What do you think?
Rate this book
Lifesworn #1
Waiting for You
Shanna has spent her whole life waiting—waiting to be old enough, waiting for the day she must pick a consort, waiting for a chance to finally overcome her despicable stepfather… and waiting for someone to finally banish the loneliness that comes with being a queen-in-waiting one step away from being murdered.
On the eve of the two-week event during which she must pick a consort from a bevy of suitors, two strangers arrive claiming to have been invited—though she knows full well they did not receive any such invitation. But the handsome, mischievous Prince Kallaar is too intriguing to resist, and his quiet bodyguard too compelling to ignore…
But she’s learned the hard way never to let anyone get too close, and on the verge of gaining true independence her stepfather will stop at nothing to see she never gets it.
On the eve of the two-week event during which she must pick a consort from a bevy of suitors, two strangers arrive claiming to have been invited—though she knows full well they did not receive any such invitation. But the handsome, mischievous Prince Kallaar is too intriguing to resist, and his quiet bodyguard too compelling to ignore…
But she’s learned the hard way never to let anyone get too close, and on the verge of gaining true independence her stepfather will stop at nothing to see she never gets it.
111 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 5, 2017
12 people are currently reading
281 people want to read
About the author
Megan Derr
284 books2,948 followersMegan is a long time resident of queer romance and keeps herself busy reading and writing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she’s not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her wife and cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers and can be found all over the internet.
meganderr.com
patreon.com/meganderr
meganderr.blogspot.com
facebook.com/meganaprilderr
meganaderr@gmail.com
@meganaderr
meganderr.com
patreon.com/meganderr
meganderr.blogspot.com
facebook.com/meganaprilderr
meganaderr@gmail.com
@meganaderr
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
December 27, 2019
3.5 Stars
I’m under the assumption that Derr typically doesn’t write much smex in her stories, so to be honest, I picked this because it had the tag erotica, and my curiosity was piqued despite the presence of an F after the M/M.
Shanna is a princess about to become queen. However, her evil stepfather, Mercer, (suspected of having a hand in Shanna’s mother’s death) has been working hard on securing the throne for himself. By law, she must choose a consort, and in 2 years time when she turns 25, she’ll ascend. That’s easier said than done, as Mercer threatens and schemes to his favor and won’t allow Shanna the pretense that she has any control over her future. Does she dare defy her stepfather and claim a consort that would best strengthen her position?? Or should she meekly concede, sealing her fate towards defeat? When an unexpected ally appears in the form of a foreign prince and his devoted bodyguard, Shanna can hardly believe their claims - her mother had secretly planned for this years before her death, and they’re here to help in any way that is needed. There finally, just might be a sliver of hope…
Overall, I enjoyed this story and the fantastical, pseudo-historical world it was set in. Of note, this is a society that is not inhibited nor restricted by typical sexual mores. There’s no saving oneself for marriage, as virginity is not some prize to obtain, and sexuality leans towards everyone being bisexual - as lust and love are dictated by whoever fits one’s fancy. Thankfully, Shanna is a strong female character, and I surprisingly had no issue with anything she did or said. It’s hard to fault her for wanting love and support, and when the situation presents her with a boon, two is surely better than one right?? Right.
Pleasantly sexy, this ends on a mild cliffhanger - . I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to seeing how this plays out - there’s two more books in the works!
Thanks to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for a honest review
I’m under the assumption that Derr typically doesn’t write much smex in her stories, so to be honest, I picked this because it had the tag erotica, and my curiosity was piqued despite the presence of an F after the M/M.
Shanna is a princess about to become queen. However, her evil stepfather, Mercer, (suspected of having a hand in Shanna’s mother’s death) has been working hard on securing the throne for himself. By law, she must choose a consort, and in 2 years time when she turns 25, she’ll ascend. That’s easier said than done, as Mercer threatens and schemes to his favor and won’t allow Shanna the pretense that she has any control over her future. Does she dare defy her stepfather and claim a consort that would best strengthen her position?? Or should she meekly concede, sealing her fate towards defeat? When an unexpected ally appears in the form of a foreign prince and his devoted bodyguard, Shanna can hardly believe their claims - her mother had secretly planned for this years before her death, and they’re here to help in any way that is needed. There finally, just might be a sliver of hope…
Overall, I enjoyed this story and the fantastical, pseudo-historical world it was set in. Of note, this is a society that is not inhibited nor restricted by typical sexual mores. There’s no saving oneself for marriage, as virginity is not some prize to obtain, and sexuality leans towards everyone being bisexual - as lust and love are dictated by whoever fits one’s fancy. Thankfully, Shanna is a strong female character, and I surprisingly had no issue with anything she did or said. It’s hard to fault her for wanting love and support, and when the situation presents her with a boon, two is surely better than one right?? Right.
