Going Down Smooth by Dreia Wells

3 Stars

I’m an Alpha trapped in an Omegas body.
I never wanted to be anyone’s mated anything. I wanted to be in control of my destiny, not held down by the shackles of my biology. My father, unfortunately, had other plans. I was supposed to fall in line like my sisters, but I ran. The night of my mating ceremony I rejected my four Alphas and got as far away as I could. I gave up everything and walked away from my family and never looked back.
But even in death my father still wouldn’t let me be free. The day of his funeral I’m given an ultimatum. He offers me a chance to run the family business but under one condition. To accept the mates I left behind and reclaim what’s rightfully mine. Or I lose it all forever
Nothing’s ever easy in the Smooth family but I will find a way to get what I want.
I just hope my body doesn’t decide to betray me in the process.
Along with my heart.

This was an interesting take on omegas. I did struggle with the pacing in the book plus the guys. Mercy deserved better from everyone in the book. She just wanted to be her own person and everyone around her wanted her to fit the mold and stay in her box. The guys should have supported her but pushed and it led to problems. They didn’t have her back and it is hard to want them to get their HEA. The book does end with a cliffhanger ending and you will need to read book 2 to get the full story as nothing is resolved in this book.

Book 1 Smooth Pack

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Kurt’s Honor by Jade Thorn

 

2 Stars

Shop keeper by day, badass demon fighter by night. Grace's life isn't really that complex until the day Kurt sweeps into her supernatural store. Handsome, talented, and with an ego the size of China, he's a handful, but not more than she can cope with. He just needs a little 'attitude adjustment'.
Chicago, on the other hand, has more trouble than either of them can deal with, and if they don't get to the bottom of this sudden influx of demons, the whole city will be at risk.
Kurt is the best and brightest of The Brotherhood's elite corps and Grace packs a punch nobody expected, but even combined will they be enough to save the city?

I’ve liked so many books by Jade Thorn, this one hurts. I didn’t like this one at all. Kurt was an asshole throughout the book and doesn’t get any better. Grace deserved so much better than what she gets. It’s an interesting concept but when you hate one of the main characters it makes it hard to read. I did read the description for future books, and it looks like the main conflict continues with the men Grace is going to end up with being dicks and still getting her. I will be skipping.

Book 1 The Brotherhood

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His Curvy Rejected Mate by Cate C Wells

3 Stars

Flora

I’m at the bottom of the pack. I’m female, I have no family left, and everywhere a shifter is supposed to be hard, I’m soft and round. There’s one bright spot in my days—Alec Cameron.

He’s hard in every way—so distant that he’s ice cold—but once in a while, he gives me a nod, and we sneak off to the woods. He’s not cold then. Not at all.

I used to dream that Fate would make it official, but after so many years, I’ve given up hope. Then, at a pack run, heat strikes. Alec Cameron is my mate.

In front of everyone, he turns his back on me.

I didn’t know how cold he could be, but I do now, and I’ve got a choice to make. Do I hang around and deal with this messed up pack like I always do? Or do I take my new wolf, break free, and forge a new path of our own?

Alec

This pack is falling apart. Literally. I spend my days patching together buildings that are inches from sliding down the mountain. In my free time, I have to compete with the other two males vying for Salt Mountain alpha, the world’s worst job.

I’m constantly holding everything together, and until the night of the last full moon run, there was at least one bright spot in my days.

Then Flora Ritchie goes into heat at the worst possible time and place, and in all the chaos and revelations, I lose my grip. And my temper.

In the blink of an eye, my mate is gone.

I know how to fix things, not feelings, but if I don’t figure it out, and quickly, I’m going to lose it all.

Alec didn’t do enough to get Flora forgiveness. I needed more world building and character development, but it was a pretty solid rejected mate book. I want more in this world as I am intrigued.

Book 4 The Five Packs

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Tanglewood Witches by Genevieve Jack

3 Stars

Bound to each other by unexpected magic...

Hauled out of bed by a brutish soldier and tossed into a stone cell, the last thing Alena expects is to come face to face with wealthy businessman Orpheus. The rake almost tricked her into his bed once and is the one man she's tried to avoid ever since. To her utter dismay, she learns he's her new partner in a forced mission: to acquire a celestial weapon, one protected by the gods.

