magnafeana's reviews
260 reviews

Come Back To Me by Sirena Song

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Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Found On: KU
Available On: KU
Audio: N
Genre(s): why choose (polyam MFMM), contemporary romance, erotic romance, non-shifter omegaverse romance, second chance romance
Demographic: NA
Page Count: 394
Tropes: rejected mates, hurt/comfort, familial toxicity/abuse/betrayal, second chance, friends to one-sided enemies to lovers
POV: multiple
Reproduction:
Y
Third Act Conflict:
External
Intimacy: sexual w/penetration (graphic – plentiful), sensual (major), emotional (minor)
Standalone: Y
Connected to Other Works: Y
Other Notes:
sibling betrayal, medical plot contrivances, anal sex, knotting, heat, rut, nesting, purring, slick, masturbation, OWD (minor), OMD (minor and major w/FMC’s brother), ohana means family, FMC leaves, book follows through the MCs growing up, lack of grovel (MMCs use inuendos and force and rope in the unsupportive family, unsupportive best friend, FMC is a virgin, breakdown (FMC and MMC), family vagues apologies, small town meddling
Personal Rating: 2 ⭐️|1 ♨️| 1 🌶

CHARACTERS

Lizzy. Dreamer turned cynical. Independent with age. Rejected Mate Syndrome. 2.75 ⭐️

Rhett. Shared a kiss with FMC and then bailed in being honest to his mates. Not much to say. 2 ⭐️

Jacob. Tough love parents. Loyal to FMC’s brother. Rejected FMC. Most emotional and forceful Prime alpha. 2.75 ⭐️

Mateo. Sofia (bestie of FMC) brother. Sexual. 2 ⭐️

SUMMARY

In this sweetverse, what should have been Lizzy’s childhood sweethearts recognizing her as their mate turns into a sour rejection thanks to their loyalty to her brother, which has her cut ties and go to Omega Academy. Just one problem: all that sweet stuff Jacob, Mateo, and Rhett did for her as a child was considered courtship and now she’s a rejected omega trying to navigate independence. When Lizzy’s time is up at school, everyone wants her to forget the past and think of her brother Landon’s future bonded to the men Lizzy knows are her mates.

And now…they know she’s their mate too.

The cat’s out of the bag. Lizzy’s claim all those years in childhood had credence, and everyone let Landon lead them astray. With Lizzy getting sicker in her body and stronger in resentment and sadness, everyone decides they know what’s best for her and forces her to move in with the mates who neglected her. But not everyone comes together as seamlessly as people want.

Lizzy needs time. These alphas need to understand the truth of their actions. And Landon and everyone who sat aside needs to take accountability for the betrayal they cost four hurting souls.

OVERALL

This was a good read until it wasn’t.

Lizzy’s family is more concerned with “what will the neighbors think?” and “family forgives” than advocating for the safety, health, and well-being of their daughter—including vaguing apologies for their behavior in this. Her alleged best friend also thinks using force and stressing her friend out is worth it if her friend gets the D and her brother is happy. And, here we are again. An omega’s first heat with her pack is used to invite a pregnancy that has no reason to be happy right now, and, when there should’ve been more serious moments and grovel, humor and sex jokes replace it ad nauseam.

Great.

The only plus for me and why this was rated a 2 is that Lizzy wants time, and she gets it. She doesn’t stay in the same room as her pack. Instead, she sleeps alone in the nest. Her breakdown and wanting to talk about everything they put her through? Loved it.

Another plus? The OW wasn’t a massive dog. She came and went. Good for her.

WHAT WOULD HAVE INCREASED MY RATING

Let’s knock out toxic families for one.

I hate this with a burning passion, where the families and friends infantilize the MC and make decisions on their behalf and ignore their emotions and history—and the MC rolls over and lets it happen. So off the bat? If the family is going to be toxic, Lizzy decides to cut them off. Family thinks she won’t, but she does, and she warns Sofia is next if she tries acting a fool. Lizzy then gets a cheap place near her place of work instead. Now her family is uncertain what to do as Lizzy went no-contact, and Landon is being blasé about it. Sofia is the one to bring up to the family about what she believes Landon did. This is where pieces start clicking.

