What do you think?
Rate this book
Coven Ties #3
In This Shadow, Longing
In a world where people are born a Dom or a sub…
Cross is not a good man. His past is filled with dark magic, with death and blood sacrifices. He refuses to inflict his dominance on anybody—he’s not worthy of being a Dom.
He’s scared of what he’s capable of.
It’s been years since he scened, and he knows his body is slowly dying because of it, but this fate is better than hurting a sub.
Alex is a dynamic specialist. He subs for Doms who need to scene for their own health and don’t have other options. When he’s called to the Meliora coven for the most extreme case of Domdrop he’s ever encountered, he expects it just to be another client in a long line of clients.
That’s not what he finds.
As Cross struggles to trust himself enough to Dom, enough to live, Alex is forced to question how joyless his own life has become. There is something blooming within them, between them, and neither of them knows if it’s something they can keep alive, or something that will wither away once their contract is broken and Alex leaves Meliora for good.
In This Shadow, Longing is a hurt/comfort story with escalating BDSM, two people learning how to truly trust, and about how love can soften even the most salted of earths.
Cross is not a good man. His past is filled with dark magic, with death and blood sacrifices. He refuses to inflict his dominance on anybody—he’s not worthy of being a Dom.
He’s scared of what he’s capable of.
It’s been years since he scened, and he knows his body is slowly dying because of it, but this fate is better than hurting a sub.
Alex is a dynamic specialist. He subs for Doms who need to scene for their own health and don’t have other options. When he’s called to the Meliora coven for the most extreme case of Domdrop he’s ever encountered, he expects it just to be another client in a long line of clients.
That’s not what he finds.
As Cross struggles to trust himself enough to Dom, enough to live, Alex is forced to question how joyless his own life has become. There is something blooming within them, between them, and neither of them knows if it’s something they can keep alive, or something that will wither away once their contract is broken and Alex leaves Meliora for good.
In This Shadow, Longing is a hurt/comfort story with escalating BDSM, two people learning how to truly trust, and about how love can soften even the most salted of earths.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 16, 2024
53 people are currently reading
166 people want to read
About the author
Marina Vivancos
28 books896 followersWhen Marina was a child she couldn’t sleep. Night after dissolving night she just couldn’t sleep. Nothing much worked – until she started making up stories in her head. Suddenly, the transition into unconsciousness was a smooth dive into calm waters.
Marina is currently in a period of sleepless upheaval, and she hopes writing down the stories in her head will cast the same spell it did years ago.
You can find her being malhumorada on Twitter.
Marina is currently in a period of sleepless upheaval, and she hopes writing down the stories in her head will cast the same spell it did years ago.
You can find her being malhumorada on Twitter.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
May 24, 2024
this felt like cross’s book in the beginning, but alex’s book in the end. i wish we got more of cross’s pov in the back part of the book, i needed a bit more from him. we get a ton of cross’s pov in the beginning, so we can really feeeeel his headspace and his emotions, and it felt like that immersion was missing toward the end.
but ugh this really was just the most delicious hurt/comfort goodness and i soaked it up like sun….the descriptions of passive suicidal ideations were so powerful and raw, the way cross was just letting himself rot and hoping it would eventually end without him having to lift a finger😫😫😫
“He forced himself to eat, to lie in bed and pretend to sleep, to go to work and talk and smile and act normal. He fed and took care of Kali, something he refused to ever neglect. He stuck to his routine, counting the minutes for each task, keeping his body under control.
He just had to fake it hard enough to get through.
It didn’t help.
He couldn’t sleep. He broke out in a nauseated sweat in Connie’s house during lunchtime as he ate. He was aching and dizzy and so, so tired.
There was a leak letting everything out. His strength, his willpower, his ability to care. Drip, drip, drip, the night went, and drip, drip, drip, the day, until there was nothing but an echo inside.”
“He was living in a limbo of his own making. Something essential had been scooped out of him—his organs, his blood, his soul. He’d been reduced to a lumbering vessel that was empty inside.”
ughh like my pretty baby needs a thousand hugs right tf now or i’ll lose it!!!😖😖 seeing cross’s journey from numb depressed zombie to healing and able to trust himself and others’ opinion of him was soooo special, like iiii feel healed just reading it😂 and alex was such a gem, like i swear i teared up every time he reassured and comforted cross🥺🥺 like my guy always knew the right thing to say fr, i feel like i just got a free therapy session💀 which….may have contributed to cross and alex’s love feeling a bit clinical at times….but aside from that, in terms of a heartfelt healing journey (and the most beautiful found family!!!), i just absolutely loved it🫶🫶🫶🥺🥺🥺 so much support and love from the whole community, it was amazing🥹🥹 i love this series sooo much, i really hope we get another book, although i’d have no idea who it’d be about.
but ugh this really was just the most delicious hurt/comfort goodness and i soaked it up like sun….the descriptions of passive suicidal ideations were so powerful and raw, the way cross was just letting himself rot and hoping it would eventually end without him having to lift a finger😫😫😫
“He forced himself to eat, to lie in bed and pretend to sleep, to go to work and talk and smile and act normal. He fed and took care of Kali, something he refused to ever neglect. He stuck to his routine, counting the minutes for each task, keeping his body under control.
He just had to fake it hard enough to get through.
It didn’t help.
He couldn’t sleep. He broke out in a nauseated sweat in Connie’s house during lunchtime as he ate. He was aching and dizzy and so, so tired.
There was a leak letting everything out. His strength, his willpower, his ability to care. Drip, drip, drip, the night went, and drip, drip, drip, the day, until there was nothing but an echo inside.”
“He was living in a limbo of his own making. Something essential had been scooped out of him—his organs, his blood, his soul. He’d been reduced to a lumbering vessel that was empty inside.”
ughh like my pretty baby needs a thousand hugs right tf now or i’ll lose it!!!😖😖 seeing cross’s journey from numb depressed zombie to healing and able to trust himself and others’ opinion of him was soooo special, like iiii feel healed just reading it😂 and alex was such a gem, like i swear i teared up every time he reassured and comforted cross🥺🥺 like my guy always knew the right thing to say fr, i feel like i just got a free therapy session💀 which….may have contributed to cross and alex’s love feeling a bit clinical at times….but aside from that, in terms of a heartfelt healing journey (and the most beautiful found family!!!), i just absolutely loved it🫶🫶🫶🥺🥺🥺 so much support and love from the whole community, it was amazing🥹🥹 i love this series sooo much, i really hope we get another book, although i’d have no idea who it’d be about.
May 12, 2024
⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️
This series is hurt/comfort perfection. These characters have their issues, their tumultuous pasts, but with a loving found family and equally loving partners they find happiness and healing.
That being said, I didn’t find Cross’s story as emotionally captivating as the previous two installments. Same goes for the spice — sweet and restoring and romantic in the other books, here it felt passionless, mechanical.
Despite them engaging in “heavier” BDSM scenes, the scenes felt too quick to really make me feel anything.