Orpheus never anticipated meeting anyone like Alena, let alone deceiving her. Could their immediate connection be due to a common secret—ancestral magic? To win this game of the gods thrust upon them, he'll have to earn her trust again and heal old wounds before it's too late.

The biggest surprise for both of them? Surviving their quest is just the beginning. Together, they have the potential to build a dynasty of powerful witches and wizards. All it will take is a book, a tree... and a dragon.

I loved the first part of this book with Alena and Orpheus. The story was cute and interesting to see how things they did led to what happens in future books. Where the book lost me was when it switched to one of their daughters. It just seemed out there because it wasn’t clearly marked in the book. All of a sudden we had new characters being named and I flipped back to see what I missed. It was ok. Interested in seeing how book two plays out.

Book 1 The Three Sisters

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Never Saw You Coming Alexa Rivera

3 Stars

Whoever said getting pregnant to the town playboy was a good idea… they were wrong.

Gabrielle Walker’s world implodes when she discovers that her boyfriend is engaged to another woman. In need of a change, she uproots her life and moves to Haven Bay, hoping to mend her broken heart.
But there’s no small town love story for her. Instead, a night of passion with playboy bartender Logan Pride—her brother’s friend—results in a positive pregnancy test and no white picket fence in sight.
Logan doesn’t want children, but now he’ll have to choose between following in the footsteps of his no-good absentee father or putting his lonely heart on the line.

Pretty Standard romance. Stood alone for me but it is part of a series. Gabrielle and Logan’s mom frustrated me a bit. Their issues led to some of the drama, but it didn’t really bring anything to the book. Overall, I enjoyed the writing style and will be reading the other books in the series.

Book 8 Haven Bay

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Cursed Vampire by Brogan Thomas

3 Stars

Half unicorn, half bloodsucker, all trouble.

When her secret gets out, can this feisty teenager survive?

Tru Dennison’s life feels like a sick joke. Still grieving her adoptive grandad and kicked out by her useless uncle, the seventeen-year-old is juggling two jobs just to afford a roof over her head. The last thing she needs? A shifter customer biting her during a shift.

Already battling a strange illness she can’t seem to shake, Tru’s terrified the bite will expose her hidden bloodline to the supernatural community. And when the wound makes her condition even worse, she starts to realise there’s far more to fear than just discovery.

Now everyone wants a piece of her—and they’re not playing nice.

Can Tru’s rebel spirit save her when she becomes the prize in a deadly supernatural tug-of-war?

Cursed Vampire is the thrilling third standalone novel in the Creatures of the Otherworld urban fantasy series. If you love snarky heroines, forbidden romance, and magical mayhem, you’ll adore Brogan Thomas’s feisty adventure.

I’m so angry with this one. It ended but Tru doesn’t end up with the guy. I was so confused that I looked it up to see if the next book was hers and it wasn’t. which led to a deep dive into published books by this author. She spun this one off into another series. Just why? Why wouldn’t you continue the story in the next book and conclude it. Instead, the next book is a different set of characters in this world and I have to pick up the other series to get the conclusion for Tru. It kind of turned me off and I am going to take a break from this author for me.

Book 3 Creatures of the Otherworld

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Unbreak Me by Reese Rivers

3 Stars

On the run, living in their car as winter sets in, Avery will do whatever it takes to hide from a monster and keep her daughter safe. One good deed on a snowy night, changes everything.

3 former military men and 1 German Shepherd with their own damage, take the mother and daughter in. They fall hard for Avery and Chloe and will burn the world down to keep them safe.

Easton – carries the guilt of failure at losing half his unit in their last engagement. He sees too many parallels to his own childhood trauma with Avery and Chloe. His honor demands that he care and protect them. He fights his attraction to Avery with an iron will.

Zack – The charming playboy had his self-esteem gutted by the scars his body carries and the loss of his leg. One tiny girl has him changing his prospective on his injuries. Avery sees the man not the injury and the hole inside him slowly begins to fill with a love he never thought he’d have a chance at again.

Ryker – His sheer size and bulk intimidate and keep a safe distance between him and others. A man of few words, his main forms of communication are long drawn out growls and grunts. The tiny wisp of a girl cracks all his armor with her sweetness and her mother feels like a missing piece of his soul when she’s in his arms. When he finds the man who hurt them, he will annihilate him in the most painful way possible.

Kanga (dog) – The lady makes his pack happy and her female pup reminds him that there’s fun to be had, dimming the memories of bullets and bombs that took him and his pack out of the fight.

I have so many questions about this one. I enjoyed most of it but struggled with how Avery’s ex found them/followed the guys back to their house and got to her. Beyond that I liked all the guys, and they were super sweet with Avery and her daughter. They definitely fell first and wanted to take care of them both. If you want heavy emotions this hits the mark.

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Forever After All by Catherine Maura

  

3 Stars

Desperate and out of options, Elena Rousseau walks into a gentlemen’s club, ready to sell her body in a last attempt to save her mother’s life.

She didn’t expect Alexander Kennedy to be there, and she certainly didn’t expect him to propose a marriage of convenience instead.

Marrying Alexander means knowingly becoming a tool in his revenge plan.

But what choice does she have?

Better the devil you know than the one you don’t.

This was a weird book. I think it wrapped up too quickly and too pat. It felt like the author got to a certain point in the book and said oops I need to conclude this so bam bam bam done. As for the characters Elena was a bit too sunshiny but is balanced out by Alec boorishness. Alex does mellow out by the end and makes me like him that much more.

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Between Love and Loathing by Shain Rose

3 Stars

Fake dating my enemy so I can design my dream bakery should be easy … as long as I don't fall in love with him.

Dominic Hardy might be an award-winning architectural engineer with fancy degrees and considerable accolades, but he doesn’t know a thing about baking.

He doesn’t even like sugar.

So when my late stepfather’s will states that Dominic Hardy is set to inherit the Pacific Coast Resort he’d painstakingly designed, as long as my bakery can be plopped in the middle of it, it’s no surprise he balks.

And my jaw drops when another stipulation requires us to mutually approve plans for my bakery’s design.

His stuffy taste will never mix with my whimsical vibe.

But then Dominic comes to me with a proposal I can’t refuse. He’ll give me everything I want in my bakery as long as I agree to one thing:

Fake date him for five months.

Keep his ex away by pretending we’re in love.

Smile and stare into his piercing green eyes at a gala or two.

Maybe share a kiss.

Nothing extreme.

Five months of acting in love when I really loathe him and his filthy mouth.

Even when he’s using it on me.

This should be a cakewalk.

Except there’s a fine line between love and loathing, and I think I’ve made the colossal mistake of blurring it.

I need to stop bing reading or going into sequels with high hopes because this one fell short for me. This book was ruined by Dominic. He was a dick from the beginning by making assumptions about Clara that were wrong and that attitude continued well into their relationship. There was no redemption for him by the end of the book either. Clara was also a very weak willed woman. At least with her it is somewhat understandable because of how her mom and sister were with her but she just caved unless it helped someone else. She does end up standing up for herself more but it was never enough. She should have thrown Dominic to the curb and made him crawl back. Still love the writing style and world building this author does so I will look for another book from her.

Book 2 Hardy Billionaires

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Promo KA Linde

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Cursed Demon by Brogan Thomas

3 Stars

She enjoyed life as a demon’s pet. Until the cries of an innocent tore her world asunder…

Emma Case is freaking out. Being surrounded by monsters is risky enough without breaking the rules, but when the soft-hearted girl hears a pup in distress, she can’t resist trespassing on forbidden ground. And after discovering the unfortunate creature is a wolf-shifter, she’s stunned when the child’s pack accuses her of the crime and abducts her for interrogation.

Tortured for information she doesn’t have, Emma pleads desperately for her handsome tormenter to believe her. Yet as the naïve young woman tumbles deeper into the realm of supernatural intrigue, she unexpectedly manifests frightening powers she has no idea how to control.

Will Emma’s hidden heritage prove a blessing or a bane?

Cursed Demon is the second standalone book in the character-driven Creatures of the Otherworld urban fantasy series. If you like sassy heroines, laugh-out-loud humour, and white-knuckle thrills, then you’ll love Brogan Thomas’s action-packed tale.

I loved book one but this one wasn’t as good. This is the brother from book one and he was a dick in book one and he’s a dick in this book. FMC deserved so much more than him and his bull. I noticed with book one there’s no real conclusion to the story and book two continues that which left me wanting. I still enjoyed the overall story and will try the next one.

