Review: Alpha Instinct by Katie Reus

Author: Katei Reus
Publisher: KR Press, LLC
Publication Date: February 2012, updated 2023

 Ana Cordona has been a strong leader for the lupine shifters who survived after all the males and most of the females in her pack were mysteriously poisoned. As tough as she is, with no Alpha male, the pack is vulnerable to the devious shifter Sean Taggart, who wants to claim both their ranch and Ana as his own. When Connor Armstrong comes back into her life, promising protection, it's almost enough to make Ana forget how he walked out on her before--and reluctantly accept his offer to mate. The minute Connor sees Ana again, it reawakens a raw hunger. He must have her for his bondmate--his wolf cries out for it. But his human side knows he must proceed with caution because of their complicated past. If he is to truly have her body and soul, he must go beyond his burning desire and win back her heart. Whatever it takes, he is determined not to leave her side again. But Taggart and his rival pack are not their only enemies. A human element in town is targeting shifters. Their plan not only threatens Ana and Connor's future, but the lives of the entire pack...

It's been a long time since I have read a shifter romance.  Alpha Instinct is an older one that came up on my Hoopla suggested reads recently,  It was lightly edited and update last year.  Ana and her pack have been surviving without an alpha but since her pack was devastated due to a mass poisoning, she knows she needs one to survive.  Connor has made a strong pack and comes back to help Ana and offer her pack protection.

For the most part, I enjoyed this one.  It is a bit darker than I was expecting. The romance was enjoyable. Although, I think that some of the conflict between Ana and Connor could have been cleared up very early on with just a conversation.  There is a lot going on here with many side stories and I kind of felt like I was missing some back story. I do have to say thought, for a pack that knows it is in danger, they do not do a great job with security.  One of the threats was eliminated very quickly and the other one was extremely obvious.  I wish there was a little bit more mystery there.  It's worth a read so give it a shot.

2 in 1 Novellas: Tease Me, Baby & It's Me Again, Baby by Katie Reus

Tease Me, Baby (KR Press, LLC; March 2017):  She never wanted perfection, but that’s what she finds.

Pastry chef, Fallon O’Connor is torn between her dreams and her obligations. Right before she reluctantly sets off for a degree she doesn’t want, she’s reeling from a mind-blowing encounter with Mr. Perfect. But one sexy, toe-curling kiss isn’t nearly enough when a Boy Scout like Sheriff Fulton lights her fire.

After one delectable taste, he’s never letting her go.

Brad Fulton would do anything for more time with Fallon. After all, he’s wanted a chance with her ever since she moved back to town. And just when things start to heat up, Fallon starts packing her bags—for a future without him. Now, it’s up to Brad to show Fallon that everything she’s ever wanted is right in Holly, North Carolina. But can Fallon trust her heart enough to stay?

Tease Me Baby is the second book in the O'Connor series.  This is Fallon's story.  She wants to leave her hometown to go to culinary school, but the sheriff in town is proving to be too tempting.  I really liked this one.  It's probably my favorite out of the series so far.   Brad and Fallon had great chemistry.  I loved how he was willing to go wherever she went if it meant they could be together and she could fulfill her dream.    This is definitely one to check out!

It's Me Again, Baby (KR Press, LLC; May2017):

She lost him once… 

Years ago Samantha made a mistake and lost a chance at something real with Maguire O’Connor. Now that she’s living in Holly again, she knows seeing him is inevitable. But the last thing she ever expected was to take him on as a client. 

Now they have a second chance… 

Maguire never got over Sam. Thanks to a meddling family member, he mistakenly hires Sam as his real estate agent. With her in his sights again, he’s not letting her go. But someone from her past followed her back to Holly with a sinister intent. Now Maguire will do whatever it takes to protect the woman he intends to claim as his forever. 

This one is probably my least favorite of the series.  Even though it's a second chance story, it felt too rushed.  The whole misunderstanding "clear up" scene was so quick  that if you blinked you would miss it.  They were only together for like two weeks before the misunderstanding so it's not like they really got to know each other enough for forever when they finally get back together.  I would have liked this one to be longer to get to know Maguire and Samantha more both apart and as a couple.  Still, it was an enjoyable, just not my favorite.

2 in 1: Christmas Novellas

Merry Christmas Baby by Katie Reus (KR Press, January 2016) 

Merry Christmas Baby was a really cute story involving Nora and Jackson.  It's the first in the O'Connor Family Series.  I reviewed the fourth book last week.  I enjoyed this one. I loved that Jackson and Nora were friends first.  Despite getting cold feet, Jackson realized quickly that Nora was it for him and begs for a second chance.  I found myself rooting tor the couple. 

I never felt like this one was rushed as I often do in novellas.  They had a good amount of friendship behind them before making the leap to lovers.  Aside from the romance, Nora's relationship with her sister was endearing.  It's a great short story to help get you in the mood for the upcoming holidays.  I definitely want to read the rest of the books in the series.

A White Hot Christmas by Rene Webb (CreateSpace September 2016)

White Hot Christmas is a short novella about a love at first sight relationship.  Although, I would probably call it more of a lust at first sight romance.  I didn't really care for this one.  The relationship happened WAY too fast for me.  June and Tom went from having a rude encounter to saying hi the next day to making out in a dressing room later that afternoon.  Then onto sex that night with Tom topping it off by asking her to move in with him when they get back to Orlando. 

I do sometimes enjoy whirlwind romances, but this one was a bit over the top.  I felt like Tom got really possessive of June really quickly.  How do you agree to move in with someone you just met?   The couple did have chemistry, but I didn't feel like I got to know them at all. It's a quick read, but it just wasn't for me.

Blog Tour: Mistletoe Me, Baby by Katie Reus

Today we have the blog tour for Katie Reus’ O’Connor Family Series!  Check it out and grab a sweet holiday romance today!!  On the tour, I'm reviewing Mistletoe Me Baby, #4 in the series. It is releasing on November 7!

Author: Katie Reus
Publisher:KP Press, LLC
Date of publication: November 7, 2017

She needs a fake fiancé…
With the holidays fast approaching, Miranda Flores makes up a fake fiancé so her well-meaning family will get off her back. She just never expected them to suddenly show up on her doorstep a couple weeks before Christmas, wanting to spend the holidays with her. So she turns to Nolan O’Connor, her sexy best friend, and asks him for the favor of a lifetime: she needs him to act the part of her fiancé until her parents leave town.

He wants forever…
Pretending to be engaged to the woman he’s already fallen for? No problem. Nolan agrees to Miranda’s fake engagement scheme because as far as he’s concerned, she’s the one. But he plays his role too well, because soon the entire town thinks they’re engaged and things get more complicated—especially since he can’t pretend with her anymore. Then tragedy strikes and Miranda tries to shut him out, but Nolan won’t let her. He’ll do whatever it takes to convince her that he wants to make her his forever.

Get Your Copy Today:

Amazon kindle | Amazon print | Audible (audio) | Barnes & Noble Nook | iBooks | iTunes | Kobo

My thoughts:

Miranda and Nolan have been best friends for a year and have both secretly hid feelings for each other.  Everyone around can see it.  When Miranda needs a fake fiance for a short period of time, Nolan is the one she immediately thinks of filling the job.  What she doesn't know is Nolan has other plans for their relationship.

Mistletoe Me Baby is the 4th in the O'Connor Series and the first one that I have read.  It's a stand alone novella and I devoured it very quickly.  Normally, I complain because I want more out of a couple from a novella, but this one was perfect.  The author did a wonderful job of helping me get to know the couple in question.  It's a sweet friends to lovers story.  Their friendship made Nolan and Miranda's HEA that much more intense.  Nolan was really cute on how he just bull-dozed his way into making Miranda see that he wanted her for real, not just as a friend. 

This does hold up well as a stand alone, even though characters from the previous books show up. After reading this one, I am intrigued to pick up the rest of the series. I want to see how Nolan's other family members found their HEAS!

Check out the other book s in the series:

 Merry Christmas, Baby:  Amazon | Amazon print | Audible | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | iBooks | iTunes (audio) | Kobo

Tease Me Baby: Amazon | Amazon print | Barnes & Noble Nook | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo

It's Me Again Baby:Amazon kindle | Amazon print | Audible (audio) | Barnes & Noble Nook | iBooks | iTunes (audio) | Kobo


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About Katie Reus:

Katie Reus is the New York Times, USA Today, and IndieReader bestselling author of the Red Stone Security series, the Moon Shifter series and the Deadly Ops series. She fell in love with romance at a young age thanks to books she pilfered from her mom’s stash. Years later she loves reading romance almost as much as she loves writing it.

However, she didn’t always know she wanted to be a writer. After changing majors many times, she finally graduated summa cum laude with a degree in psychology. Not long after that she discovered a new love. Writing. She now spends her days writing dark paranormal romance and sexy romantic suspense. Her book Avenger’s Heat recently won the Georgia RWA Maggie Award for Excellence in the fantasy/paranormal category.

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