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The Marriage Raffle #1
Unidos para protegerla
En Nueva República toda mujer debe casarse con cinco hombres.
Es la ley.
Bienvenido al apocalipsis.
Estoy a punto de perder mi virginidad con cinco hombres.
Los puedo calificar de muchas cosas;
de extraños, de secuestradores;
pero ¿esposos?
Llevará tiempo hacerme a la idea.
Los odio.
A pesar de que me protegieran de unos agresores.
Mi hermano podría seguir en alguna parte;
así que tendré que seguirles la corriente;
seguir adelante con la boda;
entregarles mi cuerpo a mis nuevos esposos.
Aunque solo hay un problema;
se rehúsan a concederme la libertad.
Y ahora no solo mi cuerpo les pertenece…
…sino también mi corazón.
Es la ley.
Bienvenido al apocalipsis.
Estoy a punto de perder mi virginidad con cinco hombres.
Los puedo calificar de muchas cosas;
de extraños, de secuestradores;
pero ¿esposos?
Llevará tiempo hacerme a la idea.
Los odio.
A pesar de que me protegieran de unos agresores.
Mi hermano podría seguir en alguna parte;
así que tendré que seguirles la corriente;
seguir adelante con la boda;
entregarles mi cuerpo a mis nuevos esposos.
Aunque solo hay un problema;
se rehúsan a concederme la libertad.
Y ahora no solo mi cuerpo les pertenece…
…sino también mi corazón.
370 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 26, 2018
4781 people are currently reading
4019 people want to read
About the author
Stasia Black
73 books2,092 followersStasia was born in Georgia, grew up in Texas, recently spent a freezing five-year stint in Minnesota, and now is happily planted in sunny California, which she will never, ever leave.
She loves writing, reading, listening to podcasts, and has recently taken up biking after a twenty-year sabbatical (and has the bumps and bruises to prove it). She lives with her own personal cheerleader, aka, her handsome husband, and their teenage son. Wow. Typing that makes her feel old. And writing about herself in the third person makes her feel a little like a nutjob, but ahem! Where were we?
Stasia’s drawn to romantic stories that don’t take the easy way out. She wants to see beneath people’s veneer and poke into their dark places, their twisted motives, and their deepest desires. Basically, she wants to create characters that make readers alternately laugh, cry ugly tears, want to toss their kindles across the room, and then declare they have a new FBB (forever book boyfriend).
She loves writing, reading, listening to podcasts, and has recently taken up biking after a twenty-year sabbatical (and has the bumps and bruises to prove it). She lives with her own personal cheerleader, aka, her handsome husband, and their teenage son. Wow. Typing that makes her feel old. And writing about herself in the third person makes her feel a little like a nutjob, but ahem! Where were we?
Stasia’s drawn to romantic stories that don’t take the easy way out. She wants to see beneath people’s veneer and poke into their dark places, their twisted motives, and their deepest desires. Basically, she wants to create characters that make readers alternately laugh, cry ugly tears, want to toss their kindles across the room, and then declare they have a new FBB (forever book boyfriend).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 782 reviews
April 1, 2022
Surprisingly great!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💛🖤💜💚❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌏
Character development: ☺️😊😘😍🤩
The heroine(s): Audrey - she grew up after D-Day in her uncle’s bunker with him and her brother. When living there got dangerous for her, she and her brother Charlie took off for the coast which was 200 miles away. The journey was perilous, water is scarce and when a gang of ruffians kills her brother and nearly take her hostage, she is rescued by the security squadron from South Central Texas.
The Hero: Nix (a.k.a. Phoenix) - dominant and demanding. He is a huge guy with a scarred face and he is head of the security squadron for the town.
Clark - Handsome and worldly, he is a smart aleck.
Danny - a sweet young guy who knows nothing about women.
Matteo - wants to serve and protect Audrey. He was shy and quiet.
Graham - studious and awkward.
The Story: The apocalypse began with a disease that killed off 90% of the women on earth and ended in nuclear war and EMP attacks. What is left are areas that were not affected by the bombs and nuclear fallout. The fact that there are twelve men to every woman on earth makes it a dangerous place for women.
After growing up in her uncles bunker, Audrey with her brother take off for a place near on the coast reported to be called No-mans land. It is said to be a colony of only women, where women and girls are safe. However, after being attacked, Audrey ends up in South Central Texas. A place that has recovered and is safe though Audrey doesn’t look at it that way when she gets there.
The republic survives and keeps law based on the fact that every woman of at least 19 years of age is entered in a marriage raffle where five men are chosen to be husbands to each of the women. The fact that any man can enter the raffle and has an equal chance helps to keep the peace.
The book was told in multiple POV’s but narration was done by Shea Hart. I wished there were male narrators for all the guys, but I have to admit Shea does a great job and her voice is pleasant to listen to and was perfect for Audrey. I enjoyed listening to this one.
I also liked the story. I assumed that this would be a bit of a smut fest since it was a reverse harem with one girl and five guys, and there was a bit of that. But I was pleasantly surprised by a thorough storyline that wasn’t all dystopian depressing. The world building was terrific and very interesting, and the characterizations were great.
I liked that the five guys were different and not just a group of similarly tall, handsome, hot alpha males with not much to distinguish one from the other. They were individuals with quirks and histories of their own. There was a lot of action and romance and the story was terrific.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Romance: 💛🖤💜💚❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌏
Character development: ☺️😊😘😍🤩
The heroine(s): Audrey - she grew up after D-Day in her uncle’s bunker with him and her brother. When living there got dangerous for her, she and her brother Charlie took off for the coast which was 200 miles away. The journey was perilous, water is scarce and when a gang of ruffians kills her brother and nearly take her hostage, she is rescued by the security squadron from South Central Texas.
The Hero: Nix (a.k.a. Phoenix) - dominant and demanding. He is a huge guy with a scarred face and he is head of the security squadron for the town.
Clark - Handsome and worldly, he is a smart aleck.
Danny - a sweet young guy who knows nothing about women.
Matteo - wants to serve and protect Audrey. He was shy and quiet.
Graham - studious and awkward.
The Story: The apocalypse began with a disease that killed off 90% of the women on earth and ended in nuclear war and EMP attacks. What is left are areas that were not affected by the bombs and nuclear fallout. The fact that there are twelve men to every woman on earth makes it a dangerous place for women.
After growing up in her uncles bunker, Audrey with her brother take off for a place near on the coast reported to be called No-mans land. It is said to be a colony of only women, where women and girls are safe. However, after being attacked, Audrey ends up in South Central Texas. A place that has recovered and is safe though Audrey doesn’t look at it that way when she gets there.
The republic survives and keeps law based on the fact that every woman of at least 19 years of age is entered in a marriage raffle where five men are chosen to be husbands to each of the women. The fact that any man can enter the raffle and has an equal chance helps to keep the peace.
The book was told in multiple POV’s but narration was done by Shea Hart. I wished there were male narrators for all the guys, but I have to admit Shea does a great job and her voice is pleasant to listen to and was perfect for Audrey. I enjoyed listening to this one.
I also liked the story. I assumed that this would be a bit of a smut fest since it was a reverse harem with one girl and five guys, and there was a bit of that. But I was pleasantly surprised by a thorough storyline that wasn’t all dystopian depressing. The world building was terrific and very interesting, and the characterizations were great.
I liked that the five guys were different and not just a group of similarly tall, handsome, hot alpha males with not much to distinguish one from the other. They were individuals with quirks and histories of their own. There was a lot of action and romance and the story was terrific.
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August 30, 2018
4 stars
Book Review
Release Date-26/3/18
Not usually a great fan of Reverse Harem tropes but this for me really worked.
Maybe because it was set against a dystopian post-apocalyptic background I found myself much more willing to accept the unconventional arrangement.
The female population has been decimated by a man-made virus that has wiped out 90% of them. On top of this nuclear warfare has also further ravaged the world leaving behind a new age of violence and fear especially for the fairer gender.
Audrey and her brother and attacked while trying to reach a safe zone and Audrey herself finds herself tranqued by Nix who is head of security and then escorted unconscious back to town.
Upon awakening, Audrey finds herself the prize of a marriage lottery where all interested parties are welcome to put there name into a hat for the privilege of becoming one of her five husbands.
Yes, I kid you not five of them.
Well I suppose 1/5 of a wife is better than no wife at all
But what I essentially loved about this reverse harem offering is that Audrey's new potential husbands were not all your typical jock beefcakes, but each brought there own unique personality and separate flavour to the table.
We have Nix head of security protective, gruff, scarred and a bit of an ass.
Clark the smooth handsome charming ladies man.
Graham the resident smart Techie who is definitely on the spectrum.
