scoodle42's reviews
742 reviews

Ginger just wants to be able to carry cubs for the man she loves. But after another failed attempt and the ultimate betrayal from him, she's flailing, with no answers to the question of how her animal is turning into something she can barely control, or whether she'll get the family she's always wanted. Enter Gemini, a saber tooth and the last of his kind, who needs a special mate to help him balance his immense power before it kills him.

I loved this book so much. Seeing the personalities of Gemini and Ginger clash and then blend was a great journey. The added twist of cat shifters not giving in to mating was something I didn't expect--why make them fated if they can just refuse? But it played nicely into Ginger's bratty personality and Gemini's need for control. I like that he refused to rush her even when it was hurting him, and how she learned to calm his animal and ease his pain. That was love. The way he indulged her and forced himself to be patient, and the way Ginger claimed her place with him, even when her emotions still had a ways to go made me smile. Ginger charming every one in his life was no less than I expected and the way he protected her at all costs was no less than I expected of him. Great story.

Valeena is trying to escape her old life by any means necessary. And when she opens her door for an injured wolf she immediately refers to as "Puppy," she has no idea what she's in for. Godwin is an injured shifter, who ends up on Valeena's steps in his wolf form. And now that he knows she's his mate, he knows he has to get her to love the man the way she already loves his wolf.

Valeena and Godwin had chemistry you could see and feel. I love their passion together, the way they rode for each other. Valeena was hard to convince, but with her backstory, you could understand her skepticism. Godwin was as charming as his wolf, and the way he protected Valeena was swoony, even after he knew she didn't exactly need him to. Valeena was tough and bad enough to fight beside her man and I loved that too. Finding out about her latent wolf was a nice twist I didn't see coming and I loved the reunion with her sister. 

How far would you go in the name of friendship? Davis De La Cruz is about to find out. When he surprises his best friend's widow at her new loft, he's shocked to find her latest project isn't a new art series, but making a baby on her own. When he learns his friend's dying wish was for Davis to be her sperm donor, he finds himself making an unorthodox offer.

Monica Simmons is preparing to spend the holidays holed up in her place picking out potential donors. When Davis surprises her, he not only throws her Christmas plans into wack, but her entire life. Are these new feelings for her close friend just a side effect of the holiday spirt or something even scarier? 

Samiah and Cree are as close as close can be. But Cree hasn't gotten his dream world confirmation that Samiah is his true mate so he's afraid to mark her as his, fearing he'll give his all to Samiah and then be fated to someone else. So she leaves, because she's tired of him holding back and she thinks she has a way to fix it. Fari follows, determined to show Samiah he sees and wants her, even if Cree won't. 

Okay, fated mates in a poly romance was unexpected but I liked it. I like the push and pull of the three of them, and the way their dynamic felt. I also like how they each had a way of calming the other, tempering the connection between them so that it was just right for all of them. They were very passionate and I appreciated that aspect, as well as the intrigue surrounding Samiah wanting to know more about her wolf genes. Cree's past coming into play made me feel for him, and I gave his character grace once I saw where his fear stemmed from. The instances where the two wolves caught a scent and had to follow were surprising and real and I was worried about their bond with Samiah. That was an interesting plot point for sure. Fari was intense and protective, and Cree was cool and nurturing. It was what Samiah needed, for both her heart and mind to mature.

I knew nothing she was doing would work out the way she wanted and I was frustrated with her youthful stubbornness and recklessness, so that dinged her armor a bit for me. Also, I enjoy poly romances where the participants settle into the dynamicwith confidence, knowing they'll get what they need. And though I liked Fari and Cree, there were too many instances where they had a competitive edge with each other, where they treated Samiah like something to win. I didn't like that. But I enjoyed this book a lot.

Knight Barron wants his arranged marriage to turn into something real. And with his careful treatment of Novalie, it might be possible. But as they're getting to know each other, Casmi enters their lives, broken and trapped. And they both agree she means enough for them to help. But could she mean more?

I love that this is an original concept kind of plot for me. It took elements of things that were very familiar and put them in a whole new way. Knight Barron is definition of a gangster and a gentleman. He did not play about his family. He stood on business with his wife, and kept everyone to the standard he set in terms of respecting her, and made heads roll when necessary. But he was so kind, and soft his women. He tempered himself and opened his heart first, asking Novalie to follow his example instead of demanding her submission. He modeled how he wanted their relationship to be from the start and I loved that.

The story stumbled a tiny bit when the feelings for Casmi came into play but it recovered nicely, and I like that there was room for all three overlapping relationships, as well as the new group dynamic. Casmi's past added a good layer of intrigue and triumph for her character and it was nice to see her come into herself again, and find family. The Barrons are great co-stars in this and I enjoyed the dynamic. Very lovely.

Rook and Bishop are next up to get married, per family rules. At a wedding for someone else, things get out of hand and the groom ends up dead by Rook's hand. To fix the situation, Rook decides to forgo picking his own wife and take the grooms place... in exchange for Bishop getting to choose who he really wants.

Okay, so Rook setting this all in motion for Bishop made me love him. The way he went in for his twin, the way they held each other down was a key favorite in this book. Rook has a bad temper and an even worse mouth--you can guess I loved him the most, lol. I like the way he stood up for himself and made no apologies for who he was or wanted to be. He also stood on business about his wife. He never allowed anyone to disrespect her, and when he was wrong, he pushed back until he got it right. Winnie was a stubborn, hothead, just like her new husband, lol. She had a goal in mind and didn't let anything distract her. I like the chemistry they had, the way they circled each other, and collided in the most passionate way. I also like how there were relatable ups and downs. Because of their beginning, the way wasn't smooth and the author never shied away from that, nor did any of it feel overdone. But the loyalty Winnie was able to inspire in Rook was a great turning point, because it spoke directly to his love language. The drama with Winnie's family was a great emotional piece and Winnie getting to express her anger was top tier. I can't wait to buy the paperback and read it again.

Byron has been captured. And though he knows the people who've taken him want to use his shifter biology for evil experimentation, the doctor they've sent in to test and observe him doesn't know that. Or at least, she pretends not to. Byron can't help but hope Aida truly is innocent... because she's his mate. The second one in his lifetime.

I loved this book. Byron was such a grown and sexy character, calm and reassuring, protective and self-aware. Even when things were dire or dangerous, he had full confidence in his wolf and his ability to keep Aida from harm, or avenge her when that wasn't possible. I loved the mood he brought to the story. Aida struggles spoke to my heart, but her commitment to correcting her course and to helping Byron was admirable. I loved that she was a mama bear who growled when she needed to, and that she and her daughter were able to get over their hurdles.

Byron and Aida's passion was explosive and it was my favorite of this series. Byron coming to her in the dream place and showing her physical affection he couldn't in the lab still gave you the satisfaction of seeing their heat. I loved them both getting a second chance at a soulmate. The trip back to the pack surprised me; I wasn't expecting the awkwardness they faced, especially with Byron's son. But he had an explanation and I felt bad for him being fooled. Valeena's attitude stunk and I was glad I read the books in order bc I didn't like her in this one, lol. But I was glad things worked out in the end, even though part of me wanted them to stay where they had the most loving welcome. Aida's past did get a little convoluted for me, but once she revealed all she went through, my heart clenched even more. I felt this one all the way through. Loved it.

Oaklynn is having a hard time, and things aren't going her way. She walks into an interview, hoping it's the job she needs to get back on her feet and finds out the boss is none other than her ex, Jabari. Jabari isn't surprised to see her, in fact he was hoping he would. And the more they spend time, the more he knows he has to keep Oaklynn around--by any means necessary.

Jabari and his Lynnie were so super cute! I identified with Oaklynn's struggles, and I felt for her. Thinking you have your life mapped out only to have the rug pulled from underneath you again and again is tough, and she was tough for the way she handled it. I loved her. Jabari was a self-aware man, and you know how I love those. He knew what happened, why he changed, and sought to be different. He corrected his course, mostly without being told, and I appreciated that. Plus, he took care of Oaklynn. Quietly, but in the important ways. The last thing he wanted was her out there flailing and he made that known. I loved that about him. The two of them were very passionate and I loved that too. The blackmail came across as slightly far-fetched but you knew why he was doing it and that gave it humor.

Great story. I enjoyed it. And the bonus chapters.

Marley and C-zar meet at a community event, and immediately clash. Czar is trying to maintain his calm and work on his career and Marley is simply existing, floating through after a tragedy rocked her entire foundation. She tries to resist him, but what Julius wants, he gets. And he set his sights on her.

I have to start with the fact that my mind refused to read his name as "Caesar" no matter how many times I reminded myself. I don't think that spelling was a good choice, but never mind that. Onto the book!

This is my first Ladii Nesha book and it for sure won't be my last one. Marley and Julius pulled me right into their world. I loved the way they bantered with each other, the way they listened to each other, and the way they took care of each other. Each of them had something unique to bring to the other's world and they were open to it. Julius was able to show Marley how to live again, and Marley was able to show him how to love a little more gently, drown out the noise, and not treat people so carelessly. Their passion was on point, and I felt their chemistry long before they touched, which speaks highly of the author's pen. Benny's reappearance gave the love triangle vibes, which I don't normally care for, but Marley distracted me from that with her actions--why would she take it as far as taking him back??? I was confused. And her "grand gesture" to win Julius over didn't really make sense, nor did his fire alarm stunt to get her attention. I feel like they could have found their way back to each other a little better than that.

Harper, Romeo, Nova, and Sammy gave great comedic relief and showed up when they needed to. Harper's side storyline wasn't too distracting; it gave the book a little extra and I wasn't mad at it. The family dynamics at play were great, even when the subject matter was heavy. I will say Marley's mother took a little too long to get the boot for me. I wish they had set a boundary with her sooner. And Ada's storyline while heavy, wasn't too much, albeit it was a little predictable because I knew the way she was handling things would backfire. I just wish her husband had been the person who stood in the gap for her--I thought Julius had done enough.

I liked having the book written in third person so you could see everyone's side without having to switch POVs chapter by chapter. Because everyone saying "I" and "me" can get distracting after a while (although the author could have been a little cleaner about making it known when she was moving on to another person). Also, there were some language choices that made me cringe (lots of fat shaming, some taunts and teasing that bordered on homophobic/ transphobic, and an STI conversation I wasn't fond of) and I wish we would do better because we can still be funny and entertaining without it. The beginning was a tad bit slow and the ending dragged slightly, but I kinda expected that in a book this long. Maybe trimming by 75-100 pages wouldn't have been so bad. But the majority of the book had me locked in, and I ate it up.

Overall, it was pretty good and I enjoyed it for the most part.

Khadijah gets dragged out by her sister for a night of fun and thanks to some sneaky setting up, leaves with a beautiful woman named Shae. After their great night, followed by an awkward morning, Dijah wants to put it out of her mind and focus on her new job as an athletic trainer for a WNBA team. Except Shae, her one night stand, is a star player on the team.

This book had me stressed a little, okay? The planner meets the Ms. Go-With-The-Flow is a great set-up for a love story and I enjoyed it. Dijah and Shae were equal parts sweet and nerve-wracking. Dijah had all the hallmarks of an overthinker and a worrier and as both those things, I identified with her. I also liked the show of her emotional struggles with wanting to map out the best future for yourself and trying to balance it with how she felt so deeply, but was scared to let it come across. She meant well, and though she had her hardheaded moments, when it was time to listen and learn, she did. And she apologized and ultimately stood up for what she needed to feel comfortable. I wish she hadn't been so rigid--and honestly after her second fuck up I was screaming at my Kindle at her, but I'm glad she learned a bit about intent vs. impact.

I also loved that Shae could meet her where she was. She was the perfect person for Dijah because where others would wonder why she kept putting herself out there, she saw Dijah and knew why. She knew there was more than what was being said. She dug deeper and I loved how fearless she was. I also loved that Shae was an optimist. She never gave up on trying to find what she was looking for. And she was willing to express herself, with no apologies. When Shae was happy, you knew it. And when she was pissed, you knew that too. She didn't hold back, and I loved her character.

The sports aspect was great, and not overdone. And the families were funny and a great supporting cast. I thought Jah took the immature little sister act a bit TOO far (especially leaving her at a lounge to find her own way home), but it balanced out a bit. Plus, Dijah and Shae had great chemistry and their passion was really, really good. The sexy scenes gave you insight into how Dijah was when she loosened up, and also how Shae was when someone took care of her and not the other way around. I like when physical intimacy can tell you something about the character.

I would have enjoyed a bit more about them, actually. It ended way too soon for me, considering there was so much back and forth. I enjoyed it though.