Monsters are all around us, lurking in the shadows, hiding under our beds, but often they’re the people right in front of us. I learned this the hard way; that’s why I became a monster hunter.
Being who I am, I’ve lived a life mostly detached from the world—until I couldn’t handle it anymore.
I fell in love with a griffin who I thought was my everything. But then her family discovered what I am.
When I was finally away from that disaster, I came across the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and instantly became obsessed. I knew I had to have her. But every time I got close, she disappeared.
Nearly a century later, I finally catch up to her, only to run into my ex again, making me realize the feelings I had for her never left.
As if that weren’t complicated enough, a banished harpy shows up, and she catches my interest, too.
Four lost souls. Four different beings who want love and companionship.
Will we find what we long for in each other? Or will we be doomed to roam the world alone for eternity?
Mikaelynn Rose is a hard-working, devoted woman whose world revolves around an amazing little boy...well, I guess her husband, too. While she lives just outside of Denver with her high school sweetheart and son, she’d much rather be in the country or the mountains. When she’s not working, she’s writing, reading, listening to music, spending time with her loved ones, and of course, drinking way too much coffee for her own good.
Possible spoilers - read at your own risk. This is my review space, so if you don't like it, keep scrolling.
Full disclosure, I was sold on the FFFF. However, while I don't want to dissuade any reader from picking this book up, I HIGHLY recommend checking the content warnings, and even those are open to interpretation.
So, let's talk s3xual assault. That's not a spolier, because it's listed at the front of the book.
Now, let's call it what it is... Rap3 - graphic, on-page, rap3 with four guys having a turn.
I spell this out, why? Because if Rap3 is a trigger for you, you need to run far, far away.
Me, I wasn't traumatised by it. What I found more traumatic was that it led to the scene I was here for - the fourway scene.
FFFF, yes please. Gimme, gimme. But in this context, nope.
During the assualt/rap3 it is stipulated, she was dry so it was going hurt. Yet, hours later, they are all having sex. Unlike the heroine, I simply couldn't enjoy it. My brain was screaming, how can that be enjoyable? How is she not fuckin' traumatised? Sure, sure, she said she wanted it. Didn't make it any more enjoyable to read.
More than that, why weren't these monster hunters out for blood?
Sigh. That made me drop my rating from 4 start to 3.
That and the first scene (in a sapphic novel) being with a dude giving her oral. Which she was loving ....
Chapter 3 I wiggle my hips in anticipation, and he grabs them, yanking my ass to the edge. Then his tongue is gliding through my wetness. I've never done this before, and f*%k does it feel good...
That's it. Come on my fingers and tongue....
Then that somehow disolved into him being accused of doing something she didn't want. A precursor to another character saving the day. This time making him unalive.
Tempting Shadowed Hearts Author: Mikaelynn Rose Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This book! Where do I start? The characters in this book! Oh my! FFFFMC is the whole cast! With lots of action and lots of spice in all the right areas. I will say I would have like at least one more chapter at the end instead of a point blank ending. (In sorts) I think it would have been good for one more chapter to end on but other than that it was a great book. Wonderful characters. I also would liked to know a little bit more on the father and why he paid his men so much. But also more answers on to Roxie’s story. I get why she was always kept in but a little more on her would have been nice. And on Vee too. I mean we get bits and pieces but I would have to loved more about them.
*I received an ARC of this and in no way has that influenced my opinion of this book*
I'll be honest, had I read this book when I was looking for this type of story, I would have rated this higher. I no way is this story bad. Just not what I was wanting to read, at that moment.
This felt like the romance portion of a book was taken out and a little murder mystery was added into it. That is not to say this is bad. If you want to read a FFFF romance with steamy scenes, dom and sub kinks with a bit of a murder mystery set in a world of humans and the supernatural. Then this might be for you. This does have on page triggering scenes of SA as well as sexual content. So please mindful when going into this.
I was wanting a bit more than the romance. there were things I wanted to know more about. The supernatural organizations and who named them, iykyk. Also, more on the creatures themselves. This has so much potential to be a fascinating full-length novel/series.
This romance had a pretty conclusive ending. Each character found something/someone they didn't know they needed in each other. I wish we had more information on the characters. We got a sufficient back story about Roxi and Avyanna. A little on Adrestia. I wanted more information on Vaelyn.
