Guarded by the Spider by Cassie Alexander [Review]

Guarded by the Spider (Monster Security Agency #3) by Cassie Alexander
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: January 12, 2026

Monster Security Agency
1. Guarded by the Golem
2. Guarded by the Snake
3. Guarded by the Spider - Paperback | Kindle
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
13. Guarded by the Symbiote
14. Guarded by the Steel Seraph
15. Guarded by the Clanker

Cassie Alexander
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

For my kind, to be without a mate is to be doomed. I know it is too late–all that awaits me is retirement and death, and I’ve embraced it.

But when a suicide mission lands on my old boss’s desk, I’m the one he calls. Who better to tackle the mission in the deep, oppressive mines of my own ancestral homeland, if not an Arachnae already slated to die? And it’s not a rescue mission–he wants me to retrieve the corpse of a billionaire’s daughter kidnapped by a terrorist organization.

Except our intel was wrong.

She’s alive. Tortured and injured–but alive.

And from the moment I scent her, I am certain she’s my mate.

She cowers in fear when she sees me, yet I will stop at nothing to protect her.

And now that I have a reason to live…a whole lot of people are going to die.

Thoughts on Guarded by the Spider: Hoo-boy! I was not expecting to like a spider-esque main as much as I ending up liking Nia'n'an (Nine), but he worked for me. He's resigned to finishing out his life cycle since he hasn't found his mate and then he catches Sloan's scent and OUR DUDE IS ALL IN. Just completely smitten. For a massive spider monster, it was surprisingly sweet.

Now Sloan, on the other hand, is not immediately hit by love at first sight. In fact, she's kind of terrified by her rescuer when he first swoops in the save her. To be fair, she's completely traumatized, has been held captive for a substantial amount of time (to the point MSA thinks this has likely gone from a rescue mission to a retrieval mission), and her emotions are ALL over the place. Since Nia'n'an's translator was damaged, he can understand her, but she can't understand him so there's a whole communication issue on top of her trauma.

BUT...Nia'n'an is all in and he's not going to give up on his lady when the alternative means she'll end up dead in the tunnels without him. Sloan eventually gets on board the whole relationship idea (on her own, since they can't communicate) and begins to see that everything he does is geared toward keeping her safe and worshiping her as the treasure her spider-man thinks she is. (She also has some trust issues revolving around people liking her just for herself as opposed to for her father's money, so there's a lot of baggage both of them to work through.)

A little danger (tunnels! predators! kidnappers!), an escape that gives the two of them time to get to know one another (even with the communication issue), a male who will risk everything to keep his special someone safe, and a lady who has to figure out what she wants before she can grab it with both hands. *thumbs up*

Hot Wolf in the Country by Honey Phillips [Review]

Hot Wolf in the Country (Hot Wolf #2) by Honey Phillips
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: January 10, 2026

Hot Wolf
1. Hot Wolf in the City
2. Hot Wolf in the Country - Paperback | Kindle

Honey Phillips
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Working late has never been this dangerous!

Tech genius Harper moves to Monster Island for a fresh start, hoping to escape her workaholic tendencies. She doesn’t expect to fall even deeper into her old patterns, or to accidentally run into the most infuriatingly attractive man she's ever met. Adrian Moonstone isn't just the Alpha of the Moonstone Pack; he's a growly, dominant force of nature.

Adrian wants nothing to do with big city girls, but Harper, with her pink hair, defiant attitude, and tantalizing scent, proves impossible to resist. He knows a tiny human female can't be his Luna. He knows she'll never truly belong in his world. Yet, his wolf’s need to claim her grows with every encounter.

When a vicious cyber-attack threatens his pack, Adrian needs Harper's genius more than ever. But as they fight together to defeat this new threat, their undeniable passion ignites. Can Harper find her happily ever after, or will love prove to be a code that even she can’t break?

Thoughts on Hot Wolf in the Country: We're back in Moonstone Pack territory with the Alpha who fiercely controls himself and doesn't believe love is in the cards for him. BOY, is he wrong. As some backstory, Adrian's father mated with a toxic woman who stirred up multiple issues with the pack, was treacherous and conniving, and who delighted in all the chaos she caused. Adrian has valid reasons for being wary of relationships. Harper just happened to worm her way into his heart anyway.

Which isn't to say their coming together was easy. Adrian is closed off and wary. Harper keeps to herself and doesn't make friends, preferring her work to socializing. In other words, she's also closed off an wary. Given that everyone in her life has abandoned her, she also has reasons for her wariness. BUT...she's trying to open herself up to new possibilities. It's just not as easy as one might think when a person's default when things happen is to crawl into themselves so they don't get hurt.

That said, Harper has stepped out of her comfort zone by moving to Monster Island. She steps a little further out when she grudgingly agrees to upgrade the Pack infrastructure and bring them a little closer to the modern age. She takes that final step when she throws caution to the wind and decides to see where this zinging pull toward Adrian takes them. Of course, Adrian also has to throw caution to the wind in that regard, but he's battling his wolf on that one and his wolf REALLY wants to claim Harper as absolutely soon as possible.

A little tech talk, a elder council that's stuck in a rut, an Alpha who wants the best for his pack, and a lady who is calmly competent in all things (except interpersonal relationships). Wolves, YESSSSSS!

RtP's Week in Review (04/26/26)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review

• Fieldwork by Adrian Blue [Review] - Monster love!
• The Debt by Adrian Blue [Review] - More monster love!
• Before the Frost by Adrian Blue [Review] - Even MORE monster love!
• The Fog by Adrian blue [Review] - SO MUCH MONSTER LOVE!
• Aspen by Adrian Blue [Review] - The monster love just keeps on coming!
• The Botanist and the Beast by Honey Phillips [Review] - Alien love!

Bookish Delights

• Books added to the pile
• Ocean Light (Psy-Changeling Trinity #2) by Nalini Singh
• Caught Up (Into Darkness #2) by Navessa Allen
• Currently reading
• Craved by Monsters by Sylvie Stray

The Botanist and the Beast by Honey Phillips [Review]

The Botanist and the Beast (Fairhaven Falls #8.5) by Honey Phillips
Format: ebook
Source: provided through author's newsletter
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: December 21, 2025

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
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:

Botanist Mia Barnes knew that searching for a legendary glowing plant in the mountains surrounding the quirky Southern town of Fairhaven Falls would be no easy task, but she never expected to land in the arms of Kade, a towering shadow guardian. Teaming up with the grumpy—but undeniably attractive—male to save the mystical plant (and possibly the entire town) from an encroaching darkness, Mia can’t help but wonder if love might bloom in the most unexpected of places... like the foggy, monster-filled woods.

Welcome to Fairhaven Falls where monsters and magic go hand in hand!

Thoughts on The Botanist and the Beast: A short and sweet little story set in Fairhaven Falls. Mia is a human who doesn't quite fit into the great outdoors, but she's determined to step outside her comfort zone a little and search for a plant that might or might not be real. Kade is the guardian of the woods who doesn't understand why he's drawn to Mia, but who can't quite help falling for her charming enthusiasm.

Throw in a little danger when Kade (not to mention the woods and possibly the town of Fairhaven Falls itself) is threatened by the darkness slowly consuming the plant Mia is searching for and he and Mia have to team up to fight whatever this darkness is. Which works nicely since they team up *winkwink* well together.

A fun, quick read with just the right amount of spice. *thumbs up*

Aspen by Adrian Blue [Review]

Aspen (Harvest Moon #5) by Adrian Blue
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: January 4, 2026

Harvest Moon
1. Fieldwork
2. The Debt
3. Before the Frost
4. The Fog
5. Aspen - Kindle

Adrian Blue
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Running from a toxic relationship, she escapes into the November mountains seeking solitude and clarity. What she finds instead are massive hoofprints in the snow, deep claw marks on the trees, and a presence watching from the ridgeline. That night, she wakes to suffocating heat and an impossible need burning through her veins. Something is circling her tent, breathing just outside the thin nylon wall. What she finds in the moonlight is massive, inhuman, and utterly wrong. Every instinct screams for her to run, but the creature has already marked her, flooded her body with hunger so overwhelming she can barely think. She can run all she wants, but they both know how this ends.

Thoughts on Aspen: Taking an overnight trip to the mountains to get some distance from a not so great relationship sounds like a good idea, right? On paper, it was. But then something decidedly not human begins circling our girl's campsite and she's not quite sure what to think. I mean, she's scared, sure. But...BUT there's also something else there.

Something that has her excited when the beast catches her. Something that has her not fighting when he corners her against a tree. Something that has her enjoying everything he does to her.

AB monsters are always a treat and this one hits the sweet spot. So to speak. *thumbs up*

The Fog by Adrian Blue [Review]

The Fog (Harvest Moon #4) by Adrian Blue
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: January 1, 2026

Harvest Moon
1. Fieldwork
2. The Debt
3. Before the Frost
4. The Fog - Kindle
5. Aspen

Adrian Blue
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Elizabeth Ashworth arrives in Thornmere seeking nothing more than solitude and silence. What she finds is a cottage on the edge of a dark forest, terrified villagers, and a fog that moves with unnatural purpose. Every night it comes, seeping beneath her door, watching her with silver eyes that gleam in the darkness. The creature offers no safety, no promises, only hunger and the certainty that it will consume her. She should be terrified, but when the creature whispers that she'll never be alone again, Elizabeth knows she's far past saving.

Thoughts on The Fog: Moving to a small village far removed from London after the death of her husband (where she can grieve or not grieve, at her discretion), Elizabeth finds something dangerous and cold in the forest outside her cottage. The village folk aren't terribly welcoming and business hasn't even started to pick up, but that fog creeping in from the trees kind of makes up for it.

Mostly because it isn't normal fog. But I guess Elizabeth isn't a normal woman, because it fascinates her. She watches it and it feels like it watches back. And then one night she finds out it is, indeed, watching back. As it turns out, she's okay with that. She's also okay with all the other things it wants to do to her.

A little danger, a village on edge, a monster in the fog, and a lady who is willing to embrace the dark (or the, umm, glowing thing in the dark) when it reaches for her. *thumbs up*

Before the Frost by Adrian Blue [Review]

Before the Frost (Harvest Moon #3) by Adrian Blue
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: December 31, 2025

Harvest Moon
1. Fieldwork
2. The Debt
3. Before the Frost - Kindle
4. The Fog
5. Aspen

Adrian Blue
| Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Widowed farmer Margaret has spent eight years alone, aching with a loneliness she'll never admit out loud. Until the night she burns the last of the harvest and whispers her need into the November darkness. What answers is Jack, a massive creature of vines and earth with a carved pumpkin head and an ancient claim on her land. He says her loneliness summoned him, that she's his now until the first frost. Margaret knows she should run while she still can. But as Jack's vines wrap around her body and his dark voice fills her mind, she discovers that being claimed by a monster might be exactly what she's been craving.

Thoughts on Before the Frost: I don't know what it is about AB's monsters, but I LIKE THEM. This time around, we have a lonely woman who unwittingly summons something she doesn't expect from the depths of the land. Jack is...a lot. He's powerful and hungry for Margaret. He's also into consent. Which means he might claim her as his own, but he won't act on that claim until Margaret is ready for him to.

That said, it takes a day or two for Margaret to come to terms with the creature out in her corn field. He's big, powerful, and not at all what she expected when she whispered her wants into the darkness. To be fair, I don't know that ANYTHING that came out of the darkness would have been expected. I mean, she just gave voice to an off-the-cuff desire. Yeah, she was lonely and she absolutely meant what she said, but she never imagined anything actually coming of it.

Anywho. Margaret is lonely. Jack is there to take care of her loneliness. If Margaret plays her cards right, Jack could very much be more than a one time thing. As in, an every year thing. Since he's a giver, this sounds like an excellent situation for a lonely lady to be in.