an omega might want or need one, but also how an omega could ultimately feel better protected and more comfortable in their skin having a dark bond after living a certain kind of traumatic life. It also showed how it takes a very certain type of alpha to both accept an omega’s desire to willingly be dark bonded, to tend to and nurture both the omega and the bond, and to treat both with the utmost respect, because ultimately what the dark bond equates to is a 24/7 M/s power dynamic in our world that’s then been turned into a paranormal link in their world. Just as in our world there are bad Masters, in their world there are bad Alphas. But not every Alpha needs to be bad. Ergo, not every dark bond needs to be bad. But, just as in real life, communication and instinct are key in such a relationship. In an omegaverse book, the bond takes up some of the slack of communication and instinct, but not all. That’s a shortcut.
I do truly love Kiara. I love how her dagger is her first friend and her “emotional support dagger”. I love myself a stabbity omega. I love how she’s a spitfire and will choose violence if she can. I actually love the whole pack. I even love some of the supporting cast like Liberty and Soren (I just can’t with him).
A problem I do have is how it seems that the men of the Loranger pack (Dash, Ambrose, Mercury) can’t seem to pull themselves together until Leighton and Kiara start making bridges for them. They’re all falling apart until two shiny female toys are placed in front of them and then all of a sudden it’s like, “Oh! We can all of a sudden start to heal all of our broken pieces now!” I’m not fond of men who can’t communicate with other men they’re supposed to be as close as brothers with (or lovers with). Women aren’t magical, fix-all cures. Women don’t put band-aids on men’s boo-boos. Men need to be emotionally intelligent all on their own. It’s a tired trope.
Otherwise, it’s a really great read, and I highly recommend it. The spice is right, it’s very propulsive, it’s a page-turner, and I got very invested in the characters. And, like I said: I love a stabbity omega.
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.
I’m so happy that Amber Nicole and Jenn Bullard seemed to have upped the ante and put some really solid work into Locked Promises, the middle book in I’m so happy that Amber Nicole and Jenn Bullard seemed to have upped the ante and put some really solid work into Locked Promises, the middle book in the Society for Lost Souls trilogy. This is definitely not a case of sophomore slump–this is a case of sophomore improvement.
While I enjoyed Locked Hearts a lot, I did think it had a whole lot of potential that wasn’t fully realized. The book simply felt like it hadn’t been worked through enough or polished enough to be published. It still felt really rough around the edges. And the characters were still only cookie dough; they weren’t quite cookies yet. They needed to rise and fill out and become fully fleshed-out cookies and they just weren’t there yet.
Thankfully, so many of these issues have been resolved, leaving behind a much smoother, leaner, suspenseful storyline and plot and characters that are definitely fully baked and perfectly cooled cookies.
We got to know so much more about Chastity and all the other characters in this book, and a lot more about the Society for Lost Souls, too. We got so many answers to burning questions from the first book and in the last act of the book we were suddenly peppered with many more!
And then, there’s that last step known as a cliffhanger. It’s a doozy! If you thought the cliffhanger from the first book was a wallop, then this one is going to twist your head around.
Let’s not forget the spice, because Bullard and Nicole sure don’t forget how much they denied us satisfaction in the first book. They make up for it with some very sexy and sensual spicy scenes I quite enjoyed. But I’m the blasphemous type.
If you liked Locked Hearts you’ll love Locked Promises. If you were mild on Locked Hearts, I say give it a try before you make up your mind. If you haven’t tried this series yet, give it a shot!
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.
It’s a little bit non-royal Mia Thermopolis is mistakenly chosen to compete on The Bachelor (but make it three super hot men), and a whole lot of fun It’s a little bit non-royal Mia Thermopolis is mistakenly chosen to compete on The Bachelor (but make it three super hot men), and a whole lot of fun and spice. Welcome to the Royal Trials, where one omega is chosen from each country that chooses to participate in sending a representative to potentially become the mate of the Royal Pack and eventually becoming Queen or King Consort.
