Common-Sense-Is-Key

Blurb oversold it & I'm a bit disappointed

Reviewed: 02-14-22

I've had this in my TBR for a minute & finally got it.

Have you ever found a book that evokes your emotions & makes you feel the painful scenes; but, the story doesn't meet expectations you imagined from the blurb???
That's how I feel about this book.

The last paragraph of the blurb hints that this is a more mature RH. Instead, barely any romance is mutually shared by the end of the book. 4 guys & yet we only really get a few glimpses of romance with each. Then, in the last few minutes of the book, we are hit with a short info dump to explain some things to the FMC.

Curious, I read the blurb for book 2 (which will release in a year from now) & I don't see how the RH aspect will have time in book 2. It's like reading a RH of friends with romantic interests. The whole "steamy scenes" only included light kissing, the men being naked from shifting, & a loving haircut lol

Originally I thought I've been living inside the omegaverse too long so other RH stories seem tame to me now. Somehow I don't think that's the case here 🤔

I really liked the guys & the FMC has reasonable reactions, based on her traumatic background. I don't get other reviews saying she's too naive or weak??? Her behavior matches her experiences, duh!

I've read many of this author's books, so that's why my surprise at the inaccurate blurb is frustrating.

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1 person found this helpful

I really 💜 this..... the ending was, idk....

Reviewed: 02-12-22

I'm so not trying to sound like bratty Rake lol. I rarely enjoy reading the stories of side characters (I read Baby's story 1st & fell in love w/ her men..... that was until Lola's hot d*** swoon-worthy men.....now idk lol). All I know is that KM writes very delicious men & lovable FMC's. I'm in love the "sweet omegaverse" trope/genre/whatever-you-call-it!!! Now I don't want to return to darker omega stories 😔

My only storyline complaint is the ending. I loved it, yes, but it felt like it was incomplete for me. To explain better...... without spoiling it......
I guess I had hoped to see how cherished & pampered Lola would be treated from the last scene she said to Rake; but like with the whole pack. Just a few more chapters to add to that experience & for us to see the "end result". Just imaging how it could've been written..... I think it would've made Lola feel truly content & brought her emotional transformation full circle. Also, I expected the LNH pack to have been there 1st & was disappointed that it never did 😔

The narrators.......
The man was **chef's kiss** lol 😉
The woman was good in book 1 then book 2 had many strange audio issues that was super frustrating & bad chapter transitions that kept making me think my earbuds stopped working. Then, idk if it was because I have beastly earbuds or what; but, I heard wayyyy too many nasally sounds coming through her voice & it made me cringe so much.

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Indecisive thoughts for how I feel w/ book 2.....

Reviewed: 01-05-22

Firstly, the narrators are amazing! Aiden brings each of the male characters to life!!!

Have you ever experienced heartache & sadness from a fiction story; but also felt frustration? Feelings of attachment to characters; yet struggle to finish a book many, many times?
These are just some of the warring feelings I've had with book 2. I still really enjoy this series, just felt off about dialogue choices.

For me, I originally purchased the Kindle books & I bought book 2 the same week it was released; but I just now finished it last night. With book 2, I kept reaching around the same point (about 25%) & would become frustrated enough to put it down. I eventually bought the Audible versions so I could push on through.

Unlike the slow pacing that worked quite well with book 1, I felt that the slow pacing & repetitive inner/out-loud dialogue, held book 2 back. At this point in the story, we readers know of Hope's struggles & her irrational fears of telling the guys the truth. What I found odd was the need to have those same intrusive thoughts spelled out so often! Since we already know, it felt strange to keep "showing" us the same. It's like everytime something triggered Hope, we had to re-experience the same dialogue & it kept pulling me out of the story. This interrupted intimate scenes, progression points, info dumps, etc. To me, it felt like every Hope POV chapter had this, unlike the seamless flow book 1 had.

Then, so many chapters felt like it had more "filler" than substance; in the sense that the group's relationships didn't benefit or progress from these chapters. It was like having the same dialogue topic shown from multiple POVs, with only a few lines that contributed towards progression in each.
Compared to book 1 when I didn't want to miss a single thing to book 2 where I zoned out for a lot of the "foot dragging" conversations, it truly left me indecisive on how I felt.

I agree with other reviewers that mentioned only the last 10 chapters or so actually gave the progression we've waited for since book 1. I had hoped for more dialogue at these revelation points, as there was so much left unsaid & unanswered (it didn't make sense that the guys didn't bring other things up or ask about particular things). It felt like such a long lead-up & we only got a few chapters with the reveal, before needing to wait until the next book.

