In our world, power is king, and I'm the ultimate bartering chip.
I’m the daughter of the Don, but my life as a mafia princess is far from a fairytale.
Trapped in a pretty cage, my family clipped my wings so that I can fill the role all princesses are tasked: to marry a prince and secure an alliance. My mob boss father would give anything to gain an edge over the rest of the Supernatural Syndicates in New York—including me.
So my dad makes a deal. The terms are simple.
Win the election to become the new leader of Earth and Emerald. Win me.
Except . . . I’m not a very good princess and I have no intention of playing nice.
These men want to compete for me? Fine—but no one said I couldn’t compete for myself.
The trials may be deadly, but I've got an ace up my sleeve they won't see coming.
There's just one tiny problem.
Out of nowhere, the very mating call I'd hoped to never experience consumes me, and I go into heat—at the worst time ever.
Talk about a sticky situation.
** Covet Me is a spicy standalone paranormal romance in the Immortal Vices and Virtues universe. You can expect enemies-to-lovers pulse pounding romance and three possessive mates that will do anything for their little firebird. There is NO cliffhangers and a guaranteed HEA in every book. Mature themes will be present. Reader discretion is advised. *
Kel Carpenter is a master of werdz. When she’s not reading or writing, she’s traveling the world, lovingly pestering her co-author, and spending time with her family. She is always on the search for good tacos and the best pizza. She resides in Maryland and desperately tries to avoid the traffic.
For subrights or media and film inquiries, please reach out to kel@kelcarpenter.com.
DNF at 55% This started out great and was witty at times, but it didn’t work for me. The world was odd but interesting, a supernatural mafia of sorts. RH isn’t usually my thing, but the romance took a backseat to the plot for the entire first half, and although I’m typically bored with a slow burn, I was sort of digging it until Nikki started getting horny then things went sideways for me because of the dynamic of their foursome.
Bottom Line- A miss for me. The dynamic of their foursome was unappealing, and I found Nikki very immature. Especially with all her Disney princess stuff. It felt like we jumped over all the relationship development/chemistry part then suddenly the trials plot got sidetracked and Nikki only cared about getting laid. 🤷♀️
This was like a weird fantasy lifetime movie. The first few chapters had me at a 4, then the trials started and I was at a 3.75, and then the end happened.
This just wasn't it...I don't know even know what I was reading at a certain point.
The premise of this book was good; concept was great, however, it was executed so poorly. Nikki's dad is like the mob boss of Manhattan. I liked that. Her one brother, Ty, is like his VP. Okay, that's cool too. She had a mate who rejected her and ran away. Oh, interesting idea. There's an election coming up and Nikki's dad wants her to marry the winner. Ah, another interesting plot. Instead of going along with the plan chosen for her she decides to enter the running herself. Hm, okay. She has three mates??? And she's got to choose between them and pick one? My dumbass thought. But wait, she doesn't choose, she gets them all AND the plot just stops?? YUP. Oh but wait...can't forget that the trials for this election are totally forgotten about, except people keep getting killed and all Nikki cares about is getting laid. OH and her dad was behind this? Shocker. OHHHH and her brother wants to mate with her too? What the actual fuck???
There were so many things wrong with this.
I can look past the fact that I didn't realize this was a reverse harem. What I can't look past was how poorly written this love story actually was. I felt zero chemistry between her and Niall. I barely felt anything there between Nikki and Malachi. There was a little something between her and Adrian. That was short lived. Not only did two of them BARELY know this girl, the way they acted with her was just so strange to me. I don't care if they're mates or not, it was just odd behavior. What happened to getting to know someone first? EVEN IF THEY ARE YOUR MATE...TALK TO THE PERSON AND GET TO KNOW THEM. KEEP IT IN YOUR PANTS FOR FIVE SECONDS. Literally she would have a heart to heart with one of them and two seconds later...sex. They kept being all like, "I don't own you and you can choose whatever you want" but then be like "I will have you and you will like it". The whole foursome component felt sooo awkward and unnatural. I wasn't buying it.
Don't even get me started with the trials. The weirdest, most irrelevant thing I have ever read. I thought, "Okay, so hunger games?" and this book said, "Yeah...but we were BARELY have trials that we claim last months AND if you're horny don't worry, you get a pass. OH and we're going to start off strong and then do nothing for 50% of the story but then tell you to kill your second for no reason". What was the point of making the trade deal? That plot disappeared and if it didn't...well I clearly don't remember it making an impact. Everything about these trials was so random. None of it made sense. The reasoning behind each "trial" literally had nothing to do with anything. The rules made no sense and I don't even understand how it worked exactly because neither did the leaders. Any question asked was answered with, "Well I can tell you this irrelevant fact BUT just know we don't know anything else". How exactly did these trials prove you were good enough to be chancellor? Nikki has ZERO clue about politics soooo huh???
