Category: Spicy Romance

We are on the Scoville Scale in this category

Posted in Spicy Romance

Stolen by the Beast

Posted on by Little Bee

By MJ Marstens and Sedona Ashe

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Monster romance is among one of my favorites, so when the opportunity came to read Stolen by the Beast, I had to request it. I will say, this is my first of this type of monster, a quite literal Bone Daddy, if you will.

The book is relatively short. It is a fated mates paranormal romance. Minimal spice until towards the end when Karvik allowed himself to believe Juniper was his mate. No third act break up, but definitely third act trial on the relationship. Book ends in a HEA.

Juniper and Karvik have a definite barrier in their relationship since she is human and he is not. His kind has been around for thousands of years, and he is apparently the last of his kind. His confusion at human mannerisms are entertaining and Juniper is very patient with teaching him but also a little juvenile. I can’t really remember what age she is. Her amnesia made her very childlike, but this book is not anywhere close to DDlg.

I rated the book 4 stars because I had a difficult time connecting. Again, it was all good, but something felt missing for me. It may be because I had a hard time envisioning the story with being new to the Bone Daddy variety or maybe I just couldn’t connect to Juniper. I think others will enjoy it very much though.

Posted in Spicy Romance

The Naga Outcast’s Unwanted Mate

Posted on by Little Bee

By Robin O’Connor

Rating 4 out of 5 Stars

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I haven’t read a lot of books with Naga’s in them, because I think I have just kind of been confused. After reading this one though, I definitely think I will read others.

In typical alien romance fashion, the FMC is in a shipwreck. She was supposed to be executed, only she was gassed to sleep and shipped off somewhere, though we do not know much about that. The ship, with other prisoners, land on a primitive island with different Naga tribes.

This story has insta-love for the Naga. The FMC takes a little while to come around since she is not used to being wanted. This book falls in a series, but is a completed book in the series. Each book will likely follow a different Naga.

There is some editing issues in the book, but since this is an ARC, it should be corrected by release date.

I have not read a lot of alien romances, though I have been crossing into it. My first real alien romance series was Ice Planet Barbarians. I try very hard to not make comparisons, but as I read this book, I couldn’t help but see some similarities. Whether the author is a fan of IPB or not, even with the similarities, the story stands on its own…tail ;).

I really like how the author either knows about snakes or did a lot of research, because I had to look up some things in the book because I do not know much about snakes. Also, I think one of the biggest reasons I have not really read Naga related stories in the past is because I have a hard time envisioning the spicy scenes. So…did I take a trip to google to look up Naga *spicy* photos? I did. Did it help me appreciate this story more? It did. Do I recommend this book as a new series to start? I do.

Posted in Spicy Romance

Beauty’s Beasts

Posted on by Little Bee

by Alex Hanson

Rating 5 out of 5 Stars

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is a dark, fantasy retelling of Beauty and Beast/Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, Why Choose Edition. The main character is nonbinary. Some days are Evan days, where they feel masculine; some days are Eve days, where they feel feminine; and some days are neither and they go by their name given at birth, Evangeline, in which these days are just meh days. The townspeople are not receptive to their trying to live their life as a man some days, and they have difficulty just getting through the days. Eventually, they get offered up in the monthly Offering given to The Deadwood to be eaten by the demons in the forest. These demons, as you may guess, are the “Four Horsemen” in this story.

I was immediately sucked into this book. It is very well written. It is so many things all in one: it includes monsters, magic/paranormal aspects, action, loose fairytale retelling of Beauty and the Beast, reverse harem/why choose, MM action between side characters (but spicy scenes are only of the main character and their harem) and more. One thing I always complain about is how some books are split into multi book series, when one or two books would suffice. Well, Beauty’s Beasts is all one book, so no cliffhangers. It is a happily ever after, but doesn’t mean I didn’t sob through the last couple chapters because I FORGOT it was HEA.

I like how inclusive the story is. I have never read a book that the main character is nonbinary/gender fluid, but it was easy to follow along mostly. There were times where I was confused because “Evangeline” was used a lot and only a few times after the bracelets were given to them did they actually correct anyone. So I felt like they had a lot of days that were Evangeline days.

I like that the story had a steady flow. The MC built a relationship with each of the “demons” (Gryxen, not sure if I spelled that right). Each mating happened before the next pairing really started. Each Gryxen had their own personalities and abilities. They were pretty well thought out characters. The reader easily falls in love with each one of them. I do feel the last mating, with Drixus, could have used a little more. I was starting to stress out around 77% into the book when it hadn’t happened yet. The main fight scene happened very quickly. Finally, I liked Will’s perspective for the Epilogue, but really would have liked one from the main character as well. I liked Will’s character, and I liked they were best friend’s with the main character, but I feel like him and Jacob were not as present or had a significant role other than being Evan/Eve/Evangeline’s best friend. Once Will and Jacob were in The Deadwood, you see them some, but its mostly focused on Evan/Eve/Evangline’s relationships and matings with the Gryxen.

This book is indicated as not being a part of a series, but I really hope there is more following these characters. I could not get enough. There is a good amount of spice as well. Much like each Gryxen has a unique character sketch, their spice follows along with that. I was extremely happy for the primal play, and am always very excited when I see it in there.

Before reading the book, make sure you check the trigger warnings!

Posted in Spicy Romance

My Brutal Beast

Posted on by Little Bee

By Melissa Cummins

Rating: 5 Stars out of 5 Stars

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

My Brutal Beast is a monster romance retelling of Beauty and the Beast. You can read the description of the book for more information, because I really want to talk about the content of the story as a whole.

Sometimes, novellas can be very difficult reads. They are short, sometimes have major plot holes, you feel like you are missing something, you want more, or all of the above at one time. This author created a well rounded story in just 77 pages. Do you want more at the end? Yes. But the depth of the plot and the development of the characters is pretty impressive for such few pages. This book had spice, murder, monsters, mayhem….what more can you ask for? The spice scenes are not fade to black. They are entire scenes. My only qualm is I wish I knew more about Raven. Maybe more novellas will be written about these monsters so we can learn more about them.

If you are looking for a quick read that packs a punch, this one was really good and I recommend.

Posted in Spicy Romance

Her Feral Beasts

Posted on by Little Bee

By EP Bali

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Her Feral Beasts captured my attention because it is very unique when it comes to paranormal, reverse harem, and shifter books. I liked this uniqueness because sometimes some books feel like “if I have read one, I have read them all.” So to see something newer is nice.

Having said the above, I did feel like I was lost for most of the book. You know there is a secret, but you don’t find out what is until the very end of the book. This secret is what drives A LOT of the behaviors of Aurelia’s mates. We meet 4 in the book, 3 from the start, and the 4th at the end. I figured out who the 4th was pretty quickly, and I have my thoughts about who the 5th is. Her three known mates try to unalive her for a good chunk of the story, and when they end up at the Animus Academy, they make her life miserable. Aurelia eventually stops being scared and is a really strong character. She finds some friends and finally feels what it means to be loved and have a family. She has been mistreated her whole life. I felt some of the toxicity was too much. I know its a bully book, but sometimes I feel that the bullying can go too far and I wonder how are they ever going to pull together for a HEA at the end of the series? This is how I have felt, because I would not forgive ANY of them. They are all jerks. So far, I am not rooting for any of them, but I am rooting for Aurelia.

I am looking forward to seeing how this story takes shape. This series will consist of 5 books, the first 4 with cliffhangers and the final book finishing the series with a HEA. I definitely recommend this book. Just be prepared for a pretty great cliffhanger that will leave you ready for the next book.

Posted in Spicy Romance

Alpha Daddy

Posted on by Little Bee

By R.K. Pierce

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I received a copy of Alpha Daddy in exchange for my honest review.

R.K. Pierce has a lot of creativity in that noggin of theirs. Normally, a monster romance writer, she took a dip into Omegaverse, and baby was I along for the ride! I read this book in one day. I loved the grittiness of it.

Jessa has so much spunk, she is easy to connect with and fall in love with. Hiding from her pack that she broke away from, she receives the pity of Alessandro, who is a total DADDY. This is an age gap romance, and Alessandro is about 15-20 years older than Jessa. This is not a Reverse Harem/Why Choose. Jessa fled her pack, and ends up in a solo relationship with one alpha. They are not fated mates. I was confused what “honeyverse” meant, since that was new to me and I read a lot of omegaverse. Essentially, (possible spoiler?), when the Omega claimed the Alpha as their chosen mate, they release a honey scented pheromone. Which drives the alpha crazy and claim them back, if they want. That is really all I know about it. I cant wait to read her next Omegaverse! And she has several coming out.

This book does have a good amount of spice, slow at first, but as the chemistry builds between the two of them, things really take off. This book does not contain any DDlg, and is not that kind of “Daddy.” Jessa pretends to be a beta through most of the book, the outing was predictable, but well written.

Posted in Spicy Romance

Hazel’s Harem

Posted on by Little Bee

By Casiddie Williams

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I was given a copy of Hazel’s Harem in exchange for my honest review.

Hazel’s Harem is a light hearted Reverse Harem/Why Choose spicy romance. A short bit of information, Hazel was 18 when she got pregnant and left the community to finish her senior year elsewhere. Fourteenish years later, she gets a job back in the community and moves back with her now 13 year old daughter. Hazel keeps bumping into good looking guys and agreeing to dates or sexy times with them. Eventually finding out the two guys are roommates, and later finding out that Hazel’s one night stand that resulted in her daughter, is good friends with them too. So after series of events, she gets to keep everyone.

There is a good amount of spice in the books, including MM scenes. It is a pretty easy read, though it kind of reads like a serial/Kindle Vella more than a novel. I feel there were some unnecessary chapters that could have easily been summarized in a small narrative after the dramatics. Overall, I did enjoy the book. It was overall a fun read. It was interesting to see how everyone blended together by the end.

Posted in Spicy Romance

Unsteady

Posted on by Little Bee

By Everley Falls

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Unsteady is a contemporary omegaverse romance. There are dark themes throughout the book and loads of trigger warnings. Please see more information in the book.

This is the first book in an unfinished series, with a cliffhanger at the end. This book is marked as a slow burn, so low on spice and more on story/plot. I would consider it a no burn more than a slow burn. There are only a couple of scenes, and they are rushed and not really much to write about. Spice in the story is almost kind of written off- the designations don’t really engage in spice activities until they have a fully formed pack.

I really enjoyed Espy in this story. I consumed it so quickly, I had dreams about it, and I still think about it days after I have finished. I hate having to wait a year before the next book comes out because I can’t get it out of my head. Even with no spice, so much creativity went into the plot and character development, that it is alright. I really enjoyed each of the characters in this story. Micah is most definitely my favorite Beta of all time, I think. He had such a fun, carefree personality that it really helped Espy in her healing process.

The story is captivating and well written. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Just as a point of note, Espy and Leo are BIPOC and often use Spanish words and sentences. I got a lot of use out of the translate function, and while that is fine and what it is there for, sometimes it got in the way having to highlight sentences just right so that the translate would work. Some things, it might be nice to add the translation in the sentence too. But at the same time, I absolutely do not want to diminish or reduce the culture within the book for the characters just to make it easier for me to read 🙂

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Posted in Spicy Romance

Bee and the Honey Crew

Posted on by Little Bee

By Mona Black

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As you might have guessed, I was excited to get a copy of this book because, well, Bee and the Honey Crew 🙂 I will say, while the book was good, there were definitely some disappointments too.

Bee has always thought she was a Beta, she is a bit of a late bloomer. She has always felt more like an omega, so it was really hard on her when friends and family always badgered her for being not Beta enough. Bee gets away from her small town living, works in a coffee/bookshop, going to school, and sharing an apartment with a mix of Alphas and Betas. She is excited to be somewhere more open to “designation dysphoria”, if you will. This book was pretty much a sweetverse, with not a whole lot of angst, but a little. It is listed as a “candyverse,” though I am not sure what that means. Maybe it is a sweetverse with a little angst! 🙂 Throughout this story, Bee faces many challenges, mostly from within, and trying to find where and how she is supposed to exist in the world.

I really loved all of the friends Bee made. She really found her family and made her tribe in this little neighborhood she moved into. Everyone was so supportive. I really loved the Pack that found her as well. I always like seeing more than one omega in a pack, I like the dynamic it adds to a story. I like that it sticks pretty close to most omegaverse style, except, all the designations can live in harmony and be who they want to be. So that was a nice spin.

My copy was in dire need of editing, lots of misspelled words and incorrect words in the story. It did become kind of distracting, however, this is an ARC, so hopefully it gets cleaned up before release. The writing style felt very rushed for me. I felt like I was running a race when I read it. Also, sometimes I would get lost and have to reread because it felt like I missed something. I do feel like by the end, the story kept going on and on. Maybe some of those chapters could have been edited down a bit and combined and still got the points across about the scenarios the chapter covered.

All in all, I still enjoyed this book. I do recommend it as well. I think it was refreshing in ways of omegaverse because sometimes they can be really daunting. As usual, the angst doesn’t happen until close to the end, and the situation helps propel Bee forward with her pack decisions she is trying to make. This book is heavy on the spice. For majority of the story it is MMMM, and then later MMMMF. It is told from multipoint of view. There is a HEA.

Posted in Spicy Romance

Craving Madness

Posted on by Little Bee

By RK Pierce

Goodreads/Amazon Rating: 4 Stars, Actual Rating 3.5 Stars

I love whenever I have an opportunity review RK Pierce’s books, the ones I have read, I have generally enjoyed. Craving Madness is a bit of a mixed bag for me. Typically, I enjoy MOST Alice in Wonderland Retellings, so I looked forward to reading this one as well.

Let me start by indicating, my rating is kind of complicated, and maybe slightly bias. When you read so many of the same retellings, I sometimes compare them to others that I really enjoy. So of course, while I went in open minded, I felt Craving Madness was a unique take on Alice in Wonderland, it wasn’t quite my favorite. I think I also had higher expectations for more spicy scenes then what I actually received. The first actual spicy scene was around 74% into the book, which took me a few days to get to, because I felt it was too slow for me and never really captured my interest the way other books do. This is the first book in a series and Pierce spends A LOT OF time worldbuilding, which can be both good and bad. I kinda feel I am still missing some puzzle pieces to really fully click with the book.

I do like its uniqueness in the darkness aspect and the monsters that have taken over Wonderland. Sometimes I felt there were too many words/paragraphs and found myself skimming to more intense parts without missing out on anything important happening.

While I realize, I am just a lowly reviewer, I can see why people have been giving this 4 and 5 star reviews. The FMC is a badass. I like how it was a “dude in distress” that the FMC saved. I like that Alice knows what she wants and while sometimes shy, generally is not afraid to put her foot down with what she wants. I do like the character sketches for Chester (Cheshire Cat) and Dion (I believe he is Tweedle Dee). The little spice we are given, its pretty good spice. Was not expecting the knot! Which I enjoy reading very much. As a point of notice, the book ends in a pretty major cliffhanger. With Craving Madness getting the world building out of the way, my hope for book 2 is higher! With more characters being added to Alice’s “harem,” more spice, and rescuing Wonderland (hopefully).