Tempting Shadowed Hearts was my first monster romance and my first LGBTQ why choose story. This book definitely unlocked a new interest for me. It was a unique experience starting the story through the eyes of the paranormal characters and I felt the intense obsession of the main character right from the start. While it was a little confusing at times keeping all the different characters and their roles straight, I loved when they finally became a unit. The story definitely leans into darker themes that could be triggering for some, and while those emotional moments felt raw, the focus for me was definitely on the spice. The chemistry and physical connection between the characters are what held my attention the most.
The book seemed to end quickly, but I liked that the conclusion focused more on the plot than the spice. It felt like a decent way to wrap up the journey. If you are looking for a spicy, dark, and unique story that explores new dynamics, this is a great place to start.
This book was downright delicious in every possible way. An unapologetically spicy FFFF monster romance, Tempting Shadowed Hearts pulled me into a world where darkness and desire are beautifully entwined. What made it unforgettable was the depth of the relationships with so many intricate, overlapping connections that let you truly know all four women and the powerful bonds they share. It’s the perfect balance of darkness, romance, and monstrous allure, with chemistry that practically leaps off the page and enough spice to set your Kindle on fire. If you love your stories bold, boundary-pushing, and breathtakingly intimate, this one is a must-read.
Mikaelynn rose does it again in this ffff sapphic romance. It’s dark, twisted and full of smut. I loved every bit of the story and honestly want more! I need a story with ALARIC! I just loved the dialogue between all four women, and honestly I’d like the story between Adrestia and Avyanna. One thing that this story fail short on was the ending. Who was the other client the demons were protecting, I needed a final spice scene, even them finally agreeing to be together. Ughh I just loved this!! Amazing job to the author and cannot wait to see what comes next!
This was my first time reading this author and monster romance with lots of 🌶️🌶️🌶️. All I have to say is wow what an introduction. I enjoyed it. It was fast paced and a why choose FFFF book. I gobbled it right up.
The acronyms ofthe agencies had me giggling out loud. The ending though, I wonder if we will be seeing more stories that are interconnected.
Oh my my my! This book was spicy!! But it was so interesting with the monsters lores! I love that there were monsters that are not often talked about and not the usual vampires, and werewolves. The FFFF romance and spicy was honestly otherworldly! This is my first book written like that and to have four povs was much needed! I love that all the characters were bad ass in their own ways but had a softer side for each other. I hope to see more from these lovers !
Absolutely loved this book! I’ve never read anything by MikaeLynn Rose before, but Tempting Shadowed Hearts completely blew me away. The mix of vampires, harpies, doppelgängers, griffins, and a gorgon made the world feel so unique and intense. The dark romance had me hooked from the first chapter, and I couldn’t put it down. If you like supernatural twists and steamy, emotional tension — this one’s a must-read
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I have read a few of Mikaelynn's other books and I was immediately hooked. This one took some time to get into though. I don't know if it was all the acronyms and characters being introduced in the first couple of chapters or what. Once I was about 20% in, it became a much faster read. I will still continue to read more from this author as I have always enjoyed her books.
So I won't go into a bunch of detail as I feel everyone should enjoy this story for themselves. The first chapter was a Little fast, as in a lot of information is thrown at you right away. But then everything is so well written. I absolutely love the characters and this was a nice change of pace from my usual reads. I'm giving this a 5 out of 5. If I could rate higher I would.
Dare i say this needed MORE pages. It is rare when i’m asking for lore but i just felt everything happened too quickly and lacked the tension and angst i’m looking for. At 200 pages i would have been happy with 300 to flesh out the characters and the plot a little more because it was there and interesting, i just needed more. We have 4 mains to get to know, that takes some time
This was a fast read and keeps you in. It's 4 females who find each other so unlikely. It's got evil demos and an investigation to find who's doing the torture. The females have a strong bond. This is a great read.
Honestly I was worried I wouldn't like it. I absolutely loved the 4 FMCs and their dynamic. I couldn't put down my phone only when I dropped my phone on my face did I finally say enough. I totally would read a book 2 or more!
I read this book as an ARC reader. Mikaelynn definitely took the FFFF monster romance to an amazing level. I laughed at the agencies abbreviations. This was a really good read.