by Penny Angeles-Tan | Aug 3, 2023 | Book Reviews
His parents killed before his eyes, Orion’s pack was taken from him when he was a child. Now that he is an adult, he has been plotting how to get his pack back for many years.
All witches in the pack are enslaved. Diana is reluctantly the favorite witch of the current Alpha of the pack. She dreams of only one thing … freedom from the pack and living a life as a regular human being away from it.
Orion and Diana decide to become pretend-fated mates to achieve their goals. Little did they know that the Moon Goddess had other plans for them.
I think that Rejected Alpha’s Return by Waverly Sage is currently my favorite of Waverly Sage’s books. It is so hot, but much of it (especially at the beginning) is all in their head! When they finally become intimate in real life, it is tempestuous and electric!
With a title like Rejected Alpha’s Return most people that it was Diana who rejected Orion. But that isn’t the case at all. It is more convoluted than that and you will have to read it yourself to find out. 🙂
So many things happen in the chapters of this book that I’ve found myself reading it slower than normal simply because I am savoring the scenes. If you are still wishy-washy about whether to read this book or not, I’d say go for it! I certainly enjoyed it.
I would classify Rejected Alpha’s Return by Waverly Sage as a slow burn. Sometimes so slow that I wanted to reach into the pages of the book to shout into the characters’ ears to get a clue, lol! It was worth the journey, though. This is a book to be savored; and as I like to say, “trust in the process”. In the end, it all works out for the characters.
As a note, while their love scenes are not very graphic, they manage to be super hot. I don’t know if that is because of the way Waverly wrote the scenes or if I just have an overactive imagination, tee hee.
If this looks like something you would want to read, you can find it on Amazon as a Kindle version for the very reasonable price of $1.50. If you have a Kindle Unlimited account, though, you can read it for free!
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jul 28, 2023 | Book Reviews
If I had one word to describe Claimed by the Hunter by Lila Fox it would be “rompfest”. The characters of this book, Hunter and Nicole, are just at it like bunnies a lot! But that seems to be the norm for this series.
Nicole opened a bakery there with two human friends who are mated to wolf shifters. While she loves living in the town and being with her friends, she can’t understand why they are having so much sex!
That is until she meets Hunter, the town sheriff, who turns out to be her mate. He also happens to be the brother of Roman who is mated to one of her friends, Brenna.
As the heat overwhelms her the time to get to know each other is set aside for later so that Hunter can “take care of her needs”.
Some things in Lila Fox’s shifter-verse differ from what I’ve read in other shifter stories.
- While not all humans know that shifters are real, those aware and can accept them are welcome to co-exist with them and live within their towns.
- The Alpha does not (seem to) live in the packhouse and rank does not seem to matter as much although it is acknowledged.
- Once mates find each other, they have to jump their bones as soon as possible or both will suffer tremendous pain that builds up if not sated.
- When the mate bond is triggered the urge to have sex all the time is not just out of desire but is also a necessity. In other words, it is “for health reasons”. In the beginning, it is every few minutes, then every hour, then every four hours, until it settles to once a day (at least)
- They have to have unprotected sex all the time when mating to assuage the apparently non-stop heat BUT they don’t get pregnant. It isn’t clear how they get pregnant without reading the previous 2 books but I am assuming that it (probably) has something to do with knotting. Although, there wasn’t any mention of knotting in the book so I am just spitballing.
This is a quick read and despite having only 97 pages, other things happen in it aside from sex.
I enjoy sex as much as the next person but if this book were a movie it would probably be entry-level porn. I say entry-level because it is not as graphic as it could be, most is left to the reader’s imagination. That being said, it feels like all they do is turn around and they are at it again. There are a few of non-sexual tension-filled chapters in the book but shortly after, they are back in bed.
It isn’t among my favorite stories but it was okay for what it was. I enjoyed Nicole’s snarkiness and Hunter’s attentiveness and teasing.
Claimed by the Hunter by Lila Fox is the third book of the Carnal Lust series and can be found on Amazon in Kindle format for $3.99.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jul 27, 2023 | Book Reviews
Raise your hand if you love freebies! If you are one of those people that just raised your hand then you will like this news. Author Stu B has a FREE STORY on Dreame! Yes, you read that correctly. It is 100% free!
Alpha’s Ex-Mate by Stu B is the aforementioned free story. It is about a wolfless girl named Serena, the daughter of an Alpha, who finds herself married off to the Alpha King, Xander.
