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.

A Hope for Ranek by Lynnea Lee [Review]

A Hope for Ranek (Tallean Mercenaries #12) by Lynnea Lee
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 14, 2026

Tallean Mercenaries
1. A Deal for Zeylum
2. A Chance for Arus
3. A Promise for Vore
4. A Claim for Calix
5. A Minx for Ryek & Holden
6. A Captive for Kean
7. A Future for Zharor
8. A Redemption for Ulrek
9. A Prize for Ckzarr
10. A Home for Berus
11. A Mate for Vasek
12. A Hope for Ranek - Kindle

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
Tallean Mates
1. Becoming Mrs. Claws

Lynnea Lee
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

It was supposed to be a simple delivery: get the dragus pup to his new owner, collect the credits, and go home. Instead, Commander Chaos and I end up crammed in an escape pod hurtling through space.

We land in the middle of a bog and start sinking… immediately. And to make things worse, giant pterodactyl creatures descend from the sky looking for a snack. FML.

I’m about to give up hope when an alien mercenary charges in, weapons blazing, to rescue us from certain doom. Ranek is dangerous, intimidating, and his devilish grin turns my knees to jelly. He’s also my only chance at surviving this alien planet.

Can I trust this stranger who looks at me like I’m his favorite dessert? Or will escaping with him mean trading one danger for another and risking my heart along the way?

Thoughts on A Hope for Ranek: Maya is having a rough day, but Ranek is just getting back on his feet after a rough decade. To be fair, Maya's rough day (which is longer than a day, but she was knocked out for part of that time thanks to emergency procedures in the escape pod) ends with her sinking in a smelly bog. While trying to hold onto the dragus pup she's in charge of. While pterodactyl-like creatures hone in on their location. I'm going to say that Maya wins this round of the bad time game.

BUT...Ranek appears at the right moment to save her and Commander Chaos from certain death. He's hunky and has a place for them to ride out the dangerous creatures that come out at night and (to be blunt) Maya doesn't have a lot of options. So she goes with him. And the more time she spends with him, the more she likes what she sees. He's kind, Commander Chaos seems to like him, and he's a whole lot of Tallean male.

As for Ranek, he has some protective feelings about Maya, but he doesn't think he can ever have a mate bond again since, you know, he's already had one. Sure, it was a mess of a bond, but it was still a bond. But there's a whole lot he likes about Maya and those protective instincts are going into overdrive around her.

An abandoned mining station, a steamy encounter in the baths, some really nasty pirates, a male who doesn't dare dream he might have a bond, and a lady who likes the big Tallean even without the bond. *thumbs up*

Enter the Nightmare by Jayne Castle [Review]

Enter the Nightmare (Harmony #18) by Jayne Castle
Format: ebook
Source: provided through NetGalley
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: January 1, 2026

Harmony
0.5. Bridal Jitters
1. After Dark
2. After Glow
3. Ghost Hunter
4. Silver Master
5. Dark Light
6. Obsidian Prey
7. Midnight Crystal
8. Canyons of Night
9. The Lost Night
10. Deception Cove
11. The Hot Zone
12. Siren's Call
13. Illusion Town
14. Guild Boss
15. Sweetwater and the Witch
16. People in Glass Houses
17. It Takes a Psychic
18. Enter the Nightmare - Hardcover | Kindle

Jayne Castle (AKA Jayne Ann Krentz)
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

Alice Radstone should have known not to return. Her life before the Hotel of Dreams had been the perfectly cloistered world of a teacher at the Ballantine Academy. When the death of her mentor forced her out, she was left to reinvent herself in the big city. Since then, things have not gone well. Ten months ago, after her first trip to the hotel, she woke up in the locked ward of a hospital for the criminally insane, told that she had murdered her husband on their wedding night. She has no memory of the husband or the wedding but after escaping the asylum, one thing is certain—she is never going back.

Unfortunately, Alice’s second reinvented life is also deteriorating rapidly, which is why she finds herself once again at the Hotel of Dreams—this time hiding in the shadows of her room, a dead body in the shower, and two men wearing masks creeping toward the bed to kidnap her. Again.

When the enigmatic and decidedly dangerous Owen March shows up, claiming he’s there to rescue her, she has no choice but to accept his offer—and hope that he doesn’t intend to kidnap her, too.

With Alice and now Owen in the killer’s sights, time is running out. Alice and Owen must trust each other and the electric passion between them if they are to make it out of this hotel alive.

Thoughts on Enter the Nightmare: We're back on Harmony and Alice is in a bit of a pickle. Dubbed the Deranged Bride by the media, Alice doesn't remember getting married OR killing her husband, but she spent several months in an asylum so she knows SOMETHING happened. Now she's back at the hotel where her life was thrown into turmoil ten months before and things are getting even more complicated.

To start with, someone's trying to kidnap her. There's also a dead body in the bathroom and a man claiming he's there's to rescue her. Alice isn't sure she can trust Owen March, but she's sort of out of options.

On Owen's end, he's not a fan of being lied to (or used) and he's determined to help Alice after outing her to some very bad people. Suggesting a marriage of convenience seems like a logical way to protect her from the unscrupulous business man. And if he maybe sort of might have some smitten feelings after all the research he did on her, he'll totally keep that to himself. Totally.

With Alice's dashing dust bunny, these two work on figuring out why someone has it out for her. No lie, the Hotel of Dreams is sort of a bad place for Alice to keep returning to, but it has answers (probably) and Alice and Owen are determined to uncover whatever they need to uncover to keep Alice safe. *thumbs up* all around.

Alien's Bargain by Honey Phillips [Review]

Alien's Bargain (Alien Wolf Tales #6) by Honey Phillips
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Date read: February 15, 2026

Alien Wolf Tales
1. Big, Bad Alien
2. Alien Huntsman
3. Alien Charming
4. Cursed Alien
5. Alien Song
6. Alien's Bargain - Paperback | Kindle
7. Alien Awakening
8. Alien Tower

Related Series:
(find all the books in the series on the 1st book review)
How the Aliens Were Won
1. Borgaz

Seven Brides for Seven Alien Brothers
1. Artek

Honey Phillips
| Website | Amazon |

Synopsis (Goodreads):

One lie. One bargain. One debt she can’t escape.

Jessa is the most talented weaver in her village, but when her ruthless uncle claims she can spin legendary goldthread, he traps her in a lie that could cost her everything… including her little sister.

Desperate to save her sister, Jessa flees into forbidden Vultor territory in search of the rarest plant of all. Instead she finds Tarek, a gruff, solitary alien feared by humans and shunned by his own kind.

Tarek has been alone for too long, so when a pretty little human strays into his territory, he can’t resist offering her a bargain—his help in exchange for a promise to be fulfilled later.

What begins as a reluctant deal turns into something far more dangerous, because Tarek is more than he seems. And the price he asks might be her heart. Sometimes love is the most dangerous bargain of all.

Thoughts on Alien's Awakening: Another exiled, lonely Vultor is up to find his special someone and Jessa kind of needs a lot of patience to convince Tarek to let her in. Well, her and her sister. Tarek has convinced himself he's better off alone and that he doesn't deserve companionship, but Jessa and Dani find a way to worm their way into his heart. Eventually. It really does take time and patience on Jessa's end for that to happen.

Jessa is in a tough situation. Her greedy uncle is withholding her sister's much needed medicine unless Jessa falls in line. Unfortunately, the thing he wants her to do is nearly impossible. Even if she COULD do it, it would leave her and her sister at her uncle's mercy going forward. So Jessa takes a leap of faith and heads into the mountains with Dani in the hopes they can figure things out and get more medicine before things become dire.

Tarek has been trying to convince his beast to not get attached to the little human weaver since they helped her before. But it's kind of a lost cause because he's already attached. So when he comes across her and her sister in his mountains during a brutal storm, he does what any borderline obsessed individual would do and takes the two of them to his den to ride out the storm. Soon the three of them are settling into a routine and Tarek and Jessa are making eyes at one another. Covertly, of course.

Until, you know, it's not covert.

A past that eats at an honorable Vultor, an illness that needs his special skills, and a lady who is willing to fight for the things that are important to her. GOOD STUFF!

RtP's Week in Review (06/28/26)

Reading the Paranormal's Week in Review

• Oops! I Summoned a Liderc by Regine Abel [Review] - Demon love!
• Guarded by the Krampus by Cassie Alexander [Review] - Monster love!
• Oops! I Summoned a Metamorphic Monster by Opal Reyne [Review] - Demonic monster love!
• Oops! I Summoned a Demonic Merman by Naomi Lucas [Review] - MORE demonic monster love!
• Oops! I Summoned a Night Demon by Tiffany Roberts [Review] - EVEN MORE demonic monster love!
• Bound to my Demon by X. Callisto [Review] - Instalove demon romance!

Bookish Delights

• Books added to the pile
• The Dragon's Favorite Strays (Fireblood Dragons #11) by Ruby Dixon
• Currently reading
• Knead for Speed by Lindsay Buroker