This is Book 3 in the Bear Protector series, we see a couple of cameos from the Grey Ridge series in this, and it’s great to see, but it’s not a prerequisite to read. I love the dynamic in this story, I also love that our MFC stood up for herself, and that both characters have just the right amount of stubborn, but adult enough to work through it. We have Lisa, our MFC, she’s a cop, she’s stubborn, dedicated, determined, and doesn’t take crap from anyone. I loved her sass and no nonsense attitude. Then we have Beau, our MMC, he’s also stubborn, a silent protector, dependable, and cares for the community even if they try to push him out. The story is jam packed with tension, so thick you could cut it with a knife. There’s also lots of suspense and action, and we see the overall series plot line starting to come to a head in dramatic fashion. There is a little angst, yearning, and the spice is just right and steamy. I loved the character development in this and how they were adults and worked through their issues to get their well earned HEA. This book is everything a shifter romance should be and more, you can’t go wrong with a book by Reece Barden, and this one is no different! I am so looking forward to the rest of the series.

This book was just so swoon! It will have you swooning while peeking through your fingers. In this story we have Scout, our MFC, she is a tiny genius, scarily decisive, career driven, and hyper-focused on her life plan and following it. Then we have Apollo, our MMC, fraternity president, street smart, perceptive, knows how to play the politics game, he also has a plan and… secrets. The book will hit your emotions differently, Apollo is just so swoon worthy, he can’t do a thing wrong in my eyes. I loved his devotion, his drive to be steps ahead in all aspects, but also seeing the self doubt when it comes to Scout and his family. Scout took a bit for me to warm up to but I loved her character development and was in love with her too by the end. I loved the twists this story took, the way it was written had you guessing the whole read through and the thriller elements got me good, I was screaming at my kindle. Apollo and Scout’s story is so sweet and the way their relationship develops is beautiful, but under that you have the overall series plot line mixed in, and we make huge steps forward in seeing it all start to come together for the series. This story will have you second guessing, raging against the machine, melting from the swoon, falling in love with Apollo and Scout, and gasping at the revelations. Don’t get me wrong there are dark elements to both storylines, it wouldn’t be a Kitty King book without them, but this is probably the sweetest story of hers that I have read, so far, I love it so much, I’ve read it twice already!

Oh my goodness this was an enchanting little read! Brilliantly written and so totally captivating. In this story whe have Aderyn, our first MFC, she’s a nature witch, abused and mistreated by the patriarchy and has had enough. Then we have Brenny, our other MFC, she is a genius loci, a creature that supports nature and ecosystems, being mistreated by humans as they plunder the earth around them without thought for the consequences. I loved how the writing was so descriptive, the plot and world building was wonderful and you felt the emotion and the connection between Aderyn and Brenny grow as the story moved along. I loved the strength Aderyn showed both with her eco rage and against the patriarchy, how she puzzled out her powers and flexed, it was nice to see such a boss female character. The ending was lovely, sweet and hopeful, perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novella, and totally recommend it as a great short read for the summer.

Where do I even begin?! This could so be a motion picture and I would gladly pay to see it. This was an epic tale of two men trapped in terrible circumstances, as they fought for their lives and each other. In this story we have Robin, our first MMC, he is abducted by the army of another state, ripped from his home and sister, and then assigned to be a part of the Deathball games. Then we have Marco, our other MMC, the reigning champion, the emperors favourite, and set to be freed at the end of the season. A world turned into a wasteland, where those with wealth and power rule and everyone else is left to fend for themselves. A brutal survival of the fittest competition in a survival of the fittest world, that is turned into a spectator sport. The world building is so good, and the storyline is brilliant, captivating and full of twists and turns. It will take you on an emotional rollercoaster, it is heavy from the first page, it starts with devastation, continues with angst, but will give you funny moments, sweet moments and lots and lots and lots of hurt whilst both Marco and Robin fight the system and their feelings for each other. That ending, bittersweet and hopeful, is just perfect! My favourite read of 2026 so far, you need to read it!

Wow, that cliffhanger at the end, this story really put me through the wringer, and I cannot wait for the conclusion! In this story we have Zaia, our MFC, she’s a Luna, well respected, clever, caring, kind, and strong. Then we have Sebastian, our MMC, he’s an Alpha, Zaia’s mate and husband, an act first think later kind of guy, protective and possessive, doing what he thinks is best. Zaia is done dirty by Sebastian and her world implodes based on a secret, and they just keep piling up! She’s such a strong character, forced to rebuild her life whilst keeping a secret of her own. The heartbreak in this is high, and the amount of secrets and lies being kept at one point had me wondering how anyone could handle any more and my blood pressure going through the roof. There is loads of angst and suspense, heart stopping moments and heartbreak, and a bond that didn’t want to go away, all wrapped up into a intriguing story. But through it all you can’t help but fall in love with Zaia, and start to like Sebastian, and as you just start to root for them we get that cliffhanger ending! You can’t go wrong with a Moonlight Muse book, and this one doesn’t disappoint!

To say I devoured this book doesn’t do it justice, I was obsessed! My only wish is that I had it in audio book so I didn’t have to put it down while doing the laundry, ha! The way Avery’s books make you feel all the emotions, is a sublime experience, and this book is no different. In this story we have Brendon, a preacher’s son, a student TA, a “yes” man, he’s just the sweetest, but lacks confidence and the ability to say no or set boundaries. Then we have Dominic, the total opposite, he’s the hot shot college QB, he’s confident and outgoing, and he’s failing class. So what does Coach do, make him get a tutor, in the form of our favourite TA. This book was chef’s kiss perfection, the way Avery combines two completely different personalities, builds in some amazing character development, chucks in a heap load of emotion, and an extra large pinch of spice, then stirred in a brilliant plot line, gave us this sweet morally black story. To me this is the kinkiest book Avery has written. The power imbalance, the degradation, the primal play, the sweet submission all make this a very spicy read. I loved how they were there for each other, how Dominic defended Brendan and helped give him the confidence to set boundaries and say no, or how Brendan helped Dominic out of his apathy, through all they went through, they dealt with it together and are better for it. This is a book I am going to come back to time and time again, if you read anything in 2026, make it this book!

Oh wow, this was a brilliant, devastating, beautiful end to the series! I don’t think I’ve cried so much for a book as I did for this one. Their love for each other really bleeds through in this story and it’s so emotional. The story starts directly after the end of Book 2 where Alora gets her memories back, and we revert to the present day perspective again. What follows is an epic action packed adventure to hide Alora from her father and betrothed while she trains to get a handle on her new powers. It all seems for naught when they are caught and ripped apart l, tortured and made to experience awful things that would break a normal person. Yet their love for each other is what gets them through. So much and so many sacrifices are made to ensure that the prophecy comes to fruition so that the Afterlight veil and universe can know peace as it should have been. It is a rollercoaster of action, passion (these two literally cannot get enough of each other), heartbreak, obsession, moments of levity, Alora’s sarcasm and Darce’s… just Darce, and unapologetically so. The underlying mesage for me through this whole series has been message love is timeless, and in this story it truly was. This story was riveting as the series conclusion and had me captured in its pages from start to finish!

This one was sweet and spicy. Like the previous book it was more about the connection and plot with spice mixed in. I’m really enjoying the story that’s starting to build across the series, and am looking forward to seeing what it turns into. In this story we have Tess, she has been shunned by her friends for something she didn’t do, she takes a solo trip to Ireland to go hiking and clear her head. She bumps into Levi on one of the hiking trails and as usual he marks her for one of his generals, but now we start to find out why. Enter Lug, her earth demon, he’s waited for his “marked” for eons, and shows her what he’s been waiting to do to her. I again loved that this story had a little more plot to it, more detail about the structure or hell and the brothers. You can feel the impending war getting closer, I cannot wait to see where the next book goes. This book was spicy, the most heartbreaking so far as Tess really bonds with Lug. Again, a perfect as a steamy interlude between heavier books, something to spice up a holiday, or if you want a short smut story that still makes sense, this is it!

This was spicy although not as spicy as the others so far, but what we got more of was connection and plot, amazing what can be squeezed into 41 pages! In this story we have Hope, she is a Wiccan and tarot reader who doesn’t trust easily. She gets dragged to a bar on Valentine’s Day by her employee and gets saved from a boring time by Levi. Instead of marking her for one of his demons, he is drawn to her and marks her for himself, but at what cost? I loved that this story had a little more plot to it, more detail about the marks, and we got to see Levi’s story. I loved the intrigue at the end too it’s rather ominous, which I hope continues in book five. This book was spicy, a little heartbreaking, you can see the pain coming just now how it’s going to hurt. Again, a perfect as a steamy interlude between heavier books, something to spice up a holiday, or if you want a short smut story that still makes sense, this is it!

Short and steamy! I loved the underlying message of this book and the others in this series, you are enough just as you are. In this story we have Carla, she is a strong willed, but a goth model who questions her place, in life, and in the modelling world. She gets stood up for a date at a bar, but then she meets Levi, and he tells her they love the chase. Trying to get over being stood up, she goes to a friends party and bumps into three strangers in Halloween masks, who sour her mood further and she goes home. Enter Rath, Ghast, and Asta, the three demons Carla was marked for, and literally pull her down to hell, and give her a debaucherous night of primal passion. I loved that this story had a little more depth to it, more connection, which is impressive for 48 pages. There was one inconsistency where the name of one of the princes of Hell changed, otherwise, this book was packed with spice (group scenes) yet enough plot to carry the short story. Perfect as a steamy interlude between heavier books, something to spice up a holiday, or if you want a short smut story that still makes sense, this is it!

