For a 99¢ I say go for it. One or two of the books were really enjoyable. However, this collection is clearly quantity over quality. I wouldn't have fFor a 99¢ I say go for it. One or two of the books were really enjoyable. However, this collection is clearly quantity over quality. I wouldn't have finished a few of the books if I weren't reviewing an ARC of the collection. There were Shifter Bears, Cougars, People, Lions, Rabbits, and Housecats… So there is certainly a lot of variety to choose from.
I started to get the feeling that this was a grab bag of "firsts" as in, the first book in a series and the collection was compiled under the assumption that readers will fall in love with one or more books and continue the series. Unfortunately, I didn't fall in love with any of them. The collection ranged from Good, to Mediocre, to Downright Awful.
The Mediocre: Laid Bear (Forgettable but not terrible) BEARed to You (I liked the shifter origin story) Blind Wolf (main characters were twits) Until the Flood (Angsty NewAdult / Young Adult) Cat Lover (Pretty sure that was Furry Erotica…) Better Mate Than Never (Amusing but formulaic)
When I review anthologies, I like to write up individual reviews for each of the books and then base my rating on the overall impression of the collection. Especially considering this set features eleven individual authors with distinct styles and writing quality. You can find links to the full reviews for each book below the blurbs I've written.
Marina Maddix - Laid Bear - It was a quick read, your standard M/F Paranormal shape-shifter romance, but with BEARS. It was nice, but ultimately it was nothing special... You can find my full review here
Tawny Taylor - BEARed to You - More BEARS! I really liked the fresh explanation of how Tarik Evert became a WereBear. There were several steamy sex scenes and some lovely pillow talk, but other than that it was kind of a bust... You can find my full review here
Celia Kyle - He Ain't Lion - This was an unapologetic hilarious read. It was sexy and silly and never took itself seriously. There was rude language, WereLions, tons of sex, and one seriously sassy plus-sized woman. You can find my full review here
Elixa Everett - Whatever He Needs Her To Be - A promising storyline completely ruined by the writing. Disappointing. I really wanted to like this book because the premise was fresh and intriguing, but I wound up completely unsatisfied. You can find my full review here
Dawn Steele - Wanted By The Alphas - I thought this book was a vast improvement on the previous books in the set, in both plot and prose. We had Witches, Were-Panthers, Drug Cartels, Were-Wolves, Love Triangles, Fights to the Death, a brief trip to the after life for one of the characters, and one of the most baffling endings I've ever read. You can find my full review here
Aubrey Rose - Blind Wolf - This was a sweet little BBW romance between a shy librarian and a blind WereWolf. It was cute, even if it was a little angsty at times. A merry band of misfits. You can find my full review here
Cynthia Brint - Until the Flood - This was a rather huge departure form other books in the set because it was heavy in the YA/NA genre while others had been firmly Erotica. The story was cute enough, young love and all that… You can find my full review here
Julianne Reyer - Desires of the Wolfman - I really didn't like this book. It was actually severall little novellas crammed together, but I was ready to carve my eyeballs out with a spoon by the time it was over. You can find my full review here
Selena Kitt - Cat Lover(Sorry, this book is not listed on GoodReads) - Told from the boyfriend's perspective, this was a twisted tale of watching his girlfriend slowly become possessed by the Egyptian Cat Goddess Bast.
Adriana Hunter - Better Mate Than Never - I enjoyed this short story. It was a sweet little "I want you but I can't have you" story between an Alpha-Male Werewolf and a curvaceous redheaded lawyer. You can find my full review here
Eliza Gayle - Lucas - The final book in this boxed set really surprised me when I was becoming fatigued by the Shifter Genre. It had a lot of action, some suspense, and some great dirty talk. Overall, Lucas was a decent "forbidden mates" style of Shifter Romance. You can find my full review here
[image]
***I received an ARC of this collection in exchange for an honest review***
Merged review:
For a 99¢ I say go for it. One or two of the books were really enjoyable. However, this collection is clearly quantity over quality. I wouldn't have finished a few of the books if I weren't reviewing an ARC of the collection. There were Shifter Bears, Cougars, People, Lions, Rabbits, and Housecats… So there is certainly a lot of variety to choose from.
I started to get the feeling that this was a grab bag of "firsts" as in, the first book in a series and the collection was compiled under the assumption that readers will fall in love with one or more books and continue the series. Unfortunately, I didn't fall in love with any of them. The collection ranged from Good, to Mediocre, to Downright Awful.
The Mediocre: Laid Bear (Forgettable but not terrible) BEARed to You (I liked the shifter origin story) Blind Wolf (main characters were twits) Until the Flood (Angsty NewAdult / Young Adult) Cat Lover (Pretty sure that was Furry Erotica…) Better Mate Than Never (Amusing but formulaic)
When I review anthologies, I like to write up individual reviews for each of the books and then base my rating on the overall impression of the collection. Especially considering this set features eleven individual authors with distinct styles and writing quality. You can find links to the full reviews for each book below the blurbs I've written.
Marina Maddix - Laid Bear - It was a quick read, your standard M/F Paranormal shape-shifter romance, but with BEARS. It was nice, but ultimately it was nothing special... You can find my full review here
Tawny Taylor - BEARed to You - More BEARS! I really liked the fresh explanation of how Tarik Evert became a WereBear. There were several steamy sex scenes and some lovely pillow talk, but other than that it was kind of a bust... You can find my full review here
Celia Kyle - He Ain't Lion - This was an unapologetic hilarious read. It was sexy and silly and never took itself seriously. There was rude language, WereLions, tons of sex, and one seriously sassy plus-sized woman. You can find my full review here
Elixa Everett - Whatever He Needs Her To Be - A promising storyline completely ruined by the writing. Disappointing. I really wanted to like this book because the premise was fresh and intriguing, but I wound up completely unsatisfied. You can find my full review here
Dawn Steele - Wanted By The Alphas - I thought this book was a vast improvement on the previous books in the set, in both plot and prose. We had Witches, Were-Panthers, Drug Cartels, Were-Wolves, Love Triangles, Fights to the Death, a brief trip to the after life for one of the characters, and one of the most baffling endings I've ever read. You can find my full review here
Aubrey Rose - Blind Wolf - This was a sweet little BBW romance between a shy librarian and a blind WereWolf. It was cute, even if it was a little angsty at times. A merry band of misfits. You can find my full review here
Cynthia Brint - Until the Flood - This was a rather huge departure form other books in the set because it was heavy in the YA/NA genre while others had been firmly Erotica. The story was cute enough, young love and all that… You can find my full review here
Julianne Reyer - Desires of the Wolfman - I really didn't like this book. It was actually severall little novellas crammed together, but I was ready to carve my eyeballs out with a spoon by the time it was over. You can find my full review here
Selena Kitt - Cat Lover(Sorry, this book is not listed on GoodReads) - Told from the boyfriend's perspective, this was a twisted tale of watching his girlfriend slowly become possessed by the Egyptian Cat Goddess Bast.
Adriana Hunter - Better Mate Than Never - I enjoyed this short story. It was a sweet little "I want you but I can't have you" story between an Alpha-Male Werewolf and a curvaceous redheaded lawyer. You can find my full review here
Eliza Gayle - Lucas - The final book in this boxed set really surprised me when I was becoming fatigued by the Shifter Genre. It had a lot of action, some suspense, and some great dirty talk. Overall, Lucas was a decent "forbidden mates" style of Shifter Romance. You can find my full review here
[image]
***I received an ARC of this collection in exchange for an honest review***...more
Overall, I'm rather disappointed in this book. It moved too fast, was too short, had no character development... It had a decent premise and I was excOverall, I'm rather disappointed in this book. It moved too fast, was too short, had no character development... It had a decent premise and I was excited about it. It simply didn't live up to my expectations.
Here's the story... Emma is an eager reporter infiltrates an exclusive sex club in order to write a story which well launch her career (and indulge in some of her darker fantasies) only to be introduced to Adrian, a Dom itching for a new Sub (but he needs someone discreet, and doesn't want to train an inexperienced submissive)
Here are the not so good things: - We know the conflict immediately - Adrian needs to protect his reputation & Emma is infiltrating the club to write a story for a gossip magazine. There you go. We can all see where this is going... - The story moved way too fast. Either we didn't get to witness the character development, or it simply never happened in the rush to get to the end of the book. - The trust was too instant. They fell in love too fast. Both of these problems could have been solved with a bit of careful character development. Not only was it not believable, it was absurd. - We never really learned what happened with (view spoiler)[Adrian and his ex-submissive Jill... The author hinted at it, and worked up to it, and then *poof* forgotten for the rest of the book. (hide spoiler)]
Here are the good things: - Sexy times were fairly decent: Exhibitionism, voyeurism, and BDSM at an exclusive sex club... Some interesting moments with an electric toothbrush... - There was no "Series Teaser Cliffhanger" - There was no time for uncertainty or angst... But maybe there should have been? - If this had been written as a full-length novel, it would have probably been so much better. The length of the book eliminated the possibility of the reader getting to know or understand the characters beyond their sexual preferences.
Some of my Favorite moments: (view spoiler)["As if she sensed his perusal, she looked his way and made eye contact. Confident, intelligent eyes, but slightly vulnerable. As a sub, she'd be perfect if that was her inclination. He didn't like subs who had no mind of their own, They were overly dependent, needy. Too bad she had no experience."
"Moisture from her water glass moistened fer fingertips and she had the urge to press the glass to her forehead and neck to cool her skin, but he was watching her now, had locked his gaze with hers. All that power in just one look. What about his touch, or his command? She suspected it wouldn't take much to melt at this man's feet." (hide spoiler)]
***I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review***
Merged review:
Overall, I'm rather disappointed in this book. It moved too fast, was too short, had no character development... It had a decent premise and I was excited about it. It simply didn't live up to my expectations.
Here's the story... Emma is an eager reporter infiltrates an exclusive sex club in order to write a story which well launch her career (and indulge in some of her darker fantasies) only to be introduced to Adrian, a Dom itching for a new Sub (but he needs someone discreet, and doesn't want to train an inexperienced submissive)
Here are the not so good things: - We know the conflict immediately - Adrian needs to protect his reputation & Emma is infiltrating the club to write a story for a gossip magazine. There you go. We can all see where this is going... - The story moved way too fast. Either we didn't get to witness the character development, or it simply never happened in the rush to get to the end of the book. - The trust was too instant. They fell in love too fast. Both of these problems could have been solved with a bit of careful character development. Not only was it not believable, it was absurd. - We never really learned what happened with (view spoiler)[Adrian and his ex-submissive Jill... The author hinted at it, and worked up to it, and then *poof* forgotten for the rest of the book. (hide spoiler)]
Here are the good things: - Sexy times were fairly decent: Exhibitionism, voyeurism, and BDSM at an exclusive sex club... Some interesting moments with an electric toothbrush... - There was no "Series Teaser Cliffhanger" - There was no time for uncertainty or angst... But maybe there should have been? - If this had been written as a full-length novel, it would have probably been so much better. The length of the book eliminated the possibility of the reader getting to know or understand the characters beyond their sexual preferences.
Some of my Favorite moments: (view spoiler)["As if she sensed his perusal, she looked his way and made eye contact. Confident, intelligent eyes, but slightly vulnerable. As a sub, she'd be perfect if that was her inclination. He didn't like subs who had no mind of their own, They were overly dependent, needy. Too bad she had no experience."
"Moisture from her water glass moistened fer fingertips and she had the urge to press the glass to her forehead and neck to cool her skin, but he was watching her now, had locked his gaze with hers. All that power in just one look. What about his touch, or his command? She suspected it wouldn't take much to melt at this man's feet." (hide spoiler)]
***I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review***...more
The first installment of The Dining Club series is a short (35 page) teaser to get the reader interested in continuing the series. Alas, I remain unhoThe first installment of The Dining Club series is a short (35 page) teaser to get the reader interested in continuing the series. Alas, I remain unhooked.
[image]
This is an erotic serial about the Dining Club, where David is taking his clueless girlfriend of six months, Grace for the weekend. However, as David explains once Grace is safely locked in their room,
"This club isn't really a dining club, It's a club for people with specialized sexual needs and desires. They come here so that they can enjoy themselves safe in the knowledge that they're surrounded by like-minded people."
To be fair, it is an interesting premise, and I can see how this series could be amusing, especially with David's pillow talk:
"I only want to please you, darling."
However it fell short for me.
Here's why I remain unmoved:
First, with a mere thirty-five pages, everything must be crisp and perfect if you hope to dazzle the reader enough to move forward. Unfortunately there were two glaringly obvious mistakes. 1. In the first pre-coital conversation between Grace and David, the scene begins with both parties naked in bed contemplating a shower, yet ends in a car on the way back to Grace's house. How did they get from A to B in the span of a short conversation? 2. Continuity. David alludes to "the other night in your flat, after you'd thought you were too tired for more sex" when that scene clearly took place at David's flat. We never see further than Grace's front door in the entire 35 pages of this book.
Secondly (and most importantly for me) the whole complication of Amber at the club and her interaction with David. It was too much too soon in a plot which didn't need another twist yet. I'm sure that particular plot line will be a lovely addition to the rest of the series, but it immediately turned me off of Davids character to know that he had been cheating on Grace throughout their relationship, and was manipulating her into staying despite her misgivings.
This book series simply wasn't for me, which is odd considering my previous enjoyment of various sex-club type books. If you feel the same and are looking for something better in this sort of genre, look up Submission the first book in the nine-part Plume Series. It's free on iTunes, it's longer, smarter, and you won't immediately pity the female lead.
***I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review***
Merged review:
The first installment of The Dining Club series is a short (35 page) teaser to get the reader interested in continuing the series. Alas, I remain unhooked.
[image]
This is an erotic serial about the Dining Club, where David is taking his clueless girlfriend of six months, Grace for the weekend. However, as David explains once Grace is safely locked in their room,
"This club isn't really a dining club, It's a club for people with specialized sexual needs and desires. They come here so that they can enjoy themselves safe in the knowledge that they're surrounded by like-minded people."
To be fair, it is an interesting premise, and I can see how this series could be amusing, especially with David's pillow talk:
"I only want to please you, darling."
However it fell short for me.
Here's why I remain unmoved:
First, with a mere thirty-five pages, everything must be crisp and perfect if you hope to dazzle the reader enough to move forward. Unfortunately there were two glaringly obvious mistakes. 1. In the first pre-coital conversation between Grace and David, the scene begins with both parties naked in bed contemplating a shower, yet ends in a car on the way back to Grace's house. How did they get from A to B in the span of a short conversation? 2. Continuity. David alludes to "the other night in your flat, after you'd thought you were too tired for more sex" when that scene clearly took place at David's flat. We never see further than Grace's front door in the entire 35 pages of this book.
Secondly (and most importantly for me) the whole complication of Amber at the club and her interaction with David. It was too much too soon in a plot which didn't need another twist yet. I'm sure that particular plot line will be a lovely addition to the rest of the series, but it immediately turned me off of Davids character to know that he had been cheating on Grace throughout their relationship, and was manipulating her into staying despite her misgivings.
This book series simply wasn't for me, which is odd considering my previous enjoyment of various sex-club type books. If you feel the same and are looking for something better in this sort of genre, look up Submission the first book in the nine-part Plume Series. It's free on iTunes, it's longer, smarter, and you won't immediately pity the female lead.
***I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review***...more
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