RtP's Week in Review (08/02/26)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review

• Longing for the Alien Lawman by Ursa Dax [Review] - Stoic alien love!!
• Cursed with Benefits by Roxie Ray [Review] - Vampire love!
• Starbound by Adrien Blue [Review] - Alien love!
• The Beast Lord's Prize by S. Alexander [Review] - Monster love!
• The Demon's Mark by S. Alexander [Review] - More monster love!
• The Orc's Prize by S. Alexander [Review] - Even MORE monster love!

Bookish Delights

• Books added to the pile
• Vexing Valmir (Ice Planet Clones #5) by Ruby Dixon
• Runaway Rockstar by Kylie Scott
• Currently reading
• Vexing Valmir by Ruby Dixon

The Orc's Prize by S. Alexander [Review]

The Orc's Prize (Monster Prison Brides #2) by S. Alexander
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 4, 2026

Monster Prison Brides
1. The Demon's Mark
2. The Orc's Prize - Kindle
3. The Vampire's Hunger
4. The Shadow's Embrace
5. The Angel's Sacrifice

S. Alexander
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

I was supposed to expose the monsters… not fall for one.

Oblivion Lock wasn’t on any map—until the Authority bagged me, dragged me underground, and threw me into a freezing cell with a seven-foot orc who could snap me in half.
Garruk should terrify me.
He does.
But he also shields me, helps me, and watches me like I’m something worth protecting… something his.

When the prison goes into chaos, we escape together—fighting guards, golems, and a Warden who wants us dead. And somewhere between dodging death and pressing up against him in narrow tunnels, I realize the truth:

I’m not afraid of the monster in chains.
I’m afraid of how safe I feel with him.

He calls me “little thorn.”
His mate.
His prize.

And I start wanting a future that shouldn’t exist for a human and an orc on the run.

I came here searching for my best friend.
Now I’m holding hands with the monster who would tear the world apart to keep me.

Freedom is close.
So is falling for him completely.

Thoughts on The Orc's Prize: We're back in the monster prison and this time around we have a lady thrown into a cell with an orc. She was trying to figure out what happened to her friend, he's been locked is this prison for ages. They meet. He knows she's the one for him. She's not onboard quite as quickly as he is, but the big guy hasn't killed her yet so HEY let's do this.

I have to say I'm a little iffy on the timeline for this one. Lily and Malek (book 1) broke out a couple weeks before (based on Tara looking for her here)? And then there was a second prison shake-up that let Garruk and Tara escape? Or did this all happen around the same time? To be fair, I'm really only here for the possessive monsters finding their special someone, so the timeline isn't completely killing the vibe for me. Still, I have questions about when this takes place in relation to book 1.

The Demon's Mark by S. Alexander [Review]

The Demon's Mark (Monster Prison Brides #1) by S. Alexander
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 4, 2026

Monster Prison Brides
1. The Demon's Mark - Kindle
2. The Orc's Prize
3. The Vampire's Hunger
4. The Shadow's Embrace
5. The Angel's Sacrifice

S. Alexander
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

I was thrown into a monster prison by mistake.
Worse—into the same cell as the demon they kept petrified for centuries.

One touch woke him.
One breath and he called me “mine.”

I should fear Malek’s claws, wings, and hellfire…
but he shields me, protects me, and looks at me like I’m his whole world.

His mark is burning on my skin.
His chains are breaking.
And escaping this place might be the only thing more dangerous than falling for him.

Thoughts on The Demon's Mark: Lily thinks she was thrown into the monster prison by mistake, but it seemed more like calculated cruelty to me. I mean, she hadn't done anything to warrant being imprisoned AND she was put in the cell with one of the most dangerous monsters. Although, to be fair, I'm going to go out on a limb and say ALL the monsters in the prison are dangerous. So maybe Malek isn't the MOST dangerous.

But the guards didn't expect her to survive the night. Which says to me, they fully put her in there with cruel intent.

Anywho. Lily and Malek. She's a nurse put in a terrible position. He's a demon kept chained and bound. He thinks she's a fever dream when he first scents her since the fates would never bless him with a mate. Not after centuries of letting him rot in this prison. But she's real. And she's brave. And she's definitely his.

On Lily's end, she's terrified, but she has the fake it 'til you make it mask down. So she puts on a brave front, helps Malek when he's injured, and start to trust the big demon with everything inside her. Soon the two are breaking out, causing a little mayhem, and doing what they need to do to survive.

