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Bewitched and Bewildered #1
My Commander
When the topic of grandchildren comes up during a weekly sewing circle, the matriarchs of the founding families seek out the witch Elder to scry to see if their sons' have mates. They are shocked to discover that many of their sons' mates are out in the world! Fearing that their future daughter in laws will end up dead before being claimed and providing them with grandchildren to spoil, they convince their own mates that something must be done. After gathering all of the warriors together in a fake award ceremony, the witch Elder casts a spell to pull the warrior’s mates to them, whether they want it or not. Aiden McKenzie is adamant that he doesn’t need a mate and that she would only get in the way. He doesn’t have time to coddle a female. He likes his world run with military precision. Little does he realize, Fate is sending him his mate first! He meets his destined mate Meryn Evans and things go downhill from there. She is the embodiment of chaos. In the first twenty-four hours she kicks, screams and knocks her bear shifting mate unconscious. Eventually they discover that life before finding each other may have been good, but life afterwards is perfect, even if it involves super soaker battles and accidentally discharging hand grenades. Unfortunately the joy of their mating is overshadowed when Aiden and Meryn find themselves embroiled in a missing persons case assigned to Aiden by the Lycaonian Council. By assisting Aiden, Meryn finds herself the focus of a demented killer. Can Aiden and the elite warriors from the Alpha Unit keep Meryn safe? Or did Fate bring her to Lycaonia to die?
280 pages, Paperback
First published October 3, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,544 reviews
May 9, 2023
4.5 Meryn The Menace Stars
*Spoilers*
Reread 10/15/2017
reread 5/9/2023
"You locked her in the trunk?!" "She was kicking me." Aiden protested. "She is human and half your size!" "You don't understand, she is a terrorist!"- Aiden's mom and Aiden
My God I freakin' loved this book. My Commander has to be one of the funniest books, I have read in a really long time. This book was hilarious. Like I was losing my shit, laughing so hard, tears ran down my face, and twice I had a hard time catching my breath, hilarious! I loved everything about this book. Low on drama, and angst. I loved the paranormal world it built, loved the plot, all the secondary characters, and I really loved Meryn and Aiden!
"You're so cute." She smiled up at him. Aiden was glad to see that the traces of fear were gone. He frowned
down at her. "I am not cute. I am a ferocious killing machine. Paranormals everywhere tremble before me." "My teddy bear." She pulled on his shirt until he was bent down enough to reach her lips and kissed him. He looked over to see Colton about to say something. "Not a motherfucking word." He warned.-Meryn and Aiden
My Aiden:
"Tell me what scares you and I'll kill it."- Aiden
Hot damn Aiden was everything you want in a shifter mate. Sexy, kick ass, protective, possessive, and completely devoted to his mate. Though Aiden is rough around the edges, and has no clue how to be in a relationship or deal with a woman, he has a very sweet side. Aiden strikes fear into the hearts of all, but to Meryn he is just a big growly teddy bear.
"You're my mate and I say this with all sincerity. You are not sexy, at all. You are like a feisty little spitfire and that's okay. You're completely different and half of what you say I don't understand, but I wouldn't have you any other way."
"I have been fighting all my life, protecting my people, keeping the city safe. Every single day. I just didn't know that I was doing it for you."
My Meryn:
"You made an enemy today." Adelaide warned. Meryn shrugged. "I can live with that. It's a good thing this thing wrapped at three, I was two seconds away from throat punching that bitch. How can you stand her?"-Adelaide and Meryn
Meryn was my favorite character of the whole book. I loved Meryn so much. She was quirky, geeky, and eccentric. Meryn had no fliter on her mouth at all. OMG the things that came out her mouth. Meryn was a bit of a trouble maker. She may have been introverted, but she didn't let anyone give her shit! Meryn was a well developed and hilarious character. She made the book for me.
"Why are you being loud? Is it fun being so loud, this early in the morning? Do you know what happens to loud morning people? They die. They die horrible deaths, mutilated in their sleep and are then buried with their balls in their loud fucking mouths." Meryn glared at him through half shut eyes. The men gulped.
"The few times I have met some of you I have either been crying due to an attack or laughing at the ball. Just so we are all clear, that isn't the real me. The real me is a cranky, psychopathic bitch who is extremely possessive of anything that I deem of as mine; Aiden being one of the most important things that belong to me. And since he isn't able to give you orders right now, you'll have to make do with me. I want the ferals responsible for hurting Aiden found and eliminated. They pose a threat to the city and the people I have actually come to like and that's not acceptable."
"Unpleasant? My eyes are watering, it smells like Cheetos. Cheetos and hot ass!" Meryn covered her nose with her hand. "Agggh! It's so strong I can taste it!" Meryn wiped her tongue on her sleeve.
"Oh. I kinda accepted that I'm stuck with you." Meryn picked up a breadstick to munch on until her stomach calmed down. "Because I'm your destined mate?" Aiden teased. "No, because I love you and I am horribly possessive. I'm never letting you go. So even if Fate made a mistake she can kiss my ass." -Meryn and Aiden
Even though there is some detailed sex in this book it was low on the passion scale, but I was okay with that because Meryn and Aiden had a very sweet relationship. It was an insta-love but I almost always expect that with PNR books. This book was so much fun to read. I didn't just fall in love with the main couple, I fell in love with Aiden's parents, and his men. OMG the tampon trip was so damn funny I thought I was going to pass out from lack of oxygen. A really great read. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
"He is more like Yogi Bear than Superman." Gavriel informed her without cracking a smile. "And you're more like ..." Aiden began. "Don't. Don't say it. Any comparisons made to certain sparkly vampires will be met with a slow death."-Gavriel and Aiden
*Spoilers*
Reread 10/15/2017
reread 5/9/2023
"You locked her in the trunk?!" "She was kicking me." Aiden protested. "She is human and half your size!" "You don't understand, she is a terrorist!"- Aiden's mom and Aiden
My God I freakin' loved this book. My Commander has to be one of the funniest books, I have read in a really long time. This book was hilarious. Like I was losing my shit, laughing so hard, tears ran down my face, and twice I had a hard time catching my breath, hilarious! I loved everything about this book. Low on drama, and angst. I loved the paranormal world it built, loved the plot, all the secondary characters, and I really loved Meryn and Aiden!
"You're so cute." She smiled up at him. Aiden was glad to see that the traces of fear were gone. He frowned
down at her. "I am not cute. I am a ferocious killing machine. Paranormals everywhere tremble before me." "My teddy bear." She pulled on his shirt until he was bent down enough to reach her lips and kissed him. He looked over to see Colton about to say something. "Not a motherfucking word." He warned.-Meryn and Aiden
My Aiden:
"Tell me what scares you and I'll kill it."- Aiden
Hot damn Aiden was everything you want in a shifter mate. Sexy, kick ass, protective, possessive, and completely devoted to his mate. Though Aiden is rough around the edges, and has no clue how to be in a relationship or deal with a woman, he has a very sweet side. Aiden strikes fear into the hearts of all, but to Meryn he is just a big growly teddy bear.
"You're my mate and I say this with all sincerity. You are not sexy, at all. You are like a feisty little spitfire and that's okay. You're completely different and half of what you say I don't understand, but I wouldn't have you any other way."
"I have been fighting all my life, protecting my people, keeping the city safe. Every single day. I just didn't know that I was doing it for you."
My Meryn:
"You made an enemy today." Adelaide warned. Meryn shrugged. "I can live with that. It's a good thing this thing wrapped at three, I was two seconds away from throat punching that bitch. How can you stand her?"-Adelaide and Meryn
Meryn was my favorite character of the whole book. I loved Meryn so much. She was quirky, geeky, and eccentric. Meryn had no fliter on her mouth at all. OMG the things that came out her mouth. Meryn was a bit of a trouble maker. She may have been introverted, but she didn't let anyone give her shit! Meryn was a well developed and hilarious character. She made the book for me.
"Why are you being loud? Is it fun being so loud, this early in the morning? Do you know what happens to loud morning people? They die. They die horrible deaths, mutilated in their sleep and are then buried with their balls in their loud fucking mouths." Meryn glared at him through half shut eyes. The men gulped.
"The few times I have met some of you I have either been crying due to an attack or laughing at the ball. Just so we are all clear, that isn't the real me. The real me is a cranky, psychopathic bitch who is extremely possessive of anything that I deem of as mine; Aiden being one of the most important things that belong to me. And since he isn't able to give you orders right now, you'll have to make do with me. I want the ferals responsible for hurting Aiden found and eliminated. They pose a threat to the city and the people I have actually come to like and that's not acceptable."
"Unpleasant? My eyes are watering, it smells like Cheetos. Cheetos and hot ass!" Meryn covered her nose with her hand. "Agggh! It's so strong I can taste it!" Meryn wiped her tongue on her sleeve.
