Howling Eve

Ragoru Romances

by S.J. Sanders

A Halloween seasonal short story in the Ragoru Universe following the events of Ragoru

A widow, alone without any surviving family left, Eve has little in the world except her family’s orchard in their little misty valley tucked away from the regular routes of travel. Having known little else except solitude, first following the death of her parents, and then later following the death of her husband, Eve is content with the life that she had at her little orchard and taking hauls of her harvests into town, even if it is a little lonely at times. When an autumn night brings a monster from the fog surrounding her home, the solo Ragoru upsets everything within her orderly life as he claims her home for his own. He’s a beast. A snarly brute of a male. How is it that he makes her feel more alive than she ever has? Is he a threat, or the one thing she’s privately wished for made into reality in the shadows and magic of the Halloween season?

Skal is a lone male by choice. Older than many of the other males who came to this new world, he has no interest in forming triad bonds or mating. He only wants peace and a territory of his own where he can spend the rest of his life living undisturbed. After already having a mate and a triad in his old life, a family who died within his care, he has no interest in taking the chance of seeing the past repeat itself. Yet, when he comes across a foggy valley filled with trees, vegetation, and game, he follows his nose to the sweetest smell that has ever beckoned him. Is it the pumpkin pie, or the lone female who stubbornly dwells there that draws him so? Will they both taste as sweet? What can a lonely male do but savor what has been given him.

A little Halloween magic may just be what it takes to bring two lonely hearts together.
A little trick of fate is about to become their fondest treat.

Genres: Romance, Monster Romance, Fantasy, Novella, Aliens, Science Fiction, Monsters

122 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 31, 2023

About the author

S.J. Sanders is a mom of two toddlers and one adult living in Anchorage, Alaska. She has a BA degree in History, but spends most of her free time painting, sculpting, doing odd bits of historical research, and writing. While she has more research orientated writing under another pen name, her passion is sci-fi and paranormal romance of which she is an avid reader. After years of tinkering with the idea, and making her own stories up in her head, S.J has began to seriously pursue writing as an author of Sci-fi Romance utilizing her interests in how cultures diversify and what they would look like on a extraterrestrial platform to humans interacting with them and finding love.

She can be found on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Author-SJ-Sa...

And follow her blog at https://sjsandersromance.wordpress.com

Reviews

[Athanasia ♥︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Ragoru series is one of the most imaginative sci-fi romance series I have encountered, and to be frank, this little novella might be my favourite of this dystopian universe so far. Perhaps it is the fact that the story is not a RH as it usually is in this universe, or the structure was a little less complicated, or the fact that Eve is a badass. I do not know, but what I do know is that S.J. Sanders keeps getting better, and I get more enamoured with her story-telling abilities.

Tags:
Paranormal MMC🧛‍♂️🧞‍♂️ 🧜‍♂️
Widow MFC❤️‍🩹 💔
Omegaverse/Alpha,beta,omega dynamics 🅰️🅱️🅾️
Alien romance 👽👽👽
Insta love-matehood(one-sized)❤️‍🔥❤️
Heats/Ruts🥵 🥴👋
Interesting Anatomy👀✨🥵
Primal play 🥵🔞✨
Violence 🩸👁🦴
Morally grey characters 👤 👥🗣
Murders 🧨🧫 🧪
War themes/vendetta 🔫 💣 🪒
Nesting🛌🏿🛌🏿🛌🏿
HEA🌠 🎇 🎆
Pregrancy Trope🤱🏽🤰💦

[Amy Imogene Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super cute and worth reading if you're a fan of the Ragoru universe—but don't read this one if you haven't read all of the other books. It does rely on a ton of prior knowledge of the world and is a little clunky in its transitions.

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[Poppy || Monster Lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely spooky story with a lonely widow and widower finding love in an unexpected place. The cultural differences between Ragoru and humans plus Skal’s surly attitude did not lead to a happy beginning. Eve did push back, but tended towards compassion and empathy in her interactions with Skal. Their mutual loneliness brought them together and their joining was sweet.

Spice: 2/5

Triggers: murder, gore, violence, death, isolation, ostracism, home invasion, hunting for food, stalking (not by main characters), animal death (past, mule), death of intimate partners (past), death of parents (past), confinement (past), poison (past), references to past mass death and planet destruction, assumed infertility, fear of insanity

[Taylor Barron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sanders is an inconsistent author, but that doesn't detract greatly from her ability to tell an engaging story. Particularly, I am a fan of her Ragoru aliens, which is why I finished this book to its conclusion despite TONS of grammatical errors and awkward syntax as well as a few rather big punctuation mistakes. It is obvious she has no editor or, if she does, she desperately needs to search for a different one.

[Taramisu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. Just terrible. How can Sanders not have been told by her ARC readers how disjointed and flat this story turned out? Still bad editing. I disliked the MMC. And the end was just...hastily thrown together. The dialogue between the 2 men in the end was so stilted and expositional, it actually gave me a headache.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet

I fell in love with this world and the Ragoru when I was introduced to them in the book Red and every now and then I pick up a new story in this world and fall in love with the new characters and the same delightful differences. This is a fantastic series of stories and not your "normal" alien romance.

[Diana Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Ragoru and this was cute, especially with an older couple.

[Summer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved dipping back into the world of the Rogoru. This Halloween themed novella follows Eve, a widow who lives alone on the outskirts of town. She is plagued with loneliness and she has never felt like she belonged in the town. One night a Rogoru bursts through her door, eats her pumpkin pie, and claims her home as his. Eve will not be forced out of her house so the two reluctantly learn to live together. As time goes by they both find comfort in each other’s company. Skal is a lone Rogoru who just wants to make a home for himself and live in peace after losing his family. He expects the female human to leave but she is feisty and stubborn. Skal finds himself feeling things towards the human he's never felt before, even with his previous mate. I loved Eve and Skal’s relationship and slow burn romance. They burst into eachothers lives then tension starts to simmer between the two of them. Eve was stubborn and sweet. I loved how she stood her ground despite the enormous beast of a Rogoru that stormed into her home. Her sweetness was able to crack through the hard exterior of the male. Skal was a brute and quite grumpy. I loved reading him slowly soften to Eve. This was a fun Halloween novella in the Rogoru universe.

[Relay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how Skal was unlike the rest of the Rajurus. He did not care about having a trinity and preferred to be alone until he found Eve. I almost laughed when he rushed towards her with some force and broke the door. It was a unique encounter. Even Eve thought she would hit him and he would be affected, but she talked to him about... Cake loved how funny he was to me when he was lying on the couch, but I really loved his self-confidence when he demanded her house. Well, as we say, Skal was strange, but strange in a nice way to me, and what about Skal? He was actually jealous . Didn't I tell you, he was cute, and he was funny and sweet. In a heartbreaking way when he drank tea for the first time, I loved how Skal always protected Eve and that he stood by her, encouraged her, and loved her, and now they have the cutest children ever. I am sad that they left their home, but it does not matter, the most important thing is that they are fine, but for everyone who thought that Eve was fragile, I would like to tell him Damn you

[Ann Hupe · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I haven't rated S.J. Sanders this low in... like forever. I would had given it a 4.0 which isn't bad for a short story, but the number of misspellings and grammatical errors enough to keep jarring my suspension of disbelief. I'm surprised this story hasn't been updated with just the simple errors. (I'll be more than willing to reread it again and list them out!)

I do love this universe. A great deal of world-crafting went into it. I do hope more come out.

Big hint, Ms. Sanders — read the book aloud to someone. The brain processes info from the ears than it does with the eyeballs. The eyes tend to go to areas of the brain which likes to skip things to self-correct errors without the other parts of the brain screaming bloody murder.

[Brooke · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read for the 2023 PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt #48 A book about a holiday that's not Christmas

1.5

Wow, this was the worst book I have read by the author. It needs editing bad for both grammar and content. It’s all over the place. As a stand alone book this would be abysmal. As a continuation of the Ragoru series it’s just bad. First off, when I read this series I read for the triad. I feel pretty let down that this was not a RH when I went in expecting it. Since I read it the day it came out there were no reviews warning me this was not like the other books in the series. Also, it was just boring and flat throughout.

[Hannah Reads a lot of Smut · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for this Ragoru novella because I am a SUCKER for this series 👏🏼👏🏼 I lovedddd that it had a whole second chance at love focus, a ghostly mystery, and a curvy heroine who was strong AF 🤌🏼

It’s a pretty short book but the author packs so much story into it with spectacular pacing. I truly loved it. ❤️ Skal was so adorably grumpy and the accidental mating component was ADORABLE. I loved that he supported Eve while also not overstepping. Or he’d do things in the background because they were the right choice, but didn’t necessarily tell Eve about it.

Overall it was just so enjoyable 🥰

[JML · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love tales of the Ragoru

S.J.Sanders is one of my favorite storytellers and the world building around the Racism is so complex and beautifully written. This short Halloween tale is a delicious treat on a cold Halloween night! Just what I needed to properly celebrate! Skal and Eve have a lovely story both hurt by past relationships, both tired and lonely and both want to belong and love and be loved! I enjoyed every spooky minute of this book! Highly recommend!🌟🔥🌟🔥🌟🌟🔥💖🔥💖🌟🔥💖🌟🔥💖🔥🔥🌟💖

[Jannie Cv · Rating 5 out of 5]

A romance with twists!
Sweet Eve, living alone, but not really too lonely. I admire her ability to take care of herself, growing what she needs in a rather inhospitable place. When an older, lone Rogaru turns up to stake a claim, she lets him hang out. He’s useful. They are fascinating to watch as they grow more interested in each other. I love their story, their romance. In the story that follows, when secrets are revealed - I never saw that coming! Great storytelling - highly recommended!

[Ciara Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely short story!

Eve is alone. No family, widowed and an outcast.
Skal is alone. No triad, no home.
He takes over Eve’s home and calls it his own. But will Eve leave or decide to stay with him? And can they find love with each other despite their differences? Also, why is Eve seeing her dead husband? And who is this supposed cousin that shows up? - loved this cute romance with mystery/intrigue and some spice! (Features size difference/ 2 peens/DP) spice level: 2.5/5

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Give this Book a 3.5/5 Star Rating, Listing as low 4.

Pacing: One thing I wish, that the pacing of this these Ragoru just got a bit slower, to savor rather than them being brisk or rushed all the time. Since this was expanded from the Anthology it was previously in, why not just dive in and give it even more life. This story did kinda come off as a bit choppy throughout.

HEA(?): Yes
Relationship Type: MF
Heat: 3/5
Romance: 3/5
Suspense: 2/5
Drama: 2.5/5

[Mandy Heth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like SJ Sanders and the Ragoru story lines, but this was rushed

Way more grammar mistakes than normal. Incomplete sentences and plot errors that pulled you out of the story and a super rushed ending that didn’t quite make sense. Who do they keep killing and why? Why are they hunted? It was just an odd way to wrap up the story. Disappointed.

[Awesome Sauce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know better late than never!

This was such a great read and even though this book happens around halloween you can still read this book as its not necessarily a major focal point of this story...rather it is the characters who drive this narrative with splashes of ghostly spectors.

I'm so glad to see the Ragoru again. Can't wait to see more in this world!

[Natalie Korandovitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Howling Eve a Fabulous Halloween Story

I will never look at Halloween season the same way again. Eve & Skal’s story was too good to be true.Two lonely beings who found each other and made it work really good for them. The story moves quickly and ended to soon for me. The ending gave me a surprise and a laugh. Excellent Ragoru Story.

[Nancy Warr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this short story, being a werewolf lover I thought this was a good short read. I am not sure why the author gave the ragoru four eyes, hands and arms that description kind of threw me off a little but I still enjoyed the story especially the little loop thrown in at the end when we find out just what happened to Eve's husband. A very good short read.

[Lezel Ames · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happily Ever After

NoI love a good read from Sanders! 5 on the storyline and sweet little rogs for both of them. It would be even better if they were able to return to the land and have the kiddos take over the farm. So much possibilities! By Sanders stories are special and must be savored like a great cuppa coffee. Or whatever your preference is.

[Ashley Hazellief · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this!

The word play on the title is fantastic! I loved despite how short it was the incredible plot. The little twist on the end about Victor, I loved it! Everything about this book was fantastic. Thank you for bringing us Eve and Skal. I am so glad to have picked this book up

[Joy Kimelle Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Halloween story

A little werewolf because Skal is a Ragoru and spooky because of “Ghosts”

Eve and Skal had both lost their mates and other family members in the last few years. After Skal barged into her life Eve begins to see that he fills her need for companionship and physical help with farm. She in turn warms Skal’s cold and lonely heart.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

I love the Ragarou stories. Would have given five stars for a sweet little short story but for the lack of editing. It wouldn't have taken much time to edit it for errors; they were frequent enough to jerk me out of the tale.

[The Gothic Grimoire · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love SJs books so much and while I can certainly recognize this is a short fun holiday book, the amount of typos and confusing sentences pulled my attention away from the story line a lot. I will forever pick up this authors books, this one was just a miss for me.

[Valari Loftus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chefs kiss to this lovely quick Halloween read

This was a beautiful Halloween read of second chance at happily ever after with a lovely twist. Never underestimate the quiet unassuming women.

[Gerri Blanton · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a gem

Not you average book for her, she had some twists and turns I did not expect. Bravo! Really enjoyed this book. Great mystery and drama. Halloween mystery with touch paranormal romance thrown in.

[michelle c peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fair play at the end.

If you always want the good guy to win and the bad guys to get their just desserts you'll love this story. The ending is more than enough to make it worth reading.

[LizKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love her Ragoru stories!!! And this one was so good. I was hopeful of more smut cause come-on, he has TWO Ds! But it was a short story, so I guess she didn't want to overwhelm the book with hotness (please overwhelm the book with smutty goodness, please, please?!)

[SL Thomson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice little twist

This little story packed a few surprises along the way. Neither character was looking for love but they found exactly what was needed in each other along with a side of unexpected strength. Wonderful Halloween season read. Reviewed by Who She Reads 🍏