Danny the buff sweet puppy dog.
Mateo Mr Fix It who has a dark past and just wants to serve Audrey in any way he can.
Together Audrey and her five husbands are Clan Hale; all taking Nix's name as he is the Alpha and head of there new family.
Each Man was just so different and this was one of my most favourite aspects of "Theirs To Protect"
Each husband had his own distinct personality and wasn't your atypical romance hero.
This wasn't an especially dark read despite some recountings of past horrific misdemeanours but there was definitely some darker triggers; my level of dark is quite high so this for me was rather sweet.
Just to clarify though; there is no grey ground here when it comes to Audrey's boys everything here is totally consensual they all court her and treat her like a pampered princess.
There's only really Nix that gets a bit bolchy with her bratty antics.
My only complaints here was really Audrey herself I found her slightly annoying at times and if she had just opened up and talked about what was bothering her then things could have been resolved much sooner.
But I suppose their wouldnt really be a story then.
I also was a trifle shocked by her lack of visual grief over her brother's fate; I get she was trying not to think about it but she hardly gave him a second thought after arriving in town.
The only times she seemed to react here was when she was thinking about escaping.
But essentially at its heart, this was a really interesting read that I really did adore.
So uniquely different and a great start to a new series.
I accessed "Theirs to Protect" (The Marriage Lottery, #1) with my KU subscription.
All opinions are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm.
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
November 12, 2022
*3.5* Just take a look at this cover, I almost don't need to write a review for this one.
✔️Post apocalyptic earth setting
✔️Reverse harem
✔️Minimal world building
✔️Steamy steam
In the not too distant future, a genetically engineered virus is released by an eco-terrorist in major metropolitan areas all over the globe. Within five years, almost 90% of the world’s female population is decimated.
The premise is this. Audrey (22) has plans to find the mysterious "women safe zone," but she's waylaid by a group of nasty men. She is subsequently saved by another group of men, and taken to a town that is rebuilding some kind of normalcy for the inhabitants. But there are strict rules one must abide by in order to live there.
Audrey is pretty much an idiot for a vast majority of the story. Despite that, the entertainment value for this cheesy reverse harem was quite high. She is eventually auctioned off against her will, to five men. All of her husbands are very easy to tell apart from one another, which is a plus considering in most of these RH, they all melt together as one. (Dude with giant peen, angry guy with scar, sensitive guy with black hair etc)
“We gather here today to celebrate the wedding of Audrey, Clark, Daniel, Graham, Mateo, and Phoenix. A new family clan—Clan Hale—is born today, six become one.”
The steam is quite unrealistic. Audrey goes from virginal to horn-dog in about one page. However, it was extra spicy and quite fun to read! No sword crossing, but all entry points are taken complete advantage of. Ages of her husbands go from 23-38, so there are some fun age gaps.
The non-communication trope is quite heavy-handed in this one, so be forewarned you'll be irritated at Audrey for a decent amount of time. The author put a lot of time and care into writing the five men, I actually really liked all of them!
Ends with hea/hfn with the epilogue making me want to pick up the second book asap.
✔️Post apocalyptic earth setting
✔️Reverse harem
✔️Minimal world building
✔️Steamy steam
In the not too distant future, a genetically engineered virus is released by an eco-terrorist in major metropolitan areas all over the globe. Within five years, almost 90% of the world’s female population is decimated.
The premise is this. Audrey (22) has plans to find the mysterious "women safe zone," but she's waylaid by a group of nasty men. She is subsequently saved by another group of men, and taken to a town that is rebuilding some kind of normalcy for the inhabitants. But there are strict rules one must abide by in order to live there.
Audrey is pretty much an idiot for a vast majority of the story. Despite that, the entertainment value for this cheesy reverse harem was quite high. She is eventually auctioned off against her will, to five men. All of her husbands are very easy to tell apart from one another, which is a plus considering in most of these RH, they all melt together as one. (Dude with giant peen, angry guy with scar, sensitive guy with black hair etc)
“We gather here today to celebrate the wedding of Audrey, Clark, Daniel, Graham, Mateo, and Phoenix. A new family clan—Clan Hale—is born today, six become one.”
The steam is quite unrealistic. Audrey goes from virginal to horn-dog in about one page. However, it was extra spicy and quite fun to read! No sword crossing, but all entry points are taken complete advantage of. Ages of her husbands go from 23-38, so there are some fun age gaps.
The non-communication trope is quite heavy-handed in this one, so be forewarned you'll be irritated at Audrey for a decent amount of time. The author put a lot of time and care into writing the five men, I actually really liked all of them!
Ends with hea/hfn with the epilogue making me want to pick up the second book asap.
May 1, 2023
Imagine this:
* Me holding this book up like baby Simba from the Lion King*
That’s the only way one can present this book! 💪
It blew my socks off! BEST BOOK I HAVE READ SO FAR IN 2018!
Now here it’s the deal. RH is new to me. The few books I have read were nothing to write about. But this baby?
HOLY BATMAN IN UNICORN PAJAMAS!
The writing was captivating, angsty, funny, brilliant AND sexy!!
The plot was insanely good. Loved the whole reason why women were nearly extinct. It was such a solid and compelling story.
Audrey and her brother Charlie leaves the sanctuary of her uncles bunker after hiding away for 8 years to protect Audrey. The world is a mess. Women are so few and in high demand from the ruthless men inhabiting a post apocalyptic world.
After being attacked by enemy men, Audrey loses her brother and finds herself in the arms of Nix. A soldier in a new world, living in a society where 1 woman has to marry 5 men.
Audrey is so bloody stubborn and the sassiness is pouring out of her! She is also kind and loving and I really liked her as a character!
And her husbands ? I could cry of joy, that’s how good they were.
Sweet, muscled, teddy bear, Danny.
Smart, nerdy and awkward Graham.
Pretty, classy and smartass, Clark.
Loving, protective and broken Mateo.
And last, but not least.
Badass, tattooed, scary and fierce, Nix.
I loved them all and their personalities co-existed so well!
Read: 22/06/2018
Will I recommend: YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YEA YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES
* Me holding this book up like baby Simba from the Lion King*
That’s the only way one can present this book! 💪
It blew my socks off! BEST BOOK I HAVE READ SO FAR IN 2018!
Now here it’s the deal. RH is new to me. The few books I have read were nothing to write about. But this baby?
HOLY BATMAN IN UNICORN PAJAMAS!
The writing was captivating, angsty, funny, brilliant AND sexy!!
The plot was insanely good. Loved the whole reason why women were nearly extinct. It was such a solid and compelling story.
Audrey and her brother Charlie leaves the sanctuary of her uncles bunker after hiding away for 8 years to protect Audrey. The world is a mess. Women are so few and in high demand from the ruthless men inhabiting a post apocalyptic world.
After being attacked by enemy men, Audrey loses her brother and finds herself in the arms of Nix. A soldier in a new world, living in a society where 1 woman has to marry 5 men.
Audrey is so bloody stubborn and the sassiness is pouring out of her! She is also kind and loving and I really liked her as a character!
And her husbands ? I could cry of joy, that’s how good they were.
Sweet, muscled, teddy bear, Danny.
Smart, nerdy and awkward Graham.
Pretty, classy and smartass, Clark.
Loving, protective and broken Mateo.
And last, but not least.
Badass, tattooed, scary and fierce, Nix.
I loved them all and their personalities co-existed so well!
Read: 22/06/2018
Will I recommend: YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YEA YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES
May 19, 2019
This book was continually being advertised on another social media site and I threw caution to the wind and selected it. Plus, it was free on Kindle and that's enough enticement. Also we all need a bit of fluff in our reading selection.
Theirs to Protect is set in a post apocalyptic USA where 90% of the female population has been decimated. Leaving a 12 to 1 ratio in the Specifically, our story takes place in the New Republic of Texas. But don't worry, we still have church weddings in the post-apocalypse and as the story opens a bride is being wed to the 5 husbands who won her in the marriage
lottery. I like to think it's a bit like The Bachelorette but instead of one man, she gets to take the final five home.
The woman in question is Audrey who has been training heavily with her brother, Charlie at their uncle's bunker. But when Charlie is killed and Audrey runs into some trouble, she finds herself in a town where the lottery is happening. Although Audrey tries to escape, nothing will stop her upcoming marriage to Phoenix(Nix), Clark, Graham, Mateo, and Danny. With their "I Dos", Clan Hale is born and Audrey and her husbands will face many obstacles in their first number of weeks.
What I Thought:
I didn't know that reverse harem stories were even an avenue in the romance/erotica literary world, but now my recommendations are flooded with them. I actually told a few work colleagues that I was reading this book and well, as you can imagine there has been a bit of laughter and teasing about my protagonist and her five men. Now I wouldn't consider myself an expert at all in this genre and more experienced readers than I have offered a variety of rich polarizing reviews. Personally, I find myself having liked the story.
Now our main protagonist has been receiving a lot of attention for her behavior for much of the story. But if Audrey hadn't been a strong willed woman, I probably wouldn't have stuck around. Stasia Black was able to balance six narrative voices in this story, but much of the story still seems to center primarily on Audrey and Nix. The only person I really couldn't enjoy reading about (besides the villians) was husband Danny. When you compare a man trying to kiss you with a panting dog, I am just blocked off from any sexual appeal at all.
Speaking of sex, I am not going to lie that one of my questions about reading this book was how exactly this is all supposed to play out in the bedroom. Well, all 5 guys and the heroine share a bed. Don't worry, there is this whole conversation about consent. Because you have 5 guys there is more than one chapter devoted to the love scene and after awhile I was a bit bored. Only because some of the actions were a bit repetitive in places and also because some of the dialogue is a bit cringeworthy. Nix has this thought in his head that all of the men are like the prey approaching their kill( Audrey) and I was like " WTF?" Also I must mention again that Danny irritated me, his dialogue just didn't seem to fit his age. My apologies if you were a Danny fan. I was hands down a fan of Mateo!
Overall, I did enjoy the world building and the concept. There were good guys and villains and I liked the back story of Audrey and her husbands.
Goodreads Review published 17/05/19
Theirs to Protect is set in a post apocalyptic USA where 90% of the female population has been decimated. Leaving a 12 to 1 ratio in the Specifically, our story takes place in the New Republic of Texas. But don't worry, we still have church weddings in the post-apocalypse and as the story opens a bride is being wed to the 5 husbands who won her in the marriage
lottery. I like to think it's a bit like The Bachelorette but instead of one man, she gets to take the final five home.
The woman in question is Audrey who has been training heavily with her brother, Charlie at their uncle's bunker. But when Charlie is killed and Audrey runs into some trouble, she finds herself in a town where the lottery is happening. Although Audrey tries to escape, nothing will stop her upcoming marriage to Phoenix(Nix), Clark, Graham, Mateo, and Danny. With their "I Dos", Clan Hale is born and Audrey and her husbands will face many obstacles in their first number of weeks.
What I Thought:
I didn't know that reverse harem stories were even an avenue in the romance/erotica literary world, but now my recommendations are flooded with them. I actually told a few work colleagues that I was reading this book and well, as you can imagine there has been a bit of laughter and teasing about my protagonist and her five men. Now I wouldn't consider myself an expert at all in this genre and more experienced readers than I have offered a variety of rich polarizing reviews. Personally, I find myself having liked the story.
Now our main protagonist has been receiving a lot of attention for her behavior for much of the story. But if Audrey hadn't been a strong willed woman, I probably wouldn't have stuck around. Stasia Black was able to balance six narrative voices in this story, but much of the story still seems to center primarily on Audrey and Nix. The only person I really couldn't enjoy reading about (besides the villians) was husband Danny. When you compare a man trying to kiss you with a panting dog, I am just blocked off from any sexual appeal at all.
Speaking of sex, I am not going to lie that one of my questions about reading this book was how exactly this is all supposed to play out in the bedroom. Well, all 5 guys and the heroine share a bed. Don't worry, there is this whole conversation about consent. Because you have 5 guys there is more than one chapter devoted to the love scene and after awhile I was a bit bored. Only because some of the actions were a bit repetitive in places and also because some of the dialogue is a bit cringeworthy. Nix has this thought in his head that all of the men are like the prey approaching their kill( Audrey) and I was like " WTF?" Also I must mention again that Danny irritated me, his dialogue just didn't seem to fit his age. My apologies if you were a Danny fan. I was hands down a fan of Mateo!
Overall, I did enjoy the world building and the concept. There were good guys and villains and I liked the back story of Audrey and her husbands.
Goodreads Review published 17/05/19
October 31, 2021
So good every time!!
This is the third time I've read this, and it's just as good every time. This was the first book I ever read by Stasia Black years ago, and it was the first reverse harem for me too. This series ended up becoming one of my favorites. Leading to my love of RHs and in particular the "bride lottery" premise.
Audrey finds herself alone and on the run from bad guys in a dystopian future where most women were killed by a terrorist bioweapon attack and most of the world has been nuked to hell. She had been on the way to a fabled community of women, where they could live a safe life away from predatory men. Audrey gets rescued and taken to Jacob's Well, a township trying to rebuild after 'The Fall'. To be able to rebuild, societal norms are changed, and rules put into place. Such as every women gets married to 5 men, whose names get randomly pulled in a lottery.
I tell you what though, she won the lottery that's for sure. With hunky soldier Nix, supercharmer Clark, smart and shy Graham, attentive loving Matteo, and energetic sweetheart Danny, Audrey hit the jackpot. The guys went out of their way to spoil Audrey with bartered goodies, to protect her and make her feel safe, but best of all they lavished her with attention and care. It goes without saying they knocked her socks and everything else off in the bedroom as well.
As is always the case, Utopia isn't always what it seems. Audrey has no plans to stay and be some stranger's prize baby maker, she's gonna find a way to Nomansland one way or the other. Her husbands realized as they came to care more and more for Audrey, that making her happy might mean that they lose her forever. As Audrey comes to care for her men, she realizes she will do anything to keep them safe, including letting them go.
I love this series. This is the opener and sets the stage for the craziness that's to come in the overarching storyline. Such that many secrets abound, there's untold political machinations working behind the scenes, secret alliances, backstabbing betrayals, shocking set-ups, and to top it off basically the final battle against good and evil for the new world. I also love that Stasia's writing is down to earth relatable and pulls you right in. To top it off, she does an amazing job of making each man different, individually unique, sexy as hell in their own way and memorable. I highly recommend!
Even though this is an ARC review, I will always shoot you straight. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is the third time I've read this, and it's just as good every time. This was the first book I ever read by Stasia Black years ago, and it was the first reverse harem for me too. This series ended up becoming one of my favorites. Leading to my love of RHs and in particular the "bride lottery" premise.
Audrey finds herself alone and on the run from bad guys in a dystopian future where most women were killed by a terrorist bioweapon attack and most of the world has been nuked to hell. She had been on the way to a fabled community of women, where they could live a safe life away from predatory men. Audrey gets rescued and taken to Jacob's Well, a township trying to rebuild after 'The Fall'. To be able to rebuild, societal norms are changed, and rules put into place. Such as every women gets married to 5 men, whose names get randomly pulled in a lottery.
I tell you what though, she won the lottery that's for sure. With hunky soldier Nix, supercharmer Clark, smart and shy Graham, attentive loving Matteo, and energetic sweetheart Danny, Audrey hit the jackpot. The guys went out of their way to spoil Audrey with bartered goodies, to protect her and make her feel safe, but best of all they lavished her with attention and care. It goes without saying they knocked her socks and everything else off in the bedroom as well.
As is always the case, Utopia isn't always what it seems. Audrey has no plans to stay and be some stranger's prize baby maker, she's gonna find a way to Nomansland one way or the other. Her husbands realized as they came to care more and more for Audrey, that making her happy might mean that they lose her forever. As Audrey comes to care for her men, she realizes she will do anything to keep them safe, including letting them go.
I love this series. This is the opener and sets the stage for the craziness that's to come in the overarching storyline. Such that many secrets abound, there's untold political machinations working behind the scenes, secret alliances, backstabbing betrayals, shocking set-ups, and to top it off basically the final battle against good and evil for the new world. I also love that Stasia's writing is down to earth relatable and pulls you right in. To top it off, she does an amazing job of making each man different, individually unique, sexy as hell in their own way and memorable. I highly recommend!
Even though this is an ARC review, I will always shoot you straight. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 24, 2020
I love a good dystopian and the blurb for this one intrigued me.
But it was obvious early on that Audrey was going to annoy me. And annoy me she did. It seemed she made one bad decision after another.
She definitely came close to TSTL several times.
I liked the world building and the guys. And honestly I’d no intention of continuing on with this series but...
I read the epilogue and I’m curious.
October 18, 2018
I don’t read that many reverse harem book. It’s just not my cuppa, but the five on one didn’t really bother me. I think I had trouble with the pace and angsty storyline on this one.
First off, this book isn’t a smutty book. Sure there’s kink and steamy scenes, but don’t think you are getting a smutty short novella, it’s a full book. I’m not sure if the length worked for me. There was a lot of descriptive writing and I can’t stand descriptive writing.
The concept is what got hooked into a book.
