Book three in the Via Daemonia series, Bulldog is releasing today on Amazon. Lucky and Bear are already available. I recommend all three. I love that the heroes are on the mature side. Each is very well written and the plots are interesting. But the real strength here is the characters. Each of the characters has a distinct personality with layers upon layers. They are people who could and would exist in real life and they stay true to themselves. A character in this series never takes any action that would be out of keeping with how they are portrayed to be.
The way they interact is the best of the Found Family trope. Found family is a major theme in these books. Blood isn't the only indicator of parenthood; many of the children in this series are adopted and the bonds are strong.
Full disclosure: I recently started being Elise's Alpha Reader, but we have never met in person. I didn't know her prior to reviewing these books. Wait until you see what she has in store next!
First off, the Book of the Week, Bulldog:
Bulldog is available TODAY. Click on the photo for a link to see him on Amazon!
Book 3: Bulldog
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cat’s Stats
MMC/FMC- Bulldog and Abby
Genre- MC Romance
Length- 12 chapters; 333 pages
Heat- more sweet than heat because of the need for slow burn due to Abby’s past history and the need to accommodate Abby’s triggers. There is a very hot male striptease, though.
Series? Y
Safety? N. No cheating, though
Triggers- more triggers than an NRA convention, including but not limited to references to the following: Abuse, Cult Life, Non Consensual Pregnancy/Breeding, Religious Abuse, S.A., S.A. of a Minor, Torture, Trafficking. There’s also murder, violence, and zex.
Tropes- Abused Heroine On The Run; Adoption; Adorable Moppet; Codependency; First Love, Second Chance; Soulmates
Mewsings
What an incredible book! It’s definitely heavier on the romance than the heat, although the zexytime is there after a slow burn. The striptease that Bulldog performs for Abby is one of the more original zexytime elements that I’ve read, and very much a Fanservice (thank you, Elise) and zexy as all get out. But the zexytime scene is really about him cherishing her.
And the romance! *sigh*. It’s just breathtaking. I love a good First Love, Second Chance story. Their love is all encompassing, and has been since they were in Kindergarten together and he lost his heart to her. They have been emotionally faithful to each other, and are soulmates. The author does a wonderful job of making the reader feel and believe in that love, and it is so beautiful that at times it made my heart hurt.
And Scar! Swoon I heart Scar. He is the ultimate man of mystery who just... appears and does his devastating thing, then, just as silently is suddenly gone. When he lays a single hand on top of someone's shoulder, it's like he's giving them the tenderest of hugs and he empathizes with their deepest feelings. He almost never speaks, but he manages to convey entire conversations with every sigh or gesture (although , who knows, he might could be just thinking he'd like a sandwich. But he seems deep). He makes me want to sit next to him and take away his pain. For he is burdened by the pain of what he went through in the military, with an unhealthy dose of survivor's guilt. We learn a little more about him in this book because Bulldog knew him before he went through hell. And then he breaks my heart. Oh, Scar....
Not gonna lie, this book was not easy to read because of the emotional intensity and the many triggers. It’s sometimes difficult to read past those triggers. But they are not gratuitous, and are an important element of the story. And reading this book is definitely worth it. A good book is one that makes you feel, in which case this is a great book, because it hit me in the full range of emotion, from despair to delight. If you can handle the triggers, I highly recommend this book. The whole series is excellent thus far.
Lucky is available now. Click the photo to see the book on Amazon!
Book 1: Lucky
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cat’s Stats
MMC/FMC- Lucky and Harper
Genre- MC Romance
Length- 14 chapters; around 330 pages
Heat- 🌋🌋🌋🌋 They do the things and use the P word whilst naming the parts.
Series? Y; 1st book in series
Safety? N. Discussion of trafficking and S.A.
Triggers- Language, violence, explicit erotic content, abuse, kidnapping, police brutality.
Tropes- Instalove, Single Dad, Age Gap, Suspense, Found Family.
Mewsings
What I liked- The characters were great and Scotty, Lucky's brother and adoptive son is the shining star of the series. He was a delight. I liked that a character with Down’s Syndrome was portrayed in such a positive and respectful manner. Each of the MC members had a distinct personality and I’m already looking forward to reading more about them. And Lucky is amazing. Talk about your book boyfriends…. Speaking of book boyfriends, there's the dark star of the series, Scar, who is like a hotter, silent Batman. When he lays a single hand upon Harper's shoulder- happy sigh- I definitely want to know more about him.
Bear is available now. Clicking on the photo will take you to his Amazon page!
Book 2: Bear
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Cat’s Stats
MMC/FMC- Bear, a nurse and MC member and Tessa, an emergency room doctor.
Genre- MC Romance
Length- 14 chapters; about 330 pages
Heat- 🌋🌋🌋 with occasional use of the P word.
Series? Y
Safety? N (see triggers)
Triggers- Trafficking, S.A. of a minor (off page), discussion of S.A., vigilantism, graphic violence, torture, language, explicit erotic content. Basically, more triggery than Roy Rogers.
Tropes- this book wasn’t overly riddled with tropes. One Night Stand, Surprise Pregnancy, Age Gap, Found Family, Dysfunctional Family FTW.
Mewsings
I like Bear. He's sweet and cuddly and totally Badass. I've officially added him to my harem (hizem) of book boyfriends, although I am saving a starring place for Scar. longing sigh. Scar, my ninja sweetie...
One of the tougher topics to deal with is the trafficking and S.A. of a minor. The author handles this with sensitivity and gives Bree, the minor in question a quiet dignity. Bree absolutely breaks my heart and I love her. Breaks. My. Heart.
This book was more plot than hot, although it was about average in the heat department. It was very eventful, with lots of action. Never was this book boring. When I got about halfway through reading, I thought, “Oh no! There’s only half the book to go!” because I liked it so much and didn’t want it to end. I really like this series. And Scotty and Scar are my favorites. I heart them.
I received advance review copies of these books for free, and this is my honest, freely given opinion. I am not compensated for my reviews in any way.
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