Monday, July 27, 2026

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*

Sunday, July 26, 2026

RtP's Week in Review (07/26/26)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review Bookish Delights
  • Books added to the pile
    • None!
    • Currently reading
      • Claimed by the Alien Military by Deiri Di

    Saturday, July 25, 2026

    Falling for My Demon by X. Callisto [Review]

    Falling for My Demon (Demon Fated Mates #7) by X. Callisto
    Format: ebook
    Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
    Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
    Date read: March 2, 2026

    Demon Fated Mates
    1. Possessed by My Demon
    2. Saved by My Demon
    3. Deal with My Demon
    4. Sacrificed to My Demon
    5. Bound to My Demon
    6. Summoning My Demon
    7. Falling for My Demon - Kindle
    8. Snowed In with My Demon

    X. Callisto
    | Amazon |

    Synopsis (Goodreads):
    I thought my converted church apartment was ironic. A goth girl living in an old house of God. Edgy, right?

    Then I discovered the gargoyle on my roof wasn't just decorative. He'd been watching me. For three years. Every 2 AM session, every whispered fantasy about being claimed by something dark and inhuman—he heard it all. Trapped in stone, unable to do anything but want.

    When my blood accidentally shattered his binding, I didn't just free a statue. I released Ezekiel—a fallen guardian angel with black wings, red eyes, and a very detailed memory of every moan I've ever made.

    Now he's bound to me. Warm where he was cold. Flesh where he was stone. And absolutely determined to make every dark fantasy I whispered into the night come true.

    "You called to me every night, begging for your dark guardian. Well, here I am."

    I accidentally freed a gargoyle with anger issues and a three-year head start on knowing exactly how to wreck me. I'm definitely keeping him.
    Thoughts on Falling for My Demon: The goth girl and the gargoyle are up and Ezekiel is VERY wound up by the time he breaks his chains (or rocks, I guess). He's been watching Raven for the last three years and he's very smitten with the sexy lady.

    Raven is...well, she's a little surprised that the statue on the roof is a very real individual who wants her. She helps him break out of his rocky prison and soon the two are tangling the sheets (and everywhere else). To be fair, Ezekiel has a lot of time to make up for and Raven is the only lady he wants to make it up with.

    A little exhibitionism, a lot of sex-ay encounters, a dangerous gargoyle who knows exactly who he wants, and a lady who fully embraces the supernatural when it's revealed to her.

    Friday, July 24, 2026

    Bite Me Twice by Riley Harp [Review]

    Bite Me Twice (Hot Under the Collar #6) by Riley Harp
    Format: ebook
    Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
    Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
    Date read: March 1, 2026

    Hot Under the Collar
    1. Downward Wolf
    2. Alpha-Bet Soup
    3. How to Housebreak Your Werewolf
    4. Emotional Support Alpha
    5. Bite My Wiener
    6. Bite Me Twice - Paperback | Kindle
    7. In the Dark with the Alpha
    8. Feral Chemistry
    9. Delivered to the Alpha
    10. Namaste, Alpha

    Riley Harp
    | Amazon |

    Synopsis (Goodreads):
    Gracie is a professional disaster. When she drunkenly crashes a lavish wedding to save her best friend from a bad match, she trips, bites the groom on the neck, and passes out.

    Oops.

    In werewolf law, a bite is a Claim.

    The groom is Nikos, the Alpha Prime of Europe. He was dreading this arranged marriage, and Gracie’s teeth just gave him the perfect out. He declares the chaotic, hungover human his "True Mate" to escape pack politics.

    Now Gracie is whisked away to a private Greek island with a man who looks like a pirate and growls like an engine.

    The deal? Play the doting mate for a month. The reality? Nikos is possessive, touch-starved, and determined to make the fake claim real.

    Between sun-drenched beaches and moonlit chases, Gracie realizes that being bitten back is actually the best part.
    Thoughts on Bite Me Twice: One teensy little misunderstanding has Gracie showing up at her friend's wedding to stop her from making a mistake. A little drunk, a lot awkward, and one bite later she's told her friend isn't the one getting married. At what point she passes out. As one does.

    Waking up on a private island in a gorgeous villa with the sexy man she accidentally bit telling her he's a werewolf and she just have him the excuse he needed to stop his arranged marriage is a lot to take in. But Gracie manages to wrap her head around it. And then she takes Nikos up on his proposal to be his fake True Mate for a month.

    Excccccept, maybe it's not as fake as Gracie thought it would be. She likes Nikos and his world. Her chaos brings a little spice to his life. It isn't long before these two are tangling the sheets (among other things) and learning one another on every level.

    Some political maneuvering, one Alpha wolf who is knows a good lady when she bites him, and a lady filled with chaos and light who is exactly what the big wolf needs. *thumbs up*

    Thursday, July 23, 2026

    Bite My Wiener by Riley Harp [Review]

    Bite My Wiener (Hot Under the Collar #5) by Riley Harp
    Format: ebook
    Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
    Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
    Date read: February 28, 2026

    Hot Under the Collar
    1. Downward Wolf
    2. Alpha-Bet Soup
    3. How to Housebreak Your Werewolf
    4. Emotional Support Alpha
    5. Bite My Wiener - Paperback | Kindle
    6. Bite Me Twice
    7. In the Dark with the Alpha
    8. Feral Chemistry
    9. Delivered to the Alpha
    10. Namaste, Alpha

    Riley Harp
    | Amazon |

    Synopsis (Goodreads):
    Mick is a werewolf on the edge. His pack is pressuring him to settle down, his inner beast is restless, and his current job is wearing a humiliating Badger mascot suit for a grocery store promo.

    Then he sees the competition. The Hot Dog.

    Inside the foam wiener suit is Kimberly, a struggling actress who hates everything about this gig. Especially the Badger who keeps sniffing her neck.

    When a robbery goes down in the store, Mick rips off the mascot head—and shreds his clothes—to save the day. Kimberly watches the Badger turn into a Beast, and suddenly, the Hot Dog is very interested.

    Now they’re viral sensations, hiding out in Mick’s loft while the media hunts for the "Hero Wolf."

    Trapped together, the adrenaline crash turns into pure lust. Mick wants to eat her up, and for the first time, Kimberly doesn't mind being the snack.
    Thoughts on Bite My Wiener: You know the old saying: A badger and a hot dog meet in a grocery store and... no, wait. That's not a saying. It is, however, a meet cute to tell the grandkids. Especially when you throw in an attempted robbery and werewolf who wolfs out to save the day.

    Yeah, Mick and Kimberly have an interesting first meeting. Not to mention, they're now shacked up together in an attempt to hide out and let their viral fame die down. They're both into one another, but things are moving very quickly and Kimberly has it in the back of her head that maybe its too fast. Which it isn't. It's just that when werewolves know, they know.

    Now they're navigating a budding relationship, some very wolf-y instincts, and some potentially sticky pack politics. Or, well, not PACK politics. More like, the fallout from Mick being filmed going all wolf on the robbers. Which isn't ideal.

    Anywho. Close quarters, long nights, a wolf who knows when he found his special someone, and a lady who has to decide if she's ready to stay in this world pretty quickly.

    Wednesday, July 22, 2026

    Emotional Support Alpha by Riley Harp [Review]

    Emotional Support Alpha (Hot Under the Collar #4) by Riley Harp
    Format: ebook
    Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
    Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
    Date read: February 27, 2026

    Hot Under the Collar
    1. Downward Wolf
    2. Alpha-Bet Soup
    3. How to Housebreak Your Werewolf
    4. Emotional Support Alpha - Paperback | Kindle
    5. Bite My Wiener
    6. Bite Me Twice
    7. In the Dark with the Alpha
    8. Feral Chemistry
    9. Delivered to the Alpha
    10. Namaste, Alpha

    Riley Harp
    | Amazon |

    Synopsis (Goodreads):
    Arthur Whitlock is a terrifying Alpha werewolf with a spotless suit, a ruthless reputation—and an anxiety disorder that makes him one bad day away from shifting during a tax audit. In a world where werewolves are heavily regulated, Alphas like Arthur are legally required to hire an Emotional Support Human to keep their wolf under control.

    Chloe Hart just needs extra cash.

    A laid-back kindergarten teacher with zero knowledge of pack politics, Chloe treats Arthur the same way she treats her most challenging students: snacks for bad moods, a stern voice for growling, and firm boundaries when he forgets himself in public. She isn’t afraid of his fangs—or his power—and that might be the most dangerous thing of all.