Plot-wise, nothing much happens. It’s all concentrated on Cross’s healing journey, and the building connection between Alex and Cross. Outside of that, there was no plot.
In This Shadow, Longing was very tender and sweet, but not my personal fave of the series.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
CW and tropes (spoilers):
- MC with trauma
- Strict top/bottom
- Spanking
- Face-fucking
- Bondage
- Use of clamps
- Impact play
“Good. Nobody deserves to be alone, Cross. Remember that.” It wasn’t remembering that was the problem. It was believing it.
This series is hurt/comfort perfection. These characters have their issues, their tumultuous pasts, but with a loving found family and equally loving partners they find happiness and healing.
That being said, I didn’t find Cross’s story as emotionally captivating as the previous two installments. Same goes for the spice — sweet and restoring and romantic in the other books, here it felt passionless, mechanical.
Despite them engaging in “heavier” BDSM scenes, the scenes felt too quick to really make me feel anything.
Plot-wise, nothing much happens. It’s all concentrated on Cross’s healing journey, and the building connection between Alex and Cross. Outside of that, there was no plot.
In This Shadow, Longing was very tender and sweet, but not my personal fave of the series.
«Alex hadn’t been aware of how lonely he’d been before arriving in Meliora, but he knew he wasn’t alone now.»
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
CW and tropes (spoilers):
- MC with trauma
- Strict top/bottom
- Spanking
- Face-fucking
- Bondage
- Use of clamps
- Impact play
May 16, 2024
IT'S OUTTTT *runs off to re-read* <3
-----------------
God, what a treat.
This third book in the "Coven Ties" series was absolutely lovely: sweetly gut-wrenching, emotionally packed, steamy and absolutely, ridiculously romantic. I loved Cross and Alex's story so damn much!
I adore a fake "you're my client" relationship turned real love with my whole damn heart, and this one was even more special because of how vulnerable Cross was, of how intimate their proximity had to be, or how the D/s relationships works in Marina Vivancos' "Coven Ties" universe.
Both characters stole my heart, but I literally wanted to jump into the book and hug Cross to death.
In just over 200 pages, he managed to make me feel so damn much: his thoughts and feelings of unworthiness, the way he kept thinking he was manipulating the Meliora coven into caring for him, the fact that he couldn't seem to trust his brain anymore... God, it absolutely resonated with me so much, and I can only thank Marina for it: Cross made me feel seen, and he made me feel so damn much.
Alex too was such a great character! A great friend, a great person, and I loved how open he was to his new life in Meliora, despite his past and his own fears about love and belonging.
The whole cast of side characters, from our previous MCs (I LOVE THEM YOUR HONOUR!) to Connie and Ursula, were absolutely unforgettable. The found family atmosphere between them all was so damn lovely.
However, I'm once again, begging Marina to gift us a book about Archie: that man is a damn mystery, and I'd seriously sell a kidney to see his defences crumble around a sub. Pretty please?
Anyway, I love this universe so much. Biological kink dynamics are such a fun thing to write (and read about!), and I can only hope Marina has many more books planned for it.
"In this Shadow, Longing" was a gorgeous, gorgeous book, an emotional, sweetly angsty ride of a romance, and I could not get enough. I wholly recommend this series to any lover of magic driven romances (and kink!), with so much heartwarming, aching healing. Marina Vivancos is one of a kind in the emotional angst department, and every single one of her books have absolutely destroyed me. In the best way possible.
TWs/CWs: suicidal thoughts, depression (implied), disordered eating, medical issues (including fainting, vomiting, weight loss), domestic abuse (past), violence and death (past), childhood abuse (past).
Thanks GRR for the ARC. This is my honest review.
-----------------
God, what a treat.
This third book in the "Coven Ties" series was absolutely lovely: sweetly gut-wrenching, emotionally packed, steamy and absolutely, ridiculously romantic. I loved Cross and Alex's story so damn much!
I adore a fake "you're my client" relationship turned real love with my whole damn heart, and this one was even more special because of how vulnerable Cross was, of how intimate their proximity had to be, or how the D/s relationships works in Marina Vivancos' "Coven Ties" universe.
Both characters stole my heart, but I literally wanted to jump into the book and hug Cross to death.
In just over 200 pages, he managed to make me feel so damn much: his thoughts and feelings of unworthiness, the way he kept thinking he was manipulating the Meliora coven into caring for him, the fact that he couldn't seem to trust his brain anymore... God, it absolutely resonated with me so much, and I can only thank Marina for it: Cross made me feel seen, and he made me feel so damn much.
Alex too was such a great character! A great friend, a great person, and I loved how open he was to his new life in Meliora, despite his past and his own fears about love and belonging.
The whole cast of side characters, from our previous MCs (I LOVE THEM YOUR HONOUR!) to Connie and Ursula, were absolutely unforgettable. The found family atmosphere between them all was so damn lovely.
However, I'm once again, begging Marina to gift us a book about Archie: that man is a damn mystery, and I'd seriously sell a kidney to see his defences crumble around a sub. Pretty please?
Anyway, I love this universe so much. Biological kink dynamics are such a fun thing to write (and read about!), and I can only hope Marina has many more books planned for it.
"In this Shadow, Longing" was a gorgeous, gorgeous book, an emotional, sweetly angsty ride of a romance, and I could not get enough. I wholly recommend this series to any lover of magic driven romances (and kink!), with so much heartwarming, aching healing. Marina Vivancos is one of a kind in the emotional angst department, and every single one of her books have absolutely destroyed me. In the best way possible.
TWs/CWs: suicidal thoughts, depression (implied), disordered eating, medical issues (including fainting, vomiting, weight loss), domestic abuse (past), violence and death (past), childhood abuse (past).
Thanks GRR for the ARC. This is my honest review.
May 18, 2024
This was lacking some much needed tension for me both in the conflict and between the two mcs 🥲
The bio kink aspect was still enjoyable, though.
The bio kink aspect was still enjoyable, though.
May 25, 2024
3.5/5.
I’m having an incredibly difficult time finding the right words for this book/series.
As unique the interpretation of BDSM is, I don’t think it fully works for me. I love the D/s elements in this series (especially the aftercare and the subspace and domspace) but the kinky aspects throw me off a bit. In my opinion, it’s too much considering every book so far had at least one main character with heavy trauma and a complex backstory. All those aspects together feel quite frankly overwhelming.
But anyway. I did enjoy this book. Really, I did, even though I think that Alex was just there along for the ride and his character and backstory didn’t do much for the plot. I really just wished for more Cross all over, to be perfectly honest. His trauma, his struggles, his drops were my main focus and it was done so well in the beginning but lost its focus and meaning along the way. Kind of a shame, in my opinion.
I’m having an incredibly difficult time finding the right words for this book/series.
As unique the interpretation of BDSM is, I don’t think it fully works for me. I love the D/s elements in this series (especially the aftercare and the subspace and domspace) but the kinky aspects throw me off a bit. In my opinion, it’s too much considering every book so far had at least one main character with heavy trauma and a complex backstory. All those aspects together feel quite frankly overwhelming.
