Reviews From This Past Week
Yuled by the Orcs by Finley Fenn
Release Date: December 13, 2022
Content Notes
MMF Triad
Yule Story
Widow FMC
Older love interests
Blended Family
Finley Fenn sets a new bar for series bonus stories with Yuled by The Orcs. This story is a treat for readers of the Orc Sworn series, both revisiting beloved characters and delivering a meaty plot that would merit a place in anyone’s Kindle shopping cart. Yet, it gets to be on anyone’s device who subscribes to Fenn’s newsletter starting on December 13, 2022.
This is also the first time in the series that we have a book focused on older love interests. Anyone older than their 30s is not common yet in Romancelandia, let alone the monster romance subgenre. So this was a welcome exploration for this reader who knows she’s hopes she gets to experience the privilege of being old. I don’t want that to mean my sexuality dies with my youth! Bring on more of those sexy grandmas!
I received an early copy of this book as a member of Finley Fenn’s Patreon and as an ARC reader in exchange for my honest review.
Sinta by Honey Phillips
Release Date: November 11, 2022
Content Notes
Snowed in
Primal Play
Sunshine/Grumpy
Christmastime
Shifter Yeti Alien
Holiday Vacation
Slow burn
Sinta by Honey Phillips is exactly what one would expect and hope out of a fantasy about being stranded with a hot yeti-like alien over Christmas. It fulfilled my winter cabin holiday fantasies I didn’t know I had.
Well, maybe I would have liked a hot tub. But just because this is sci-fi doesn’t mean we should get that unrealistic. This is a rustic cabin setting after all.
I picked this up as part of a collaborative series called Stranded With an Alien. I happened to be in a mood for yeti stuff so Sinta it was. However, I think I might end up binging this series before winter is out. We will see! Thanks to the efforts of authors like Phillips recently, I might have to do one of those cheesy, booksy advent calendar blog post series.
Abdominal Snowman by Lana Kole and Zoe Abrams
Release Date: February 25, 2022
Content Notes
Snowy Vermont town
Grumpy/Sunshine
Snowed In
Yeti MMC
Shifter
Primal Play
Outdoor Play
The Abdominal Snowman by Lana Kole and Zoe Abrams is what I would recommend to my most ragingly sweet, Hallmark movie-obsessed friend to read because they wanted some monster romance exposure. It is the sort of book I would recommend to myself for something just sweet and simple.
Maybe it ought to be a rule in the monster romance world that wintertime must have yeti stories. I’ve made it a rule for myself and Abdominal Snowman makes me feel validated in that regard. I’d pair this with the creamiest hot cocoa you can make.
I personally felt Kole and Abrams could have pushed harder on some parts. Does the town sound potentially like a lot more than some random little village in Vermont? Some main side characters could be more consequential to the plot development. None of this stopped my enjoyment of the story, however. This is still a lovely read.
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