Dystopian society? Check
One Heroine and five Heroes ? Check
What could go wrong?
A lot.
The first half of the book was hard to get through. The Heroine was a total B and didn’t want to be with the guys. I get it, she had plans and her plans didn’t involve in staying in a Utopian society where women were treated nicely and you had five men worship you, but her personality was awful.
I kept on reading because I was curious to where the storyline would go.
Then we get a shift in the plot and okay maybe I understand the Heroine more, but oh no, you got to throw in the angst. You know where the whole plot could have been solved by one fucking conversation. I can’t stand this storyline. I don’t know why authors do this.
I waited for everyone to just blow up in everyone’s faces and when it finally did, I felt like FINALLY the storyline was getting somewhere and by the time that happened I was at the 85% mark.
I get there aren’t many reverse harem books that contain good storyline and kink and steam. It seems there is a lot of these books but there’s no steam so props to the author for making this one kinky.
I’ll give another book a go because picking are slim but judging on the writing style (overly descriptive writing, filler chapters, slow pace and terrible angsty plot) I’m not sure if this is for me.
First off, this book isn’t a smutty book. Sure there’s kink and steamy scenes, but don’t think you are getting a smutty short novella, it’s a full book. I’m not sure if the length worked for me. There was a lot of descriptive writing and I can’t stand descriptive writing.
The concept is what got hooked into a book.
Dystopian society? Check
One Heroine and five Heroes ? Check
What could go wrong?
A lot.
The first half of the book was hard to get through. The Heroine was a total B and didn’t want to be with the guys. I get it, she had plans and her plans didn’t involve in staying in a Utopian society where women were treated nicely and you had five men worship you, but her personality was awful.
I kept on reading because I was curious to where the storyline would go.
Then we get a shift in the plot and okay maybe I understand the Heroine more, but oh no, you got to throw in the angst. You know where the whole plot could have been solved by one fucking conversation. I can’t stand this storyline. I don’t know why authors do this.
I waited for everyone to just blow up in everyone’s faces and when it finally did, I felt like FINALLY the storyline was getting somewhere and by the time that happened I was at the 85% mark.
I get there aren’t many reverse harem books that contain good storyline and kink and steam. It seems there is a lot of these books but there’s no steam so props to the author for making this one kinky.
I’ll give another book a go because picking are slim but judging on the writing style (overly descriptive writing, filler chapters, slow pace and terrible angsty plot) I’m not sure if this is for me.
April 1, 2018
Stockholm Syndrome. Dystopian world where women were scarce and didn't have (equal) rights. Women were required to marry 5 men to live in "protected" dictatorship territory. Weighted lottery system selected a motley group of men for the heroine's husbands. Heroine was strong and likable. The heroes weren't that emotionally attractive. They weren't cohesive enough both mentally and physically. The non descriptive sex was bad. This KU story ended at 51%.
Want to read
May 14, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/14/2019)! 🎁
May 24, 2018
first five pages. that's as far as i got.
five freaking pages.
March 28, 2018
I've read a couple of Reverse Harem novels, by other authors, in the past. Admittedly, I love multi-partner stories but I've always found Reverse Harem stories to be lacking... both in steam and storyline!
Enter Stasia Black and Theirs to Protect... being a fan of Stasia's writing I was super excited for a new book but when I saw it was Reverse Harem I was a little apprehensive. In the end my love of Stasia's words won out and I picked up Theirs to Protect.
From page one I knew Theirs to Protect was in a league all it's own and could not be compared to those other books! Stasia has crafted an astonishing and vivid post-apocalyptic world; a world although fictional feels very real.
Each character introduced is deeply and beautifully created. Each of our five heroes are multifaceted... they are men who crave companionship but feel deeply and have experienced and witnessed some of the worst horrors imaginable. They are beautiful, sexy alphas and everything you look for in a book boyfriend... some are even beautifully broken.
Our heroine is strong, fierce and independent. In a world short on women she stays true to herself while battling her own dark demons. I loved watching her grow... grow as a person, wife, partner and member of society.
Although the story is wonderfully energetic and fascinating it also touches on many issues we deal with... she touches on sexual slavery, trafficking and abuse; domestic abuse; rape; the exploitation of women; and survivor's guilt. Stasia handles each issue with grace and compassion.
I am utterly and completely blown away by Stasia and Theirs to Protect and cannot wait to see what happens next in Jacob's Well Township!
Enter Stasia Black and Theirs to Protect... being a fan of Stasia's writing I was super excited for a new book but when I saw it was Reverse Harem I was a little apprehensive. In the end my love of Stasia's words won out and I picked up Theirs to Protect.
From page one I knew Theirs to Protect was in a league all it's own and could not be compared to those other books! Stasia has crafted an astonishing and vivid post-apocalyptic world; a world although fictional feels very real.
Each character introduced is deeply and beautifully created. Each of our five heroes are multifaceted... they are men who crave companionship but feel deeply and have experienced and witnessed some of the worst horrors imaginable. They are beautiful, sexy alphas and everything you look for in a book boyfriend... some are even beautifully broken.
Our heroine is strong, fierce and independent. In a world short on women she stays true to herself while battling her own dark demons. I loved watching her grow... grow as a person, wife, partner and member of society.
Although the story is wonderfully energetic and fascinating it also touches on many issues we deal with... she touches on sexual slavery, trafficking and abuse; domestic abuse; rape; the exploitation of women; and survivor's guilt. Stasia handles each issue with grace and compassion.
I am utterly and completely blown away by Stasia and Theirs to Protect and cannot wait to see what happens next in Jacob's Well Township!
April 20, 2018
This is my first Stasia Black story and from the very first page, I was hooked. I love reverse harem stories but dystopian and apocalypse stories are a hit and miss for me usually. But this story is freaking awesome.
We meet Audrey and her brother trying to get to Nomansland where woman are supposed to be safe from men. In this world, there is barely any women around and the men have gone nuts. When Audrey and her brother are attacked by some men she runs and gets caught by Nix and his men.
Nix brings Audrey to the town he lives in. This is where they are keeping to as many traditions as possible. But one of the new ones they have is the lottery, one woman to every five men. They do this every time a woman is introduced into the town. This is so she is protected, and the human population can continue.
We have Nix, Mateo, Danny, Graham, and Clark each have their own past and each has their own problems. But they all want Audrey and all want to make sure she is loved and taken care of. But Audrey does not make it easy on any of them. And when she finds herself in the middle of something dark and scary in the town she is new to, she doesn't know if she can trust the men she knows little about.
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy for my honest review.
We meet Audrey and her brother trying to get to Nomansland where woman are supposed to be safe from men. In this world, there is barely any women around and the men have gone nuts. When Audrey and her brother are attacked by some men she runs and gets caught by Nix and his men.
Nix brings Audrey to the town he lives in. This is where they are keeping to as many traditions as possible. But one of the new ones they have is the lottery, one woman to every five men. They do this every time a woman is introduced into the town. This is so she is protected, and the human population can continue.
We have Nix, Mateo, Danny, Graham, and Clark each have their own past and each has their own problems. But they all want Audrey and all want to make sure she is loved and taken care of. But Audrey does not make it easy on any of them. And when she finds herself in the middle of something dark and scary in the town she is new to, she doesn't know if she can trust the men she knows little about.
I voluntarily read an advanced reader copy for my honest review.
May 2, 2018
3.5 stars
The original page count was misleading. I borrowed from Kindle Unlimited and it indicated 542 pages. When I got to about halfway, the story ended and I was surprised to see another book added. I'm not sure if this was done to boost read pages or just as a promotional tool, but I didn't like it. I went into Goodreads and updated the page count to 322.
This post-apo reverse harem book was not bad. Audrey was quite feisty and didn't appreciated being told that she had to marry 5 guys. Each husband was very unique but they seemed to mesh well together to form a cohesive clan. The sex was a little too mechanical and I wanted more feels...
There is nice setup to the next book in the series about Charlie.
The original page count was misleading. I borrowed from Kindle Unlimited and it indicated 542 pages. When I got to about halfway, the story ended and I was surprised to see another book added. I'm not sure if this was done to boost read pages or just as a promotional tool, but I didn't like it. I went into Goodreads and updated the page count to 322.
This post-apo reverse harem book was not bad. Audrey was quite feisty and didn't appreciated being told that she had to marry 5 guys. Each husband was very unique but they seemed to mesh well together to form a cohesive clan. The sex was a little too mechanical and I wanted more feels...
There is nice setup to the next book in the series about Charlie.