Pleasantly sexy, this ends on a mild cliffhanger - . I definitely wouldn’t be opposed to seeing how this plays out - there’s two more books in the works!
Thanks to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for a honest review
February 2, 2018
This was a really good story. Great world building, great characters and very sexy. I'm seriously loving the m/m/f genre.
June 21, 2018
I liked it
4 stars
Good start to a new series.
I’m a fan of Megan Derr’s previous works and this one is no different. This one may not be to everyone’s taste being MMF but to me it was like returning to my roots, as ready a MMF book was what lead me to the MM genre.
I liked the interactions between the characters and how they all came together. Shanna was a good strong female; she wasn’t sitting around waiting for the guys to save her.
Being as this is the first book in the series, there is a HFN but no conclusion, with plot threads still open. I’m looking forward to seeing how they are resolved in the next couple of books.
4 stars
Good start to a new series.
I’m a fan of Megan Derr’s previous works and this one is no different. This one may not be to everyone’s taste being MMF but to me it was like returning to my roots, as ready a MMF book was what lead me to the MM genre.
I liked the interactions between the characters and how they all came together. Shanna was a good strong female; she wasn’t sitting around waiting for the guys to save her.
Being as this is the first book in the series, there is a HFN but no conclusion, with plot threads still open. I’m looking forward to seeing how they are resolved in the next couple of books.
August 1, 2017
I really love Shana. She is such a great character. There’s a great balance to her. She’s not the damsel in distress but she isn’t some doormat either. Kallaar and Ahmla are fabulous! I like them and their relationship. It all reads very natural and sweet.
FULL REVIEW - http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/reviews/...
FULL REVIEW - http://thetbrpile.weebly.com/reviews/...
June 21, 2017
Rating: 3.25 stars
Review to follow at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.
ARC provided by NineStar Press in exchange for an honest review.
Review to follow at Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words.
ARC provided by NineStar Press in exchange for an honest review.
March 26, 2021
This was a light and fast read. I enjoyed the fantasy elements of this story. While the ending feels a little unfinished I'm sure it's the sort of thing that will be brought to a more satisfying conclusion in the next couple of books despite having a different main character in the next book. Still I liked having a feisty heroine who deserved to find her prince, and maybe a little more. ;)
I liked that these three have a bit of a history even though Shanna doesn't really know everything about the two men she's thought were peddlers and friends all these years. But now that she's being forced to pick a consort by her evil stepfather it's the right time for them to reveal who they really are. The backstory was nicely woven into things and Derr's world building was lovely as always. I enjoyed watching Shanna struggle to outwit her stepfather and figure out how she was going to save not only herself but her kingdom. I liked that not everything went smoothly for Kallar and Ahmla and that their secrets kept Shanna from just falling into their hands. She's a heroine capable of saving herself while still appreciating any help she gets.
I enjoyed this story and look forward to seeing how everything ultimately turns out. Not everything gets solved here after all. :)
I liked that these three have a bit of a history even though Shanna doesn't really know everything about the two men she's thought were peddlers and friends all these years. But now that she's being forced to pick a consort by her evil stepfather it's the right time for them to reveal who they really are. The backstory was nicely woven into things and Derr's world building was lovely as always. I enjoyed watching Shanna struggle to outwit her stepfather and figure out how she was going to save not only herself but her kingdom. I liked that not everything went smoothly for Kallar and Ahmla and that their secrets kept Shanna from just falling into their hands. She's a heroine capable of saving herself while still appreciating any help she gets.
