Misfit Monsters by Eva Chase

3 Stars

Three delinquent monsters with fearsome powers. One girl made of pure sunshine. Can she save this team of misfits?

My past? Let's just pretend it never happened. All I want is to spread enough joy to make up for the pain I've caused.

So it'd be nice if my unexplainable powers would stop going haywire.

When I start blitzing my fellow monsters as well as mortals, the authorities of the supernatural world give me a final chance to avoid banishment.

I’ve got to join three monstrous criminals on a dangerous mission no one wants to take. Strange creatures are attacking innocent humans, and we have to stop their rampage.

It’s up to me, a frigid winter fae, a brutal basilisk shifter, and a chaotic kitsune to figure out what’s gone wrong—and fix it. Which would be a lot easier if my teammates didn’t see me as a ditzy pipsqueak.

And if they weren’t so distractingly, deliciously handsome.

Um, don’t tell them I said that part.

I’m sure my cheerful optimism will win them over so we can get home in one piece. That is, as long as I don’t blow us all up along the way...

I was irritated with reading this book and not sure if I will continue the series even though it ends on a cliffhanger ending. I felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story and there wasn’t a lot of explanation as to the world development.

Book 1 Pack of Outcasts

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Little Bird by Alisha Williams

2 Stars

I’ve been content with it just being us for a while, but it's my last year of high school, and I’ve missed out on so much. Parties, girl friends and dating.

If I can’t have them in the way my heart wants, I may as well start having fun right?

Wrong, because they don’t seem to like my new life choices.

But they’re not the same boys I grew up with. Sneaking out at night, disappearing for hours. Keeping secrets.

The closer I look, the more I’m starting to realize that the boys I thought I knew better than anyone else are hiding something from me. Something dark and sinister.

Someone runs our little town of Black Ridge, and I think I just might know who they are.

I wanted to like this book so much as I love other books by Alisha Williams. The guys just irritated me so much. They acted like they knew best about how to handle FMC. FMC was made to feel unloved because of them. It does end on a cliff and I was so not in love enough to continue the series.

Book 1 Black Venom Crew

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Break my Bones by Grace McGinty

4 Stars

Andrei Ludokov

A drunken promotional after party involving unlimited vodka, several social media influencers, puck bunnies for miles, and the goalie from an opposing team, leads to a massive mistake.

No, not a surprise pregnancy. I was drunk but not that drunk.

No, this mistake was worse because even months later, I can’t get it out of my head and it’s effecting my performance. My coaches are on my case because I’m dragging ass on the ice. My friends are all worried because I holed up in my hometown for the entire off season.

There’s only one thing to do, and there’s only one person who can help me. Juniper. My best friend and the social media manager for the IceCaps. Sure, she’ll give me her disappointed face. That sighed, “Dammit, Ludo,” that I’ve heard at least once a month since we were fourteen. But in the end she’ll help me, because she’s my Juniper Berry and she wants me to be happy.

I just needed her to commit to it before I had to face “The Norse God” on the damn ice again and all my carefully controlled mistakes spiral out of control.

If Rigby Engman and River Cooper can have some kind of polyamorous lifestyle in the NHL, why can’t I?

Really enjoyed the story and the characters. I wish Juniper was more the focus versus Ludo and Eric’s relationship and hiding that relationship. It also read as Ludo wasn’t truly interested in Juniper but Eric pushed it so he went along with it. I still enjoyed the reading.

Book 2 Penalty Box Players

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Wicked Girl by AJ Merlin

3 Stars

The murders may be over, but my heartache is back in full force, thanks to my mother and my own misgivings.

When I return to Winter Grove early and end up relying on the pack to help me out, I’m sure it’s a new form of torture. Instead, I find myself growing closer to August and Foster. I can’t help but think they’re dragging me deeper underwater, with no intention of letting me up for air anytime soon.

To add to the confusion, a new arrival at the university has a grudge against the pack, and she knows that getting to them is easier when she’s targeting anyone who’s more vulnerable than the boys.

And that might include me, despite how much I want to stay out of it.

But when she goes after my place at Winter Grove and the pack that I might be willing to call my own, will I just let her? Or will I take a few lessons from my vile boys and show her I’m not so quick to surrender?

Picks up rightish where the last ends. You get more info about each of the guys. The struggle Mercy has with her new roommate is something everyone can relate to. The secondary story behind the romance was better in this one. It fleshed out the guys' past. I loved that they came together to help Mercy. Overall, a good duology. 

Book 2 Knot Their Toy

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Vile Boys by A J Merlin

3 Stars

Nothing says welcome to your dream University like dead bodies and a warning to stay in my lane.

It’s almost impossible to get into Winter Grove University, so when I’m accepted on scholarship, I know my life will change for the better. Or will it?

When an alpha starts harassing me to join his pack, I’m left with no choice but to tell him I belong to another. The thing is, I name drop the richest, most notorious pack on campus.

Dorian, Foster, and August aren’t happy when they find out, and the tension between us grows. These vile boys know how to hold a grudge, but when I’m forced to spend time with them, I can’t stop the connection that’s growing between us.

With a killer closer than we thought, will I lose everything I’ve ever wanted or will I become the omega I never thought I could be?

I did love this book. It was a good story but there were issues with the secondary plot. Mercy is both strong and weak. She is on her own and is somewhat sheltered. She isn't willing to put up with the alphas being dicks but also caves to Dorian, Foster, and August. If the entire story was about what the Vile Boys do to Mercy throughout the story would be a solid 4 stars, but it wasn't. There is a murder on campus that they get dragged into. This part of the book isn't well developed at all. Mentioned in passing until they all get dragged into it. It didn't really add to the story. Overall good "bully" romance. Can't wait to see what book 2 has to bring.

Book 1 Knot Their Toy

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Perfectly Knot by Aspen Black and Jenn D Young

3 Stars

I’m broken.

A fractured omega with no value. A shell of my former self, but I found the strength to escape.

Now, I’ve started over. New life. New identity.

Then they appear. Four white knights who promise to protect me and love me despite my scars. A sweet beta and three fierce alphas. They make me feel safe. Cared for.

When the past comes calling, will they still be by my side?

She's escaping her abusive fiancé and falls into a relationship right away with her bosses. Which is what I struggled with the most. You're literally on the run after just leaving an abusive relationship why would you jump into a new one even if it was fated. Overall, the book was shallow. No world or character building so it was just meh.

Book 1 Curvy Omegaverse

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Omega Merger by Roxy Collins

4 Stars

Betas are made for business, not pleasure.

We’re intelligent, hard-working, and unlike alphas and omegas, we’re not ruled by our hormones.

That’s how I’ve earned the title of Alpha Wrangler. No matter how much testosterone floods a boardroom, I can always rise above it and get the job done.

Which wins me the plum job of negotiating one of the biggest mergers in the country. All I need are a couple of signatures, and then I can use my bonus to buy an apartment with Kelvin, my beta assistant and best-friend-with-benefits.

But all that comes crashing down when I’m triggered by a switch.

My hidden omega nature takes over, hungry for knots, and bites, and a pack of my own.

This was a different omega book. It was interesting. Maddie thought she was a beta and wasn't interested in a pack. She was in Friends with Benefits with her roommate Kel. He's meant for a pack and doesn't think they will be together. I loved the merging of the packs for her and the willingness to bend and change for each other. The hardest part of the book was with Max.  A good addition to the omega trope.

Book 1 Billionaires in Heat

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Knight Unchained by B M Clemton

2 Stars

I finally have the life I’ve always dreamed of.

Growing up in Stone Brook with my aunt and uncles, I wanted nothing more than to find my place in this world. I longed to discover more about my missing past and make sense of my wild magic. Little did I know those answers would come with so many more questions.

My nightmares are now a reality as the forces against my men and I tear us apart. Heaven and Hell are colliding, the shadows are circling, and the enemy is closing in. But I’m no stranger to the dark.

Thankfully, I’m not alone this time. I will do everything in my power to keep those I love safe, and God help anyone who tries to take them from me.

Overall, the five books could have been cut down to three books and it would have been a better and more concise story. It also needed an epilogue of them in the future to round out the story. It still feels a little unfinished. Overall, the story was good, just needed an editor to cut down some of the extra.

Book 5 Black Veil University

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Knight Awakened by B M Clemton

3 Stars

Meeting Daxton Pierce flipped it on end and made me question everything I know.

My memories and my family had been ripped from me. I have been stalked, tortured, abandoned, and betrayed… but I’m not broken.

This world is not what I thought it to be, and while my new relationships only grow stronger by the day, tensions rise, bringing new and old enemies to our door.

Only this time, I don't have to face them alone.

I’ve learned there are worse things in life than the monsters hiding in the shadows, and I’m done cowering in fear.

This just feels drawn out at this point. This is book 4 of 5. It's the same issues every book. Things that should be on screen are done off page. Like Remi meeting his parents. We do get a ton of secrets revealed finally but it ends in another cliffhanger ending.

Book 4 Black Veil University

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Omegas Choosing by Evie Burks

2 Stars

One omega for two alphas. What could possibly go wrong?

Adelyn has known from a young age that she would have to follow the guidelines laid out by the government… but dreaming about alphas and seeing them in real life are two very different things. In real life they’re hard, dangerous, and only interested in one thing, her. Claiming her. Breeding her. Making her theirs.

She’s seen what happens to omegas who disobey the rules. She’s not going to be one of them.

Bash, a hardened alpha construction worker, has been skipped over for years, so he’s skeptical when he’s chosen by Adelyn, but it’s not pity that he sees in her eyes. No, it's desire. Sharing her will be a monstrous task, but this alpha is all in. He won’t let his one chance to get off this island slip away.

Rhylon, a new alpha, doesn’t know what to expect when he arrives at Alpha Island. It certainly wasn’t making eyes at a cute omega on the transport or being chosen by said omega.

With danger lurking just around the corner, these two alphas must fight their instincts and work together to protect their omega at all costs. Will they manage to do the impossible and save her, or will they lose her and their chance at happiness forever?

This book was a good idea but had issues. First, more world building and character development. The second was pacing. The story plods and then zooms. Which made it a struggle. There were also issues with how things played out. Like how were the "bad" guys able to find them? It's never explained. It was a good idea but just needed more.

Book 1 Alpha Island Omegaverse

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Faking with Benefits by Lily Gold

4 Stars

My name is Layla Thompson, and I am undateable.

Seriously. I'm twenty-eight and I've never had a boyfriend. And with my thirties rapidly approaching, I'm starting to lose patience.

Lucky for me, I have three best friends who are eager to help hone my dating skills. Zack, the rugged ex-rugby player. Josh, the sweet boy-next-door. And Luke, the silver-haired divorcee... who just so happens to be my old professor.

After a bad date leaves me crying on their shoulders, the three men are determined to help me find a guy. Together, they agree to be my 'practice boyfriends', and come up with a lesson plan packed with fake dates, make out sessions, and classes on flirty texting. In return, I just have to make an appearance on their relationship advice podcast once a week. Easy.

But as my lessons become more and more intense, we soon find ourselves getting in too deep. Every 'fake' touch lingers a little too long, and every 'practice' kiss ends in fireworks. It's not long before I realise that their friendship isn't enough for me anymore. I want more.

The guys have been teaching me how to get a boyfriend, and now it's time I put their lessons to the test.

Three times over.

Loved this book so much. Layla thinks she is undatable, so her neighbors / friends set out to prove her wrong.  It starts off like it's a joke but quickly gets steamy. I liked Zack and Josh and Luke. I loved how the guys make it right after being dicks. It was just a really good book.  

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Knight Forsaken by B M Clemton

3 Stars

Betrayal. Chaos. Love.

I came to Black Veil for a new start. A chance to find myself again, and maybe learn how to control my unruly magic.

Instead, I've somehow bonded myself to three amazing men, found out I'm mated to my childhood best friend, and my magic grows more unstable by the day.

Danger lurks around every corner and death lingers in the air. Secrets are uncovered, questions answered, but I'm not entirely sure I'm prepared to face the truths that they bring.

Secrets are slowly revealed with each book. Key word... slowly. We still have the issue of things moving very slowly. The author also spoiled one of the new lovers which sucked since they hadn't been introduced. I'm enjoying the story but wish we had less day-to-day stuff. Another cliffhanger ending and with all the filler it irritates me.

Book 3 Black Veil University

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Knight Revelations by B M Clemton

3 Stars

I'm sorry, Dani.

Those three words echo through my mind and tug at the broken strings of my heart.

Bonds, magic, and lies seem to make up my world right now as it crashes around me.

All I wanted was a normal life, to go to college and try to put the shadows of my past behind me. Instead, my world has been turned upside down, and my bright future at Black Veil University is suddenly looking dim.

The shadows are closing in, putting those I love most at risk, and they will stop at nothing to get what they want.

I loved the guys even more in this book as well as Dani's BFF Kayla. There was a major pacing issue. The book was incredibly slow through most of the book and then sped all the way to the end which was a cliffhanger ending. It felt like the author decided the book had to end this way and wandered around to the end. This made for a less enjoyable book. It was still enjoyable but not as awesome as book 1. 

Book 2 Black Veil University

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Knot their Reality by Miranda May

3 Stars

Two years ago, I thought I’d found the one thing I’d been missing—a pack. Except they didn’t want me.

Now, it’s time to leave them in the past where they belong and find my pack with the help of Heated.

As the second season’s omega, I have twenty alpha and beta suitors vying for a spot in my pack. We have eight weeks to get to know one another, to unpack each other’s baggage, and to see if we can be one another’s forever.

Except, there are surprises being thrown at me left and right—leaving me completely off balance. I’m sure it’ll make great television, but can I make it through this? I want to—no, I need—to make this work. One thing they’ll learn about me is that I don’t give up.

I will find my pack, but I’m quickly realizing that leaving the past behind isn’t as simple as I once thought it would be.

The last couple of chapters ruined this book for me. The book was going along nicely, and I was enjoying how everything was playing out. There's a point where everything goes from plodding along to rush rush rush must conclude the story to the point it hurt the story. It felt like the author was having fun and then realized her word count was close, so they had to finish. The first half was a solid 4 the last bit was a 2 so 3 stars - very disappointing.

Book 2 Heated

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Knight Ascending by B M Clemton

4 Stars

My name is Danica Knight and I have a secret… a life changing, whisper worthy secret that will more than likely get me killed.

Trust no one. Is the singular phrase my mother had whispered to me when she abandoned me in a small hospital at the young age of eight. It was the only memory I could remember before I came to live with my Aunt and Uncles here in the largest wolf pack in North America. After graduating High School and having been accepted into one of the most prestigious Paranormal Universities in North America. Black Veil University.

Everything is finally going as planned. Or so I thought before four insanely hot men crash their way into my life. Each with a unique connection to me, whether they want it or not. We are tied together. Lives are turned upside down, hearts are torn and shattered and those deep dark secrets that I have held hostage start to slip. But when the dark shadows of my past come knocking, I may need every little bit of help I can get.

This series has darker elements that readers should be aware of such as, strong language, PTSD from kidnapping, assault, and violence.

I enjoyed this one a lot. The description doesn't do it justice. Danica is a woman who doesn't remember where she came from. She struggles but is willing to keep pushing through. I loved the other characters. The guys she ends up with are fabulous. They want to protect her but also let her grow and change. It ends on a cliffhanger and that made me so mad but the rest of the books are out so I will be checking them out.

Book 1 Black Veil University

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Devoted by Evelyn Flood

3.5 Stars

Devastated.

Abandoned.

Denied.

With Sienna separated from her Soul Bonded alphas, her time is running out. Her body is failing, and she can't survive without them. And after the events of the Bonding Trials, she's on the verge of giving up.

She put her trust in her pack again and again, and they failed every single time.

Her heart can't take any more lies.

But the Cohen pack is determined to find Sienna and bring her home.

And nothing is off the table.

I loved book 1 and it got a rare 5 stars out of me. I needed this one immediately. When I got this one, the guys didn't suffer nearly enough for all they put her through. I enjoyed the journey but wanted them to suffer more but she ended up paying for it. I loved the side characters and want more. 

Book 2 the Bonding Trials

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Something Knotty Something Blue by Lilith K Dual

2 Stars

Marriage is a Beta thing, but I'm an Omega.

All my life I’ve been a good girl. I’ve behaved and never caused a fuss. Omega or not, my dreams have always lined up with my mother’s expectations: find a nice beta boy, marry, have kids, and a white picket fence.

Until I found the Heller Pack. My pack.

I've never felt as wanted as I do when I’m with them. I need nothing more than to be at their side, no matter how much my mother disapproves.

But, I also want my special day.

After a year of suffering through heat suppressants and chemical cocktails to keep our urges at bay, tonight is the magical night when I walk down the aisle and become their bride. My pack can claim me at last.

Interesting idea that was poorly implemented. It felt like there was a whole story prior to this one which led to me being confused. It was like an epilogue to a story. I want the backstory that leads into this one. Because of the short length there isn't any development of the characters. The world was developed in other books. Overall skip and read something else.

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Whatever it Takes by Jillian West

4 Stars

Briar needs help. She knows what it's like to walk out of a dangerous situation and straight into the unknown. That's what brings her to Shadow Security—only a case of mistaken identity leads her to accept a job that was never actually intended for her.

Things look up when she catches the eye of one of the guys at work, but they take a downturn fast when she realizes he has no intention of staying faithful. Luckily, her handsome coworkers are there to help pick up the pieces, but everything compounds as the past catches up at the worst possible time.

Briar doesn't want to run again, but she has big secrets that her overbearing boss and mercenary coworkers know nothing about.

Shadow Security didn't earn its reputation as one of the most ruthless private security companies in the country for nothing, but will that be enough? Will they even want to protect her when they realize how high the stakes are, and who they're truly up against?

This was an amusing read. Briar is on the run and ends up working for a security company. The bosses want her but shouldn’t so they try to stay away from her until they can’t stay away. It just worked for me when they finally get together. I would have liked more fleshed out with her ex but it was still a good read.

Book 1 Mercenaries for Hire

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Pucking the Enemy by Melissa Huxley

3 Stars

They were the enemy, but now I’m their pregnant Omega…

College was meant to be fun, a time away to figure out who I was while attending university with my childhood best friend and avoiding an arranged marriage my parents tried to force upon me.

Then every plan I had fluttered away after one party, one choice to follow my desires.

A one-night stand turned into so much more when my heat kicked in, pulling Roman, Phillip, and Cormac down with me for a night of unexpected passion. They were everything my Omega heart could ever want, until I found out who they truly were…

No matter how deep the rivalry, it didn’t change the predicament I was in. I was pregnant, falling in love, and the cherry on top was their devotion and eagerness to be dads and care for me like I was the missing piece they never expected to find.

And yet, the perfect future I could have would be nothing without my best friend, loving me the only way he knew how.

I wanted to like this more but struggled with Hazel’s character. She started off so strong and then just kind of fizzled out and became super weak by the end. Speaking of the end. It was very abrupt and needed more to round out the HEA.

Book 2 Pucking Pregnant

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Packed in the Firehouse by Melissa Huxley

3.5 Stars

The fire started, and I never wanted it to go out…

The fire took everything from me. My home. My memories. The stability I fought tooth and nail for, giving my son the life he deserved.

But it was all gone, destroyed in a matter of minutes as I helplessly watched.

Escaping with our lives and nothing more, Luka and I headed for the shelter, determined to rest before starting over tomorrow, creating a new life from scratch once again. Three Alphas wouldn’t have it though, surrounding us and demanding we stay with them and the other firefighters at the station.

I was reluctant to say yes, and if I had been alone, I would have shot them down. But Luka deserved to feel safe after what we had been through.

And after all, it was only supposed to be for a few nights…

I didn’t expect to find love in the aftermath of the smoldering embers of my life, but would the traumas of my past douse the flames before they could fully ignite?

The guys were adorable and I loved them. Sunny, I had issues with. Her twin brother is never told what happened and he discovers on his own what she’s been going through. He is rightfully angry about it. Then he’s forgotten all over again. The story also went on way too long. Overall, enjoyed but small issues.

Book 1 Fire House Omega

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