A dark prison, a demon who'd let go of hope, and the human lady who wasn't about to leave anybody behind. Least of all the monster who protected her and treated her like a treasure. *thumbs up*

The Beast Lord's Prize by S. Alexander [Review]

The Beast Lord's Prize (Cursed Marriage Auctions #1) by S. Alexander
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 3, 2026

Cursed Marriage Auctions
1. The Beast Lord's Prize - Kindle
2. The Undying Lord's Obsession
3. The Dragon Lord's Treasure
4. The Sea Lord's Captive
5. The Thorn Lord's Bride
6. The Stone Lord's Vow

S. Alexander
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

They branded me a witch and put me on a block in the Red Amphitheater—a treaty bride for sale to keep monsters obedient.

I wasn’t chosen.
I was auctioned.

Then Lord Vorak of Blackwood arrived—horned, scarred, and barely leashed. He didn’t bid.

He fought.

He won me in blood… and claimed me with a vow that made the crowd go quiet.

They say his curse turns him into a beast that destroys everything he touches. They say no bride survives Blackwood.

But the first thing he gives me isn’t pain.

It’s protection.

And when his rage rises, my hands are the only thing that can pull him back—because something in my blood wakes for him. Something the crown wanted buried.

The contract says he has thirty nights… then he must return me.

The crown forgot one detail:
Monsters don’t give back what’s theirs.

Thoughts on The Beast Lord's Prize: Beasts and curses and defiance? I'm IN!

I don't think the crown expected to have an open rebellion on their hands when they put Annora up on the auction block. But that's what they got. Well, after she was claimed by Vorak, taken to his fort, and figured out that the "beasts" weren't nearly as terrible as she'd been taught.

But let's back up a little. Annora is a healer at heart. While she's not technically a witch, she does have some sort of magic simmering in her blood. She doesn't know this and it probably wouldn't have manifested if the crown hadn't done what they did and put her in Vorak's path. Maybe it also manifested because Vorak needed her when his curse flared. I don't know. The point is that the people in power put her in a situation they couldn't control and so this rebellion is kind of on them.

That said, Vorak really did need her. He might not have known why when he claimed her at the auction, but she called to him from the start. His desperation and her desire to help started a ripple that looks to be spreading to the others who are in situations like Vorak out there.

A little danger, a little steam, and a wicked world with plenty more action to be found. *thumbs up*

Starbound by Adrian Blue [Review]

Starbound (Taken by the Stars #2) by Adrian Blue
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 2, 2026

Taken by the Stars
1. Heart of the Deep
2. Starbound - Kindle
3. Breach Protocol
4. The Queen's Shadow
5. The Captain's Claim

Adrian Blue
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Kira of Eshara has spent twenty-three years being the one her family loves but doesn't need. Not the heir. Not the prodigy. The middle child, steady and quiet and forgettable. So when her planet needs a treaty bride for the most feared warlord in contested space, she's the one who volunteers. She is the one they can afford to lose.

Morak is prepared for a political match. A name on a treaty. Someone who would fulfill the terms and nothing more. But when Kira steps onto his ship, something in his careful plans comes undone, and the bond that takes hold between them is as old as his species and just as permanent.

Because when Morak looks at her, he doesn't see someone replaceable. He sees someone he would give up everything to keep.

Thoughts on Starbound: Kira is not unloved or forgotten by her family, but she feels like the disappointing child/sibling who doesn't quite fit. She's not brilliant or needed. She's not flashy and she doesn't make waves when she enters a room. She supports her family in every way she can, but she doesn't feel like anything she does is quite enough. She also doesn't feel like anything is hers.

Until Morak. He might be a powerful warlord who is physically intimidating and VERY unlike a human, but she chose this path that led to him and she's determined to stick with it.

Morak is gobsmacked by Kira. You know, as much as a feared warlord can be gobsmacked. He was expecting nothing more than a political match, but he gets hit in the feels the first time he lays eyes on his treaty bride. She's soft and gentle and his and he likes that. A lot.

A sex-ay alien encounter, a warlord who wants his little human to want him, and a lady who didn't know what she was looking for until she laid eyes on the big warlord. *thumbs up*

Cursed with Benefits by Roxie Ray [Review]

Cursed with Benefits by Roxie Ray
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 10, 2026

Purchase Links: Paperback | Kindle

Roxie Ray
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

House-sitting a creepy mansion was supposed to be easy—until Nadia accidentally wakes up a grumpy vampire lord who’s now magically bound to her.

Step One: Get him to stop calling people “peasants.”
Step Two: Convince him that biting is NOT an acceptable form of communication.
Step Three: Absolutely, under no circumstances, fall for him. (Oops.)

Thoughts on Cursed with Benefits: What was supposed to be a summer of self-care and re-learning to love herself turned into something a teeeeeeny bit different for Nadia. Different as in the house she's house-sitting for is possibly haunted, the vampire she accidentally awakened is smokin' hot, and the local vampires are SUPER invested in getting her new vampire housemate to join them.

They will literally go to any lengths to get him. Including, but not limited to, betrayal, vague promises, invading his dreams, an over the top masquerade ball, and just being general jerks.

To say that Cristian isn't into their whole court thing might be understating it. The guy has already dealt with being bound by them once, he's not about to let them get their metaphorical fangs in him to drain him dry now that he's escaped.

In fact, he just wants his freedom. But since he's magically bound to Nadia, he's kind of stuck. Except...being bound to her starts feeling less like a prison every day. He admires her kindness. He appreciates her bubbly spirit. He feels maybe a little less lonely when she's around.

So when the vampires targeting him put her in their sights, he does what any powerful vampire lord would do...well, maybe that's not right. He does what he thinks he needs to do to keep Nadia safe. Even it if might not end well for him.

A spooky house, some serious affirmations, more than a few steamy kisses (not to mention a bite or two), a vampire who found something worth fighting for, and a lady who realizes she doesn't need to face the world on her own. You know, as long as it's the right person she's facing it with. *thumbs up*

Longing for the Alien Lawman by Ursa Dax [Review]

Longing for the Alien Lawman (Cowboy Colony Mail-Order Brides #8) by Ursa Dax
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: March 8, 2026

Cowboy Colony Mail-Order Brides
1. Married to the Alien Cowboy
2. Wrangled by the Alien Rancher
3. Resisting the Alien Rider
4. Wanted by the Alien Warden
5. Married to the Alien Mountain Man
6. Rescued by the Alien Bull Rider
7. Smitten by the Alien Saloon Owner
8. Longing for the Alien Lawman - Paperback | Kindle
9. Bound by the Alien Buckaroo

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
Holiday Romances of Elora Station
1. Chimera for Christmas

Ursa Dax
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

A curvy OBGYN who's all sunshine and sweetness, a stern alien warden who prizes order above all else, and one very opposites-attract roommate situation...
"Do you know any doctors who'd want to work on a prison planet?"

That's the message I get on my comms tablet the same day my personal life falls apart. Well, I'm a doctor - OBGYN, in fact. And while a penal colony isn't my first choice at a fresh start, I take a chance on it anyway. I like to go with the flow. And who knows? Maybe working with a bunch of cowboy convicts and their wives and babies will be fun!

What isn't fun, though? The steely-eyed, hard-jawed warden who rules over the province I'll be working in. The coolly disciplined Warden Hallum makes the icy Zabria Prinar One landscape seem downright cozy by comparison.

We'll have to get along. Big stick up his bum or not, he is my colleague here. Except I soon find out we'll be more than that. The construction of the hospital I'm meant to live at has been delayed by snowy weather. So the stern and starchy warden Hallum won't just be my coworker now...
He'll also be my roommate.

Thoughts on Longing for the Alien Lawman: The very by-the-book (one would almost say "uptight") Warden Hallum is about to get a roommate and Lualhati is glorious, rainbow colored chaos. She's an excellent doctor, but she is not orderly or contained or any of the things Hallum is. Seeing as they're about to share space, this could be a recipe for disaster.

BUT...her chaos doesn't bother Hallum. She creates joyful messes and is so genuinely kind that Hallum is charmed by her. She's also sweetly direct and kind of likes Hallum's stern default expression. That said, he is maybe a little emotionally constipated and doesn't express himself as clearly as he could, so they do have to work through the pangs of figuring one another out.

As for Lualhati, she has a one year contract on Zabria Prinar One. One year to get herself together and plan for the future. This future likely won't be on Zabria Prinar One since her endgame involves having a baby soon-ish. So she'll stay her year and then go somewhere she can build a life (and where she can get knocked up medically) for her potential child. Except...she likes Hallum. She likes the gentle male under the military precision and she likes the men he's been tasked with watching over. Not to mention the babies that are soon to be born and the incredible scenery and the human women who've ended up here.

An unrepentant ex, a hospital behind schedule, a Warden who is instantly smitten, and a woman who absolutely deserves a male who adores her. *thumbs up*