Manic Monday Review - Reluctant Alpha (Love Slaves of the Alphas #4)

Reluctant Alpha (Love Slaves of the Alphas #4)

by Shannon West
4 Stars


Hey everyone, and welcome to Manic Mondays on my blog! I don’t know the author, but I really enjoy her work. I’ve read all the books in this series and loved them. This is the last one, so far. 

This is going to be a day dedicated to authors. I may post book reviews on some Mondays, it might be author interviews on others. It could be new releases, or just my thoughts in general. I'm hoping it'll be lots of fun, whatever or whoever shows up for Monday lol.

Now, a quick note on the book reviews. If I post it on here, then just know I liked the book. I will not be posting a review that's not at least a 3 rating. I'm not going to bash what are basically others who are in my peer group. No nasty reviews happening here. :) And the reviews I'm posting are already on my GR shelf too.

So, let's get this Manic Monday started lol!

~ ~ ~ ~

Bio:

Shannon West is a bestselling author of M/M romance. She currently lives in the South with her husband and large family. A lover of M/M romances, she began writing them with a male partner to add authenticity to the love scenes, but graduated to watching videos online and reading everything she could get her hands on. She loves men and everything about them, and believes that love is love, no matter the gender. A huge proponent of gay rights, she is a member of PFLAG and supports equal rights for everyone. Though there are never enough hours in the day, she tries to work every day, giving in to the demanding men in her head and writing their stories. She’s easy like that. She loves traveling, reading, watching scary movies and is totally hooked on that zombie show on TV.

Her website is www.shannonwestbooks.com

Blurb:

Handsome, young Kai is living a lie. On Scythia, male children are “rejected” so his mother, the queen, hid his true sex all his life. On this planet of Amazon-like women, he’s been able to hide out, but his mother needs to get him safely away from the planet, arranging a marriage to the powerful Lycan alpha. Lucas likes men but is being pressured to find a female and have an heir. Reluctantly, he agrees to meet Princess Kai, and is shocked to discover Kai is no princess, but a handsome young man! Instantly recognizing him as his bloodmate, Lucas is still furious at the deception. He mates with Kai and takes him home, but the lies between them threaten to tear them apart. Kai is still harboring a terrible secret—one that will destroy his world if it ever becomes known.

Secret Cravings Publishing: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=649

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-reluctantalpha-1228772-340.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Reluctant-Alpha-Love-Slaves-Alphas-ebook/dp/B00DU10Y3Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1401635769&sr=1-1&keywords=Reluctant+Alpha

The Manic Monday REVIEW:

A life of lies. That’s what Princess Kai has lived. He’s born into a world that ‘rejects’ males, and his mother, the queen, hides the fact that the princess is actually a prince. On this world, females rule. On this world, the prevailing thought is males are defective. Women must reproduce—can’t keep a race going without kids, you know—so the women only mate with men from other planets. They stay with the men long enough to get pregnant, then return home. Then things take a dark turn. If the baby is male, then he’s ‘re-assimilated’ by the priestesses, to be reborn as a girl. We can all guess what that means. Kai avoids this horror because his mother hides the fact he’s male. So, Kai is raised as female.

So starts the half-truths and misunderstanding.

Lucas is the Alpha of Lycanus 3. There is pressure brought to bear on him to mate. He must continue his line. Problem is, he prefers males. An arrangement between him and Kai is made, to which Lucas reluctantly agrees. Imagine his surprise when he responds to the pretty princess. The princess Kai is his Fated mate, and Lucas is more than a little confused. That soon turns to suspicion. There’s something not quite right about the princess. When he figures out Kai’s secret, he’s not a happy Lycan. In fact, he’s furious. He’s been played and he’s not happy with that, either. His feelings make it hard for Lucas to trust Kia. And Kai isn’t helping matters since he’s keeping secrets, but he worries about how Lucas will react if he ever finds out the truth.

The coming birth of another royal baby changes everything… because that baby is male, or a non-person as males are called.

This one is a little hard to read. It’s a bit darker than the others because of the subject matter. It’s one of those books you’re either going to love or hate. I’ve talked about how the werewolves act in this series, so that’s not a problem for me. They take Alpha to a whole new level. They’re stubborn, heat-headed, and sometimes… they do things in the heat of the moment they shouldn’t. They aren’t perfect, but then, very few of us are.

~Michelle

Manic Monday Review - Konnor and His Omega Mate (Love Slaves of the Alphas #3) by Shannon West

Konnor and His Omega Mate (Love Slaves of the Alphas #3)
by Shannon West

4 Stars

Hey everyone, and welcome to Manic Mondays on my blog! I don’t know the author, but I really enjoy her work. I’ve read all the books in this series and loved them. I’ll be talking about them over time on here. 

