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Winter Solstice Mates #1

Claimed at the Monster's Auction

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I thought I was human.
I was wrong.


One minute I’m steaming milk in a coffee shop, counting down the days to Christmas.
The next, I’m kidnapped by the supernatural underworld and dragged to a hidden auction held on the Winter Solstice.

I’m being sold.

Virgins fetch the highest price.
And monsters are willing to pay.

Five of them scent me the moment I’m placed on the block.

A ruthless dragon shifter with fire in his blood. An ancient vampire who watches me like he already owns me. A massive troll-goblin enforcer who growls when anyone gets too close. A dangerous wizard whose magic coils around me like a promise. And a cold, beautiful Fae King who smiles like he knows exactly what I am. They don’t bid.

They claim.

When demons—who run the auctions and profit from human trafficking—demand their payment, my monsters refuse to hand me over. Instead, they strike a bargain none of us expected.

One week.
Each.

The wizard goes first.

But as desire ignites and secrets unravel, the truth becomes impossible to
I’m not human at all.

And if the demons discover what I really am, they won’t just want their money back.

They’ll want my blood.

A dark, spicy monster romance featuring fated mates, a supernatural auction, possessive monsters, and a heroine discovering the power hidden inside her. Perfect for readers who love reverse harem, paranormal romance, and morally gray monsters who would burn the world down for their mate.

Readers who love Lola Glass, Eva Chase, and J. Bree will devour this dark, spicy reverse harem paranormal romance filled with fated mates and dangerous monsters.

192 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 20, 2025

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About the author

Texa Volt

7 books1 follower

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5 stars
564 (42%)
4 stars
372 (28%)
3 stars
300 (22%)
2 stars
67 (5%)
1 star
21 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
Profile Image for °˖✧˚lindsay˚✧˖°.
709 reviews27 followers
April 12, 2026
It’s incredibly messy and strangely implemented.
The beginning went on for too long and then we go from horrific circumstances to a Hallmark style conversation in a Christmas market, of all things.

It was corny.
The guy says so many things that she should ask for him to expand on, but she only replies in ways that encourage the next sickly sweet thing for him to say as snow falls down around them.
Whatever.

You may think that means this is a cute and cozy story, but no.
One of the MMCs runs a sex trafficking ring, which isn’t exactly ideal mate material.

Another guy rips out people’s still-beating hearts for fun. It might actually be the same guy, but they were all introduced at once.
Who’s to say?

They’re also all pretty insta-love, though we then take time getting to know each one separately.
I just wish we could have met them in the same way.

And I also wish that one guy could have been given a different kind of shady empire??
Goodness gracious.
Drugs would be better.
Even brokering weapons of mass destruction would at least garner some respect.

I had a really hard time getting past the trafficking thing and an even harder time imagining how any reader could just brush that off and enjoy the ensuing sweetness.
So much sweetness.
Anyway.

The order that they get custody of her gets changed every time they discuss it, like the author kept forgetting what she’d decided, but nothing really matters anymore I guess.

It’s so weird.
She calls someone a shifter before she’s supposed to know that those actually exist.
I don’t even know if they do exist in this world, to be honest.
Like I said, nothing matters.

I had to put the book down at the beginning of the first spice scene because the lovey dovey situation was just so ridiculous, juxtaposed with the sustained awareness that there are women in cages and no one seems to care.

She saw what these men are capable of and hadn’t even considered enlisting them to free those people. It made it difficult to respect her or even root for beings who enable the existence of such a system.

I love dark romance.
I’ve read of many MMCs who did things that were pretty unforgivable, but even they would pound these guys into a pulp for being willfully affiliated with something so awful.

It’s just all too easy.
I don’t slut shame, but even she is too easy.
Her virginity was frequently lauded and I honestly don’t think anyone knows what that word means.
I felt like I was one again with how bad the spice was.

The story is formulaic rather than attempting any realism. I’ve read a reverse harem with pretty much the same amount of guys and species as this one, but each were so distinctive in their flaws, hopes, needs, and secrets that they became fully fleshed out beings.
This did not happen here.

Everyone’s very cartoonish and corny.
It’s like she couldn’t help but return to the field in which she plucked her plot from; corn as far as the eye can see.

For a nightmare scenario, it’s just all too good to be true. There’s conflict that we’re distantly aware of, but the main story unfolds in a bubble.
It’s a very boring bubble.