April 6, 2018
Everything would have been so much better if they actually talked to each other. Does meaningful conversation not exist anymore? When she finally started talking about herself it was glossed over. Or when the guys back story came up (if it even did) it was just them thinking about it. They never actually got to know each other. I kept forgetting about Danny and Clarke because it seemed like they were more like the side characters. We get more of a connection from Mateo and Graham because they are sweet and lovable. Then there was Nix but he stuck out because of how much of an ass he was. I absolutely despised him.
I liked that she stayed stubborn throughout the book though. Thankfully it didn’t completely seem like Stockholm Syndrome in the end. All of her years of Karate training seemed to disappear though. She started out strong physically and then ended up always needing to be rescued. You would think they would train the women being that it is so dangerous out there for them.
I just hope that all of the points that she brought up are addressed and changed in the next book. Raffling off women to be a bride is just as bad as those keeping women as slaves. Neither give women a choice. None of the guys see anything wrong with this either. They keep rationalizing that women have it worse outside of the town. They think that the women should be eternally grateful to them even though they are constantly under watch.
Also I would like to know the “science” behind why only the women were dying from a virus.
I know this was recently published but it needed to be proofread again. There were mistakes that should have been easily caught.
I liked that she stayed stubborn throughout the book though. Thankfully it didn’t completely seem like Stockholm Syndrome in the end. All of her years of Karate training seemed to disappear though. She started out strong physically and then ended up always needing to be rescued. You would think they would train the women being that it is so dangerous out there for them.
I just hope that all of the points that she brought up are addressed and changed in the next book. Raffling off women to be a bride is just as bad as those keeping women as slaves. Neither give women a choice. None of the guys see anything wrong with this either. They keep rationalizing that women have it worse outside of the town. They think that the women should be eternally grateful to them even though they are constantly under watch.
Also I would like to know the “science” behind why only the women were dying from a virus.
I know this was recently published but it needed to be proofread again. There were mistakes that should have been easily caught.
June 16, 2018
Audiobook Review
Overall 3.5 stars
Performance 4.5 stars
Story 3 stars
This book was a lot of firsts for me. My first reverse harem romance. My first book by Stasia Black. My first audio narrated by Smokey St. Clair. Honestly, I was very pleasantly surprised. The book was a sexy, entertaining, and easy read/listen that kept me wanting more.
The book takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where there is only 1 woman for every 12 men. The story revolves around Audrey and her 5 husbands. Yes, there's some Stockholm syndrome and the story was fairly predictable, but I still found it enjoyable. It was crazy hot and has definitely made me want to read more reverse harem books, but I will admit that there's some logistical parts with 1 woman having sex with 5 men that had me cringing a bit. I actually liked all of Audrey's husbands, but Matteo's story is the one that stuck with me the most. There were definitely some heartbreaking moments in this book. The pacing of the story was good, though some aspects of the story moved/resolved quickly, especially the ending. Overall, I enjoyed this one and the epilogue (from a surprise point of view!) set up the next book perfectly.
I thought the narrator did a great job giving each character a distinct voice and I didn't have a hard time figuring out who was speaking. I think the only odd thing about the narration was his pronunciation of the word "bravado". Overall though, I thought Smokey St. Clair did an amazing job and look forward to listening to more of his titles.
*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.*
Overall 3.5 stars
Performance 4.5 stars
Story 3 stars
This book was a lot of firsts for me. My first reverse harem romance. My first book by Stasia Black. My first audio narrated by Smokey St. Clair. Honestly, I was very pleasantly surprised. The book was a sexy, entertaining, and easy read/listen that kept me wanting more.
The book takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where there is only 1 woman for every 12 men. The story revolves around Audrey and her 5 husbands. Yes, there's some Stockholm syndrome and the story was fairly predictable, but I still found it enjoyable. It was crazy hot and has definitely made me want to read more reverse harem books, but I will admit that there's some logistical parts with 1 woman having sex with 5 men that had me cringing a bit. I actually liked all of Audrey's husbands, but Matteo's story is the one that stuck with me the most. There were definitely some heartbreaking moments in this book. The pacing of the story was good, though some aspects of the story moved/resolved quickly, especially the ending. Overall, I enjoyed this one and the epilogue (from a surprise point of view!) set up the next book perfectly.
I thought the narrator did a great job giving each character a distinct voice and I didn't have a hard time figuring out who was speaking. I think the only odd thing about the narration was his pronunciation of the word "bravado". Overall though, I thought Smokey St. Clair did an amazing job and look forward to listening to more of his titles.
*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.*
December 29, 2020
Esta no es mi típica lectura pero apareció de repente entre mis recomendaciones de Goodreads y con esa portada no me pude resistir xD
¿Un montón de tíos descamisados? ¿Harem inverso? Este es el tipo de mamarrachada con la que podría merecer la pena terminar un año como 2020.
Y yo soy de esas personas que disfrutan con las lecturas de este tipo, soy una lectora fácil, de verdad, con poquito me tienes.
Pero este libro ha pasado un par de límites que me resultan desagradables y por eso le he bajado el número de estrellas. Me he divertido y no ha estado mal, pero hay cosas que son un "no" para mí.
A continuación algunos CW (content warning/avisos de contenido sensible) que se pueden adivinar fácilmente por la sinopsis .
A pesar de eso creo que puede ser del gusto de cierto público que no tiene problema en obviar ciertos detalles sabiendo que se trata de ficción.
Los personajes tienen más desarrollo y personalidad de la que podría alguien esperar de una novela de este tipo, hay muchos prejuicios contra la erótica y sinceramente he visto libros de romántica con mucho menos desarrollo que este. Las dos estrellas no vienen por este lado. La autora intenta darle trasfondo a todos con su propia historia personal y características diferenciadas. Teniendo en cuenta que hay 5 intereses amorosos ha tenido que hacer a nuestra heroína y luego darle un poco de misterio o sex appeal a los 5 descamisados.
¿Les falta desarrollo? Por supuesto. Pero hay que darle su mérito: la autora nos da rasgos diferenciadores para que podamos fácilmente saber quién es quién y ver qué le enamora de cada uno y es importante porque puedes llegar a perderte teniendo en cuenta que obviamente todos están buenísimos y tienen penes preciosos (xD)
Además ha creado un mundo distópico para explicar la proporción mujer/hombres en este harem lo cual me agrada mucho ya que en otro tipo de novelas de este estilo (harem inverso) se escudan en cosas como que todos los hermanos deben compartir a la mujer porque cultura o religión y sinceramente me parece muy creepy compartir pareja sexual con tu(s) hermano(s) otras veces la solución es "te amo tanto que puedo compartirte" y es igualmente inquietante por el rollo "me gusta tanto este juguete que soy capaz de ver a otro mientras juega con él" :/
Sin embargo en esta novela todos los tíos están salidísimos porque son muy heteros y mucho heteros, hay muy pocas mujeres y llevan unos 8 años a dos velas... y ellos quieren follar así que llegan a la conclusión de que mejor compartir... y ya está. ¡Estupendo! No me metas convicciones extrañas o el amor de buenas a primeras cuando en realidad lo que les pasa a todos es que quieren sacar la chorra a pasear.
En un mundo con estas características el control del cuerpo de la mujer está a la orden del día y es razonable la forma en que lo expone porque si estas cosas pasan en el mundo real, si se dieran las condiciones que hay en esa realidad alternativa, más aún.
¿Cuál es el problema? Bueno, hay muchos, pero principalmente la trama me falla por el lado de la natalidad... todos están preocupadísimos con el sexo pero ¿y los niños? Con tan pocas mujeres va a ser complicado el tema de repoblar el mundo y tal... Con 5 esposos salidos es fácil que haya embarazos y parece que es (en parte) la finalidad pero no se nombra como tal.
El plot-twist del final lo vi venir desde el principio, no sé por qué pero en algún punto había que ligar unas historias con otras (porque esto no es un único libro, es una saga) y me pareció un buen nexo de unión.
Tiene su ponto de trama conspiranoica y de poder que no me acabó de cuajar pero puntos extra porque la cantidad de escenas de sexo no hagan que la novela vaya sola y exclusivamente de eso. Además se habla de la capacidad de las mujeres de decidir sobre su cuerpo y los protagonistas/esposos (que son hombres salidos pero buena gente) piden consentimiento antes de tener sexo.
El tema del sorteo de esposos es muy turbio, entiendo que se alguna forma hay que meter a los 5 empotradores en escena pero aún así no me ha gustado este tema. Tampoco eso de que "te amo y haré todo lo que esté en mi mano por ti" pero a la vez decido lo que es mejor para tí... porque en realidad no me quiero quedar sin mi esposa que ya que me ha tocado esta lotería super chunga de ganar y he conseguido mi derecho a mojar el churro ahora no quiero que me lo quiten.
Y la verdad es que estaba dispuesta a subir la mano hasta las 3 estrellas porque me he reído mucho teniendo en cuenta que es lo que me gusta considerar una lectura mamarracha pero hay un punto de la historia en el que era absolutamente innecesario meter más contenido de ese tipo solo para darle drama a uno de los personajes principales. No le aporta más de lo que ya tenía o conocíamos sobre él salvo una escena con la protagonista. Y esta novela ya se pasa con este contenido como para usarlo de forma gratuita.
Así que si te apetece una lectura mamarracha, lo recomiendo. Es posible que haya harenes inversos mejor escritos pero este se deja leer bastante bien.
¿Un montón de tíos descamisados? ¿Harem inverso? Este es el tipo de mamarrachada con la que podría merecer la pena terminar un año como 2020.
Y yo soy de esas personas que disfrutan con las lecturas de este tipo, soy una lectora fácil, de verdad, con poquito me tienes.
Pero este libro ha pasado un par de límites que me resultan desagradables y por eso le he bajado el número de estrellas. Me he divertido y no ha estado mal, pero hay cosas que son un "no" para mí.
A continuación algunos CW (content warning/avisos de contenido sensible) que se pueden adivinar fácilmente por la sinopsis .
A pesar de eso creo que puede ser del gusto de cierto público que no tiene problema en obviar ciertos detalles sabiendo que se trata de ficción.
Los personajes tienen más desarrollo y personalidad de la que podría alguien esperar de una novela de este tipo, hay muchos prejuicios contra la erótica y sinceramente he visto libros de romántica con mucho menos desarrollo que este. Las dos estrellas no vienen por este lado. La autora intenta darle trasfondo a todos con su propia historia personal y características diferenciadas. Teniendo en cuenta que hay 5 intereses amorosos ha tenido que hacer a nuestra heroína y luego darle un poco de misterio o sex appeal a los 5 descamisados.
¿Les falta desarrollo? Por supuesto. Pero hay que darle su mérito: la autora nos da rasgos diferenciadores para que podamos fácilmente saber quién es quién y ver qué le enamora de cada uno y es importante porque puedes llegar a perderte teniendo en cuenta que obviamente todos están buenísimos y tienen penes preciosos (xD)
Además ha creado un mundo distópico para explicar la proporción mujer/hombres en este harem lo cual me agrada mucho ya que en otro tipo de novelas de este estilo (harem inverso) se escudan en cosas como que todos los hermanos deben compartir a la mujer porque cultura o religión y sinceramente me parece muy creepy compartir pareja sexual con tu(s) hermano(s) otras veces la solución es "te amo tanto que puedo compartirte" y es igualmente inquietante por el rollo "me gusta tanto este juguete que soy capaz de ver a otro mientras juega con él" :/
Sin embargo en esta novela todos los tíos están salidísimos porque son muy heteros y mucho heteros, hay muy pocas mujeres y llevan unos 8 años a dos velas... y ellos quieren follar así que llegan a la conclusión de que mejor compartir... y ya está. ¡Estupendo! No me metas convicciones extrañas o el amor de buenas a primeras cuando en realidad lo que les pasa a todos es que quieren sacar la chorra a pasear.
En un mundo con estas características el control del cuerpo de la mujer está a la orden del día y es razonable la forma en que lo expone porque si estas cosas pasan en el mundo real, si se dieran las condiciones que hay en esa realidad alternativa, más aún.
¿Cuál es el problema? Bueno, hay muchos, pero principalmente la trama me falla por el lado de la natalidad... todos están preocupadísimos con el sexo pero ¿y los niños? Con tan pocas mujeres va a ser complicado el tema de repoblar el mundo y tal... Con 5 esposos salidos es fácil que haya embarazos y parece que es (en parte) la finalidad pero no se nombra como tal.
El plot-twist del final lo vi venir desde el principio, no sé por qué pero en algún punto había que ligar unas historias con otras (porque esto no es un único libro, es una saga) y me pareció un buen nexo de unión.
Tiene su ponto de trama conspiranoica y de poder que no me acabó de cuajar pero puntos extra porque la cantidad de escenas de sexo no hagan que la novela vaya sola y exclusivamente de eso. Además se habla de la capacidad de las mujeres de decidir sobre su cuerpo y los protagonistas/esposos (que son hombres salidos pero buena gente) piden consentimiento antes de tener sexo.
El tema del sorteo de esposos es muy turbio, entiendo que se alguna forma hay que meter a los 5 empotradores en escena pero aún así no me ha gustado este tema. Tampoco eso de que "te amo y haré todo lo que esté en mi mano por ti" pero a la vez decido lo que es mejor para tí... porque en realidad no me quiero quedar sin mi esposa que ya que me ha tocado esta lotería super chunga de ganar y he conseguido mi derecho a mojar el churro ahora no quiero que me lo quiten.
Y la verdad es que estaba dispuesta a subir la mano hasta las 3 estrellas porque me he reído mucho teniendo en cuenta que es lo que me gusta considerar una lectura mamarracha pero hay un punto de la historia en el que era absolutamente innecesario meter más contenido de ese tipo solo para darle drama a uno de los personajes principales. No le aporta más de lo que ya tenía o conocíamos sobre él salvo una escena con la protagonista. Y esta novela ya se pasa con este contenido como para usarlo de forma gratuita.
Así que si te apetece una lectura mamarracha, lo recomiendo. Es posible que haya harenes inversos mejor escritos pero este se deja leer bastante bien.
March 7, 2024
dnf - interesting concept but poor delivery. you're telling me this woman goes from no sexual experience to having a fivesome in one night? YA RIGHT SISTER
Read
August 11, 2018Maayyyynnnnneeee...I don't know how to rate this book. A part of me wants to one star it, because the whole concept just angered me, but then another part of me--the part that read the whole damn book--thinks that is too harsh; I mean, I did read the whole thing. That deserves like at least 2 stars, right?
Okay, I'll settle on not rating it and just reviewing it. Here goes:
Okay, so what bothered me? Let's start with the whole premise. In a world where women are severely out numbered, like a 20:1 girl/guy ratio, they are pretty much raffled off to guys for marriage. Did you catch that? Fucking raffled off in a lottery and expected to marry these dudes (that's plural) to start a family and repopulate the earth. Okay, ummm, no. The story would have you believe that women are treated better in this type of world, because of their "rareness." They are cherished and coveted. You know how we "cherish" the endangered species in the world now by tagging them, force matings on them, and keep them imprisoned for "their own good"? Yeah, like that. Okay, if I squint my eyes really tight, tilt my head to a 90 degree angle, and poke out my tongue, then maybe, maybe, I can slightly see the reasoning behind this madness, but that doesn't mean that I agree or that it doesn't piss me off. Instead of forcing these marriages on these girls, why not let them choose who they want? It's not a man's right to have a woman, and forcing women to accept multiple husbands negates that fact. Oh, our H hates the idea of being forced into this situation and she even fights against it...for like a week. *eye roll* Seriously, why even make her fight the idea at all? It is more believable that she was welcome to the idea of being raffled off to begin with, than the idea that she abhorred it and wanted to fight it...and lasted like a damn week.
Next, let's talk about the sex, or rather, let's talk about how much sex is in this book. A-freaking-lot. It was annoying. Don't get me wrong, I love some steamy sexy time, but jaysus--our H was having multi-O's like every other page! I could imagine keeping FIVE husbands sexually satisfied would be quite demanding, but damn! I was scared for our H to sit on anything smaller than a sofa for fear of her slipping right over it. I mean, her shit was getting pounded so often that I started experiencing phantom vajayjay pains. Also, please don't even get me started on the whole "mixing it together and then shoving it back in" action, because first of all: EWWWWW and second of all: FUCKING EWWWWWWW! Seriously, I used to think panty-sniffing in books was the most disgusting thing I could read about. I was wrong. Apparently, I don't find the idea of stirring up the vaginally leaked semen of several different guys and having it shoved back up into said vagina very sexy or hot. I'm sorry, but yuck. I woulda donkey-kicked a guy in the face if he tried to pull some nasty shit like that on me. Definitely not my scene.
So, why did I finish the book? Because, it actually had some interesting sub-plots, and it was different from any of the other RH series I have read lately. It was refreshingly different, but not enough to make me really like it.