This is going to be a day dedicated to authors. I may post book reviews on some Mondays, it might be author interviews on others. It could be new releases, or just my thoughts in general. I'm hoping it'll be lots of fun, whatever or whoever shows up for Monday lol.

Now, a quick note on the book reviews. If I post it on here, then just know I liked the book. I will not be posting a review that's not at least a 3 rating. I'm not going to bash what are basically others who are in my peer group. No nasty reviews happening here. :) And the reviews I'm posting are already on my GR shelf too.

So, let's get this Manic Monday started lol!

~ ~ ~ ~

Bio:

Shannon West is a bestselling author of M/M romance. She currently lives in the South with her husband and large family. A lover of M/M romances, she began writing them with a male partner to add authenticity to the love scenes, but graduated to watching videos online and reading everything she could get her hands on. She loves men and everything about them, and believes that love is love, no matter the gender. A huge proponent of gay rights, she is a member of PFLAG and supports equal rights for everyone. Though there are never enough hours in the day, she tries to work every day, giving in to the demanding men in her head and writing their stories. She’s easy like that. She loves traveling, reading, watching scary movies and is totally hooked on that zombie show on TV.

Her website is www.shannonwestbooks.com

Blurb:

Ethan is having a really bad day. First he’s required by Lycan law to appear before a judging panel consisting of big, important alphas who intimidate him and make him so nervous he’s afraid he won’t be able to perform at all. He’s desperate to prove himself a worthy gamma, so he can get an apprenticeship, and start his new life. When he walks into the room he finds Konnor Balenscu, a handsome, important Lycan alpha, who also happens to be his mate. Ethan is incredibly drawn to him and is amazed to learn that Konnor returns his interest. There’s only one hitch—Konnor finds him to be a lowly omega, deemed mentally defective by the proud Lycans, and doomed to live his life as a love slave, sold to the highest bidder. He only has one option left. He has to run.

Secret Cravings Publishing: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=586

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-konnorandhisomegamate-1190969-145.html

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Konnor-Omega-Mate-Slaves-Alphas-ebook/dp/B00COATP1E

The Manic Monday REVIEW:

Welcome back to the Balenescu family! In this story, things are a little different. Both the main characters are Lycan and know exactly how a Lycan relationship works.

Konner is the alpha. As I’ve mentioned, the alphas are all very dominant, almost to the point they tend to be a little arrogant.  But, to me, that’s what makes it so special when the alpha finds his mate. They fall, and they fall hard, lol. Konner and his brother Larssen have been selected to preside over the Selection, the annual judging of a young pup’s status in the pack. Their duty is to select the new leaders and to provide a smooth transition from childhood to adulthood.

They also decide each pup’s rank in the Lycan hierarchy. Konner isn’t thrilled to have this duty thrust on him. He’s even less thrilled when he sees Ethan, and the Balenescu family curse hits, lol. Konner had been hoping the curse wouldn’t find him quite yet. So much for that, lol. But that isn’t the only problem Konner has with his new mate.

Ethan is also Lycan, but thank to a rough childhood spent growing up in an orphanage, he’s… shall we say, he’s really out of touch with the real world. He comes across as naïve. For this race, that seems a little unbelievable. Ahhh, but there’s a reason Ethan acts all shy, unsure, and… submissive.

Turns out he’s an omega, and being an omega is not a good thing in this world. Omegas are trained to be submissive, then sold to other Lycans as love slaves. Omegas are considered mentally defective dependents. Ethan, of course, isn’t happy to learn this. Understatement, lol. Nor does he know he’s Konner’s mate. Ethan is so unhappy with being an omega, he runs from Konner. And lands up sold to a brothel! Now Konner is in a desperate race to find Ethan before something really bad happens.

There are D/s scenes, which is expected in this series, but not too extreme. The thing to keep in mind is the Lycan alphas tend to be overbearing know-it-alls who make mistakes. They aren’t perfect. Then their mate comes along, and boy, are these alphas brought down a peg or two lol. I like the series, what can I say, lol. It’s an easy read. I don’t need a character reference sheet to keep up with who’s who. And who’s doing what to whom, lol.

I rated the book 4 stars back on May 27, 2013 on GR. There were some niggles, but I rated the book for how it was written, not how I wanted it to be written, based on what I read. (You’re going to see that in every review I do.) Again, I do wish it were longer. That would’ve allowed for some expansion on certain things. There were some editing issues too. I’m not a Grammar Nazi, so I didn’t have a problem with it, but I’m noticing it. The main problem was the fact that Ethan was this sweet and shy omega who not only ran from his master, but managed to get away in the first place. But don’t misunderstand, I really liked the book. Enough that I’ve read it a couple of times lol.

~Michelle

Manic Monday Reviews - The Alpha's Concubine (Loved Slave to the Alpha #2) by Shannon West

The Alpha's Concubine (Love Slaves of the Alphas #2)

by Shannon West

Rating: 5 stars 

Hey everyone, and welcome to Manic Mondays on my blog! Today I’m looking at book #2 in the Love Slaves of the Alphas series. I don’t know the author, but I really enjoyed her work. I’ve read all the books in this series and loved them. I’ll be talking about them over time on here. This is book #2.

This is going to be a day dedicated to authors. I may post book reviews on some Mondays, it might be author interviews on others. It could be new releases, or just my thoughts in general. I'm hoping it'll be lots of fun, whatever or whoever shows up for Monday lol.

Now, a quick note on the book reviews. If I post it on here, then just know I liked the book. I will not be posting a review that's not at least a 3 rating. I'm not going to bash what is basically others who are in my peer group. No nasty reviews happening here. :) And the reviews I'm posting are already on my GR shelf too.

So, let's get this Manic Monday started lol!



Bio:

Shannon West is a bestselling author of M/M romance. She currently lives in the South with her husband and large family. A lover of M/M romances, she began writing them with a male partner to add authenticity to the love scenes, but graduated to watching videos online and reading everything she could get her hands on. She loves men and everything about them, and believes that love is love, no matter the gender. A huge proponent of gay rights, she is a member of PFLAG and supports equal rights for everyone. Though there are never enough hours in the day, she tries to work every day, giving in to the demanding men in her head and writing their stories. She’s easy like that. She loves traveling, reading, watching scary movies and is totally hooked on that zombie show on TV.

Her website is www.shannonwestbooks.com



Blurb:

When Nikolai Balenescu and his brother stop by a small, out of the way planet called Jayron to deliver some goods, they have no idea what’s in store for them. Nikolai is immediately attacked by a fierce, gorgeous little prince named Jagger, who takes the Lycan shifter away in chains. Nikolai allows himself to be disarmed because he instantly recognizes the prince as his mate, and he’s willing to play along until he can figure out why his ship was attacked and how he’s now going to save his prince from his fearsome Lycan family who will be coming for him, intent on revenge. Meanwhile, Prince Jagger decides he’ll take the gorgeous Lycan as his love slave and puts him in chains. At first Nikolai is angry, but soon decides that being a love slave to his beautiful mate is an idea he’s only too happy to go along with.

Secret Cravings Publishing: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=552

ARe: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17618460-the-alpha-s-concubine

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Alphas-Concubine-Love-Slaves-ebook/dp/B00BWDUTD2/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391914508&sr=1-1&keywords=The+Alpha%27s+Concubine

The Manic Monday REVIEW:

As I’ve said before, this is a bigger Alpha male/smaller mate theme based on Lycans, werewolves that *aren’t* from Earth. Oh no, they are an alien race. When I say alpha, I mean big, bad ALPHA. The main characters are brothers from the Balanescu family, a very rich and very strong family that is cursed. Once they find a mate, the Balanescu males fall wildly, irrevocably in love with the person and are helpless against whomever Fate has chosen.

This book is about Nikolai. He, and another brother named Kyle, are Voyagers from the planet Lycanus 3. They delivered bauxite from the mines on their small home planet all over the galaxy. They also on occasion helped their cousin, Blayde, an independent bounty hunter.

The two brothers go to a planet called Jayron to drop off a shipment. Nikolai is uneasy about treading with Jayronians because they allow space pirates access to their planet. As it turns out, Nikolai has reason to worry, but it’s not the pirates that attack, it’s the Jayronians. And wouldn’t you know it? The leader of the Jayronians, Prince Jagger, is Nikolai’s mate.

And things go south fast lol.

Nikolai is taken prisoner, and treated like a… well, prisoner, but all the time he’s wondering what possessed the Jayronians to try to steal the shipment bauxite. Everyone knows how deadly the Lycans are, particularly the Balanescu family.

So what the hell?

Well, there is a reason, of course. And of course, who is prisoner and who is master changes. Turnabout is fair play is the old saying that comes to mind.  Not going to say how that comes about or why. I will say Jagger’s mom, Queen Niada, totally rocks, lol.

I rated the book 5 stars back on September 13, 2013 on GR. There were some niggles, but I rated the book for how it was written, not how I wanted it to be written, based on what I read. (You’re going to see that in every review I do.) So… I wanted it to be longer. I’m probably going to be saying that a lot lol. There were times I wanted to slap Jagger lol. Then slap Nikolai. I do wish we could have seen how Jagger adapted to his new world. This was a pretty big deal in the first book but not so much here.