But anyway. I did enjoy this book. Really, I did, even though I think that Alex was just there along for the ride and his character and backstory didn’t do much for the plot. I really just wished for more Cross all over, to be perfectly honest. His trauma, his struggles, his drops were my main focus and it was done so well in the beginning but lost its focus and meaning along the way. Kind of a shame, in my opinion.
Read
June 5, 2024DNF at 27%
Turns out you shouldn’t read a cute little bland book after a 5 star epic one. This is not holding my attention at all.
Turns out you shouldn’t read a cute little bland book after a 5 star epic one. This is not holding my attention at all.
November 21, 2024
This was unbelievably good. I've been looking forward to the third installment in Coven Ties since I finished the second in the series, and it was more than worth the wait. I was a little bit nervous that I wouldn't be as in love with this book since the others set such a high bar, but I was wrong to have any doubt. If you love hurt/comfort, this is the perfect book for you. Cross is carrying so much pain and anguish, and seeing him find his match in Alex was lovely. Their relationship starts as a professional one, but the slow burn of feelings growing on both sides as things progressed was delightful. If you're a fan of the series or of serious hurt/comfort, this is a perfect read for you.
Thank you to the author for generously gifting me an ARC of this book for my honest review.
Thank you to the author for generously gifting me an ARC of this book for my honest review.
May 29, 2024
A little disappointing :/
I was looking forward to Cross's book, but the whole thing lacked depth. Which isn't exactly new for this author, but there was so much exposition and the whole thing felt really shallow, even though I generally liked the characters. The concept was great, but the execution didn't deliver. Even the smut, which was kinkier than the previous books, felt kind of *yawn*
I was looking forward to Cross's book, but the whole thing lacked depth. Which isn't exactly new for this author, but there was so much exposition and the whole thing felt really shallow, even though I generally liked the characters. The concept was great, but the execution didn't deliver. Even the smut, which was kinkier than the previous books, felt kind of *yawn*
May 20, 2024
I’m giving it three stars cause the writing is as always fantastic and it’s Vivancos. But this was a disappointing book. And not an easy review to write.
I love Vivancos. And I have loved the other two books of this series (both 5 star reads), and to say I was excited about this installment with Cross is an understatement.
A sadist that has a shit ton of trauma and needs caretaking and comes with a cat? Please give it to me.
But it didn’t deliver in anything it promised. Some mild spoilers ahead.
It started so good. The way Cross is portrayed at the beginning had me sold. But then as the book continues that portrayal falls apart. Cross is someone that has done bad things. Not just when it came to the Chaos Magic, but also as a teen. He is a very morally grey character (to say the least). He was manipulative, power hungry and didn’t care for others.
But then he finally realizes how far he is going and helps end the chaos magic and bad coven. That would have been a great start. His redemption arc. Navigating having a moral compass.
Instead he is just good. And most frustrating of all, he has always been a great dom. And everyone around him believes he is one, even the sub that just met him 10 min ago. And I’m sorry but I don’t buy it. He was a manipulative little shit, but somehow never pushed a subs boundaries? Then why on earth is he so hanged up on this? He has somehow always been good with his dynamic partners. Why would now be any different?
The book has also so much telling and not showing. Characters info dumping their backstory. And some parts read more like a therapy session than a romance book. And the kink? Blink and you miss it. They are supposed to have an S&M dynamic, but there is nothing to demonstrate that. There are some scenes that are mentioned but never actually shown on the page. I didn’t buy Cross as a sadist at all. And I didn’t care for his partner.
Best thing were the cameos of the other MCs from previous books. They felt more fleshed out and more real than the actual MCs.
I love Vivancos. And I have loved the other two books of this series (both 5 star reads), and to say I was excited about this installment with Cross is an understatement.
A sadist that has a shit ton of trauma and needs caretaking and comes with a cat? Please give it to me.
But it didn’t deliver in anything it promised. Some mild spoilers ahead.
It started so good. The way Cross is portrayed at the beginning had me sold. But then as the book continues that portrayal falls apart. Cross is someone that has done bad things. Not just when it came to the Chaos Magic, but also as a teen. He is a very morally grey character (to say the least). He was manipulative, power hungry and didn’t care for others.
But then he finally realizes how far he is going and helps end the chaos magic and bad coven. That would have been a great start. His redemption arc. Navigating having a moral compass.
Instead he is just good. And most frustrating of all, he has always been a great dom. And everyone around him believes he is one, even the sub that just met him 10 min ago. And I’m sorry but I don’t buy it. He was a manipulative little shit, but somehow never pushed a subs boundaries? Then why on earth is he so hanged up on this? He has somehow always been good with his dynamic partners. Why would now be any different?
The book has also so much telling and not showing. Characters info dumping their backstory. And some parts read more like a therapy session than a romance book. And the kink? Blink and you miss it. They are supposed to have an S&M dynamic, but there is nothing to demonstrate that. There are some scenes that are mentioned but never actually shown on the page. I didn’t buy Cross as a sadist at all. And I didn’t care for his partner.
Best thing were the cameos of the other MCs from previous books. They felt more fleshed out and more real than the actual MCs.
May 4, 2024
I absolutely adore this series and this was a such a beautiful addition! I loved Alex and Cross’s hard won journey over months to finding true belonging and falling in love.
They both have such difficult pasts, both isolated in different way coming together in crisis when Alex is hired as a dynamic specialist for Cross who believes he deserves to just wither away. Parts of this book were very hard to read because of the guilt and pain and trauma that Cross is navigating and healing isn’t linear or a simple fix and needs a multitude of different resources and the author takes care to navigate all of that with so much sensitivity . The found family aspect also is absolutely spectacular.
This story, set in a world where everyone is born a Dom or a Sub and some intrinsic magic, is emotional, beautifully written with a slow burn ending in spectacular spicy scenes exploring kinks within a dom/sub dynamic and tons of healing moments for these characters that grow and come alive as they fight for their HEA.
Expect:
* BDSM
* Magic and paranormal themes
* Hurt comfort
* Forced proximity
* Kinks including praise, pain, bondage, impact play
* Found family
* Slow burn
* Forced proximity
There is sensitive content, specially around mental health struggles so please do check that out and take care of yourself.
They both have such difficult pasts, both isolated in different way coming together in crisis when Alex is hired as a dynamic specialist for Cross who believes he deserves to just wither away. Parts of this book were very hard to read because of the guilt and pain and trauma that Cross is navigating and healing isn’t linear or a simple fix and needs a multitude of different resources and the author takes care to navigate all of that with so much sensitivity . The found family aspect also is absolutely spectacular.
This story, set in a world where everyone is born a Dom or a Sub and some intrinsic magic, is emotional, beautifully written with a slow burn ending in spectacular spicy scenes exploring kinks within a dom/sub dynamic and tons of healing moments for these characters that grow and come alive as they fight for their HEA.
Expect:
* BDSM
* Magic and paranormal themes
* Hurt comfort
* Forced proximity
* Kinks including praise, pain, bondage, impact play
* Found family
* Slow burn
* Forced proximity
There is sensitive content, specially around mental health struggles so please do check that out and take care of yourself.
July 25, 2024
Enjoyed this just not quite as much as the first 2. I really loved Alex but even by the end I didn’t really feel like I knew Cross that well.
This series has the most wholesome and cute found family vibes and I’m honestly loving this socialist coven 😂 I really hope Archie gets a book, I’m definitely not ready to see the back of this world.
This series has the most wholesome and cute found family vibes and I’m honestly loving this socialist coven 😂 I really hope Archie gets a book, I’m definitely not ready to see the back of this world.
April 26, 2024
Ahhh! Ok so I have loved the entire Coven Ties series so far. Cross is carrying SO MUCH and feels so guilty and I felt for him. His blatant distrust for himself just proved how good of a person he actually is, and his support system was so lovely. I also liked that once it got too far, Cross was willing to get help. I feel like it could have been so easy for the plot of the book to be about him refusing help, but the fact that it was really a story about healing worked for me. Alex was very patient, and kind with Cross, and in the situation that they were in it was bound to get emotional due to the intimacy they were experiencing together. I liked how reassuring Alex was and how he was able to ease a lot of Cross' insecurities when it came to being a good Dom.
My only semi-grievances with this book was that I would have loved for more Cross/Roman moments of them talking about what happened. I know they did a little bit, but I feel like when it happened Cross wasn't ready to hear what Roman had to say and he sort of brushed it off? I also feel like it took too long for Alex and Cross to move forward into that "oh shit real feelings" category. It was well after 50% into the book so for me it just wasn't all that believable that suddenly they felt so strongly for one another. Like I said, it was inevitable that the feelings would arise due to how intimate they were being, but I feel like the "job" aspect of their relationship lasted too long.
*i received an arc and this is my honest review
My only semi-grievances with this book was that I would have loved for more Cross/Roman moments of them talking about what happened. I know they did a little bit, but I feel like when it happened Cross wasn't ready to hear what Roman had to say and he sort of brushed it off? I also feel like it took too long for Alex and Cross to move forward into that "oh shit real feelings" category. It was well after 50% into the book so for me it just wasn't all that believable that suddenly they felt so strongly for one another. Like I said, it was inevitable that the feelings would arise due to how intimate they were being, but I feel like the "job" aspect of their relationship lasted too long.
*i received an arc and this is my honest review
April 28, 2024
The trauma these MC have been through and their healing journey together ❤️ I love it so much! And the growing found family ❤️❤️❤️ The writing it perfection, can’t put it down❤️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
January 13, 2025
3.5 Stars
I've been waiting for Cross's book and this checked so many boxes I hoped for. There was so much delicious hurt/comfort, and we really got to see Cross grow and break out of his shell! I do think the romance was a little weak, and just didn't quite click for me. But the characters themselves made up for it and as always I loved the world Vivancos built
I've been waiting for Cross's book and this checked so many boxes I hoped for. There was so much delicious hurt/comfort, and we really got to see Cross grow and break out of his shell! I do think the romance was a little weak, and just didn't quite click for me. But the characters themselves made up for it and as always I loved the world Vivancos built
May 5, 2024
This was such an amazing addition to the Coven Ties Series!
I have been anxiously awaiting Cross’ book while reading books 1 & 2 because I just knew it would be good. Man, was that an understatement! This is easily my favorite book of the series, and the first two are FANTASTIC.
Cross has deeply ingrained trauma that he has not been treated for and this has impacted his ability to maintain his hormone levels as a biological Dom. When this reaches emergency threshold, the coven and Cross agree to call a professional.
Alex has helped many Doms rehabilitate and never gotten attached due to his own past traumatic experience. But Cross is the most urgent case he’s ever seen and this calls for drastic treatment measures.
Cross broke my heart. His inner thoughts and what he felt about himself were truly heart breaking. I’m not an emotional reader in general but every once in a while a book will dig its hooks into me. I personally (and the author from the info on GRR) would consider these thoughts self trust issues and intense self-hatred and passive suicidal ideation. (The intense above is my personal experience). If you are sensitive to the above I implore you to proceed with caution.
Alex was go good with Cross. He was able to unwind some of his thought processes regarding trust and Subs and work towards healthy ‘scening’ (interactions between biological Doms and Subs, not always sexual). This in conjunction with therapy was truly amazing for Cross.
These two were smoking hot when they progressed to the bedroom. They complemented each other perfectly, and once Cross trusted that Alex could handle what he dished out and that he WANTED it, it was amazing. Absolutely beautiful.
I can’t forget the wonderful crew of side characters that created such an amazing support system for Cross and Alex. It was great to see all of them again and they play such a large part of this story and their lives.
Excellent job Marina Vivancos! If I could give this more than 5 stars I absolutely would!
TW: human and animal sacrifice (flashbacks), self-hate, self-trust issues, passive suicidal ideation, past domestic abuse (discussed), kink (specifically pain kink), past mental manipulation related to magic (flashback/discussed), anxiety attacks (on page)
*I received an advanced copy from GRR in exchange for my honest review.*
I have been anxiously awaiting Cross’ book while reading books 1 & 2 because I just knew it would be good. Man, was that an understatement! This is easily my favorite book of the series, and the first two are FANTASTIC.
Cross has deeply ingrained trauma that he has not been treated for and this has impacted his ability to maintain his hormone levels as a biological Dom. When this reaches emergency threshold, the coven and Cross agree to call a professional.
Alex has helped many Doms rehabilitate and never gotten attached due to his own past traumatic experience. But Cross is the most urgent case he’s ever seen and this calls for drastic treatment measures.
Cross broke my heart. His inner thoughts and what he felt about himself were truly heart breaking. I’m not an emotional reader in general but every once in a while a book will dig its hooks into me. I personally (and the author from the info on GRR) would consider these thoughts self trust issues and intense self-hatred and passive suicidal ideation. (The intense above is my personal experience). If you are sensitive to the above I implore you to proceed with caution.
Alex was go good with Cross. He was able to unwind some of his thought processes regarding trust and Subs and work towards healthy ‘scening’ (interactions between biological Doms and Subs, not always sexual). This in conjunction with therapy was truly amazing for Cross.
These two were smoking hot when they progressed to the bedroom. They complemented each other perfectly, and once Cross trusted that Alex could handle what he dished out and that he WANTED it, it was amazing. Absolutely beautiful.
I can’t forget the wonderful crew of side characters that created such an amazing support system for Cross and Alex. It was great to see all of them again and they play such a large part of this story and their lives.
Excellent job Marina Vivancos! If I could give this more than 5 stars I absolutely would!
TW: human and animal sacrifice (flashbacks), self-hate, self-trust issues, passive suicidal ideation, past domestic abuse (discussed), kink (specifically pain kink), past mental manipulation related to magic (flashback/discussed), anxiety attacks (on page)
*I received an advanced copy from GRR in exchange for my honest review.*
May 16, 2024
Since Cross joined the Meliora Coven, he has been killing himself by not scening out of guilt. He is afraid his psychic magic of controlling people will hurt someone. This book builds on previous ones and brings Alex into his life. Alex is a specialist with tons of patience to help Cross overcome his fears of doming. It's a slow burn relationship built on trust, patience and caring with lots of touch, dependency and some impact play. I enjoy this series very much. I received a copy of this book through Gay Romance Reviews and this is my voluntary opinion.
July 5, 2024
I really, really enjoyed the first two books in this series. This one, I enjoyed . . . less.
The prose, as usual, was lovely, but I felt that the story itself kind of dragged. Rather than relishing the journey, I just kept waiting for these two to hurry up and settle down, already. Which is the opposite of this author's pro-therapy, pro-everything-happens-in-its-own-time message.
The prose, as usual, was lovely, but I felt that the story itself kind of dragged. Rather than relishing the journey, I just kept waiting for these two to hurry up and settle down, already. Which is the opposite of this author's pro-therapy, pro-everything-happens-in-its-own-time message.
June 9, 2024
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Cross is just... And Alex is so very.... Speechless. I'm Speechless.
March 29, 2025
Mmm no. Me aburrió muchísimo y no fue lo que esperaba.
Sin dudas Cross y Alex son la pareja que menos me gustó.
Sin dudas Cross y Alex son la pareja que menos me gustó.
April 11, 2025
I cant be the only one hoping for another book with the high witch as the lead right??? 👀👀
May 30, 2024
I love this series sm it’s one of my guilty pleasures 🥴
May 19, 2024
Rating: 4
Steam: 3
PoV: dual, 3rd person
Genre: paranormal romance, MM
Main tropes: mental health, hurt / comfort, forced proximity
In This Shadow, Longing was a heart-warming and gorgeous story, full of hurt / comfort, sweetness and kink!
I'd been waiting for Cross' story ever since he first appeared in the first Coven Ties novel, and I just adored him and Alex together! There'd been some hints from the other books that Cross wasn't doing so well, but seeing how bad it actually was... The way he'd been dropping and slowly getting worse and worse both mentally and physically broke my heart. The grief and trauma that Cross carried was a lot, and made for an emotional read.
Cross and Alex were really sweet together, taking it slow since Cross had issues with trusting himself around a sub. They fit each other really well, with Alex being a high-stimuli sub, needing a lot of pain to truly reach subspace, and Cross being a high-pain Dom. I loved how the trust and affection slowly built between them and how Cross felt more and more comfortable around Alex. Their scenes got more and more intense throughout the story, and it was great to see the connection that formed between them and Cross starting to trust himself again.
I love the universe that Marina Vivancos has created with this series, and the hurt / comfort has been fantastic in every story so far! It was great seeing Cross starting to heal and moving on from his past, and Alex was perfect for him. I'm really fond of these characters and their little found family, and I really hope there will be more stories in this series!
-
Thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
Steam: 3
PoV: dual, 3rd person
Genre: paranormal romance, MM
Main tropes: mental health, hurt / comfort, forced proximity
In This Shadow, Longing was a heart-warming and gorgeous story, full of hurt / comfort, sweetness and kink!
I'd been waiting for Cross' story ever since he first appeared in the first Coven Ties novel, and I just adored him and Alex together! There'd been some hints from the other books that Cross wasn't doing so well, but seeing how bad it actually was... The way he'd been dropping and slowly getting worse and worse both mentally and physically broke my heart. The grief and trauma that Cross carried was a lot, and made for an emotional read.
Cross and Alex were really sweet together, taking it slow since Cross had issues with trusting himself around a sub. They fit each other really well, with Alex being a high-stimuli sub, needing a lot of pain to truly reach subspace, and Cross being a high-pain Dom. I loved how the trust and affection slowly built between them and how Cross felt more and more comfortable around Alex. Their scenes got more and more intense throughout the story, and it was great to see the connection that formed between them and Cross starting to trust himself again.
I love the universe that Marina Vivancos has created with this series, and the hurt / comfort has been fantastic in every story so far! It was great seeing Cross starting to heal and moving on from his past, and Alex was perfect for him. I'm really fond of these characters and their little found family, and I really hope there will be more stories in this series!
-
Thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my honest thoughts and opinions.
September 13, 2024
this was so sweet
This was honestly a really quick and good read. I found the world and characters to all be quite interesting. It was a rather odd mixture of a Dom/Sub world that also simultaneously had people with different types of magic. People could join or be born into different covens at will with no bearing on the kind of magic they have or their dynamic.
Our main character across was born into a coven that became quite power hungry and started dabbling in Chaos Magic, which honestly just seems like your run of the mill blood magic/dark magic/sacrificial magic. At first he was fine with it, as long as it was animals or “bad people.” After all, Cross himself had always desired power and prestige, and his coven gave him that because he had a rare and desired type of magic known as Psychic magic which allowed him to manipulate others. Chaos Magic gave him even more of the power he craved. However, once they decided to start sacrificing innocents, Cross woke up to the horrible reality of the people he was aligned with. From there he worked with the son of the High Witch of their coven to bring them down with help from the High Court (government). For his assistance, he was pardoned for his crimes. This is all in the past though.
In the present, Cross is a tortured young man. He’s spent about three years now trying to move past his mistakes and move on in a new coven, but finds himself facing night terrors, a dwindling appetite, and crushing guilt. Not to mention, he’s slowly dying as, due to the dynamics of this world, Doms and Subs need to participate in regular scenes to survive. Going without for the past three years has caused Cross’s body to start shutting down due to Dom drop.
Thus enters Alex, a professional therapeutic Sub for hire who works to help Doms like Cross overcome their Dom drop and associated trauma. Alex himself has some existing trauma from his own childhood, but he’s been handling it okay until now besides the whole slowly isolating himself from others outside of his job and sis (can totally relate dude).
Once these two meet, their chemistry literally jumps off the page. It’s not quite 0 to 100 thankfully. I love that the author shows that love isn’t going to immediately solve everything (though, admittedly, in a DomSub world, that’s kinda the idea). Despite the fact that these two are clearly made for each other, they still have setbacks as Cross makes his way towards recovery. It also isn’t just Alex that helps him through it, his friends are there the entire time, he also starts going to therapy eventually. I mean, this is clearly a fantasy world, but they do go through the motions of real life recovery. Sped up, clearly, cause I don’t think anyone could overcome that kind of trauma and self hate in just six months, but I’m not here for realism.
The romance and spice were lovely. The spicy scenes were really spicy. I loved seeing Alex taken apart by Cross once he became more sure of himself. Though I think they could’ve taken it farther considering both of them were into pain play in a big way.
Honestly, the only reason I gave it four stars and not five is I felt like the world, magic, dynamics, and relationship could’ve all been fleshed out more. I feel like this book could’ve easily used 100-150 more pages of world building. I wanted to see more of the magic considering it led to so much of Cross’s problems, it was talked about so little. He never uses his magic again and even Alex doesn’t use his, in his words “rather weak water magic”. For a magical world, the magic was rather nonexistent. Which was a shame. Even the DomSub dynamics weren’t really gone into with much detail. Besides it killing cross, we weren’t informed how these dynamics really affect the Dayton day life of the people here.
However, I think the author was going for a more quiet, condensed story of romance and healing, which they accomplished.
Overall, a great read.
This was honestly a really quick and good read. I found the world and characters to all be quite interesting. It was a rather odd mixture of a Dom/Sub world that also simultaneously had people with different types of magic. People could join or be born into different covens at will with no bearing on the kind of magic they have or their dynamic.
Our main character across was born into a coven that became quite power hungry and started dabbling in Chaos Magic, which honestly just seems like your run of the mill blood magic/dark magic/sacrificial magic. At first he was fine with it, as long as it was animals or “bad people.” After all, Cross himself had always desired power and prestige, and his coven gave him that because he had a rare and desired type of magic known as Psychic magic which allowed him to manipulate others. Chaos Magic gave him even more of the power he craved. However, once they decided to start sacrificing innocents, Cross woke up to the horrible reality of the people he was aligned with. From there he worked with the son of the High Witch of their coven to bring them down with help from the High Court (government). For his assistance, he was pardoned for his crimes. This is all in the past though.
In the present, Cross is a tortured young man. He’s spent about three years now trying to move past his mistakes and move on in a new coven, but finds himself facing night terrors, a dwindling appetite, and crushing guilt. Not to mention, he’s slowly dying as, due to the dynamics of this world, Doms and Subs need to participate in regular scenes to survive. Going without for the past three years has caused Cross’s body to start shutting down due to Dom drop.
Thus enters Alex, a professional therapeutic Sub for hire who works to help Doms like Cross overcome their Dom drop and associated trauma. Alex himself has some existing trauma from his own childhood, but he’s been handling it okay until now besides the whole slowly isolating himself from others outside of his job and sis (can totally relate dude).
Once these two meet, their chemistry literally jumps off the page. It’s not quite 0 to 100 thankfully. I love that the author shows that love isn’t going to immediately solve everything (though, admittedly, in a DomSub world, that’s kinda the idea). Despite the fact that these two are clearly made for each other, they still have setbacks as Cross makes his way towards recovery. It also isn’t just Alex that helps him through it, his friends are there the entire time, he also starts going to therapy eventually. I mean, this is clearly a fantasy world, but they do go through the motions of real life recovery. Sped up, clearly, cause I don’t think anyone could overcome that kind of trauma and self hate in just six months, but I’m not here for realism.
The romance and spice were lovely. The spicy scenes were really spicy. I loved seeing Alex taken apart by Cross once he became more sure of himself. Though I think they could’ve taken it farther considering both of them were into pain play in a big way.
Honestly, the only reason I gave it four stars and not five is I felt like the world, magic, dynamics, and relationship could’ve all been fleshed out more. I feel like this book could’ve easily used 100-150 more pages of world building. I wanted to see more of the magic considering it led to so much of Cross’s problems, it was talked about so little. He never uses his magic again and even Alex doesn’t use his, in his words “rather weak water magic”. For a magical world, the magic was rather nonexistent. Which was a shame. Even the DomSub dynamics weren’t really gone into with much detail. Besides it killing cross, we weren’t informed how these dynamics really affect the Dayton day life of the people here.
However, I think the author was going for a more quiet, condensed story of romance and healing, which they accomplished.
Overall, a great read.
July 16, 2024
❊ Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook ❊
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Marina Vivancos never disappoints, and this time was no exception. Coven Ties is a series that I'm really enjoying so far, with stories that are straightforward and light in plot but emotionally intense and complex.
I've been waiting for Cross's story since the first book, ever since he and Roman (the first MC of the series) arrived in Meliora after surviving their former coven. And although Roman and Cross's story in Imbre was completely different, it was clear that both of them, not just Roman, were carrying emotional scars from their experiences.
I expected Cross to be the second MC, but instead, we got Charlie and Mason. While unexpected, since I was counting with Cross's story first, I ended up loving it. And finally (finally!) the time has come for Cross, to find out what has happened to him during all the years he has been living as part of the Meliora coven and how he is managing the aftermath of his experiences.
Indeed, Cross is not well, and although his friends don't know it, he has spent years (years!) without scening with a sub for fear of causing them harm and has been carrying his scars deeper than anyone ever expected. This reaches a point where he can't take it anymore, leading to dom drops and a decline in his health.
This is how Alex arrives in Meliora, as a professional in dom and sub dynamics specializing in helping doms who have some type of problem performing scenes with subs or reaching domspace.
As expected, it's a very hurt/comfort oriented book that mostly focuses on Cross's recovery but also on the relationship our MCs develop and the place Alex makes for himself in the coven and the small town of Meliora.
The romance between these two is not free of conflicts, but overall, I would say it's not overly dramatic (beyond Cross's internal struggles, of course). The main issue is the fact that their relationship starts as a professional exchange, with the lines between real love and circumstantial confusion being blurred.
All in all, the book is not very long, so as you can imagine, it doesn't have much conflict in this regard, as it is more focused on Cross's trauma, why he has reached the point he is at, what he did in his former coven, etc.
A wonderful story by Mariana, adding to her countless successes and reaffirming my commitment to read everything she publishes, because she has never disappointed me (though obviously, there are some of her books I like more than others, as is natural).
If you like hurt/comfort, Mariana is an author you must read. Depending on your tastes, you will find series with different themes, some more or less aligned with your preferences. In this case, the series focuses heavily on dom/sub dynamics from an original perspective with many emotional nuances. Additionally, it has certain BDSM touches but does not focus on the kink itself, rather on the emotional implications for their relationship.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Marina Vivancos never disappoints, and this time was no exception. Coven Ties is a series that I'm really enjoying so far, with stories that are straightforward and light in plot but emotionally intense and complex.
I've been waiting for Cross's story since the first book, ever since he and Roman (the first MC of the series) arrived in Meliora after surviving their former coven. And although Roman and Cross's story in Imbre was completely different, it was clear that both of them, not just Roman, were carrying emotional scars from their experiences.
I expected Cross to be the second MC, but instead, we got Charlie and Mason. While unexpected, since I was counting with Cross's story first, I ended up loving it. And finally (finally!) the time has come for Cross, to find out what has happened to him during all the years he has been living as part of the Meliora coven and how he is managing the aftermath of his experiences.
Indeed, Cross is not well, and although his friends don't know it, he has spent years (years!) without scening with a sub for fear of causing them harm and has been carrying his scars deeper than anyone ever expected. This reaches a point where he can't take it anymore, leading to dom drops and a decline in his health.
This is how Alex arrives in Meliora, as a professional in dom and sub dynamics specializing in helping doms who have some type of problem performing scenes with subs or reaching domspace.
As expected, it's a very hurt/comfort oriented book that mostly focuses on Cross's recovery but also on the relationship our MCs develop and the place Alex makes for himself in the coven and the small town of Meliora.
The romance between these two is not free of conflicts, but overall, I would say it's not overly dramatic (beyond Cross's internal struggles, of course). The main issue is the fact that their relationship starts as a professional exchange, with the lines between real love and circumstantial confusion being blurred.
All in all, the book is not very long, so as you can imagine, it doesn't have much conflict in this regard, as it is more focused on Cross's trauma, why he has reached the point he is at, what he did in his former coven, etc.
A wonderful story by Mariana, adding to her countless successes and reaffirming my commitment to read everything she publishes, because she has never disappointed me (though obviously, there are some of her books I like more than others, as is natural).
If you like hurt/comfort, Mariana is an author you must read. Depending on your tastes, you will find series with different themes, some more or less aligned with your preferences. In this case, the series focuses heavily on dom/sub dynamics from an original perspective with many emotional nuances. Additionally, it has certain BDSM touches but does not focus on the kink itself, rather on the emotional implications for their relationship.
May 20, 2024
This is a compelling story of two men in a world where one is born either a Dom or a Sub, and each person is also born with a type of magic of varying strengths. Cross is a Dom, born with very strong Psychic Magic, able to compel people to do things, a man who misused his magic in his old coven, now tormented by nightmares and memories of things he has done. In this world, Doms and Subs must scene to maintain their physical health, but Cross has not been in a scene for over two years, and he is declining physically, suffering from Dom Drop. As an intervention, his friends arrange for Alex, a sub who is a dynamic specialist specializing in Doms who need help, to work with Cross. After initial sessions, Cross’s case is so severe, Alex moves in with him for months to work on his physical and mental health. Both men have their own issues, and the slow progress gained over time also brings strong feelings between the two, feelings they can’t acknowledge, originally due to trust issues as well as an awareness of client/specialist and the dynamics involved. As trust is built, and feeling of happiness with each other grows, they must face the time when Alex’s assignment has been completed and Cross ready to move on without him. But would it be possible to keep each other, can they open their hearts and express what they want, or will they both stay silent and let their love slip away?
Both characters are well drawn, you can feel what they feel, agonize over the thoughts and memories tearing at Cross, empathize with the loneliness and sense of not being lovable felt by Alex, and the heartbreak as they contemplate losing each other. Their world is one that embraces them where they live, yielding a sense of peace and belonging, turning the house they live in into a home, and Cross’s friends embracing Alex as one of their own. The journey of both men, their awareness and sensitivity to each other, just gave me a really good feeling of satisfaction at the end. Even though there were horrible memories and fears for Cross to get past, I still felt a sense of calm overall. I found this to be a thought-provoking read and will probably get Roman and Mason’s stories too, to embrace more of this world and characters. This is an author I do enjoy and follow.
I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.
Both characters are well drawn, you can feel what they feel, agonize over the thoughts and memories tearing at Cross, empathize with the loneliness and sense of not being lovable felt by Alex, and the heartbreak as they contemplate losing each other. Their world is one that embraces them where they live, yielding a sense of peace and belonging, turning the house they live in into a home, and Cross’s friends embracing Alex as one of their own. The journey of both men, their awareness and sensitivity to each other, just gave me a really good feeling of satisfaction at the end. Even though there were horrible memories and fears for Cross to get past, I still felt a sense of calm overall. I found this to be a thought-provoking read and will probably get Roman and Mason’s stories too, to embrace more of this world and characters. This is an author I do enjoy and follow.
I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.
May 23, 2025
ooooh! this book was so fucking cute, beautiful, devastating, gutwrenching, and heartbreaking all at once. cross was an absolute angel, and he deserved the world. like genuinely seeing the way he thought of himself was so insanely saddening. to see the way he had clearly been mainly manipulated and sent down the wrong path yet pinned the entire blame on himself was so devastating. he had such loving people around him (characters we have grown to know and love throughout the series), yet he didn’t believe he deserved it. he believed he was deceiving them just simply being by their side, and it hurt so bad to see. the way he was so loved yet he believed he was a horrible person for even accepting their love. the way he was slowly killing himself because he’d rather die than accidentally hurt someone ever again. the way he didn’t realize the fact that he cared enough was proof that he was never truly evil. lord.
onto alex, he was also such a sweet character with a lack of love in his life. he wanted so badly to make his own life that he neglected his own social life and human connections. he risked so much just to help others and to not risk becoming vulnerable yet again with anybody. he was a loving character with no one to love or show him he mattered. him and cross were going through the same issues, and they were each other's saviours.
i honestly thought their bond was so beautiful. the way they began by professional means yet ended up finding homes with one another, god. cross needed him so badly, but alex also needed him and all that meliora had to offer for him. he needed friends and people that would love and cherish him, he just needed genuine connections, something he neglected himself of- without even necessarily realizing he was doing so or lacked. cross neglected himself to the point of death, and he needed alex in order to learn to trust himself and his ability to control himself.
honestly, their story was so cute with the perfect amount of angst. cross broke my heart, he deserved the world. they needed each other so badly and came into each other's lives at the perfect moment, god. that's honestly all i can say, it was a quick read to get me out of the slump i could feel forming, and it was the perfect book for that. i’m really sad the series is over, but i will definitely continue reading from this author, she has a way with words and plots. i'd definitely recommend this book :).
onto alex, he was also such a sweet character with a lack of love in his life. he wanted so badly to make his own life that he neglected his own social life and human connections. he risked so much just to help others and to not risk becoming vulnerable yet again with anybody. he was a loving character with no one to love or show him he mattered. him and cross were going through the same issues, and they were each other's saviours.
i honestly thought their bond was so beautiful. the way they began by professional means yet ended up finding homes with one another, god. cross needed him so badly, but alex also needed him and all that meliora had to offer for him. he needed friends and people that would love and cherish him, he just needed genuine connections, something he neglected himself of- without even necessarily realizing he was doing so or lacked. cross neglected himself to the point of death, and he needed alex in order to learn to trust himself and his ability to control himself.
honestly, their story was so cute with the perfect amount of angst. cross broke my heart, he deserved the world. they needed each other so badly and came into each other's lives at the perfect moment, god. that's honestly all i can say, it was a quick read to get me out of the slump i could feel forming, and it was the perfect book for that. i’m really sad the series is over, but i will definitely continue reading from this author, she has a way with words and plots. i'd definitely recommend this book :).
May 10, 2024
5 stars for Cross' story at last!
Welp, I wouldn't have expected the depths of trauma that Cross carried from the first two books because he hided it behind a quiet and "nothing is happening here" facade, but oh boy the toll it took on him after a couple of years while his friends were healing and pairing up.
The amount of self loathing and depreciation and fear of hurting any Sub plunged him into self neglect and near death, which is why, thanks to the help of his friends (that he feels he doesn't deserve for how horrible a person he is, see a recurring pattern here?) an intervention is being staged in the person of Alex.
Alex was the perfect counterpart to Cross, the grumpy/sunshine dynamic was strong here (even if I wouldn't say that Cross is grumpy by nature, more like... a quiet midnight with lots of depths?) and the healing journey for both was super soft and wonderful to read, as if I was cocooned in a burrito blanket. Hell yeah! Give me more of this kind of hurt/comfort!
The journey wasn't without its set backs and questionings, heightened by how both Cross and Alex reach their Dom and Sub space () especially as the lines between professionalism and friendship began to blur and fade (as if they didn't have a strong connection from the beginning haha) but expect a sweet HEA of course.
Love to see the dynamics between all the previous characters that are here just the right amount of pages and always for something relevant to the story. Makes me happy to see how they're faring and how happy they all are <3
I dunno if another book is planned in this series but it would be cruel not to give Archie, the coven's High Witch, his own HEA (poor guy is always working so hard, he needs a partner who'll give him the support and rest he needs!)
Highly recommended, ofc!
Welp, I wouldn't have expected the depths of trauma that Cross carried from the first two books because he hided it behind a quiet and "nothing is happening here" facade, but oh boy the toll it took on him after a couple of years while his friends were healing and pairing up.
The amount of self loathing and depreciation and fear of hurting any Sub plunged him into self neglect and near death, which is why, thanks to the help of his friends (that he feels he doesn't deserve for how horrible a person he is, see a recurring pattern here?) an intervention is being staged in the person of Alex.
Alex was the perfect counterpart to Cross, the grumpy/sunshine dynamic was strong here (even if I wouldn't say that Cross is grumpy by nature, more like... a quiet midnight with lots of depths?) and the healing journey for both was super soft and wonderful to read, as if I was cocooned in a burrito blanket. Hell yeah! Give me more of this kind of hurt/comfort!
The journey wasn't without its set backs and questionings, heightened by how both Cross and Alex reach their Dom and Sub space () especially as the lines between professionalism and friendship began to blur and fade (as if they didn't have a strong connection from the beginning haha) but expect a sweet HEA of course.
Love to see the dynamics between all the previous characters that are here just the right amount of pages and always for something relevant to the story. Makes me happy to see how they're faring and how happy they all are <3
I dunno if another book is planned in this series but it would be cruel not to give Archie, the coven's High Witch, his own HEA (poor guy is always working so hard, he needs a partner who'll give him the support and rest he needs!)
Highly recommended, ofc!
April 18, 2025
A Good End to a Fantastic Series
I felt this book was more about a rediscovery of self and healing after a traumatic experience. Cross hated himself after the Chaos magic crap show from his last coven. Unlike Roman (from first book), Cross was willing to participate in the sacrifices to get more power, and since then, he felt like he wasn’t worthy of a sub or any healing even though he helped to shut down his previous coven. He goes into deep drops that affect his health due to the nightmares and not doing any scenes in three years that a professional has to come in to help regulate him. Alex is the professional that comes to help who have some scars of his own of being in an abusive relationship at 18 to which he used his job to stay away from friends and romantic partners. Cross gradually learned that he won’t hurt a sub during a scene, that he deserves and is worthy to love and have love given back to him. He relearns to trust himself. Alex learns that he is worthy of finding a home, unconditional love and affection, and boundaries in a romantic relationship that suits both partners. They both finds themselves worthy to have each other and love each other.
The found family that was founded throughout these three books was beautiful as we saw it build in each book. Everyone had a part in the healing journey in each book - big or small. This series was a big hurt/comfort trope that I am not usually a fan of, but this pulled me in and kept my attention from Book 1 to 3. Chef kiss to Marina Vivancos on this series.
I felt this book was more about a rediscovery of self and healing after a traumatic experience. Cross hated himself after the Chaos magic crap show from his last coven. Unlike Roman (from first book), Cross was willing to participate in the sacrifices to get more power, and since then, he felt like he wasn’t worthy of a sub or any healing even though he helped to shut down his previous coven. He goes into deep drops that affect his health due to the nightmares and not doing any scenes in three years that a professional has to come in to help regulate him. Alex is the professional that comes to help who have some scars of his own of being in an abusive relationship at 18 to which he used his job to stay away from friends and romantic partners. Cross gradually learned that he won’t hurt a sub during a scene, that he deserves and is worthy to love and have love given back to him. He relearns to trust himself. Alex learns that he is worthy of finding a home, unconditional love and affection, and boundaries in a romantic relationship that suits both partners. They both finds themselves worthy to have each other and love each other.
The found family that was founded throughout these three books was beautiful as we saw it build in each book. Everyone had a part in the healing journey in each book - big or small. This series was a big hurt/comfort trope that I am not usually a fan of, but this pulled me in and kept my attention from Book 1 to 3. Chef kiss to Marina Vivancos on this series.
May 16, 2024
First, this series is all top-notch pieces of hurt/comfort trope!
Second, in this world the people are born a Dom or a sub!
Cross doesn’t deserve the kindness of the Meliora coven, (his opinion, not mine), he even doesn’t deserve to be here, he knows what to do, it’s quite devastating.
Cross is a high-pain Dom, originally a member of the strict and hurtful Imber coven, only members with magic were valuable.
One day he discovered he has Psychic Magic, a rare and powerful magic, yes, he misused it.
But, he turned. He promised himself he would never use it again, he’s capable of violence and will never scene with a sub again, even though his body needs it to survive.
He would rather slowly kill himself, than scene with a sub.
He hurt too much. So he retreated, following his plan.
His friends from the Meliora coven are determined to help. This is where Alex steps in, he’s a dynamic specialist and a high-pain sub. Cross isn’t like any other client or any other Dom.
They have so much in common it’s crazy.
The healing process (from both men) took time and omg it was painful to watch but the results were oh-so beautiful.
The concept of this story (and the whole series) is absolutely original, the writing was flawless, and smooth, and the writing style made me feel connected with the characters and the whole scenery.
If you love palpable hurt/comfort and Dom/sub dynamic, with a touch of magic, you’re at the right place!
Recommended!!
Second, in this world the people are born a Dom or a sub!
Cross doesn’t deserve the kindness of the Meliora coven, (his opinion, not mine), he even doesn’t deserve to be here, he knows what to do, it’s quite devastating.
Cross is a high-pain Dom, originally a member of the strict and hurtful Imber coven, only members with magic were valuable.
One day he discovered he has Psychic Magic, a rare and powerful magic, yes, he misused it.
But, he turned. He promised himself he would never use it again, he’s capable of violence and will never scene with a sub again, even though his body needs it to survive.
He would rather slowly kill himself, than scene with a sub.
He hurt too much. So he retreated, following his plan.
His friends from the Meliora coven are determined to help. This is where Alex steps in, he’s a dynamic specialist and a high-pain sub. Cross isn’t like any other client or any other Dom.
They have so much in common it’s crazy.
The healing process (from both men) took time and omg it was painful to watch but the results were oh-so beautiful.
The concept of this story (and the whole series) is absolutely original, the writing was flawless, and smooth, and the writing style made me feel connected with the characters and the whole scenery.
If you love palpable hurt/comfort and Dom/sub dynamic, with a touch of magic, you’re at the right place!
Recommended!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews