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House of Strays
A roadtrip to rural Alaska with friends sounds like a good time. A controlling blind date, cramped quarters, and a new friendship souring? Not so much.
After her first big argument with her friend, Arie storms out of the cabin to get some space and finds herself lost in a snowstorm. Delirious and freezing to death, Arie is rescued and taken in by some handsome locals.
After the storm passes Arie finds herself becoming helplessly entangled with the four of them. Living in Alaska isn’t easy, but her charming rescuers are starting to make it seem like a tempting option.
But that blind date isn’t letting her go so easily, and these men aren’t as forthcoming with her as they first appear to be. Arie knows she can trust these men with her life, but can she trust them with her heart too?
House of Strays is a standalone reverse harem shifter romance.
After her first big argument with her friend, Arie storms out of the cabin to get some space and finds herself lost in a snowstorm. Delirious and freezing to death, Arie is rescued and taken in by some handsome locals.
After the storm passes Arie finds herself becoming helplessly entangled with the four of them. Living in Alaska isn’t easy, but her charming rescuers are starting to make it seem like a tempting option.
But that blind date isn’t letting her go so easily, and these men aren’t as forthcoming with her as they first appear to be. Arie knows she can trust these men with her life, but can she trust them with her heart too?
House of Strays is a standalone reverse harem shifter romance.
437 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 27, 2023
39 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 4, 2025
sigh.
i think this is a 3 and not a 2 star book because the writing style and the smut are good
however…
• the fmc is just insufferable. i get being insecure and whatever but jesus christ girl. help me out here. maybe she just needs to get slapped
• nox (one of the mmcs) is also insufferable and can’t shut the fuck up and let the poor girl breathe — also, can we search for new names for mmcs please? there’s a goddamn nox every book i read now 😐 j bree popped the cork now everyone is just crazed about it
• nothing truly happens…. at all. the bigger plot is nonexistant — at like 90% something happens regarding it but if you look back there is little to no mention of how this previous situation that it’s linked to the bigger plot makes the fmc feel. the only thing this book focuses is just to reassure the fmc that she is special and they dont see her as fat and an idiot. like MULTIPLE TIMES.
shame cause this had potential.
i think this is a 3 and not a 2 star book because the writing style and the smut are good
however…
• the fmc is just insufferable. i get being insecure and whatever but jesus christ girl. help me out here. maybe she just needs to get slapped
• nox (one of the mmcs) is also insufferable and can’t shut the fuck up and let the poor girl breathe — also, can we search for new names for mmcs please? there’s a goddamn nox every book i read now 😐 j bree popped the cork now everyone is just crazed about it
• nothing truly happens…. at all. the bigger plot is nonexistant — at like 90% something happens regarding it but if you look back there is little to no mention of how this previous situation that it’s linked to the bigger plot makes the fmc feel. the only thing this book focuses is just to reassure the fmc that she is special and they dont see her as fat and an idiot. like MULTIPLE TIMES.
shame cause this had potential.
Read
May 21, 2024Dnf @ 60% but I think I just wasn’t in the right mood to finish it. Gonna try again later
February 18, 2025
9/10
This book healed my depression and it was so motherfuckin cute 😫
This book healed my depression and it was so motherfuckin cute 😫
April 13, 2025
Maybe a 3? Could be a 2? Not sure, but unfortunately not one I’d recommend.
May 23, 2025
Loved these characters
Book and North are my favorites but let's be honest why would I choose. 🤣 It's nice to find a RH standalone for a change.
Book and North are my favorites but let's be honest why would I choose. 🤣 It's nice to find a RH standalone for a change.
October 22, 2024
2.5 rounded up
March 21, 2024
As a marketing major.. the quote about marketers is 100% accurate.
"We take advantage to get someone to buy a product or do a thing even if they didn't seek it out just to make money for a corporation that turns around and uses it to line their pockets or make something else that they ask us to sell to people all over again." pg. 185 (Yep. I hate my degree too.)
This was a book that was recommended in a Facebook group I'm in and I didn't read the description so I had no idea this was a shifter book, so I was pleasantly surprised since I had been wanting to read a good one for awhile and hadn't had any that caught my attention.
The book is a bit long being over 400 pages, but it flowed really nicely. There was enough going on that I actually didn't want to even put it down.
I liked the guys, I think there was enough chemistry between them and Arie that it was enjoyable.
The only one I wish we got more of was Book. I feel like we got a lot of him and Arie in the beginning but then he was always gone and encouraging her to spend time with the others.
I really liked Jensen and Nox's banter, but I do feel like they had a personality change from what we started with. Nox came off pretty normal and Jensen came off as kind of unapproachable in the beginning but then all of a sudden Nox was kind of naive and Jensen was super clingy? That was kind of a weird transition since it lacked transition. I do wish Nox was a little less... not just immature, but he came off soo young like a literal child not knowing people's cues. I don't know. It was a little weird at times. Like not being allowed to touch Arie because he lied and Jensen was the one enforcing the rule?
North was perfect. No complaints.
Lost a star because of the personality change that the twins had and because I felt like there was a lack of action considering how long the books was.
Also the reason for her being taken and everything seemed like an afterthought. Especially since most of the guys didn't even know about it. May as well take that part out honestly.
"We take advantage to get someone to buy a product or do a thing even if they didn't seek it out just to make money for a corporation that turns around and uses it to line their pockets or make something else that they ask us to sell to people all over again." pg. 185 (Yep. I hate my degree too.)
This was a book that was recommended in a Facebook group I'm in and I didn't read the description so I had no idea this was a shifter book, so I was pleasantly surprised since I had been wanting to read a good one for awhile and hadn't had any that caught my attention.
The book is a bit long being over 400 pages, but it flowed really nicely. There was enough going on that I actually didn't want to even put it down.
I liked the guys, I think there was enough chemistry between them and Arie that it was enjoyable.
The only one I wish we got more of was Book. I feel like we got a lot of him and Arie in the beginning but then he was always gone and encouraging her to spend time with the others.
I really liked Jensen and Nox's banter, but I do feel like they had a personality change from what we started with. Nox came off pretty normal and Jensen came off as kind of unapproachable in the beginning but then all of a sudden Nox was kind of naive and Jensen was super clingy? That was kind of a weird transition since it lacked transition. I do wish Nox was a little less... not just immature, but he came off soo young like a literal child not knowing people's cues. I don't know. It was a little weird at times. Like not being allowed to touch Arie because he lied and Jensen was the one enforcing the rule?
North was perfect. No complaints.
Lost a star because of the personality change that the twins had and because I felt like there was a lack of action considering how long the books was.
Also the reason for her being taken and everything seemed like an afterthought. Especially since most of the guys didn't even know about it. May as well take that part out honestly.
November 2, 2025
3.5 ⭐
A cute found family shifter romance. I loved the 4 MMCs in this. This was my first shifter romance. I was surprised that their being shifters did not seem to surprise or freak out the FMC, who was human and never knew of them existing (or even ask them questions about it).
Book was caring & protective (a real teddy bear), North was sweet, gentle & caring, Nox was like an adorable, eager puppy wanting to please, obsessive, he could seem a little too childlike at times, and Jensen was kind, hot, and a bit gruff at the beginning. They are all endearing, show vulnerability, love to cuddle & hold Arie, and adorably don't have a clue about relationships with women. They were terrified about losing her; they wanted her to stay with them, but had no idea how to go about convincing her.
Arie was a bit too insecure about her weight at the beginning, but later she accepted that the MMCs loved her and thought her sexy just the way she was (they were always telling her how perfect she was). I would like to have seen a bit more conversation and relationship development with all of them. The villain arc was a little bit too neatly compartmentalized and resolved, but I didn't mind that. Though Arie believing Nate was telling her the truth of what he'd do and going back with him was crazy and not believable in the slightest since it was a tstl move.
Who wouldn't love cuddling up to these four men in rural Alaska on cold nights, or any nights?
You’re my choice.
He gave me a sad smile. You see past my - he began to spell, predicting I wouldn’t know the word - insecurities. I can see past yours too. I like you.
Now they’re looking at you, seein’ something they want to keep and they don’t know how to go about it. So they brought you to me to see if I could convince you to stay.”
You fit with us and fill a hole I didn’t know we had. The house feels warmer with you around. You’re important to me and my family, and I need you to stick around. You belong with us and you’re…” He looked at me then, holding me in place with his intense hazel gaze. “Mine.”
He grinned. We know our worth. I hummed in agreement. We’ll show you what you’re worth too.
“I don’t feel special,” I said absently. “No?” Jensen at least sounded amused. “Then I guess I have to do a better job of showing you. You’re sweet and soft and accepting of all of us and you can’t even see how much that means to us.” He exhaled heavily before snorting out a sardonic laugh. “That’s cool as fuck, Arie. I mean, you’re even willing to take on Nox…”
“Let me spoil you,” he implored. “Ask me for anything, everything. I want to give it all to you.” “Book…that’s…” I faltered as his words sunk in. “Arie,” he found my face with his palm, pushing it up so he could see me. “I didn’t expect you. You make me happy. You make my family happy. That’s all I ever wanted.”
A cute found family shifter romance. I loved the 4 MMCs in this. This was my first shifter romance. I was surprised that their being shifters did not seem to surprise or freak out the FMC, who was human and never knew of them existing (or even ask them questions about it).
Book was caring & protective (a real teddy bear), North was sweet, gentle & caring, Nox was like an adorable, eager puppy wanting to please, obsessive, he could seem a little too childlike at times, and Jensen was kind, hot, and a bit gruff at the beginning. They are all endearing, show vulnerability, love to cuddle & hold Arie, and adorably don't have a clue about relationships with women. They were terrified about losing her; they wanted her to stay with them, but had no idea how to go about convincing her.
Arie was a bit too insecure about her weight at the beginning, but later she accepted that the MMCs loved her and thought her sexy just the way she was (they were always telling her how perfect she was). I would like to have seen a bit more conversation and relationship development with all of them. The villain arc was a little bit too neatly compartmentalized and resolved, but I didn't mind that. Though Arie believing Nate was telling her the truth of what he'd do and going back with him was crazy and not believable in the slightest since it was a tstl move.
Who wouldn't love cuddling up to these four men in rural Alaska on cold nights, or any nights?
You’re my choice.
He gave me a sad smile. You see past my - he began to spell, predicting I wouldn’t know the word - insecurities. I can see past yours too. I like you.
Now they’re looking at you, seein’ something they want to keep and they don’t know how to go about it. So they brought you to me to see if I could convince you to stay.”
You fit with us and fill a hole I didn’t know we had. The house feels warmer with you around. You’re important to me and my family, and I need you to stick around. You belong with us and you’re…” He looked at me then, holding me in place with his intense hazel gaze. “Mine.”
He grinned. We know our worth. I hummed in agreement. We’ll show you what you’re worth too.
“I don’t feel special,” I said absently. “No?” Jensen at least sounded amused. “Then I guess I have to do a better job of showing you. You’re sweet and soft and accepting of all of us and you can’t even see how much that means to us.” He exhaled heavily before snorting out a sardonic laugh. “That’s cool as fuck, Arie. I mean, you’re even willing to take on Nox…”
“Let me spoil you,” he implored. “Ask me for anything, everything. I want to give it all to you.” “Book…that’s…” I faltered as his words sunk in. “Arie,” he found my face with his palm, pushing it up so he could see me. “I didn’t expect you. You make me happy. You make my family happy. That’s all I ever wanted.”
May 25, 2025
DNF @ 50%. The first half got me through an entire day of deep cleaning my bathroom and was entertaining and moved fairly quickly.
There were honestly some pretty toxic traits from the MMC, which I’m usually on board for if the MMCs were supposed to be toxic. But the fact that these were suppose to be white-knight types made me think that the author genuinely thought these little toxic moments were supposed to be interpreted as…cute?
For example, pinching her every time she apologized…I get it if it was once or twice but all the MMCs did it and the responses from the FMC led me to believe they were kinda painful. I feel like I’d be hella annoyed if a guy kept pinching me because he wanted me to stop being self deprecating.
Either way, latter half got super repetitive and once I was out of the zone cleaning and actually sat down and really listened, I couldn’t finish. The FMC is kind of annoying and the MMCs were childish.
There were honestly some pretty toxic traits from the MMC, which I’m usually on board for if the MMCs were supposed to be toxic. But the fact that these were suppose to be white-knight types made me think that the author genuinely thought these little toxic moments were supposed to be interpreted as…cute?
For example, pinching her every time she apologized…I get it if it was once or twice but all the MMCs did it and the responses from the FMC led me to believe they were kinda painful. I feel like I’d be hella annoyed if a guy kept pinching me because he wanted me to stop being self deprecating.
Either way, latter half got super repetitive and once I was out of the zone cleaning and actually sat down and really listened, I couldn’t finish. The FMC is kind of annoying and the MMCs were childish.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2025
I really liked this. My only complaint would be that it wasn't mixed up enough in the sense that you need to mix up ingredients. There's a longish part at the beginning with angst and conflict, then about a third of the book is just smut smut smut then a bit of conflict again and that's a wrap.
Stuff like finding out North's background, or Lainey showing up to try and kidnap FMC could have broken up the smut, because it was pretty well written, but uninterrupted for hundreds of pages, and with no character growth, it got a bit boring.
I also think it could have used a bit more shifter stuff. If I just found out my friend was a shifter I'd have him shifting ALL THE TIME. Like, forget slippers, I'd be lounging on my bear or cuddling with my lynx. But they only did it during emergencies which was disappointing.
The dialog between characters was funny and sweet and the action was great. I'm excited to read more by this author.
Stuff like finding out North's background, or Lainey showing up to try and kidnap FMC could have broken up the smut, because it was pretty well written, but uninterrupted for hundreds of pages, and with no character growth, it got a bit boring.
I also think it could have used a bit more shifter stuff. If I just found out my friend was a shifter I'd have him shifting ALL THE TIME. Like, forget slippers, I'd be lounging on my bear or cuddling with my lynx. But they only did it during emergencies which was disappointing.
The dialog between characters was funny and sweet and the action was great. I'm excited to read more by this author.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2025
Really enjoyed this one. I did struggle to get into it at the start because I was like "who just goes on a road trip with someone they're barely past acquaintances with" and there were a couple other minor things that annoyed me about the FMC (or to be more precise, the way she was written), but I'm glad I persevered because I really liked the way the story unfolded and her relationships with her guys. Loved the different personalities of the guys and their vulnerability with each other. Loved Nox and Jensen's dynamics together and with Arie, North was a cutie and Book was the best "teddy" bear. I'm sure some could argue things were wrapped up a little too quickly and cleanly with the villains of the story, but I was actually glad there wasn't any prolonged angst. Looking forward to reading more by this author in the future!
October 28, 2025
This gets 2 stars because I actually enjoyed the first half of the book, and was pretty hooked.
It was, sadly, downhill in the second half. As soon as the FMC had sex with one of the MMCs, every chapter after was just a sex scene. The plot was thrown to the wayside and replaced with smut.
It also felt like there was a shift in character personalities at that point. The twins became obnoxiously annoying with the constant half sentence interruptions. Brook lost his overprotectiveness and became distant. And North was made into a deviant?
The plot reemerged near the end, FMC is kidnapped at an airport (how???), helps Laney (the bitch, why would the FMC do that?), and gets rescued within prob 5-10% of the book. We discover she’s a rare entity as a breeder but nothing comes off that.
So all around, it was promising but fell super flat and boring.
It was, sadly, downhill in the second half. As soon as the FMC had sex with one of the MMCs, every chapter after was just a sex scene. The plot was thrown to the wayside and replaced with smut.
It also felt like there was a shift in character personalities at that point. The twins became obnoxiously annoying with the constant half sentence interruptions. Brook lost his overprotectiveness and became distant. And North was made into a deviant?
The plot reemerged near the end, FMC is kidnapped at an airport (how???), helps Laney (the bitch, why would the FMC do that?), and gets rescued within prob 5-10% of the book. We discover she’s a rare entity as a breeder but nothing comes off that.
So all around, it was promising but fell super flat and boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 25, 2025
Sweet RH romance with MMCs that can’t get enough of the FMC. She’s insecure due to her weight and looks, which I can relate to. It’s not something you get over just because, it needs time and a mindset change. So it didn’t bother me that she needed time to believe the MMCs that they viewed her as beautiful. I really liked all the male characters too. They each had something special about them.
An epilogue further into the future would’ve been nice and some more action during the story too. But overall I liked reading about their love for each other developing.
I’d definitely pick up another book from this author.
An epilogue further into the future would’ve been nice and some more action during the story too. But overall I liked reading about their love for each other developing.
I’d definitely pick up another book from this author.
dnf
October 5, 2024DNF 50%. The whole situation with the wolves isn’t established well and they feel like cartoon villains. The FMC is also incredibly insecure about herself (her size is a big factor to her) and while that’s fine, everyone’s insecure about something, she’s just being obnoxiously stubborn about it and it got old real fast. The twins are also very childish and immature. With editing this could be good, but as it stands I don’t care about the FMC enough to want to continue.
November 23, 2024
Oh to be a stray!
This was a new author for me and I am happy I decided to give this book a chance. The story read pretty quickly and seamless. There is something to be said about having 4 sexy shifters wanting to take care of you. Arie is a lucky lady. I do wish the plot was was fleshed out a bit more with more tension built up between the different shifter groups but overall this was an enjoyable book.
This was a new author for me and I am happy I decided to give this book a chance. The story read pretty quickly and seamless. There is something to be said about having 4 sexy shifters wanting to take care of you. Arie is a lucky lady. I do wish the plot was was fleshed out a bit more with more tension built up between the different shifter groups but overall this was an enjoyable book.
October 11, 2023
It started off very strong, with damsel in distress vibes. But the only action/suspense within the book was held in the first few chapters and then became very repetitive on seducing the insecure girl. Then there was only a couple of pages of action towards the end but not enough to give this rating any more than 3 stars.
July 1, 2025
3.25 ⭐️
Cute, some cringy dialogues but nothing unreadable, something quick to read if you want a palate cleanser or a silly/here-for-the-vibes book.
It lost time at around the halfway mark because it started to be either repetitive or just sex after sex (which usually i don’t mind but again, repetitive), so from that point i skimmed a little.
Cute, some cringy dialogues but nothing unreadable, something quick to read if you want a palate cleanser or a silly/here-for-the-vibes book.
It lost time at around the halfway mark because it started to be either repetitive or just sex after sex (which usually i don’t mind but again, repetitive), so from that point i skimmed a little.
November 24, 2024
This would give a toothache to a candy addict
Because it’s just that sweet!!
PNR 1 FMC, 4 MMCs
No cheating
She heals their broken bits, they heal hers
She saves herself from danger, they help
No 3rd act break-up
Found family
Because it’s just that sweet!!
PNR 1 FMC, 4 MMCs
No cheating
She heals their broken bits, they heal hers
She saves herself from danger, they help
No 3rd act break-up
Found family
June 19, 2024
Loved it! The guys are so sweet
July 3, 2024
Nothing really happened so it felt a bit long. Sometimes the conversations between the FMC and the twins felt childish. However, the writing style isn’t horrible so I would probably recommend it.
July 20, 2024
The first half of the book was pretty good, but the second half just got so repetitive that I got bored.
August 14, 2024
We love a filthy RH
October 29, 2023
I don't know which man I love more. Great book.
January 6, 2024
New author for me and I was not sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. I am looking forward to reading more from her in the future.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews