Struggling to get over what the vampire councilman did to her, FBI Division Chief and Chicago wolf Alpha Seraphine Thomas dives into her job to cope. She’s making more headway on getting her office trained—and other offices—helping Simone with corruption in their community she was blind to, and solving a stack of cases that aren’t hers. And calling it a “stack” is seriously downplaying it. The plan to get all the area’s shifters at the same gathering and become allies, instead of smaller groups always handling things alone, comes together but not without issues. Overall, it was worth fighting for the idea and what’s best for the community, even if she’s terrified to finally stand before her pack after killing Engle and sending bad wolves off to the council. In other words, there’s too much going on with adopting little brothers and a new house, getting an instant family with the Dorcuses… Who wouldn’t need a short vacation? But do the problems seem to follow her from home, or are paranormals everywhere so messed up?
Erin is a born Chicagoan who decided to state hop a bit, given she works from home. She currently resides in Georgia with her pup, Lord Vader Flynn. With an eclectic and addictive personality, there isn’t much that doesn’t interest her or she won’t pour herself into if it catches her fancy. She has always been interested in the darker aspects of life and mythologies—especially vampires, shifters, the occult, and anything paranormal.
To date, she has published more paranormal books than she can keep up with the characters for, in different genres with dedicated readers who await each release to her numerous series under any of the three Flynn names she writes.
Blurb: Struggling to get over what the vampire councilman did to her, FBI Division Chief and Chicago wolf Alpha Seraphine Thomas dives into her job to cope. She’s making more headway on getting her office trained—and other offices—helping Simone with corruption in their community she was blind to, and solving a stack of cases that aren’t hers. And calling it a “stack” is seriously downplaying it. The plan to get all the area’s shifters at the same gathering and become allies, instead of smaller groups always handling things alone, comes together but not without issues. Overall, it was worth fighting for the idea and what’s best for the community, even if she’s terrified to finally stand before her pack after killing Engle and sending bad wolves off to the council. In other words, there’s too much going on with adopting little brothers and a new house, getting an instant family with the Dorcuses… Who wouldn’t need a short vacation? But do the problems seem to follow her from home, or are paranormals everywhere so messed up?
A lot happens in this book. So much I’m not sure I can keep it all together and I have no idea how Sera herself keeps it all together.
The cases and things she has to do keep piling up. Issues with her men keep happening and I keep getting confused. What she went through was traumatic and she’s still responding traumatically, which is understandable. Still I wish she would talk about it, talk her issues to her men. Somehow, suddenly somethings going on with the twins and I’m not sure what it is, but I’m wondering if it will take as long as the Tristian thing to resolve, I hope not.
The fbi stuff is crazy, but her being Alpha we haven’t seen much with her and the pack, which is somewhat bothersome to me because I keep hearing her be called Alpha, but not really doing stuff directly for the pack. She’s definitely working on things for the whole of paranormals, but I almost feel like the pack is neglected.
Things also go too incredibly easy with the big players for Sera. It’s a bit annoying how it all works out, how no one is really playing her. There’s always a sound reason for why. We have witches but haven’t dove in to what else they can do either, there’s just still so much stuff we don’t know.
Bah!!!!!! The first three books were quite good, I enjoyed the world and story and characters. In this book I feel that the series takes a crappy turn for the worse, Sera is suppose to be a rare werewolf strain yet I couldn't think of her as that in this book anymore as she is/acts more like a succubus and while I could get over the cheap Lost Girls ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1429449/ ) powers I feel that Sera has taken a cheap whiny turn for the worse in her attitude, professionalism and over all as a character...
Dunno but wtf happened to the kick arse FBI woman from the beginning?
Why do so many authors feel the need to equate a "strong women" with jealous tart that likes to play the victim with "woe is me, my pooor heart was hurt"..
..so sorry but wanting a harem (whether male or female) and expecting them to be exclusive to you while you fuck around and use the others in the harem to punish or emotionally blackmail others in the group is juvenile and morally reprehensible and being a "Siren" is just some BS excuse for bad behavior.
Dunno but not liking how Sera turned into a really good agent that was good at her job and kick ass to some whiny cow that expects everyone to bow to her "Godliness"...
I pushed through this book thinking maybe I am just a bit of a prude or maybe this was just some overreaction on Sera's part to what happened to her in the previous book but the trend is continuing in book five and it's seems to be getting worse.....I fully expect some kind of orgy and group sex with 5 or 6 others at some point and feel this has taken a big step away from "urban fantasy" to something else...
Eh can't help but feel the author is writing about stuff she has no clue about or no experience with so it's coming off as something cheesy like you would get in cheap porn.
Gave the first book 4 stars The second and third 3 stars
This book goes down to 1 star as I can't honestly give it more and I expect to give book 5, which I am reading now, 1 star as well that is if I do no DNF it.
Review of the Seraphine Thomas Series by Erin Flynn (Books 1–18) ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (Overall)
I’ve officially read all 18 books in the Seraphine Thomas series - yes, all of them - so you don’t have to (but maybe you’ll want to). I’m a longtime fan of Erin Flynn’s writing. Her stories are creative, emotionally rich, and often addictive. There's always at least one character per series you end up rooting for, and her talent for immersive world-building is undeniable.