Book 2 Creatures of the Otherworld

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Vanished in Atlanta by Andi Lynn

2 Stars

Timur

My father was invincible, larger than life, also cold and distant. As the Pakhan of the Russian Bratva you can’t expect much more. Growing up as the second son I lived in the shadows of my brother only imagining I’ll be one of his Brigadiers until Sylvester Levi made a move for power killing them all. I’ve spent the last ten years growing the Atlanta Bratva into the organization it is today. I run my men with an iron fist all while keeping an eye on the Levi family to find my way to pay back the pain I’ve felt. The time for waiting is over, it’s time to settle the score!

Carrabelle

I’ve been the good daughter. Never going against my family even when it means spending the rest of my life with a man that I don’t even know. Well, that was the plan, until the god of a man storms his way into my life. I’ve fought him and my growing feelings for as long as I could. I’m just praying I can stop the war that’s brewing between the families. All while trying to figure out what one is supposed to do when your greatest temptation won’t let you go. Do you give in to the temptation or continue to fight the growing inferno?

Loved the writing style of this author but felt the story was rushed. The story needed to be expanded with more backstory and time for the Carrabelle and Timur to come together. I will check out other books by this author.

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Game Plan by Tonya Clark

4 Stars

Emma’s day couldn’t get any worse. All she wants to do is get home...maybe she just needs to get out of the hotel room and calm her nerves a little.

Lucas is married to his team. Being the coach of the top MLS team requires a lot of time, which leaves very little for anything else...until one night out celebrating.

I loved this short story. The meet cute was adorable and I loved how they were connected. The writing style was easy to read, and I can’t wait to read the next book.

Book 2 Storm

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Vixen by Lux Miller

2 Stars

Darkness rises... empires fall. Who will still stand at the end of it all?

Stolen from a life I can't remember and trapped in a world I wish I could forget. At the beck and call of a monster. I wait for the chance to free myself of his tyranny and take back what's mine. They say every man has skeletons in the closet and when I discover his; I go from prey to hunter as I bring them out to play.

Ashes... ashes... we all fall down.

NOT A ROMANCE AT ALL…you are warned. It is a very dark and has no HEA book. Description definitely doesn’t match the actual book. If you have triggers be warned the entire book is SA. There isn’t a single instant of consent in this book. The writing style was good so I will probably check out other books by this author but not this one.

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My Stuffed Valentine by Rozy Mack

 

2.5 Stars

For a single mom who long since gave up on finding the right person to love me, Valentine’s Day is another painful reminder of my loneliness. Sure, I love my little miss with all my heart, but a woman has needs.

When a stuffed gift from my bestie turns into my very own life-sized monster vowing to worship me with his love and devotion, I have to decide to let my heart lead or listen to the doubt screaming in my head that this can’t be real.

He’s big, covered in fur, and purrs on demand. Oh, and his tail. Let’s not forget the special delight it brings behind closed doors.

Cursed by Cupid, my surprise Valentine monster asks me to help break the chains of the past so we can move to the future. Together. Maybe I’ll find love after all.

Short and spicy but it needed to not be so short to be a complete story. It was a cute concept and I think I would have liked it better if it was expanded more with better world and character development. As it stands now it’s just meh.

Book 1 Guardians of Cupid

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The Gods We Obey by Auryn Hadley

3 Stars

As priests, we are meant to obey - but our duties are to our gods, not mere men.

Zeal is back, and he's seen by more people every day. The God of Temptation grows stronger, but High Priest Kinen has found the one thing that can stop a god: disbelief. The return of our gods means an end to his power.

And Kinen isn't ready to lose.

Over time, the priests of our temple have surrendered their power in the name of our god. We're trained to obey, to help, and to be Zeal's tools when he cannot help himself - and now that has become a problem.

Because power is given, never taken, and we have surrendered far too much. It's time for things to change, before our complacency destroys our gods. And yet, habits are such hard things to break.

What we need is a rebellion - and I'm going to start it.

Our gods never expected blind obedience, so it's time to give into the temptation to fight back. But will the price for this be more than I can pay? I just can't believe this is what my path was meant for - or is this all just a game between gods and men? Because we, the Priests of Temptation, have been betrayed.

I have prayed.

I have obeyed.

Now I'm doing it my way.

Too many pointless things in this book. Giving a 3 for overall series not for this book. This one does wrap everything up nicely but it takes forever to get there. It got very preachy ny the end of the series and I got bored. Overall if trimmed down it would be a good series but as is it is too long.

Book 6 The Path of Temptation

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Heir Apparent Reject Mate Cate C Wells

3 Stars

He rejected me for “reasons.” Too bad for him. No take backs.

Rosie

Fate made a huge mistake when she mated me to Cadoc Collins. He’s the heir apparent. I’m a scavenger. My people are so low in this pack, we don’t even rank.

I should have known better, but for one night, I let myself forget the facts of life in Moon Lake. Cadoc Collins might be powerless to resist me, but he’s not going to claim me, either.

A pink line on a stick makes it a much bigger problem than my bruised heart.

I’m eighteen, knocked up, and publicly rejected by the future alpha. And this baby in my belly? It might as well be a target on my back.

Lucky for me I’m a scavenger. My kind are good at finding things, but we’re great at getting lost.

Cadoc

The fate of Moon Lake rests on my shoulders. I can’t claim the scavenger female.

The pack is on the verge of a revolt, and a mating so controversial could push our warring factions into open conflict.

All I need is time. I’ll do what’s expected of me as our future leader, and when the politics are sorted, I’ll do right by the odd little scavenger.

I’m the heir apparent. She’ll be there when I’m ready.

Right?

So slow to begin plus limited world building led to a hard read. It is a part of a series so book one might have what I need. I did get through it and I liked how it ended but it took me a while to get there.

Book 2 Five Packs

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Promo: Carrie Ann Ryan

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Fumbles by Lisa Suzanne

2 Stars

Getting fired and dumped in the same thirty seconds makes for a pretty bad Tuesday. But by Thursday, I’ll be in Vegas celebrating my brother’s wedding. Since I could use a fresh start, he offers me a place to stay with a buddy of his.

At the bachelorette party, a raunchy game results in a quest to find me a one-night stand. When a hunk with dark blue eyes and perfect bone structure hits me with a silly line at the bar, my mission is complete.

I vow to move on from our steamy night as I head to the rehearsal dinner, certain one of my brother’s hot pro football player groomsmen will be my Prince Charming.

Then the best man turns around. Dark blue eyes. Perfect bone structure. A body I won’t soon forget.

And apparently my new roommate.

I have never been more turned off reading a book more than I was reading this one. Travis was an asshole throughout this book with no redemption in this book at all. It ends on a cliff and there are four more books but it’s not worth it to me to suffer through Travis plus Victoria’s I shouldn’t but he’s just so hot I can’t say no BS. No thank you!

Book 1 Vegas Aces

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The Prayers We Pray by Auryn Hadley

2 Stars

Be careful what you pray for - because even gods can be tempted.

The Temple of Temptation is broken. The system is failing the priests who serve faithfully, but Zeal isn't missing. He's simply powerless - or was.

As more priests believe in our god, the balance of power has been shifting. Temptation is thriving. Miracles are happening. The High Priest is struggling. In his attempts to control me, he's making it almost impossible to help the other gods.

Something has to give, and I'm worried it might be me.

With the last semester of my initiate training underway, things are supposed to be looking up. I finally have instructors who are grading me fairly. I no longer feel like a failure. However, my ties to the nobility of our barony have drawn just a little too much attention. The wrong kind.

The High Priest wants to get rid of me. My enemies want to destroy me out of jealousy. The nobility wants to put me in my place. My lovers want to protect me at all costs because things are starting to get dangerous.

None of that will stop me because gods aren't the only ones to answer prayers.

I am the voice of Zeal. I walk with the Blade, the Shield, the Temptation, and the Shadow. We are the devoted, five priests determined to serve our gods in any way they demand - but the divine holds no power over men who don't believe. Faith offers little to those who think they are the ones who should be worshipped.

Gods want love. Men want power. Everyone knows temptation.

To save Zeal, I'm tempted to destroy everything...

Even our traditions.

I am determined to finish this series because I need to know how the series ends but I think 6 books is way too many books for the storyline. This one has the same issues as the past couple of books. No movement and repetitive throughout the book. Only one more to go.