Can I just say that I’m currently loving the current trend I’m seeing in the reality show approach to some omegaverse romances? Because I really am. Omegaverse romances are already a huge source of escapism for me, but adding in these made-up reality shows to a paranormal and fantastical genre not only adds a satirical kick but also allows for more variety in plot and some added facets of angst, comedy, and anger.
I loved this installment of the Knot Their Omega series almost purely for the sheer fairy tale feel of the whole thing. Kaz, Wolf, and Tai were all clearly drawn, which I appreciated, since some authors don’t take the time to make sure their MMCs are as distinctive and unique in personality and interests as they are in looks. I have a definite soft spot for Wolf, that’s for sure. I loved the relationship shared by the three men, the respect they had for one another, and the way they felt so deeply for one another and expressed it so eagerly. I loved how Maddie managed to get her feet under her and made brave choices, even if she knew they would hurt. She was honest with the people around her and with herself.
The spice is not lacking, people. It’s here, it’s polyamorous, it’s spicy, it’s swords-crossing as much as it can get away with, and it’s hot. I am here for it. I will always be here for it.
The only bone I really have to pick is how quickly some minds were changed around at the end and how rushed it seemed. I may be the only one that feels that way, though. Otherwise, it was a great book. Smashed it.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All opinions, thoughts, 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.
Note: The Knot Their Omega series is an interconnected series set in the same universe, but the books can be read as standalones at this point withoutNote: The Knot Their Omega series is an interconnected series set in the same universe, but the books can be read as standalones at this point without any issues. I am not aware if the author has plans to change that in future installments, however (the next installment is called Selection, and I guess we will see if there is further integration at that point). So you do not need to read Captivate (the first book in this series) to understand or enjoy Hypnotize at all.
Before I wrote this review I went back and read my review of Captivate, just to familiarize myself with how I felt about that book and see how it might compare to how I felt after reading Hypnotize. Even though I ended up giving them the same rating, I ended up enjoying Hypnotize just a bit more than Captivate, just because of a few different reasons. Both books did, however, have the same flaw that lowered their rating, but in different ways.
Juliet, our FMC, briefly had a cameo in Captivate as she was being promised to a pack in Alaska. It was almost a throwaway mention, but I somehow knew as I was reading that Juliet’s story was going to be the next book in the series. As you can obviously see, I was right. And as the summary states, Juliet never makes it to the pack she was promised to after something horrific happens during her flight. Instead, she ends up alone and stranded during a blizzard in the rural Alaskan wilderness. Thankfully, there are three alphas living off the grid in a cozy cabin and one of them finds a hypothermic Juliet stumbling through the snow before she succumbs to the elements.
Juliet’s promised to another pack, but now she and these three alphas have a few of big problems: Juliet lost everything in the crash (including her heat suppressants), all of their communication to the outside world is down because of the weather, and the snow just won’t stop coming down so any of them can get to the nearest ranger station to see if they have emergency heat suppressants on hand. Three male alphas who have been living in isolation for years without being in the vicinity of an omega? Juliet’s impending heat is bringing the urge to rut mercilessly upon one of the alphas, and the other two are just barely holding back by indulging in mercilessly hot alpha on alpha action (which is one of my favorite omegaverse kinks).
Speaking of kinks and tropes: Hypnotize has a leg up on Captivate by giving me that sweet, sweet forced proximity and deliciously filthy dirty talk. And talk about sexual tension! It’s a taut cord that’s woven between Juliet and Everett (one of our three alphas) throughout about half of this book, and it’s scorchingly hot. Do you have a kink for hot mountain men chopping wood? Then you will love this book. Lawson weaves a lot of commentary on female agency into this book and Captivate, and it’s much appreciated, but I also appreciate her dedication to bringing emotional depth to her male characters. It could be all too easy to give most of the emotional depth and trauma to the FMC, to make her the focus of everything and make the alphas strong men who know just what they want and how to get it. But Everett, Huck, and Dean aren’t living off the grid in isolated Alaskan wilderness because it was their dream. They’ve seen some stuff, been through some trauma, and have some good reasons to stay apart from society at large. In this book, it’s the alphas who need healing, not the omega. It’s refreshing, and I love that the forced proximity lends itself well to this part of the plot.
