Melanie
This was actually quite surprising. I was really looking for a prison setting and this delivered. At first, the narration was a little confusing but in the end, I appreciated how the book started. I do love a good “how we get there” story. I tend to like books with about 100 pages longer because I feel like you get a better character and world building but this worked fine honestly.
Looking forward to more books from this author.
This was very cute and just what I needed that day. It was everything you could ask of a cowboy omegaverse romance : cute and cozy. Anyway, this wasn't anything particular but the writing was fine (better than some stuff I've read lately) + .... cowboys? That has to be your goal here. Just drooling over cowboys.
Piper Rayne is what you need when you're in the mood for sweet and uncomplicated. The story is nothing new, the characters aren't very fleshed out and the story moves very fast. Pros : no time to waste, no time to get bored. Cons : it's just not that deep or spicy so this has to be what you feel like reading.
Something easy.
I know this took me forever to read (pretty much finished the entire series before going back to 3 and 4) and honestly? I liked it but just as I thought, it brings nothing to me. I think the original goal was to have this series about Knox and Harper but then other characters went ahead and started screaming for their books, which is the only reason I'm making sense of these first four books. Sadly, the one book format of the other heroes work so well I'm grasping at the point in book 3 and 4 for Harper and Knox.
The books were fine, don't think anything of it. They were fine. They just don't bring much to the table.
I know this took me forever to read (pretty much finished the entire series before going back to 3 and 4) and honestly? I liked it but just as I thought, it brings nothing to me. I think the original goal was to have this series about Knox and Harper but then other characters went ahead and started screaming for their books, which is the only reason I'm making sense of these first four books. Sadly, the one book format of the other heroes work so well I'm grasping at the point in book 3 and 4 for Harper and Knox.
The books were fine, don't think anything of it. They were fine. They just don't bring much to the table.
Just like the first opus of this series, the very interesting aspect in this BDSM story is how the characters come into this club with their traumatic experience and how the BDSM aspect comes despite the trauma and to help through it. Quinton and Cassia were very precious and it wasn't hard to root for them. The drama is never unnecessary which is great if you're into that kind of mood, the mood for deep, meaningful, bdsm spice.
I was really looking forward to Eden's story and really appreciated that it was a triad story again. Loooved Jade. I feel like the drama wasn't strong enough when it came to Clay and Eden's love story before Jade and wished there had been more hesitation. Jade was just really too awesome for words.
Honestly, Eden's struggle between her club persona and her private life persona was interesting for a while but dragged on too long IMO.
That said, this was still a nice ending to this entire series. There's a lot of different representations, a lot of character growth and overall, you'll find inevitably one story you like.
I was way more into this than I thought I was going to be. I used to like a good age gap but lately, I've read a few that were too taboo or dirty. I really prefer when the age gap isn't tinged with grooming or the MMC having known the FMC when she was a kid. That said, this actually worked.
They were both super dirty talkers and just dirty and it was super hot.
The story really came together as well and made their relationship work instead of problematic.
I think I hoped for more when it came to this book? I really liked the first opus and had a whole thing made up in my mind. This started to hit all the right spots (the experiments, mute main character, childhood crush...). But it did not quite deliver. There's one trope I particularly dislike (when she can talk to them through their minds as they bond, I feel like I haven't read one book where a mute/deaf FMC stays that way throughout the book and the pack doesn't quite make sense. It feels like there's a connection missing.
Anyway, I won't expand because I generally love Calliope Stewart and I guess I hyped this a bit too much in my mind.
I started another book by Katie May that I did not appreciate so I was a little skeptical at first. Turns out this was a super fun read. It was a bit of a mouthful but Thea's inner voice was quite hilarious. The stakes were interesting, the twists as well. All in all, I had a grand time reading this.
This is probably my second least favourite in the series. It ties closely with Mercy. I thought this relationship had too many things going against it : age gap for the ages, that was almost enough to be a real drama point. But to add the whole “you were in love with my mom ten years ago”, now that just added the second unnecessary layer of yuck.
I still read through it because it's Sara Cate and she's great at what she does, at layering characters' motive, strengths and fears. But the taboo was too much for me with this one.
I didn't want to rate it because it'd be unfair to her great writing but I'll try to stay focused on the positives.
This wasn't my favourite book in the series. While I was looking forward to Maggie's story and seeing how you become a mistress, I could not quite stand Beau. While I appreciated the character's trauma and growth, as usual with Sara Cate's stories and writing, I couldn't get behind their “connection”. Sara Cate seems to like to go for taboo relationships so she can get you to interrogate your prejudices but honestly, this book and the next one just felt like shock value for shock value. This would have worked better if it hadn't been Emerson's son. Just my humble opinion.
That said, this is still great writing and storytelling so if you enjoyed the first three, go for it!
This will be a general series review because I'm actually blushing all over that I actually read all those. They were dirty, borderline indecent and the consent was MORE THAN dubious (I know, check the warnings you all) but if you're in the mood for it, these are goals.
PS. That said, this one was definitely my least favourite. What a terrible unlikeable man.
I can't say this is very different from the other books in the series. I'll probably give another of her series a go to see if I want to continue but as far as I'm concerned, her books aren't quite what I usually enjoy. They're almost too drama free, or the drama really is quite sterile and easily resolved.
I liked this as much as I did the first but it had some of the issues I had with the first book. I think it's just a Piper Rayne's writing thing. Things move smoothly, the characters are okay but there's nothing really quite meaningful in any of the interactions between the characters. It's almost too easy, you know?
That said, this just works great as a short uncomplicated bedtime story.
This wasn't quite my favourite S.J. Tilly book up to date, but alas, they can't all be winners.
There was something strangely weird with Elouise and Beckett. I couldn't feel the UST like I generally do. I think the small town setting did not mesh with some of the vibes of the book. Honestly, I don't know, I'm grasping at straws. Let's just leave it at “I didn't vibe with it”.
King, you weren't my favourite. But you were still great.
This has all the great marks of S.J. Tilly's writing. It's hot (very hot), has some unhinged characters (MMC and FMC alike) that are often very ruled by their hormones, which is, if you're looking for that type of story, totally awesome.
And when I say very hot, I mean, very very hot. As in the sexual tension is almost unbearable.