Book 5 The Path of Temptation

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Guarded by the SEAL by Amy Gamet

2 Stars

A desperate woman on the run with a little girl places her trust in a hardened operative—with a heart that’s walled off from the world.

When Teslyn McGregor receives a desperate call from her estranged mother, she has no idea her life is about to spiral into chaos. Fleeing a deadly fire and with her five-year-old sister in tow, Teslyn finds herself hunted by a powerful, dangerous network determined to silence them forever.

Navy SEAL Wyatt "Bulldog" Sorenson has spent years fighting battles in the shadows, but protecting Teslyn and Ivy quickly becomes personal. Thrust into a game of cat and mouse against a ruthless enemy, he must use every skill he’s ever learned to keep them safe, because Teslyn is more than just a mission—she’s a chance at the life he never thought he deserved.

It was a quick read similar to Susan Stoker which is probably why I was so meh over it. I love Susan Stoker’s books and this one just fell flat. I did love the strength the characters had to do what needed to be done. Tess stepped up to take on a sister she knew nothing about and MMC stepped in to help both of them. Overall, it was just meh.

Book 1 Hero Force

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Choosing Their Omega by Sadie Moss

3 Stars

Working as a live-in nanny for four hot hockey star Alphas? That’s got to be every Beta’s dream.

Except… it’s not quite that simple.

After losing my job and my apartment in the same day, I feel like I’ve hit rock bottom. But when Cruz Ashford, captain of the Titans NHL team, finds out I have nowhere to live, he makes me an offer that could help us both:

Move in with him and his three pack mates and work as a nanny for the adorable little boy they’ve adopted.

As crazy as it sounds, I say yes. It’s a chance to turn my life around after the loss of my grandmother left me buried in a mountain of medical debt, so there’s no way I can turn him down.

The only problem is, living with four gorgeous Alphas is harder than I thought it would be. Almost from the first moment I arrive at their house, the tension between us is off the charts.

I don’t know why I’m so drawn to Cruz, Knox, Lawson, and Miles. Why I can barely control my body around them. Why their delicious scents affect me so much… or why I seem to affect them too.

Until the day I start perfuming, and I finally realize the truth that’s been staring me in the face.

I’ve been wrong my whole life. I’m not a Beta. I’m an Omega.

And everything is about to change.

It was fine but repetitive at times. It was sweet and low stakes for the most part. Lily was a bit too sweet at times. The main drama happened too late in the book and wrapped up to quickly in my mind. If you’re looking for a quick and spicy read give this one a chance.

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The Ways We Betray by Auryn Hadley

3 Stars

To protect those who matter most, we will betray others in ways we never expected.

This is supposed to be a good year. With a new set of instructors - and ones I know well - I'm sure it will be. For once, things are finally starting to go my way. My mentors are proud, my family is closer than ever before, and I am happy.

Unfortunately, the gods are tired of waiting. Every day, Zeal grows stronger, but Ambition, Inspiration, Perception, Compassion, and Intuition don't. They're fading, with no hope in sight.

Except me.

Piece by piece, my god has built me up, given me "weapons" to use, and made me into the kind of woman I can be proud of. He calls me his partner and that isn't an empty title. It means more than just serving him. I can tell by the longing in his divine eyes.

My success doesn't go unnoticed, though. My haters want to destroy me, but let them try. Petty bullying is too childish for me to worry about. With so many priests able to see the God of Temptation now, I no longer care who likes me and who doesn't.

And that's my biggest mistake.

Because my god doesn't run this temple. He doesn't make the rules. With a single signed paper, I'm no longer as safe as I thought. Friends are going to be betrayed. Lovers will suffer. Somehow, I have to fix this.

I am the Priestess of Temptation, Zeal's chosen.

Someone is going to be punished.

I almost hope it's me.

Just like the last one this book dragged on because of the repetitiveness. The story is just plodding along with no new conflict. Nari was just trying to get people to remember what they are there for. Something new or different would be nice.

Book 4 The Path of Temptation

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Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

4 Stars

ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer—naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain—and his entire nefarious empire—out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.

Very very slow burn book. If you expect any romance to happen in this book guess again. It is a cute read but slow going. It finally picks up and it ends. There’s no world building or character development. There are times things are mentioned that are very modern and doesn’t fit with the image of the world but it is used. I did enjoy reading it enough to want book 2.

Book 1 Assistant to the Villain

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Seize the Castle by Elizabeth Dear

3 Stars

In Saint Gabriel City, there’s a war brewing.

The Four Families have ruled the City for generations, but they made a huge fucking mistake when they murdered my parents and didn’t manage to kill me too.

I’ve revealed my true identity, taking the City and Holywell Academy by storm, but the heads of Spencer, Hargraves, and Ferrero continue to underestimate me. They think I’m an annoying little gnat trying to play at being an Heir, and that will make it all the sweeter when I take everything from them.

But their sons—the boys who were my best friends for eleven years—they have different ideas about me than their parents do.

Zach wants me back—and maybe just plain wants me.

Noah longs for our friendship but feels hurt by my lies.

And Bennett—he’ll resist my attack on his legacy until the bitter end, but he’d still rather die than lose me again.

And me? I’m starting to think I need my boys back with me after all.

But they’ll have to choose—it’s me or the Families.

Because I came to burn it all down, and nothing is going to stand in my way.

I took issue with the guys. They didn’t want her until they found out who she really was. They let horrible things happen to her and at the end now they care. They need more groveling to make it up to her and don’t. Curious to see how the series will end.

Book 2 A Knight’s Revenge

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Games We Play by Auryn Hadley

3 Stars

We're tempted to play games, thinking they will give us more power - but that only works if we win.

After spending the holidays with my guardian's family, it seems that everyone in the temple has the wrong idea. The Baron isn't my patron. He's not even a friend. In truth, I hate the man.

But the rumor mill is strong, and jealousy is running rampant.

This is all just one more excuse for my instructors to hold me back, lower my grades, and try to force me to choose one path. I can't! My god needs me to save him, and the Path of Temptation gives me the power to do that.

Except that I'm drowning in the pressure, feeling like I'm failing my god. I need to make people believe in him, but how can I do that when I can't believe in myself? All these mind games are starting to pile up, and it's tearing me apart.

But Zeal is getting stronger.

That's enough to keep me going. No matter how hard they try to push me down, I'll just keep fighting back, learning to play this game better each time. I will not become the victim here, because I'm not doing this alone. My lovers will always stand with me.

But this is not a game.

If we fail, we'll lose everything -

Including each other.

This one continues where the last ended and the story progresses but not quickly. One of the biggest issues I had was the repetitive conversations that were had plus the inner dialogue which slowed the story down drastically. It was still good but needs work.

Book 3 The Path of Temptation

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Raider’s Treasure by Leann Ryans

2 Stars

Lyric's quiet life was shattered when a raid on her village left her father and the alpha he’d promised her to dead. The warrior who caught her wants her for himself, but he destroyed everything she’d ever known, so how could she give in to her omega nature?

The raider intended to take her whether she was willing or not, but he offered the other omegas a choice if she cooperated. She’d never had the option to choose her mate, but could she forgive Raider for what he'd done and learn to trust him so the others could have the choice she'd been denied?

This book felt very unfinished. Your dropped into a story with zero world building or character development. You get 0 connection between FMC and MMC. This leads to me thinking it’s a meh read.

Book 1 Alpha Barbarians

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Paths We Lay by Auryn Hadley

3 Stars

To find temptation, we must lay our own path.

For the last ten years, I thought I was nothing special. I was just another priestess in the Temple of Temptation. One of many. Little did I know that my god has plans for me. He intends to make me powerful.

But what I will become is up to me.

For centuries, things here have always been done the same way - and the gods are now paying for it. Somehow, I'm expected to revive the faith. I'm their last hope, but no one is quite sure how I'm supposed to do that.

That means I'm making this up as I go. My god is begging me to become something new. My temple wants me to respect traditions. My instructors want to force me to follow their rules.

I just want to save my god.

With my three men, I know I'll figure it out. That is not the same as this being easy, though. Even worse, being "special" makes those around me jealous, and giving in to temptation is a part of our nature. When my guardian's family gets involved, things get infinitely more complicated.

The temple wants to break me.

My success or failure depends on the path I choose.

I just hope I find the right one.

The big reveal was big, and Nari has a lot to do and defend in this book. Some of the relationship stuff frustrated me in this one but it was minor. It wasn’t as good as book one but still good. Wished it would move a bit faster.

Book 2 The Path of Temptation

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