As to the big flaw in this book that I also found in Captivate: I found the ending to be too rushed and too easy. And, again, it was the events of the second act that left too little room for a more structured third act that would allow for a more well-rounded climax and ending. When the antagonist in the book has been built up to be such a big bad the entire book and then it seems laughably easy for the protagonist(s) to “escape their clutches”, so to speak, I end up disappointed that for as well written the rest of the book was that the author chose to waste an opportunity to write just as satisfying of an ending. Just because we know the book will end in a HEA doesn’t mean you need to rush through the section where we need to wrap up the section where everything comes to a head.
Still, it’s an excellent omegaverse novel with great characters. It’s a page-turner, and it’s going to cause some thigh clenching. That’s a good time, in my opinion.
I was provided a copy of this title by the author. All thoughts, ideas, views, and opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
I knew when I read the previous book in this universe (don’t worry, both books can be read as standalones and you won’t miss a single thing), We Are WI knew when I read the previous book in this universe (don’t worry, both books can be read as standalones and you won’t miss a single thing), We Are Worthy, that I would want to read any other book Alisha Williams wrote that was set in the same universe. So, when We Are Destiny was announced, I signed up to read, review, and promote that book right away.
This book hit two huge omegaverse sweet spots for me: omega on omega action, and alpha on alpha action. It’s all well and good to read your standard omegaverse novel where it’s all just alpha(s) on omega action, but to be honest, I’ve really gotten tired of them. They’ve started to bore me in the same way that about 75% of heterosexual contemporary romances have, which is why I don’t usually read m/f contemporary romance unless it’s highly recommended to me by people I trust to make good recommendations. With omegaverse, I now see the standard alpha(s) x omega and I’m already pretty bored. I end up returning them to KU usually before the 20% point because I just need more from my omegaverse novels now. And mixing things up or adding up the kink and/or spice factor is a spectacular way to grab my attention and keep me reading.
While I loved We Are Worthy because of its unconventional yet BAMF FMC who was more into who her potential pack members were inside rather than what muscles they had on the outside, I loved We Are Destiny because of the two omegas in the book: our MMC, Spencer, and the feisty little omega Everlee, who is barely-controlled chaos with devious plans in mind that are meant to make everyone happy. The two together are so sweet and cuter than a pair of kittens who have just discovered their toe beans.
Also, bravo to Williams for tackling the struggles that come with depression and anxiety and the unhealthy coping mechanisms one might use in the dark times when it seems you’ve lost everything and don’t know if you’re ever going to come out of the dark pit you’ve found yourself in. As someone who has a panic disorder and an anxiety disorder (let’s not talk about the bipolar), I felt those scenes were written rather well and handled with appropriate care instead of exploitatively. While Spencer’s anxiety and depression are intrinsic to the plot, Williams did take care to not make Spencer all about his depression and anxiety, instead opting as often as possible to show as many different facets of Spencer as possible.
Now, we all know we don’t read omegaverse for plot. We read it for fun and for spice. You don’t have anything to worry about on that front. There is a lot of spice in this book, and the pairings are in every formation possible. It’s all hot, and it’ll make you squirm real good. Not only that, but you get a lot of sweet and soft intimate moments, which is always nice.
All in all, it’s another winner from Alisha Williams in this omegaverse universe. It’s a great book available on Kindle Unlimited and you should definitely check it out if you like your omegaverse novels spicy, diverse, and versatile.
I was provided a copy of this book by the author. All opinions, thoughts, ideas, and views expressed herein are mine and mine alone. 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
![Bubblegum Pop (Suck It Up [Omegaverse] #1)](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1710146606l/195093438._SY75_.jpg)
Loading...
