Hook, Line, and Tentacle by Dove Soleil [Review]

Hook, Line, and Tentacle (Hook Trilogy #1) by Dove Soleil
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 26, 2026

Hook Trilogy
1. Hook, Line, and Tentacle - Paperback | Kindle
2. Sucker for Love
3. Forget Me Naut

Dove Soleil
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

He’s the grumpy, reclusive bait shop owner with a dark secret.
She’s new in town and renting his attic room.
The one everyone warned her away from.
Down bad doesn’t begin to cover it.
From the second he finds her trying to break down his door, she’s got him...
Hook, line, and tentacle.

Thoughts on Hook, Line, and Tentacle: Oh MAN this one was fun. Neviah is equal parts sass and loneliness and Cal is the only one around she has to focus that sass on. To be fair, I think she'd still have fallen for Cal even if there were others around, but he's gets the brunt (in a good way) of her quick mouth and long looks thanks to their proximity.

Cal is...let's say he's gloriously grumpy. He isn't much on socializing and the secret he's carrying makes him wary of, well, everyone. But ESPECIALLY the tempting woman renting his attic room. Neviah gets in his space, doesn't seem to mind his growls, and just generally disrupts him. Then his grumpiness pushes a little too far and he has to admit (if only to himself) that maaaayyybe he likes having Neviah around TOO much.

Which is its own set of problems. He's afraid he might hurt her. He's used to being alone. He retreats when things get overwhelming. Fortunately for him, Neviah doesn't let any of that stop her. She keeps sassing. She keeps getting in his business. And when she finds out his secret? It's just another layer of delight for her.

But old habits are hard to break and it takes a dangerous situation for Cal to realize that losing Neviah isn't an option. No lie, I liked these two A LOT.

Alpha-Bet Soup by Riley Harp [Review]

Alpha-Bet Soup (Hot Under the Collar #2) 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 - Paperback | Kindle
3. How to Housebreak Your Werewolf
4. Emotional Support Alpha
5. Bite My Wiener
6. Bite Me Twice

Riley Harp
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Twenty-six dates. Twenty-six alphas. What could possibly go wrong?

Apparently everything.

My pack signed me up for “Alpha-Bet”—a matchmaking service where I’m supposed to meet one eligible alpha for every letter of the alphabet. I figured it’d be awkward, maybe hilarious, and at worst, mildly bitey.

Then Date A showed up.

A is for Alec. Arrogant. Addictive. Alpha as hell. One smirk and my heat hit like a freight train. I ghosted him the next day. Panicked. Logical response, right?

Except now he’s showing up at every date. Staring down the competition. Growling. And claiming me like I’m already his prize at the end of this ridiculous alphabet soup.

And honestly? I’m starting to hope he never lets me finish the list.

Thoughts on Alpha-Bet Soup: Lucy has signed up for 26 dates with 26 men only because her BFFs basically shoved her into it. She's not expecting much, but she does acknowledge that she might be in a bit of a rut with her dating life. And by that, I mean she's hearing crickets. Nada. Nothing going on.

So, yeah. She signs up and expects some painfully awkward first dates, but at least she'll get a meal out of it.

Then her A date shows up and sparks fly. Not literally, but also almost literally since a single touch sends her into a full blown heat. Which Alec helps her through with her full consent. Lucy has a tiny little freakout about everything the next day and goes radio silent. Which is maybe a little understandable since she went from 0 to 100 in no time flat and things got a little overwhelming in her head.

On Alec's end, he's a lot smitten with the sexy woman he thought he'd spend nothing more than an overpriced meal with. Although she ran scared, he's convinced there's something there. So he does what any alpha would do when the lady he spent a scorching night with rabbited and finds out where her B date is going to be. And he shows up. As it turns out, their chemistry wasn't a one-time thing and date B ends up with Lucy going home with suitor A. Let's just say things progressed from there with the next set of dates.

A bad date or two, a not-so-bad date (but not with the guy her head is fixated on), some creative date-night fun, an alpha who knows his special someone from their first meeting, and a lady who needed to wrap her head around the idea that sometimes the first one is the right one. *thumbs up*

Downward Wolf by Riley Harp [Review]

Downward Wolf (Hot Under the Collar #1) 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 - Paperback | Kindle
2. Alpha-Bet Soup
3. How to Housebreak Your Werewolf
4. Emotional Support Alpha
5. Bite My Wiener
6. Bite Me Twice

Riley Harp
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

I teach yoga, not anger management for feral men with eight-packs and boundary issues.

My “Full Moon Flow” class was supposed to be harmless—stretching, breathwork, maybe a little spiritual howling for the tourists. I didn’t expect the sexy guy in the back to actually grow fur mid-downward dog. One second he’s locked in Eye of the Tiger pose, the next he’s got claws, a tail, and absolutely no pants.

Now I’ve got a real, live werewolf in my studio—hot, cranky, and very naked. He says he’s “new to this shifting thing” and needs help staying grounded. I say he should stop staring at my hips like they’re his next full moon snack.

But when he offers to repay me with... bodywork?

Let’s just say my inner zen is officially screwed.

Thoughts on Downward Wolf: Indigo is just trying to increase attendance at her yoga studio with her full moon class. She absolutely didn't expect the hot guy in the back row to start going furry when it was time to howl at the moon. She also didn't expect to have to hide him away in a storage closet and give him some hands on attention to keep his wolfy side from breaking through.

But that's exactly what happened.

Now she's trying to help Damon find his inner peace and keep him from wolfing out in public places. And since getting close and personal helps keep him even, Indigo is getting UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL with the sexy werewolf. Honestly, it's not a hardship in the slightest.

On Damon's end, he's trying to deal with suddenly being a wolf on his own and it's...not going so well. Especially around the full moon. But something about Indigo works for him and having her close keeps his wolf happy. His human side happens to like her also. Which is fortunate because these two just can't keep their hands off one another.

Tight quarters, sexy yoga, a wolf just trying to find his happy place, and a lady who is VERY good at keeping her wolf engaged. *thumbs up*

RtP's Week in Review (07/12/26)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review

• No Bones About It by Julie Moffett [Review] - Lexi and crew are BACK!
• Brownies for My Grumpy Bunny by Honey Phillips [Review] - Fairhaven Falls!
• Guarded by the AI by Cassie Alexander [Review] - Monster security
• Knotted by the Incubus by Imani Jay [Review] - Knotty love!
• Knotted by the Psychopath by Taylor Rose [Review] - More knotty love!
• Heart of the Deep by Adrian Blue [Review] - Alien love!

Bookish Delights

• Books added to the pile
• Nothing!
• Currently reading
• I Punched an Alien and Now We're in Couples Therapy by Kimberly Lemming

Heart of the Deep by Adrian Blue [Review]

Heart of the Deep (Taken by the Stars #1) by Adrian Blue
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 25, 2026

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

Adrian Blue
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Shannon Cooper has spent three years falling in love with a world she's never seen — a planet of endless ocean, bioluminescent cities, and a king who has turned away every human diplomat who dared to meet his gaze.

She will be the eighth.

As a xenolinguist, Shannon knows the Thalassian negotiation protocols better than anyone. She knows the sacred pools are designed to make lies impossible. She knows that trust must be earned through touch — skin against tentacle, mind pressed open to mind. She knows exactly what she's agreeing to.

What she doesn't know is Kael'thar.

Scarred by centuries of betrayal, the king of Thalassia has learned to read humans one way: with cold efficiency, searching for the disgust or greed hiding beneath every polished smile. But when he reaches into Shannon's mind and finds neither, something long-fortified begins, for the first time, to crack.

The negotiations demand they go deeper — into the water, into vulnerability, into a closeness that has no name in either of their languages. But the greatest depths between them have nothing to do with the ocean floor.

They have everything to do with daring to be known.

Thoughts on Heart of the Deep: I must say I REALLY liked this one. Shannon and Kael'thar WORKED for me.

Shannon is in love with the world she's trying to broker a trade with. She's carefully hoarded and studied every scrap of information she can find on it and now she's in one of the great underwater cities about to meet the Thalassian king. She's scared and excited and worried she won't be enough for this magnificent place.

On Kael'thar's end, he's wary. He doesn't trust humans because the sacred pools reveal their unguarded thoughts which tend to be of greed and disgust. He doesn't expect much of anything from Shannon other than a brief meeting and then her retreat back to her ship. That is NOT what he gets. He feels her fear of failure and her awe at his world and how she is most decidedly not disgusted by his form. And he doesn't know how to process this. She's not greedy like the ones who have come before her and she sees him as an intelligent being. One who just happens to have tentacles and can see into the heart of her.

But he's been burned by hope before and he's slow to trust. Shannon keeps chipping away at his walls with her kindness and honesty and her genuine grief when a terrible act from the past is revealed to her. And he has to accept the fact that she's not like the humans who came before. She's open-minded and kind and she understands him in a way the ones before haven't.

She also doesn't mind his tentacles or his otherness or that he can see the truth in her.

Let's just say that the eighth time is the charm and these negotiations are going much better than any of the attempts before.

Knotted by the Psychopath by Taylor Rose [Review]

Knotted by the Psychopath (Knotted by Cupid, an Omegaverse Romance #2) by Taylor Rose
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 24, 2026

Knotted by Cupid, an Omegaverse Romance
1. Knotted by the Incubus
2. Knotted by the Psychopath - Kindle
3. Knotted by her Alphas
4. Knotted by her Alphahole Boss
5. Knotted by the Dragon Prince
6. Knotted by her Fated Mates
7. Knotted by her Wolf Shifters

Taylor Rose
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

I came to the asylum to study a monster.

An alpha psychopath.

They warned me about him.

The other psychologists.
The guards.
Even the warden.

But when his scent hits me, my body responds in ways my clinical training never prepared me for. He watches me like he's memorizing the way I breathe. Speaks to me like he's reciting hungry prayers he wrote in my name.

And then he calls me his queen.

I should run.

I should scream.

I should remember what he is.

But the most dangerous thing about him isn't the blood on his hands.

It's how desperately I want those murderous hands on me.

Thoughts on Knotted by the Psychopath: Okay, so this book skated the edge of being too dark for me. That said, I specifically picked it up for the psychopath angle and Rook did NOT disappoint. Let's just say he's not afraid to get his hands dirty. Or seduce his lady.

But before we get to that, we have to have Willow voluntarily walk into an asylum to meet a man who she's maybe a little obsessed with. Professionally, of course. At least that's what she tells herself. He's brilliant, deadly, and the end result of what he commits could almost be considered art. She's carefully collected all the information she could about him, written the definitive book based on that info, and now she's about to meet the man in question.

Except...she's not in charge. Everything that happens from the moment she steps through the asylum doors is orchestrated by him. He's as obsessed as she is. And he's gladly admit what he feels for her is anything BUT professional. He knows she's his other half and that they're meant for one another. Now he just has to convince her.

Like I said, this book was almost a little too dark for me. Willow has to accept that her body knows what it wants and the omega inside her wants Rook. He pushes her boundaries until she has no choice but to bend. I'm also pretty sure he'd burn down the world for her if needed. So, you know, there's that.

A little darker than I normally like, but enjoyable in a bloody, twisted sort of way.

Knotted by the Incubus by Imani Jay [Review]

Knotted by the Incubus (Knotted by Cupid, an Omegaverse Romance #1) by Imani Jay
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 24, 2026

Knotted by Cupid, an Omegaverse Romance
1. Knotted by the Incubus - Kindle
2. Knotted by the Psychopath
3. Knotted by her Alphas
4. Knotted by her Alphahole Boss
5. Knotted by the Dragon Prince
6. Knotted by her Fated Mates
7. Knotted by her Wolf Shifters

Imani Jay
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

He feeds on lust... but he's starving for love.

For months, Destiny has been dreaming of a shadow lover. Faceless, nameless. The best sex of her life, and he's not even real. At least, that's what she thinks...

Rahel is an ancient incubus who stopped feeding because no one compares to the omega in his dreams. He doesn't know she exists. He's starving, but he'd rather die hungry than settle for less than her.

Then, on Valentine's night, he catches her scent: chocolate, brown sugar... the woman who's been ruining him in his sleep. She's real. She's HIS. And this grumpy alpha biker is about to break down her door and show his sunshine girl exactly what happens when fantasy becomes flesh.

One taste, and he'll never let her go.

Thoughts on Knotted by the Incubus: A growly, grumpy alpha incubus who has found the woman of his dreams IN his dreams and the omega lady who knows no one could be as good as the Shadow Daddy who visits her at night. He's willing to let himself fade away if he can't have her. She's not interested in anyone but the dream man who rocks her world.

Then he catches her scent on V-Day and suddenly a world of opportunities opens for them. You know, after he breaks down her door to get to her, straight up claims her on her prep table (that's going to require some DEEP disinfecting, btw), and gives her everything she needed before she knew she needed it.

Yup, Rahul and Destiny make things work. He'll go to any lengths to claim her (once he knows she's not just a figment of his imagination) and she's 100% along for that ride. Because Rahul is an incubus with game and he's VERY giving.

Sexy and fun (despite the rather unhygienic use of the prep table) with a whole lot of alpha/omega goodness. *thumbs up*