We need a steady string of wariness, tension, or drama, lest all these sweet moments be for nothing.

It was around this time that the AI cadence became more obvious and piqued my disappointing suspicions.
Every other sentence read like: “It’s not just this, it’s that.”

I don’t respect AI usage, especially in the arts, but it would explain why the soul felt gradually sucked out of this mess.

Speaking of sucked – that goblin bond loophole?
Give me a break.
They just established that it takes time to develop, but suddenly she can blow him and complete it?
A bond that hasn’t existed for centuries and no one has really witnessed? Therefore, there should be no applicable lore on the subject?
Oh.
Yeah.
I’m sure.

Man, this went downhill fast.
And the top of the hill had the sex trafficker thing, so take that as you will.
Profile Image for Samantha.
73 reviews7 followers
January 8, 2026
I’m sorry but no.
I was super excited for this because of all the reviews and honestly I should have known better bc it’s a short book, but she goes from being kidnapped to being completely at home within two pages? Idk it just moved wayyyy too fast. But again my fault for the short book that it was. Overall 1/5 if it was longer and the characters could develop more, it would have potential.
Profile Image for Tedra.
569 reviews4 followers
April 12, 2026
Dnf

Yeah. Bad writing and to be clear thousands of human women are abducted, stripped naked, hit just for asking questions, improperly examined, demoralized, terrified & paraded around a slip of a dress (see through) to be auctioned off.

And I'm supposed to what? Root for the MMCS in all this mess? They actually used to frequent the auctions & all that.
So what's sexy about mcs thst support human trafficking?
Profile Image for Somia.
2,080 reviews176 followers
March 11, 2026
3 Ok Stars

A easy light read, insta-love with 5 mates, two bonds formed in book one. Not alot of depth to plot and relationships but a light flufffy read which I need right now.

Acquired via KU.
Profile Image for Sarah D.
1,299 reviews7 followers
April 20, 2026
This is good... maybe? Honestly, I'm not sure. It was a quick read and I stayed interested, but when I think of it, there's basically no character development and I'm not sure it all makes a lot of sense.

Five monsters go to an auction to buy a woman and discover one of the women is their mate. This is unexpected, and they now have to figure out how to share. Also... it's their auction? They're the human traffickers in a partnership with some demons.

They decide she can spend a week with each to bond them. So she spends time with Tian, the charming warlock, and Brukk the gentle goblin/troll. At the end of the book, Corvin the vampire comes to claim her. There's a Fae King (he is separately identified as being Autumn court, Summer court, and Winter court at different times, so who knows), and a dragon.

Meanwhile, the demons are mad about losing this prime virgin hybrid magic asset (not a virgin anymore), and they come to get her back. About 50 of them die. How many demons are available for this mission?

Ivy is kind of laissez faire about being human trafficked. She gets over it right quick and doesn't ask too many questions about the fact that her mates were at the auction to buy someone, nor does she concern herself about the other women she left behind. As a repressed 25 year old virgin, she's just happy to finally have sex.
Profile Image for ✨Gretch✨.
588 reviews44 followers
February 19, 2026
3.5 Stars

Was the writing the best? Not particularly. Was the story fun and had me sucked in from the jump? Yes, very much so.

If you are looking for a fun, unserious, easy, and quick read, this is the book (or series for you!) Even though this was a 3.5 star read (mainly because it was a little too easy to read and maybe could have had one more round of editing) I will be reading the rest of this series!
746 reviews3 followers
February 18, 2026
A Fascinating Love Story

A paranormal RH romance.

Ivy is a product of the foster care system, being shunted from one house to the next because nobody and nowhere was home. The Christmas season has arrived and a 24 year old Ivy works a full time job as a barista. She’s always volunteering to cover holiday shifts, it’s what you do when you don’t have a family.

Her birthday is rapidly approaching and there’s something very very wrong happening to her, she feels like she’s crawling out of her skin, always hot and hyper sensitive, aroused at the slightest thing. It’s more than a bit embarrassing she’s still toting that V card. It’s hardly the kind of thing you can talk to your friends about.

The creeps start coming out of the woodwork, it’s all getting a bit stalkers-y.

It feels like one minute she’s foaming milk for coffee and the next she’s taken, trafficked. Struggling to hold everything together they find out she’s a virgin. Of course virgins sell for a higher price, everything is going crazy. Just when she thought it can’t get any worse it turns out that the buyers aren’t human and she might not be human either. Claimed by five powerful supernaturals she’s taken again, this time out of the hands of the traffickers.