    Because Arthur’s wolf doesn’t just calm around Chloe.

    It claims her.

    And Arthur is running out of reasons not to let it.
    Thoughts on Emotional Support Alpha: Being an Alpha means Arthur can't show any weakness. And his spiraling anxiety? Definitely a weakness. At least he perceives it as such. So he (grudgingly) engages the help of an Emotional Support Human, not expecting much from them.

    To say Chloe surprised him might be an understatement. His growls didn't bother her, her baked goods weren't bad (at all), and she wasn't scared away when he started going wolf. Even better, she knows all the coping mechanisms he could ever want to help him get his anxiety under control.

    For Chloe, dealing with a werewolf is a lot like dealing with her kindergarten class. Knowing what triggers Arthur's anxiety helps her give him the support he needs when he needs it. Plus, spending time with the big guy is no hardship. She likes him. She thinks he's both an excellent leader and a great businessman. Sharing late night dinners to make sure he doesn't get low blood sugar and head into a tailspin? Not a problem.

    Some political Alpha maneuvering, a werewolf pack who quickly learns to love their Alpha's ESH, an Alpha with who is an excellent leader (despite what he thinks about himself), and a human woman whose gentle grace wins an Alpha's heart (and makes some big changes in werewolf culture).

    Tuesday, July 21, 2026

    The Cuddle Clause by Roxie Ray [Review]

    The Cuddle Clause by Roxie Ray
    Format: ebook
    Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
    Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
    Date read: March 8, 2026

    Purchase Links: Paperback | Kindle

    Roxie Ray
    | Amazon |

    Synopsis (Goodreads):
    Living with a werewolf is… complicated.

    Maggie James is thirty-one, freshly dumped, and emotionally scorched.
    Losing her relationship also cost her the apartment and the business she built with her ex. Now she’s broke, unmoored, and answering a roommate ad from a total stranger.

    A stranger who turns out to be a neurodivergent werewolf with a detailed lease agreement… and a legally binding cuddle clause.

    Roman Velasquez likes quiet, structure, and his Good Plate.
    He’s used to living alone—until pack politics force his hand. To avoid being mated off for supernatural convenience, Roman needs to convince his Alpha that he’s already claimed. He panics, blurts out a lie, and suddenly he and Maggie are fake-mated, cuddling after full moons, and trying very hard not to catch feelings.

    It’s just a roommate agreement. Just magical paperwork. Just a fake relationship to stop a supernatural power grab.

    They both know the rules.
    Don’t touch the plate.
    Respect the schedule.
    No falling in love.

    Too bad they’re already breaking all of them.
    Thoughts on The Cuddle Clause: Straight up, I enjoyed this book, but I had a tough time watching Roman twist himself inside out as he tried to be what everyone around him needed him to be. Seeing him pretend everything was okay with his cousin and the pack when he was a hot mess on the inside was ROUGH. Which also means I had a bit of an issue with Lucien and how he forced Roman to do things his heart wasn't into. Yeah, I get that he was trying to get him outside his comfort zone in some ways, but his actions also put Roman in difficult situations that Roman felt like he had to endure (I'm not talking about the karaoke either. I'm talking about readying Roman for the beta position when he KNEW Roman didn't want to be beta).

    Again, I do get what Lucien was trying to accomplish, it was just hard watching Roman struggle to find his voice.

    Anywho. Let's talk about Roman and Maggie. They started as roommates where one (Roman) had very clearly spelled out expectations of what being roommates would entail and the other (Maggie) was in a state of emotional upheaval and didn't really read the fine (and regular) print on what she was getting herself into. Yeah, things were a little touch and go for a while. But Maggie adjusted and wasn't afraid to call Roman out when he left fur in the tub. She also wasn't afraid to give him space when he needed it and to carve out safe spaces for him when the world got to be too much.

    Although Maggie didn't have the same processing/sensory issues as Roman, he gave her her own safe space. He provided her support so that she could be herself and re-find herself after her time with her ex.

    A nosy landlord, an ex who is pretty much THE WORST (maybe not the worst, but I DID NOT LIKE THE GUY!), a whole lot of pack politics, ample cuddle time, fake dating, a werewolf who refuses to force anyone into something they're not fully informed on, and a lady who is getting a crash course on werewolves and safe spaces all in one go. *thumbs up*