If I had to read one more Disney reference I was going to scream. Half of the references felt so unnecessary and if it was meant to be a quirk of Nikki's, it wasn't funny. Even her friend Sam and her mates were like, "Yeah, okay girl". Like enough. You just sound like a child so please stop. Speaking of Sam...why put her family in hiding if Lindsey was just going to take over for the trials lady who randomly died?? Clearly, she isn't hidden if she's now taking over and out in the open. I'm sorry, but what?? And what was the point of the seconds? THEY WERE THERE FOR LIKE 5 SECONDS and then left for safety reasons BUT then appear again to get shot at and then...yeah. And why was their safety considered but not the rest of the candidates? Like, shut the whole thing down and run a proper investigation? I don't know...but then again that makes sense and this book doesn't.
AND THE ENDING. OH FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY. None of the ending made sense. I almost want to say "the acting was so bad" BUT THEY WEREN'T ACTING BECAUSE THESE ARE THE FREAKIN' CHARACTERS. The dad was sooo melodramatic and her brother was such a creep. Her father killed her twin sister so she could get mad enough to become the phoenix but cries how much he loved her and gave her a wonderful life? And then Ty is all like, "yeah he's a bad guy but I want to fuck you too" WHAT? WHAT? WHAT THE FUCK? MAKE IT MAKE SENSE I CAN'T.
And then in true 'written bad' fashion, let's bring in ALL the characters we forget about because we haven't seen them since chapter 5. And let's make it a happy ending because...Disney.
I'm sorry. I get the concept and I was here for the concept. I let things slide when I realized the tropes in this are not my favorite. I even let things slide when people started randomly dying; I just figured someone was after Nikki and that someone wasn't her father BECAUSE WHY MAKE IT PREDICTABLE? Make it one of her brothers to add a little drama. I let things slide when the trials made zero sense. I let things go when she went into heat. I let things go when they all decided to sleep together constantly. But I couldn't let things go at the end. It got weird and it got weird FOR NO REASON.
I just had higher expectations for this. I don't know what went wrong and where but this was just a lot. A lot of cheesiness. A lot of references. A lot of things just not making sense. There was too many subplots. Too many thoughts. Why is it that when someone was asked a question it took them almost a whole page to answer? We could never get a direct answer. There was always so much unnecessary dramatic stalling. It was annoying. Nikki was annoying. The boys were okay. This just wasn't written well and I'm sorry for being mean...but just no thank you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Not my favorite from this duo, but I did enjoy it. The resolution at the end just came out of nowhere. The Disney references got a little old and weren't quite so charming there at the end.
3,5 étoiles. Avant d’aller plus loin, sachez qu’il s’agit d’un tome spin-off à leur autre standalone, Rejette-Moi. Il se passe dans le même univers et bien après les évènements de Rejette-Moi. On y voit même brièvement les héros, Danni et Elias. Bref, je trouve que c’est important de le savoir si vous avez lu cette histoire. Toutefois, il peut être totalement lu indépendamment et sans avoir eu connaissance de cet autre roman. Vous ne serez pas perdu et ça ne vous empêchera pas de savourer celui-ci.
Nous sommes dans un Harem Inversé, une romance paranormale qui fait la part belle aux relations entre l’héroïne, Nikki et ses trois Âmes Sœurs : Malachi, Niall et Adrian. De fait, attendez-vous à pas mal de parties de jambes en l’air hyper décrites. C’est tellement détaillé d’ailleurs que l’on est carrément dans un porno (sexe à plusieurs, voyeurisme aussi… tout y est), mais… j’ai apprécié cette lecture pour ce qu’elle est.
Alors oui, il ne vaut mieux pas avoir froid aux yeux et puis, vu les basses températures, c’est bien aussi de pouvoir se réchauffer un peu. Nikki qui veut prendre sa vie en main va concourir aux épreuves pour devenir Chancelière, et ce, dans l’unique but de contrer les ambitions de son père, le parrain de la mafia locale. Un métamorphe horrible.
J’ai bien aimé l’intrigue, car il y en a bien une, au-delà de l’aspect de la romance ultra spicy. Nikki va se donner les moyens de parvenir à ses fins, et ce, avec l’aide de ses trois Âmes. Il y a de l’action, des rebondissements et pas forcément qu’entre nos protagonistes chauds bouillants.
Ce que j’ai moins aimé, bon, ça c’est personnel, parce que je ne suis pas une grande fan des films Disney contrairement à l’héroïne qui adore se comparer aux princesses qui la font rêver. Parfois, c’était quand même drôle même si ça ne m’a pas enthousiasmé des masses non plus. Un autre truc, c’est que j’aurais apprécié que l’héroïne soit moins malmenée et dirigée par les héros. Ce sont toujours eux qui prennent les décisions, notamment lors des scènes de sexe. J’en ai un peu marre de cette domination machiste. Mais, ça reste mon point de vue.
Les plumes des autrices marchent bien ensemble selon moi et on a droit également à plusieurs points de vue : ceux de Nikki, mais aussi de ses trois Âmes.
Dans l’ensemble, j’ai passé un chouette moment avec ce titre. L’intrigue est simple, mais efficace et se mêle bien avec le reste. On est clairement dans une romance paranormale érotique avec tout un tas de scènes bouillantes, mais qui reste bien orchestrée, enfin je trouve. Pour une histoire de Harem Inversé, Désirez-moi assure le job avec brio. Je le conseille aux personnes qui ne sont pas frileuses et qui aiment le genre.
It's back witches. I loved Immortal Vices and Virtues season one, the world building, the characters and the unique storylines were outstanding and now the series is back for a second season with old and new authors alike and best of all, they're all gonna be reverse harem this time. It's gonna be glorious. Up first is Kel's and Aurelia's Covet Me.
Mfc Nikki is hilarious, crazy, and her love of Disney movies knows no bounds. Although her Harry Potter references was on point too. As it would seem, per usual with Kel and Aurelia the pop culture references ran rampt and I loved it and I loved Nikki's passion for them, it gave her an innocent quality. On the opposite end of that Nik is also impulsive, caring, smart (even if she gets her plans from Disney movies), goofy, commanding and more. You would be hard pressed not to love her. While I liked all the ladies of the IVaV world Nikki is most definitely a favorite.
All of Nik's guys are all powerful dominant alpha males and believe it or not get along great. It helps (barely) that Adrian and Niall are best friends but Malachi fits in well with them. It was a little shaky in the beginning but things eventually smoothed out. They have a good vibe going on, they trust and understand each other and if there's an issue they just rock, paper, scissors that stuff and everythings good. They all would do anything for and to protect Nik but they don't smoother her either. Nik is free to do her own thing but with the support that she never had.
In the previous books it been all about the houses and even had a couple of books where No Man’s Land was involved this time around Kel and Aurelia have dove into the mafia world. That's right the plot is about the five syndicates that rule over New York. The Five mafia families includes The Roses (fae), The Outcast Coven (witches), The Divine (angels and demons), Clan Tepes (vampires), and finally there is Nikki's family, The Wards (shifters). That's five different factions battling it out with people from House of Earth and Emerald in a set of trails to determine the new house leader.
Points for democracy but seriously Nikki had it right when she said it's freaking Goblet of Fire. Different trials, all of them high stakes and the bodies are dropping. Nikki surprised me with how well she's handling things, she hides her badassery under all the Disney references. I loved the fact that she took back her own life and didn't allow for anymore secrets or anyone to control her. Nikki stood strong in the face of everything and got it done.
There were a few familiar faces and places that I loved seeing again. I also loved finally seeing the underwater city of New Kelsland, were empress Asbesta reigns. The city was a wondrous dream come true and there were even talks about the Little Mermaid, what a hoot, I tell you. On another note, after all the talk of her meeting Asbesta was something else. This botch, let me tell you, was no joke. Asbesta was a piece of work, I don't trust the sea witch and I have a feeling she might show up in other stories.
Covet Me was fabulous. I love me a well written paranormal mafia it checks one of my boxes. Along with quirky mfc, second chance mates, strong fmc, adoring mates, lots of action and mystery. Gods I loved it. The last fourth of the book was heart-stoppingly good. A few shocking revelations, more death, betrayal, the most epic of battle scenes, and a HEA. Kel and Aurelia have out done themselves and they have set the pace for the new season, I hope the others can keep up.
After a slow start this book gripped me and did not let up. Heroine Nikki is a rebel at heart even if she tries to stay in her families good graces. That is until her dad uses her as a pawn in a game she wants no part of. As someone with little to no thought to action, Nikki responds in the only way she knows how: defiance. Like Harry Potters name in the Goblet of Fire, there’s no going back for Nikki as she becomes a Hunger Games like competitor. Even though the trials are supposed to be individual, Nikki has a lot on the line having also found not one but three of her fated mates, one who rejected her in the past. Character banter provides a cheesy good time to offset all the family drama and group loving. Side characters add some dimension & I particularly enjoyed her bestie. Felt like the author gave each guy their time to shine which is not always easy in a RH standalone. Nikki was a brazen badass and I am definitely curious how other authors will tackle the Immortal Vices and Virtues world. Oh and the audio was so easy to listen to, very well done.
A sexy RH story with shifters, Fae, magic and so much more. It was a fun and exciting story that captured my attention from the start. I enjoyed the story. It was fast paced and entertaining to read. The FMC was kickbutt and amusing to read and her mates were protective and possessive sexy supernaturals that complimented her well.
This was a really fantastic book to read! I thought it would be like a short, steamy, shallow reverse harem romance. I'm really excited to have been wrong. At 500+ pages, this is a beast of a book. It is also a dystopian fantasy series.
Supernaturals have taken over the world and humans are almost extinct. The world is broken into territories based on species' Houses (shifters, fae, angels/demons, sea creatures, etc). Between the territories lies No Man's Land, a harsh area ruled by the Syndicates (mafia-esque). FMC (Nikki) is the daughter of the cruel and powerful leader of the Shifter Syndicate. He decides to sell his daughter to the winner of an election to gain the power of another House. Nikki is not okay with being sold and decides to do what Merida did in Brave (Disney movie) and fight for herself.
The world-building was really good here. The plot was excellent. The character development could have been better, though. Each of the guys had backstories, but they felt shallow. I never felt like I really knew any of Nikki's mates very well.
This isn't a very spicy book. There are about 2 sex scenes. There is not much group action besides one scene with Nikki and two of her mates together.
The humor was awesome! The FMC is a little quirky and a lot cooky. She uses Disney movies as life lessons and as a guide to follow. She tries to make plans and missions based on what she has seen in Disney movies. The girl is crazy and funny. She was a lot of fun to read.
"...What about the time you were humming your own theme song so loud the vampires heard you from a quarter of a mile away—” “I was supposed to be the distraction,” I insisted. “That’s hardly a fuck up when I did my job perfectly.” “You weren’t supposed to become the new target,” Sam said, fighting to suppress a laugh and failing miserably. “Well, being a badass doesn’t exactly come with a manual.” “You were pretending to be Kronk. Let’s not oversell what you were doing there.”
- 👀 POV: Multiple, first person - 📖 Dystopian Fantasy - ❣️ Reverse Harem - 🎱 Tropes: Rejected mate, second chance, sold-for-power, FMC fights to win her freedom, Evil Family, Amnesia - 🧁 FMC:naive, stubborn, brave, innocent, sweet - 🌎 5/5 World-building Stars - ⭐️ 5/5 Plot-line Stars - 🤓 3/5 Character Development Stars - 👥 Harem: 3 men. Dragon shifter, Fae, Fae/demon hybrid - 🍒 Virgins: None - ♥️ 3.5/5 Romance Stars - 🌶 3/5 Spicy Stars - 🔥 Medium Burn - 👄 Kinks: None - 🚫 No: MM, OW, Cheating, bullying - ‼️ Triggers: assault, attempted SA, attempted incest mating, murder, violence, death of twin, torture...memories of past torture
The plot was interesting but something was missing. I am not sure what was missing from the story though. I also found the FMC Nikki annoying. There were way too many Disney movie references than was necessary.
This book was provided by the authors in exchange for an honest review. Thank you Kel Carpenter and Aurelia Jane!
Covet Me
is the first standalone book in the second season of the
Immortal Vices and Virtues: Her Monstrous Mates,
and tells the story of Nikki, Adrian, Malachi and Niall.
When I finished the Immortal Vices and Virtues series, I was really sad. I really loved reading the books set in the Immortal Vices and Virtues world, each book was so interesting, had fun characters and some amazing spicy scenes. I also really liked that each book was written by a different author (duo). When I read the news of a second season, I was beyond excited. The Immortal Vices and Virtues: Her Monstrous Mates is a six-book series with multiple mates, instead of one mate like in the first season of the Immortal Vices and Virtues.
Covet Me is the first book in the second season, and it was amazing. Covet Me set the bar high for the other books in the Immortal Vices and Virtues: Her Monstrous Mates series because this book was epic, long, spicy and addictive. The characters were amazing, the story was interesting, and it was really hard to put this book down!
Nikki is such a fun main character. I loved her Disney references and her jokes, and I loved that she was impulsive but also really caring. As for the guys, I loved all of them. There isn’t a favourite because all three are amazing guys and so perfect for Nikki. Adrian, Malachi and Niall are all three dominant, yet they don’t mind sharing Nikki at all. They would do everything for her!
Covet Me was so good, and everything that I needed! I loved seeing some familiar faces, and I really liked that his book was more about Mafia families and not the different Houses like the previous books. I cannot resist a good Mafia book! If you’re looking for an amazing Fantasy Romance, and you don’t mind multiple partners, then I highly recommend Covet Me. If you’re into one partner, then I suggest checking out the first season of the Immortal Vices and Virtues books!
Covet Me by Kel Carpenter and Aurelia Jane is a powerhouse of a novel. I didn't think that this book would hook me in as quickly as it did, but boy howdy! This book grabs you from page one and says "good luck putting me down!" LOL! Covet Me introduces you to Nikki, she's a shifter, who hasn't really shifted. That she can remember. Yeah, chew on that for a minute. Her father is the head of the syndicate, and he's looking for any opportunity to grab on to more power. Multiple opportunities present themselves, but one gets thwarted. But now, Nikki is going to be his bargaining chip. The trials are coming, and she'll be the prize...until she decides to take matters into her own hands. This book is fast paced, engaging, and absolutely engaging. Nikki is a strong FMC, but she will push even your buttons from time to time. She would irritate me with her behavior, and then I'd like her again. LOL! The guys are pretty much golden. Niall is a bit of an exception. He gets on my nerves a few times too, but like with Nikki, I moved past it. There is a ton of drama throughout. I would have liked more concrete reasons to despite the "bad guys" in this book though. I needed more than just they are rather "despicable." All in all, this book delivers on almost all levels - humor, drama, fated mates, some twists, and a hint of romance. Yeah, a hint of romance. Fated mates means more steamy than romance especially when you're under a time crunch like they are. LOL! At the end of the day...4.5 out of 5 stars
"Covet Me" by Kel Carpenter and Aurelia Jane is a scorching standalone paranormal romance that draws readers into a world of forbidden desires and intense connections. Set within the Immortal Vices and Virtues universe, this enemies-to-lovers tale explores the captivating dynamics of three possessive mates.
Spanning over 500 pages, "Covet Me" offers a reading experience with a gratifying conclusion. The authors expertly navigate the journey from enemies to lovers, creating a tale that's both passionate and enthralling. Nikki, the resilient protagonist, adds depth to the story as she triumphs over chilling family trials. The story is told in multiple POVs, Nikki, Adrian, Niall, and Malachi.
If you're a fan of Disney references, you're in for a treat. The authors sprinkle in delightful nods to the magical world of Disney, adding an extra layer of enjoyment for those who appreciate these references.
This "why choose" book seamlessly combines pulse-pounding romance with supernatural elements, making it a must-read for fans of intense, immersive storytelling. Prepare to be spellbound by the allure of "Covet Me" with a HEA ending.
These was all of the different men with their differnet past and personalities come together for Nikki is perfection. They all give her a different part of love that she needs. This book was filled with disney references that had me grinning ear to ear. And that comparison of the men to all be a bunch of Flynn Riders was just a treat. Lastly the pouncing at the end I literally had to put the book down because of laughter. You will understand when you read it. What a was to start season two of the Immortal Vices and Virtues world. Was to happy to see more come from this world and I was not disappointed.
I loved this universe! Covet me was well written. It took me through a rollercoaster of emotions. Sadness, joy, anger, and had me laughing out loud at times. The storyline is top notch and the mystery had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. *chefs kiss* I can’t wait to dive into the next book. I feel like this book has a lot of tropes that are a hit for me Rh ✅ PNR✅ Touch her and ☠️✅ Strong female lead✅ Second chance✅ Fated mates✅
(Ohhhhh, now I get it... it's like season 1, 2, etc lol) The writing is fantastic with this duo. The world building is fantastic. The references are fantastic. The chemistry between them are fantastic. Covet Me has all the stops; humor, drama, mystery, smexy times, loyal, protectiveness, support.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Had a teensy bit of mystery. A good amount of smut. Nice story building in a pretty cool dystopian supernatural world.