I know book 3 will be the one we finally get everything answered & things left unsaid from book 2 will become more clear. Hopefully it will ha e less of the circular dialogue, since things have been revealed & more active/progressive conversation.
I definitely recommend this series for PNR RH lovers who enjoy darker themes with lovable characters!!! ❤️

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What is going on???

Reviewed: 06-14-21

I've stopped at Ch. 13. Beyond basic info, I can't tell what is going on with the characters or the world.
Did my ADHD distract me so much, in the beginning chapters, that I missed crucial details?

The blurb explains a story outline; but the actual book isn't following along in critical info dump areas. It feels like crucial sentences occurred but I don't remember them (or if they even exist). I do not have the patience to restart this. Not right now anyways. Especially if I did not miss anything & I waste my time.

Fiction books SHOULD be fun. They should not require readers to play detective on hidden meanings or indecipherable clues. I have enough problem solving in my day job that I really don't want to use logic when reading fantasy.


The premise is still interesting to me. I'm concerned that the chosen writing direction is something I will not enjoy, if the pattern I've experienced continues.
Like other promising books I'm giving a 2nd chance to reread, I'm shelving this until I want to attempt it again. I'll update this review after I try this again!

On another note, the narrator was decent. Only complaint is that character emotional expressions didn't translate w/ the narrator. It was like she read the story but didn't do much w/ areas that needed emotion added to the words.

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An Unexpected Surprise & Phenomenal Narrators!

Reviewed: 04-26-21

I was honestly tempted to quit this early on. See, I rarely ever enjoy a PNR that has no real supernatural powers. Of course, "underworld" breeds are Supes in their own right; however, it always feels too "human" when the only difference is lineage & no fantasy-esque power. When I read a PNR, I don't want to feel like it's too real; but characters should definitely have behaviors & reactions that are actually real & relatable.

Anyways, the explanation is because this book falls in that grouping of PNR books I don't read. I was getting bored & the premise of Underworld lineage equating to a "criminal enterprise" is cliché to me.

BUT.....something kept me pushing forward to see if anything could grab my fading attention. It only took a couple more chapters to pull me under! I've already bought & downloaded the 2nd book!

Without spoiling anything.....
There are VERY inappropriate & awesome adult encounters!
There is a RH!
There are some well authored twists!
Of course there's a CH.....it IS a series after all lol
The author gives us enough to form ACTUAL bonds with MANY characters!

I am just overall surprised that this held my attention & made me buy the next book, considering there have been no actual supernatural powers displayed!

Lastly, the narrators are PHENOMENAL!!!
I highly recommend this series to be listened to just to hear how well the male narrator brings each guy to life, through his vocal talents! The female narrator was just as amazing bringing the FMC's emotions into her performance! Both created a fantastic combination that I greatly appreciated & enjoyed experiencing!

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12 people found this helpful

Finally on Audible....please add remaining books!!

Reviewed: 04-06-21

I've read this entire series several yrs ago & didn't realize that it has finally been added into Audible. Only half of the books are available on Audible, so I'm hopeful that the rest will be added soon!

In short, this is a series that the blurb/summary does not do the series justice. This author is lovely at delivering character depth, matching backstories to personalities, unique world development, & evolving plotlines that keep you wondering!

Of course there is delicious romance, in the form of an ultimate Alpha-hole that gradually shifts his attitude towards the FMC. Their romance ages like wine....bitter at 1st, but opens up, in time, into a refreshing experience that can be easily overindulged. It's the epitome of how slow-burn stories should be. I must admit that I've gone through this story many times! It is definitely marked as 1 of many stories that I re-read whenever the mood strikes.

These books do have a CH for each; but that's what a good series should do. If not, there'd be limited reason to continue a storyline. The series is fully available, just not fully adapted into Audible format yet; so, there's no need to wait for the next book.

My only issue is with the female narrator using unnecessarily long intonations at the end of each sentence. That is rather obnoxious; but can be relatively ignored.

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Is it my ADHD or.....

Reviewed: 04-03-21

Does this seem all over the place w/ progression & how the FMC behaves versus what we're told about her?

Hard to tell if I'm just too darn cynical or if I'm not enjoying this as I thought I would.

The 1 thing that has annoyed me from the start is the weird song parodies the FMC does. It feels fake, not a part of the FMC's personality. In truth, I don't have a sense of her personality at all. The parodies don't bring humor or break tension, so it makes me actually feel awkward for her, when it happens. Very strange placement choices.

We're told certain things of the FMC yet her POV scenes don't match up to expectations. She feels too flat & one-dimensional. Her backstory hints that she should have common sense, logical thinking, go-with-the-flow attitude, & a certain level of seriousness; but I haven't seen those traits manifest in a way that endears the FMC to myself.

