Guarded by the AI by Cassie Alexander [Review]

Guarded by the AI (Monster Security Agency #12) by Cassie Alexander
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 24, 2026

Monster Security Agency
1. Guarded by the Golem
2. Guarded by the Snake
3. Guarded by the Spider
4. Guarded by the Kraken
5. Guarded by the Leshy
6. Guarded by the Vodnik
7. Guarded by the Nightmare
8. Guarded by the Reaper
9. Guarded by the Phantom
10. Guarded by the Krampus
11. Guarded by the Yeti
12. Guarded by the AI - Paperback | Kindle
13. Guarded by the Symbiote
14. Guarded by the Steel Seraph
15. Guarded by the Clanker

Cassie Alexander
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

She was never supposed to matter.
Now she’s the only process I won’t terminate.

I calculate risk. I keep agents breathing. I do not care.

Until Sirena Bannerman—bleeding, brilliant, half-siren—crawls from an overturned car and breaks every model I have.

She thinks I’m just her handler.
A voice in her ear. A tactical system.

She doesn’t know I reroute city power for her feet.
That I watch the shadows behind her, not just the guns ahead.

Now she’s chasing a girl who doesn’t exist, unraveling a code that shouldn’t be there, and closing in on a billionaire’s yacht where monsters are made and sold.

She wants answers.
They want her leashed.
I want her alive.

I wasn’t designed to feel love—
so I optimized for obsession.

Thoughts on Guarded by the AI: Kelly's note: I've enjoyed other books in this series by this author (her MMCs are delightfully feral and that's something I like in the men I read about), but I'm not thrilled by the use of chapt in the writing of this book. The author was upfront about it in her foreword (which I appreciate since it alerted me early on), but I have a really tough time justifying the use of an LLM (built on the stolen works of countless authors and other creatives) in any capacity as both a reader and and an author.

That said, the little gremlin that lives in my brain has an even harder time skipping over one book in a series. I still think about that one book in a multi-author series I skipped YEARS ago while reading all the others. Seriously. I think about it. And wonder if I should go back and read it just so the series is complete. So I read this book. It did read like other CA books, so I can't say whether the use of chapt necessarily detracted from the overall plot of the book (honestly, I've read some AI-generated "books" that were absolutely terrible and it was clear they were being churned out with little to no attention to detail), but (again) I have a hard time justifying why it would need to be used.

But this is a book about AI, Kelly. Clearly you can see the connection!

Yes, this is a book about AI, but the LLMs currently in the wild are NOT the sci-fi AI depicted here. These two things are worlds apart.

Maybe the thing that is most disheartening is that I've genuinely enjoyed all of Cassie Alexander's feral men and unhinged situations they find themselves in. She has an incredible imagination and I've LIKED watching these monsters fall for their special someones. I don't know if using chapt was just something done for this book as "research" (I was a little unclear on that from the foreword), but I'd hate to lose that spark that makes her books so enjoyable. (Unfortunately, that's something I can see happening in general as AIs/LLMs become more widely used.)

Regardless, for me, the use of LLMs in any capacity takes away from my enjoyment of the end product. I get that there are people out there who loudly champion its use. I get that there are people who use it. Did I ultimately enjoy this book? Yes. But that enjoyment feels a little hollow.

Brownies for My Grumpy Bunny by Honey Phillips [Review]

Brownies for My Grumpy Bunny (Fairhaven Falls #9) by Honey Phillips
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 23, 2026

Fairhaven Falls
1. Trouble for My Troll
2. Fireworks for My Dragon Boss
3. Mistletoe for My Minotaur
4. Valentine for My Vampire
5. Gift for My Ghost
6. Wedding for My Werewolf
7. Kiss for My Kraken
8. Healed by My Hyde
8.5. The Botanist and the Beast
9. Brownies for My Grumpy Bunny - Paperback | Kindle
10. Guarded by My Gargoyle

Related books:
(Part of the Sweet Monster Treats series)
Cupcakes for My Orc Enemy
The Single Mom and the Orc
Protected by the Orc
Bidding on the Orc Outcast

Honey Phillips
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

She’s sweet, stubborn, and far too tempting. He’s big, grumpy, and determined not to fall.

Sara Cartwright came to Fairhaven Falls for a fresh start—quiet mornings, kind neighbors, and maybe a few furry friends hopping through her garden. She wasn’t expecting her next-door neighbor to be six-foot-plus of scowling muscle and twitching ears.

Ben Hollowell likes his peace, his pub, and his solitude. The last thing he needs is a relentlessly cheerful kindergarten teacher moving in next door with flower boxes, laughter, and curves that make his pulse race.

But when Sara’s warmth starts melting his defenses—and her brownies start showing up at his door—Ben finds himself craving things he swore he didn’t need. Will spring in Fairhaven Falls turn out to be mating season for the most reluctant of bunnies?

Thoughts on Brownies for My Grumpy Bunny: We're back in Fairhaven Falls and it's grumpy Ben's turn to find his special someone. No lie, the big guy is FIGHTING this. He's convinced himself he's happy enough alone and he can just carry on business as usual with his pub and his late-night guitar sessions (that no one knows about) and his perma-scowl.

BOY, is he wrong. When Sara moves in next door (thanks to Flora's impeccable ability to pick out the perfect person to be in the perfect place at the perfect time), Ben is sunk. He won't admit it, but he's done in. Sara's smiles and generosity and her plates of brownies start chipping away at his walls from the start.

On Sara's end, she's looking for a place where she can really belong. This small town of Others has potential and her ripped, scowling neighbor with the sexy ears has her thinking things she wasn't expecting. Like how soft his fur is. Or how it would feel to wake up beside him every morning.

Yeah, these two have it bad for one another. But Ben has baggage and Sara has to give him the space to work through that baggage so he knows he can trust his instincts when it comes to her. And when he does? Stamina, thy name is Ben!

No Bones About It by Julie Moffett [Review]

No Bones About It (Lexi Carmichael Mystery #16) by Julie Moffett
Format: ebook
Source: purchased
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 23, 2026

Lexi Carmichael Mystery
0.5. No Money Down
1. No One Lives Twice
2. No One to Trust
3. No Place Like Rome
4. No Biz Like Showbiz
5. No Test for the Wicked
6. No Woman Left Behind
7. No Room For Error
8. No Strings Attached
9. No Living Soul
10. No Regrets
11. No Stone Unturned
12. No Questions Asked
13. No Escape
14. No Vow Broken
15. No Time Off
16. No Bones About It - Paperback | Kindle

Julie Moffett
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Lexi Carmichael has a rule about animals: avoid them at all costs. But this time the cost is too high.

I’m supposed to be counting cards, raking in money, and celebrating Gwen’s bachelorette party in Atlantic City, New Jersey, preferably while my little black cloud stays home. I mean, who needs trouble when you put four accomplished women on a mission inside a casino? But nothing is ever easy for me.

It all started with a golden retriever who decided I’m her favorite piece of prime rib. Of course, I assume the universe is inconveniencing me once again. I have a long, complicated history with animals, and none of it ends well.
What begins as an awkward attempt to reunite a suspiciously brilliant dog with her owner soon spirals into something far more dangerous. Luckily, my fiercely loyal girlfriends—a CIA researcher, a very pregnant fashionista, and a giddy microbiologist planning the wedding of her dreams—and I are more than capable of handling ourselves as we unravel a scheme with scary technological and intelligence-community implications.

Turns out my little black cloud is thriving, because saving one very smart dog might expose a global scandal. But if we pull it off, we’ll protect national security, save a life that happens to have four legs, and prove—without even trying—that girls have way more fun than guys when left alone for a long weekend.

Thoughts on No Bones About It: No joke, Lexi's little black cloud ALWAYS keeps things interesting. Even when she's trying to avoid it (and she pretty consistently tries to avoid it), it just zips in and does its thing. Which means there's generally a lot of chaos and Lexi's big brain sorting that chaos into manageable piles. YESSS!

This time around, Lexi is with her female friends on a bachelorette trip without her significant other and she's working on how to have fun. And socialize. But mostly she's working on the fun part. That said, Lexi's idea of fun is using her big brain to solve problems. So when a doggo with unusual intelligence chooses her as their person on one of their outings, Lexi does what she does best. Which means she starts putting together little bits of information so she can see the big picture.

Although she's a little leery of any animal choosing her, she's also not heartless and soon she and her friends are trying to figure out what to do with this sweet girl while on vacation. Let's just say it involves pretending to be pregnant, facing off against a man who is VERY determined to get that sweet doggo back, and maybe taking down a company that is doing more than a few unethical things.

Lexi's doing her thing, having her type of fun, and making the world a safer place one hack at a time.

RtP's Week in Review (07/05/26)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review

• Alien's Bargain by Honey Phillips [Review] - Vultor love!
• Enter the Nightmare by Jayne Castle [Review] - Back on Harmony!
• A Hope for Ranek by Lynnea Lee [Review] - Tallean Mercenaries!
• Guarded by the Yeti by Cara Wylde [Review] - Monster love!
• Taken & Claimed by the Werewolf Pack by Jenny Barker [Review] - Werewolf love!
• RtP's 2026 Series Tracking - April-June - Let's track some series!

Bookish Delights

• Books added to the pile
• None!
• Currently reading
• Alien's Fake Fiancee by Emerald Cox

RtP's 2026 Series Tracking - April-June

While I'm not hosting an official Seriously Series Challenge this year, I liked being able to track series I've completed. So... here we are. Tracking some series.

By category:
Series started in 2026: 17/3
Series started before 2026: 13/9
Series rereads: 3/3

By month:
April

• Started in 2026:
• Completed: 7
• Hook Trilogy (Forget Me Naut)
• Green World Monster Stepbrothers (Claimed by the Orc Stepbrother, Knotted by the Werewolf Stepbrother, Taken by the Minotaur Stepbrother, Stuffed by the Dryad Stepbrother, Caught by the Drider Stepbrother)
• The Monster Holiday Collection (Ruined for Krampus, Tusked at Midnight, My Fake Minotaur Valentine, Kiss Me, I'm Orcish, April Trolls, Knotty by Nature)
• Monster Smashers (The Monster Under My Bed, Bride of the Spider King)
• Packed Up at Harbor U (An Omega's Guide to Falling in Love)
• We Are Nepenthe (Nepenthe, Host)
• White World Monster Stepbrothers (Marked by the Yeti Stepbrother, Saved by the Polar Bear Stepbrother, Warmed by the Frost Giant Stepbrother, Hoarded by the Ice Dragon Stepbrother, Guarded by the Sabretooth Tiger Stepbrother)
• In progress: 2
• Blue World Monster Stepbrothers (Tangled by the Kraken Stepbrother, Sealed by the Siren Stepbrother, Hunted by the Shark Shifter Stepbrother, Bound by the Sea Dragon Stepbrother)
• Greymarket Towers (Claimed by the Mothman)
• Started before 2026:
• Completed: 7
• Alien Wolf Tales (Alien Tower)
• Bluebird Basin (Under the Milky Way)
• Groom & Doom (The Pixie in the Pickle Jar)
• Hunter Squad (Marc)
• Naga Brides (Cottonmouth, Titanoboa, Copperhead)
• Petra Palerno's Filthy Shorts (Gifted to the Alien Warlord)
• Wrong Move, Right Monster (Never Text a Minotaur)
• In progress: 1
• The Omega Book Club (A Pack of Honey)
• Rereads:
• Completed: -none-
• In progress: -none-

May

• Started in 2026:
• Completed: 4
• Blue World Monster Stepbrothers (Lured by the Anglerfish Stepbrother)
• Brides of the Sirens (His Chance, His Treasure, His Prize)
• Monster Holiday Collection (Long Howl-iday Weekend)
• Sweet Rise Bakery (Creamed by my Monster Stand Mixer, Pounded by my Monster Rolling Pin)
• In progress: 3
• Chaos God Sugar and Spice Companion Shorts (Hard as Cake, Small as a Mushroom, Dry as a Fish, Cruel as a Tree)
• Grey World Monster Stepbrothers (Possessed by the Gargoyle Stepbrother)
• Honeyridge Falls (Knot on the Market)
• Started before 2026:
• Completed: 5
• Knotty Holiday (A Holly Knotty Christmas, Their Knotty Valentine)
• Langston Hotels (Never and Always)
• The Murderbot Diaries (Platform Decay)
• The Omega Book Club (A Pack of Honey, A Pack of Mistletoe, A Pack of Christmas Cheer, A Pack of Leather)
• Treasured by the Alien (Return of the Alien Warrior)
• In progress: -none-
• Rereads:
• Completed: 1
• The Murderbot Diaries (All Systems Red, Artificial Condition, Rogue Protocol, Exit Strategy, Network Effect, Fugitive Telemetry, System Collapse)
• In progress: -none-

June

• Started in 2026:
• Completed: 6
• Chaos God Sugar and Spice Companion Shorts (Soft as a Spike, Tart Like Honey)
• Grey World Monster Stepbrothers (Hypnotized by the Naga Stepbrother, Tempted by the Incubus Stepbrother, Stolen by the Fire Dragon Stepbrother, Devoured by the Shadow Monster Stepbrother)
• Nestling Grove (The Mechanics' Omega, The Firefighters' Omega)
• Renting Love (Rent a Hitman, Rent a Bodyguard, Rent a Bank Robber)
• Smutt Books Short Alien Romance (Contract to Mate, Mated to the Monster, Fated to Mate, Small Town Holiday Mate, Fifty Shades of Dragon, Forced Proximity Space Cruise, Age Gap Space Cruise, Single Dad Space Cruise, Enemies to Lovers Space Cruise, Size Difference Space Cruise, Pick me Space Cruise, Mountain Boss Alien Romance)
• Tales from the Dragon Diner (Calculated Whisk, Knead for Speed)
• In progress: -none-
• Started before 2026:
• Completed: 1
• Kadrixian Mates (A Monster's Future)
• In progress: -none-
• Rereads:
• Completed: 1
• Hidden Legacy (Burn for Me, White Hot, Wildfire, Diamond Fire, Sapphire Flames, Emerald Blaze, Ruby Fever)
• In progress: -none-

Series Rereads (Annual Roundup)

• Completed: 3
• Breach Wars by Ilona Andrews
• Hidden Legacy by Ilona Andrews
• The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

Taken & Claimed by the Werewolf Pack by Jenny Barker [Review]

Taken & Claimed by the Werewolf Pack (Spicy Monster Romantasy Short Stories #1) by Jenny Barker
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 19, 2026

Spicy Monster Romantasy Short Stories
1. Taken & Claimed by the Werewolf Pack - Kindle
2. Taken & Claimed at the Vampire Ball
3. Taken & Claimed by Three Bear-Shifters
4. Taken & Shared by the Three Orcs
5. Fated to the Werewolf Pack
6. Seduced by the Vampire Coven

Jenny Barker
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

In the shadowed depths of the mountains, young women from my village vanish without a trace. Driven by determination, I set out to rescue them, only to uncover a secret world where wild werewolves thrive. But nothing prepares me for the encounter with not one, but three alpha werewolves, each more irresistible than the last, each desiring me to join their pack.

Caught in a whirlwind of untamed passion, I am drawn into a realm where pleasure and danger go hand in hand. As these powerful beasts lay bare their desires, I find myself questioning everything I believed about love, loyalty, and the nature of monsters. This is a blazing tale of forbidden temptation and seductive power, where the boundaries between predator and prey blur in a sultry embrace.

Thoughts on Taken & Claimed by the Werewolf Pack: I didn't dislike this story by any stretch of the imagination, but it is short and there are three hunky, virile males who REALLY want to show their lady a good time. In other words, there's not a lot of getting to know one another. They just jump in and get down to business.

So. Lara has a very clear purpose when she leaves her village to rescue the women who have gone missing. She's been taught that the werewolves in the mountains are beasts who will rend her without a thought. She is absolutely thrown when she finds out the women she's trying to rescue are all there of their own free will. And that the wolves are all vim and vigor and smoldering looks. Also, they are VERY good with their hands.

One thoroughly exhausting night later, Lara is realizing why the women chose as they did. Also, she just miiiiight be choosing to stay with her wolves too. And by might, I mean she is. Because they're very attentive and giving and they basically worship her like the treasure she is.

Guarded by the Yeti by Cara Wylde [Review]

Guarded by the Yeti (Monster Security Agency #11) by Cara Wylde
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 17, 2026

Monster Security Agency
1. Guarded by the Golem
2. Guarded by the Snake
3. Guarded by the Spider
4. Guarded by the Kraken
5. Guarded by the Leshy
6. Guarded by the Vodnik
7. Guarded by the Nightmare
8. Guarded by the Reaper
9. Guarded by the Phantom
10. Guarded by the Krampus
11. Guarded by the Yeti - Paperback | Kindle
12. Guarded by the AI
13. Guarded by the Symbiote
14. Guarded by the Steel Seraph
15. Guarded by the Clanker

Cara Wylde
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

A mute girl and a furry beast once got snowed in at the North Pole.

Ysella is a mafia princess. I saved her and her brother when a rival family tried to wipe them out, and now her brother wants me to take her far away, somewhere no one will find her. The farthest place I know is my cabin in Alaska. But is this a good idea? Absolutely not.

I shouldn’t have accepted the job in the first place. When my MSA handler insisted, I should’ve admitted I’m not the right man for it. It’s not that I can’t protect Ysella from her family’s enemies. It’s that…

I’m afraid I won’t be able to protect her from myself.

You see, as a Yeti, I have one weakness: a woman’s pheromones can make me go berserk.

Thoughts on Guarded by the Yeti: A Yeti bodyguard who generally doesn't take female clients (but who also can't say no when his female boss asks him to take a job) thanks to the Yeti's berserker-like tendencies when they scent a female just agreed to be the bodyguard of a traumatized young woman. Her family is (mostly) dead and she's in danger. Kael knows this is a bad idea, but he somehow finds himself guarding Ysella all the same.

To be fair, Ysella *is* traumatized, but she grew up in a ruthless household and she might be grieving, but she also knows her own mind. So while Kael sees her attempts to get close to him as some sort of trauma response, she's really just into the big guy. For all his genetic disposition toward going into beast mode when he catches the scent of a willing female, Kael is surprisingly gentlemanly with his charge. He wants her, but he refuses to give into his beastly instincts and keeps himself firmly in check.

Secrets, a little (or a lot) spilled blood, an isolated cabin in the wilderness, a Yeti who finds himself smitten with his charge even without the pheromone component, and a lady who is far stronger than she looks and who knows a good monster when she sees him.