"Oh. I kinda accepted that I'm stuck with you." Meryn picked up a breadstick to munch on until her stomach calmed down. "Because I'm your destined mate?" Aiden teased. "No, because I love you and I am horribly possessive. I'm never letting you go. So even if Fate made a mistake she can kiss my ass." -Meryn and Aiden
Even though there is some detailed sex in this book it was low on the passion scale, but I was okay with that because Meryn and Aiden had a very sweet relationship. It was an insta-love but I almost always expect that with PNR books. This book was so much fun to read. I didn't just fall in love with the main couple, I fell in love with Aiden's parents, and his men. OMG the tampon trip was so damn funny I thought I was going to pass out from lack of oxygen. A really great read. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
"He is more like Yogi Bear than Superman." Gavriel informed her without cracking a smile. "And you're more like ..." Aiden began. "Don't. Don't say it. Any comparisons made to certain sparkly vampires will be met with a slow death."-Gavriel and Aiden
November 29, 2018
There are two different camps on this book. The first camp is those who love it because it is the funniest book ever. Then there is the second camp who use words in their reviews like stupid, infantile, immature, ridiculous, and annoying. In my opinion, both camps are completely right. Yes, it's some of the most outrageously ridiculous over-the-top unbelievable stuff you will ever read, but if you are in the right mind-frame (meaning: check your brain at the door), you will be laughing your head off.
This is a shifter-romance between a bear-shifter who is a military commander at a paranormal colony, and a human. The human female is named Meryn, and yes, with my bad eyesight I was calling her "Mervyn" for the first half of the book. Meryn is a menace. She has no filter and is actually not safe for society, so it's a good thing these shifters took her in. Actually, her mate, Aiden, basically kidnaps her at first and tells her that he is her mate. Yeah, that went about as well as you might think:
Meryn: "“I don't want to go down the hole! I won't put lotion on the skin! Look at me, you won't be able to wear my skin, I won't cover your huge ass!�
She does what any normal woman would do in these circumstances and hits him in the head with the toilet lid and runs for it.
That doesn't work.
"You locked her in the trunk?!" "She was kicking me." Aiden protested. "She is human and half your size!" "You don't understand, she is a terrorist!"- Aiden's mom and Aiden
This book had me laughing so hard. These paranormal military guys have no idea what humans are like. They are the kind of clueless that is hilarious. At one point, they find out the joy that is the human female's monthly cycle and they are sent to the store for tampons. Men love when we send them out for tampons!
Dude, it's not like they think the tampons are for you!
But, not Aiden's crew. They treat it like a military mission and I was dying laughing throughout the whole thing. These guys are awesomely stupid!
Which brings me to the part where I tell you that if you decide to read this series, you need to forget all about your problems with insta-love, plot-holes, unrealistic everything, and just about everything else that has bothered you in the past. Think of it as eating candy or junk. It's not going to give you any nutrition, but you will still enjoy the experience.
If this were true, I might actually watch that movie. Just them eating crap the whole time. It would be an improvement, I'm sure.
(Yes, I read the book. If the books are always better than the movies, FSoG must be the most cringe-worthy movie of all time.)
This is a shifter-romance between a bear-shifter who is a military commander at a paranormal colony, and a human. The human female is named Meryn, and yes, with my bad eyesight I was calling her "Mervyn" for the first half of the book. Meryn is a menace. She has no filter and is actually not safe for society, so it's a good thing these shifters took her in. Actually, her mate, Aiden, basically kidnaps her at first and tells her that he is her mate. Yeah, that went about as well as you might think:
Meryn: "“I don't want to go down the hole! I won't put lotion on the skin! Look at me, you won't be able to wear my skin, I won't cover your huge ass!�
She does what any normal woman would do in these circumstances and hits him in the head with the toilet lid and runs for it.
That doesn't work.
"You locked her in the trunk?!" "She was kicking me." Aiden protested. "She is human and half your size!" "You don't understand, she is a terrorist!"- Aiden's mom and Aiden
This book had me laughing so hard. These paranormal military guys have no idea what humans are like. They are the kind of clueless that is hilarious. At one point, they find out the joy that is the human female's monthly cycle and they are sent to the store for tampons. Men love when we send them out for tampons!
Dude, it's not like they think the tampons are for you!
But, not Aiden's crew. They treat it like a military mission and I was dying laughing throughout the whole thing. These guys are awesomely stupid!
Which brings me to the part where I tell you that if you decide to read this series, you need to forget all about your problems with insta-love, plot-holes, unrealistic everything, and just about everything else that has bothered you in the past. Think of it as eating candy or junk. It's not going to give you any nutrition, but you will still enjoy the experience.
If this were true, I might actually watch that movie. Just them eating crap the whole time. It would be an improvement, I'm sure.
(Yes, I read the book. If the books are always better than the movies, FSoG must be the most cringe-worthy movie of all time.)
July 19, 2020
Why the murderous crustaceans read this suspiciously non-crappy PNR book in its entire entirety, didn’t feel like killing it with fire using their waterproof flamethrowers in the process, and quite shockingly ended up rating it 4 bloody shrimping stars:
� Because it's so beautifully OTT you cannot NOT find it hilarious. Strangely enough, some of mydear barnacled friends thought the book was "beyond stupid" and "just too ridiculous." But I tolerate love them anyway. I mean, it's not their fault their despicable book taste is doubled with an acute ability to read books wrong and tripled with a total lack of sense of humor, right? Right. Moving on.
� Meryn, our most delightful heroine is a slightly irritating, foul-mouthed, hyper, childish nerd with deliciously violent tendencies. She loves to hit people with backs of toilets, too. What the bloody fish is not to love about that?!
Meet Brenda theCheerleader Shrimpleader. Can you tell she's one of Meryn's biggest fans?
� Supposedly Super Tough Military Type Dudes (SSTMTD�) discussing menstrual cycles and going to the grocery store on Buy Tampons Emergency Missions (BTEM�). Some of the mostest hilariousest scenes the crustaceans and I ever read. I kid you not. Actually, my murderous babies and my little self laughed so hard while reading this book that there is a slight possibility we might have caused a tiny tsunami in Japan. Oops.
� Rabid barnacles in heat, begone! Okay, this is PNR so sex scenes are kinda sorta mandatory, but at least Meryn and Aiden don't go at it every two bloody shrimping seconds like, you know, rabid barnacles in heat and stuff. Which it's quite refreshing. And stuff.
� Thrash the somewhat infuriating PNR tropes to death! No bigotry! No objectification of thegentler tougher sex! No demeaning behavior towards women! No lack of consent crap and/or romanticized rapey behavior! A heroine with a brain! *quadruple checks this really really really really truly verily is PNR* Turns out it really really really really truly verily is *slightly faints* *kinda sorta regains consciousness* I think this calls for a celebratory dance, my Little Barnacles!
Don't ask. Please. Just don't.
� And the moral of this No, Fluffy Siberian Bunnies did NOT Hack my Account and this Really is Little Nefarious Me Rating this Book 4 Revolting Stars Crappy Non Review (NFSBdNHmAatRiLNMRtB4RSCNR�) is: it seemsone some PNR authors actually have more than two grey cells, a sense of humour AND do not take themselves seriously. Sweet merciless shrimp! Pretty sure this is the end of the world as we know it, my Tiny Decapods. It was not nice knowing you and stuff!
[Pre-review nonsense]
Bloody shrimping hell, I slightly enjoyed a Freaking PNR Novel (ʱ鱷�).
� Semi-Full Some PNR Authors Actually Have a Sense of Humor and Manage NOT to Write Crap that Makes Feminism Want to Commit Suicide and Stuff Well I'll Be Damned Crappy Non Review (SPNRAAHaSoHaMNtWCtMFWtCSaSWIBDCNR�) to come. If I ever recover from this somewhat unexpected, traumatizing turn of events, that is.
P.S. I'm, as usual, innocent as a newborn lamb. This is all belrenda's fault.
� Because it's so beautifully OTT you cannot NOT find it hilarious. Strangely enough, some of my
� Meryn, our most delightful heroine is a slightly irritating, foul-mouthed, hyper, childish nerd with deliciously violent tendencies. She loves to hit people with backs of toilets, too. What the bloody fish is not to love about that?!
Meet Brenda the
� Supposedly Super Tough Military Type Dudes (SSTMTD�) discussing menstrual cycles and going to the grocery store on Buy Tampons Emergency Missions (BTEM�). Some of the mostest hilariousest scenes the crustaceans and I ever read. I kid you not. Actually, my murderous babies and my little self laughed so hard while reading this book that there is a slight possibility we might have caused a tiny tsunami in Japan. Oops.
� Rabid barnacles in heat, begone! Okay, this is PNR so sex scenes are kinda sorta mandatory, but at least Meryn and Aiden don't go at it every two bloody shrimping seconds like, you know, rabid barnacles in heat and stuff. Which it's quite refreshing. And stuff.
� Thrash the somewhat infuriating PNR tropes to death! No bigotry! No objectification of the
Don't ask. Please. Just don't.
