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Her Second-Hand Mate
Penelope Hansen has had to share from the moment she was conceived. First the womb, then her parents' attention, and so on - you get the picture.
During challenging moments in her life, she used to daydream about her mate, the male who would belong to her alone, the one who would take her away from a pack and a life in which she's always felt second-best.
But then her mate turns out to be the silent, widowed, emotionally unavailable Alpha Dominic.
Will this be the mating Penelope has always dreamed of? Or will Dominic's unresolved issues with the past break her heart?
During challenging moments in her life, she used to daydream about her mate, the male who would belong to her alone, the one who would take her away from a pack and a life in which she's always felt second-best.
But then her mate turns out to be the silent, widowed, emotionally unavailable Alpha Dominic.
Will this be the mating Penelope has always dreamed of? Or will Dominic's unresolved issues with the past break her heart?
347 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 8, 2025
358 people are currently reading
135 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
dnf
February 24, 2025DNF @ 51%
This is so freaking boring, I can’t anymore. Filler and filler and more filler! At 51% and NOTHING has happened. The story is hardly a romance at this point. It’s 90% filler, and the rest is about either the two main characters having sex or the so-called hero neglecting her for reasons not yet revealed but vaguely hinted at. The sex is not at all descriptive, it’s more fade to black, so even that is lame-o. There are lots of secondary characters and the heroine is basically just adjusting to a new pack. It’s all surface level. I’m out.
This is so freaking boring, I can’t anymore. Filler and filler and more filler! At 51% and NOTHING has happened. The story is hardly a romance at this point. It’s 90% filler, and the rest is about either the two main characters having sex or the so-called hero neglecting her for reasons not yet revealed but vaguely hinted at. The sex is not at all descriptive, it’s more fade to black, so even that is lame-o. There are lots of secondary characters and the heroine is basically just adjusting to a new pack. It’s all surface level. I’m out.
March 28, 2025
Wow, 2 for 2 AND it's KU.
Daria T Rowan's books remind me of Ellen O'Connell's books. I read so many recommendations about how awesome Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold was. It was on my TBR list for over a year. How stupid am I? The two authors are very different with one exception, they deliver with a great story and wonderful, fleshed out characters.
The basics:
Heroine and H meet and it's fated. She's his second mate so that's apparently a downer. Unlike most KU heroes, he's not cruel, not duplicitous but holds back which damages their bonding as mates. It's clear he's attracted to her.
The complaints from other reviewers:
Not enough detailed sex scenes. Yeah, basically there is more romance than sex and fade to black. Okay, fine with me. How many times do I need to read the same sex scene (insert tab A into slot B) with the cherry on top of anal as an after. Woo hoo.
It was still intense.
The pluses:
The hero makes some mistakes for whatever reasons, but doesn't just grovel, he changes to be a better mate. He's actually incredibly sweet when his character is fully revealed. I loved him for his insecurities and his love for the heroine.
The heroine is a badass in a soft and gentle way as she honors her grandmother by hiding her silver knives around her new house because you never know! And the colloquial sayings were great.
“The same boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg,”
And the . Not a saying you hear often as it means the sun is shining while it rains.
This is more than just a romance. Ms. Rowan fleshes out the shifter dynamics. Different characters from different packs talk about their unique mating rituals, and it adds value to the story.
For the first time, I felt like I was reading a real romance rather than (to be crude) just a penis and a vagina having sex.
February 23, 2025
This was a good, angsty shifter story with decent grovel. As far as pacing, this book is a bit long. The therapy talk was a bit dull and I wished the H didn’t take quite so long to wake up. I did enjoy the world building. I was a little confused about how the H was able to have two fated mates?
Read
March 2, 2025I’m gonna classify this as a DNF although I skimmed to the end. I’m just not fond of the letter writing style to tell the gist of the story. I didn’t understand the Way mates worked in this world…everybody seems to have a mate that dies and they remarry.. I’m used to the scenario of fated mates and if they die the widow/widower goes crazy or dies or both. Also this was more like the tv series Friends than the story of a mated couple.There were a lot of side characters. For most of the book he H is either going on work trips for days/months on end or working late,driving Miss Daisy- I mean the OW - around,or handling emergencies….
and the fmc was either with friends/family or writing her Grandmother. Tbh it just got boring.
and the fmc was either with friends/family or writing her Grandmother. Tbh it just got boring.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2025
I loved this shifter story about a mating-in-trouble. It’s a gentle, low-ish drama-llama angsty tale full of interesting cultural differences between packs. The two MCs bring some historical (old and really new) baggage with them into this mating, making their start a rough one. It was hard to root for the H as much as the h, but he earned it as the book progressed!
The writing is really good and the pacing is relatively tight, which makes the overall flow a good one. I struggled to finish Barren Luna after the first part because of the pacing. This book didn’t have those issues for me. I’ll reread this one again when I need some angst+a lovely resolution.
