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highladyofdelulu's reviews
391 reviews
Willing Prey: A Primal Romance Novella by Allie Oleander, Allie Oleander
5.0
My song for Willing Prey: You’re Mine (The Chase) by Meiko
’I want her nails on my skin, scratching me the same way. I want to hear her cries echo off the trees, feel her fighting and thrashing underneath me. Anticipation makes my muscles sing. I’ll get everything I want. I just have to catch her.’
This review includes quotes that could be considered spoilers
---
Willing Prey is a beautifully written novel that talks about the primal sort of love as much as what it means to find and be found by the person that truly sees you and what you have to offer. It is heavy in smut, full focus on the primal and chasing kink, but also incredibly sweet so much else to be found underneath the surface.
’Turns out, never rocking the boat doesn’t mean you’re a great sailor. Only means it takes longer to lean who will toss you overboard at the first sign of rough waters.’
Claire has been cheated on. And she’s thick. And, because society is cruel and the voices incredibly loud, she speaks to a fear I share. To insecurities I too struggle with. She knows what she wants, she is strong and handles it, pushes through. But the voices are never gone, always lurking in the background to spur snarky remarks.
My first thought about meeting him was so that’s how Khal Drogo would look shaved and in a suit
That Shane chooses her healed my heart in ways I wasn’t aware I needed. Because Shane is intense and captivating. And he sees her. In all that she is and all she deserves. I love him.
And I love that even amidst their dynamics, Claire empowers herself just as much.
”Don’t fight it. Show me how much you like being hunted. How much you like being my prey.”
The book focuses entirely on the dynamic of these two main characters, learning from each other and unraveling together with just the right amount of drama and anticipation.
There’s angst but it’s manageable with the dual POV, which provides beautiful insights to both sides without taking away on the suspense.
’She’s trying to sound nonchalant, but there’s an ache underneath that makes me want to kiss her, touch her, coax out those hungry little whimpers instead of her sounding so sad.’
The writing style is immaculate, the time frame and pace exactly right, in my opinion. Although I feel like I could have read a lot more about those two, their story has been told and I love it.
Willing Prey is a fast read and one I can only recommend to all smut lovers with a weakness for the primal and intense. And especially to the fellow babes who still can’t quite shut out the voices telling them they don’t deserve to be loved because of their looks.
’Thick thighs I need to put my face between. Wide hips I’m going to dig my fingers into while I take her from behind.’
Bonus points for an encounter in the woods with both, the man and the bear that’s results in a shredded sports bra.
”I’m not sure what it says about me if you’re surprised I don’t want you roaming around the woods at night with a bear.
’I want her nails on my skin, scratching me the same way. I want to hear her cries echo off the trees, feel her fighting and thrashing underneath me. Anticipation makes my muscles sing. I’ll get everything I want. I just have to catch her.’
This review includes quotes that could be considered spoilers
---
Willing Prey is a beautifully written novel that talks about the primal sort of love as much as what it means to find and be found by the person that truly sees you and what you have to offer. It is heavy in smut, full focus on the primal and chasing kink, but also incredibly sweet so much else to be found underneath the surface.
’Turns out, never rocking the boat doesn’t mean you’re a great sailor. Only means it takes longer to lean who will toss you overboard at the first sign of rough waters.’
Claire has been cheated on. And she’s thick. And, because society is cruel and the voices incredibly loud, she speaks to a fear I share. To insecurities I too struggle with. She knows what she wants, she is strong and handles it, pushes through. But the voices are never gone, always lurking in the background to spur snarky remarks.
My first thought about meeting him was so that’s how Khal Drogo would look shaved and in a suit
That Shane chooses her healed my heart in ways I wasn’t aware I needed. Because Shane is intense and captivating. And he sees her. In all that she is and all she deserves. I love him.
And I love that even amidst their dynamics, Claire empowers herself just as much.
”Don’t fight it. Show me how much you like being hunted. How much you like being my prey.”
The book focuses entirely on the dynamic of these two main characters, learning from each other and unraveling together with just the right amount of drama and anticipation.
There’s angst but it’s manageable with the dual POV, which provides beautiful insights to both sides without taking away on the suspense.
’She’s trying to sound nonchalant, but there’s an ache underneath that makes me want to kiss her, touch her, coax out those hungry little whimpers instead of her sounding so sad.’
The writing style is immaculate, the time frame and pace exactly right, in my opinion. Although I feel like I could have read a lot more about those two, their story has been told and I love it.
Willing Prey is a fast read and one I can only recommend to all smut lovers with a weakness for the primal and intense. And especially to the fellow babes who still can’t quite shut out the voices telling them they don’t deserve to be loved because of their looks.
’Thick thighs I need to put my face between. Wide hips I’m going to dig my fingers into while I take her from behind.’
Bonus points for an encounter in the woods with both, the man and the bear that’s results in a shredded sports bra.
”I’m not sure what it says about me if you’re surprised I don’t want you roaming around the woods at night with a bear.
The Never King by Nikki St. Crowe
5.0
My song for The Never King: Cradles by Sub Urban
For update after I finished the entire series see below
Ok I’ve heard a lot but I have still not expected to enjoy this book so much!
It’s fun and intense in all the right ways.
Spicy as can be and so far one of the few examples of why-choose I actually enjoy reading.
Seeing as it is a retelling of my favorite fairytale since I can remember, I was a bit hesitant as to whether I could roll with it.
Turns out, I can do more than that. I loved the plotting and the twist and the way it all makes sense and doesn’t feel deconstructed.
The writing I was most scared of because I personally found that too often popular books like this disappoint me. But it’s amazingly written, using the right sentences we all love without forcing them into the story.
It’s might not have been a life altering masterpiece for me but I genuinely enjoyed it so much.
Will dive immediately into the second book. (Mostly cause I’m absolutely curious as to how the dynamics evolve
For update after I finished the entire series see below
Ok I’ve heard a lot but I have still not expected to enjoy this book so much!
It’s fun and intense in all the right ways.
Spicy as can be and so far one of the few examples of why-choose I actually enjoy reading.
Seeing as it is a retelling of my favorite fairytale since I can remember, I was a bit hesitant as to whether I could roll with it.
Turns out, I can do more than that. I loved the plotting and the twist and the way it all makes sense and doesn’t feel deconstructed.
The writing I was most scared of because I personally found that too often popular books like this disappoint me. But it’s amazingly written, using the right sentences we all love without forcing them into the story.
It’s might not have been a life altering masterpiece for me but I genuinely enjoyed it so much.
Will dive immediately into the second book. (Mostly cause I’m absolutely curious as to how the dynamics evolve
The Right Thing to Do by LovesBitca8
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
Leather and Lark by Brynne Weaver
4.0
3.75
My song for Leather & Lark: Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine. But also Rocky Road to Dublin by the Dubliners, because obviously
“Geallaim duit a bheith i mo fhear céile dílis duit, fad a mhairimid le chéile”
There was so much to love about this book! The male narrator voice with the Irish dialect in the audiobook?
To die for!
The marriage of convenience trope? Yes, please!
The way Lachlan sees Lark in all her brokenness, every piece of her? I love it!
And not to mention all the small not so small things he does out of love, not just grand gestures but the tiny acts of appreciation? Yeah, I’m done for.
“You are choosing love, Lark. And I am so proud of you.”
Lachlan is a dream, the way he barely dares to hope for love yet is willing to give whatever is necessary is something I will always be weak for. I still feel like his character could’ve profited from a bit more depth, but it still worked.
Lark is unhinged and the perfect match for someone like Lachlan. I still found myself being irritated by her at times, but I liked her much more than I thought I would. She is relatable, hilarious, badass and a queen of masking. Gotta appreciate that.
“Secure your eyeballs. Repeat. Secure your eyeballs.”
Again, Brynne Weaver’s writing style is amazing, the images she creates so vivid and intense, and she always manages to conjure all the feels! I love a book that can make me swoon and cackle and be in suspense and anticipation – and shift between the emotions within seconds. The smut is so good and the stage scene is a definite favorite! Not to mention that I’m a sucker for Irish men and hearing the gaelic phrases was my undoing.
“Sometimes you need to carve the things you've lost right into your skin so you remember what you left behind.”
Also: special thank you for using the term delete when I’ve been so hung up on it for a while already .
My song for Leather & Lark: Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine. But also Rocky Road to Dublin by the Dubliners, because obviously
“Geallaim duit a bheith i mo fhear céile dílis duit, fad a mhairimid le chéile”
There was so much to love about this book! The male narrator voice with the Irish dialect in the audiobook?
To die for!
The marriage of convenience trope? Yes, please!
The way Lachlan sees Lark in all her brokenness, every piece of her? I love it!
And not to mention all the small not so small things he does out of love, not just grand gestures but the tiny acts of appreciation? Yeah, I’m done for.
“You are choosing love, Lark. And I am so proud of you.”
Lachlan is a dream, the way he barely dares to hope for love yet is willing to give whatever is necessary is something I will always be weak for. I still feel like his character could’ve profited from a bit more depth, but it still worked.
Lark is unhinged and the perfect match for someone like Lachlan. I still found myself being irritated by her at times, but I liked her much more than I thought I would. She is relatable, hilarious, badass and a queen of masking. Gotta appreciate that.
“Secure your eyeballs. Repeat. Secure your eyeballs.”
Again, Brynne Weaver’s writing style is amazing, the images she creates so vivid and intense, and she always manages to conjure all the feels! I love a book that can make me swoon and cackle and be in suspense and anticipation – and shift between the emotions within seconds. The smut is so good and the stage scene is a definite favorite! Not to mention that I’m a sucker for Irish men and hearing the gaelic phrases was my undoing.
“Sometimes you need to carve the things you've lost right into your skin so you remember what you left behind.”
Also: special thank you for using the term delete when I’ve been so hung up on it for a while already .
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
3.0
I was so excited to get on the powerless train, not least after seeing all the fanart of Kai
Conclave by Penelope Douglas
3.0
3.5 ⭐️
Not always a fan of Novellas but the angst and emotion in this one were good! And it actually felt relevant.
Honestly though… I’ve seen the comments bashing Rika and I don’t agree. I like who she’s becoming.
However: all the women of the first 3 books need to learn how to communicate. The men too, tbf, but they weren’t the issue in this book.
I know they’re all barely in their early 20s, but if you want to take over a town you’d probably do well to not jump to conclusions and hide in your fear..
Not always a fan of Novellas but the angst and emotion in this one were good! And it actually felt relevant.
Honestly though… I’ve seen the comments bashing Rika and I don’t agree. I like who she’s becoming.
However: all the women of the first 3 books need to learn how to communicate. The men too, tbf, but they weren’t the issue in this book.
I know they’re all barely in their early 20s, but if you want to take over a town you’d probably do well to not jump to conclusions and hide in your fear..
Bloody, Slutty, and Pathetic by WhatMurdah
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.
All the Wrong Things by LovesBitca8
For non-book records, review text and ratings are hidden. Only mood, pace, and content warnings are visible.