� And the moral of this No, Fluffy Siberian Bunnies did NOT Hack my Account and this Really is Little Nefarious Me Rating this Book 4 Revolting Stars Crappy Non Review (NFSBdNHmAatRiLNMRtB4RSCNR�) is: it seems
[Pre-review nonsense]
Bloody shrimping hell, I slightly enjoyed a Freaking PNR Novel (ʱ鱷�).
� Semi-Full Some PNR Authors Actually Have a Sense of Humor and Manage NOT to Write Crap that Makes Feminism Want to Commit Suicide and Stuff Well I'll Be Damned Crappy Non Review (SPNRAAHaSoHaMNtWCtMFWtCSaSWIBDCNR�) to come. If I ever recover from this somewhat unexpected, traumatizing turn of events, that is.
P.S. I'm, as usual, innocent as a newborn lamb. This is all belrenda's fault.
November 20, 2023
I just happened across this series, and decided to take a risk. I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book 📙 �. I needed something more on the lighter side …�.
I loved the new world I had seem to fall into, I believe this author has started building a great new world
May I be the first to welcome you to Lycaonia, one of four hidden paranormal cities in the United States."
There are four major paranormal cities, they call them pillar cities. Lycaonia is the shifter city; Noctem Falls is the vampire city; Danu Éire is the fae city; and Storm Keep is the witches' city. Each city is home to a four person council that rules thier people. The council in each city has one council member from each race represented
Meryn Evans, holy hell the woman Just cracks me up. The things that she says and does is beyond hilarious. �..
Within 15 minutes of meeting her so called mate. She more or less beat him to a pulp with a tank lid to escape his room and she almost made it out of his house. She Dented his car Trying to escape from him there as well…�..
Yeah they may have had a rocky start, but somehow they fit together
If you are looking for a very light paranormal read where the plot stayed light & the characters stayed fun and entertaining to the end. Oh and a very sexy and big, strong, possessive Alpha Shifter hero ..You are in the right place.
May 2, 2016
I am so fucking glad I finished this book. I was looking for something light and fun but this one was just beyond stupid. First we have the insta-love which I hate but was still willing to give it a try. Then we have the heroine who was a complete idiot. What was she, thirty something? She acted like a fucking teenager. One juvenile thing after another. Nothing she did made any sense. Even the hero was annoying at times. Nope, I'm not reading this series. I honestly don't think my brain could stand it.
December 20, 2016
DNF at 10%
This is just too ridiculous.
This is just too ridiculous.
May 1, 2016
4.5 Stars
Basic Info
�
Standalone or Part of a Series:
MF, Ménage, etc.:
POV:
�
Triggers:
Cheating:
Descriptive Sex with OW/OM:
HEA:
Safety Gang Notes:
Personal Overview
This book really cracked me up, I found myself constantly laughing, it was one of the most hilarious books I have ever read! The main story is the meet and development of Aiden and Meryn’s relationship. Aiden is every bit of his paper as Alpha and Commander to the shifter community, he is loyal, brave, protective, possessive but with a hidden soft side, especially for his mate. Meryl is sassy, geeky, quirky, protective and brutally honest, and bit of a kickass as we see in the end of the book. They are a sweet couple, and their contrasts were adorable, especially the way the H never was afraid to admit his mistakes, not longer after committing them. A big part of the story, as is normal in the first book of a series, is the getting to know all the characters, and the stage for the development of the storyline. Since this introduction is made trough Meryn’s eyes, we see the effort she is putting in getting integrated in this group, and her future reality, which is good to note that she didn't put out much resistance. Her immediate acceptance of her new role and life was surprising. It is a very low angst read, and although there is descriptive sex scenes, the steam level is also not high. But that's ok, in this case the amount of humor compensates that. ;) I loved the secondary characters, there’s a lot of potential for the next books, so I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
Basic Info
�
Standalone or Part of a Series:
MF, Ménage, etc.:
POV:
�
Triggers:
Cheating:
Descriptive Sex with OW/OM:
HEA:
Safety Gang Notes:
Personal Overview
This book really cracked me up, I found myself constantly laughing, it was one of the most hilarious books I have ever read! The main story is the meet and development of Aiden and Meryn’s relationship. Aiden is every bit of his paper as Alpha and Commander to the shifter community, he is loyal, brave, protective, possessive but with a hidden soft side, especially for his mate. Meryl is sassy, geeky, quirky, protective and brutally honest, and bit of a kickass as we see in the end of the book. They are a sweet couple, and their contrasts were adorable, especially the way the H never was afraid to admit his mistakes, not longer after committing them. A big part of the story, as is normal in the first book of a series, is the getting to know all the characters, and the stage for the development of the storyline. Since this introduction is made trough Meryn’s eyes, we see the effort she is putting in getting integrated in this group, and her future reality, which is good to note that she didn't put out much resistance. Her immediate acceptance of her new role and life was surprising. It is a very low angst read, and although there is descriptive sex scenes, the steam level is also not high. But that's ok, in this case the amount of humor compensates that. ;) I loved the secondary characters, there’s a lot of potential for the next books, so I look forward to reading the rest of the series.
“It's the first time you've called me your mate." He beamed at his parents.
"Oh. I kinda accepted that I'm stuck with you." Meryn picked up a breadstick to munch on until her stomach calmed down.
"Because I'm your destined mate?" Aiden teased.
"No, because I love you and I am horribly possessive. I'm never letting you go. So even if Fate made a mistake she can kiss my ass." (Aiden and Meryn)
May 29, 2015
★★★★ 4 Shape-shifter stars ★★★★
My Commander really was a very light paranormal read where the plot stayed light & the characters stayed fun and entertaining to the end.
Will defiantly be reading book 2 ! I loved every one of the secondary characters so far,which in itself is a very RARE case ! At times the characters were down right hilarious..
What are these? They look like scars." Meryn glanced down and realized he was talking about her stretch marks. Had he never seen stretch marks before?�
“Those are called stretch marks."
"Stretch marks? How did you get them?"
"Human females get them when we grow. If we grow too fast our skin rips apart and heals. It's a very painful process." Meryn lied through her teeth. There was no way she was going to discuss stretch marks after the most mind blowing sex of her life. Nope. Wasn't going to happen. Aiden's expression became reverent.
"Human females are amazing creatures, you endure so much pain yet are so fragile." He kissed each shiny line.
I'm going to hell.
Lol..Cant believe he bought that XD
The only thing that left me slightly peveed, was the fact that this book lacked a proper ending and epilogue.I get that My Commander is a part of an elaborate series but I still think the ending could have been handled a bit better.It was way to abrupt and lacked proper closure.
Oh well You cant always have them all..*shrug*
My Commander really was a very light paranormal read where the plot stayed light & the characters stayed fun and entertaining to the end.
Will defiantly be reading book 2 ! I loved every one of the secondary characters so far,which in itself is a very RARE case ! At times the characters were down right hilarious..
What are these? They look like scars." Meryn glanced down and realized he was talking about her stretch marks. Had he never seen stretch marks before?�
“Those are called stretch marks."
"Stretch marks? How did you get them?"
"Human females get them when we grow. If we grow too fast our skin rips apart and heals. It's a very painful process." Meryn lied through her teeth. There was no way she was going to discuss stretch marks after the most mind blowing sex of her life. Nope. Wasn't going to happen. Aiden's expression became reverent.
"Human females are amazing creatures, you endure so much pain yet are so fragile." He kissed each shiny line.
I'm going to hell.
Lol..Cant believe he bought that XD
The only thing that left me slightly peveed, was the fact that this book lacked a proper ending and epilogue.I get that My Commander is a part of an elaborate series but I still think the ending could have been handled a bit better.It was way to abrupt and lacked proper closure.
Oh well You cant always have them all..*shrug*
May 21, 2018
I'm not usually the type to read a book with a faceless hunk of chiseled man-meat on the cover, but a friend of mine recommended this book to me and said that it was, quote, "fucking hilarious". And I love a good chuckle, so I accepted her challenge and read it.
I didn't find it nearly as humorous as she did, though one section did have me giggling up a storm at 1:30 in the morning... but it was ONLY that section that I found actually funny. The rest of the book, I was too preoccupied with thoughts of "What the fuck even is happening??" to find much of it all that funny.
I don't even know how to describe this book. I was trying to describe it at my bookclub, but there's just so much ridiculous packed into this pretty short book that explaining it feels like it would take more time than actually reading it would. This book is over the top ridiculous, and most of that ridiculousness is simply due to the lack of depth - by which I mean that the author wrote a quirky and memorable main character in Meryn... and then just plopped her down in a bunch of scenes with stuff happening, and that's about it.
There wasn't a cohesive story. There wasn't really any plot to speak of. There were really insanely weird timelines going on. At one point, something that felt like mere moments to the reader was described as being several hours. Days of time (apparently?) would pass in the blink of an eye. Yet Meryn's menstrual cycle felt like it was playing out in real time, because it was convenient to the sexual tension and humor and whatnot.
This weirdness of pacing really enhanced the What-the-fuckery of the insta-love. And that's the least of my concerns about it, actually. As we enter nitpick mode, I am reminded of why I don't read much PNR anymore. I am not judging anyone who likes PNR, or ANYTHING, to be clear. Read what you like, and more power to you. But I just find it so hard to enjoy something that is so unlike how any real person would be. (And just so we're all on the same page, that "real person" would be me, because of course I judge every character's realistic-ness based on my own perspective and experiences and such.)
So, Mama Bear (meaning the main hunk of man-meat's actual real mother who is also a Bear-shifter) wants grandbabies, so the matriarch sewing circle (O_O) casts a spell to draw their kids' mates to them from wherever in the world they happen to be. Aiden's mate is Meryn, a human. She is compelled (by "Fate" with a capital F) to move to a "random" area, and then go exploring that area... where she is kidnapped by Aiden's Unit, all paranormals, and basically from that point on is married to the guy, whether she likes it or not. Though, not to worry, she starts to like it so fast your head will spin.
Here's my issue... She isn't able to consent. "Fate" (though I call it magic) takes her choice away from her. If it was really fate, she would have encountered him on her own, and fallen for him. But being compelled to move, compelled to scale a 10 foot security fence surrounding who-knows-what because she is compelled to "explore" the area isn't so much fate as it is magical force. I know that in 2014 when this was written, consent wasn't as big a deal as it has become in the last couple years... but it should have been. And stripping someone of their ability to consent to entering into a relationship, one they didn't even know was possible, and can't POSSIBLY know the implications of, is a violation, even if you conveniently call it "Fate" that it happened.
And not only that, but then once "Fate" got her there, she was physically kidnapped and prevented from leaving. Her Stockholm Syndrome kicked in uber-fast, so she wasn't a prisoner for long, but she was never able to actively choose herself whether she wanted to be mated to this dude, his family, his community, his WORLD.
She starts "falling in love" with him because he makes her feel safe. He protects her. He would never let anything hurt her. He even pulls his military unit away from their actual real job of protecting the city to being Meryn's bodyguards. To protect her around the clock. From what? As far as anyone knows, she was never in danger (unless you count living in a rough neighborhood) before she met him, and then for some reason became the target of the EVIL-BAD-FERALS who kill because they like it. Umm... OK... so, WHY MERYN? Repeatedly? Specifically?
Probably this is addressed later on in the series, but it's just one of those weird gaps that we're supposed to just accept and move on from. Like, oh, the fact that her new Bearfriend (see what I did there?) is like 1200 years old, and she's a human, who will probably only live a few more decades, and then poor Aiden will be alone for however long he lives after her. Unless there's some previously unmentioned proximity life-extender for human mates? Probably.
Or the fact that each Paranormal only has ONE EVER MATE. So... is he a virgin since he'd never encountered his mate up to this point? Because if so, no fucking wonder he kidnapped the girl as soon as he laid eyes on her. (Still not OK though.)
Then there's the issue that for all of Meryn's supposed social-awkwardness and crowd anxiety and general Mary Sueness, she's the one who comes in and says and does just exactly the right thing in every single fucking scene that will either perfectly work out, or fix an issue, or help someone, or make someone else feel better, or whatever. All of the assholes she encounters get embarrassed and all of the nice people have their lives improved in some way by her. Because that's how real life works. Probably.
Anyway, I had a lot of issues with this book... BUT, it was a quick read, and I didn't hate it. I just wish that there was more depth to it. The worldbuilding, the character building, the plotting, the pacing - all of those need a lot of work. But it wasn't terrible. Just not great.
I didn't find it nearly as humorous as she did, though one section did have me giggling up a storm at 1:30 in the morning... but it was ONLY that section that I found actually funny. The rest of the book, I was too preoccupied with thoughts of "What the fuck even is happening??" to find much of it all that funny.
I don't even know how to describe this book. I was trying to describe it at my bookclub, but there's just so much ridiculous packed into this pretty short book that explaining it feels like it would take more time than actually reading it would. This book is over the top ridiculous, and most of that ridiculousness is simply due to the lack of depth - by which I mean that the author wrote a quirky and memorable main character in Meryn... and then just plopped her down in a bunch of scenes with stuff happening, and that's about it.
There wasn't a cohesive story. There wasn't really any plot to speak of. There were really insanely weird timelines going on. At one point, something that felt like mere moments to the reader was described as being several hours. Days of time (apparently?) would pass in the blink of an eye. Yet Meryn's menstrual cycle felt like it was playing out in real time, because it was convenient to the sexual tension and humor and whatnot.
This weirdness of pacing really enhanced the What-the-fuckery of the insta-love. And that's the least of my concerns about it, actually. As we enter nitpick mode, I am reminded of why I don't read much PNR anymore. I am not judging anyone who likes PNR, or ANYTHING, to be clear. Read what you like, and more power to you. But I just find it so hard to enjoy something that is so unlike how any real person would be. (And just so we're all on the same page, that "real person" would be me, because of course I judge every character's realistic-ness based on my own perspective and experiences and such.)
So, Mama Bear (meaning the main hunk of man-meat's actual real mother who is also a Bear-shifter) wants grandbabies, so the matriarch sewing circle (O_O) casts a spell to draw their kids' mates to them from wherever in the world they happen to be. Aiden's mate is Meryn, a human. She is compelled (by "Fate" with a capital F) to move to a "random" area, and then go exploring that area... where she is kidnapped by Aiden's Unit, all paranormals, and basically from that point on is married to the guy, whether she likes it or not. Though, not to worry, she starts to like it so fast your head will spin.
Here's my issue... She isn't able to consent. "Fate" (though I call it magic) takes her choice away from her. If it was really fate, she would have encountered him on her own, and fallen for him. But being compelled to move, compelled to scale a 10 foot security fence surrounding who-knows-what because she is compelled to "explore" the area isn't so much fate as it is magical force. I know that in 2014 when this was written, consent wasn't as big a deal as it has become in the last couple years... but it should have been. And stripping someone of their ability to consent to entering into a relationship, one they didn't even know was possible, and can't POSSIBLY know the implications of, is a violation, even if you conveniently call it "Fate" that it happened.
And not only that, but then once "Fate" got her there, she was physically kidnapped and prevented from leaving. Her Stockholm Syndrome kicked in uber-fast, so she wasn't a prisoner for long, but she was never able to actively choose herself whether she wanted to be mated to this dude, his family, his community, his WORLD.
She starts "falling in love" with him because he makes her feel safe. He protects her. He would never let anything hurt her. He even pulls his military unit away from their actual real job of protecting the city to being Meryn's bodyguards. To protect her around the clock. From what? As far as anyone knows, she was never in danger (unless you count living in a rough neighborhood) before she met him, and then for some reason became the target of the EVIL-BAD-FERALS who kill because they like it. Umm... OK... so, WHY MERYN? Repeatedly? Specifically?
Probably this is addressed later on in the series, but it's just one of those weird gaps that we're supposed to just accept and move on from. Like, oh, the fact that her new Bearfriend (see what I did there?) is like 1200 years old, and she's a human, who will probably only live a few more decades, and then poor Aiden will be alone for however long he lives after her. Unless there's some previously unmentioned proximity life-extender for human mates? Probably.
Or the fact that each Paranormal only has ONE EVER MATE. So... is he a virgin since he'd never encountered his mate up to this point? Because if so, no fucking wonder he kidnapped the girl as soon as he laid eyes on her. (Still not OK though.)
Then there's the issue that for all of Meryn's supposed social-awkwardness and crowd anxiety and general Mary Sueness, she's the one who comes in and says and does just exactly the right thing in every single fucking scene that will either perfectly work out, or fix an issue, or help someone, or make someone else feel better, or whatever. All of the assholes she encounters get embarrassed and all of the nice people have their lives improved in some way by her. Because that's how real life works. Probably.
Anyway, I had a lot of issues with this book... BUT, it was a quick read, and I didn't hate it. I just wish that there was more depth to it. The worldbuilding, the character building, the plotting, the pacing - all of those need a lot of work. But it wasn't terrible. Just not great.
December 25, 2015
(3.5 rounded down to 3 stars.)
My Commander is the perfect example of an interesting premise and a great set of characters wasted by mediocre writing. Not only was the prose overly simplistic and direct, it sometimes skipped over important details, like the setting or other similar descriptions, and this grated on my nerves big time.
For example, in Chapter One, the descriptions of the guys during Meryn’s first encounter with them were murky at best.
Okay, so we’ve established that there was a blond man. Meryn talked to him for a bit, and then:
So there were two blond men. Moving on:
And that was the extent of the details given to describe the men. Wow, that was one accurate piece of shit. What does looking like he “glided over the fallen leaves� mean? And what did that guy look like? What was his hair colour? What about his expressions? His bearing? His attitude?
It didn’t help that the writer referred to “the blond man� and it was all I could do not to tear my hair from my head and point out that there were TWO blond men in the scene. Holy fuck, who the hell was being referred to? Ugh. Come on, these are the fundamentals, for fuck’s sake.
Moreover, I did not appreciate the lack of proper build up for everything in the book. Meryn learned about the shifters and accepted them all in the same chapter! Okay, so there was a melt down at the beginning, but it just took ONE SIMPLE CONVERSATION with Aiden’s mother for her to accept the idea of throwing away everything she has built up in life, become Aiden’s mate, and live in his parents� house. You would think that such a big decision would need more convincing.
Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised when Meryn and Aiden . Apparently, nothing was ever too fast for this book. Ugh. And by the way, Aiden was supposed to dislike the idea of having a mate because it would mess things up in his orderly life (as mentioned in the Prologue), but he never showed any reluctance since the first chapter. None at all. In fact, he was an eager beaver in getting Meryn bound to him. Inconsistent, much?
Okay, after all this bitching, I’m sure you’re all, “Why the three stars, then?� Well, this book got some major brownie points for its great characters. I absolutely loved Meryn. My God, her pop culture references cracked me up big time. How could anyone not appreciate a character who sings to B-52’s, and quips about Star Wars and Silence of the Lambs? I’ll admit, Aiden seemed to fade into the wallpaper when compared to Meryn, but his devotion to her and acceptance of her quirks endeared him to me.
As for the plot, I admit I have a few reservations about it, especially regarding the whole high society shit it's got going on. I'm not convinced that someone as quirky as Meryn could blend well into the ton-ish society of the paranormal locals. That in itself felt rather odd and far-fetched, since the story was set during the modern times.
Overall, this was a nice read. It made me laugh a couple of times, but the bad writing dampened my love for it. I’d still recommend it, though.
My Commander is the perfect example of an interesting premise and a great set of characters wasted by mediocre writing. Not only was the prose overly simplistic and direct, it sometimes skipped over important details, like the setting or other similar descriptions, and this grated on my nerves big time.
For example, in Chapter One, the descriptions of the guys during Meryn’s first encounter with them were murky at best.
She turned to see a tall, blond man with green eyes staring at her with an amused look as he leaned against a... was that an assault rifle?
Okay, so we’ve established that there was a blond man. Meryn talked to him for a bit, and then:
Meryn opened her eyes to see another blond man stepping forward. At first she thought he might be related to the guy holding her, but this man had amber colored eyes, not green. He also had higher cheekbones and fuller lips. It was a gorgeous combination.
So there were two blond men. Moving on:
Out of the woods two more men appeared. One looked like he glided over the fallen leaves; the other trampled through them recklessly his deep blue eyes hard. He looked like he was the type of man who wore a perpetual scowl.
And that was the extent of the details given to describe the men. Wow, that was one accurate piece of shit. What does looking like he “glided over the fallen leaves� mean? And what did that guy look like? What was his hair colour? What about his expressions? His bearing? His attitude?
It didn’t help that the writer referred to “the blond man� and it was all I could do not to tear my hair from my head and point out that there were TWO blond men in the scene. Holy fuck, who the hell was being referred to? Ugh. Come on, these are the fundamentals, for fuck’s sake.
Moreover, I did not appreciate the lack of proper build up for everything in the book. Meryn learned about the shifters and accepted them all in the same chapter! Okay, so there was a melt down at the beginning, but it just took ONE SIMPLE CONVERSATION with Aiden’s mother for her to accept the idea of throwing away everything she has built up in life, become Aiden’s mate, and live in his parents� house. You would think that such a big decision would need more convincing.
Maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised when Meryn and Aiden . Apparently, nothing was ever too fast for this book. Ugh. And by the way, Aiden was supposed to dislike the idea of having a mate because it would mess things up in his orderly life (as mentioned in the Prologue), but he never showed any reluctance since the first chapter. None at all. In fact, he was an eager beaver in getting Meryn bound to him. Inconsistent, much?
Okay, after all this bitching, I’m sure you’re all, “Why the three stars, then?� Well, this book got some major brownie points for its great characters. I absolutely loved Meryn. My God, her pop culture references cracked me up big time. How could anyone not appreciate a character who sings to B-52’s, and quips about Star Wars and Silence of the Lambs? I’ll admit, Aiden seemed to fade into the wallpaper when compared to Meryn, but his devotion to her and acceptance of her quirks endeared him to me.
As for the plot, I admit I have a few reservations about it, especially regarding the whole high society shit it's got going on. I'm not convinced that someone as quirky as Meryn could blend well into the ton-ish society of the paranormal locals. That in itself felt rather odd and far-fetched, since the story was set during the modern times.
Overall, this was a nice read. It made me laugh a couple of times, but the bad writing dampened my love for it. I’d still recommend it, though.
November 18, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. I loved the world building- I could picture the paranormal city when the heroine was seeing it for the first time. I liked Aiden and Meryn and loved the way they reacted to each other. Aiden was a big, strong bear shifter and Meryn is a tiny, human computer genius. They are fated mates and it was fun to watch their relationship grow. There were some very funny parts in this story, but the suspense portion was done well too. I also loved all the guys in Aiden's unit and I liked his brothers too. It's a wonderful book and I'm excited for the next one in the series!
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
March 3, 2016This just wasn't working for me. I'm all for a bit of silliness but this one was over the top and leaning towards stupid.
Didn't like Meryn even a little. No thank you!
Didn't like Meryn even a little. No thank you!
January 17, 2015
Just discovered this series and here's why it kicks so much ass. The heroine is an introverted, brilliant, snarky, antisocial, kind, thoughtful, quick tempered, girl next door type. Quite possibly my favorite. The world in this series is magical with just about every kind of fantasy being imaginable. ALPHAS are the paranormal archetype (good thing). Minimal drama that seems to be just getting started here in the first installment. This book also has all of my other favorite elements: great fraternity of brothers/warriors, a generous dose of comedy, mating/fated mates, & a heroine coming into her own and finding where she belongs.
My hopes for this series is that it has lots of installments, doesn't deviate too much from the formula of this first book, and just keeps getting better (i.e. a few more passionate interactions between H/h).
Kudos to Alanea Alder!!!
My hopes for this series is that it has lots of installments, doesn't deviate too much from the formula of this first book, and just keeps getting better (i.e. a few more passionate interactions between H/h).
Kudos to Alanea Alder!!!
January 13, 2015
I found this to be a more of a YA read. Or maybe I should say, older young adult. There are a couple of mild sex scenes but I don't think in this day and age having a problem with a 15 year old reading this. This book has a very juvenile tone to it. There's nothing challenging or complex about it and it ended up coming off as lame to me.
Quick Rundown: Supposedly Quirky Chick is compelled one day to explore the woods of her new town and comes across a bunch of unknown to her Shifters. Bear Shifting Dude recognizes her as his mate (due to scent and his dreams) and abducts her immediately with the piss poorest explanation of events I have ever read. Once the initial issues get sorted out, this socially awkward Chick proves to be an asset to her new found mate and along with trying to fit into this new society of paranormals, all have to work together to get rid of the Big Bad who's been killing paranormals in a vicious way.
Characterization: Pretty big fail here. Chick is supposed to be 34 years old but she's clearly 27 years old at the most. She ALWAYS says, "yep" and "nope" instead of "yes", "yeah", "no", "nah", or even "nuh huh". That was beyond annoying. Yeps and Nopes are for the sake of emphasis. No one who uses those words uses them exclusively. Dude was very blah and boring. There was a lot of telling instead of showing here and every character interaction was more of an info dump than an actual dialogue. The Big Bad is pretty bad but not resolved in this first installment. Unfortunately, I so don't care about these people or the storyline to even find out any more.
Plot: Snooze... Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. I will say the "Tampon Run" was the ONLY interesting thing in this book.
Writing: Again, very juvenile and simplistic. If it wasn't for the measly two lame-ass sex scenes, I'd recommend to 12 year olds. And this book takes the cake for lack of comma's. I have NEVER read a book where there was such a glaringly lack of comma's. Across the board too, not just in direct address- they were on every fucking page.
Overall: Don't waste your time. There are so many other paranormal books out there that are better. I can't believe I spent $4 on this. I thought that I must have bought it for free through Kindle Unlimited but alas, I spent money on it. *pout*
Quick Rundown: Supposedly Quirky Chick is compelled one day to explore the woods of her new town and comes across a bunch of unknown to her Shifters. Bear Shifting Dude recognizes her as his mate (due to scent and his dreams) and abducts her immediately with the piss poorest explanation of events I have ever read. Once the initial issues get sorted out, this socially awkward Chick proves to be an asset to her new found mate and along with trying to fit into this new society of paranormals, all have to work together to get rid of the Big Bad who's been killing paranormals in a vicious way.
