A few weeks ago, I was searching Goodnovel for a new story to read. It’s always Alpha this, Alpha that. Then, I encountered a couple of stories that piqued my interest.
The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story
The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story
The Luna Choosing Game by Jane Above Story is a story about Piper, a woman who was working as a waitress to raise her twin sister’s daughter. Unbeknownst to her, her friend entered her into a contest by the royal family for all unmated women of eligible age. Whoever wins will become the Luna for one of the three Princes, meaning there will be three winners … one for each Prince. She discovers that one of the Princes is her ex, Nicholas. At the time they were dating, she had no idea of his identity.
She gets chosen as a candidate, and as the story progresses, the candidates go through different challenges where one or more will be eliminated. She brings her niece, who everyone thinks is her daughter, with her. Things are more difficult for her as she has the added challenge of being wolfless and not being high-born. However, she does not really let that stop her. She knows she will get eliminated early, but while she competes, her niece gets the medical care she needs.
Most of the other candidates hate her, some of the servants hate her, some of the guards hate her, and the King and Queen hate her. It seems like only Princes Nicholas and Julian like her. What will her fate be in The Luna Choosing Game?
How she lost her wolf when Nicholas was sure she had one before is part of the mystery of this story. Why are more and more people losing their wolves? Where is Piper’s sister? Why did she leave her daughter with Piper?
Luna Battle: The Game by Billiejo Priestley
Luna Battle: The Game by Billiejo Priestley
Luna Battle: The Game by Billiejo Priestley is about Elara, a slave to Alpha Draven’s pack who secretly entered The Luna Battle in hopes of escaping the torture of her everyday life. She lost her wolf at four years old, has lived her life as a servant, and when she was old enough, she became a sex slave and was made to service Alpha Draven, his betas, and his guests. She was bitten and claimed by Alpha Draven when she was twelve years old and had no mate.
The Luna Battle is a competition to select the Luna Queen for King Darius and the Luna Princess for Prince Kellan. Each candidate will be asked to perform various challenges. At the end of each challenge, one or more of the candidates will be eliminated and sent home.
Magic selected her as a candidate, and when she arrived at the Palace, most of the other contestants hated her and called her “mutt,” but that didn’t stop Elara from being the bigger person and reminding them of how a Luna is supposed to behave. After all, she didn’t really expect to stay in the competition for long. But what happens when Prince Kellan starts to show her favor, and the King seems to do so, too?
The Luna stories go head-to-head.
I started reading The Luna Choosing Game first and then paused at Chapter 102 because I, quite honestly, got bored with the minutiae. More than a hundred chapters in, and it feels like only a little has happened. Some scenes could have been removed, and chapters could have been compressed. You know those telenovelas that seem to go on forever? That’s what it felt like when I was reading this book. It was interesting, but it was taking forever to get to the point.
In addition, as of this posting, The Luna Choosing Game has 460 chapters and counting! For crying out loud! Know when to stop! If you must, then serialize it, book one and book two, etc.
At the point I was getting fed up with it, I encountered Luna Battle: The Game, and the first thing I noticed was the parallels:
wolfless
no family
forced into a life of servitude
Even the challenges were similar, but then, you know what they say, there really is little that is original as we all build off what other people have done in the past. There’s a big difference, though. Luna Battle is fast-paced and engaging and, more importantly … ONLY 151 CHAPTERS!
YES! The author was able to tell THE WHOLE STORY (COMPLETE!) in just 151 chapters. Value for money? Check!
Will I go back to finish The Luna Choosing Game? I am unsure. At this point, as I see the chapter count climbing higher and higher, it doesn’t seem very certain. Maybe I will wait until the book makes its way to Amazon, hopefully, KU, and then read it there. I’ve already spent way too much on it, as it is.
Do you know how there are stories that get so much hype on social media that you end up giving it a chance and buying coins just to be able to read more? Well, that is what happened with me with Moonlit Mates, a recommended anthology by Dreame. Moonlit Mates is supposed to be a compilation of short(ish) stories from different authors that Dreame highly recommends. But is it all hype or are the stories really good?
Here’s my experience. So far I am on chapter 19 of the first story called “Lies and Betrayal” by Melissa and it is an uphill battle. The story has potential but I don’t see what all the hype is about. The author does not seem to have the chops yet to be receiving the raves this book is supposedly getting. Character building, world setting, and story flow are half-baked. Intimate scenes are rushed and rough, with no finesse.
As for grammar … sigh. Often the author is guilty of using homonyms or simply possibly similar-sounding or spelled words. For example: composer when what she really means is composure.
But this is how much I want to believe it is worth it … I purchased all the 150+ chapters then crossed my fingers hoping I didn’t just throw money in the shredder. So far, with the first story, it is a bust. What are the other stories and who wrote them? No idea. One would think Dreame would have put it in the preview blurb at the very least, but nope!
Why is no one recommending copy editors, at the very least, to these authors? I get the value of uplifting, but doing so should not make us blind to room for (much) improvement.
Color me disappointed. 🙁
The following are the stories within:
Lies and Betrayal by Melissa
Deepest Regret by Valerie Irene
The Moon Goddess Daughter (The Hybrid) by Titania Sattaur
His Warrior Luna by Cassidy Wilson
The Alpha Games by Jessica Christensen
I’m hoping your experience is better than mine. I started reading this in December 2023 and I have yet to get beyond chapter 19 of the first story. This, from someone who reads at least 1 completed story a day.
I read Alpha’s Regret My Luna Has A Son by Jessica Hall in 2022 on Goodnovel, and I don’t even remember when exactly anymore, and I LOVED it … a lot! Compared to her other stories, this one is fairly “innocent”. Translation: it isn’t as steamy. That aside, I thoroughly enjoyed it as the story is quite compelling.
I’ve recently started listening to books on audible and discovered that this book is there. Gasp! I just HAD to get it. I am so glad that I did … worth every penny. The voice actors were really good and did a pretty good job of bringing the story to life. My only regret is that book two (aka the second part of the story) has no recording yet.
If you’ve read this story on a reading app, then you know it is actually one long story, so cutting off where it did can be frustrating. That being said, the story is worth making that double purchase on Amazon. After all, it still comes out cheaper than reading apps.
Everly is the daughter of the Alpha or her pack and his successor. She was only seventeen when she met and inadvertently ended up in bed with Valen, who was the Alpha of a rival pack. They were drunk at a time, which should really not be an excuse in this day and age, but there you have it. When Everly wakes up in the morning, she realizes what happened, and she attempts a French exit but is met at the door by the Beta. After quick pleasantries, she still manages to leave alone, and the Beta was not able to get her name either.
Weeks pass and Everly realizes that she is pregnant and there can only be one person who could be the father so she tries to reach out to Valen to let him now but was rebuffed and he denied being with her. When her father discovers she is pregnant he disowns her and labels her a rogue whore when she would not agree to an abortion.
She leaves the pack and lives the life of a rogue from that point forward and eventually gives birth to a son.
Everly realizes early on that Valen is her fated mate but he did not know until several years later which lead to her suffering from his infidelity for years. This is the point in the story where the courtship of Valen and Everly begins. With everything that she has gone through I was glad that she does not succumb to easily to his charms. If she did, I would be very disappointed. She didn’t deny the mate bond, but she was better at resisting it.
My Thoughts
To say that I think this story is a masterpiece is putting it mildly. I have lost count of how many times I have read this story. Jessica Hall has me on an emotional roller coaster and I don’t want to get off it. In my head I see this story as something akin to a TV series … not a movie as that would be too short. So many things happen to Everly and Valen in this story that it would be an injustice to chop off as much as they do for movie adaptations.
If it isn’t obvious yet, I highly recommend that you add Alpha’s Regret My Luna Has A Son by Jessica Hall to your bookshelf, stat! Don’t just put it in the TBR (to be read) pile. Put it straight to the MUST-READ pile and enjoy!
I first read Inked 8 by Stephanie Brother in March of 2022, and it is by far (to date) my favorite of all of Stephanie’s books. Some stories come close, but for some reason, this is the story that I can’t help but read over and over. And then, just yesterday, the audiobook version came out on Audible. To say I got excited would be an understatement, lol! I was curious to see if it would read aloud the same as it sounds in my head.
Good news, it is even better! I’m definitely a convert and am loving audiobooks now. However, I’ve found that I enjoyed the story more BECAUSE I’ve already read it. I tried listening to a book I hadn’t read before, and my attention wandered.
The story of Inked 8 is possibly one of the hottest stories I’ve ever read … not because of all the men in the reverse harem, but because of all the kinks. Talk about fantasies, phew! The book gave me palpitations, and the audiobook made me swoon! Kudos to the great voice actors Connor Crais and Melanie Hastings! I loved it so much!
What is Inked 8 all about?
The story of Inked 8 revolves around Kayla, a young woman who applied for a job as an administrator at Inked Factor, a tattoo shop owned and managed by eight friends – Carl, Kase and Kole (twins), Dex and Lex (twins). and Nash, Niall, and Noah (triplets). Yes, Stephanie Brother loves her twins and triplets!
As the story progresses, they all embark on a journey of sexual discovery (for Kayla) when Dex proposes a game where she dates each of them once and they each let her experience their kink. While each date is so hot it leaves her (and me!) cross-eyed, each time it leaves Kayla conflicted as she finds herself developing feelings for all eight of them.
How kinky can it get?
Voyeurism, light BDSM, exhibitionism, food play, are just a few of the kinks they explored. Maybe it is an extension of my own kink, but I was transfixed with this story. I couldn’t stop reading it when it came out last year, and I couldn’t stop listening to the audiobook when it came out as well. Add in Connor Crais’ voice in the mix and swoon I’d be surprised if there will be dry panties while listening to this audiobook, especially during the steamy scenes.
I know I will be listening to this story (or excerpts of this story) over and over again, but with the buds on. I can’t have everyone in the house hearing my smut, lol! Inked 8 by Stephanie Brother is available on Amazon in Kindle, Audible, and Paperback format, free with a Kindle Unlimited account.
I’ve been agonizing for two days on whether or not I should say something about this story, Denying the Alpha, by Teaganjayne. I started reading it on Dreame out of curiosity, mostly because it seems to be getting heavily promoted on Facebook and Instagram, and I figured that if they would promote it so much, then it must be good, right?
The blurb of the story, which is meant to attract new readers is interesting. After all, it got me to add the story to my library and start to read it. However, as I started reading it, I couldn’t help grimacing at the numerous grammatical and syntax errors in the story. Is it laziness or ignorance?
For example, “your” and “you’re”. While this is, perhaps, a common mistake. When done repetitively, I can’t help but think that the author just doesn’t know the difference at all. Another one is “defiantly” when what he/she/they mean is “definitely.” Dear native English speakers out there, I’m sure you can agree with me that those two words mean something different entirely. And how about interchanged genders and misspellings such as “rom” instead of from?
How about dragged-out scenes and characters who don’t appear to have common sense and take so long to come to realizations? Sigh. Over time, I have become more tolerant of all that, but this is just too much. I can’t even properly enjoy the story anymore.
To give it a chance, I bought ten chapters and continued reading, optimistic that it would get better. So far, I am on Chapter Twenty-1, and the story has FINALLY moved forward. If a seasoned author had written this story, the point where it is right now would have happened in chapter ONE … chapter TWO at the most.
The story opens with the blurb as part of the first chapter then after a beat, it moves to the story. It is the birthday of Faith Huntress, the youngest daughter of the beta. Her wolf has not yet appeared, but she gets overwhelmed by this amazing scent and she knows it must be her mate. She follows the scent, and it leads her to the room of Declan, the Alpha’s son, who she finds balls deep in her elder sister, Samantha. She gets hurt, makes a sound, and runs away.
That evening, she shifts without the help of her mate or family, which means she was in a lot of pain when it happened, but she survived it. She keeps mum about finding her mate. Later the same day, she feels a stabbing pain in her chest, and when she goes to Declan’s room and sees him and Samantha in another sexual position, she faints from the pain.
They bring her to the hospital, of course, without telling anyone what really happened. Declan knew she was his mate, but some family trauma made him decide he would reject her.
Fast forward to when she is well enough to leave the hospital. Faith confronts Declan and finds out part of the truth, and in the end, she has no choice but to reject him, and he pushes her down the stairs while telling her she WILL be his mate.
Make up your freakin’ mind!!!
I’ve reached the point where her family and the doctor help her escape, and she has renounced the pack and the alpha of Crescent Moon, and all I can think is … FINALLY! I am also asking myself … is there any point in going on? So far, my sentiment is that this book is long-winded and takes too long to get to the point. What has been written in twenty-two chapters could have all been expressed in five chapters, tops.
I’m truly hoping that she does not end up with Declan because that would just be messed up. Give her a second chance mate! Should I even give this book a second chance?
If you want to read Denying the Alpha by teaganjayne to form your own opinion, you can find it on Dreame by clicking HERE.
About a month ago, we were able to interview author Ashley Breanne and feature her on our sister site, Hearthandhomebuddies.com. In our chats, one of the things she mentioned was that she wrote this story called The Rebound, a YA/Teen story and that it was on Goodnovel.
According to Ashley, The Rebound: The Wrong Cinderella’s Story was the first book she published on Goodnovel. This got me curious. The first book of hers that I read was The Alpha’s Girl and I liked that a lot! So, I checked it out on Goodnovel and discovered it is only 66 chapters. I can do that. I can spare the coin for that.
From page one I was transfixed. What a fun story! It is one of those that I wish was made into a movie. It is definitely going to be a teen flick and, yes, it is most definitely a Cinderella story with a twist.
But what I liked most about this story are two things. First, Caleb may be the golden boy of the school since he is the quarterback, but he isn’t a manwhore. As a matter of fact, Violet is only the second woman he has even been intimate or in a relationship with. Awwwwww!
Second, Violet is not a damsel in distress, nor is she popular. She also isn’t bullied or bookish, etc. If she were to fall under any stereotype it would probably be a loner with only one friend. But then again, she didn’t have any problem making friends with Caleb or his best friend so it is obvious that she isn’t a social recluse.
The banter … the banter is what got me. “Listening” to them was just precious! The teenage girl inside me was giggling a lot at their interactions.
I give this book all digits up, not just my thumbs. It is an easy read and very light-hearted. I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as I have. 🙂
I’ve recently started listening to books on audible and discovered that this book is there. Gasp! I just HAD to get it. I am so glad that I did … worth every penny. The voice actors were really good and did a pretty good job of bringing the story to life. My only regret is that book two (aka the second part of the story) has no recording yet.
I first read Inked 8 by Stephanie Brother in March of 2022, and it is by far (to date) my favorite of all of Stephanie’s books. Some stories come close, but for some reason, this is the story that I can’t help but read over and over. And then, just yesterday, the audiobook version came out on Audible. To say I got excited would be an understatement, lol! I was curious to see if it would read aloud the same as it sounds in my head.
According to Ashley, The Rebound: The Wrong Cinderella’s Story was the first book she published on Goodnovel. This got me curious. The first book of hers that I read was 
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