Okay, I'll settle on not rating it and just reviewing it. Here goes:
Okay, so what bothered me? Let's start with the whole premise. In a world where women are severely out numbered, like a 20:1 girl/guy ratio, they are pretty much raffled off to guys for marriage. Did you catch that? Fucking raffled off in a lottery and expected to marry these dudes (that's plural) to start a family and repopulate the earth. Okay, ummm, no. The story would have you believe that women are treated better in this type of world, because of their "rareness." They are cherished and coveted. You know how we "cherish" the endangered species in the world now by tagging them, force matings on them, and keep them imprisoned for "their own good"? Yeah, like that. Okay, if I squint my eyes really tight, tilt my head to a 90 degree angle, and poke out my tongue, then maybe, maybe, I can slightly see the reasoning behind this madness, but that doesn't mean that I agree or that it doesn't piss me off. Instead of forcing these marriages on these girls, why not let them choose who they want? It's not a man's right to have a woman, and forcing women to accept multiple husbands negates that fact. Oh, our H hates the idea of being forced into this situation and she even fights against it...for like a week. *eye roll* Seriously, why even make her fight the idea at all? It is more believable that she was welcome to the idea of being raffled off to begin with, than the idea that she abhorred it and wanted to fight it...and lasted like a damn week.
Next, let's talk about the sex, or rather, let's talk about how much sex is in this book. A-freaking-lot. It was annoying. Don't get me wrong, I love some steamy sexy time, but jaysus--our H was having multi-O's like every other page! I could imagine keeping FIVE husbands sexually satisfied would be quite demanding, but damn! I was scared for our H to sit on anything smaller than a sofa for fear of her slipping right over it. I mean, her shit was getting pounded so often that I started experiencing phantom vajayjay pains. Also, please don't even get me started on the whole "mixing it together and then shoving it back in" action, because first of all: EWWWWW and second of all: FUCKING EWWWWWWW! Seriously, I used to think panty-sniffing in books was the most disgusting thing I could read about. I was wrong. Apparently, I don't find the idea of stirring up the vaginally leaked semen of several different guys and having it shoved back up into said vagina very sexy or hot. I'm sorry, but yuck. I woulda donkey-kicked a guy in the face if he tried to pull some nasty shit like that on me. Definitely not my scene.
So, why did I finish the book? Because, it actually had some interesting sub-plots, and it was different from any of the other RH series I have read lately. It was refreshingly different, but not enough to make me really like it.
July 10, 2018
DNF at 62%.
I couldn't finish it. I just couldn't. The world building was ok. I actually wish the author was more interested in the dystopian genre because her lack of interest made it fall flat even though it had potential. It kept me interested for the first 40% or so. After that it started to fall apart. The heroine was awful. She was such an odd unrealistic character.
SPOILER ALERT! Her brother "dies" and the author totally fails by not using that to pull on our heart strings. The heroine refuses to mourn his loss and I feel like that was a missed opportunity to get the reader emotionally involved.
My other problem with the main character was that she went from being an innocent inexperienced virgin to a dominant femme fatale type in no time. It really ruined the sex scenes for me. She was bossy and seemed completely out of character.
I also felt the author spent more time telling us what happened instead of showing us. She really failed in building good chemistry between the characters by not having enough steamy or romantic interactions. Even one on one time between the characters could have helped develop the relationships. I wasn't exactly expecting a slow burn, but a little bit of steam would have been nice. So much missed opportunity.
My other problem was the heroine's failure to be honest with the male characters. It is one of those situations where a little bit of honesty and communication would help solve all the problems the characters are facing. That is lazy writing at its finest. The author is too lazy to create original or realistic obstacles and uses the characters' own stupidity to get in their way.
I don't always write reviews, but when a book has so much promise and starts off interesting only to fall off the rails after I have invested time in it I get frustrated.
I couldn't finish it. I just couldn't. The world building was ok. I actually wish the author was more interested in the dystopian genre because her lack of interest made it fall flat even though it had potential. It kept me interested for the first 40% or so. After that it started to fall apart. The heroine was awful. She was such an odd unrealistic character.
SPOILER ALERT! Her brother "dies" and the author totally fails by not using that to pull on our heart strings. The heroine refuses to mourn his loss and I feel like that was a missed opportunity to get the reader emotionally involved.
My other problem with the main character was that she went from being an innocent inexperienced virgin to a dominant femme fatale type in no time. It really ruined the sex scenes for me. She was bossy and seemed completely out of character.
I also felt the author spent more time telling us what happened instead of showing us. She really failed in building good chemistry between the characters by not having enough steamy or romantic interactions. Even one on one time between the characters could have helped develop the relationships. I wasn't exactly expecting a slow burn, but a little bit of steam would have been nice. So much missed opportunity.
My other problem was the heroine's failure to be honest with the male characters. It is one of those situations where a little bit of honesty and communication would help solve all the problems the characters are facing. That is lazy writing at its finest. The author is too lazy to create original or realistic obstacles and uses the characters' own stupidity to get in their way.
I don't always write reviews, but when a book has so much promise and starts off interesting only to fall off the rails after I have invested time in it I get frustrated.
April 5, 2018
Pretty dark romance
I had to finish this story or I would have never been able to sleep. It is a dark futuristic post apocalyptic world that Audrey lives. After losing her dad and brother and almost raped by her cousin, she continues to have a lot of fire in her. I hated it when that fire went out. This is definitely not a novel if abuse is a trigger.
Audrey was one lucky lady to get such fine husbands. I just wish she had trusted them sooner. I loved all the men, but I think Mateo was the best because he never gave up on her and helped the other men see what the right thing was. Nix was the leader of the group but he was so blind to her pain. He needed to get over himself. I loved how it turned out with them but there are still many problems in their town that need to be changed.
I had to finish this story or I would have never been able to sleep. It is a dark futuristic post apocalyptic world that Audrey lives. After losing her dad and brother and almost raped by her cousin, she continues to have a lot of fire in her. I hated it when that fire went out. This is definitely not a novel if abuse is a trigger.
Audrey was one lucky lady to get such fine husbands. I just wish she had trusted them sooner. I loved all the men, but I think Mateo was the best because he never gave up on her and helped the other men see what the right thing was. Nix was the leader of the group but he was so blind to her pain. He needed to get over himself. I loved how it turned out with them but there are still many problems in their town that need to be changed.
January 6, 2019
Stopped reading at 59%. This novel is like a porn movie. There is no “romance”. It’s just group sex followed by inconsequential minutae with tidbits of the guys’ history. Read my progress notes for more info. The characters don’t actually talk to each other or attempt to build a relationship. There’s plenty of sexual assault, and at this point there seems to be no resolution or justice in sight. This novel was advertised as a “reverse harem romance”. I’m tired of waiting for the romance; at this rate, it’s never going to happen. So i call this one False Advertising. I didn’t pick up this book to see a victimized woman become more victimized by those people who are supposed to protect her. If i wanted that, I would read the newspapers.
Also I honestly think there are several missing chapters. At the point in Mateo’s workshop when she’s running for the motorcycle, i thought she was going to make a break for it. Then suddenly she’s getting married. Um, no. Lots of time in between that moment and the wedding day. Where are those chapters of romance??? Additionally, this novel is rife with grammatical and editing errors. Though i really want to know what happens, I don’t think this novel will satisfy me at all. Given the false advertising, I’m adding this author to my Do Not Read list.
Also I honestly think there are several missing chapters. At the point in Mateo’s workshop when she’s running for the motorcycle, i thought she was going to make a break for it. Then suddenly she’s getting married. Um, no. Lots of time in between that moment and the wedding day. Where are those chapters of romance??? Additionally, this novel is rife with grammatical and editing errors. Though i really want to know what happens, I don’t think this novel will satisfy me at all. Given the false advertising, I’m adding this author to my Do Not Read list.
October 3, 2018
This was an okay read... I might consider reading the other books in this series...
Big ole MIGHT!!!! LOL 🤣😁
Overall rating:
3.5☆ An okay read
Big ole MIGHT!!!! LOL 🤣😁
Overall rating:
3.5☆ An okay read
April 14, 2022
Una historia diferente que se lee muy rápido.
November 13, 2023
The cover is, what the cover is. I can’t really comment on it because I know there is an alternative cover, but I really dislike it. The man forth from the left looks like he is trying to do a wolverine pose and that’s all I can see now. The middle guy looks like he’s from Geordie Shore (if you know, you know). I don’t know how random naked men have anything to do with the apocalypse, but okay.
I am a diehard apocalypse/post apocalypse fan and I’ve hear quite a few negative reviews about this book before, but I tried to keep open mind.
I was open minded up to 23% and then I stopped reading. I think I gave up.
*Spoilers from this point*
So essentially she has been kidnapped. She can’t leave and she has to marry these random dude, but they rebrand it as her only means of survival. Which it very well might be, but at least give her a choice. I understand in the plot, she will probably end up loving it there and the men, but it’s started off on a super sour note.
I know that she isn’t going to find these men attractive straight off because of the situation, but they are described terribly. I don’t know how I stop imagining hideously unattractive men. Phoenix, for example is described as ‘huge’, ‘scarface’ and that he has really bad BO. The author has painted him that way to me now and all I think about now when he’s mention is that he smells really bad. Massive turnoff.
Phoenix described a lot of the woman as ‘broken’ obviously referring to SA. So their solution now having these very sensitive souls in camp is to have them marry 5 random men. I mean they rescued the FMC from a f*cked situation with other men. They don’t know what potential shit she has been though, but no … they are simply thinking with there dicks.
Not that I think the MMC are going to, but she is constantly speaking about them SAing her and it’s making the whole relationship very ick from the start. Even if some of the men seem fine (none really standing out) and the circumstances were different they basically won her.
Other points that feel … just nope.
Sophia flirting with the old man, who is her dads age. Was this scene meant to show sexual tension, because all I felt was uncomfortable.
The dead brother. Surely she would have said to them ‘my brother has just been killed, can we go and get his body’ for a burial or something. No they just kinda left him at the start of the book and didn’t look back.
The writer did say that this apocalypse book focuses more on the relationships then the action, but I think there can be a happy median to including both.
I am a diehard apocalypse/post apocalypse fan and I’ve hear quite a few negative reviews about this book before, but I tried to keep open mind.
I was open minded up to 23% and then I stopped reading. I think I gave up.
*Spoilers from this point*
So essentially she has been kidnapped. She can’t leave and she has to marry these random dude, but they rebrand it as her only means of survival. Which it very well might be, but at least give her a choice. I understand in the plot, she will probably end up loving it there and the men, but it’s started off on a super sour note.
I know that she isn’t going to find these men attractive straight off because of the situation, but they are described terribly. I don’t know how I stop imagining hideously unattractive men. Phoenix, for example is described as ‘huge’, ‘scarface’ and that he has really bad BO. The author has painted him that way to me now and all I think about now when he’s mention is that he smells really bad. Massive turnoff.
Phoenix described a lot of the woman as ‘broken’ obviously referring to SA. So their solution now having these very sensitive souls in camp is to have them marry 5 random men. I mean they rescued the FMC from a f*cked situation with other men. They don’t know what potential shit she has been though, but no … they are simply thinking with there dicks.
Not that I think the MMC are going to, but she is constantly speaking about them SAing her and it’s making the whole relationship very ick from the start. Even if some of the men seem fine (none really standing out) and the circumstances were different they basically won her.
Other points that feel … just nope.
Sophia flirting with the old man, who is her dads age. Was this scene meant to show sexual tension, because all I felt was uncomfortable.
The dead brother. Surely she would have said to them ‘my brother has just been killed, can we go and get his body’ for a burial or something. No they just kinda left him at the start of the book and didn’t look back.
The writer did say that this apocalypse book focuses more on the relationships then the action, but I think there can be a happy median to including both.
May 10, 2020
RATING: 4.5 STARS
A hot read for sure, but I like that it was in context to the post-apocalyptic world the author built.
Nothing felt forced in the storytelling or the sexual encounters. The author made her world work, therefore five lads and one lady it is.
I wouldn't call these lads a reverse harem, this was simply the way of the new world.
I like that the author does show flaws in the system that is built. This way of life does need some fine-tuning and this being the first book, I am certainly up for reading more.
A hot read for sure, but I like that it was in context to the post-apocalyptic world the author built.
Nothing felt forced in the storytelling or the sexual encounters. The author made her world work, therefore five lads and one lady it is.
I wouldn't call these lads a reverse harem, this was simply the way of the new world.
I like that the author does show flaws in the system that is built. This way of life does need some fine-tuning and this being the first book, I am certainly up for reading more.
March 31, 2018
3.75 STARS
So, I won’t lie, I had a hard time rating this book.
I definitely think Stasia Black did a fantastic job with the reverse harem part of this story. This would certainly rank her in the 4 stars category. But... I am a huge fan of dystopian fiction. And while Ms. Black was clear in her disclaimer that she don’t do dystopian pieces - it ain’t her thing, she gave this futuristic destroyed world a go. And I certainly commend the author with her attempts to create this world. It was interesting, but certainly not gritty and raw like I’m used to, so this is where the stars rating plummets. So... the rating is a happy medium between the two.
I certainly liked Audrey and her five husbands. It was refreshing for the heroine to see that she could trust her husbands to protect her in this perverse world where only 10% of the female population survives a virus called Xterminate. And of course in Stasia Black fashion, the HEA was spot on! I’m looking forward to the next book in this series, because although the dystopian aspect could be darker, the kink is wickedly superb!
So, I won’t lie, I had a hard time rating this book.
I definitely think Stasia Black did a fantastic job with the reverse harem part of this story. This would certainly rank her in the 4 stars category. But... I am a huge fan of dystopian fiction. And while Ms. Black was clear in her disclaimer that she don’t do dystopian pieces - it ain’t her thing, she gave this futuristic destroyed world a go. And I certainly commend the author with her attempts to create this world. It was interesting, but certainly not gritty and raw like I’m used to, so this is where the stars rating plummets. So... the rating is a happy medium between the two.
I certainly liked Audrey and her five husbands. It was refreshing for the heroine to see that she could trust her husbands to protect her in this perverse world where only 10% of the female population survives a virus called Xterminate. And of course in Stasia Black fashion, the HEA was spot on! I’m looking forward to the next book in this series, because although the dystopian aspect could be darker, the kink is wickedly superb!
April 16, 2018
Well, That Was Dark....
Post apocalyptic, dark and whoa, and I mean REAL Whoa.
So you have Audrey in a lost time after bombs and a virus that killed most of the female human population. She ends up in a little community of the after, looks pretty nice from the outside, until all women end up being the prize of a bride lottery for five men: Mateo, the broken spirit; Clark, the playboy; Graham, the autistic geek; Danny, the big teddy bear (not the sharpest knife in the drawer); (Phoe)Nix, the cold-hearted beast. Well, aside from the bride lotto, everyone seems to have a place. It's quiet, quaint, the typical Mayberry of the reverse harem world. In any case, not all is what it seems on the surface. It goes much deeper.....
... but apparently not too deep because it's still a shallow novel with little depth. It's awesome the characters have backstories, and we catch a glimpse of the growing affection between our lovers, but it is lacking. Combined with the plentiful grammatical errors, and there we go. 3 star rating, could have been a 4.
Post apocalyptic, dark and whoa, and I mean REAL Whoa.
So you have Audrey in a lost time after bombs and a virus that killed most of the female human population. She ends up in a little community of the after, looks pretty nice from the outside, until all women end up being the prize of a bride lottery for five men: Mateo, the broken spirit; Clark, the playboy; Graham, the autistic geek; Danny, the big teddy bear (not the sharpest knife in the drawer); (Phoe)Nix, the cold-hearted beast. Well, aside from the bride lotto, everyone seems to have a place. It's quiet, quaint, the typical Mayberry of the reverse harem world. In any case, not all is what it seems on the surface. It goes much deeper.....
... but apparently not too deep because it's still a shallow novel with little depth. It's awesome the characters have backstories, and we catch a glimpse of the growing affection between our lovers, but it is lacking. Combined with the plentiful grammatical errors, and there we go. 3 star rating, could have been a 4.
February 10, 2020
This is the conversation I had in my head yesterday before I started this book.
Sophia - No more reading series because seriously there's just no end.
Soso (in my head I refer to myself as Soso) - Good plan, from now on we only read standalones and series with full storyline per book.
This sounds like a great plan right?
Except I went and found Nix, Clark, Danny, Mateo and Graham, in some small post apocalypse settlement and boy did I fall hard. Not for the 6 and 8 packs on the cover. But for the devotion and appreciation this bunch have for their raffle won wife. I love how they come together and use their different personalities, jobs, insecurities and everything they are to make their sexagon relationship one any girl can dream.
Now I am off to book 2 on a chance that I will get a glimpse of these 5 guys because just 1 book is not enough.
There's no satisfying a reader!
Sophia - No more reading series because seriously there's just no end.
Soso (in my head I refer to myself as Soso) - Good plan, from now on we only read standalones and series with full storyline per book.
This sounds like a great plan right?
Except I went and found Nix, Clark, Danny, Mateo and Graham, in some small post apocalypse settlement and boy did I fall hard. Not for the 6 and 8 packs on the cover. But for the devotion and appreciation this bunch have for their raffle won wife. I love how they come together and use their different personalities, jobs, insecurities and everything they are to make their sexagon relationship one any girl can dream.
Now I am off to book 2 on a chance that I will get a glimpse of these 5 guys because just 1 book is not enough.
There's no satisfying a reader!
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