I received a copy of S.J. Sanders‘ Ragoru in a Renegade Romance Box. I’ve read the previous book, Red, and the review is here.
Hundreds of years before Red
Civilization is failing in a steady decline. In a last-ditch effort to save themselves, humanity has turned to trying to understand their world even as they seek to protect themselves from the monsters within it. Which is how Evelyn Willock found herself stationed in the farthest northern reaches of the habitable zone and answering the call to investigate a strange sighting in the mines much farther to the north where all other human settlements had failed.
It is no small task. Few will go outside the habitable zone. Fewer still will venture beyond the northern border where the forests grow thick and are filled with innumerable dangers. Stationed where she is, Evie is the best candidate to take on the job. She is familiar with the dangers of the forests.
But in the woods, something new lurks. Wolfish monsters, larger than men, brutal, and terrifying.
Danger and pleasure meet when the tables are turned and she becomes the hunted, the feast for their inhuman hunger. Within it all, Evie discovers a meeting of hearts with three males from a dying species who would seek to claim her in every way.
Torn between duty and desire, Evie must discover the secrets that haunt the northern lands and decide on the course her future is to take. To stay with the males who have captured her heart would mean leaving all that she knew behind. But beyond that, another worrying was coming to light. If the Ragoru were not the cause of the reported sighting, what was? And was it possible that a new, even more insidious danger lurked beneath the mountains?
This was sweet. It’s not deep. It’s basically an insta-love. There is no significant tension between the species when the characters pair up or even when Evie accepts a triad of mates. So, go in expecting some suspension of disbelief. (Hold on to it for the sex, too, btw. That Evie’s body happily stretches to the point it must is probably the biggest fantasy element of this sci-fi/fantasy novel.) It’s also super predictable.
Having said all of that. I appreciated that Evie stood her own even when the males got pushy, and each of the three Ragoru had recognizably different personalities but were all sweet in their own way. The world is interesting, and the writing is easy to read (though I did notice a few copy-edit mistakes).
This isn’t the first Sanders book I’ve read. I don’t think it will be the last. But as a final, humorous point, the Ragoru are large, 4-eyed, 4-armed, furry, humanoid-canned creaturs. I cannot read the word Ragoru and not hear it in Scooby-Doo’s voice.
Other Reviews:
There is an entirely pointless SA scene. It’s comparatively mild but absolutely extraneous. Leaving it out would have no effect on the outcome of the story. But even the consensual sex is disappointing. None (NONE) of the sex scenes have even a paragraph worth of foreplay. Sex is 100% just P-n-V. Boring.