by Penny Angeles-Tan | Nov 2, 2022 | Book Reviews
Taming the Playboy Alpha by Stardust Wendy is a story I started reading on Goodnovel a few months ago when I was in the mood for something in the young adult/teenager category. I’ve never read any other story by Stardust Wendy so I was curious to see how well she writes.
The main character is Freya, born an Omega with dreams of attending a school just for Alphas. To achieve her goal she made a deal with a wizard who could temporarily make her seem like an Alpha without granting her the strength and characteristics of one. In return, she will do him a favor which he will reveal at a later time.
Meet the playboy Alpha, Silas Bloodmoon. He is the Alpha prince and the Alpha heir of her pack. He is hands down the most popular boy in school along with his friends Lucas and Adam. Everyone in school knows that Silas and Elena of the Crescent Moon pack are a couple.
Freya’s goal for entering the school was just one thing … to learn. She was not there to make friends or enemies and she definitely was not on the lookout for a boyfriend. Things don’t work out the way she planned when Silas starts to show interest in her and actively pursues her. For Silas, it started off as a game, a bet, but later he couldn’t help but be fascinated by her.
As a storyteller, I think that Stardust Wendy is good because she got me engaged and anxious for the next chapter to be released. As a writer, though, she needs help as her grammar and spelling are less than desirable – incorrect word usage, misphrased idiomatic expressions, and tenses (!), to name but a few.
For those of you who read my reviews, you would notice that I probably say that a lot! This is because many of the authors who write on reading apps 1) are most likely not native English speakers, 2) do not have editors who go over their chapters before publishing, 3) never took a course on the correct way to write a narrative story and are not familiar with Freytag’s pyramid.
But while I noted all the things that could be improved, I could still read on and enjoy the story. The only part of the story that I found dragging was Freya’s torture which ran for several chapters. I thought that was overkill.
I’m glad that I was patient with Taming the Playboy Alpha by Stardust Wendy because it is a wonderful story! I hope that she decides to get an editor (me!) and will publish this as a paperback or ebook and release it on Amazon and Applebooks soon.
In the meantime, you can read this book on Goodnovel.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 25, 2022 | Book Reviews
Double Bossed by Rare is one of those books I started to read out of curiosity and later, thankfully, enjoyed. The main characters in this story are the bosses, a gay couple named Jacob and Hardin, and their assistant Faith.
Hardin was sexually abused by his mother when he was a teenager and forced to participate in sex for money. Because of this, he had a strong phobia of women and could not stand to be around them. Jacob encountered Hardin while on vacation and from the moment they met, it was magic. Jacob took him away from that life and they have been together since and established a fashion empire.
Hardin and Jacob never get female employees reporting to them directly because of Hardin’s condition yet of all the applicants to apply for the assistant position, Faith’s stood out.
There was hesitation at first to even interview her because but they gave her a chance. It was worrisome for Hardin because 1) she is female, 2) she is attractive, 3) he could see that Jacob was attracted to her, and 4) although he would not admit it, he was attracted to her, too.
Thankfully, for Faith, she turns out to be the best assistant they’ve ever had. Things start to get interesting when Faith finds herself drawn to both Jacob and Hardin. This started when Jacob would openly caress Hardin in front of her while the 3 are in a meeting. It all comes to a head when they go overseas and all stay at Jacob and Hardin’s house and their feelings for each other surface.
Classifying Double Bossed by Rare as a reverse harem does not really fit the bill since all three participants are in love with and physically attracted to each other. During their trysts, it was not uncommon for one man to be between Faith’s thighs while the other is in his ass at the same time. You’d think it would bother me, but it was well-written in a loving manner, and considering that the men are supposed to be gay, it made sense. I guess, in a way, it means they’re bi for Faith.
You can read Double Bossed by Rare at Goodnovel.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 23, 2022 | Book Reviews
Let me tell you something about He’s My Alpha by Cassandra M. I have been trying to write my review of this story for weeks now and I keep stalling – not because I have nothing to say but because I have a LOT to say. And yet I will restrain myself so that I don’t inadvertently give unforgivable spoilers.
Jacob and Claire have known each other for years, ever since they were kids. They are 5 years apart in age. Claire used to bring him treats like cupcakes and cookies that they would eat by the lake. Jake would let her join in when he and the other boys were playing, despite the protests of the others. Sweet, ain’t it?
Even at a young age Jake already knew that he didn’t want a Luna and mate and mentioned this to Claire, which made her sad. She even asked him, what if she was his Luna?
Fast forward to the present. Jacob Galhart is the Alpha of the Black Shadow pack and he does not want to have a mate. Claire Montrell is the sister of the Black Shadow pack’s Gamma, Aaron. On the day Claire turned 18, you know what happened? If you said that they discovered that they are mates then you are correct. But Jake refuses to accept her but does not reject her. Meanwhile, Claire is hurt and feels rejected and, of course, decides to leave.
Why is Jake so against having a Luna, and a mate? It all boils down to a curse and is pretty messed up. Their story gets more complicated when another Alpha enters the picture and wants Claire to be his Luna. Btw, said Alpha is not a bad guy. He is just really attracted to Claire.