Characterization: Pretty big fail here. Chick is supposed to be 34 years old but she's clearly 27 years old at the most. She ALWAYS says, "yep" and "nope" instead of "yes", "yeah", "no", "nah", or even "nuh huh". That was beyond annoying. Yeps and Nopes are for the sake of emphasis. No one who uses those words uses them exclusively. Dude was very blah and boring. There was a lot of telling instead of showing here and every character interaction was more of an info dump than an actual dialogue. The Big Bad is pretty bad but not resolved in this first installment. Unfortunately, I so don't care about these people or the storyline to even find out any more.
Plot: Snooze... Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. I will say the "Tampon Run" was the ONLY interesting thing in this book.
Writing: Again, very juvenile and simplistic. If it wasn't for the measly two lame-ass sex scenes, I'd recommend to 12 year olds. And this book takes the cake for lack of comma's. I have NEVER read a book where there was such a glaringly lack of comma's. Across the board too, not just in direct address- they were on every fucking page.
Overall: Don't waste your time. There are so many other paranormal books out there that are better. I can't believe I spent $4 on this. I thought that I must have bought it for free through Kindle Unlimited but alas, I spent money on it. *pout*
June 3, 2015
RATING: Between 2.5-3 Hearts! :)
My Commander is a simple, light and fun read. The plot is straight-forward, cheesy, yet enjoyable. The main characters, Meryn and Aiden, are likeable enough, with Meryn's quirky personality (although at times too immature), sassiness and backbone and Aiden's alpha-ness. The secondary characters � from Aiden's brothers in arms to his family � are all wonderful additions, bringing unexpected humour with many a great laugh-out-loud moments and rounding out this read with invigorating family and friendship dynamics, which I absolutely loved.
One major reservation I had is with the rushed and abrupt ending. That sort of ending is expected with light reads � and to a certain extent I was expecting it � but it still left me irritated. In addition, I thought the "mystery" of Meryn's attacker was too easily resolved, making the entire read feel as if hastily wrapped up.
Overall, this is the sort of book to read if you have a few hours to spare and need an in-betweener; a satisfying afternoon read. It is uncomplicated in its execution and writing style, but it is nevertheless entertaining. This is my first Alanea Alder book, but it will not be my last. I am looking forward to the next book!
Posted: May 29, 2015
July 25, 2021
i cannot express in words how much i hated the heroine. she was honestly as tstl as they came. she was apparently smart and funny and beautiful and a tomboy, unlike anyone else and oh so quirky and relatable and not like other girls and everyone just luuuurvvved her squashed cabbage leaf ass but was she really??
she is apart from any female i have ever seen. she may have grown in years but her stupid ass is still stuck at 7. she was so annoying and she honestly checked out everyone but the man that was hers. apparently everyone is just oh so handsome and everyone just wants her bc she is oh so unlike every other female
im sorry but what the fuck?? do you really have to berate every other girl in the vicinity and called them normal and sooo unlike her psychotic ass (who hit her mate with the toilet seat i kid you not) to make her seem likeable??
so this was the story of Aiden and the girl unlike every other female?? or was it Colten and the girl unlike every other female?? no wait... maybe it was Keenen and her or Adam..👀
i saw her more with various guys than who was actually hers like wtf?? did he really come twice in the 80% of the book just to have mediocre sex with her?? and the other times there were just other guys there to comfort her?? i- wow
there was absolutely no chemistry between the characters. the h was shown as a know it all who just knew who needs what and when like pls sensai teach this little grasshopper some skills will you
i could honestly say A LOT rn but here's the only proof im gonna present on the number of brain cells this chick has:
*mic drop*
dnf @84%
yes actually she was.In Belmont is a lady richly left,
And she is fair and—fairer than that word�
Of wondrous virtues. Sometimes from her eyes
I did receive fair speechless messages.
Her name is Portia, nothing undervalued
To Cato’s daughter, Brutus' Portia.
Nor is the wide world ignorant of her worth,
For the four winds blow in from every coast
Renownèd suitors, and her sunny locks
Hang on her temples like a golden fleece
In the land of shifters is a lady with no brain cells left,
And she is dumb and—dumber than that word�
Of wondrous virtues. Sometimes from her eyes
I did receive fair speechless messages of how i should dnf the book.
Her name is idk, nothing undervalued
To a homemade basket of dicks.
Nor is the wide world ignorant of her stupidity,
For the four winds blow in from every coast
Renownèd suitors, and her sunny locks
Hang on her temples like a crown of asshole-ity
she is apart from any female i have ever seen. she may have grown in years but her stupid ass is still stuck at 7. she was so annoying and she honestly checked out everyone but the man that was hers. apparently everyone is just oh so handsome and everyone just wants her bc she is oh so unlike every other female
im sorry but what the fuck?? do you really have to berate every other girl in the vicinity and called them normal and sooo unlike her psychotic ass (who hit her mate with the toilet seat i kid you not) to make her seem likeable??
so this was the story of Aiden and the girl unlike every other female?? or was it Colten and the girl unlike every other female?? no wait... maybe it was Keenen and her or Adam..👀
i saw her more with various guys than who was actually hers like wtf?? did he really come twice in the 80% of the book just to have mediocre sex with her?? and the other times there were just other guys there to comfort her?? i- wow
there was absolutely no chemistry between the characters. the h was shown as a know it all who just knew who needs what and when like pls sensai teach this little grasshopper some skills will you
i could honestly say A LOT rn but here's the only proof im gonna present on the number of brain cells this chick has:
so she's in a military ground and checking out weapons which are all very real. now there is this hand grenade there. she picks it up. removes the pin. and then someone snatches it from her and throws it away and there is like a large explosion. you know what she says to defend her braincells? i thought you could just put the pin back in and nothing would happen.
*mic drop*
dnf @84%
October 29, 2017
**audio reread October 2017 - the narrator was ok at first but definitely grew on me. ***
The ratings for this book was a mixed bag so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. Aiden was an Alpha leader, bear shifter. Maryn was a socially awkward human. The two of them together was a riot. I laughed so hard at some of her antics. The book is the first in a series with the back story unfolding throughout each book. Not enough couple time in my opinion. I liked that there was no cheating or ow/om drama whatsoever. As with a lot of shifter stories, the H was 100% devoted. The h was human but she didn't put up too much fuss about the whole mating/shifter stuff at all. The seconday characters were great. I enjoyed them and that is what has me leaning towards reading the next book. I adored how Aiden's family treated Maryn like she was a daughter/sister. There is a HFN ending with an epilogue that is a set up of the next book.
The ratings for this book was a mixed bag so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised. Aiden was an Alpha leader, bear shifter. Maryn was a socially awkward human. The two of them together was a riot. I laughed so hard at some of her antics. The book is the first in a series with the back story unfolding throughout each book. Not enough couple time in my opinion. I liked that there was no cheating or ow/om drama whatsoever. As with a lot of shifter stories, the H was 100% devoted. The h was human but she didn't put up too much fuss about the whole mating/shifter stuff at all. The seconday characters were great. I enjoyed them and that is what has me leaning towards reading the next book. I adored how Aiden's family treated Maryn like she was a daughter/sister. There is a HFN ending with an epilogue that is a set up of the next book.
November 22, 2015
Pretty good and some parts had me laughing but others even had me tear up.
I actually liked this heroine. She was just so funny., even when she was being silly.
I'd like more couple time but the action and suspense always keeps me engaged.
Safe for me
I actually liked this heroine. She was just so funny., even when she was being silly.
I'd like more couple time but the action and suspense always keeps me engaged.
Safe for me
December 20, 2021
Get it here:
*
Re-read 12/19/2021
*
Re-read 12/19/2021
September 6, 2019
4.5 STARS!!!!
I enjoyed this read immensely! The world Alanea Alder built was full of extraordinary characters, solid storyline, and covered all areas of emotions. I felt excited, intrigue, laughter, sadness, and suspense. I could go on and on�
Meryn is a firecracker! Super intelligent, fierce and has a very sharp tongue! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her. One of the first interactions with her mate she uses the toilet tank lid to escape his room, I mean come on that was genius. Later in the read she has the dreaded Aunt Flow and needs tampons, paranormals don’t have periods so when Aiden takes the entire “Alpha Unit� to “save his mate”…I had tears of laughter.
Aiden is a wonderful alpha character strong, sexy, and possessive. Who doesn’t love that? His reaction to things his human mate has dealt with her whole life is priceless. Poor thing thinks her period is slowly killing her and that her stretch marks were incredibly painful due to her growing so fast (she really pulled one on him with that story lol)
Secondary characters I completely fell in love with. Colton is definitely one of my favorites ( I have not looked at the complete series but I am hoping his story is soon). Aiden’s family is amazing! Jitter Bug coffee shop brings in some interesting fun characters!
If you haven’t read this series�.pick it up!!!!
I enjoyed this read immensely! The world Alanea Alder built was full of extraordinary characters, solid storyline, and covered all areas of emotions. I felt excited, intrigue, laughter, sadness, and suspense. I could go on and on�
Meryn is a firecracker! Super intelligent, fierce and has a very sharp tongue! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE her. One of the first interactions with her mate she uses the toilet tank lid to escape his room, I mean come on that was genius. Later in the read she has the dreaded Aunt Flow and needs tampons, paranormals don’t have periods so when Aiden takes the entire “Alpha Unit� to “save his mate”…I had tears of laughter.
Aiden is a wonderful alpha character strong, sexy, and possessive. Who doesn’t love that? His reaction to things his human mate has dealt with her whole life is priceless. Poor thing thinks her period is slowly killing her and that her stretch marks were incredibly painful due to her growing so fast (she really pulled one on him with that story lol)
Secondary characters I completely fell in love with. Colton is definitely one of my favorites ( I have not looked at the complete series but I am hoping his story is soon). Aiden’s family is amazing! Jitter Bug coffee shop brings in some interesting fun characters!
If you haven’t read this series�.pick it up!!!!
May 31, 2017
4.25 ⭐️!
Thank you Cyndi for loaning me this book.
I couldn't put it down.!! 🙂
"You are my treasure. I would relive those barren centuries a thousand times over without complaint, if I knew I had you waiting for me at the end."
Oh my gosh I freaking LOVE this hero. 😍 He was so sweet, a teddy bear with his mate. And Meryn? She had me laughing so hard with how crazy she was. 😂 although I thought she acted way too young for her age. I kept thinking she was in her early 20s but she was actually 34 years old.
When she sent him to buy tampons and he took the whole unit to the store and they were debating what kind of tampons she needed, they kept talking how there's super plus, plus and leak protection. Oh my god I was laughing so hard. 😂
I can't wait to read about Gavriel, Colton, this hero's brothers more specifically Ben!
Thank you Cyndi for loaning me this book.
I couldn't put it down.!! 🙂
"You are my treasure. I would relive those barren centuries a thousand times over without complaint, if I knew I had you waiting for me at the end."
Oh my gosh I freaking LOVE this hero. 😍 He was so sweet, a teddy bear with his mate. And Meryn? She had me laughing so hard with how crazy she was. 😂 although I thought she acted way too young for her age. I kept thinking she was in her early 20s but she was actually 34 years old.
When she sent him to buy tampons and he took the whole unit to the store and they were debating what kind of tampons she needed, they kept talking how there's super plus, plus and leak protection. Oh my god I was laughing so hard. 😂
I can't wait to read about Gavriel, Colton, this hero's brothers more specifically Ben!
March 7, 2015
I didnt know what to expect when I started this book but it was such a fun surprise. By the end I was totally engaged with all of the characters and this clever storyline. I can't wait to start the next book.
August 20, 2015
goodness I HATED the heroine in this book! The hero was great. But she totally ruined it!
December 6, 2023
I really enjoyed this one, but due to the reviews on book 2, I'm not sure if I should skip it and jump to 3.
August 1, 2015
I really liked it...
This story was great. It had all the thing I adore in a paranormal romance. A big, strong, possessive Alpha Shifter hero and a funny, quirky human heroine. I laughed out loud through most of this story.
Meryn was a little hard to peg. One minute she is self-conscious, the next she is strong and demanding to be heard. She could be manipulative, especially to people she doesn't like. If she does like you she will hold you close to her heart and protect you like a parent does a child.
Aiden is a strong leader who likes to be in control. He does not like it when his mate is in danger so he tries to hide her away safe but Meryn is not one to take a backseat.
The sexy parts were a little slow in coming but the story was strong enough to keep my interest.
Loved the family dynamics and loved all of the other characters introduced throughout the story.
Love your work Ms Alder and will definitely be reading the rest of the series. Can't wait for Book 2.
This story was great. It had all the thing I adore in a paranormal romance. A big, strong, possessive Alpha Shifter hero and a funny, quirky human heroine. I laughed out loud through most of this story.
Meryn was a little hard to peg. One minute she is self-conscious, the next she is strong and demanding to be heard. She could be manipulative, especially to people she doesn't like. If she does like you she will hold you close to her heart and protect you like a parent does a child.
Aiden is a strong leader who likes to be in control. He does not like it when his mate is in danger so he tries to hide her away safe but Meryn is not one to take a backseat.
The sexy parts were a little slow in coming but the story was strong enough to keep my interest.
Loved the family dynamics and loved all of the other characters introduced throughout the story.
Love your work Ms Alder and will definitely be reading the rest of the series. Can't wait for Book 2.
December 4, 2023
I had fun with this one
July 7, 2018
3 stars
This was a funny, fast-paced paranormal romance with a strong and sassy female heroine and a strong alpha shifter hero. I loved the idea behind this series, where the paranormal matriarchs perform a spell for their sons to meet their mates (though that part of the story is only very briefly touched on and if I hadn’t read the blurb I probably would have completely missed it). The story is slightly ridiculous and a bit OTT, with eye rolling moments, and it’s one of those reads where you need to switch off your brain, but it was enjoyable.
Meryn feels compelled to head out and explore the woods near her new home and then feels the need to scale a fence, only to find herself in a whole lot of trouble when she is surrounded by a group of command-looking guys.
One of said hot guys immediately declares her his ‘mate� and drags her off to a secretive, hidden paranormal world that she had no idea existed.
Aiden is a bear shifter and the commander of the Alpha Unit, and his parents are the leaders of their paranormal world. He is strong, protective and possessive and completely alpha, Meryn is brash and bold, a nerdy but proud pop-culture guru, and has zero filter. It’s an explosive combination, and there’s a bit of explaining to do as Meryn is oriented to this new world and her role in it, but she’s surprisingly accepting of it all, and then it’s all on.
It’s all perfect and soulmate-ish pretty much from the get-go, however the main focus of the story is actually Meryn’s introduction into the paranormal rather than the love story, and while the romance is there, it all happens very quickly with not a lot of detail. I can deal with instalove in a paranormal book because there’s usually some sort of supernatural element involved, and though I was loving Aiden’s possessiveness, the “I love you’s� came really quickly and out of nowhere. And Aiden is a lot more absent than what I would have thought. He’s there for the important bits of course, but most of the book is Meryn settling in, meeting new people and figuring out her new world.
This didn’t really bother me, but it did lead to what I struggled with most which was the fact that Meryn was instantly adored by every single person she encountered. Sure, she’s funny, but she’s a 34 year old who acts like a hyperactive teenager and she’s kinda irritating, yet everybody thinks she’s just the greatest thing to ever exist and they love her instantly. There is some animosity, but it’s against the stereotypical bitchy-type character, and even then Meryn behaves in a way toward her that makes her a champion to everybody else. I found that a little hard to swallow � especially when she's so wildly inappropriate in front of the upper-crust society types.
^^^ Funny, but this is the morning after her arrival, and she announces it to her new mate’s men, who proceed to love her unreservedly *sigh*.
And then that ending� .
So I had mixed feelings about this one. It’s more paranormal than romance, but I enjoyed exploring this new world. It’s interesting and diverse, and I really like the exploration of it, though a bit of additional background would have been good. I’m interested in exploring more of this world with the stories of Aiden’s men, though I’d like to see a bit more of the boys in the next story.
3 stars.
This was a funny, fast-paced paranormal romance with a strong and sassy female heroine and a strong alpha shifter hero. I loved the idea behind this series, where the paranormal matriarchs perform a spell for their sons to meet their mates (though that part of the story is only very briefly touched on and if I hadn’t read the blurb I probably would have completely missed it). The story is slightly ridiculous and a bit OTT, with eye rolling moments, and it’s one of those reads where you need to switch off your brain, but it was enjoyable.
Meryn feels compelled to head out and explore the woods near her new home and then feels the need to scale a fence, only to find herself in a whole lot of trouble when she is surrounded by a group of command-looking guys.
“Hello little one. Did you know you're on private property?�
“Really? I had no idea.� Meryn fudged.
He raised an eyebrow. “The ten foot fence right behind you didn't give it away?�
One of said hot guys immediately declares her his ‘mate� and drags her off to a secretive, hidden paranormal world that she had no idea existed.
“I won't become part of the collective. I refuse to have your babies. Resistance isn't futile!�
Aiden is a bear shifter and the commander of the Alpha Unit, and his parents are the leaders of their paranormal world. He is strong, protective and possessive and completely alpha, Meryn is brash and bold, a nerdy but proud pop-culture guru, and has zero filter. It’s an explosive combination, and there’s a bit of explaining to do as Meryn is oriented to this new world and her role in it, but she’s surprisingly accepting of it all, and then it’s all on.
"You're so cute.� She smiled up at him.
Aiden was glad to see that the traces of fear were gone. He frowned down at her. “I am not cute. I am a ferocious killing machine. Paranormals everywhere tremble before me.�
“My teddy bear.� She pulled on his shirt until he was bent down enough to reach her lips and kissed him.
He looked over to see Colton about to say something. “Not a motherfucking word." He warned.
It’s all perfect and soulmate-ish pretty much from the get-go, however the main focus of the story is actually Meryn’s introduction into the paranormal rather than the love story, and while the romance is there, it all happens very quickly with not a lot of detail. I can deal with instalove in a paranormal book because there’s usually some sort of supernatural element involved, and though I was loving Aiden’s possessiveness, the “I love you’s� came really quickly and out of nowhere. And Aiden is a lot more absent than what I would have thought. He’s there for the important bits of course, but most of the book is Meryn settling in, meeting new people and figuring out her new world.
“You made an enemy today.� Adelaide warned.
Meryn shrugged. “I can live with that. It's a good thing this thing wrapped at three, I was two seconds away from throat punching that bitch.�
This didn’t really bother me, but it did lead to what I struggled with most which was the fact that Meryn was instantly adored by every single person she encountered. Sure, she’s funny, but she’s a 34 year old who acts like a hyperactive teenager and she’s kinda irritating, yet everybody thinks she’s just the greatest thing to ever exist and they love her instantly. There is some animosity, but it’s against the stereotypical bitchy-type character, and even then Meryn behaves in a way toward her that makes her a champion to everybody else. I found that a little hard to swallow � especially when she's so wildly inappropriate in front of the upper-crust society types.
“Why are you being loud? Is it fun being so loud, this early in the morning? Do you know what happens to loud morning people? They die. They die horrible deaths, mutilated in their sleep and are then buried with their balls in their loud fucking mouths.� Meryn glared at him through half shut eyes. The men gulped.
^^^ Funny, but this is the morning after her arrival, and she announces it to her new mate’s men, who proceed to love her unreservedly *sigh*.
And then that ending� .
So I had mixed feelings about this one. It’s more paranormal than romance, but I enjoyed exploring this new world. It’s interesting and diverse, and I really like the exploration of it, though a bit of additional background would have been good. I’m interested in exploring more of this world with the stories of Aiden’s men, though I’d like to see a bit more of the boys in the next story.
3 stars.
October 23, 2024
I'll admit that at first I struggled with the super insta-love, and how forgiving Meryn was of being kidnapped, locked up, and put in a trunk. But it's so freaking OTT that it ended up being a hilarious ride, especially with some of the hilarious banter that literally had me in tears from laughing so hard.
The inherent misogyny of the society - like, Meryn is brought in and told she needs to learn to run a household and attend sewing circles - really made me gag. Meryn tries to be a good sport about it, but it's not her scene and she ultimately refuses to be kept from what she wants to do.
It's also worth noting that I'm backtracking to write this review, because I've been blitzing through the series for the last few days - I just finished book 3. I can't help myself, it's really fun, with moments of just utter sweetness.
Re-Read May 2023
This is definitely a YMMV series. I think people will either love it or hate it. The characterizations can stray into the ridiculous at times, but it's all part of the hilarity. The series is OTT and doesn't pretend otherwise. I really enjoy it, though.
The other thing I like about it - but is another YMMV point, so I wanted to call it out here - is that this is the kind of PNR where the main couple continues to be the main couple through each book, even though each book features another couple getting together. I'm not going to lie, I love that. I struggle with more typical PNR (new couple each book, and it is all centered on them) because generally I adore the original couple and just want more of their story. And so I slog through the series - and it isn't that I dislike the new couple (usually), I just don't connect to them the way I did the intro couple - looking for glimpses of the original couple and their continuing lives. I do this until I get bored with it, or the main couple is twisted out of character to serve the story of the new couple, and then I bail. My shelves are littered with PNR series that I followed this pattern on, like psy-changeling, BDB, etc. They are good series, but not entirely my cup of tea. Again, YMMV.
In this series, each book is like an ongoing chapter in this place, with the original couple playing a central role throughout. I dig that.
The inherent misogyny of the society - like, Meryn is brought in and told she needs to learn to run a household and attend sewing circles - really made me gag. Meryn tries to be a good sport about it, but it's not her scene and she ultimately refuses to be kept from what she wants to do.
It's also worth noting that I'm backtracking to write this review, because I've been blitzing through the series for the last few days - I just finished book 3. I can't help myself, it's really fun, with moments of just utter sweetness.
Re-Read May 2023
This is definitely a YMMV series. I think people will either love it or hate it. The characterizations can stray into the ridiculous at times, but it's all part of the hilarity. The series is OTT and doesn't pretend otherwise. I really enjoy it, though.
The other thing I like about it - but is another YMMV point, so I wanted to call it out here - is that this is the kind of PNR where the main couple continues to be the main couple through each book, even though each book features another couple getting together. I'm not going to lie, I love that. I struggle with more typical PNR (new couple each book, and it is all centered on them) because generally I adore the original couple and just want more of their story. And so I slog through the series - and it isn't that I dislike the new couple (usually), I just don't connect to them the way I did the intro couple - looking for glimpses of the original couple and their continuing lives. I do this until I get bored with it, or the main couple is twisted out of character to serve the story of the new couple, and then I bail. My shelves are littered with PNR series that I followed this pattern on, like psy-changeling, BDB, etc. They are good series, but not entirely my cup of tea. Again, YMMV.
In this series, each book is like an ongoing chapter in this place, with the original couple playing a central role throughout. I dig that.
November 25, 2019
This is the kind of book that you either love or hate.Its both immature childish sooo very unbelievable but in the same time ridiculous funny and pleasant.
Because I can't make up my mind if I loved it or I found it super ridiculous I will go for the middle with 3 ***.
Meryn is something very different all right! She is 34 years old but I couldn't see her being more then 14 to be honest.She is not sexy or beautiful for the matter in my opinion with her adolescent boyish looks, but she is swearing like a sailor, pouting like a toddler , behaves like a sneaky infant. I must admit she was funny tho...
Aiden tries to be alpha/commander but I found him behaving like a adolescent too despise of his oldddd age.
Anyways, as I said above is a difficult choice as I don't really now if I like it or not ( odd I know).
"Why are you sniffing me?" She scooted away, crabwalking backwards on her hands and feet.
"Oh God, is this like Silence of the Lambs?" Tears flowed down her face.
"I don't want to go down the hole! I won't put lotion on the skin!Look at me, you won't be able to wear my skin, I won't cover your huge
ass!" She wailed.
"Awww! I never thought I would see the day that hardcore, military Unit Commander Aiden McKenzie would act so damn cute! Girl, what is your secret?" Sydney asked. Meryn leaned in. Sydney bent down to hear.
"I beat him with his toilet." She whispered. Sydney stood back up and stared at Aiden in shock. Aiden sighed and covered his face with his other hand.
"Oh my Goddess, you're not lying. Ahhhhhh!"
Because I can't make up my mind if I loved it or I found it super ridiculous I will go for the middle with 3 ***.
Meryn is something very different all right! She is 34 years old but I couldn't see her being more then 14 to be honest.She is not sexy or beautiful for the matter in my opinion with her adolescent boyish looks, but she is swearing like a sailor, pouting like a toddler , behaves like a sneaky infant. I must admit she was funny tho...
Aiden tries to be alpha/commander but I found him behaving like a adolescent too despise of his oldddd age.
Anyways, as I said above is a difficult choice as I don't really now if I like it or not ( odd I know).
"Why are you sniffing me?" She scooted away, crabwalking backwards on her hands and feet.
"Oh God, is this like Silence of the Lambs?" Tears flowed down her face.
"I don't want to go down the hole! I won't put lotion on the skin!Look at me, you won't be able to wear my skin, I won't cover your huge
ass!" She wailed.
"Awww! I never thought I would see the day that hardcore, military Unit Commander Aiden McKenzie would act so damn cute! Girl, what is your secret?" Sydney asked. Meryn leaned in. Sydney bent down to hear.
"I beat him with his toilet." She whispered. Sydney stood back up and stared at Aiden in shock. Aiden sighed and covered his face with his other hand.
"Oh my Goddess, you're not lying. Ahhhhhh!"
December 27, 2015
3.5 stars!
This was a pretty decent read. I liked the characters for the most part. Meryn was super funny, and kick ass most of the time. Alas a few times she crossed over to become whiny and annoying. I sometimes wanted to tell here to suck it the hell up! *lol*
I enjoyed the world building, but thought the character descriptions could have been a little more in depth. I could never really get a good picture of what some of them looked like. The side characters were interesting, and the plot flowed nicely.
Overall I enjoyed this one!
This was a pretty decent read. I liked the characters for the most part. Meryn was super funny, and kick ass most of the time. Alas a few times she crossed over to become whiny and annoying. I sometimes wanted to tell here to suck it the hell up! *lol*
I enjoyed the world building, but thought the character descriptions could have been a little more in depth. I could never really get a good picture of what some of them looked like. The side characters were interesting, and the plot flowed nicely.
Overall I enjoyed this one!
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