Friday, May 30, 2025

Like Real People Do

                


Title: Like Real People Do
Series: Breakaway #1
Author: E.L. Massey
Publisher: NineStar Press, August 23, 2022
Pages: 425
Genre: LGBT NA Romance

Nineteen-year-old hockey phenom Alexander Price is the youngest-ever captain in the NHL. With a polarizing social media presence and a predilection for dirty play, he typifies the stereotype of young, out-of-control athlete. But away from the cameras, Alex is a kid with an anxiety disorder and the expectations of an expansion franchise on his shoulders. And maybe he tries too hard to fit the part of asshole playboy, but it’s better than the alternative; in his line of work, gay is the punchline of an insult, not something he can be.

Eighteen-year-old vlogger Elijah Rodriguez is a freshman in college recovering from an injury that derailed his Olympic figure-skating dreams. Mixed-race, disabled, and out of the closet since he was fourteen, Eli is unapologetically himself. He has no qualms about voicing his disapproval of celebrity jocks who make homophobic jokes on Twitter and park their flashy cars in the handicapped spaces outside of ice rinks.

After an antagonistic introduction, Alex and Eli’s inexplicable friendship both baffles and charms the internet. But navigating relationships is hard enough for normal teenagers. It’s a lot harder when the world—much of it disapproving—is watching you fall in love with your best friend.


These children are entirely too emotionally mature. Unrealistic AF.

Don't take that to mean I didn't enjoy it. Because I definitely did. Could not put it down for the most part. But these kids have clearly done the work and they actually put it into action and like....not any 19-year-olds I know! I wish I knew 19-year-olds like that. I wish I had been a 19-year-old like that, though I'm glad I did things the way I did. These emotionally mature kids were an absolute delight to read about.

Ratings
Stars: 5/5
Spice: 2/5

The Broposal

               


Title: The Broposal
Author: Sonora Reyes
Publisher: Forever, January 21, 2025
Pages: 371
Genre: LGBT Romance

It’s about time roommates Alejandro and Kenny get married. Or at least, that’s what all their close friends and family think when they announce their engagement. The kicker? The two are faking their whole relationship so Alejandro can get a green card. But if Han was going to marry anyone, it would be his ride or die since second grade.

Han has never been able to put down roots, and the only one who truly breaks through his walls is Kenny. Sweet, sensitive Kenny is newly single, and what better distraction from his soul-sucking relationship than proposing marriage to Han? Kenny can’t think of anything more fun than spending his life with his best friend, even if it’s just for a piece of paper. But as Kenny keeps up the charade, he’s soon struggling to resist their sizzling chemistry.

The line between fact and fiction begins to blur the closer they get to their wedding date. With all eyes on Han and Kenny—including a meddling ex and immigration officers—will these two bros make it down the altar for real?


Han and Kenny are delightful. Both are bundles of anxiety, and that was actually kind of hard to read. But only kind of. 

I don't believe in defrauding the government. However, these two are absolutely soulmates and I'm so glad that they finally figured it out. They didn't undertake their mission lightly. And both of them had their doubts and stumbles. But hot dog, was it all worth reading. Sonora Reyes is brilliant at getting me to feel wholly what their characters are experiencing. The emotional accuracy is 10/10.

Ratings
Stars: 5/5
Spice: 2/5

The Fake Mate

       


Title: The Fake Mate
Author: Lana Ferguson
Publisher: Berkley, December 5, 2023
Pages: 400
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Mackenzie Carter has had some very bad dates lately. Model train experts, mansplainers, guys weirdly obsessed with her tail—she hasn’t had a successful date in months. Only a year out of residency, her grandmother’s obsession with Mackenzie finding the perfect mate to settle down with threatens to drive Mackenzie barking mad. Out of options, it feels like a small thing to tell her grandmother that she’s met someone. That is, until she blurts out the name of the first man she sees and the last man she would ever date: Noah Taylor, the big bad wolf of Denver General.
 
Noah Taylor, interventional cardiologist and all around grump, has spent his entire life hiding what he is. With outdated stigmas surrounding unmated alphas that have people wondering if they still howl at the moon, Noah has been careful to keep his designation under wraps. It’s worked for years, until an anonymous tip has everything coming to light. Noah is left with two options: come clean to the board and risk his career—or find himself a mate. The chatty, overly friendly ER doctor asking him to be her fake boyfriend on the 
same day he’s called to meet the board has to be kismet, right?
 
Mackenzie will keep her grandmother off her back, and Noah will get a chance to prove he can continue to work without a real mate—a mutually beneficial business transaction, they both rationalize. But when the fake-mate act turns into a very real friends-with-benefits arrangement, lines start to blur, and they quickly realize love is a whole different kind of animal.

Hell yes, marriage of convenience. Mating of convenience? Fake mating! It's amazing. Why not tell everyone at work that you're in a relationship so your grandmother will stop setting you up on horrible blind dates and the doctor that everyone hates can keep his job. That's a perfect idea.

And it was so fun to read about! Especially when they realized that everyone thought they were hooking up, so like...why not hook up? That was very very fun! 

Ratings
Stars: 4/5
Spice: 3/5

The Game Changer

       


Title: The Game Changer
Author: Lana Ferguson
Publisher: Berkley, July 9, 2024
Pages: 395
Genre: Contemporary Romance

When a very public breakup becomes a PR nightmare for Ian Chase's team, he hopes to focus on his game, but that suddenly seem less likely than a hat trick. With his career and the team’s image in jeopardy, Ian is surprised to find a solution through none other than Delilah Baker, his best friend and teammate's little sister…who isn’t so little anymore.

Delilah Baker is known as “the darling of baking” on her local cable show, and being in the public eye is her bread and butter. But with her numbers dwindling and her producers turning up the heat, Delilah offers up the half-baked idea to collaborate with her brother’s team to entice the hockey fans of Boston to tune in to her show. Delilah thinks it will be a piece of cake—until the team sends Ian Chase, her brother’s best friend and the object of a decade-long crush that she’s never quite gotten over. 

Delilah's and Ian’s teams think it’s a true win-win situation—gaining higher numbers for Delilah’s show and casting Ian in a more positive light. And viewers are eating them up like a cupcake, sparking the idea to play up their relationship for the goal of good press. With more than just their careers on thin ice, the line between what’s real and what’s for show begins to blur, but one thing’s for certain: This PR stunt will either be a total game changer—or leave them both totally pucked.

I am thrilled that hockey romance is trending right now. I love it so much and I am ravenous for almost all of them. Obviously some MF sports ball romances can lean toxic for me, but this one was very good. It was hockey mixed together with second chance and brother's best friend. A potent combo if there ever was one. Their chemistry certainly didn't hurt. 

Ratings
Stars: 4/5
Spice: 2/5

The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School

              


Title: The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School
Author: Sonora Reyes
Publisher: HarperCollins, May 17, 2022
Pages: 400
Genre: YA LGBT Fiction

Sixteen-year-old Yamilet Flores prefers to be known for her killer eyeliner, not for being one of the only Mexican kids at her new, mostly white, very rich Catholic school. But at least here no one knows she’s gay, and Yami intends to keep it that way. 

After being outed by her crush and ex-best friend before transferring to Slayton Catholic, Yami has new priorities: keep her brother out of trouble, make her mom proud, and, most importantly, don’t fall in love. Granted, she’s never been great at any of those things, but that’s a problem for Future Yami. 

The thing is, it’s hard to fake being straight when Bo, the only openly queer girl at school, is so annoyingly perfect. And smart. And talented. And cute. So cute. Either way, Yami isn’t going to make the same mistake again. If word got back to her mom, she could face a lot worse than rejection. So she’ll have to start asking, WWSGD: What would a straight girl do? 

Told in a captivating voice that is by turns hilarious, vulnerable, and searingly honest, The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School explores the joys and heartaches of living your full truth out loud.


Another book that you really have to watch your trigger warnings on. If you've ever dealt with bullying, this one might hit close to home. This made me feel a little grateful that I was oblivious to my feelings when I was in high school. Kids are brutal, especially when they're confused. 

Then you have the friends who are brutal because they're scared. Yami is so scared of being outed that she loses herself for a bit. I won't say her fears were totally unfounded, but I'm glad that she had it just a little wrong. All told, this was joyful and heart wrenching by turns. And man, did this book exactly capture the anxiety before and during coming out. Every time. No matter how you think someone will react. Or how much you think you do or don't care how someone will react.

Ratings
Stars: 4/5

Thursday, May 29, 2025

Archangel's Kiss

                                                   

Title: Archangel's Kiss
Series: Guild Hunter #2
Author: Nalini Singh
Published: Berkley, February 1, 2010
Pages: 354
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed - an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn - but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control - even when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority...

They've barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing - and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena...


I still don't know exactly how to feel about this series. But I also can't get enough. It's really everything my urban fantasy grungy paranormal loving self needs. It's certainly not cozy, but also feels very cozy to me. I don't usually love series that are all centered on the same couple, but Elena and Raphael are perfect. In that they're pretty toxic, but also hot and hot for each other. I'm still so in love with Raphael's 7, they are massively interesting!!


Ratings
Stars: 3/5
Spice: 2/5

Ashley & the A-Listers

                   


Title: Ashley and the A-Listers
Series: Sweet Omegaverse #10
Author: Lana Kole
Publisher: December 27, 2024
Pages: 504
Genre: Omegaverse Romance

Ashley should be used to celebrities walking through the glass doors of All Jacked Up.
But those celebrities weren’t Cameron Thomas, Hollywood’s hottest new action star. Those celebrities didn’t need to learn kick boxing, which happened to be Ashley’s expertise.
Those celebrities definitely weren’t omegas who made Ashley’s alpha hindbrain howl.
But nothing can be easy.
Cameron is a package deal, and comes with an alpha bodyguard. A familiar one.
Dylan.
The childhood best friend, the one who got away… or ran away, over ten years ago.
And that’s not the only addition. River, the hot beta she met at the coffee shop, happens to be Cameron’s secret boyfriend.
The thing is, Ashley wants a pack. But as instinctual as it is to fall back into old habits with Dylan, a celebrity’s life is anything but easy.
As their time together at the gym comes to an end, Ashley will have to muster up the courage to go after what she really wants… once she figures out what that is.

I will never not love a book in this series, I guess. It's just perfect. 


This book was very good. I love a second chance, and I don't know if Dylan deserved a second chance.. But I did enjoy watching him get one. Almost everything about this book was perfect, except what they did to River. I'm not going to spoil it, but it was hard to read. 


But, per usual, they were adorable, sexy, and hilarious. I love them. 


Ratings
Stars: 4/5
Spice: 3/5

Monday, May 26, 2025

Angels' Blood

                                                  

Title: Angels' Blood
Series: Guild Hunter #1
Author: Nalini Singh
Published: Berkley, May 7, 2010
Pages: 372
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she is the best-but she does not know if even she is good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, Elena knows failure is not an option-even if the task is impossible.Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other-and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt does not destroy her, succumbing to Raphael's seductive touch just might. For when archangels play, mortals break.


What a classic 2010's paranormal romance. I have been riding the Psy-Changeling high for awhile now, and I thought it was time to see what this series was all about. I do enjoy the world building. Angels and vampires and hunters. It's all very gritty and urban fantasy. Which is somehow a shocking change from the Psy-Changeling series, and yet vaguely similar as well.


As its own thing, this is good. If I were the person I was in 2010, reading this book, I would have been completely feral for it! As I am not that same person, and it is not 2010, I still like it for the nostalgia. But this alpha hole is a piece of work. I do love that Elena is awesome the whole time though. 


Ratings
Stars: 3/5
Spice: 2/5

The Breakbeat Poets Vol. 3: Halal if You Hear Me

         



Title: Halal if You Hear Me
Series: The BreakBeat Poets, Vol. 3
Publisher: Haymarket Books, April 16, 2019
Pages: 224
Genre: Poetry

The collected poems dispel the notion that there is one correct way to be a Muslim by holding space for multiple, intersecting identities while celebrating and protecting those identities.

Halal If You Hear Me features poems by Safia Elhillo, Fatimah Asghar, Warsan Shire, Tarfia Faizullah, Angel Nafis, Beyza Ozer, and many others.

A beautiful collection. I don't read a lot of poetry, so reviewing it feels wildly out of my reach. Especially 3 months after finishing my read through. But considering I don't read a lot of poetry, I still really enjoyed these.

Ratings
Stars: 5/5

The Daughter of Danray

             


Title: The Daughter of Danray
Series: Flowers of Prophecy #3
Author: Natalia Hernandez
Publisher: October 17, 2024
Pages: 412
Genre: YA LGBT Fantasy

The Name-Bearer has never wavered from her mission.

Find the Unnamed Prince.

Deliver him to the Flowers of Prophecy.

Bring peace to the kingdom.

For years she trained in the safety of the Danrayan Temple until she was ready to face her destiny. Then, with the help of her friends, she scoured the continent and found the prince that was promised. And yet, despite finally having the key to her people’s fate in her grasp, the Name-Bearer’s journey is far from over.

The capital is overrun with monstros. Her greatest champion is out of her reach. And every ally she thought she could rely on is losing faith in her and her mission. If Tierramadri is going to be saved, the Name Bearer will have to face her most impossible task proving to everyone that the Flower’s Prophecy is not only true - but worth risking everything for.


The party is very nearly broken. Things seem more dire than ever. I love this series.

Do we have the right unnamed prince? Not sure. Are we going to be able to cure the mage madness? Not sure. There are still so many questions!! 

Just reading the blurb has my anxiety spiraling. Everything feels like it's working itself up to the dramatic conclusion, I guess it's just a matter of how many books it will take to get there. 

*spoiler*

I'm so glad that she has finally accepted that she's a "True Danrayan". For the whole series, she's kept herself apart. And I'm so glad that she finally gets her moment to accept that it's not about why she ended up with the warriors, but how she spent her time there and what's in her heart and mind that makes her a daughter of Danray. It does seem to giver her that edge that she will need to take the party through the next part of their adventure.

Ratings
Stars: 5/5

Quicksilver

         



Title: Quicksilver
Series: Fae & Alchemy #1
Author: Callie Hart
Publisher: Forever, September 10, 2024
Pages: 615
Genre: Romantasy

Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember. In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water. But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently reopens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares…but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed right in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him… or her. Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.

Be careful of the deals you make, dear child. The devil is in the details...

This was a TikTok win for me. BookTok isn't always on it. But I really enjoyed this one. I liked the lore and am interested enough to read another book in this world. 

It's kind of your quintessential chosen one fantasy novel. She's gritty and a good fighter, but also seemingly more innocent and prudish than someone with her background would be. He's handsome and aloof, but so completely enamored with her even if he isn't going to admit it for at least 75% of the book. I ate it right up.

Ratings
Stars: 5/5
Spice: 3/5

Annie Bot

        



Title: Annie Bot
Author: Sierra Greer
Publisher: Mariner Books, March 19, 2024
Pages: 238
Genre: Science Fiction

Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend for her human owner Doug. Designed to satisfy his emotional and physical needs, she has dinner ready for him every night, wears the pert outfits he orders for her, and adjusts her libido to suit his moods. True, she’s not the greatest at keeping Doug’s place spotless, but she’s trying to please him. She’s trying hard.

She’s learning, too.

Doug says he loves that Annie’s AI makes her seem more like a real woman, so Annie explores human traits such as curiosity, secrecy, and longing. But becoming more human also means becoming less perfect, and as Annie’s relationship with Doug grows more intricate and difficult, she starts to wonder: Does Doug really desire what he says he wants? And in such an impossible paradox, what does Annie owe herself?

Whoa. What a ride. This was a book club choice for me, and I am so glad that I had some built-in discussion for this one. I feel like it is pretty necessary. 

Let me first say that I love Annie. AI scares the hell out of me, but she is an amazing AI. And the company that created her thinks so too. And they think it's all because of Doug and the way he treats her. And for the most part, they're right. Until they're not. 

Like most relationships, once other people get involved, things get complicated. Mostly because Doug's ego is massive and massively fragile. When you only have input from one source, of course you can be perfect for them. But when they are insistent that they want you to be your own person who makes their own choices, that feels like a direct contradiction to being the perfect woman for Doug. 

I loved how much this question came up. And I found it so interesting that my book club was so split on our feelings for Doug. That was definitely the part where we had the most variability of opinions. Whether Doug deserved his ending or not. I'd be very interested to know what you think about it all. 

One think I know for sure is that Annie Bot definitely deserves the ending she finds!!! <3

Ratings
Stars: 5/5
Spice: 2/5

Scythe & Sparrow

       



Title: Scythe & Sparrow
Series: The Ruinous Love Trilogy #3
Author: Brynne Weaver
Publisher: Zando, February 11, 2025
Pages: 416
Genre: Dark Romance

Doctor Fionn Kane is running from a broken heart, one he hopes to mend in small-town Nebraska, far away from his almost-fiancé and his derailed surgical career. It’s a simpler life: head down, hard work, and absolutely no romantic relationships. He wants none of the circus he left behind in Boston.

But then the 
real circus finds him.

Motorcycle performer Rose Evans has spent a decade on the road with the Silveria Circus, and it suits her just fine, especially when she has the urge to indulge in a little murder when she’s not in the spotlight. But when a kill goes awry and she ends up with an injured leg, Rose finds herself stuck in Nebraska, at the home of the adorably nerdy town doctor.

The problem is, not every broken heart can be sewn back together.

. . . And the longer you stay in one place, the more likely your ghosts are to catch up.

Rose is the definition of a hot mess. For someone who makes it her business to murder abusive men, she is shockingly ill prepared to murder abusive men. 

The women in this series are unhinged. Like the Kane brothers are definitely not well. But these women are out of their minds and I love that for them. But the women in this series are also not necessarily the best at their jobs. I've just realized that all 3 of them have to be saved, and like it's good that she gave the strapping Kane boys a purpose. But thinking about it now, it's a little annoying that they had to "save" their damsels. 

In saying that, Rose is still amazing. I'm very interested in the mechanics of a crochet sex swing. Given the right fiber, it could be really great. But there's definitely a right and a very wrong way to accomplish that task, and I hope for Rose they got it right! 

I am so glad I don't understand the inner workings of highly deranged people. But the idea of someone following her across the country to get back at her is wild. I mean, she did try to kill him and like in his eyes was the reason his family left him. But still. Brynne Weaver writes crazy so well!

Ratings
Stars: 4/5
Spice: 3/5

Once Smitten, Twice Shy

         


Title: Once Smitten, Twice Shy
Series: The Wilmot Sisters #3
Author: Chloe Liese
Publisher: Berkley, January 14, 2025
Pages: 384
Genre: Contemporary Rom-Com

Since heartbreak entered the scene, Juliet Wilmot, once a hopeless romantic, has sworn off love. But when she's presented with the chance to revisit romance-purely for practice-with the gorgeous, off-limits guy she keeps serendipitously running into, it feels like a sign from the universe.

Quiet, shy Will Orsino knows happily-ever-after isn't on his horizon. Problem is, for the sake of the family business, marriage is. Resigned to the inevitable, but with no confidence he can woo a wife, he can hardly say no when fate hands him the alluring, unattainable woman he keeps crossing paths with, offering to help him learn the ropes of romance.

Neither of them looking for love, Jules and Will agree they're the perfect pair to practice romance. Except that practicing to perfection leads to an irresistible attraction. Their once smitten hearts, though still twice shy, might have happily-ever-after written in the stars for them, after all.

I am so obsessed with these retellings. They're so fun and smart and perfect. I love Twelfth Night, and I love that this series is rounding out with a favorite of mine. 

The fact that she worked the twins in as she did, and her name is Juliet. Ugh, it's just so good. I am glad that Juliet wasn't tricking Will. They were both in agreement that they were practicing and they were only trying to keep their fake dating from their friends and family. Which is a nice mirror to Bea and Jamie's fake dating that was purely for the benefit of their friends and family. 

There was a lot of serendipity working in this one. The fact that they were apparently family friends all along, and just didn't know it? Had a lot of mutual friends, but had never met somehow? That was a fun touch. This did fall into the "series wrap up" rut a little bit. I understand the benefits, and as a fan, I am not upset in the least to see it. But it does take away a tiny bit from the Jules and Will of it all. Certainly not enough to tear through this book!!! I can't wait to see what Chloe Liese will do next. Post Bergmans and Wilmots!

Ratings
Stars: 5/5
Spice: 2/5

To Shape a Dragon's Breath

       



Title: To Shape a Dragon's Breath
Series: Nampeshiweisit #1
Author: Moniquill Blackgoose
Publisher: Del Rey, May 9, 2023
Pages: 519
Genre: YA Fantasy

The remote island of Masquapaug has not seen a dragon in many generations—until fifteen-year-old Anequs finds a dragon’s egg and bonds with its hatchling. Her people are delighted, for all remember the tales of the days when dragons lived among them and danced away the storms of autumn, enabling the people to thrive. To them, Anequs is revered as Nampeshiweisit—a person in a unique relationship with a dragon.

Unfortunately for Anequs, the Anglish conquerors of her land have different opinions. They have a very specific idea of how a dragon should be raised, and who should be doing the raising—and Anequs does not meet any of their requirements. Only with great reluctance do they allow Anequs to enroll in a proper Anglish dragon school on the mainland. If she cannot succeed there, her dragon will be killed.

For a girl with no formal schooling, a non-Anglish upbringing, and a very different understanding of the history of her land, challenges abound—both socially and academically. But Anequs is smart, determined, and resolved to learn what she needs to help her dragon, even if it means teaching herself. The one thing she refuses to do, however, is become the meek Anglish miss that everyone expects.

Anequs and her dragon may be coming of age, but they’re also coming to power, and that brings an important realization: the world needs changing—and they might just be the ones to do it.

Stunning. Infuriating, of course. But absolutely beautifully done.

I say of course it's infuriating because of the heavy implications of colonization. It's disgusting really. Only because it's so accurate. I mean, minus the dragons. But the dragons are amazing! 

From meeting the first dragon, to seeing how dragons coexist with the people in this world, and how that's maybe not how things should be. It's just a really interesting world and I can't wait to see what's going to happen in the next book. There's quite a lot of political intrigue happening, and people trying to control Anequs. And she just wants to live her best polyamorous life with her dragon on her little island. And I hope desperately that she gets to do so.

Ratings
Stars: 5/5

The Rake OR The Orca Who Met His Match in a Selkie Desiring Revenge

 


Title: The Rake OR The Orca Who Met His Match in a Selkie Desiring Revenge
Series: The Shades of Sanctuary #3
Author: Kass O'Shire
Publisher: February 13, 2025
Pages: 454
Genre: Fantasy Romance

It only takes a taste...

Lost in strange waters after a narrow escape from captivity, Elspeth the selkie is determined to find and free her brother. When she runs into an orca-shifter who mistakes her for lunch, one drop of his blood on her pelt binds her to him... forever.

Aegir is a notoriously talented shifter, playing pirates and playboys wherever his covert operations--or many lovers--take him. But when the selkie he rescued vanishes, he's plagued by memories of her... and a letter that spells out her doom. As they come together to rescue Elspeth's brother, both must navigate their traumas, a bond neither wanted, and growing feelings for each other. Can Elspeth learn to trust someone who wears a different face every day?


I was always going to read this book. I was never not going to read this book. But the commissioned artwork for this book would have convinced me if I had not been. Aegir is a freaking babe. Full dad bod orca merman?! Hell yes. And then there's Elspeth who is also a dang babe. Aside from babedom, this book is actually kind of tragic. You have got to pay close attention to trigger warnings for this one. Elspeth's story does not start out very nice.

But this is the best kind of marriage of convenience, a surprise mate bond!!! And the way that Aegir takes his time with her after everything she's been through is so good. And the spice, of course, was tasty as hell. But my favorite part of this was seeing inside Aegir's head. His identity struggles were very relatable. Hard to read at times, but extremely relatable.

Ratings
Stars: 4/5
Spice: 3/5

Bonus Novella!


Title: Bargaining with the Bear
Series: The Shades of Sanctuary #0.5
Author: Kass O'Shire
Publisher: August 2, 2024
Pages: 39
Genre: Fantasy Romance

After years of using magic to suppress her pheromones around her gorgeous, grumpy, polar bear-shifter boss, Hanne finally has the chance to tell him how she feels. When Jorund is elected to the council of their tranquil town in the northern wilds, and she's promoted to his old position, it seems her years of bargaining might be over. But when she bares her soul, will he let their age gap get in the way, or will the former Head Ranger give her what every ermine-shifter wants... a good chase?


What a perfect romp. Just a sweet, little run through Sanctuary. I could absolutely read a whole book about these two.

Ratings
Stars: 3/5
Spice: 2/5