This is a fast paced story, Ivy has that disjointed feeling of not belonging, not fitting in anywhere she’s discovered the hard way that the supernatural is very real. A lot of focus is placed on the supernatural angle and her spending time with the five men who feel a strong bond towards her. The bargain is one week with each of them. There very little said about being trafficked which I think is a disservice to that nightmare. I got the impression that the FMC is rolling with the punches, for her everything is more than a bit surreal. It’s a miracle she’s not catatonic. Should be interesting to see where it leads.
Profile Image for Kat Jowett.
144 reviews3 followers
January 1, 2026
Please tell me the second books available I don’t want to wait to read it, ivy is a normal girl, she works in a coffee shop, reads her smutty books and has emotional damage like the best of us… she’s was a foster kid who learned to take up less space because she was always too much or not enough, she doesn’t want to attach to anyone or anything because she’s too scared it will get taken away but she still dares to hope.
Ivy start s feeling off and it lasts a month she’s to hot all the time but there’s frost around her constantly, she glows like literally glows… which she thinks is strange but puts down to hormones, men seem to be going wild around her and she doesn’t know why.

So when she’s kidnapped and put on an auction block imagine her surprise when 5 men who are quite clearly not human men all claim her as there’s at the same time but the most surprising part her body knows it’s true. All of them are her mates.

There’s tian the warlock who seems sweet and kind
There’s grukk the goblin warrior who’s only wish it to keep her happy and content
There Corvin the vampire who’s protective and trying to control his urges
There’s asharoth the fae Who seems blasé but is obviously affected and seems to know what she really is before anyone else
And deacon the dragon shifter who has a fiery temper, ask his assistants although you won’t get much answer he’s also feircly protective and possessive.

But the issue is that they can’t just bond and be happy because these 5 monsters are fighting half of hell to keep the demons who put ivy on the block from getting her back and the demons are trying hard to get her.
I received a free copy through Booksprout and chose to do a honest review
Profile Image for Ming Fung.
127 reviews
June 12, 2026
Okay, so this was... fine? Fun, even, in places. If "barista gets kidnapped and auctioned off to the supernatural underworld on the Winter Solstice" is your brand of holiday chaos, this delivers exactly what's on the tin.

What worked for me: the five guys are genuinely distinct, which is harder to pull off in a reverse harem than people think. The goblin chief was my favorite by a mile — give me a growly bodyguard type over a smirking Fae King any day. The pacing in the first half is quick and bingeable, and the solstice/winter atmosphere was a nice touch for a December read.

What didn't: insta-everything. The guys "claim" her basically on sight, and I never felt like I got a reason beyond fated mates and scenting. Ivy herself is a bit of a blank — things happen to her for most of the book, and the "I thought I was human, I was wrong" reveal is telegraphed so early it lands with a shrug. Also, the auction setup is dark on paper (the demons literally run a trafficking ring) but the book doesn't really sit with that tone, so it ends up feeling weirdly breezy about its own premise.

Spice is there, possessiveness dial is turned to eleven, and it's clearly setting up the series more than telling a complete story — it ends right when the bargain gets interesting.
Middle-of-the-road for me, but I can see why fated-mates RH readers are rating it higher. I'll probably still read book 2, which I suppose tells you something.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
1,081 reviews
Did Not Finish
June 10, 2026
DNF 48%

𝗚𝗘𝗡𝗥𝗘: 𝖣𝖺𝗋𝗄 𝖱𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗍𝖺𝗌𝗒
𝗧𝗬𝗣𝗘: 𝖲𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌
𝗔𝗚𝗘: 𝖠𝖽𝗎𝗅𝗍
𝗦𝗔𝗙𝗘𝗧𝗬: 🔴
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦 / 𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘:
🧛 𝖵𝖺𝗆𝗉𝗂𝗋𝖾
🐉 𝖣𝗋𝖺𝗀𝗈𝗇𝗌
👾 𝖬𝗈𝗇𝗌𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖱𝗈𝗆𝖺𝗇𝖼𝖾
💖 𝖥𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖬𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗌
🚀❣️ 𝖨𝗇𝗌𝗍𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝖫𝗈𝗏𝖾
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝗠𝗬 𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗚𝗛𝗧𝗦:
Hell no, the FMC is sold as a sex slave immediately accepts the supernatural and falls in love. Her mates are involved in the human trafficking ring, also bought trafficked women (but justify that it's okay because they let the women go after they were bored with them) and she just doesn't care?!
✦•·····��······················••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝖶𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝖨 𝖼𝗈𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗎𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌? ❌
𝖶𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝖨 𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝗆𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗎𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋? ❌
𝖶𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝖨 𝗋𝖾𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗆𝖾𝗇𝖽? ❌
✦•····························••····························•✦•····························••····························•✦
𝗧𝗪 / 𝗖𝗪:
Profile Image for Laura  Books_0.
105 reviews5 followers
March 17, 2026
Ok, se que es un libro diferente, pero totalmente estaba antojada de monster romance y why choose. Para que negarles que esos son mis géneros favoritos. El libro no estuvo malo. Fue una lectura de ritmo rápido y entretenido la verdad. Aunque el principio me enganchó más que el final; que era lo que más anticipaba ya que entregan los Protas (es decir los intereses amorosos) en escena como quien dice. Sin embargo llegado el momento siento que ciertas frases se me hicieron repetitivas como un pensamiento de colmena. No se si me explico, esperaba ver deslumbrar cada POV acorde a cada personaje, como se mostró en un inicio y al final aunque me haya gustado el libro esperaba que ese toque de un principio volviera aparecer.

Seguro en otro momento me leo los otros no lo descarto
6 reviews
May 26, 2026
Strong start!

I started this book without realizing it was a trilogy. I normally prefer my romances wrapped up within one book, but I have to say this one flowed really well--so well, I was ready to just keep continuing the story without losing momentum.

I also really loved Grukk's character and his people's philosophy of recovery after stress. The scenes with him were great, he's a total cinnamon roll!

FYI, the vibes of the auction were the darkest thing in the book. It wasn't sexy BDSM vibes, it was serious and not sexy at all (until she's rescued by her mates).

I'm definitely continuing on to the next book.
1 review
June 11, 2026
While I appreciate the general storyline this book producer is trying to create, I do question whether they fully wrote it themselves. I’ve recently been experimenting with AI to play around with storylines I’ve had in my head. I have no intention of everbecoming a writer, but it has been interesting to see what AI can do.

This producer’s story strongly reminds me of the way AI chatbots write when prompted with summaries and character descriptions. Unfortunately, it shows in the writing style: the awkward “cut scene” transitions, the repetitive sentence patterns, and the overall feeling that the story was assembled and lacking.
1 review
June 13, 2026
Lackluster

This book is more of a short story with only 192 pages (according to my kindle). I want it stated that I love fast burn romances, but this wasnt necessarily fast burn, and more like the author was rushing through a story as quickly as possible. There was zero character development and the plot was pretty much nonexistent.
The story itself has potential it just needs more time for the story to unfold naturally, the whole thing felt rushed.
The FMC also needed some work. I love a FMC with a tragic back story but because there was no time to get to know the FMC, she comes off as whiny and annoying.
This book needs a little more time cooking.
176 reviews1 follower
May 11, 2026
The introduction felt like it went on for 5 years. I really enjoyed the two side characters, but with how short this book is it went on for far too long.

Then each MMC is getting a dedicated week with the FMC to grow their relationship/show they’re worthy of her accepting their bond.

This first book only covers the first two MMCs.

I just…this isn’t a RH to me. This is a rent a girlfriend type of situation. And while the plot seemed super interesting, I feel the execution was lacking. Characters didn’t have depth to them. The plot is weak at best.
90 reviews
May 12, 2026
Really I probably should have given this a 2…

It honestly pretty bad. The author couldn’t seem to get her own story right. One page would say someone is 5’4 then the next barely 5ft. There were a few other more important changes I won’t reveal due to potential spoilers. This book made me cringe at least half the time if I’m being honest. The only reason I gave this story a three star is curiosity. The book is short enough that I think I might just read the next one to see what happens. Let’s hope it’s better than the first, unfortunately I don’t have high hopes.
Profile Image for Tanya.
1,025 reviews6 followers
January 4, 2026
I could do a book club on this book, that’s how much I enjoyed it. I’m always looking for a new and different fantasy storyline and this one hit the mark for me. I feel like if I tell you about it anything I say will give it away. So, hopefully you’ll trust me and give it a shot. There are some triggers to look out for so check it out before you start.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Jess.
64 reviews
January 11, 2026
inconsistencies

You can tell where effort was put into the writing and places where it isnt. There are numerous inconsistencies throughout the book even from sentence to sentence. Some parts are well written some are rushed. Its an ok story, but forced emotion imo. As a whole it comes out as ok. Needs to be re-edited and parts reworked paying attention to pacing and inconsistency.
Profile Image for Booklovingmummy.
880 reviews10 followers
February 20, 2026
A quick start to a series!