Well that certainly lived up to what I think the definition of the energizer bunny would be! This was a super steamy short read. In this story we have Grace, she’s a mother, a new divorcee, and lost her direction in life a little. On an Easter holiday work team building exercise she meets Levi in the woods whilst hiding Easter eggs. She chalks it up to a prank by her friend and colleague, but Levi has marked her for one of his higher demons. He finds rejected souls on Earth and pairs them with one of his generals, rewarding his general for their loyalty and healing deserving souls one 24hr fck fest at a time. Enter Osta, a demon rabbit shifter who catches her after a brief chase in the woods, and boy does it get spicy after that. Just like the first book, this one was packed with loads of spice yet enough plot to carry the short story. Perfect as a steamy interlude between heavier books, something to spice up a holiday, or if you want a short smut story that still makes sense, this is it!

Wowza that was short and steamy! It totally delivered on its promise of monster fckery. In this story we have Jennifer, she’s forgotten who she is after her long term relationship breaks up, and hates her job that has turned her into a yes person. On Christmas Eve after a meeting with her boss that didn’t go well, she heads to a bar to try and find a hook up to chase away the blues. There she meets Levi, one of the princes of Hell who has marked her for a night of pleasure with one of his higher demons, she goes home alone trying to convince herself he was a crazy person talking nonsense. Enter Barbas, a demon lion shifter who wakes her up eating her out, and it just gets spicier from there. It’s amazing what you can fit into 50 pages, this book was packed with spice yet enough plot to carry the short story. Perfect as a steamy interlude between heavier books, something to spice up a holiday, or if you want a short smut story that still makes sense, this is it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it gave me really sweet, insta-love vibes. In this story we have Kenna, our MFC, she’s half Witch/half Fae, she is resilient, strong, stubborn, and independent, yet sweet and caring. I loved her ability, her strength in character and her powers. Then we have Killian, our MMC, he is half Hunter/half Fae, he comes across as aloof, but he’s observant, cocky, troubled, and is instantly drawn to Kenna. Both have been through so much because of their half breed status and carry that trauma through the story. I loved how they work together to figure out their bond while struggling with all the emotions of it, and reading their relationship unfold is lovely. The story and plot are engaging, and the character development was good, Kenna was stubborn but Killian counteracted that by showing up, being there and proving things are best done together, their connection really shone through for me. I really enjoyed this story, and am looking forward to see where the series takes us.

Oh my goodness this was the sweetest ending ever, and Nate is the ultimate green flag guy! In this story we have Hayleigh, our MFC, she’s come out of an abusive relationship with her ex and is still in an abusive relationship with her parents. We see her struggle to find herself after years of being gaslit into her parents/fiance’s version of who she is. Then we have Nate, our MMC, he has the biggest crush on Hayleigh, he’s so sweet, supportive, and steady, everything she needs. Seeing their relationship develop is lovely! They start as friends, Nate just wants to help as he sees Hayleigh hit rock bottom, he helps her discover a way to move on, to rediscover herself and puts himself in the friend zone but is clear he’s in it for the long haul. Kayleigh’s character development is beautiful to read, to see her going from what her ex/parents turned her into, into who she used to see herself as, was validating and heartwarming. And Nate, sweet Nate, is just the ultimate green flag, he supports, he doesn’t push, he shows up, but he’s possessive and makes it clear he wants something more, when she’s ready. This was such a heartwarming, beautiful, surprisingly funny read, this book came at the right time and I love it. I am enjoying this series so much and cannot wait for the next installment!

What a cliffhanger, that ending was brutal! In this story we have Evren, our MFC, she is Mencari, a feared assassin, she’s confident, cocky, and self-assured. She’s hired by the King of Mortala, an enemy kingdom, to infiltrate their court and help stop a rebellion. But she hides a secret. Then we have Nox, the King of Mortala, although Evren doesn’t find that out until later. He is powerful and ruthless, but unable to act against the rebellion. As the first in the series it set a good pace and plot line. The mix of story, action and intrigue kept me engaged, it drew me in and kept me there. The characters were easy to identify and get along with, and the authors writing style is easy but detailed. It has good world building and the story itself is finely balanced between action, drama, suspense, spice, perceived betrayal, and that epic cliffhanger. This was a great read, and I’m soooo looking forward to the second book!