Intrigued yet? To know more about this messed up couple check out He’s My Alpha by Cassandra M on Goodnovel. I swear Jake was driving me batty! You are likely to be as annoyed, frustrated, exasperated, and hooked on this story, lol!
This story is also available in paperback format on Amazon in case you want to hold and own the physical book.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 20, 2022 | Book Reviews
I started reading Bite-Size Luna by Ashleigh Dana Burnell out of curiosity, partly because I knew it was a prequel to the A Queen Among series but mainly because the title intrigued me.
Gabrielle from Xena: Warrior Princess played by Renee O’Connor
The main character is Sorrell. In my head, I was visualizing Gabrielle from Xena: Warrior Princess with the sais. She is diminutive in stature and an Omega, which means she has a wolf but cannot shift. But despite this, she is a warrior, trained by her dad, and wants to be a warrior for the pack. Her weapon of choice: sais. Sadly, their pack does not recognize Omegas as equals and is not included in training.
The new Alpha of the pack is Alden. He did not agree with many things his father, the former Alpha, imposed on the pack. He planned to make some changes, including warrior training for all, including children. He believes that the only way to be sure the pack is safe is if everyone in the pack has the basic skills (at least) to protect it – and the most vulnerable pack members, like the children, are always the ones more likely to get hurt.
He also wanted to change the prejudice his pack has against Omegas. Just because they are unable to shift does not make them any less than the others. Omegas are not servants or slaves. They are mutolupus just like everyone else. He spots Sorrell in the forest training in secret, mimicking the drills below, and is instantly attracted to her. In his heart, he feels she is his mate, but she is still too young to know it.
Ashleigh Dana Burnell’s world feels the same but different at the same time. This is mostly because of the different terms she used in place of the ones most people are used to. Where most authors would call fated mates simply “mate”, she called them “animai”. Where others would just say “werewolf”, she called them “mutolupus”.
I don’t think it is a big deal since authors can basically do whatever they want in their made-up world and as we read, we just get used to it. To be honest, I kept reading “animai” as “animal” so it often made me pause as it didn’t make sense.
Ashleigh Dana Burnell categorizes Bite-Size Luna as a “novella” as it is longer than a short story at 30 chapters. I’ve read shorter stories on Goodnovel but of a different genre.
Bite-Size Luna by Ashleigh Dana Burnell is fun to read. Set in the 70s, it has humor, romance, frustrating characters, new monsters, and unexpected friendships. You can find this jewel on Goodnovel. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 19, 2022 | Book Reviews
I posted a quick recommendation for Mated to the Alpha Twins by Jane Doe on 12 May 2022 on my Facebook and Instagram accounts but I feel like I wasn’t really able to give enough information for a decent review.
Aurora St. Claire is, to all intents and purposes, an orphan. Her dad is still alive but she has never met him. Her mom, who she is now living with after her grandmother passed away, is married to an alcoholic bum and both of them treat her like a waste of space. When her mom is at work her stepfather would hit her and would make sexual advances. Therefore, at an early age, Aurora started working part-time jobs to get out of the house, while at the same time, supporting herself and saving money for college.
Alec and Kane are twins and the kings of campus. The boys wanted to be them and the girls wanted to be with them. From the moment they bumped into Aurora there was something about her that drew them.
Since Alec and Kane are wolves they knew it was the mate bond. The thing is, while they shared most things, as twins are wont to do, they have never shared a woman in the past. But the mate bond tells them that both of them are her mates.
Aurora finds herself strangely attracted to both despite their playing with her and seemingly bullying her. As the story progresses so many things are revealed about Aurora’s true nature, her connection with the boys, and later, the realities of the shifter world. While the story is set in high school for the beginning part of the story, I hesitate to categorize this as YA/Teen as the steamy scenes are just way too steamy! This story needs an 18+ rating.
Jane Doe tells a great story but really needs a good editor. If you can forgive the many grammatical and spelling errors then you will surely enjoy Mated to the Alpha Twins by Jane Doe. You can find it on Goodnovel and on Wattpad, I believe.
Hardin was sexually abused by his mother when he was a teenager and forced to participate in sex for money. Because of this, he had a strong phobia of women and could not stand to be around them. Jacob encountered Hardin while on vacation and from the moment they met, it was magic. Jacob took him away from that life and they have been together since and established a fashion empire.
Jacob and Claire have known each other for years, ever since they were kids. They are 5 years apart in age. Claire used to bring him treats like cupcakes and cookies that they would eat by the lake. Jake would let her join in when he and the other boys were playing, despite the protests of the others. Sweet, ain’t it?
Aurora St. Claire is, to all intents and purposes, an orphan. Her dad is still alive but she has never met him. Her mom, who she is now living with after her grandmother passed away, is married to an alcoholic bum and both of them treat her like a waste of space. When her mom is at work her stepfather would hit her and would make sexual advances. Therefore, at an early age, Aurora started working part-time jobs to get out of the house, while at the same time, supporting herself and saving money for college.
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