This book is a fast read that’s action packed from the get go. I love being able to see these apex predators melt over one woman. It’s great to see different sides to characters while learning about them. There isn’t really a low pace to their relationships but in the world that they are living it seems it’s can’t be slow.
Looking forward to seeing what’s to come
🌟🌟🌟🌟
Profile Image for Katherine Perdue.
7 reviews
March 15, 2026
good but needs a little bit of work

I love the idea of the story . Love the multiple love interest and the fantasy/ paranormal aspect. The issue I found was in the beginning after the MMC’s met the fmc and were discussing it , they kept repeating the same statement about protect her from the villain like almost word for word and back to back . Also there were a few mistakes that I noticed . So better proofreading is needed. Over all I did enjoy the book .
Profile Image for Victoria Martin.
36 reviews
March 21, 2026
Needs some polish

I read this in one sitting, the cliffhanger was like a gut punch so I am off to read the next book immediately.

I will say there is a lack of imagery, its hard to picture the males. But its a smooth read, very fast pacing after a slower start. It needs some polish, maybe longer bonding and scenery details, but a good simple read. I would say this is a solid 3.5 ⭐️ so I just rounded up.
Profile Image for Beth A. Poalson.
11 reviews
April 4, 2026
I have been reading a bunch of heavy fantasy with politics and big themes and all that and was looking for a palate cleansing book and this is just what I needed. Fun, spicy and easy reading. The characters are all pretty one dimensional but I sort of expect that with reverse harem. It was short which which was part of the appeal for me but it just sort of ends in the middle of the story so I am going on to read the rest.
Profile Image for Rachel Riegle.
36 reviews
April 10, 2026
5 ⭐️

I absolutely LOVED this book, a fantastic intro to this series. Ivy is a fantastic main character who is navigating a difficult personal situation she doesn’t understand which is then followed by a terrifying external situation she doesn’t understand. The story of her life and her journey to becoming the center of a fated mates scenario is fantastic and this blends the perfect amount of real life and fantasy together. Absolutely a five star start to this series.
Profile Image for Kathrine Rose.
174 reviews
April 18, 2026
Im shocked at the 4 star review. Girl gets nabbed off the streets and insta falls in love with these monthers that are her mates. At least shes adaptable. She has to spend a week with each and within a day is saying I love you. The spice scenes are cringe and if I had to here she was a virgin one more time or that the men are "proportionally shapped" I was gonna loose it.

Theres alot of repetition.

I still finished the book tho and managed to laugh a time or two.
Profile Image for JP.
1,911 reviews16 followers
May 5, 2026
Totally EXCELLENT

This is one of the most Amazing stories that I've ever read. The lead character is a lonely woman who suddenly starts feeling like the world is too hot. She gets kidnapped and locked up, then sent to a stage for auction. But instead of being sold, Five of the strongest alphas claim her as MINE. Thanks so much Texa, I've truly enjoyed reading this story and can't wait to read more.
Profile Image for Leah D.
663 reviews3 followers
June 16, 2026
Well that was a hoot.

Is it a little insta-lusty? Yes.
Is it a little cheesy? Yes.
Did I giggle a heck of a lot? Yes.

This is short and sort of sweet? Check trigger warnings before diving in. There is fated mates, shifters, goblins, fae, vampires, demons and magic. Is this a 5 star masterpiece of literature? No, but it’s a solid 4.25⭐️ great time. I have absolutely no regrets about reading this.

4.25⭐️
2.5🌶️
Profile Image for Jennifer Willard.
141 reviews
June 24, 2026
DNF 52%

Yikes 😳

Umm so she is scared shitless being trafficked and then seems totally fine with it all two seconds later? Like one of the mates runs the trafficking ring and they’ve all attended multiple times.

There is no sane woman that would be okay with being with these men in real life.

Totally unrealistic garbage and obviously written by AI.

Frick, I keep getting stuck with AI garbage. Nobody wants it!! Stop trying to make money by selling us this crap!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews