winter_is_reading's reviews
540 reviews

How To Train Your Human Omega by Arden Fox

adventurous dark funny medium-paced

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

4.25

**I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review**

This was fun, funny, surprisingly dark at times (check CWs if you have sensitivities), and overall really enjoyable. The cover art is so cute, probs one of my favorites for MM indie sci-fi romance. There was some build-up to get to the spice, but when it hit… 🔥🔥💯 A bit of a brat/tamer dynamic that I didn’t expect to love!

If you liked the “confused buff dude gets called an omega” storyline in Bro and The Beast by LC Davis, or the “space traveler gets kidnapped bc aliens think he’s an omega” in The Alien’s Omega by Sienna Sway, you’ll enjoy this!

Spice: 3/5
Angst: 3/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Minor: Sexual assault and Medical trauma

Lore & Lust by Karla Nikole

hopeful lighthearted slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is written in present tense and has a simplistic screenwriting style to it. It may throw off some readers like it did me, but treating it like it’s part-novel, part-script helped my brain settle into a reading flow. 

The book itself is slow burn, low angst, high fluff, friends-to-lovers cuteness. I’m curious where it’s going in book 2.

Spice: 2-3/5
Angst: 1/5

Alpha Kings by Roe Horvat

lighthearted fast-paced

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

3.5

On par for the Hedonist series. That is to say the plot is 10 smutty scenes in a trench coat, even more so than Roe’s other books IMO. Fun if it’s what you’re looking for, though I think the writing was a tad weaker than usual.

Spice: 6/5
Angst: 1/5

Prince of Agony by Tavia Lark

adventurous emotional hopeful slow-paced

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

4.0

I’ve been looking forward to this book for a while, so naturally my first and main complaint is this should be longer. I needed way more Kazia and Lucien and a bigger, longer ending. Kazia is one of my favorite Perilous Courts characters, and I want the world for him. 

Despite it being shorter than I like, this was pretty fun and enjoyably darker than the other books.

Spice: 2-3/5
Angst: 3/5

Human Omega: Married to the Barbarian Prince by Eileen Glass

adventurous hopeful inspiring reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.75

I feel like this book could’ve been a little shorter, though I don’t mind too much since I love being in this universe. It’s very slice of life and filled with a lot of mpreg/raising kids. There’s a bit of a disjointed feel as it jumps from moment to moment. It wraps up a HFN for Carter’s family while setting the stage for future spinoffs.

The author mentioned having a hard time these past few years, and I think it shows in the writing. It’s great at times, a little rough in others, but ultimately I’m proud of Eileen for wrapping up this series and taking me on this journey. 

Spice: 3-4/5
Angst: 3/5

Human Omega: Babied by His Guardian Mates by Eileen Glass

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Human Omega: Trapped in the Alien Jungle by Eileen Glass

adventurous hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.25

Human Omega: Discovered on the Slave Planet by Eileen Glass

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Aliens Abducted My Heart by Hawke Oakley

funny lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

I can already hear Fox News complaining that this is the future liberals want: communist lizard tree-huggers eliminating gender and impregnating men. Amazing. Already love this world and can’t wait to read future books. 

I wasn’t an Argonian or Dragonborn lover before this (from Skyrim and D&D) but this book has changed my mind. Trying out that build next playthrough. 

Spice: 4/5
Angst: 0/5

To Catch a Firefly by Emmy Sanders

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

Sweetness, angst, yearning, and goodness. And corn, lots of corn. 🌽  It’s a small town childhood-best-friends-to-lovers romance done so well. If you loved Fool Hearts, you’ll probably like this. 

This is also a love letter to those that grew up in the Midwest/Great Plains. The tornado season, the corn backdrop, the small town community, and the fireflies were depicted so well and brought me back memories.

But the best part of the books are the characters. Ellis and Lucky are perfect. I love the non-verbal autism and ace spectrum rep, and I love how deeply these two characters loved each other. Absolute goals.

I wish every small-town queer kid can find themselves some supportive parents and an Ellis to keep them safe. 

Spice: 3-4/5
Angst: 4/5 but honestly could’ve been more angsty. Fool Hearts was more brutal than this.