I enjoyed this story and look forward to seeing how everything ultimately turns out. Not everything gets solved here after all. :)
July 19, 2017
This is the first book I’ve read by Megan Derr and I honestly didn’t know what to expect going in. I was intrigued because I’m a huge fan of MMF romances, especially if they’re done right. The world Derr created in Waiting for You is a bit of the norm. For starters, there are dragons which seem to be commonplace in this world. Second, most of the characters are presented as bisexual. The heroine, Shanna, has had relationships with both men and women. Also, the suitors arriving at her castle to win her hand are both genders. With those two hooks, I was definitely into this book.
Shanna is the future queen of her kingdom and has a horrible stepfather who possibly killed her mother and is definitely trying to keep his power by having his step daughter marry someone weak. Shanna is not a typical princess and spends her time in the stables and planning how to overthrow her stepfather. Early in the book she meets two traders from a different kingdom who show up every couple months while she is growing up. When it comes time for her to chose a spouse, the traders are revealed as Prince Kallaar and his bodyguard, Ahlma. Attracted to both, Shanna and her friends plot to free her from her stepfather’s control.
While I did enjoy the world Derr created, I felt too much time was spent on the political issues/worldbuilding and not enough time was spent developing the relationship between Shanna, Kallaar, and Ahlma. A good MMF romance takes time to develop and needs focus on all three of the characters and how they operate separately and together and in pairs. There simply wasn’t enough time for that in this book. While the sex scenes were steamy, they were limited and mostly featured Kallaar and Shanna or all three together. Overall, I did enjoy this book and the ending definitely makes me want to read more in this series.
Shanna is the future queen of her kingdom and has a horrible stepfather who possibly killed her mother and is definitely trying to keep his power by having his step daughter marry someone weak. Shanna is not a typical princess and spends her time in the stables and planning how to overthrow her stepfather. Early in the book she meets two traders from a different kingdom who show up every couple months while she is growing up. When it comes time for her to chose a spouse, the traders are revealed as Prince Kallaar and his bodyguard, Ahlma. Attracted to both, Shanna and her friends plot to free her from her stepfather’s control.
While I did enjoy the world Derr created, I felt too much time was spent on the political issues/worldbuilding and not enough time was spent developing the relationship between Shanna, Kallaar, and Ahlma. A good MMF romance takes time to develop and needs focus on all three of the characters and how they operate separately and together and in pairs. There simply wasn’t enough time for that in this book. While the sex scenes were steamy, they were limited and mostly featured Kallaar and Shanna or all three together. Overall, I did enjoy this book and the ending definitely makes me want to read more in this series.
August 1, 2017
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.25 stars
I really enjoyed this fantasy-romance-adventure. It’s a MMF that has elements of both MM and MF, which was cool. Kallaan and Ahmla are a couple, but not in our sense of the term. Their culture advocates a “lifesworn” protector, but Shanna misinterprets what this means. For her part, Shanna has always desired a poly relationship, and while partnering with the prince and his lifesworn is intriguing, she’s not willing to ruin things between them. This was handled really well, I thought, and had good character development. I could easily visualize the vicious Regent-king laying his traps and snaring his victims with a smile, and feel the plight of Shanna’s intense loneliness. The world building is spare, but enough to give us the scene and context of the story, and the pacing is excellent. The intrigue and specter of peril is sharp enough to keep the pages turning.
There’s a bit of chase, prompted by the dastardly Regent, but Shanna finds respite and love where she least expected it. This is the first book in a series, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next! If you liked The Captive Prince, I think you’d also enjoy this series.
Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.
4.25 stars
I really enjoyed this fantasy-romance-adventure. It’s a MMF that has elements of both MM and MF, which was cool. Kallaan and Ahmla are a couple, but not in our sense of the term. Their culture advocates a “lifesworn” protector, but Shanna misinterprets what this means. For her part, Shanna has always desired a poly relationship, and while partnering with the prince and his lifesworn is intriguing, she’s not willing to ruin things between them. This was handled really well, I thought, and had good character development. I could easily visualize the vicious Regent-king laying his traps and snaring his victims with a smile, and feel the plight of Shanna’s intense loneliness. The world building is spare, but enough to give us the scene and context of the story, and the pacing is excellent. The intrigue and specter of peril is sharp enough to keep the pages turning.
There’s a bit of chase, prompted by the dastardly Regent, but Shanna finds respite and love where she least expected it. This is the first book in a series, and I can’t wait to find out what happens next! If you liked The Captive Prince, I think you’d also enjoy this series.