That said, my experience with this series has been a bit of a rollercoaster. Let’s break it down honestly - but respectfully.
🔥 The Positives: Compelling Worldbuilding: The supernatural FBI + polyamorous twist is unlike most in the genre. Think Forever meets Castle with a Vampire Diaries vibe.
Long-Term Character Arcs: The series spans a wide timeline and shows dedication to character growth (even if not always in a direction I enjoyed).
Addictive Early Books: Books 1–7 had me hooked. They had humor, high-stakes emotional drama, and solid pacing. These earned a solid 3.5/5 stars from me.
😬 Mixed Feelings & Constructive Critique: 1. Tone and Authorial Voice While the author’s writing style is generally engaging, I personally found some of the commentary in the closing author’s notes and certain narrative choices to feel more personal or opinionated than expected in fiction. I completely understand the need to address issues like piracy, but I believe there might be more neutral or inclusive ways to communicate those messages.
2. Relationship Complexity vs. Clarity This isn’t a typical “Why Choose” or Reverse Harem setup. It’s a deeply layered polyandrous dynamic - messy, intricate, and sometimes emotionally chaotic. If you're looking for straightforward bonding arcs, be prepared: the relationship development gets incredibly convoluted. Personally, I found the shifting dynamics between mates, sirened partners, consorts, and friends-with-benefits confusing as the series progressed. A glossary or relationship map might be helpful in future installments.
3. Character Fatigue By Book 18, I found myself struggling to connect with many of the characters - especially the main character, Sera. She starts off as a resilient, sharp, and likable FMC, but over time, her decisions and relationship management felt inconsistent or frustrating. The push-pull dynamic in her personal life, paired with very little progress in her supernatural education even 18 books in, made it difficult for me to continue rooting for her.
Many love interests were introduced with big emotional weight, only to fade into the background or disappear altogether. Some characters who were well-developed and emotionally resonant (like Dain or Tristan) seemed to get less closure or fair treatment than others who felt more peripheral. In contrast, some relationships dragged on without significant development or payoff.
4. Pacing & Structure Books 8–18 dropped to a 2.5/5 rating for me. The pacing slowed, and more focus seemed to shift toward commentary and expanding the cast rather than continuing the central storyline. Political and social themes started to feel more prominent than the core plot, which I found distracting from the fictional narrative I was invested in.
🧍♀️Sera Thomas (FMC): Early-series Sera was fantastic: witty, brave, emotionally complex, and vulnerable. I loved her journey through the early books. But as the series continued, her indecision, emotional volatility, and seeming lack of introspection made it harder to sympathize with her. She often reacted rather than reflected, and by Book 18, she felt less like a hero and more like a character stuck in loops.
💔 On the MMCs: Too many to list fully, but here are some key points:
Tristan: Felt unfairly treated by both the narrative and Sera. He brought a lot to the story emotionally and deserved more.
Dain: A standout for me. Loyal, strong, and emotionally available. Frustratingly underappreciated by Sera.
Brian, Riley, Hagan/Reagan: Relationships with these characters didn’t feel satisfying or necessary by the end.
Noah, Axel, Eugene, Jason: Struggled to leave a lasting impression. Some started strong but faded, others never quite clicked.
Carter: Felt like his storyline was mishandled. A simple conversation would have solved a lot.
Ari, Virgil, Lucca, etc.: Either forgotten or sidelined. At 18 books in, I’m struggling to remember who’s still important and who isn’t.
⚠️ Final Thoughts: This series started with a bang but has become increasingly complex - sometimes at the expense of clarity, pacing, and emotional payoff. I’d still recommend it to readers who enjoy dark paranormal romance with poly themes, complex emotions, and an ongoing world that spans dozens of characters.
But for me, the series may have reached its natural peak. I’m unsure whether I’ll continue with future books unless there’s a notable shift in focus and tone. Still, Erin Flynn’s creativity and dedication to her characters is commendable, and I hope future installments bring some much-needed resolution to long-standing arcs.
TL;DR: Started strong with a bold and complex heroine in a unique supernatural world. Became bloated with characters and unresolved plot threads. A frustrating but ambitious series worth reading - if you have patience.
Abusing The Alpha is the fourth book in the Seraphine Thomas series by Erin R. Flynn.
I don't understand the shift between how both Hagan and Reagan were professing their love and how much they appreciated all of Sera, to trying to oversex her either. It came off as such a personality change that it bisected my enjoyment of the conclusion of the story. Which somewhat went hand in hand with this book not having a satisfying conclusion. The ending kind of seemed just tacked on to all the craziness of what had already happened in Vegas.
Wow, just reading all of the ways in which different law enforcement offices throughout the US were trying to do her job, or twist the MNSTR division into something horrible is astounding. It's that level of shock, where you expect something because human nature practically demands it, but you also didn't realize that people could be so horribly out of touch with logic and common decency.
I felt really bad for that one vampire that hadn't talked to anyone in over 100 years because he kept stopping time around himself wherever he went. That was terribly depressing. But that and the disgusting cheetah shifter bank robbers makes it painfully obvious that what she is doing is so completely necessary for any progression for this society. And that this author is going to throttle the the sexual assault angle for every book. Like, this has already been a lot of misogyny and inappropriate treatment of women.
I really hope that Hagan, Reagan, and Seraphine can work out their issues at the end of this book. I'm not entirely sure I trust Dain. I want to be able to, and at first he seemed like a reasonable and loyal new addition to their dynamic. But now I find myself wondering if he or any of the other faeries were plants by someone within the Queen's court? And how can we be entirely sure that all glamor doesn't work on Sera? Did anyone try that with Alena? I think I need proof, which hopefully the next book will provide...
I do think there are some serious problems with this book in regards to race and marginalized people. The main character is "colorblind" which is a pretty horrible point of view and it ends up eliminating every other race but white people. We see color, we all do. White people just get the privilege of thinking it doesn't matter. There has only at this point been a few nonwhite characters up so far and they are fringe characters. It's clear the colorblindness is a problem in this series. It wouldn't be a problem if Sera wasn't heralded as some super special white person who just transcends marginalizing people. She's not. No one is perfect and unbiased as this character is worshiped as. It's a huge problem especially as the character aquires more and more men for her harem and none of them are marginalized races... She's colorblind but only fucks white guys? 🤔 Weird.
So many things happen in this book. Sera continues to move forward despite her trauma and is becoming exhausted. She meets some new people and develops some new relationships. Things get better and then weird again. Her bond with Tristian is severed but it hurts her. She bonds with Noah and gets closer to the twins but things with them at the end is weird. The twins are becoming aggressive/possessive were they haven’t been. I feel so much for Sera and what she goes through. She never gets a break before she is fighting the next battle and has no time to process things. I’m hoping she gets that in the next book because I don’t see it ending well otherwise.
I like this series. I'm a big fan of Ms. Flynn's writing (absolutely LOVE Artemis University!). I love Sera's story; the various difficulties of cleaning up the corruption, fighting paranormal discrimination, & balancing being Alpha (albeit not entirely willing) with being an FBI agent. I want to post a possible trigger warning. I know Ms. Flynn's writing is dark & not all warm & fuzzy. I have depression and Sera's relationship troubles, along with what happened with the vampire councilman, were hard for me to get through. I just wanted to let others be aware of this specific issue.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Umm again where are all the people to help her fight. She doesn't have Tristan or The wolf. I mean she is goig on blind just like when she went uncover why doesn't she gain information on what she is walking in on. This is so frustrating. The men are interesting and the relationships are very hard to get into. I feel like they are all over the place and in some instances don't really understand
This ongoing series by Erin R Flynn is an emotional rollercoaster of ups and downs. The MC takes no flak from anyone and knows how to back it up. Add in sexy werewolves, vampires and FBI love interests and her harem is drool worthy. This series has some triggers but they are more inferred then in your face. Lots of sexy times. I highly recommend anything from this author.
I'm enjoying this series. I love the way Sera is very logical in her thinking and can think outside of the box. But it must be by the rules of the United States Government. It's interesting seeing how she solves problems in her pragmatic way. I also like that this series is ALL about sex, I want a storyline to follow that is interesting and fun. I had one author I loved go so her main character was all about sex and it just ruined it for me.
3.5. Even though I agree on most of the M.C. character point of view, I feel like this book was a fictional learning book. Sort of like when you want to potty train your child, so you buy a fictional book about kid learning to potty train. And I hate to say it but to much drama. When I first started reading I really liked it, but the last two I read in this series is just okay.
This book was all over the place for me. At one time, Sera made some headway in healing. Then Vegas happens and she's right back to square one. She seemed disconnected from everything most of this book. And while it's understandable, it seriously messes with the flow of the story.
Love the story! She had so much to clean up and so much interesting new things that happened. I love the dive into another Paranormal group and the chaos of what could happen if people don't do what they should and try to do things themselves. It's always exciting to move on and see what she is going to do next!
Fastburn. Paranormal. Rh. 3/?. I dont know anymore guys. Paranormal FBI agents. Vegas setting for half. It was a bit emotional on this one. And I STILL am not sure the through plot line.
The moment I started reading I was pulled back to where we left off. Could not stop reading. Going to go start the next book as gotta find out what happens next
The best thIng I can say is. I would rather read these books than watch tv. They are so good. I feel every emotion while reading them. You really get a feeling for each of the characters.
This series is absolutely addicting from the first book and continues to hold your attention through all of the following books. I love the strong female lead working to make the world a better place
I love this series. I hate that so much piles on Sera’s shoulders but each time she comes out fighting. The guys are be total idiots I hope they pull their heads out of their backsides soon
I'm really torn about this series. It got too intense and at the same time a bit repetitive around book 6 and I feel like I need to take a break from reading the rest.