While their start was rocky, their marriage was passionate and they were happy. Despite many attempts at having a child, Serena kept miscarrying, which cast a shadow on Xander and Serena’s relationship.
Finally, Serena confirms that she is pregnant and can possibly keep this baby, and she rushes to find Xander to tell him the good news. When she found him he was talking to his best friend Hailey. and she overheard them say that he had her family and pack killed.
Devastated she decides to reject him and then flee without letting him know that she was carrying his child.
Years later she returns to the pack on a secret mission and finds herself working for Hailey, who is soon to marry Xander. If she is caught, she will most likely be killed. But if she is successful, her future and that of her son’s will be secure.
What she didn’t count on was the attraction between her and Xander, which only seemed to be getting stronger.
And then there is the interest of the Vampire Prince.
Alpha’s Ex-Mate by Stu B is a slow burn. It is hot and steamy and I’ve already caught up to the latest chapters and still have no idea of where it will go and how it will end. I have some theories, though.
- Despite the mutual rejection, Xander and Serena are actually still mates.
- The Vampire Prince is a second chance mate.
- Hailey is the mastermind of it all.
Did that whet your curiousity? Go to Dreame, click on Alpha’s Ex-Mate by Stu B, and find out for yourself. Once again, it is absolutely FREE!
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jul 21, 2023 | Book Reviews
I am in love with the Screaming Eagles! There must be something in the beer these guys are drinking because all the guys (so far) just seem so fantastic! In threes or fours, it doesn’t matter, bagging a Screaming Eagle sounds like heaven, and Crash, Preacher, and Devil are no exception. I realize this isn’t the norm for MCs but … oh my!
Good Girl for the Bikers by Stephanie Brother tells the story of Summer, a sheltered girl, the daughter of a pastor, and the Fallen Angels crew of the Screaming Eagles MC, namely Crash, Preacher, and Devil.
Summer and Crash are step-siblings but have not seen each other Since Crash (formerly Jacob) left the mansion they were living in when he was 16 to escape the beatings he received from his stepfather. Summer got left behind and was molded into being the timid, submissive girl, the epitome of good.
Many years later (to the present) Summer found Crash’s number and calls him to let him know that his mother has passed away. Like a boulder rolling off a cliff, this led to a series of events that prompted Summer to reach out to Crash once again and ask to be rescued … except it was Devil who picked up the call, not Crash.
Good Girl for the Bikers by Stephanie Brother does have a hurdle for Summer and Crash to overcome but this story doesn’t have too much external angst and that it gave us a chance to savor their growing relationship. Even knowing that she would eventually end up with all three of them, I was still excited to go through the journey.
A marvelous story, as always, Stephanie! As always, I look forward to your books. Will the rest of the Screaming Eagles, like Wraith, get into reverse harems, too? I can’t wait to find out!
If anyone out there wants to check out Good Girl for the Bikers by Stephanie Brother you can find it on Amazon for 2.99 and free with a Kindle Unlimited account. Don’t forget to check out the bonus chapter after you are done reading the book … exclusively on stephaniebrotherbooks.com.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jul 17, 2023 | Book Reviews
I came across You Are Mine, Omega by AlisTae on Goodnovel and decided to give it a chance because I was curious about what was so special with this omega that an alpha or two would be desperate to claim her. In most stories, omegas are treated with disdain or indifference.
Allison is the Beta’s daughter, but instead of having Beta blood, she is (apparently) an omega. She likes to keep things low-key so no one in school knows who she is except for the alpha’s son, Ethan, who she has had a crush on for a long time. Because of this, she gets bullied, but she ignores it.
On her 18th birthday, she discovers that Ethan is her mate, but he rejects her. In the meantime, Ryan, Ethan’s brother, is constantly in the picture and seemingly into her without saying anything.
But at the same time, he also alternately pays her attention and then ignores her completely. I swear it is causing whiplash.
Because the rejection almost killed Allison, she is unsure about how she feels for Ethan. However, she is also confused about how her body reacts when Ryan is near. Does anyone else think that Ryan is her second-chance mate?
The story has potential but needs a lot of editing, not just grammatically but also for consistency. The author tends to be repetitive, perhaps to emphasize a point. Instead, it appears that the author didn’t proofread before posting.
That I think is unfair to the readers who are paying per chapter, especially when we consider that most of these authors who post on reading apps are keeping track of their word count, and I’ve noticed that quite a few would write the bare minimum to publish a chapter as scheduled.
That being said, The story is engaging enough for me to say, “Go ahead and give it a gander,” but with a warning label that says, “Proceed with caution. It may inflame you, lol!”
It is still an ongoing story, a quick read, and not too much drama. You may enjoy it. You can find You Are Mine, Omega by AlisTae on Goodnovel.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jul 14, 2023 | Book Reviews
The Arena by Cooper was a change of pace for me. For the longest time, I have been reading shifter stories with werewolves and lycans as the main characters. The Arena brings into play many different types of shifters such as lions, a Bengal tiger, a polar bear, and kestrels. The main characters, however, are Cedric (the last Lycan) and Tana (the last Elemental Fire Dragon).
The last of their kind
For many years, humans have hunted and killed supernaturals (or supes) out of fear. But something changed recently. For the past year )at least), supes have been hunted and captured. Why? For entertainment! They were imprisoned, starved, and then forced to fight to the death against other supes gladiator-style in the Arena. This is while being in their human form and unable to shift.
In the world, only 4 dragons remain, one for each element – earth, air, water, and fire. Tana is the last fire dragon. Her family chose to kill themselves rather than be captured by humans.
His pack was attacked on the day of Cedric’s ascension to Alpha of Alphas. His parents were killed while he and many of his pack members were captured and sent to the arena.
The Arena is where Tana and Cedric meet. They have been fighting in the Arena for about a year … which proves that they are very good fighters as they have not lost once. The hunters think Cedric is an Alpha werewolf. Cedric thinks Tana is an Alpha werewolf as well, and she has not taken the time to enlighten him otherwise. Cedric also thinks that Tana might be his mate but can’t be sure because of the suppressants the hunters have been given them to prevent them from shifting.
Mate!
I thought that seeing how the mate bond manifests for different kinds of shifters is interesting and it made sense that it wasn’t quite the same thing for dragons. A major difference is that simply biting or getting bitten is not enough. Dragons need to be claimed.
When Cedric and Tana finally get together and he bites her, he finally realizes that she isn’t an Alpha werewolf but something else altogether that is probably even more powerful. In his confusion he leaves her, presumably to work things out in his head. Unfortunately, Tana took this as a rejection and left with a broken heart.
This becomes the turning point for everything that happens in the rest of the story.
The Review
I have what I like to call a “cinematic brain”. It means that when I read I can picture what is happening in my head and, often, the words actually disappear and I am reading the book as if I were watching a movie. This translates to if the movie in my head is bad or subpar I figuratively walk out of the theater.
Cooper describes scenes in The Arena so vividly I find myself living in the story. I would put her in the same league as Chris Columbus and Peter Jackson if she were a film director. Yes, that is how gorgeous the scenes play in my head. While prone to not using the Oxford comma (hyuk!), Cooper skillfully manages to keep me so engaged that I find myself savoring all the pages, rather than flying through the book as I usually do. I spent more time reading, not because it was a struggle, but because I would rewind to see a scene more clearly.
I would classify The Arena by Cooper as a fantasy/adventure/romance and at that, I would say it is more fantasy than romance. Yes, steamy scenes can get pretty steamy, but possibly 90% of the story has nothing to do with sex … which I thought was masterful! This opens up the audience of this book to more than just thirsty women.
If a fantasy story with dragons, lycans, werewolves, etc. is something you are interested in, you may want to check out The Arena by Cooper on the Goodnovel app. This is a story I highly recommend and eagerly await on Amazon.
Nicole opened a bakery there with two human friends who are mated to wolf shifters. While she loves living in the town and being with her friends, she can’t understand why they are having so much sex!
Alpha’s Ex-Mate by Stu B is the aforementioned free story. It is about a wolfless girl named Serena, the daughter of an Alpha, who finds herself married off to the Alpha King, Xander.
Good Girl for the Bikers by Stephanie Brother tells the story of Summer, a sheltered girl, the daughter of a pastor, and the Fallen Angels crew of the Screaming Eagles MC, namely Crash, Preacher, and Devil.
Allison is the Beta’s daughter, but instead of having Beta blood, she is (apparently) an omega. She likes to keep things low-key so no one in school knows who she is except for the alpha’s son, Ethan, who she has had a crush on for a long time. Because of this, she gets bullied, but she ignores it.
For many years, humans have hunted and killed supernaturals (or supes) out of fear. But something changed recently. For the past year )at least), supes have been hunted and captured. Why? For entertainment! They were imprisoned, starved, and then forced to fight to the death against other supes gladiator-style in the Arena. This is while being in their human form and unable to shift.
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