magnafeana's reviews
277 reviews

No hate no shade no pink lemonade to anyone who enjoyed these books, of course.

But you have no taste 💅🏾🪭

I’m kidding, I’m kidding 🤣

Or am I 👀?

For the cowboys boxset: I got for free on Amazon US; it comes with three books, each arouns 30 chapters, but it’s available on KU as well, for inquiring minds.

<b>BOOK ONE</b>

How the plot came off: 

So the FMC is an alleged “ice queen” who 😱 decided to get a PhD 🔬 NOT an MD you fucking heathen 🩺❌😤 and the MMC and her family are upset 🔪🤬 she DARED do so and LEAVE—dare I say—ABANDON her own familia 🥺

So the frail father tells the MMC “marry my lonely ass daughter so I may control her and force her back to me and you can have the deed to some piece of land”. MMC, to his credit, finds it stupid. But then he goes along with it 🙄 Oh and while the father is in the ICU, the MMC tells the FMC to get over herself and let them fuck and FMC forgets her father is in the ICU and becomes a blushing virgin 😳 . 

[Spoilers (Snapewives Edition)] OH. And the FMC’s childhood female tormentor who I didn’t mention before but now I did because ✨convenience✨? She has the MMC’s child 💀 Wait no the MMC’s brother’s child 💀💀 Wait HOLD ON the MMC’s father’s child 💀💀💀🔪 making this kid the MMC’s half brother. Did I mention the FMC gave up on her career for the MMC and the MMC constantly laughs when the FMC is emotional?

Hello, officer?

Yes, I would like to declare a robbery.

A ROBBERY OF MY TIME.

Yes I am mad. Yes I told my cats. No they did not do damn thing about it other than start purring and ask for belly rubs. Yes that made me feel better.

I’ll come back with book two and three because I need to review them to keep my sanity if I decide to try and reread these.

This was a nice read for two older people, but the drama was very lowbrow.

MMC and FMC are in their 30s as a single alpha and single omega respectively. In the cultures of the book, by 18, an omega would go through a heat, invite an alpha into their nest, and that would be that. But for the MMC, his father being an omega and the omegas fawning over him warped his perception and his lost himself to his photography. For the FMC - as always - an evil ex cheated her, her toxic family is toxic, and she prefers to live a single life.

Thanks to their friends, the duo meet. The MMC is an arrogant grump, believing all omegas the same. And the FMC is unbelievably patient with him. With the FMC’s alpha(hole) brother’s death, the FMC is now up to bat for matched matings while the MMC is trying to  save off young omegas hoping to be gold diggers.

The proposal?  It’ll shock you.

Fake mating!

I know. No one is surprised.

What I find most interesting in this world is that heat cycles are annual, rather than a monthly endeavor like in a lot of OV books. I liked it.  I enjoyed the FMC being independent and experienced and well-assured.

But it took me a long time to warm up to the MMC. And I lost some respect for the FMC.

I have a personal distaste for children - “tails” - in stories, so I wasn’t all that happy with the FMC’s younger siblings. But that’s my personal distaste. They never add anything  into the story outside being another unneeded outside force for the leads.

But I didn’t like the MMC for how much he made assumptions about omegas. Yes, that’s his schtick. But then it worsened when he kept around friends who constantly disrespected the FMC, and he was aware of it. This was his whole “growth” arc, but I had to laugh in disbelief with his accusations of the FMC and him not realizing why he had those friends. At the very least, I would’ve found all this more believable if he had any non-cartoonishly evil friends outside of Nick, but ya know.

Drama.

FMC - I understood why she was a people pleaser. And I liked how she stuck to her guns with not letting the MMC into her life in every aspect. He didn’t deserve it. But I was hoping for…a bit more during the orgy scene. I don’t know. Sex being the binding factor soured it for me. Sex absolutely CAN be a binding factor for people, no doubt. But…  I didn’t understand why it was for them?

The FMC makes it clear she doesn’t lead with her “parts”, neither does the MMC. And sure, it’s romance so “they’re different”, but it felt…weird the FMC was suddenly embarrassed with her time with a female alpha.

If she’s someone in their 30s, I don’t see the need to be embarrassed about it. It happened. So what? If the MMC makes a fuss, he makes a fuss and obviously isn’t mature enough for a relationship.

 In OV, we seldom get self-pleasure scenes that remain self-pleasure. Always, someone finds them. Always, someone joins in. I was hoping this MC - being older and proud about her toys - we’d have her enjoy pleasure without anyone.

