Review: Donna Grant's Dark Alpha's Fury

 

DARK ALPHA’S FURY

Paranormal Romance

AUTHOR: Donna Grant

RELEASE DATE: March 07, 2023

PUBLISHER: DL Grant, LLC 

ISBN NUMBER (OR ASIN IF NO ISBN): B09XBTFV1P

RATING: 4

AUTHOR LINK: https://donnagrant.com/

 

 

Xaneth is a royal Light Fae. He has managed to survive his malevolent aunt’s torture; however, he did not escape entirely unscathed. Now he searches the world to eliminate evil, especially those in the Fae Other sec. Xaneth wants no one’s help, but a persistent Reaper follows his every move. Can Xaneth destroy Lena and the Fae Others? Will he embrace the monster within? And at what cost?

Aisling is a Dark Fae. She is also one of Death’s Reapers. Aisling knows she and her brethren need Xaneth to defeat Lena and the Fae Others. However, he wants nothing to do with them or their help. When she falls for Lena’s trap, Xaneth surprisingly comes to her aid. Can Aisling convince Xaneth to fully embrace his darker, monstrous side? Will she survive the final confrontation with Lena and the Fae Others?

For some reason, I got the impression that Aisling and Xaneth knew each other previously. That they shared a past but not a romantic one – mostly they knew each other prior to Aisling being a Reaper and Xaneth’s torture. I honestly do not know what gave me that feeling.

Xaneth and Aisling are survivors. Their past ordeals have left them broken psychologically and emotionally. They both have a tough time letting people in or trusting them.

I understand Xaneth’s need to keep people at arm’s length. He does not want any more people to get hurt or harmed. Xaneth knows what he needs to do is dangerous; he is willing to sacrifice his life to save others.

I have idly wondered what kind of betrayal Aisling endured to become a Reaper. In a way, I expected a more warrior-eque betrayal. However, it just proves that any, strong or weak, can face such abuse.

DARK ALPHA’S FURY is the sixteenth and final book in Donna Grant’s paranormal romance series, REAPER. This series ties into the author’s other series: DARK KINGS/DRAGON KINGS, DARK SWORD/DARK WARRIORS, and SKYE DRUIDS. Certain characters from the DARK King books make an appearance near the end of the story. The pages after the final confrontation felt like it dragged on. It quickly lost my interest.

Trigger Warnings: Domestic Violence

Review: Janna MacGregor's HOW TO BEST A MARQUESS

 

HOW TO BEST A MARQUESS

Historical Romance

AUTHOR: Janna MacGregor

RELEASE DATE: April 25, 2023

PUBLISHER: St. Martin’s Press

ISBN NUMBER (OR ASIN IF NO ISBN): 9781250761637

RATING: 4.5

AUTHOR LINK: https://www.jannamacgregor.com/

 

 

Blythe “Beth” Howell has weathered the ton’s cruel and callous ridicule. She refuses to tolerate her brother’s selfish intentions of marrying her to an aging nobleman. If she wants to gain her freedom, Beth needs to find the dowry that her triagamist husband lost. She approaches the only man she can trust with the endeavor. Beth even promises to share her dowry with Julian if he would just accompany her. Can Beth manage to maintain an emotionless distance with Julian during their trip? Or will Beth find more than what she bargained for?

Julian Raleah, Marquess of Grayson, struggles to keep his marquessate from financial ruin. He hopes that the consortium will invest in his steam engines to keep that from happening. However, Julian first needs money to build the necessary protype to seal the deal. He reluctantly agrees to Beth’s ludicrous plan to search for her missing dowry. Julian has never really gotten over Beth. He intends to use this trip to win her heart again. Can Julian entice Beth into marriage? Or will his carefully laid plans go awry?

Beth pleasantly surprised me. She never really “stood out” in the first two books to me, except for the tension with Julian. I like how Beth’s mindset changed when she met Kat and Constance. They helped her discover a purpose in her life, a skillset that could help her be independent. What I admire the most about Beth is her intentions for her dowry. She wanted to use it to help others who face similar situations as she did.

 Julian is a total sweetheart! He shoulders the burdensome responsibility of restoring his marquessate’s finances. I admire Julian’s determination to accomplish that onerous task with his own merits than asking for his friends’ assistance. He does not care what his peers think of him entering into trade. What I love the most about Julian is his protectiveness towards Beth. He hated how their peers treated Beth over something she had no control over. Julian even jeopardized his financial security to defend her honor. He refused to let another besmirch her.

HOW TO BEST A MARQUESS is the third book in Janna MacGregor’s historical romance series, THE WIDOW RULES. The story can probably standalone. However, I would strongly recommend reading the first two books to better understand Beth’s closeness to Kat and Constance. The author does a superb job highlighting the important parts from the prior books.

I hope (crossing my fingers here) that the author considers a spin-off series focusing on Pelham and his sisters. Something about that duke utterly captivated me. He deserves a story. Okay, maybe I selfishly want to see the woman who brings him to the altar! And I want to see how Pelham will deal with his sisters’ men.