I usually give audiobooks some time, when I'm not feeling a connection. I've given a couple hours to this & I still don't have a sense of caring for the FMC. Now the 3 guys.....more attention was given to them, so they don't feel flat. Their personalities are evident & we're shown how that plays w/ the story.

The writing for the 3 guys is the only reason I'm holding onto this story to try again, at a later date. If/when I attempt this again, I'll update my review if my feelings toward it changes.

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It's ok. Fell short from its potential.

Reviewed: 03-14-21

I read so many PNR genres that I truly know what I like, love, or dislike in a story. This one wasn't exactly memorable; yet it was enjoyable while I was looking for a new series to binge. Having plot predictability is expected, to a degree, but if no creativity is used to push the boundaries, then it feels like an attempt to make quick money. I don't know if that's true here, it's just a general statement from many bad stories I've recently encountered.

To begin, the dual narrators were absolutely lovely! Unfortunately, the story did not pull me in to where I cared much about how their HEA would play out. I finished the story; but didn't bother with the epilogue after that ending. The last "scene' between the couple was just so over-the-top ridiculous that I laughed. The dialogue made it even more so! It really could have been romantic; but we get a cartoonish vibe of what love is probably like, even though neither character ever say that word!

I think one issue I had was there wasn't a meaningful struggle between the main characters. Yes, some struggle was present; but it wasn't enough to build a connection or sympathy.

This world's (universe's lol) backstory was fun & the alien species was interesting; yet the depth wasn't there. It felt so scant that only intimate scenes reminds you that the guy has a tail. I expected more characteristics to be mentioned by the FMC as she explored her new environment; but that never happened.

I could go on; but I have other books awaiting me in my library! In the end, I'd say this book is a decent choice for listening to while doing your daily chores or running errands. You don't need active listening for the story.
This is coming from someone with ADHD, so lol.

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I gave it the old college try & then some.....

Reviewed: 03-01-21

Halfway, is where I had to stop to go read several pages of reviews. I had to see if I was being too critical or impatient with the many irregularities I saw between the FMC's backstory & her behavior.

I saw a lot of praise & thought I rushed my judgment; until I kept scanning the reviews. Many others had called-out the issues I struggled with & that solidified me stopping.

The FMC is supposed to have grown up in a rough neighborhood & have experienced a lot of cruel people. Either the authors have no clue how to make a backstory translate into strengths or her backstory is something they have no experience in to make it believable.
If I'm wrong, then there's no excuse for making the FMC run from people laughing at her when she experienced much worse, with others, from her mother's supposed betrayal.

When backstories of the main characters don't align with present behaviors, I run far away from those books; as I absolutely cannot even try to be enthralled in a story when it's inconsistently written.
With no backstory continuity, the character's growth isn't measurable throughout a series.

The bullying was very mild; but didn't even make sense to have senior/grad-level students openly & actively participate in such childish antics displayed. The 3 guys could of shown coldness, ignored her, & many other things that would of shown their elevated status while still adhering to the bully romance genre. All I heard was a pettiness that I expected from others her age, not 3 adult men who were introduced as revered, respected, & essentially idolized sorcerers. Why so inconsistent?

I want to hold onto my copy to see if I can give it another go eventually. If my opinion changes, upon trying again, I'll update my review.

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Did I miss a prequel somewhere???

Reviewed: 02-12-21

I have the patience of someone diagnosed w/ ADHD, because, I too have it. So, when I want to give up on a book, I force myself to go several more chapters just to make sure. For this box set, I made it to Chapter 10 of Book 1. If I ever finish this, I'll update my review.

Again, I DNF this. The slow progression wasn't entirely bad, except I didn't feel any connection to the FMC. Sure, I felt bad for her situation; but I can be sympathetic to a stranger too without wanting to know if their problems ever reach resolution!

Now if the author got you to truly care for the FMC, then this slow build would be bearable. However, I don't fully understand the world this takes place in; as we aren't given too much to build any sort of foundation. The division of supes makes no sense, the race of supes & their "powers" is not disclosed, the FMC is labeled as an "H" on her ID (but we don't know what that means yet).

Overall, it's a bunch of unknowns that doesn't give a reader much to build a connection w/ the characters. So unfortunately, I can't just keep going when there's nothing for me to build feelings towards the FMC in order to make it through her 3-book-long journey.

Maybe I'll be able to finish this, eventually; but that is definitely not today.

One other thing to address is the odd choice for narrator. Just from what I experienced, her voice & tone is definitely not suited for this character. I expected a more deep voice w/ a serious tone given her backstory; not some new young-adult sounding narrator (not trying to be mean. Her voice just doesn't do it for this story, especially w/ the pre-existing issues I already mentioned this book has so far. Narrator redemption was not possible).

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