Tag Archives: Kathryn Moon

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Book Review: The Alpha of Bleake Isle, by Kathryn Moon

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I received a copy of The Alpha of Bleake Isle by Kathryn Moon in a Renegade Romance book box.

the alpha of bleake isle cover

He’s waited half a century to choose an omega.

Lord Ronson Cadogan can stall no longer. He needs an omega and he needs an heir.

Settled on the obvious perfect choice, and determined to see his fate through, Ronson can’t afford to wait for the next ceremony to claim what he is owed. If only he was more excited about the match.

They call her the mouse.

Mairwen Posy knows precisely who the Alpha of Bleake Isle will choose, and it certainly isn’t her. In fact, it’s so predictable it’s almost boring.

Resigned to her fate of disappearing into the background, Mairwen takes the role of observer, distracting the ache of being left out with the entertainment of dragonkin society’s unfolding stories.

All is as expected, until the sudden twist in a familiar plot sends Mairwen in the least likely direction, right into the arms of the alpha.

my review

This is light porn-with-plot, I think. But it’s enjoyable PWP. Mairwen and Ronson meet and then spend the rest of the book being kind and wonderful to one another. It’s very low-angst and very sweet. What angst that does exist originates entirely outside their relationship (the community’s dismissal of her or challenge to his rule, etc). At the end of the day, I gave a happy sigh, having enjoyed my time with the book.

I had a couple of gripes, however. A significant component of the plot requires that specific knowledge be lost to dragonkin, and I had trouble suspending my disbelief enough to believe this would be possible. And, honestly, as lovely and complementary to one another as the two main characters were, I got bored with all the mush.

None of this put me off too much, though. There were several other interesting alphas I imagine could get their own books in the future (I think Torion is next), and I would happily read them.

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Other Reviews:

Amy Imogen Reads: The Alpha of Bleake Isle

 

 

Book Review: A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor, by Kathryn Moon

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I’d seen Kathryn Moon‘s A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor recommended several times. So, when I saw it as an Amazon freebie, I snagged a copy.

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On the brink of losing her position as a maid and with no prospects to go on, the offer of a place at Rooksgrave Manor—a house of ill and unusual repute—sounds like a perfect fit for a young woman with Esther’s inclinations. Even better, the invitation comes by the hand of the handsome Dr. Underwood, a delicate gentleman with a ferocious alter ego who knows exactly what he wants from Esther.

Upon arrival, the men and the daily decadence of the manor feel too good to be true for a girl of Esther’s station. There are rules to be followed, expectations to meet, and Esther is afraid she might be too wicked even for a place like Rooksgrave.

Temptations lurk around every shadowy corner and Esther has never been a girl able to resist. But the risk of disappointing her new gentlemen isn’t all that’s threatening Esther’s new position. Rooksgrave Manor’s protections for its unusual patrons are failing, the wards are crumbling, and Esther’s new and exquisitely pleasurable life may all come tumbling down.

my review

I have no general problem with Porn Without Plot…or without much plot. It can be a lot of fun, and I knew what kind of book I picked up. But I think I can officially now say that almost 400 pages of it is just too much. As much as I liked Ester and her men, I got booooored. Especially once everyone had made nice and become a happy family. After that, what little tension of interest there was evaporated.

a lady of rooksgrave manor photoI did appreciate that Esther was a woman who gleefully enjoyed sex. I mean, sure, if you want to be critical, it plays into the women can’t control their urges and are slaves to their desires narrative that has been so bad for women throughout so much of history. But I also think Moon was trying to subvert it a little bit. And honestly, I’m just not interested in delving into it. Mostly, this was a sweet kinkfest worth taking at face value.

I liked the characters. What little world there is, is interesting. The writing is perfectly readable. All in all, I enjoyed it. 400ish pages was just too much to keep me interested in it, with as little plot as there is.

Other Reviews:

Review of A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon

Reading After Dark: A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor [Tempting Monsters Series #1]

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Book Review: Baby & the Late Night Howlers, by Kathryn Moon

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I picked up a copy of Kathryn Moon‘s Baby & the Late Night Howlers as an Amazon freebie after seeing it recommended several times on Tiktok.
baby and the night howlers cover

Baby’s heat is coming…

After years of assuming she was a beta, discovering her omega designation in a biker bar surrounded by alphas isn’t exactly fulfilling any fantasies for Baby. She only wanted to get laid, not get knotted, bitten, and bonded. Now Baby’s entire life is about to turn upside down.

With the sexual frenzy of her heat on its way, she needs to find a pack, a nest, and alphas she can trust.

The Late Night Howlers have given up hope…

After years of waiting for an omega to choose them, this motorcycle club of alphas is ready to move on with their lives. Until one sweet woman takes a chance on them.

A rundown bar and apartment building is no place to spoil a new omega but the Howlers are determined to do right by Baby when she needs them. All they have to do is keep her satisfied while resisting the mouthwatering temptation to bite and bond her, permanently.

When a rival MC comes sniffing after Baby, her safety is put at risk and the Howlers may be torn apart forever.

my review

I will admit that I’m always a little iffy going into an Omegaverse novel. So often, the whole idea of the omega is predicated on the submission of women. (Omegas aren’t always women, but they often are.) And that submission can be glorious, or it can be abusive, and I do not enjoy this latter dynamic AT ALL. So, it’s a bit of a crap shoot every time I pick one up.

Baby & the Late Night Howlers is explicitly a Sweet Omegaverse. And it is. Baby’s—God, I hate the name, BTW—Baby’s men worship her, and that was fun. But Moon still managed to use the same old, cliched, over-used abuse of women by patriarchal, villainous men who see women as objects as the primary tension of the book, and that was equally as disappointing.

In fact, that’s my main complaint with the book. While Moon came up with a fun Omegaverse world and likable characters, everything—EVERYTHING—about the book is 100% predictable. By the end of the first few chapters, I could have outlined how this plot would unfold and, with the baby and the late night howlers photointroduction of each character, exactly which role they’d play. Which wasn’t particularly attention-holding. Further, since Baby had so many men and each needed attention, sex, and to bond, it got redundant, and I eventually got bored with the sex.

I did like that Baby was a bit older, as were her eventual bondmates. The sweet parts of this Sweet Omegaverse were indeed sweet, and the writing is quite readable. But all in all, I’m going to call it a middle-of-the-road read for me.

Other Reviews:

REVIEW – Omegaverse Reverse Harem // Baby and the Late Night Howlers

Baby & The Late Night Howlers by Kathryn Moon – A Book Review