This is gonna sound different than a good amount of my reviews, but….. I actually fucking liked the FMC in this book. I thought she was just the right amount of everything. She didn’t come off as dumb or brash (she had impulses that got her into everything, but I don’t think she was brash about them). The MMC’s were solid and loyal with their own personalities and backgrounds with the FMC. Just a fun good read.
Don't end the book right when they are all going to have a foursome and we didn't get any scenes of that throughout the 450 page book. That's just rude. 💀🙄
This book had such HUGE potential to be SO much more. Pros: It was extremely funny, I laughed out loud and chuckled quite a few times. The FMC references to Disney movies were on point and hilarious. I loved the writing from each character’s point of view, it always keeps me on my toes and helps me understand each of them. Cons: I wanted a lot more spice, it’s a white shoe/reverse harem romance, SO much more potential for 🌶️ Sometimes the storyline jumped too fast forward without a “bridge” to explain how we got there so was a little tricky to follow. 100 more pages to this book would have made it so much well rounded. All in all ⭐️⭐️⭐️ because only 🌶️🌶️
I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. I liked the world building a lot. There's a lot of potential here.
The characters were hit and miss. I liked Nikki and her weirdness, although the Disney references got old rather quickly. There were just too many. Sprinkled throughout would have been perfect instead of basically making it a personality feature. I liked Niall, but based on the personality I thought he had, I expected a more dry, sarcastic sense of humor. Adrian was perfect. Loved him. I didn't really like Malachi, though 😕 I can't really pinpoint why.
Spice could have been better, but I never take away stars for that unless it's specifically advertised as smut. Everyone has different opinions of spice levels and what's appropriate for the plot. So I never add it to my ratings, just my review.
DNF Lost interest @60%. The FMC inability to think ahead or plan & her obsession with Disney Princess movies annoyed me. How old is this woman? It was incredibly childish & not to my taste. I wouldn’t recommend it.
TL;DR If you aren't interested in the details but just want some general thoughts, full review will follow below. Did I finish the book? Yes. Did I enjoy reading the book? Mostly. Do I plan to continue reading the rest of this series? No.
The writing style felt easy enough to read and get through, but still took me longer to finish than I expected. The plot is slower paced until it's just... not. From that point everything just feels rushed and due to this fact caused me to not enjoy the book as much as I think I could have.
---- Full Review
Covet Me by Kel Carpenter & Aurelia Jane follows Nikki Ward, the daughter of a mafia family holding a section of New York City for the Shifters. After having her choices taken away from her, Nikki finally has enough and takes her future and fate into her own hands.
While this book has an overall decent plot premise, I feel like it fell a bit short on some of it's execution. There were a few plot holes that I couldn't get past by the end of the book and after certain events occur the writing feels rushed compared to the laid back start.
Let's Talk Logistics some spoilers below but will be hidden - Pacing; After a certain event happens within the book, the pacing just seems like somebody hit fast forward on a TV remote twice causing our pacing to triple. After hitting a secondary point within the plot, it felt like we hit that fast forward button again and were on a 5x plot pacing speed for the ending of the book. This left me feeling underwhelmed at the information thrown at us and I think made those events significantly less impactful plot wise.
- Plot Holes; There is a good chance some of these plot holes come up and fill within the other standalones of this series, I will not discount that it's a possibility. However, when I imagine a series of standalones I expect a certain amount of 'completeness' regarding each individual story within the world that's being built.
- World Building...?; I think for the most part I followed the world that they were attempting to build here but there were times that I was questioning a lot of different things in a 'how was/is X, if also Y'.
- Disney References; I think at first I thought this was cute to a point, a sheltered girl who grew up on Disney movies/etc, but the amount of times this was brought up throughout the plot or used as literal reasons that things were happening or plans that were made seemed excessive.
Final Thoughts Overall I think the book was alright, though I do not intend to continue into the other books within this series. This general plot and world had a lot of potential and with this book being the first listed in the series I needed it to grab and hold my interest a bit more to keep me excited to stay. The pacing changings, plot holes, and no actual relationship building caused the book to feel like a chore even if the writing style of the authors was easy enough to read.
I hope those that choose to read this book love it, and happy reading!
I read ‘Covet Me’ by Kel Carpenter and Aurelia Jane… and what a GREAT 🤩 Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy Why Choose! (FYI, I’m not affiliated with the author and there are NO spoilers! 🙌🏻)
Ok, so first things first 👆🏻! This book is actually a part of the Immortal Vices and Virtues world 👏🏻 (it’s the FIRST 1️⃣ book of the second season in that world.) But ✋🏻! You DO NOT have to read the first season before reading this- it’s pretty much a standalone, all on its own 🙌🏻. Although there are some cameos from characters from Season 1 & you WILL probably want to go read the first season after reading this 😁... you don’t HAVE to!
That being said – this was a super GREAT 🤩, streamlined, fast-paced 🏃🏻♀️ Why Choose with a SASSY 💋 FMC that cracked me up 😅! She has a STRONG 💪🏻 spine and a sense of humor 😜, two things I LOVE ❤️ about a great leading lady! And the guys 🥵! Yessss 👏🏻👏🏻. As soon as I realized that she was a MAFIA 🔫 PRINCESS 👸 that is a PHEONIX 🔥 shifter and has a harem of FATED 💍 mates who want NOTHING more than to win 🏆 her over (GROVELING included, folks 🙌🏻!) … I was immediately sucked in! I’m allllll about putting in a little hard work & effort 💪🏻 , and these guys definitely try to pay their dues to win her over! I just LOVE ❤️ it when a FMC makes the fellas work for it! YKWIM? 👏🏻
But what I really LOVED 😍 about this book… are some of the KICKBUTT 🤺moments where our girl showed EVERYONE what she was truly made of 🙌🏻! The plotline is a pretty COOL 😎 concept… trials are involved, but they are NOT BRIDE 👰 trails (Thank goodness, cause although that plotline makes for FAB books, there are just so many out there!) Honestly ✌🏻, this was a FRESH 💨 take on trials 🎯 with a FMC and her harem of men and at times, it definitely reminded me of the movie The King’s Man (you know… the one starring the actor who played THE BEST MR. DARCY EVER 🙌🏻… that is FACT👆🏻, y'all DO NOT argue with me on that one!) Speaking of head nods from the authors, this book is LOADED with Disney references (if ye had the chance to change your fate, would ya 🎯😁) & you can tell the authors must be MEGA fans too!
Oh 😮! So what is the book about 🤗! Yeesh, I got a little 🤏 carried away with some of the details there 😆! Okay! So here goes- (without spoilers!) Alrighty, so the book starts off with a FMC MAFIA 🔫PRINCESS👸 (really, I can’t say that enough 😆!) who is being FORCED to MARRY 💍 the sole winner 🥇 of a trial- for a crown of sorts- and our girl is FULL ON BRAVE 🎯 with how she handles that little conundrum. Cause um, I mentioned she had a spine right 🙌🏻? So, she’s not gonna just agree to some dude marrying her if he wins a trial!! Enter ➡️ her fated mates, one of which REJECTED her before the story started 😭, and DRAMA 🎭 kicks off in full swing 😁! Throw in some MURDER 🔪 MYSTERY 🔎, a Queen of MERFOLK 🧜♀️ (yes! Mermaids and Sirens, oh my!), and some Titan like creatures (maybe?… TBH I’m not sure, but I’m just rolling with it! 😅)… and this definitely has some UF 🤺vibes! Oh! And then throw in the some STEAM 🥵 of a Why Choose – not too overpowering, mind you- with a little bit of a heat 🍑 💦 cycle, and this is DEFINITELY a Paranormal Romance 🍆 🍑 🔥 too!
So if you LOVE ❤️ a good streamlined PNR/UF combo with a SASSY 💋 , FUNNY 😅 FMC, some HOT 🥵 guys that GROVEL 🙏🏻 & put in some real effort, cool creatures 🧜♀️ and trials that show everyone what our girl is really made of 💪🏻, and some funny as heck jokes (OMG 😅 the jokes around stone, I was LITERALLY laughing out loud 😂🤣😂!)… give this a shot! It’s FREE on KU and you never know, you may COVET it too!
Et oui, je suis même obligée de m'aventurer sur le thème de l'espace pour parler de ce livre et de mon amour pour lui !
Alors sachez avant toute chose que ce livre est un spin-off de "Rejette-moi". N'ayant pas lu ce dernier, je vous assure qu'il n'est pas nécessaire à la compréhension de "désirez-moi".
Nous nous retrouvons donc plongé ici, dans une urban fantasy, écrite à 4 mains (parfaitement réalisé). La ville principale n'est autre que NY. Et pour y revenir, les détails sont vraiment impressionnant et ça donne une réalité importante à la lecture.
Les tropes principales sont toutes à couper le souffle : harem inversé ; mafia ; mariage arrangé ... et le tout fonctionne à merveille.
Nikki est une jeune femme, fille d'un parrain de la mafia, qui dirige la ville mais aussi sa famille d'une main de maître. Ce n'est autre qu'un dangereux tortionnaire fantastique. Ce dernier thème est utilisé car les 3/4 des personnages décrits dans ce monde détiennent des pouvoirs.
Plusieurs créatures et êtres magiques vont être mis sur le devant de la scène : Les métamorphes (que ce soit dragon ; phénix ; loups ... et même un canard !) ; des faes ; des anges ; des sorcières ....
Nous sommes vraiment dans un monde fantastique parfaitement construit. Il existe plusieurs royaumes, départagés par les arrondissements connus de nos jours de NY (Brooklyn ; le Queens...). Chaque royaume est régie par des créatures différentes. Et bien entendu, les 3/4 sont en conflit.
Dans ce livre, j'ai aimé retrouver la notion d'âmes soeurs. Ce terme à lui seul explique l'amour le plus pur ; le plus beau et le plus résistant qui soit ! Alors imaginez la dimension que nous allons avoir quand Nikki en détient 3. Et en plus, ce n'est pas n'importe qui !
J'ai adoré également les références à Disney que nous pouvons retrouver tout le long du livre. Franchement, ça amène un peu de légèreté et ça marche très bien !
L'intrigue va prendre une tournure de règlement de compte arbitrée par une épreuve digne de "prison healer". Non mais alors cette partie... elle m'a tenu en haleine du début jusqu'à la fin ! J'en voulais toujours plus.
Le smut est très présent et entre à la perfection dans le thème harem inversé.
J'aime Adrian et Niall. Je ne peux pas choisir lequel je préfère ... Désolée Malachi mais pour moi, tu restes sur le banc de touche...
Le tempo est parfait. Les pages défilent à une vitesse impressionnante. Et quand le mot fin est inscrit, mes larmes dévalées mes joues. Non pas de tristesse. Mais de joie d'avoir eu l'occasion de découvrir un livre pareil.
Pour moi, il n'est autre que la relève d'Acotar.
Alors laissez-vous tenter, vous n'allez pas être deçus.
A whole new series in the Immortal Vices and Virtues world but this time... RH-style. OMG, yes, please!
Worldbuilding: As I've just said, we return to a world we know and love. This time we move between No Man's Land (Shifter Syndicate territory) and the Earth and Emerald faction. Scenes and environments were clear and well described, and there was no information dump. Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the story :)
Character development: Nikki, our main female character, is the daughter of the Shifter Syndicate boss. While she is a syndicate princess, she hates how things are run. When she finds out she will be a pawn in her father's bid to take over the Earth and Emerald faction, she decides to take matters into her own hands. She is a Disney lover, and almost all her plans are derived from one of the animated movies. Which, I can tell you, sometimes leads to hilarious situations (and a lot of headaches for Sam, her best friend and guard). Her past has been terrible, leaving her emotionally wounded, even years later.
When they were younger, Malachi was Nikki's best friend until he ran and left her alone. Niall is working towards meeting his mate again with the help of his best friend, Adrian. When all four meet again, sparks fly... but then, so do fists :D As this is the first book with a reverse harem in a world where that isn't 'normal', it's interesting to see how they're handling the situation (not only in this book but throughout the series). Throughout the book, we learn a lot about the characters, changing everything we thought we knew and creating those twists and turns we love in books! All of the characters were well-written, and they felt believable and alive. Oh, and they're fun... so much fun.
Pacing and flow: From start to finish, I was having fun and stayed interested and engaged with the book. Great balance between all the conversations and action. Be warned, it has a lot of pages, and you will be hooked... so plan some time to get through this :D
The book: The book was well written with no (noticeable) errors. There are sexual scenes described (if that is important to you). I would rate it 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of 5. The book has 516 pages, spread over 50 chapters, and is told from multiple points of view.
Final thoughts: I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy of this book, and I'm soooo happy we will have so many more books in this world! Well-written, interesting and diverse characters and a lot of romance... what more do you want? Oh, and I absolutely loved all the Disney references in the book! It had me laughing (and facepalming) really often :D And as I love Disney movies, I was humming along when a particular song or character was mentioned (hellow Kronk :D) I can't wait for the next installment in the series :D