The writing is really good and the pacing is relatively tight, which makes the overall flow a good one. I struggled to finish Barren Luna after the first part because of the pacing. This book didn’t have those issues for me. I’ll reread this one again when I need some angst+a lovely resolution.
dnf
March 9, 2025DNF @ 60% - the passive way this book is written does not do it any favors. The first part of the book is 90% letters to her granny and conversations with her friends. Almost no page time at all for the MCs. The sex scenes are all close-door with no passion just a short boring descriptions of passion. The raciest scene is when the hero licks honey off the h’s lips during the mating ceremony 🙄 - which doesn’t hit at all since they don’t even know each other. The next half of the book seems to be told mostly through the hero’s therapy sessions. I just can’t. I’m so effing bored. 😩😩
Also - an “alpha” so anxious that he bites his finger nails down to the quick is not hot. 🤷🏼♀️
Also - an “alpha” so anxious that he bites his finger nails down to the quick is not hot. 🤷🏼♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 23, 2025
This is a newer author that I’ve been following. I love this genre (dead ex) and read this in one sitting. I enjoyed all the development, but felt the plot got carried away with too many “extras” (characters, subplots, etc.) which (for me) bogged things down with unnecessary filler. Side characters are nice, but not to the point that they’re taking away pages from the main couple’s progression.
The book opens with Penelope learning that Alpha Dominic is her mate. After a quick, unemotional mating they leave for his pack where she soon learns she’s not only his second mate but is living in the home they shared. It didn’t quite shake out how I thought it would but still delivered a decent amount of drama with an acceptable amount of groveling. I don't was to give away major spoilers,
My biggest issue was the flow of the book which I found a smidge boring at times. I didn’t love the method of telling via the gma’s letters, and I’m not a big fan of separations. I wish the couple would’ve spent more time together and Penelope would’ve used her words more. I always prefer experiencing emotions/conflict/drama that come directly from the characters interacting and working things out. (via push/pull, having concerns dismissed, etc.)
The outline was very similar to The Barren Luna, swap the therapy sessions for gma's letters, and you have the same general formula with the h not confronting her H, a separation, and what follows that. Here, there was just less of the h's misery with more side filler.
My favorite part could’ve been Dominic’s coldness, but since they never really explored it (i.e. discussed her disappointment), I ended up loving the wannabe OW Heather parts and looking forward to every time she slithered on page.
Bottom Line- I liked it. Certain parts dragged quite a bit for me, but I gobbled others. I could’ve done with less secondary character filler and more face-to-face confrontation between the mc’s. Like the good old OG Harlequin H’s who used to constantly disregard their h’s concerns over their wannabe OW secretary’s overstepping. It’s not as much fun when we’re just stuck in their heads and they're not communicating. There’s an epilogue 14 years out but was missing an update on Margaret. I wondered if she went back to her original mate, but I kind of hoped he moved on. I only have one hard reviewing rule that I’m consistent with and that is if I have to skim… then it can only be a 3. Still a good read especially if you can be more patient with the secondary character stuff.
Totally Randon- The cover visually confuses me. At a glance I thought it was a 3-D baby in utero illustration, but it’s a head… Is that an arm? That’s not a hand.
The book opens with Penelope learning that Alpha Dominic is her mate. After a quick, unemotional mating they leave for his pack where she soon learns she’s not only his second mate but is living in the home they shared. It didn’t quite shake out how I thought it would but still delivered a decent amount of drama with an acceptable amount of groveling. I don't was to give away major spoilers,
My biggest issue was the flow of the book which I found a smidge boring at times. I didn’t love the method of telling via the gma’s letters, and I’m not a big fan of separations. I wish the couple would’ve spent more time together and Penelope would’ve used her words more. I always prefer experiencing emotions/conflict/drama that come directly from the characters interacting and working things out. (via push/pull, having concerns dismissed, etc.)
The outline was very similar to The Barren Luna, swap the therapy sessions for gma's letters, and you have the same general formula with the h not confronting her H, a separation, and what follows that. Here, there was just less of the h's misery with more side filler.
My favorite part could’ve been Dominic’s coldness, but since they never really explored it (i.e. discussed her disappointment), I ended up loving the wannabe OW Heather parts and looking forward to every time she slithered on page.
Bottom Line- I liked it. Certain parts dragged quite a bit for me, but I gobbled others. I could’ve done with less secondary character filler and more face-to-face confrontation between the mc’s. Like the good old OG Harlequin H’s who used to constantly disregard their h’s concerns over their wannabe OW secretary’s overstepping. It’s not as much fun when we’re just stuck in their heads and they're not communicating. There’s an epilogue 14 years out but was missing an update on Margaret. I wondered if she went back to her original mate, but I kind of hoped he moved on. I only have one hard reviewing rule that I’m consistent with and that is if I have to skim… then it can only be a 3. Still a good read especially if you can be more patient with the secondary character stuff.
Totally Randon- The cover visually confuses me. At a glance I thought it was a 3-D baby in utero illustration, but it’s a head… Is that an arm? That’s not a hand.
March 8, 2025
Boring. I read it on Wattpad and I waited something to happen but nothing did
May 23, 2025
5 stars
Sooo glad I decided to give this author another try. Read one of her books yesterday, liked it a lot. Read this one today, loved it!
The angst. The angst!
Soooo goood. I was feeling second-hand (heh) pain while reading this book and I kept hoping the grovel will be just as good. And it was.
Compared to the other book (idk if it's the same universe as 'Unlearning', it felt probable) this one was better in terms of pacing and character development. Still a little choppy with the time jumps but I think it was such an inspired decision to describe some scenes through letters.
The author carefully showed the characters' struggle with grief and miscommunication and self-acceptance.
