Darkness Series novellas
Author: Katie Reus
Reviewer: Jen
What I’m Talking About:
Sentinel of Darkness (Darkness #8)
Dagen and Keva get off to a rocky start when he makes a low-ball offer to purchase her building in which her shop is located. Little does he know that Keva is under the protection and considered a friend of his clan’s alpha, Conall. Things only get more complicated when Dagen’s dragon senses that Keva is his mate.
Keva fell for an abusive wolf shifter when she was younger. Luckily, Conall killed the wolf, but Keva still looks over her shoulder, worried his brothers will come for her ex. Because of her past, Keva knows a little about shifters, but most of her experiences aren’t indicative of (decent) shifters. This makes her leery when Dagen attempts to court her.
Sentinel of Darkness is a quick read; at only a novella-length story, the romance progresses quickly and the few conflicts are resolved swiftly. One definitely needs to buy into the “mated pairs” trope to enjoy their expeditious love affair. Regardless of their destined love, the pair connects because of similar life experiences, and it is only after they open up and share that their connection begins to cement.
In the end, I enjoyed this simple and sweet romance. Although it felt a bit easy (probably due to the shorter length book), Dagen and Keva’s romance makes for an entertaining read.
My Rating: B/B-
A Very Dragon Christmas (Darkness #8.5)
A Very Dragon Christmas catches up readers on the lives of all of the inhabitants of Ms. Reus’s Darkness world. While the centerpiece of the book is the birth of Victoria and Drake’s hybrid shifter child, equal page time is given to the dozens of characters encountered over the course of eight stories.
Primarily set in Montana among the Petronilla dragon clan, readers learn that poor Victoria has been pregnant for nearly 13 months, and in addition to her discomfort and raging hormones, she’s dealing with an overly-attentive mother-in-law. There are some bumps and scary moments, but the birth of the baby is a happy occasion.
While I enjoyed also spending time and catching up with the other couples and characters from the series, the short chapters jumped from couple to couple, person to person, giving the book a “snippet” or “slice of life” feel. The book was choppy at times, and I would have preferred a more linear storyline, with fewer side stories and more focus on the baby plot. I did enjoy getting a glimpse as to future books/plots, and I am looking forward to the next Darkness tale.
My Rating: C+
Jen
About the Books:
Sentinel of Darkness:
She thought she’d put her past behind her…
Local artist Keva might be human, but she knows about the things that go bump in the night. Years ago, a dragon shifter saved her from certain death. Ever since, she’s lived in his clan’s territory and put her life back together. But the feeling of security is only an illusion, because her past has come back to haunt her. A past with claws and fangs, demanding blood.
He’ll do whatever it takes to defend his mate…
Dagen has finally met his mate—except he insults her the first time they meet. He’s not too proud to grovel to get back into her good graces. But when a threat from her past emerges, he realizes that he’ll do anything to keep her safe. Even if it means dying—or losing her forever.
A Very Dragon Christmas:
It will take a miracle to survive Christmas…
Victoria is about to have a baby. But not just any baby, a wolf-dragon hybrid, and her overprotective mother-in-law isn’t giving her any peace. She means well, but by the time Victoria finds herself climbing out a bathroom window to escape her overly-vigilant family, she realizes something’s got to give. And if they don’t back off, more than just the holiday will be ruined.
Join the crazy, fun Petronilla dragon clan for A Very Dragon Christmas and find out if their holiday season—and their unique family bond—can be saved!
Release Date: October 16 & November 6, 2018
Publisher: self-published
Series: Darkness Series
Genre: Paranormal Romance; novella
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: Purchased with my own funds
Amazon Purchase Info:
Sentinel of Darkness
A Very Dragon Christmas
Reviews in the Series:
Darkness Awakened by Katie Reus (Darkness #1)
Taste of Darkness by Katie Reus (Darkness #2)
Beyond the Darkness by Katie Reus (Darkness #3)
Hunted by Darkness by Katie Reus (Darkness #4)
Into the Darkness by Katie Reus (Darkness #5)
Saved by Darkness by Katie Reus (Darkness #6)
Guardian of Darkness by Katie Reus (Darkness #7)