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*

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!