For those that have been burned before by wanting angsty books with good grovel, here's some small spoilers:
Honestly, this book gets 5 stars because it managed to encapsulate most of what I want from a book in this genre:
-fated mates
-no rejection this time, more like neglect or indifference
-MMC doesn't know to treasure her until it's almost too late
-the FMC had enough of his behaviour and was fully prepared to live without him
-he actually tries to make things better and apologise, and it takes time, not just a few days
-HEA (because it needs to have one for me)
I would've liked a little more character description. We barely find out how our main characters look, like hair or eye colour. And it's barely mentioned near the end. It makes it difficult to imagine the characters.
One thing I didn’t understand: how could he have 2 fated mates? Was that normal? If one dies there could be another ? Or was the first mating not fated? That confused me a bit, because I was under the impression that they only get one fated mate but Dominic didn’t get any hate for having a chosen mate so the first one was also fated? That wasn’t clarified.
I really loved the different mating traditions from all the packs. How they prepared for their mates or waited for them.
For all the lovely fated mates stories, the sad ones were heartbreaking. Especially Tammy, I feel like it resonates with a lot of people.
All in all, I'm so happy I found this author and her books. I will definitely recommend them to everyone looking for heartbreaking, emotional stories that still manage to have lovely romances and HEAs.
10/10 would recommend
Sooo glad I decided to give this author another try. Read one of her books yesterday, liked it a lot. Read this one today, loved it!
The angst. The angst!
Soooo goood. I was feeling second-hand (heh) pain while reading this book and I kept hoping the grovel will be just as good. And it was.
Compared to the other book (idk if it's the same universe as 'Unlearning', it felt probable) this one was better in terms of pacing and character development. Still a little choppy with the time jumps but I think it was such an inspired decision to describe some scenes through letters.
The author carefully showed the characters' struggle with grief and miscommunication and self-acceptance.
For those that have been burned before by wanting angsty books with good grovel, here's some small spoilers:
Honestly, this book gets 5 stars because it managed to encapsulate most of what I want from a book in this genre:
-fated mates
-no rejection this time, more like neglect or indifference
-MMC doesn't know to treasure her until it's almost too late
-the FMC had enough of his behaviour and was fully prepared to live without him
-he actually tries to make things better and apologise, and it takes time, not just a few days
-HEA (because it needs to have one for me)
I would've liked a little more character description. We barely find out how our main characters look, like hair or eye colour. And it's barely mentioned near the end. It makes it difficult to imagine the characters.
One thing I didn’t understand: how could he have 2 fated mates? Was that normal? If one dies there could be another ? Or was the first mating not fated? That confused me a bit, because I was under the impression that they only get one fated mate but Dominic didn’t get any hate for having a chosen mate so the first one was also fated? That wasn’t clarified.
I really loved the different mating traditions from all the packs. How they prepared for their mates or waited for them.
For all the lovely fated mates stories, the sad ones were heartbreaking. Especially Tammy, I feel like it resonates with a lot of people.
All in all, I'm so happy I found this author and her books. I will definitely recommend them to everyone looking for heartbreaking, emotional stories that still manage to have lovely romances and HEAs.
10/10 would recommend
March 7, 2025
Excellent!
This is the first book of Daria T. Rowan’s I have read. I came across this book in my Amazon feed under suggested reading.
I was floored by how good this book was. It was different than other shifter books but with enough similarities to be comfortable. Explaining how packs have different rules, customs and symbolic traditions really helped.
I liked the characters, the chemistry between the main characters and the strength of the MFC. Even the MMC was likeable as with the alternating POV’s allowed us to see where he was coming from and not just his actions.
The book ends in a great HEA and includes an awesome Epilogue.
This is the first book of Daria T. Rowan’s I have read. I came across this book in my Amazon feed under suggested reading.
I was floored by how good this book was. It was different than other shifter books but with enough similarities to be comfortable. Explaining how packs have different rules, customs and symbolic traditions really helped.
I liked the characters, the chemistry between the main characters and the strength of the MFC. Even the MMC was likeable as with the alternating POV’s allowed us to see where he was coming from and not just his actions.
The book ends in a great HEA and includes an awesome Epilogue.
May 17, 2025
2 stars. This does not hold a candle to The Barren Luna AT ALL. This was so boring in comparison. The writing style was also weird here. I’m not a fan of the whole letter-type-writing.
Dear Diary,
No more of this shit.
Best,
V
Dear Diary,
No more of this shit.
Best,
V
February 18, 2025
He was mated before…
I totally love this author. She has written only a few books so far, but they are keepers for me. The Barren Luna is the same world as this book, with the ML here having first appeared in that book. I am really enamored by this particular world. The characters are so realistic and there are lots of messy actions going on. There are tons of betrayals and Alphas that are not good people. The ending chapters allude to some things happening that I can’t wait to read about.
Now to this particular story… the ML is a widower and he’s so closed off that I really felt for the FL. She’s adorable and I loved her character. There’s a crazy OW to deal with but you don’t know for sure that she’s a scheming witch. There are some flags though. Anyway, his first mate didn’t really enjoy being mated but she passed in a car accident several years prior. Her character is uncovered as the story progresses.
We end up in court again, just like the first book. These are really entertaining and I love this part of both books. Alpha commands ensure that the truth is told, and it’s a wild ride…
KU read but this is another keeper. I’m off to buy it.
I totally love this author. She has written only a few books so far, but they are keepers for me. The Barren Luna is the same world as this book, with the ML here having first appeared in that book. I am really enamored by this particular world. The characters are so realistic and there are lots of messy actions going on. There are tons of betrayals and Alphas that are not good people. The ending chapters allude to some things happening that I can’t wait to read about.
Now to this particular story… the ML is a widower and he’s so closed off that I really felt for the FL. She’s adorable and I loved her character. There’s a crazy OW to deal with but you don’t know for sure that she’s a scheming witch. There are some flags though. Anyway, his first mate didn’t really enjoy being mated but she passed in a car accident several years prior. Her character is uncovered as the story progresses.
We end up in court again, just like the first book. These are really entertaining and I love this part of both books. Alpha commands ensure that the truth is told, and it’s a wild ride…
KU read but this is another keeper. I’m off to buy it.
February 28, 2025
I loved this book, it's a slow burn but its so good the way Daria gets into both their heads. Love being able to see their thought processes. The ending gutted me though, and I would have given it 5 stars
All in all, a great read that I really enjoyed!
All in all, a great read that I really enjoyed!
July 28, 2025
first 50% was incredibly boring and i just waited for the conflict to begin
March 29, 2025
4.25⭐️
March 9, 2025
Mind numbingly boring
I really tried to read through the whole book, but couldn't do it. It's supposed to be angsty romance but is written in the form of letters to Nana from an emo wet blanket. Not good.
I really tried to read through the whole book, but couldn't do it. It's supposed to be angsty romance but is written in the form of letters to Nana from an emo wet blanket. Not good.
April 13, 2025
I started this after reading various different reviews, some very good and some very low.
I was pleasantly surprised.
The heroine is the hero’s second mate. He’s a widow and lost his first mate in an accident a couple of years before.
He’s cold and detached.
She lives in the same house where he lived with his first mate and there are pictures of them everywhere.
She’s left alone most of the time, the only moments when he’s with her are during sex.
There’s a meddling ow, his first mates cousin, that is obviously obsessed with him, and works with him too.
After some months during which she makes friends, she attends college and she enjoys her life in her new pack, she realizes he will probably never give her more than that, so she hides her thoughts from him.
When he leaves her for some months she doesn’t tell him she’s pregnant so when he comes back home he finds her heavily pregnant.
Then the second part is from his pov.
The hero had it hard in life, he lost his father when he was a child and then his former mate was not what he thought, he didn’t love her and she even cheated on him. So now he can’t believe his new mate could ever love him or stay with him and be happy.
He’s in love with her and during his journey away from her he understood he was tired of trying to stay distant from his mate and was ready to apologize and start over.
But he finds a woman who’s completely changed, she doesn’t need him anymore and keeps him at arms length, so he has to grovel a lot before she even consider giving him another chance.
The book imo was good, the first part there is not a lot of interactions between the main characters and it’s more he heroine discovering her own worth and learning to be independent, while the second part it’s about them reconnecting.
The hero is dumb and unpleasant for the first year, but it’s because he’s afraid of being hurt again.
He loves the heroine more than he ever did his first mate, so she’s no second best.
The book is safe, there a bit of ow drama because the hero feels responsible for his late mates cousin, and the woman turns out to be a psycho.
It’s also a clean romance, without lots of sex scenes, which I liked, because they were not that necessary imo.
I know that some people don’t like the widow trope, so if this is not your thing, maybe you won’t like it, but I didn’t feel like he ever loved his first mate, he didn’t even like her and she didn’t like him, they barely tolerated each other, while the heroine was his ideal mate so imo he was given a better chance with the heroine and was more than happy with it.
I was pleasantly surprised.
The heroine is the hero’s second mate. He’s a widow and lost his first mate in an accident a couple of years before.
He’s cold and detached.
She lives in the same house where he lived with his first mate and there are pictures of them everywhere.
She’s left alone most of the time, the only moments when he’s with her are during sex.
There’s a meddling ow, his first mates cousin, that is obviously obsessed with him, and works with him too.
After some months during which she makes friends, she attends college and she enjoys her life in her new pack, she realizes he will probably never give her more than that, so she hides her thoughts from him.
When he leaves her for some months she doesn’t tell him she’s pregnant so when he comes back home he finds her heavily pregnant.
Then the second part is from his pov.
The hero had it hard in life, he lost his father when he was a child and then his former mate was not what he thought, he didn’t love her and she even cheated on him. So now he can’t believe his new mate could ever love him or stay with him and be happy.
He’s in love with her and during his journey away from her he understood he was tired of trying to stay distant from his mate and was ready to apologize and start over.
But he finds a woman who’s completely changed, she doesn’t need him anymore and keeps him at arms length, so he has to grovel a lot before she even consider giving him another chance.
The book imo was good, the first part there is not a lot of interactions between the main characters and it’s more he heroine discovering her own worth and learning to be independent, while the second part it’s about them reconnecting.
The hero is dumb and unpleasant for the first year, but it’s because he’s afraid of being hurt again.
He loves the heroine more than he ever did his first mate, so she’s no second best.
The book is safe, there a bit of ow drama because the hero feels responsible for his late mates cousin, and the woman turns out to be a psycho.
It’s also a clean romance, without lots of sex scenes, which I liked, because they were not that necessary imo.
I know that some people don’t like the widow trope, so if this is not your thing, maybe you won’t like it, but I didn’t feel like he ever loved his first mate, he didn’t even like her and she didn’t like him, they barely tolerated each other, while the heroine was his ideal mate so imo he was given a better chance with the heroine and was more than happy with it.
August 16, 2025
Rating System (as of 8/14/2025):
⭐: It was a struggle to read. I almost DNF
⭐⭐ : This could have been so much better.
⭐⭐⭐: Good/Average
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Great book. I will probably reread it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: I absolutely loved this book.
******************************************************************************
Triggers:
Death of Partner
Drug Usage
Tropes:
Second Chance Mate
Widower
Grovel to HEA
Suspense
******************************************************************************
Summary:
The FMC has never been mated and finds out she is the second chance mate to a widowed Alpha. He is older than her and believed to be in mourning for the love of his life. The FMC moves to his pack where she finds out about the different customs. For example, in her pack the female sews clothes, etc. for her marriage. In the MMC pack they write letters to their future mate beginning at a young age. The FMC has her clothes but all the MMCs letters went to his deceased mate.
There is OW drama with the cousin of the deceased mate who happens to be in love with the MMC. We also find out what really happened to the deceased mate and the relationship between her and the MMC. Not all as seems. Eventually we get grovel and then a HEA.
Review:
I feel like I read this when it was a Wattpad book. I am excited that the author published it. It is a bit long winded at times. I think that is just the authors writing style. She gives a lot of detail, and I know some call it filler. But all in all, it is a story about two people who are trying to get to know each other. There are a few unexpected twists and turns. I recommend this book to those who love second chance mate stories.
⭐: It was a struggle to read. I almost DNF
⭐⭐ : This could have been so much better.
⭐⭐⭐: Good/Average
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Great book. I will probably reread it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: I absolutely loved this book.
******************************************************************************
Triggers:
Death of Partner
Drug Usage
Tropes:
Second Chance Mate
Widower
Grovel to HEA
Suspense
******************************************************************************
Summary:
The FMC has never been mated and finds out she is the second chance mate to a widowed Alpha. He is older than her and believed to be in mourning for the love of his life. The FMC moves to his pack where she finds out about the different customs. For example, in her pack the female sews clothes, etc. for her marriage. In the MMC pack they write letters to their future mate beginning at a young age. The FMC has her clothes but all the MMCs letters went to his deceased mate.
There is OW drama with the cousin of the deceased mate who happens to be in love with the MMC. We also find out what really happened to the deceased mate and the relationship between her and the MMC. Not all as seems. Eventually we get grovel and then a HEA.
Review:
I feel like I read this when it was a Wattpad book. I am excited that the author published it. It is a bit long winded at times. I think that is just the authors writing style. She gives a lot of detail, and I know some call it filler. But all in all, it is a story about two people who are trying to get to know each other. There are a few unexpected twists and turns. I recommend this book to those who love second chance mate stories.
October 2, 2025
I have to say I liked this one better than the first. I think the author did a good job of maybe listening to some critiques from the first one.
Let's just say Penelope and Dominic had a ROUGH beginning. Where his hangups almost lost him his mate. Penelope learned to stand up for herself and came to understand she was worth loving, freeing her from past trauma and expectations her pack had placed upon her behavior. There was a lot of work done by both to heal and love themselves so they could be a mate the other deserved.
I feel like I need to state some things to counter what some other reviewers posted even though they admittedly stated they didn't really read it all just skimmed. Another I could tell didn't read it all the way because she was wrong in her review and tags.
There is no other woman. Dominic's first mate was killed, and her cousin was there trying to fill the void. She was trying to get his attention; he never had any feelings for her whatsoever. We find out later that due to certain things I won't spoil, he wasn't hung up on his dead first mate either. He only had eyes for Penelope. He loved her joy and caring and especially how selfless she was. I liked the juxtaposition of the strong alpha who couldn't get out of his own way and kept making things worse, as his mate thrived and gained the friendship and love of the pack.
*Trigger Warning there is talk of cheating and suicide attempts but not on the page, and murder.
This also had a smidge more heat than the first, but I'd still say it was only a 1/5 lol
Let's just say Penelope and Dominic had a ROUGH beginning. Where his hangups almost lost him his mate. Penelope learned to stand up for herself and came to understand she was worth loving, freeing her from past trauma and expectations her pack had placed upon her behavior. There was a lot of work done by both to heal and love themselves so they could be a mate the other deserved.
I feel like I need to state some things to counter what some other reviewers posted even though they admittedly stated they didn't really read it all just skimmed. Another I could tell didn't read it all the way because she was wrong in her review and tags.
There is no other woman. Dominic's first mate was killed, and her cousin was there trying to fill the void. She was trying to get his attention; he never had any feelings for her whatsoever. We find out later that due to certain things I won't spoil, he wasn't hung up on his dead first mate either. He only had eyes for Penelope. He loved her joy and caring and especially how selfless she was. I liked the juxtaposition of the strong alpha who couldn't get out of his own way and kept making things worse, as his mate thrived and gained the friendship and love of the pack.
*Trigger Warning there is talk of cheating and suicide attempts but not on the page, and murder.
This also had a smidge more heat than the first, but I'd still say it was only a 1/5 lol
May 31, 2025
Eh
So, this wasn't much different from the first book. The structure is the same, and the recipe is almost identical. Instead of therapy sessions, we have letters. We still end with a trial, and everything is justified.
I like that these books highlight the dark side of a mating bond. It's not a typical werewolf read, though; it's more psychological.
It's still not written that great. The majority of this is told to you instead of shown to you. I didn't end up really caring for Penelope. I didn't like the personality she grew into. The biggest plot device was literally lack of communicating on both sides, and it was used constantly.
The stakes were never high.
As someone who went through their first pregnancy alone, I didn't enjoy the way Penelope handled that. She was passive-aggressive and wholeheartedly believed she had the right to be. To be fair, her support system definitely encouraged that behavior.
Penelope was just a much responsible for the state of her mating as Dominic was, and i wish that was tackled better. Because she really didn't fight for anything. She didn't really try at all.
That's not saying he wasn't awful, he was, and it focused on his redemption, but I don't think she was innocent in all that happened.
Anyway, these are not exciting reads. They're more rebuilding from bad situations reads. With a little predictable drama on the side.
So, this wasn't much different from the first book. The structure is the same, and the recipe is almost identical. Instead of therapy sessions, we have letters. We still end with a trial, and everything is justified.
I like that these books highlight the dark side of a mating bond. It's not a typical werewolf read, though; it's more psychological.
It's still not written that great. The majority of this is told to you instead of shown to you. I didn't end up really caring for Penelope. I didn't like the personality she grew into. The biggest plot device was literally lack of communicating on both sides, and it was used constantly.
The stakes were never high.
As someone who went through their first pregnancy alone, I didn't enjoy the way Penelope handled that. She was passive-aggressive and wholeheartedly believed she had the right to be. To be fair, her support system definitely encouraged that behavior.
Penelope was just a much responsible for the state of her mating as Dominic was, and i wish that was tackled better. Because she really didn't fight for anything. She didn't really try at all.
That's not saying he wasn't awful, he was, and it focused on his redemption, but I don't think she was innocent in all that happened.
Anyway, these are not exciting reads. They're more rebuilding from bad situations reads. With a little predictable drama on the side.
July 4, 2025
Every Time He Brought Up Cassandra I Wanted Her To Get Up And Leave, The Doormat
Ugh, if you are involved in the pregnancy, then I don't care how you feel about the baby.
Cortisol flushes during pregnancy are very damaging for the emotional wellbeing and development of the baby.
He deserved to never feel love.
Writing letters, like every narcissist.
"Here's why my anecdotal, short term pain means more than how I weaponised your lifelong trauma against you, and never had to admit it."
Honestly, I don't care that someone died in his life.
If you can't let go of one death, then you have lived a life of privilege.
When you are poor and marginalised, death is as common as Sunday dinner.
You don't get your Sunday best, when you are actually traumatised by death, but funeral best.
But its fine, all he has to do is keep centering himself loudly, and thus she never recovers from centering him at all.
Gawd I love men and their excuses for why they hurt people.
And I love that women writers have cishet women all prepped to pretending Abanondonment, Longing and Tension are all manifestations of Love.
They. Are. Not.
They are manifestations of Narcissism.
The way he misogynistically shames Cassandra for having sex before him and Penenlope reveals that she has no morals, she just wants to feel better than Cassandra, and lets him.
Oh the angst of white women and those who pretend feminism is limited to shaking the Cult of Domesticity.
Ugh, if you are involved in the pregnancy, then I don't care how you feel about the baby.
Cortisol flushes during pregnancy are very damaging for the emotional wellbeing and development of the baby.
He deserved to never feel love.
Writing letters, like every narcissist.
"Here's why my anecdotal, short term pain means more than how I weaponised your lifelong trauma against you, and never had to admit it."
Honestly, I don't care that someone died in his life.
If you can't let go of one death, then you have lived a life of privilege.
When you are poor and marginalised, death is as common as Sunday dinner.
You don't get your Sunday best, when you are actually traumatised by death, but funeral best.
But its fine, all he has to do is keep centering himself loudly, and thus she never recovers from centering him at all.
Gawd I love men and their excuses for why they hurt people.
And I love that women writers have cishet women all prepped to pretending Abanondonment, Longing and Tension are all manifestations of Love.
They. Are. Not.
They are manifestations of Narcissism.
The way he misogynistically shames Cassandra for having sex before him and Penenlope reveals that she has no morals, she just wants to feel better than Cassandra, and lets him.
Oh the angst of white women and those who pretend feminism is limited to shaking the Cult of Domesticity.
December 18, 2025
Having thoroughly loved Daria's other books (The Barren Luna and Unlearning) made me dive into this book soon after I finished the other two. I've been hooked by her unique ideas about fated mate bonds, particularly on the downsides it brings to how one lives one's life vis-a-vis one's fated mate. All three of her books ask these important questions: do we save ourselves for our fated mate, or do we allow ourselves to sample relationships with others until we meet our mate? Is choosing another who isn't our mate inherently wrong? What do we do if we are not happy with the person who was fated for us - can we reject them, or honor the bond and sacrifice our happiness? And in this particular book, how do we deal with it when we are someone's second mate? Would we feel less because we aren't our mate's first? How do we ensure we don't live in the shadow of our mate's first?
After reading all these three books of Daria's, I know precisely the reason why I've loved the stories told in them: there was always the clear emphasis on personal, conscious choice: the decision to choose whether to accept or not one's mate and honor the mate bond. Fate may have destined two individuals for each other, but actually being with each other is ultimately a choice one has to deliberately make with the full awareness and acceptance of the consequences of that choice.
I hope Daria continues to weave stories like these, for I certainly couldn't get enough of them.
After reading all these three books of Daria's, I know precisely the reason why I've loved the stories told in them: there was always the clear emphasis on personal, conscious choice: the decision to choose whether to accept or not one's mate and honor the mate bond. Fate may have destined two individuals for each other, but actually being with each other is ultimately a choice one has to deliberately make with the full awareness and acceptance of the consequences of that choice.
I hope Daria continues to weave stories like these, for I certainly couldn't get enough of them.
August 29, 2025
This was an enjoyable read. The writing style and formatting took some getting used to. Half the book is narrated in letters. The formatting makes it hard to understand who is talking in a conversation, as it doesn’t follow the usual stylistic cues or spacing. There’s a lot of dialogue in the book, so that made it hard to get into.
Penelope meets her fated mate Dominic, who is already widowed from his first fated mate, which apparently happens sometimes, but not always with widows.
Dominic has a lot of trauma and basically ignores Penelope’s and gives her the cold shoulder, other than for sex. Penelope is from a conservative pack and suffers from some culture shock in her pack.
Despite the problems in her mating, Penelope makes friends and becomes integrated with the pack. When Dominic leave her a couple of months while she’s pregnant, her pack takes her side.
Dominic goes to therapy and sorts himself out. He manages to win Penelope back.
The first half of the book is pretty engaging. Penelope’s struggles, friendships, and character growth are interesting. I wish, in many ways, we’d had more of her during this time, because the re-courtship with Dominic was a little boring.
It was refreshing to read a book with this trope where the pack was actually nice to the FMC. They don’t bully her or ostracize her. They welcome her fully.
Penelope meets her fated mate Dominic, who is already widowed from his first fated mate, which apparently happens sometimes, but not always with widows.
Dominic has a lot of trauma and basically ignores Penelope’s and gives her the cold shoulder, other than for sex. Penelope is from a conservative pack and suffers from some culture shock in her pack.
Despite the problems in her mating, Penelope makes friends and becomes integrated with the pack. When Dominic leave her a couple of months while she’s pregnant, her pack takes her side.
Dominic goes to therapy and sorts himself out. He manages to win Penelope back.
The first half of the book is pretty engaging. Penelope’s struggles, friendships, and character growth are interesting. I wish, in many ways, we’d had more of her during this time, because the re-courtship with Dominic was a little boring.
It was refreshing to read a book with this trope where the pack was actually nice to the FMC. They don’t bully her or ostracize her. They welcome her fully.
January 15, 2026
Beautiful love story
I just discovered Daria T. Rowan and I must say I am hooked! I read Barren Luna first and then this. While I loved The Barren Luna, this one might be my favorite! I really loved both Dominic and Penelope! I had my reservations on Dominic, but he really won me over and my heart broke for him when I learned all he had been through. My knee jerk reaction was that he was the worst mate ever for Penelope and then you start learning more about him and I just completely melted and wanted to just snuggle him and protect him from future hurt.
Penelope was such a strong female character! I loved watching her grow and find her voice throughout the story. I loved how she learned to stick up for herself and overcome her upbringing. I loved seeing her find her girl squad and her friends and watching them support each other! I loved that Dominic respected and loved watching her grow and didn’t ever try to stifle her.
The two of them finding their way back to each other was beautiful and just melted me. I loved them both! I loved them both together! I loved this book from beginning to end and couldn’t put it down! I will definitely be reading more of her books. 💜
I just discovered Daria T. Rowan and I must say I am hooked! I read Barren Luna first and then this. While I loved The Barren Luna, this one might be my favorite! I really loved both Dominic and Penelope! I had my reservations on Dominic, but he really won me over and my heart broke for him when I learned all he had been through. My knee jerk reaction was that he was the worst mate ever for Penelope and then you start learning more about him and I just completely melted and wanted to just snuggle him and protect him from future hurt.
Penelope was such a strong female character! I loved watching her grow and find her voice throughout the story. I loved how she learned to stick up for herself and overcome her upbringing. I loved seeing her find her girl squad and her friends and watching them support each other! I loved that Dominic respected and loved watching her grow and didn’t ever try to stifle her.
The two of them finding their way back to each other was beautiful and just melted me. I loved them both! I loved them both together! I loved this book from beginning to end and couldn’t put it down! I will definitely be reading more of her books. 💜
November 22, 2025
This is such a uniquely written book! The majority of it is written first person from Penelope's perspective mixed in with letters written to her grandmother; the latter portion is from Dominic's perspective with letters he's written to Penelope.
The betrayal is quiet. Penelope one could even argue is complicit in it because she accepts it; until she doesn't. It's the betrayal of neglect and lack of empathy. the betrayal of sweet expectations crushed under another's grief. And in a way that was worse, more painful, and hit closer to home than the outright rejections I've read.
Yes Penelope doesn't demand change from Dominic or try to have conversations but her tactic isn't bad. in fact, she shows a lot of strength and he has to come to his own conclusions to grovel properly. Not because it is demanded but because he is an adult responsible for his own emotions and begins to show accountability.
If you're looking for a different kind of rejection, a unique writing style, and grovel that looks like responsibility; I definitely recommend this book
The betrayal is quiet. Penelope one could even argue is complicit in it because she accepts it; until she doesn't. It's the betrayal of neglect and lack of empathy. the betrayal of sweet expectations crushed under another's grief. And in a way that was worse, more painful, and hit closer to home than the outright rejections I've read.
Yes Penelope doesn't demand change from Dominic or try to have conversations but her tactic isn't bad. in fact, she shows a lot of strength and he has to come to his own conclusions to grovel properly. Not because it is demanded but because he is an adult responsible for his own emotions and begins to show accountability.
If you're looking for a different kind of rejection, a unique writing style, and grovel that looks like responsibility; I definitely recommend this book
April 10, 2025
First read on Wattpad then KU.
h sees H with OW = OW was the friend of H's deceased first mate. OW would continually insert herself into H's life and pull H away from h. OW would often have "private" conversations with the H that the h seemed to always overhear/see OW with H.
OW drama = OW went bonkers in the end and tried to unalive the h. Comeuppance? h won the unaliving contest.
Rejected mate = H was very closed off and often put the h as last on his list of priorities. h was left with feeling rejected and 2nd best to dead 1st mate. In truth, not a true rejection as the H did finally surgically remove his cranium from his rectum.
Grovel = see all above that H had to make up for...H went to therapy, learned to communicate with the h, made many grand gestures, verbally abased himself, etc. H truly changed and earned his way back to the h.
Great read, great angst.
h sees H with OW = OW was the friend of H's deceased first mate. OW would continually insert herself into H's life and pull H away from h. OW would often have "private" conversations with the H that the h seemed to always overhear/see OW with H.
OW drama = OW went bonkers in the end and tried to unalive the h. Comeuppance? h won the unaliving contest.
Rejected mate = H was very closed off and often put the h as last on his list of priorities. h was left with feeling rejected and 2nd best to dead 1st mate. In truth, not a true rejection as the H did finally surgically remove his cranium from his rectum.
Grovel = see all above that H had to make up for...H went to therapy, learned to communicate with the h, made many grand gestures, verbally abased himself, etc. H truly changed and earned his way back to the h.
Great read, great angst.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2025
Beautiful
I cannot rave enough about how much I love this author. The depth of emotion she is able to express and inspire as you read is inspiring. I love the strength she gives her female characters and Penelope truly embodies grace under pressure. Her gentle character sure doesn’t mean she is a weak character though. She finds herself through her friendships and the love and lessons she learns through and with them.
Poor Alpha Dominic was saddled with such a terrible mate the first time that his subsequent mating with Penelope was overshadowed and he was closed off to protect himself from pain. His growth from beginning to the end is perfection.
I cannot wait for more books in this world!
I cannot rave enough about how much I love this author. The depth of emotion she is able to express and inspire as you read is inspiring. I love the strength she gives her female characters and Penelope truly embodies grace under pressure. Her gentle character sure doesn’t mean she is a weak character though. She finds herself through her friendships and the love and lessons she learns through and with them.
Poor Alpha Dominic was saddled with such a terrible mate the first time that his subsequent mating with Penelope was overshadowed and he was closed off to protect himself from pain. His growth from beginning to the end is perfection.
I cannot wait for more books in this world!
April 7, 2025
Shifter romance I
Dominic is an alpha of a Massachusetts pack when he meets Penelope from a pack in Utah. Their packs are very different and Dominic has already buried one mate. He’s not ready for a second. Penelope was raised in a traditional pack where men and women had certain roles, so she tried hard to please her closed off mate. Dominic’s unwillingness to open himself to his mate goes from bad to worse but he realizes his mistake.
The beginning of the story is about Penelope trying to navigate being the Luna or head female for the pack. Then the story shifts to Dominic and his efforts to save his mating. The author creates two realist and relatable characters. Add in some OW drama and craziness and you have a good story.
Dominic is an alpha of a Massachusetts pack when he meets Penelope from a pack in Utah. Their packs are very different and Dominic has already buried one mate. He’s not ready for a second. Penelope was raised in a traditional pack where men and women had certain roles, so she tried hard to please her closed off mate. Dominic’s unwillingness to open himself to his mate goes from bad to worse but he realizes his mistake.
The beginning of the story is about Penelope trying to navigate being the Luna or head female for the pack. Then the story shifts to Dominic and his efforts to save his mating. The author creates two realist and relatable characters. Add in some OW drama and craziness and you have a good story.
April 14, 2025
Loving this series. If you like a lot of grovel from H to make up for his mistakes, this is definitely the book for you.
I loved the first book (you can read this one as stand alone ). Went into this one thinking it couldn’t be as good and I was not totally excited with the book description. But I was not disappointed.
Story was great. Side characters were interesting and loved seeing the h make so many different types of friends. The book sucked you in showing so many strong woman with such different experiences and difficulties that they had to overcome. The author has a way with including so many different experiences / feelings in one book for so many characters and yet you don’t get confused or bored.
Read this in one sitting. Could not put it down.
I loved the first book (you can read this one as stand alone ). Went into this one thinking it couldn’t be as good and I was not totally excited with the book description. But I was not disappointed.
Story was great. Side characters were interesting and loved seeing the h make so many different types of friends. The book sucked you in showing so many strong woman with such different experiences and difficulties that they had to overcome. The author has a way with including so many different experiences / feelings in one book for so many characters and yet you don’t get confused or bored.
Read this in one sitting. Could not put it down.
September 29, 2025
3 1/2 stars The H is an Alpha whose Luna died in a car accident 3 years ago. He meets the h, his mate, while visiting her pack. He was not expecting a second mate, certainly not one who is so different from his first one. Within two days she is leaving her pack to become the Luna of a new pack. She experiences a steep learning curve since each pack can have different traditions and expectations. She forms some friends groups and begins to realize that the closed off and distant behavior of her mate, the H, is not typical behaviour. Despite their strong sexual relationship, the H is not sharing his feelings with her. He also is spending time caring for his first mate's female relative. I read some reviews that were bored by this book but it managed to sustain my interest throughout.
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