Nope.

Sigh.

I liked this book overall. My personal distaste for the “tails” that were the grating siblings, the MMC’s behavior, and the lack of FMC’s self-care is my own issues. Absolutely would I  recommend this to people who want a non-WC OV with older leads and a bit less toxic masculinity and toxic femininity.

FMC is also a lawyer.

Love that for her.

This has been <b>dropped</b>.

Why?

This was a blind buy. I didn’t read the description. But reading the book was an experience and yep the description matches the contents.

Which is not made for me.

I was honestly fine that the FMC was privileged and spoiled in thinking about “How DARE this man not immediately and only loved me, even if this is an arranged marriage and literally many others have this happen to them, I will RUN AWAY for I am UPSET 😠😤”. Because I’d hoped that the FMC would understand the weight of her actions.

She’d learn that she truly was being privileged and spoiled. She could have caused her husband to be arrested or a war to break out. She would have worried her family and put innocents in danger. And from this, she would grow into understanding her silly temper tantrum was a silly temper tantrum. And she would also realize she put unrealistic expectations on someone she never knew.

But…that didn’t happen.

The MMC just takes the blame for everything. Obviously, he should have only been pure for her. Obviously, he should read minds. He should cater to her. He should always initiate XYZ. The world should cater to the FMC, really. How DARE others not find her pretty and desirable?

I’m fine with an FMC having unlikable qualities because it makes their progress interesting. But in this case, the FMC didn’t really grow. She half-heartedly learned, maybe. That’s a bit disappointing. She had such cool flaws to be touched on.

No rating as I dropped it.

RTC, but some thoughts!

<b>Joseph</b>. Main character. MMC. 18. Nerdy. New to shifting. Target of bullying. Too sweet to his own detriment. Supportive househusband energy. Good parents. Not experienced. EDM maker.

<b>Charlotte</b>. Love Interest. FMC. 18. Rugby player. Alpha wolf. Violent. Abusive home-life. Experienced. Construction worker. Supports women. Fuck authority.

This was a book largely from MMC POV, but this was an interesting Romance For Men book.

Joseph is a half shifter and the victim of Charlotte’s bullying. But as he and Charlotte become entangled, his shifter genes awaken and he recognizes her as his mate. And both are horrified from it. Charlotte is an athletic alpha wolf with a mean streak born from her abusive home life and, partially, excused because of it too. She’s the stereotypical power fantasy tomboyish 2000s YA protagonist—but in rugby and she has her own pack of all young ladies. 

And she doesn’t believe in mates.

In Joseph and Charlotte’s dance, he approaches Charlotte like she’s a predator—because she is. But he’s still hurt by her past and present actions. And to that, I commend the book. I loved the book of how Charlotte provides for Joseph as well, and Joseph is accepting and provides her with support.

But this is where I begin to criticize things.

Joseph seemed too forgiving for me with the extent of Charlotte’s bullying. He had to coax her to be gentle and answer questions, and whenever she hurt him verbally, while he did have his own bite, if Charlotte looked sad, then Joseph forgives her. 

I wish this had been touched on some more. I’m an angst girlie. So, for me, I didn’t like that Joseph shouldered the emotional burden and Charlotte got away with that. It would have been a larger character arc if she was more initiative of more emotional support without becoming angry about it.

I did enjoy Charlotte recognized her actions were bad and she couldn’t fix them. But I wished we had more time to see how deeply Charlotte hurt Joseph and how she’s witnessing the actions of her consequences, especially Joseph being frightened of her and her being the reason.

<b>Irina</b> is a side character and Charlotte’s best friend, alongside <b>Jess</b>. Irina is a goth girl with a traditional pack mindset, and I love her. I wish she had been a bit more involved.

I’m curious how Jess will be redeemed. I’m assuming the high schooler she attacked is her mate. I hope he doesn’t easily forgive her.

The one thing I despised about this was the lack of POV switch warnings. Which is why this isn’t rated higher.

Good story. Good prose👍🏾

RTC, but I loved this story!!

Thank you taramisu 🥛🐂 for this!

This is a story from the perspective of a researcher alien who is breeding humans, one FMC and three viable MMCs. The MC finds “tenders” (humans) to become fascinating, realizing they can communicate and have autonomy and sapience. They have an affectionate dynamic with the FMC. Prime is the MMC that the MC tries their hardest for the FMC to breed with, and she does, reluctantly and unhappily, but Beast is a scarred MMC who loves the FMC and the FMC loves him. The FMC does have affection for Prime too.

And then there’s the third MMC who is the stereotyped version of men: abusive, animalistic, and grotesque.

Thank gods MC sees that and punishes accordingly.

I liked this novella and bought it! Great sci fi book! 

The only reason I didn’t give this five stars was that this was tagged as why choose. I thought Prime and Beastly would be with the FMC, but I guess not.

Still a good story though!

So.

Hm.

I have thoughts.

<b>LIKES</b>

✅ As always, Nick is a cruel ML who has a plan for everything. Good on him.

✅ Jay’s mother finally gets her comeuppance. She was thoroughly unlikable and Campbell did a great job of that!!

<b>DISLIKES</b>

❌ I don’t think I’ll ever like Jay/Justine. Dark romances are a hit or miss with FLs in MF DRs. I enjoy girl failures, but Jay was just pathetic in a “I don’t know why I should care about you” way. I get the story wanted her pathetic, but when the whole world is somehow against the FL, it feels…oddly contrived? To me—subjectively, personally, just my opinion—I lose interest in an MC that the author goes at length to make Gaia’s most hated child. At the same time, books where the MC is Gaia’s most favored child don’t appeal to me either. Why? Because I don’t see a reason for it. As in: what reason do so many characters have to be offended by or in love with the MC? Because…they exist? Even the MC being the daughter of a sex worker—so? Unless Jay’s mother was a highly visible sex worker and porn star, then I can see the sleaziness towards her. But…these were rumors? I’m trying to understand this. I understand why the author isolated the FL this much. But narratively, I never saw the reason for it. She was pathetic. And…yup.

❌ Non-linear storytelling confused me. This was my gripe with the last book too. There was a lot of back and forth in time that wasn’t really justified. Authors do this to give their story some mystery in revealing things. But in reality, you still need to justify if that mystery is needed and how to execute it. I didn’t care for the time jumps in the first book. I cared for them less in this book when the author forewent the appropriate tenses to mark a flash back and we’d be back in the present with no discernible sign. 

❌ This is small, but the grammar issues kinda were ehhhh. Like—a new speaker of dialogue means a new paragraph. Unless Nick is now he/she—which is fine, I read books where characters have dual or carte blanche pronouns—then he should have he/him consistently. From the lengthy asides too, I just…wish this was edited better.

❌ Ending was kinda… Huh. Just rushed maybe? I was surprised at just it ended.

<b>WHAT WOULD HAVE IMPROVED MY RATING</b>

✨ More hard editing into not just grammar but craftmanship and execution. If the world is going to he against Jay, that’s fine—but prepare a reason for it. It’s one thing for Jay to think the world is against her when it isn’t. It’s another when it is for no other reason than the author said so.

✨ A little more warning through visuals or tense switching would help a lot with any sort of flashback.

<b>OVERALL</b>

I read this story more for Nick than for Nick and Jay or Jay. Nick was definitely a dark and cruel ML that may not be palatable to everyone. Jay isn’t my type of girlfailure, so I wasn’t sold with her. But this was still, a 2.5⭐️ that I round up as I really enjoyed Nick.

RTC, here are my disorganized notes:

All in all, solid 3 ⭐️ read. 

What would’ve increased my rating?

Honestly, just make something happen. I wanted to see more struggle with accepting Quinn’s the brothers’ scent match and she’s known since they were teenagers. I wanted to see the growing pains that come with sharing a lady and being shared by men. I wanted a little bit of hesitation from the parents, but nothing major. Make Brady be the one to serve Mr Mosley or something. Give the characters room to grow instead of stagnate.

RTC, but some thoughts!

<b>Leslie</b>. FMC. 18. Virgin. Daddy issues. Mommy issues. Had no spine, then grew a spine, then got a surgery to remove it. “My core”. “My sex”. 3⭐️

<b>Mason</b>. MMC. 18. Hockey star. Big man on campus. Manwhore. J/P/A. Sadly, he never capitalized on stepbrother dirty talk. A forgettable yandere in a past life. 3⭐️

<b>Summary of Events</b>

The day Mason’s dad gets married is the day Mason sees he’s future wife—only she’s his stepsister.

The day Leslie’s mom gets married is the day she sees her stepbrother—only he’s her nightmare.

At 18, both Mason and Leslie may not like each other as stepsiblings, but with one summer between them, they’ll be off to separate colleges and separate lives in hockey and dance respectively. But Mason’s not the type to let his ache for his stepsister slip away. And when Leslie’s too spineless against her mother to say no to staying in the house while mommy dearest and her rich husband fly off, well…

Here we go with Mason starting shit and Leslie coming in clutch. For every antic Mason did, Leslie would ramp
It up. Of course, there’s some moments of sexual tension between them, but it comes to a head when Mason let’s his on-off girlfriend and best friend strip Leslie naked and have her be nonconsensually photographed.

So Leslie leaves. Not just leaves the house. No. She clears out her room, stays with a friend, and Mason is left realizing he fucked up.

And we love 💃🏾 to see it 🤸🏾‍♀️

And then…the story goes downhill 🙃

Leslie is in NYC for university when, to her surprise, Mason ditched Harvard to join her. He regrets chasing her away and decides pursuing her is his only path. Already, for some reason, he’s big man on campus as a freshman with really no ties to the university.

All right.

Of course, of COURSE, Leslie is distraught! Distraught enough to speak about her core and her sex and not really say or do anything to keep Mason away but instead body betraying everywhere.

Of course.

And of COURSE the stepsiblings are paired on a project about female desire! Of course! 

Mason decides Leslie isn’t folding quick enough, so he drugs her. Mhm. Okay. Love that. And Leslie folds like a bitch in heat. Didn’t like that. And of course, she spills how she’s into her future man being into cuckholding.

…

Well. Okay then?

Something something she wakes up sober and mad something something body betrayal something something—

Okay, so we get to Mason sharing Leslie with Emory (his best friend) for a…blowjob. 

Sigh.

Something something mUh CoRe something something muH sEX something something of course their professor will conveniently give wisdom on the situation something something—

Oh.

That’s it.

<b>End of Summary</b>

This is really a 2⭐️ book. But I have pity on Mason. He could’ve been a great yandere in a manga. So that’s where the extra ⭐️ came from.

<b>HOW MY RATING COULD HAVE INCREASED</b>

1️⃣ <b>Aging up the characters, honestly.</b> I mentally did it and imagined them both as in their third year of university, to give more credence why Mason is oh so popular, and then pretended Mason transferred, which makes him seem even more chaotic. It would also make me believe the “Daddy” situation too and would’ve added a little more interest in Leslie being a virgin. Being 18 and a virgin? Oh wow. So bold. So brave. So inspiring.

2️⃣ <b>Fleshed out cast</b>. We barely got much from Bea or from Leslie’s other newfound friend. Everyone was pretty much one-note. Needed a lot more.

3️⃣ <b>More parental lore</b>. Why did Leslie want to make her mom happy? Don’t tell me, SHOW me. Show me Leslie adoring her mom. Show me Leslie’s mother before she met her new husband. Show me Leslie emotionally supporting her mom. Give some depth to it. So how Mason was abandoned by his father. Add weight to it. Then it makes sense <i>why</i> Leslie’s stupid enough not to leave sooner and why Mason and his father have such s relationship.

4️⃣ <b>Longer impact and aftermath</b>. This was another case of an author wanting badly to skip the important stuff to get to the sex stuff. No. Show me more scenes developing of Leslie and Mason’s pranks and mounting tension. Show me more scenes of Leslie catching interest in a guy and Mason getting pissed. Give me more stepsiblings tension. Show me how distraught Leslie is after being drugged and yanked around. Stop going on about her sex and her core. Give me her emotional turmoil. Don’t do this cheap shit where “oh wow this professor knows EXACTLY what to say so see there’s the solution!” Make things actual obstacles that require thoughtful resolution.

5️⃣ <b>Cuckholding</b>. Do it. Go all in. Have Emory fuck Leslie through penetrative sex. I want to see Leslie have a good time with Emory. Have Mason get jealous. Have him fuck her afterwards, IDGAF. But could’ve had some really good cuckholding. What a shame.

This is a 2⭐️ stepsiblings read but assigned 3⭐️ because Mason’s characterization skeleton would make for a basic yandere. I like yanderes.

Next!

<b>CHARACTERS</b>

<b>SUMMARY</b>

<blockquote>

Violet may be a failure in life, but she can try to be a good daughter as her stepmother’s sickness worsens and she returns to home to be there for her. Only, to her horror, her estranged stepbrother is returning as well after years of no contact. And the reason for her horror: he’s the one boy turned man who made her body become his.

Now, Violet is stuck navigating her failures, her parents, and Jesse’s tendencies to get under her skin and in her jeans, regardless that his biological mother is ill. Perhaps Violet thinks Jesse will move on if he grows tired of her, if he finds someone else, or if she does.

Oh, Violet. You should’ve never let your dear stepbrother in if you ever wanted him <i>out</i>.

</blockquote>


<b>OVERALL</b>

This is by far one of my favorite monogamous stepsiblings romances! 🥰

I seriously <i>love</i> the dubcon in this book! Jesse can obsess over me anytime 🥵

The reason this isn’t a 5 ⭐️ rating is how irritating Violet became with all her shouting. This isn’t me wanting her never to resist. But, yeah, I had no sympathy for her as I got why she was a failure. But I liked Jesse a LOT so 🫦

Also, was I the only one giving Violet bombastic side eye for how she treated Jesse and her dad day of the funeral? I don’t know. Didn’t personally pass the vibe check, but again, I have issues with Violet’s character 🤷🏾‍♀️

Good 4⭐️ read for a monogamous stepsiblings dark romance with buckets of dubcon. I ate good with this 😋

<b>CHARACTERS</b> 

 

</ul> 

 

<b>SUMMARY</b> 

 

<blockquote> 

 

Elodie and Rome met before—as in, they crushed on each other for a hot minute, Rome got handsy, and Elodie pushed him in a pull. 

 

Can I make it anymore obvious? 

 

But their meetings don’t stop. They meet again when Rome drunkenly saves Elodie from a group of charmers, and he gets arrested for it. And they meet again when their parents are getting married. 

 

…wait, what? 

 

New house, new school, new stepdad, and new stepbrothers—Elodie and her sisters are in for a lot of “new”. And Rome’s “new” position of a bench boy isn’t going to fly. 

 

So now Rome and Elodie meet again and again. At their lockers, where Rome demands Elodie switch. In history, when Rome tries to lightly bully Elodie into being embarrassed. At a party where Rome intends to make a mockery of her, only to help her when she’s roofied. Even at a movie theater date she has with another boy, where she loses her virginity to Rome. 

 

…huh. 

 

The more Elodie and Rome collide, the more they both sees sides to the other that’s new and maybe even lovely. But when Elodie unwillingly meets with the man who was the source of her and Rome’s worst meeting, well… 

 

Let’s just say, the guy will never want to meet them again. 

 

</blockquote> 

 

<b>OVERALL</b> 

 

This title was so edgy and the contents were too 😭 

 

Rome isn’t a “heartless monster”. He’s just Some Asshole©, really, and a misogynistic one who probably would believe in “Sigma Male” shit. I will concede that this was a bully romance, but bullying on normal high school antics rather than anything deliciously dark. I agree that there were some dark elements, such as the attempted gangrape and kidnapping, but this was far from a dark romance or anything of that nature. 

 

The introduction claims there’s “dubious consent” in this book. Not really? Outside of Elodie getting drunk, in which she maybe dances a little, that’s really it. 

 

I think this was a solid read, hence it being 3⭐️, but I guess Elodie fluctuates too much for my liking and isn’t internally consistent. I really enjoyed when she stood up for herself and showed Roman what it was like if she was just a broken toy. But suddenly, she’s insisting to him “No, Gage didn’t flirt with me!” and giggling and stuff? 

 

Okay…? 

 

What happened to the strong girl we had not five minutes ago? 

 

Not to mention, it was pretty ridiculous about the doctor thing. But I also understand, from Rome’s POV, that his family came from wealth. I think I need more showing about the amount of wealth his family has to have a doctor making a house call. Doctors can certainly draw blood, but I guess I was more of “Why didn’t they go to Planned Parenthood?” 

 

While the male cast in high school were largely incels (outside of Brady and Wilder, love em), I felt bad that Elodie really didn’t have friends with other characters. 

 

But she’s a smart cookie and a strong one (at times)! I loved seeing her confront her trauma and wanting to make her statement, understanding the whole affair. 

 

I enjoy stepsiblings romances mainly because I’m a sucker for the dirty and taboo-adjacent element. This didn’t really have that. The parents were pretty accepting, which is fine! But I’m here for Stepbro acting like a dirry mfer about being the FMC’s stepbro 😏 

 

Overall, a solid 3.5⭐️ read rounded down!