Lizzy is sick, and maybe she’s hospitalized and forgot to take her family off her emergency contacts. Her family is apologizing and understands Lizzy now. They want her home, but they’re defending her from Landon and even the pack.

There is no forcing her and cornering her to live with the pack.

Maybe Lizzy occasionally decides to spend time at the house, but she emphasizes she needs time. Her heat comes, but she spends it alone or something. Or if she does spend it with the pack, she makes it clear about birth control and not wanting to bring children into the mess.

The Landon plot can still happen, sure. But man, just nixing the toxic family and the meddling town and all the “force her to live with them” would’ve bumped my rating.

Tame Me by Sirena Song

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adventurous tense fast-paced

3.75

Found On: KU
Available On: KU
Audio: N
Genre(s): why choose (polym MMFMMM), contemporary romance, erotic romance, non-shifter omegaverse romance
Demographic: NA
Page Count: 462
Tropes: camgirl FMC, minor hurt/comfort, courting of convenience, BDSM (lite)
POV: multiple
Reproduction:
N
Third Act Conflict:
External
Intimacy: sexual w/penetration (graphic – plentiful), sensual (major), emotional (moderate)
Standalone: Y
Connected to Other Works: Y
Other Notes:
history of abuse, medical malpractice, brief OMD, anal sex, knotting, nesting, purring, slick, masturbation, spanking, overenthusiastic bestie (she’s not physically with the FMC), menages
Personal Rating: 3.75 ⭐️|4 ♨️| 2 🌶

CHARACTERS

Madison. Camgirl. History of parentification (on herself) and early maturity to survive. Sophisticated brat. Confident. Competent. Sassy without needing to say she’s sassy. Empathetic and sympathetic. A woman with masks. 4.5 ⭐️

Luca. “Puppy”. Protective. Bodyguard. Outsider now wanting in. Caring. 4 ⭐️

Nicholas. Can’t remember much about him, honestly. 2 ⭐️

Avery. Homemaker. Submissive. Nutritionist. Artist. Secretary. 3.5 ⭐️

Vincent. Child of unsavory circumstances. Honors his mother. Dom. Quiet but kind. 3.5 ⭐️

Alex. Prime Alpha. Needs to maintain control. Clinical. 4 ⭐️

SUMMARY

In this omegaverse, money is everything—to Madison, that is. As an omega who had a hard knock life and a dreamer omega mom, Madison has made it clear she can depend on her, herself, and she through camgirl work and being a woman who hides behind infinite masks rather than love and scents.

And that makes her the perfect match for the Kings Pack.

Founded and bonded through the trauma LanCo has brought upon them, the Kings Pack is done trying to get to the bottom of things with LanCorp through the owner’s omega daughter and set their sights on Madison beefing up their social status—and being the glue that holds this fraying pack together.

In their teasing and tete-a-tetes, Madison and the King Pack will learn that money and revenge aren’t all that life has to offer. Maybe, at the end of their three-month contract, Madison can stay and be the omega this pack needs. But when Lancaster goes for the jugular, Madison has a choice to make: security for the pack by staying away, or giving into the one thing she’d never consider—“love”.

Wow.

What – a book.

And what a book that I’m confused why a second book was needed.

OVERALL POSITIVES ✅

+ Madison being a confident, feminine “it” girl. Love that for her. Loved her confidence.

+ Loved the dynamics Madison had with each pack member.

+ Loved the sex worker rep!

+ The initial first third of the book was GREAT and rife with ~tension~

+ Lack of shyness and embarrassment with Madison being sexualized. LOVE that

OVERALL POSITIVES ❌

— Didn’t like how she didn’t resist and her “techniques” to be chased out was…getting closer to them. M’kay.

— Wasn’t a fan of some of the “girlie” and “girlie-pop”. I don’t know. I more expected a black FMC at that point, being a black woman myself. I ended up ignoring all the descriptions and decided Madison was a black FMC with white-blonde passion twists so

— Too many MMCs. Nic and Luca could’ve merged, relationship or not. It felt like Nic only existed for the relationship he had with Luca and not much else. Avery was just a glorified secretary/butler to the pack. He was more a gay bestie than an actual member of the pack.

— Poly relationships that were just…there. Avery and Vincent’s relationship was all hyped up to be “what if she accepts us”, but nothing about that really happened. They never made a reveal. They were there. No one said a word. Nobody moved.

— No relationship struggles. Everything was easy—too easy. Madison just “knew” and, I get it, she maintains a lot of masks, but I guess I wanted to actually see how different their intimacy needs and wants were and fall in love with them making it work between them.

— Another day, another “brat”, “BDSM” warning that really does nothing since no one knows what “bratting” 🥴

— Sadie had a character assassination, but I also never read her book and never want to. She’s just another FMC who seems like she’ll turn the other cheek at violence because “I’ve never personally experienced it, so why should I care?”. Yeah, nah, not a girls’ girl, not a girlie-pop, none of that ish.

WHAT WOULD HAVE INCREASED MY RATING:

More tension, more bratting, more sexual tension, less “easiness”, less “sex”.

I enjoy Madison being a more sophisticated brat, but I would’ve abstained from her pranks personally, at least until book two. I would’ve had her be a bit more clinical behind doors and give itty-bitty pieces of herself to each MMC. Maybe she gives in, but then something reminds her not to, and the pack is slowly losing their minds. She’s still confident and playful and disobedient, but she keeps a polite distance for a good portion of the book. I’d love to see more sexual and ssensual tension as well, rather than actual sexual acts. The book’s strong suit to ME was the tension and not the act itself.

Third Act Breakup

I know. I hate this. But I kinda wanted it so something happened. End of the three months, the bomb drop of Madison being a camgirl, Madison being overwhelmed, Madison reverts back Candy Mode, and the pack knows she needs to go. She gets her money, and she’s clinical about it. Maybe she secures her mother and her in a better flat or something. Maybe something makes her independently team up with Sadie, who might think the Kings Pack hurt her, but Madison disagrees and lays into Sadie for being an omega who turns her back on other omegas. Sadie gets the stick out of her butt and realizes Madison’s right, and she decides she needs to help or she’d be no better than an accomplice to her father’s crimes. The King Pack gets involved, naturally, but Madison isn’t going back to them. LanCorp is defeated. Sadie is the one, however, who gives Madison the courage and even takes some sense into the King Pack.

The end.

Consolidate the Pack or make them more defined

Again, Nic was just there. Avery was a glorified butler. All Vincent had was the trauma with his mother. Demonstrate more personality and dynamics or consolidate.

Show more, less tell

So Madison is an active member of the community and society now? Show it! Don’t montage it! I’d love to see Madison around a variety of omegas, learning their stories, and, in turn, she learns more about herself too. I wanted to see more intellectual and emotional intimacy between her and the MMCs outside of them being in the house.

OVERALL

A good read and one I’ll probably reread for the tension. I’m disappointed erotica took the lead over romanticism, and Madison’s confident and sophisticated bratting was dialed into a girl in love. I wanted to see more of her being icy and masked rather than just slotting herself in, especially considered her mottos on financial security over romantic security.

Enchanted by Emilie Ocean

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Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.25

DISCLAIMER: I received this book by HiddenGems for an honest review. All my thoughts and opinions are my own.

Found On: HiddenGems
Available On: KU
Audio: N
Genre(s): fantasy romance, adventure fantasy
Demographic: NA
Page Count: 311 pages
Tropes: virgin FMC, fantasy species, magic and technology in modern age, “female”/“male”, arranged marriage options, fight for her hand
POV: multiple
Reproduction:
N
Third Act Conflict:
External
Intimacy: sexual w/penetration (graphic – moderate)
Standalone: Y (for now)
Connected to Other Works: TBD
Personal Rating: 2.5 ⭐️

I wish I had more to say about this book, but this just wasn’t for me. By 20%, I was skimming. The inserts, the use of exclamation marks, the lack of romance between Juliette and Feidhlim, and the weirdness of El and Juliette’s friendship.

WHAT WOULD HAVE INCREASED MY RATING:

Revaluating Elmas.

I enjoy “Peacocking”, spoiled boys, but Elmas lost interest with his weird friendship with Juliette and Juliette just accepting him using blackmail and crap. The blackmail was just…contrived. He really was never 2ML material to begin with. Making him a friend of Juliette point-blank would have been a nice addition.

Conlags.

The “[foreign dialogue here]” (translations here) wasn’t necessary. If they’re speaking the foreign language, it would have been less clunky to simply write what they say in English and use dialogue tags to declare they’re speaking another language.

Juliette and Fiedhlim

I was here for a Black competent FMC and a Draco-esque MMC, but what I was an FMC I didn’t have any feelings for and a pathetic MMC. Granted, I skimmed, but I would have bumped up my rating if they’d been dressed up a bit in their personalities. I didn’t cheer for them as individuals, and I certainly didn’t cheer for them as a couple. Maybe having them as an arranged couple with Juliette disliking him, and the MMC a simp for her would have caught my eye with the tension, especially with the MMC accidentally proving her right about him in having private meetings with her father. I just…need more. I needed more compelling reasons why I should enjoy them independently and together. And, in the entirety of the book, Juliette never laid down roots for her to be internally consistent to me, Feidhlim was just…pathetic for no real reason.

OVERALL

This was a 2 ⭐️ star read for me. I read it. I’m bummed that a BW/WM fantasy romance went wayside for me again. I want more BW/WM romances, especially as a BW myself, but this wasn’t for me.

A Tale of the Nine Lands by J. K. F. Sandham

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.0

Middle of the Road 2.75 stars rounded up fantasy adventure novel.

DISCLAIMER: I received this ARC via VoraciousReadersOnly in exchange for an honest review. All my thoughts are my personal opinions.

“A Tale of Nine Lands” is an entryway to an eventual in-the-works series revolving around species and races of the Nine Lands in their struggles for power and hoarding magic, and the oppressed rising against the abuse and misinformation beaten into them.

I consider this book an…allegedly interesting entry point into a WIP series.

In the blurb, it speaks of three protagonists: Theo, Ash, and Exiluk. And, to the book’s credit, it steadily and consistently patterns their POVs, each one disconnected from the other. But the blurb also states, “Brought together by fate, an unlikely trio holds the key to release the Nine Lands from the shadows”.

By the end of the book, however, none of these three have met or have a relation to each other.

…

I think this book served not as an entry point but as a prologue book or a Book 0 novel. It gave backstory, but it didn’t do what the blurb set out to accomplish. Once the protagonists are all with each other, I’ll consider the main narrative has started.

I had a few other issues and compliments for the book.

POSITIVES

• I did enjoy this had multiple species and would be a globetrotting book, essentially.
• I enjoyed some of the platonic relationships in this book.
• Peeling back some of the storytelling devices, the bones of the characters showed good promise.
• Nifty. Nuff said.
• Cover is gorgeous.

NEGATIVES

• Stylistic choices. Much of the writing is “He did this. And then she did that. And he could sense… And he could feel…”. Now, some authors get away with this. Rather than using more varying structures in their prose, they’re more repetitive and straight. This is a stylistic choice. But even then, there’s still something about the characters that makes the story worth listening to. This leads me to my next negative…
• Characters. I wasn’t really engaged in the characters or their motivations. By the end, I couldn’t comprehend why Ash went to great lengths for Serene. We’re told it, so I know t. But I couldn’t understand or comprehend. Theo is repeatedly a coward who is more entertained by a pretty girl than much else in life. And I couldn’t really understand Exiluk nor his motivation.
• The Nine Lands. For all that was spoken, while the races/species had their charms, the lands we’re introduced to did not. I’m more of an enjoyer when places have more distinct features and cultures and everything is very homogenous. This could be because I didn’t invest highly in the writing, however.

OVERALL

This was more like a prologue, book 0, or prelude act rather than a Book 1 entry point into the world of ATONL. I would have removed “Brought together by fate”, as the protagonists don’t meet each other in the end. This isn’t the type of Book 1 to get me into a series, but it may very well work for others. The author has a vision, and I hope he can successfully translate it into the rest of the series.

Monster Bully by Sam Crescent

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fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

A 2.25 star read on a dark bully age-gap romance

DISCLAIMER: I received this ARC via BookSirens in exchange for an honest review. All my thoughts are my personal opinions.

SUMMARY

When Grim met stranger “good” Eve, he knew her light would drown in his darkness—and he didn’t care. For Eve, Graham Doe is a little odd, but he’s charming in his own way. And for both of them, marriage becomes a natural conclusion to their romance.

Until one year later showed Eve her husband was nothing more than a lie.

Now Eve is trapped with this mysterious, murderous Grim, and Grim is stranded as his wife is desperate to leave him. Whether Eve likes it or not, Grim won’t let her leave.

And he won’t let anyone who touches her leave alive, either.

***

Found On: BookSirens (ARC)
Available On: Amazon (US)
Audio: N
Genre(s): bully romance, (semi) dark erotic romance
Demographic: Adult
Page Count: 108 pages
Tropes: secret identity, cruel MMC, virtuous FMC, strangers to lovers to enemies to lovers, fast burn
POV: dual, past
Reproduction:
Y
Third Act Conflict:
External
Intimacy: sexual intimacy w/ penetration (graphic), sensual (minor), emotional (minor)
Standalone: Y
Connected to Other Works: Y
Other Notes:
negative depictions of care homes, “when women refuse”, entrapment (MMC to FMC), abuse, body betrayal syndrome, murder/death of side characters, assault (FMC), blood
Personal Rating:
2.25 ⭐️ | 0 🌶 | ♨️|

***

CHARACTERS

Grim/Graham Doe. Foster kid. Self-proclaimed “evil”. Cruel. OTT J/P. 2.5 ⭐️

Eve. “Good”. Helpful. Determined. Sees the best in people. Body betrayal syndrome. No flaws. 2.5 ⭐️

***

OVERALL

The story’s net positive was in its summary. I’m a sucker for bully romances and dark romances. Learning this one would be about a man who lured in an unsuspecting but trusting woman to be his wife under his carefully-crafted persona, only for the illusion to shatter, and she’s trapped with him?

My bread and butter.

Unfortunately, I think I lost the plot.

This is a fast burn and something I wouldn’t read, as well as very intense with things being black and white. Rather than the audience also falling for the illusion Grim set up, falling in love with him as Eve does, we’re notified point-blank he’s a “bad guy” in a bit of a Jojo Siwa “Karma” way. He emphasizes how cruel, evil, and uncaring he is, while Eve is perfectly perfect in every way. “Good” and “Evil” are used a lot. From Eve, the most I understood from her is that she’s “good” and easily fooled, and, while she’s in dismay about her husband lying to her, she’s not really wanting to escape him. There’s no struggle with her morality or ethics in staying with him either.

This being around 20 or so pages too many from being a novella coupled with my complaints may have led me to having a lower rating.

I’m not a fast-burn reader, so I cannot appreciate this pseudo-novella. As a dark romance, dark erotica, and dark fiction reader, I would have preferred a fleshed 300-page novel or so, in which in the beginning, we’re in Alice’s perspective, and we see what she sees in “Graham Doe”. We fall for him, though we sense something about him is dangerous, and, at the moment, that excites her. From there, we follow Alice in her marriage with “Graham” and all the intimate details. We also get to where Eve is kidnapped, and she’s doused with the reality her husband is Grim. From there, I could be satisfied in either splitting between Grim and Eve’s perspectives or keeping this in Eve’s point of view. We’re all left on the edge of our seat, not understanding Grim but recognizing his actions are very considerate and romantic towards Eve.

This was a bit of a disappointing read, as I was in the mood for something dark and depraved, and it tricks your mind into believing one thing and then shocking you into another. I wouldn’t necessarily classify this under bully romance as “bully” is self-prescribed by the MMC of how he treats others. He’s not a bully towards the FMC at all, which is a shame. I like bully romances ☹️

BOTTOM LINE: This book is for fast-burn novella readers who want something that doesn’t linger too much on the emotional beats and is very cut-and-dry with “good” and “bad”. Not the book for me, but it could be the book for you.

Heart on Ice by Calliope Stewart

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emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

What’s on the tin is on the tin, and I’m all right with that!

“Heart on Ice” is an omegaverse sports novel featuring Ciara, an alpha FMC with a chip on her shoulder. After perusing a slightly unhealthy relationship with alpha Leith (MMC1), Ciara being blocked from her life is aiding her in moving on from him and moving in to her own hurt and trauma, not just from her abused history but from a father-figure’s own anger towards her. Four years later, and Ciara encounters the going-blind skater Artem “Artie”, a male omega, the asshole alpha and sports announcer Enzo, Leith in their pack, and free agent alpha Jae-Sun “Wiz”, a hockey player. When Ciara is forced to navigate these new relationships and opportunities, she does what she does best: run. But when two emotional bombs hit her, it’s time for Ciara to stand still.

POSITIVES

**CIARA***
A female alpha who isn’t burly and surly - yaaaaas! I truly enjoyed Ciara as a lady alpha.

I enjoyed Ciara so much! I think the people who read this and weren’t on her side may not have a deeper appreciation for Ciara and her relationship with her trauma. I truly did not feel like her decisions to run were “shake” worthy.

Admittedly, I didn’t like Ciara’s characterization in book one and skimmed her in book two. She gave “Romance Book Bestie” syndrome constantly, so having her in her own book was nice to actually see a personality.

Now, I don’t like Brynn’s personality. But negatives later.

**WIZ**

I love him. No notes. He consistently had Ciara’s back and brought the “comfort” into hurt/comfort.

**THEME OF FORGIVENESS**

I did enjoy that Ciara did not immediately forgive Finneas, her abusive father.

**ARTIE**

I enjoyed him as a male omega. He might be my favorite one yet as well. No spoiled, not bratty, and an active pursuant of Ciara without being pushy.

NEGATIVES

**THEME OF FORGIVENESS**

The book had a theme of forgiveness and how forgiveness should not be because someone feels sorry and they’d changed. It should be granted by the person wronged and only when they feel ready for that. And even then, forgiveness is not automatic, nor does it ever need to come into fruition.

Where this is a negative is two points: (1) Alexei and ((2) Enzo.

ALEXEI

Alexei is Ciara’s father, or father-in-heart. In the first book, we understand that Alexei unfairly lashed out at Ciara, causing Ciara to go away. In Book one and now in THIS book, we never see how Alexei and Ciara repaired their relationship. I think the author didn’t know *how* to write that repair, so we got the cliff notes version of it. Ciara’s book was the perfect time to enlighten us on her and Alexei, but we didn’t.

ENZO

Enzo himself is an entire negative. I’m glad Ciara and others called out his manhandling, but it pisses me off that he was so easily forgiven for the direct pain and harm he brought to everyone around him. I hated that Enzo does a kind thing and vomits his own story for Ciara and all is forgiven.

**LORE DUMPS**

Didn’t care for all the lore dumps on character’s backstories. No.

**SEX OVER LOVE***

It’s always the omega’s heat that jump starts everything—always. Didn’t care for Ciara’s biting Artie in public. It WAS irresponsible. I just sighed. Such is omegaverse. Rarely can an omegaverse book not have the first heat in a book be what puts the relationship together. Dang. No courtship. No emotional intimacy. Just lots go physical.

NEUTRAL STANCES

**THIRD ACT**

I don’t love the third act, but I’ll tolerate it.

I liked that Ciara ran. I very much think she needed to. And I’m an angsty person, so Ciara running to see her father, and Wiz backing her up, was all I needed. I personally just needed more. I wasn’t really feeling that Ciara was ready to open up to anyone outside of Wiz. Especially with what Enzo pulled, my hurt/comfort loving self wanted some more hurt to earn comfort. I was hopeful Ciara would be upset with Wiz for selling her out, and she’d need time away from everyone. FROM THERE, she’d visit Finneas. Finneas would tell her about things, things that give Ciara something to think about.

The guys would find a way to grovel and apologize. Ciara needs things to slow down. They do simple things. The death happens. The pack has a talk about things to get them onto the right track, and we FINALLY see some courtship happening!

Not to mention, the pregnancy thing was getting old. It was just added more as a connection to keep her with the men and they “Take responsibility”. I wanted Ciara to stop running on her own volition without needing a biological connection to the pack. I will never not be weirded out by the “touch the bump” stuff, I’m sorry.

I understand emotions were high, but I just don’t feel all that great with the third act conflict and it’s resolution.

OVERALL

A good book with a female alpha, so I’ll rec it. Not too terribly impressed but not overly vexed.

* **Found On**: KU (US)
* **Available On**: KU
* **Audio**: N
* **Genre(s)**: omegaverse, sports, modern, contemporary, why-choose, poly, queer romance, second chance
* **Tropes**: alpha FMC, male omega, knotting, heats, ruts, nesting, MMMFM, surprise pregnancy, independent FMC, alpha-alpha relationships, hurt/comfort
* **POV**: Multi (third person past tense limited)
* **Reproduction**: Y
* **Third Act Conflict**: Internal
* **Intimacy**: Explcit, on-page graphic sexual; minor sensual and emotional
* **Standalone**: N
* **Connected to Other Works**: Y
* **Other Notes**:
abusive parents (FMC, on and off page), spectrum blindness (MMC), FMC is a runner with a cause, mean girls, sports drama, harassment of FMC (MMC does this to FMC), insufficient groveling, missing pieces, easy forgiveness, sex = loves, hormonal rush, death in the family, protective asshole MMC
* **Personal Rating**: 3.75 stars

Content Warnings

Shadowlands Omega by Elizabeth Stephens

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dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.75

Alpha Kings by Roe Horvat

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Alpha Kings was a book I wished went on longer!

This’ll be a short review.

Premise matches the plot to a certain extent. Prince Aiken is an abused omega forced into silence by his father, a king who knows nothing better than how to kiss his own ass. Bear and Wolf, leaders of a “barbaric” land, have come to remind the king his foolishness in cleaving peace with war will cost him his omega son. And in that, Aiken learns how to shed the shrouds of his past and embrace what it means to be a liberated omega.

AIKEN

I liked his character. I wouldn’t call him lovable, but I wouldn’t discount him either. I don’t quite buy that he was “defiant”, and that portion of him felt forced than what was implied. He gave into the demands of his omega biology fairly quickly. I enjoyed his judgment wasn’t loud.

**What I wanted more of**

I wish he had been a bit more reserved and hesitant. The book explicitly tells us he is, but I wanted more implications of him doing so. For example,

when Aiken witnesses his first fertility celebration, he caves to Bear and Wolf, while both brothers abstain from it. But Aiken further pursues this. I was hoping that Aiken wouldn’t, honestly. I wanted more sexual tension.

And for another meh thing

with all the allusions off omegas falling in love for the winning Alphas, and Aiken’s sudden jealousy, I was hoping Aiken would use that a bit. He’d make it clear that, as Bear and Wolf sought other boys, he’s free to seek another Alpha. Let the brothers fight for their right to Aiken and let Aiken experience what the book set up.

Overall, Aiken is a cutie.

BEAR AND WOLF

I wish I had more to say, but I don’t. Both didn’t really have any growth. I understood why Roe chose to show

both brothers enjoying the flesh of other omegas

, but eh… Wolf was the resistant one, but it wasn’t a firm resistance, and Bear was all-in. That was kinda it.

OVERALL

This was an erotic romance, and I enjoyed reading it for that aspect. It was a 3.75 star read.

NOTES:

Fast burn
Explicit, open door
OM involved
Breeding/pregnancy/babies
Queernormative
Menage
Virgin MC
Three POVs (though Bear and Wolf have a bit of the same “voice”)
Quasi-nesting

Content Warnings

Wolf Shunned by Laurel Night

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4.0

The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews

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magnafeana's reviews 260 reviews

magnafeana's reviews
260 reviews