Pack’s Pledge by Victoria Kent

 

3 Stars

All I ever wanted was to be his… Until I met his pack.

I know what they call this place: Club Heat. Behind the bar is the only place a beta like me belongs at Ardor, the exclusive club where powerful alpha packs come to meet, mingle, and mate with the omegas who crave them.

There’s only one man I’ve ever wanted like that: Conall, my first love, my teenage crush, my best friend… until he presented as an alpha and left me behind.

Now he’s here, in my bar, looking at me with the same shy smile I remember from when were were young–and he's not alone. He has a pack built not on romance, but convenience: a sexy second-in-command alpha with a wicked sense of humor and a rare male omega with an irresistable smile.

All those years I’d been dreaming about him, he’d been longing for me, and now, he wants me to be his…

And only his.

So why can’t I stop thinking about his pack?

I loved this second chance romance/adding a beta to an established pack. It was so sweet how they all worked together even when the one was a dick. It was sweet and spicy all at once.

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Caught from Behind by Elise Faber

 

4 Stars

It's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for.

I’ve had a crush on my brother’s teammate and friend for a long time…

Long enough to know that my interest isn’t reciprocated.

I’m destined to be his teammate’s little sister—untouchable and completely off-limits no matter how hard I try to convince him otherwise.

But then…everything changes.

And suddenly, I have all of Riggs’s sure-minded focus.

Only, I never expected the taciturn forward for the Sierra to a have a dirty streak.

But he does, and it blows my mind, and he doesn't even like me, and none of it makes sense...

Because now the gorgeous, bearded hockey player wants me.

Forever.

Loved this book. It took me a minute to get into it but once I got into the book I blew through the book. I loved the give and take between Riggs and Ella. I want more on what happened with Ella’s family which might come with her brother’s book. Speaking of the brother…I loved that he pushed Riggs into going after Ella. The fact there wasn’t this huge drama was a nice change for this trope. Can’t wait for the next book.

Book 2 Sierra Hockey

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Dad Bod by Bella Blair

3 Stars

PEPPER: A handsome new neighbor moves in next door, together with his adorable twin sons, arousing my curiosity and other… feelings in me. Strangely though he seems to hate me, even before we actually meet.

Which is too bad, because my daughter Tiff is just as taken with his sons as me.

Things get even stranger when suddenly two wolf cups appear in my backyard and Tiff begs me to keep them.

GAVIN: A new town, a new start, a new life. That’s what I wanted, but my gorgeous neighbor is destroying the peace of mind I had hoped to find.

I wanted to give my sons a chance for a normal life, where all three of us can let our dark secrets out without fear of repercussions or prejudice. How was I supposed to know that next door was the home of the most delectable woman I had ever met? Destroying all the peace I was looking for.

It doesn’t help that my sons seem to adore her and her young daughter. But how can we be friends or have a relationship when I need to keep our secret hidden?

The world might know that shifters are real and live among them, but that doesn’t mean they have fully accepted us yet.

This was a cute read. I liked Pepper and Gavin together and their kids were adorable. I wish there was some more growth in Gavin’s personality because he was so stuck up from the beginning. Definitely was an interesting read.

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Messing with my Brother’s Best Friend by Sam Hall

3 Stars

It was a decision made from one part desperation and one part need for revenge… I moved into their house, but they quickly moved into my mind every waking minute of every freaking day. Because they’re different than I remember:

Van was always the golden boy with the cheeky smile. Now that smile has a hungry edge that is saved just for me.

Gage was always tall and silent, but he’s a wall of hard muscle now and part of me wants to find out exactly how big.

And Connor? With those dimples and that cocky attitude, he’s got trouble written all over him.

Well, it turns out the joke’s on me.

I might be the one engaging in juvenile pranks this time, but these three guys are determined to play the biggest prank of all.

To get me back—in their life, in their bed, in their hearts.

The guys were such dicks to Kendall while she was growing up. They did sort of make it up to her when they end up together. I did have questions as to why Kendall’s family wasn’t helping her at all. She was just left on her own and it was never really explained why they didn’t help her. Overall, it was a fine read.

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Heat of Us by Eliana Lee

4 Stars

I have no desire for a pack.
I don’t need to be taken care of.
I earn my own money as an OmegaFans creator. The National Omega Commission's heat services has all the alpha knots I’ll ever need.
As for love? That ship sailed a long time ago.
So why is it so hard to keep these three men at arm’s length?
Ben, my best friend’s brother, who was only meant to be an uncomplicated party hook-up.
Aleks, the broody beta who I’m certain only tolerates me.
Not to mention “Ryder”, the OnlyA’s alpha I’ve started collaborating with. It’s easier to ignore what’s between us if I don’t find out his real name.
None of them know the others exist. And I’m certainly not a sweet, attentive omega that could bring a pack together, even if I wanted to.
But there’s an invisible threat lurking, and they may be my only salvation from the sins of my past.

Loved all of these characters. It takes a while to find out why she dissolved her bond and when you find out have tissues. It was worth the wait. I loved the slow process the MMCs took to win her over. I also loved how much they wanted her but didn’t want to push her. I love Elianna Lee’s writing style and can’t wait for the next book.

Book 3 Bond Dissolution

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Lace’em Up by Elise Faber

3.5 Stars

With a last name like Bang, the jokes were endless.

I’d decided long ago it was easier to pretend to embrace my namesake than try to prove myself to the world.

No one had ever seen through that…

Until I rescued a runaway bride from the side of the road.

Then my mom—my interfering, matchmaking mom—saw the diamond ring, made assumptions I didn’t have the heart to dispel, and, suddenly, Rory and I were pretending to be engaged.

Only…somewhere along the way, it became real.

Somewhere along the way, I realized I could never let her go.

Meet the Bang Brothers—five hot hockey-playing brothers who are allergic to commitment.

The brothers are about to face off against their newly-retired mother…who suddenly has plenty of time to play matchmaker. Add in their baby sister and some secret dating, a single dad, an accidental pregnancy, a marriage of convenience, and a wrong bed—or two—and these siblings are not going to know what hit them!

Loved these two together but it felt rushed. I get she just broke up because of an abusive ex but it seemed rushed to jump into a new relationship. I did love them as a couple and they worked so well together. I so wanted the one teammate to get his due for his comments. It was such a good addition to her series.

Book 1 Bang Brother’s Hockey

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Scent of Us Part Two by Eliana Lee

 

4 Stars

Juno should’ve known it was too good to be true.

Her old bonds may be gone but the alphas who entrapped her are not. Andrew Zhao is hellbent on shattering her newfound peace and is going to extraordinary lengths to punish her.

Her crime? Daring to be happy.

Despite her pack closing ranks around her, Andrew is determined to drag her into the spotlight. Juno soon realises hiding away will have devastating ramifications — not just for herself and the men she’s come to love, but omegas everywhere. And the best person to help her? Might be the alpha she’s just let go.

Will she be able to overcome the ghosts of her past? Or will they succeed in destroying her future forever?

The conclusion was so good. I loved how it all played out. This book added to book one and rounded out the story. I still loved all of the characters and hope to see some of the secondary characters get their HEA in future books.

Book 2 Bond Dissolution

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Scent of Us Part One by Eliana Lee

 

4 Stars

The National Omega Commission has announced they are expanding their experimental clinical trials. This marks the first time omegas have the ability to dissolve bonds without their alpha’s consent.

For Juno Liu, who has been forcibly bonded since she awakened, this changes everything.

But it turns out breaking her unwanted alpha bonds is the easy part. When Juno encounters her gorgeous scent-matched alpha, she does the only logical thing and runs away. It’s unfortunate she can’t do the same when she perfumes for the sinful new lecturer at her university. And she still can’t stop thinking about the sweet-faced beta who tried his best to keep her safe all those years ago.

When Juno’s suppressants start to fail, she’s forced to confront everything she’s afraid of. This alpha-shy omega will have to embark on a trial far more harrowing than bond dissolution - finding a pack to court her.

One of the best omega book for the month. I loved this one and even though its part one of two you don’t need to read both to get a full story. The pack gets their HEA by the end of book one. I love the premise and how everything plays out for the FMC. Each of the guys she ends up with have their own personality and I loved each one for different reasons. Definitely give the series a chance.

Book 1 Bond Dissolution

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Hybrid Reject by Romy Lockhart

3 Stars

Amanda is heartbroken when her true mate rejects her because she’s a hybrid. Realizing she’ll never be accepted by full-blooded shifters, she accepts a place at Gemini Academy.

Her new life gets off to a rocky start when she’s stalked by a dangerous shifter she managed to attract before she left her old pack. Rescued by an Alpha, she soon finds out Wolf Creek is much more accepting of hybrids.

Even so, she doesn’t expect to find another true mate there, never mind three of them. She can’t deny her attraction to them, but she’s afraid to have her heart broken all over again.

Can she let go of the past, or will it come back to haunt her?

This was a pretty solid rejected mate story. I liked seeing Amanda get her HEA. I wanted more with the guy who rejected her. He’s kind of brushed aside for her mates. I also wanted more world building and character development. Overall, it felt unfinished so I am curious if there will be more in future books.

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Your Coffin or Mine by Jacklyn Hyde

3 Stars

A runaway bride. A grumpy 600-year-old vampire pretending to be human. A disaster waiting to happen.

What could possibly be the most infuriating thing to a vampire disgusted by the internet? A twenty-six-year-old social media influencer that just ran out on her cheating ex-fiancé and insists on staying in Vlad’s quiet castle.

But he needs money to repair his ancestral home, and Aubrey needs a place to lick her wounds after getting her heart broken.

He is ready to have humans invading his space. He is not, however, ready for her.

She wants to feed him garlic, parades around in tiny shorts, and incenses him at every turn. Can he really playhouse with a human? Especially one he just can’t seem to fight the urge to stay away from?

Pretty fun vampire read. Need more world building and wanted more information on Vlads’ neighbors. Plus, I wanted to know what happened after they got together. Maybe additional books will give me what I felt this book was lacking.

Book 1 Monster Bae

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Fortune Academy: Year 2 by JR Thorn

3 Stars

I found my five Virtues… but they didn’t want to be found.

Talk about reluctant. My five Virtues all need to be taught a lesson, even Kaito, my mentor who thinks he knows everything—FYI, he doesn’t.

Hendrik, a dark mage who thinks he’s still pulling the strings.

Logan, a wolf shifter who hasn’t caught on that I’m really his alpha.

Dante, a brutal hunter who doesn’t realize he’s the one being hunted.

Orion, a playboy demigod who hates that all he wants now is me—and no one else. He’ll be the hardest of all to break.

The tables have turned and there’s a monster loose in Fortune Academy (hell yeah, that’s me, by the way). A year has passed on the outside, but it’s only been a few short weeks for supernaturals who are ramping up for Fortune Academy’s big exam. This is a test of our fortitude and our powers unlike any we’ve had before. The Third Echo of Calamity is on its way to Earth and I need to be ready for it, which means I am going to need my Virtues on my side.

I feel them in my soul and have never been more certain of anything in my life. I’ve called my Virtues to me, whether they are ready or not.

They are mine.

Picks up where the first ended. The story progressed nicely with more added on to the story. It did take me a hot minute to get into the story but once I did I was all in. I like the different guys she ends up with and I can’t wait to see where everything is leading. The one big downside was the cliffhanger ending.

Book 2 Fortune Academy

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Persephone by Alessa Thorn

4 Stars

Life in Styx is finally stable for Persephone and Hades. The city is safe, and their re-established friendship with the Egyptian Gods brings a welcomed calm—until the meddling Fates disrupt their peace with an unexpected gift: a baby.

As if the idea of motherhood isn't daunting enough, a mysterious voice beckons Persephone to an enigmatic island on the Nile. Ever drawn to adventure and somewhat avoiding a challenging conversation with Hades, Persephone embarks on a quest to find the source of the voice…and finds a whole lot more than she could ever dream of.

Loved this short story. It was nice to see all my favorite back and to see what happens after the HEA when things change. Can’t wait to see where this new series goes.

Book 11 Gods Universe

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Stranded by Selena Winters

1 Star

In the cold wilderness of Alaska, my host is as wicked as he is enticing. I thought I had my golden ticket to love until I stumbled upon my boyfriend’s betrayal. A romantic Christmas vacation to Alaska, planned for two, is now a solo venture. Little did I know, I was stepping into the lair of a dark, dangerous man I knew nothing about.

Maddox, a tattooed giant of a man, a fugitive turned recluse, has been living in the shadows. But his obsession ignites when he sees a photo of me online after booking his cabin, the golden girl with a silver spoon. He’s dangerous and unstable, and yet I’m drawn to him. The rugged man in front of me is nothing like the polished lawyers and businessmen I’m used to. Maddox is raw and real.

In the isolated cabin, the icy Alaskan wilderness becomes our playground. Maddox, the man obsessed with masks, pulls me into his twisted game of obsession and desire. But as the temperature drops, our dangerous dance only heats up, pushing boundaries.

I thought the snow stranded me, but I’m exactly where Maddox wants me. In his world, under his rules. I’d come for solitude, but I’m in for a wild ride. No one can hear you scream when you’re miles from civilization. After all, there are no rules in the heart of the wilderness. The only law is survival. But can I survive Maddox?

Just NO for me. I am all for dark and gray characters. This wasn’t it at all. Guy stalks her. He had every intent to take out the boyfriend and keep her for himself. That’s the entire story. The rest is them hooking up. Major pass for me.

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