Cold Surrender by Adrian Blue [Review]

Cold Surrender (Dark Season #3) by Adrian Blue
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: November 2, 2025

Dark Season
1. Dark Migration
2. Primal Territory
3. Cold Surrender - Kindle
4. Winter's Deep
5. The Hungering Dark

Adrian Blue
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Lost in a deadly blizzard, experienced hiker Emily Parker stumbles upon a mysterious cave and its even more mysterious inhabitant - a creature who radiates dangerous allure and raw, primal power. When he offers her shelter from the storm, there's only one price: her complete surrender.

As the howling wind rages outside, Emily finds herself drawn into a world of forbidden desire, where the line between fear and passion blurs with every heated touch. Brun may be more beast than man, but his gentle possession awakens needs Emily never knew she had.

What begins as a desperate bargain for survival becomes something far more consuming, leaving Emily to question whether she'll ever want to return to the human world at all. But in the depths of his mountain lair, she'll discover that some surrenders change you forever.

Thoughts on Cold Surrender: The next, err, adventure we're on is when hiker Emily gets separated from her hiking group during a blizzard. She's lost, cold, and probably won't last much longer given that her clothes are wet. Then she stumbles over (or into, I guess) a cave and suddenly there's a slight possibility her imminent death isn't on the horizon.

Except...the cave isn't exactly uninhabited. In fact, there's a massive, bear-like creature living in it who offers Emily a deal: He'll keep her warm, if she keeps him warm. Metaphorically. I mean, the dude's pumping off heat like a furnace. He doesn't actually need the warmth her puny human body generates. Anyway. He'll help her if she agrees to spend some quality time in his furs.

Given that she's not entirely repulsed by the idea of sexy times with the creature, Emily agrees to the bargain. AND BRUN SHOWS HER A VERY GOOD TIME. You know, good enough that Emily's mentally rearranging her life so she can head back out to that cave as soon as possible.

An unexpected blizzard, a cave of delights, a creature who is pretty gentlemanly (all things considered), and a lady who doesn't mind IN THE LEAST cuddling up to her furry companion. GOOD TIMES!

Primal Territory by Adrian Blue [Review]

Primal Territory (Dark Season #2) by Adrian Blue
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: November 1, 2025

Dark Season
1. Dark Migration
2. Primal Territory - Kindle
3. Cold Surrender
4. Winter's Deep
5. The Hungering Dark

Adrian Blue
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Lorna has tracked and studied wolves all over the world. But this trip is different. This time she is the one being tracked. The one being studied. Something massive and savage has claimed this territory, and tonight it will claim her.

Thoughts on Primal Territory: A wolf who is more than a wolf (not a werewolf, but definitely not a straight up wolf) and the lady who studies wolves. Lorna isn't necessarily unafraid when the creature approaches her, but she's curious enough to follow him when he leads her deeper into the forest.

She's also pretty on board as soon as the wolf makes his intentions clear (which is a nice change from the last book since that monster didn't really do any asking, just dove on in and made things happen). While her night in his den could be written off as a woman indulging her curiosity, when he shows up at her cabin the next night, Lorna knows letting him in will change everything for her.

Guess what? That doesn't stop her in the slightest. *thumbs up* to curious women and the beasts who worship them!

Dark Migration by Adrian Blue [Review]

Dark Migration (Dark Season #1) by Adrian Blue
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: October 31, 2025

Dark Season
1. Dark Migration - Kindle
2. Primal Territory
3. Cold Surrender
4. Winter's Deep
5. The Hungering Dark

Adrian Blue
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Sarah has always loved the quiet and solitude of ice fishing. Miles from the nearest neighbor, her family's frozen lake has always been a peaceful sanctuary. Until today. Something cold and twisted has chosen her, something with a monstrous hunger. Alone on the frozen lake, she will learn that nature's appetites run darker and deeper than she ever imagined.

Thoughts on Dark Migration: I'm not sure how I feel about this one. I mean, it jumped right into the...honestly, I don't even want to call it sexy times because it was a little, erm, rougher (let's say) than I like my fictional sexy times. But I can also absolutely appreciate the idea that something monstrous and primal isn't going to really care about making sure their partner is all in. Or whether they're fully enjoying themselves, I guess. Although Sarah did (maybe?) enjoy it. Enough, you know, to think about whether the beast will swing by her isolated lake again next year during its migration.

On a slightly unrelated note, how does one even explain the complete destruction of the fishing shack to their family? Like "Hey, a giant bird monster busted in and we bonked. Sorry about the shack." That's just a weirdly awkward conversation waiting to happen.

RtP's Week in Review (11/01/26)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review

• Monster in the Mist by Honey Phillips [Review] - Alien love!
• Creep by L. Taylor [Review] - Step-love!
• Falling for a Villainous Vampire by Charlotte Stein [Review] - Witchy/Vampire love!
• Run Baby Run by D. Sabia [Review] - Chase-y chase!
• Monday by Adrian Blue [Review] - Monster love!
• Tuesday by Adrian Blue [Review] - More monster love!
• Jack 2 by Layla Fae [Review] - Even MORE monster love!

Bookish Delights

• Books added to the pile
• Roses & Stone (Silver & Blood #2) by Jessie Mihalik - For review!
• Currently reading
• Knot Mine by Iris Aster

Jack 2 by Layla Fae [Review]

Jack 2 (Monster Ever After #10) by Layla Fae
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: October 26, 2025

Monster Ever After
1. Jack
2. Grim
3. Satan
4. Orc
5. Crow
6. Full Sack
7. Mr. Jingle
8. Bunny
9. Thick Beef
10. Jack 2 - Paperback | Kindle

Layla Fae
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

It’s Halloween and Jack is back to claim what’s his.

Ava hasn’t seen her ex for a year. She trembles at the very thought of him as she saw him last: a monster, his powerful body sleek with sweat, his head a flaming jack-o’-lantern. Even though she ran away as soon as he revealed his true form, the image is burned into her mind.

It haunts her in hot, sweaty dreams from which she wakes with a moan on her lips, the sheets tangled between her legs. But those dark, sensuous dreams are not enough to push her back into Jack’s monstrous embrace. Ava avoids him at all costs.

And Jack won’t have it. It’s Halloween, the night when he is the most powerful, and he will have Ava back, even if he has to hold her captive in his Halloween mansion. It lies in the Halloween Realm, a magical place where everything is hotter, spicier, and more orange.

Ava will be at the mercy of the pumpkin-headed demon whose heart and body hunger for her and her only. She’s in for a Halloween night full of filthy, monstrous wonders.

Some of them may taste like pumpkin spice.

Thoughts on Jack 2: This is Jack's son, Jack, and he's ABSOLUTELY ready to find a way to convince his special someone that he's not the monster she thinks he is. He goes about this by taking her to his Halloween mansion (which is in another realm) and showing her all the unearthly delights that are hers for the taking if she's willing to give him a chance.

On Ava's end, she's...conflicted. When jack revealed his true form to her, she panicked and reacted badly. Which is understandable. She's still holding on to some of her anger over his deception, but she also hasn't forgotten him. At all. So when he shows up on Halloween and asks her to give him a chance, she agrees.

Now she's in a house that is everything she could ever dream of with the hunk she hasn't forgotten and she's starting to realize that some things are worth fighting (and forgiving) for.

A little Halloween sexiness, a whole lot of pumpkin spice, and a lady who has to let go of her hurt if she wants to have a chance with the guy who is utterly devoted to her. *thumbs up*

Tuesday by Adrian Blue [Review]

Tuesday (The Days of the Week #2) by Adrian Blue
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: November 2, 2025

The Days of the Week
1. Monday
2. Tuesday - Kindle
3. Wednesday

Adrian Blue
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Tuesday's Child is Full of Grace

Dr. Christina Blackwood moved to a small town for a slower pace of life. But when a child goes missing, it throws the community into a panic. All eyes immediately turn to Ashcroft Estate, whose reclusive and mysterious owner is known for fiercely protecting his privacy. But the estate is protecting far more than that. William Ashcroft has a secret. And it is about to swallow Christina whole.

Thoughts on Tuesday: A missing child, a spooky estate, and a lady who's determined to do her part in helping find him thanks to some past trauma and a driving desire to help everyone in need. Okay, maybe that last part was a bit of a stretch, but Christina is a doctor so she does the helping thing so maybe it's not that much of a stretch.

Anywho. Christina has heard the hushed rumors about the Ashcroft Estate and she doesn't want peoples' emotions to get the best of them (I think she was envisioning pitchforks and torches, idk) so she volunteers to go up to the big house and request they be allowed to search the grounds for the missing child. William Ashcroft is...not enthused by this request. He allows Christina to conduct a search, but doesn't want anyone else from the town on his land. Which might be a red flag or two, but Christina is determined and she accepts his terms.

Turns out William is hiding a little something. Well, it's a not-so-little something, really. A beast that prowls the halls of the manor and grounds. It has its sights set on the good doctor and she's not nearly as terrified of it as she probably should be.

A creepy manor, a beast who knows what it wants, a man who is caught between wanting to protect and claim, and a lady who is willing to embrace the terrifying once she understands what's at stake. *thumbs up*

Monday by Adrian Blue [Review]

Monday (The Days of the Week #1) by Adrian Blue
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: November 1, 2025

The Days of the Week
1. Monday - Kindle
2. Tuesday
3. Wednesday

Adrian Blue
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Monday's Child is Fair of Face

Cara Martinez's life at Helix Tech has been an endless procession of days. For six years, she's endured the monotony of her basement office job—until one blood-soaked Monday shatters her world. Stalked through fluorescent-lit corridors by a shapeshifting creature of otherworldly beauty and dark horror, Cara is thrust into a deadly game where she's both prey and unwitting player.

As she fights for her life, she uncovers sinister secrets lurking beneath Helix Tech's polished facade. But with each narrow escape and pulse-pounding encounter, she senses an undercurrent of desire beneath the monster's savage pursuit. As the line between fear and attraction blurs, Cara must confront the truth about herself and the company she thought she knew.

Thoughts on Monday: Walking into a soul-sucking job to find the halls drenched in blood and bodies strewn around is ... a little jarring. Having something monstrous stalk you as you attempt to escape? Maybe even more jarring.

Yeah, Cara has a bit of a rough morning. She's not thrilled to be returning to her monotonous cubicle job and stepping off the elevator to find blood, bodies, and something OTHER on her floor is just the cherry on the Monday Sundae. Unfortunately for her, the monster who caused all this carnage is playing a game of cat and mouse with her. It wants her to run so it can chase.

Except...while it likes the chase, it turns out there's a lot more to what's going on than Cara knows. The monster doesn't want to hurt her and her employers might be involved in things that she knew nothing about. Dangerous things. Things involving the monster chasing her.

A little danger, some corporate evilness, a monster who knows what he wants, and a lady who has her eyes opened to a whole new world. *thumbs up*