~Michelle

Manic Monday Reviews - Most Wanted (Loved Slave to the Alpha #1) by Shannon West

Most Wanted (Love Slaves of the Alphas #1) by Shannon West

Rating: 5 stars

Hey everyone, and welcome to Manic Mondays on my blog! I don’t know the author, but I really enjoyed her work. I’ve read all the books in this series and loved them. I’ll be talking about them over time on here.

This is going to be a day dedicated to authors. I may post book reviews on some Mondays, it might be author interviews on others. It could be new releases, or just my thoughts in general. I'm hoping it'll be lots of fun, whatever or whoever shows up for Monday lol.

Now, a quick note on the book reviews. If I post it on here, then just know I liked the book. I will not be posting a review that's not at least a 3 rating. I'm not going to bash what is basically others who are in my peer group. No nasty reviews happening here. :) And the reviews I'm posting are already on my GR shelf too.

So, let's get this Manic Monday started lol!

~ ~ ~ ~

Bio: 

Shannon West is a bestselling author of M/M romance. She currently lives in the South with her husband and large family. A lover of M/M romances, she began writing them with a male partner to add authenticity to the love scenes, but graduated to watching videos online and reading everything she could get her hands on. She loves men and everything about them, and believes that love is love, no matter the gender. A huge proponent of gay rights, she is a member of PFLAG and supports equal rights for everyone. Though there are never enough hours in the day, she tries to work every day, giving in to the demanding men in her head and writing their stories. She’s easy like that. She loves traveling, reading, watching scary movies and is totally hooked on that zombie show on TV.

Her website is www.shannonwestbooks.com

Blurb:

Hot porn star Ryan Henderson is desperate. On the run for a murder he didn’t commit, he tries to hide out by selling himself at an auction for love slaves. When a handsome Lycan wolf-shifter, Blayde Balenescu buys him, Ryan thinks his prayers have been answered—only to find out he’s jumped from the frying pan into the fire! Blayde is an intergalactic bounty hunter who’s only after the money Ryan will bring in. When Ryan gets off the transport bringing him to Blayde, however, he’s startled at Blayde’s violent reaction once he touches him. Dominant Blayde has recognized Ryan as his mate, and now Blayde has to figure out not only how he can possibly convince the young man to stay with him, and allow him to teach him proper behavior, but also how he’ll manage to keep Ryan alive long enough to save him from his powerful enemies.


Secret Cravings Publishing: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=509

ARe: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17278755-most-wanted

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Most-Wanted-Love-Slave-Alpha-ebook/dp/B00B75Q58S/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1391658442&sr=1-1&keywords=Most+Wanted+%28Love+Slaves+of+the+Alphas+%231%29

The Manic Monday REVIEW:

Earth, 2255 CE. This is a bigger Alpha male/smaller mate theme based on Lycans, werewolves that *aren’t* from Earth. Oh no, they're an alien race from Lycanus 3. The main characters are brothers from the Balanescu family, a very rich and very strong family. The members are cursed. Once they find a mate, the Balanescu men fall wildly, irrevocably in love with the person and are helpless against whoever Fate has chosen.


This brother, Blayde, just happens to be a bounty hunter. His bounty is none other than Ryan Henderson, who is sentenced to life imprisonment for murder. Let the sparks fly, lol.


Blayde's overbearing attitude isn’t that surprising to me. And he does act this way the majority of the time. I kinda just go with it because he’s an alpha. Having read all of the series, that’s to be expected. They are all ALPHA’S with big capitalize letters, lol. So yes, there is some arrogance, some 'I am ALPHA, hear me roar' lol. So, it’s really funny when that backfires on Blayde. *snicker* Which is always fun to see, I think.


You come to see that Blayde really does care for Ryan, very much so. That’s not to say things are all coming up roses. Ryan is, after all, convicted of murder. He’s a porn star too, which really makes things interesting. I did like the internal dialogue. I thought it did add to the story. But then, I tend to do a lot internal dialogue in my stories too, so yeah, I liked it.


There is humor throughout the book, which I liked. When Lucas, Blayde's older brother, comes hurtling into Blayde's living room, I about died laughing. I liked him immediately. There is some back-story to the minor characters, but this isn’t a full-length novel so there are bits and pieces told about the brothers. That was okay. I got enough to form an understanding of the others.


There is a lot of sex in the books and some of it *is* forced seduction. I mean, check out the series title… Love Slave to the Alpha. See the Love Slave part, lol??? I don't have a problem with dub-con, if done right. There is spanking as punishment. I, of course, have no problems with that either.


*shocking, right?* LOL.


I rated the book 5 stars back on November 16, 2013 on GR. There were some niggles, but I rated the book for how it was written, not how I wanted it to be written. (You’re going to see that in every review I do.) I do wish it was a little longer, and there were some editing issues. *shrug* I’m not a Grammar Nazi, so I didn’t have a problem with it. It didn't throw me out of the story.

~Michelle