Even though this is a prequel, I highly recommend that you read Conquest first, or some context may be lost. Geez, this one is a doozy, it’s been a couple of days and I’m still reeling! This is the story of the Father’s, Salvatore and Ruslan, it takes us on a heartbreaking journey into the history behind the fued between the two families. I love the way the story is told, the perspective of it is brilliant, but that’s all I will say or I’ll spoil it. The story is a gut wrench from the start, after reading Conquest, we knew that the hatred between the two fathers and families ran deep. We had hints of why and that there was something there before, and in Empire it is all laid out for us. Seeing the relationship develop is heartwarming, against all odds, against everything they were taught, against all expectations, love still blooms, and it is beautiful. What you don’t expect (but probably should) is the deception and ultimate betrayal, and it guts you. It’s been a while since a book made me cry! This book will rip your heart to shreds and leave it bleeding. The ending is cruel, it will leave you with hope and longing and you standing there holding a part of your heart in your hands just staring at it. It’s the “must read” that you didn’t know you needed to read! After you have read Conquest of course, which will leave the other part of your heart hurting just as much.

Audio review: How do you improve an already great book? Turn it into an audio book, of course! Gregory Salinas reprises his role in playing our Sin Bin MMC, and boy does he do Liam justice! I love the grit and gravel he brings to Liam’s character in his performance. Liam is the darkest character we’ve met in this series so far (aside from Killian, we also we see a really dark side of Killian in this book too). The way Gregory conveyed Liam’s part of the story was intense and brilliant in how he gave voice to Liam’s persona. Simon Kim, voices Nate. He captures the sassiness of Nate’s character perfectly, and I loved the energy he brought to voicing Nate and the overall emotion and depth of the character. The hatred, the toxicity, the trauma, the emotional and mental damage, the angst, the obsession, possession, love, and devotion, the way Simon and Gregory’s performances bring these to life brought an already amazing book to an even higher level of amazingness! And hearing it read to you by Gregory and Simon is sublime. Do not pass this audio book over, you’ll regret it!

Book Review: Cruel When He Smiles is toxically beautiful. This book was very different to the first two, but that doesn’t make it any less good(!), and that’s one of the messages I took from the story and series so far - love looks and feels different for every relationship (although in the real world, that does not make what Liam does OK in any light). The emotions evoked in this book are different too, I loved Nate instantly whereas I spent half the book wanting to throat punch Liam. The character development is on point, I loved Liam by the end, the way he develops throughout the story, while not in leaps and bounds, is genuine to his character and the same for Nate. There is so much to unravel; trauma for both parties, manipulation, brattiness, struggle for control, obsession, submission, acceptance. I’ll say it again, Avery Collins is a master in playing with our heartstrings. I loved that again we get more cameos from the other residents of the Sin Bin in this book, and Killian plays quite a big part. It’s great to get to see the other members of the house and their dynamic. Although it changed my perception of Sage a little bit. The ending is just so Liam and Nate too, it’s beautiful. This is an amazing follow up to Pretty When He Bleeds and Bitter When He Begs, I can’t wait for more in this amazing series!

This story had the opportunity to be great, the bones of a good story were there, but for me it just fell a little short. Though it did pick up towards the end, and that cliffhanger was epic. In this story we have Astrid, our MFC, a witch and a Viking shield maiden. A betrayal leaves her lost in a time she doesn’t belong to, yearning for something she doesn’t remember. Then we have Carr, Colden, Canute, and Destin, our MMCs. They have lived lifetimes waiting for Astrid, searching for her. When found, they need to decide how to help her get her memories back. I statred to connect with the story in the second half of the book, and the one thing that stood out for me was the emotional rollercoaster it will take you on. The focus being on the present and how they got here, turning into a spicy story of finding themselves again and rebuilding what was lost. The ending is epic, one of the best cliffhangers I’ve read in a while, I will be reading the next in the series to see where the story and Astrid and her husbands goes. Parts of this story were dark, there is mention of child loss, please check the trigger warnings before reading!

This is Book 1 in the Bear Protector series, which is in the same universe as the Grey Ridge series (not a reading prerequisite). There is a little character cross-over and mentions from the Grey Ridge series, but in this book as we start to see the bear perspective. This story had it all, there was angst, action, and suspense, a deranged stalker, sexual tension you could cut with a knife, moments that made you feel the embarrassment wafting off the pages, moments that made you laugh out loud, or gasp, or squeeze your legs together, heartbreak, healing and love. The chemistry between the main characters is great when they finally stop denying it, Zara was just the right amount of sunshine for Ben’s grumpy, or was it that Ben was the right amount of grumpy for Zara’s sunshine?! I loved that they both found healing in each other, and the ending is super sweet. This book is everything a shifter romance should be and more, you can’t go wrong with a book by Reece Barden, and this one is no different! I am so looking forward to the rest of the series.