Read Veronica’s review in its entirety here.
May 29, 2024
Pretty much what's on the tin--a M/M/F romance involving a princess, prince, and prince's bodyguard in a fantasy world. There's some political stuff that's sufficiently explained, but also seems mostly an excuse to amp up some stakes with the romance. The romance was pleasant, the characters lovely enough.
The part I liked most was when there was a certain romantic complication, and the main character had some internal strife assuming things about her love interests and ended up pulling away from them. That section where she was trying to balance the political necessity of maintaining them as allies while also nursing her own hurt feelings and trying to pull herself away had the strongest tension, and made me more invested and want the misunderstanding to be resolved.
Aside from that section, most the rest of the romance felt simple. The sex scenes were nice but felt strangely perfunctory sometimes--a series of sexy actions, but not necessarily a strong culmination of building tension. They would happen in a scene, and then the scene would move on afterwards with whatever plot was going on.
I tend to like meatier and more tense stories, so I think this wasn't an ideal book for me. There was some political tension in regards to her trying to out-maneuver her stepfather, but the romantic tension wasn't very strong except for a certain section. If you're looking for a simple, straightforward poly romance though, I think this is a short book that could give you some satisfaction.
The part I liked most was when there was a certain romantic complication, and the main character had some internal strife assuming things about her love interests and ended up pulling away from them. That section where she was trying to balance the political necessity of maintaining them as allies while also nursing her own hurt feelings and trying to pull herself away had the strongest tension, and made me more invested and want the misunderstanding to be resolved.
Aside from that section, most the rest of the romance felt simple. The sex scenes were nice but felt strangely perfunctory sometimes--a series of sexy actions, but not necessarily a strong culmination of building tension. They would happen in a scene, and then the scene would move on afterwards with whatever plot was going on.
I tend to like meatier and more tense stories, so I think this wasn't an ideal book for me. There was some political tension in regards to her trying to out-maneuver her stepfather, but the romantic tension wasn't very strong except for a certain section. If you're looking for a simple, straightforward poly romance though, I think this is a short book that could give you some satisfaction.
October 24, 2023
A Long Time Coming
Lifesworn1
Shanna is the queen-in-waiting, but she knows her stepfather has no intention of sharing the power he wields and covets. Sure that her mother’s death was no mere illness, but with no proof, Shanna can only bide her time. Trying to walk the knife edge of obedience and competency in the midst of spies and toadies takes most of her energies.
But the worst manipulation is yet to come. Shanna must pick a consort, by law and tradition. Her kingdom sits in the middle of the continent, so many alliances are offered. Even there, her stepfather seeks to control her, telling her who to select from. But her mother had made provision for Shanna, if she only has the courage to grasp it.
Lifesworn1
Shanna is the queen-in-waiting, but she knows her stepfather has no intention of sharing the power he wields and covets. Sure that her mother’s death was no mere illness, but with no proof, Shanna can only bide her time. Trying to walk the knife edge of obedience and competency in the midst of spies and toadies takes most of her energies.
But the worst manipulation is yet to come. Shanna must pick a consort, by law and tradition. Her kingdom sits in the middle of the continent, so many alliances are offered. Even there, her stepfather seeks to control her, telling her who to select from. But her mother had made provision for Shanna, if she only has the courage to grasp it.
July 1, 2017
From Magnolia Reviews: Four Petals
My review might sound like I didn't like the book, what with my comparing the story to a YA novel and mentioning that the story lacked twists and real plot depth, but I really did enjoy reading this story and I absolutely recommend it.
Read the full review on Maggie's website: http://magnoliareviews.weebly.com/rev...
My review might sound like I didn't like the book, what with my comparing the story to a YA novel and mentioning that the story lacked twists and real plot depth, but I really did enjoy reading this story and I absolutely recommend it.
Read the full review on Maggie's website: http://magnoliareviews.weebly.com/rev...
September 1, 2017
Two stars because the story was incomplete. It appears as if the author is making this a trilogy with one overall plot spread over the three, however she did not include the purpose (plot) behind this book. Even when you have a larger plot spread over three novels, each one should have its on small plot. If this novel had a good small plot, its rating could possibly be 4 stars.
May 22, 2018
Waiting for You had some sweet moments, some suspenseful moments, a nice helping of court intrigue, and a lot of raunch packed into the last few chapters. I liked Shanna, her heroes, and her friends. The villain was suitably awful, and the suspenseful scenes were not too drawn out. It will be interesting to see how/if the overall plot develops.
August 7, 2024
J'ai été déçu par cette histoire, j'en attendais trop surment. Mais il y avais un potentiel pas assez exploiter, l'univers n'a pas été explorer, on se concentrait trop sur le personnage féminin et je n'ai pas ressenti d'alchimie entre les 3 personnages. Je n'ai vraiment pas sentie la plume de Megan Derr.
April 24, 2018
Reads as chapter one of a serial, not as a complete story. It ended very abruptly and now we'll have to wait for the next 'chapter', which may be some time in coming. Love the main characters and the plot so far but don't like having to wait for their story to be completed.
July 27, 2017
Se me queda como un poco flojo, no se.
December 14, 2020
Showing that love and lust can take on more than conventional norms.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
did-not-finish
April 10, 2024DNF
I liked the idea behind WAITING FOR YOU but the writing style doesn't work for me so it's not very enjoyable to read.
Content Warning: abusive step-parent
I liked the idea behind WAITING FOR YOU but the writing style doesn't work for me so it's not very enjoyable to read.
Content Warning: abusive step-parent
March 16, 2024
I received an ARC of Waiting for You by Megan Derr. I love Megan’s writing because of her boundless imagination and because she sees and writes about all the colors of the rainbow. Waiting is no exception. The MC is Shanna, a heterosexual princess/queen-in-waiting trying not to fall prey to her stepfather’s machinations. But she is hardly conventional, spending part of her time mucking out stables since she is not allowed to participate in governance. Her unconventionality also colors her sexuality, thus making her a worthy Megan protagonist. Shanna's adventures are exciting, but I don’t want to write any spoilers. Another of the reasons I enjoy Megan’s books is she writes great supporting characters and again Waiting is true to standard. Sometimes those characters go on to have books of their own. I hope that is the case for Penli too! In these parlous times, reading Megan is the best escape there is!
June 19, 2017
Suffers from some "clearly the start of a series " pacing issues, but really enjoyable story. I adore some "we're engaged but mutually pining" so much.
Would have liked slightly more build up in the very beginning, because that 5 year time skip was a little jarring. Shanna was very well established regardless, but her friendship with prince and bodyguard was a little abrupt. I think Derr managed to stick the landing tho.
Also although Derr is generally an off scene sex author, this one having on screen suited the heroine to the ground and didn't feel jammed in at all.
Would have liked slightly more build up in the very beginning, because that 5 year time skip was a little jarring. Shanna was very well established regardless, but her friendship with prince and bodyguard was a little abrupt. I think Derr managed to stick the landing tho.
Also although Derr is generally an off scene sex author, this one having on screen suited the heroine to the ground and didn't feel jammed in at all.
January 15, 2019
Reread this in a row with the other two in this series. Its not my favourite of the three, but works well with the series as a whole.
There is a time gap (5 years?) between the prologue and chapter one that isn't labelled, but makes for awkward brain wrangling until it's half mentioned.
There is a time gap (5 years?) between the prologue and chapter one that isn't labelled, but makes for awkward brain wrangling until it's half mentioned.
September 3, 2017
Loved it
This is a menage, if threesomes turn you off, then this is not for you. That sais, Megan Deer is auto buy for me and this did not disappoint, I look forward to more of this three some and this world!!
This is a menage, if threesomes turn you off, then this is not for you. That sais, Megan Deer is auto buy for me and this did not disappoint, I look forward to more of this three some and this world!!
April 27, 2018
3.5
I really liked the concept and the story but I needed more...resolution.
I really liked the concept and the story but I needed more...resolution.
January 10, 2020
Far better than I expected...
A bit slow from time to time, but good world building made up for that.
A bit slow from time to time, but good world building made up for that.
negative-ghostrider
July 5, 2017Yeah, I'm going to have to DNF this one real hard. I made it to about 40% and I just can't do it. This book just needs some serious editing and beta review. It's very rough and clearly not ready for publishing. So I'm passing on this one but I'll keep an eye out for other books by Megan Derr.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews