Gentling the Beast (Coveted Prey #15)
L.V. Lane
When the Blighten raided my village, my mother gave me her last words of advice. “Find the biggest, most fearsome man and throw yourself at his mercy. There is no shame before the Goddess in doing whatever you must to survive.” Which was easier said than done. I lived in denial for a time, daydreaming of a handsome prince who would rescue me and take me to his grand castle. Here, we would live happily ever after, making royal babies. Reality is cold and bitter. No such prince comes. And later, when my vulnerability as a bondservant manifests terrifying consequences, an unexpected savior swoops in. Not a prince, but a hideous white orc and the ugliest beast I have ever met—a mute outcast with shifter blood but who cannot shift. Only I sense he has a good heart, and I remember my mother’s advice. Can I overcome my aversion? Maybe he thinks I am ugly too? Will I even survive mating such a fierce male? But if I don’t try, who will be there to save me the next time human predators come around? And so I decide, one way or another, that the white orcish monster is going to be mine. Publisher's note: Orc and human pairing in a fantasy setting with some violence and gore.
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0If you can get past the some of the strange language choices (the writing seems to oscillate between a sort of old fashioned formal tone and something much more modern) and the fact that the orc MMC is named Doug (very strange for a high fantasy, medieval type of setting, and not at all sexy imo) this is a very compelling story. It’s got a deep plot and wonderful characters, and I find I don’t mind the length. The story is far from boring, and I’ve been surprised at how invested I feel in the characters and their journey. I don’t mind when MonRom books are short and sweet with a hefty does of spice, but there’s something special about a well-crafted narrative paired with the romance.
I realized while reading that in some ways this book gives off Captive Prince vibes to me. Bondservants and treachery, trauma and revolution. Romance under fire. Doug and Jasmine fall in love pretty quickly, and their characters share very little with Damen and Laurent. But some of the vibes…I don’t think I’m imagining the similarities.
While some of the world building was vague and/or confusing to me (I’m still not entirely sure about the politics of orcs, shifters, humans, alphas, omegas, and betas, or how the omegaverse stuff actually works—even as someone who has read and written a number of omegaverse stories), and the last push of plot seemed rushed, I think this was a really solid book. Lots of breeding kink, lots of oral sex, and a smidge of primal play towards the end…I’m very pleasantly satisfied by the book. Would recommend.
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