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Talon - I cocked up. But it wasn’t like my normal cock ups, which happen way more often than I’d like to admit; this was the cock up of a lifetime. I was feeling restless and frustrated, and decided to blow off a little steam with a random hookup in the bathroom of a gay club. That’s not so bad, right? Well, it wouldn’t have been, if my mate didn’t choose that exact moment to walk in.
Yep, my mate, the man I’d waited my entire lifetime to meet, the one whom I was destined to love and protect for all eternity, caught me in the act with a stranger. Talk about a great first impression. And when I tried to approach him to apologize, he pepper sprayed me and ran away.
I can track him easily enough, but how do I explain myself when he won’t speak to me? How do I show him that we’re meant to be, or that I’m loyal and trustworthy when he probably thinks I’m just a dirty man-whore? Oh, and as if that isn’t difficult enough, I need to tell him that I can turn into a lion. Time is running out to claim my mate and luck is certainly not on my side.
*This M/M paranormal romance is a fun, light and fluffy quick read, and contains a misguided but endearing lion shifter and his adorkable fated mate. It is low to no angst, has no cliffhangers or cheating, and features a very happy HEA. Look out for a healthy dose of humor, heartwarming moments, and steamy scenes!

246 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 12, 2021

290 people are currently reading
326 people want to read

About the author

Jayda Marx

84 books536 followers
I live in rural Ohio with my husband and two sons who drive me nuts, but I love them with all my heart. I enjoy reading and writing romance of all types, but gay romance is my forte and favorite! Twice the sexy men? Yes, please! My books tend to be low angst because it hurts my heart, but they do contain lots of heartfelt moments, steamy scenes and a healthy dose of humor. Thank you to everyone for checking out my page and I hope you enjoy my books. Happy reading!

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5 stars
513 (36%)
4 stars
399 (28%)
3 stars
340 (24%)
2 stars
114 (8%)
1 star
37 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 127 reviews
Profile Image for Barbara➰.
1,661 reviews459 followers
dnf
June 12, 2021
Big fat dnf!

Ugh! The blurb wasn’t kidding when it said he cocked up. I’m not against someone hooking up before they find their mate but for fucks sake! Does the other mc have to see his mate with his dick in someone else’s ass? Then feeling guilty for barging in on his “private moment” The fuck?
Profile Image for Mariam,.
674 reviews563 followers
August 5, 2022
4.5 ⭐ ✨ ⭐ ✨ ⭐ ✨ I was hesitant going into this book because of the blurb and man, I just wanna give jayda marx a hug and two cheek kisses and a lifetime of knee bows because people, this woman makes ART.

No surprise how much I love the characters. Talon's purring is just a weakness that this book exploits and Brandon was so funny and quirky and real and kind- ugk. He and his grandpa's backstory almost made me sob.

Also, Tal (😭I can't say that name with having breakdowns) and Brandon's sexy times were 🔥 🥵🔥🥵🔥🥵
Profile Image for vrstal.
621 reviews8 followers
February 6, 2022
4/5!! Another great Jayda Marx book.

Tropes:
✅ Shifters
✅ Fated mates
✅ Instalove, low-angst
✅ Experienced x Virgin

Honestly, this book was so hilarious lmao. I don’t agree that the MC having sex with someone else before he even met his mate is cheating. This was very Three Stooges, a series of events that was himbo Talon just desperately trying to get and talk to his mate. Everything was understood and imo no groveling needed to be done, but he did apologize even so because it was awkward and a bit terrifying regardless.

Brandon was sweet, very shy and innocent compared to Talon who was more outgoing and experienced. I liked their dynamic and of course we get a repeat on the lore for shifters which I assume come in ever book Jayda writes with shifters in this universe. I like the idea of a lion pride gay bar AND I’m very curious for Cedric’s story and I really hope it means Jayda will write mpreg Omegaverse!!!

If you wanna laugh, read this for sure.
Profile Image for the kevin (vaguely alive).
969 reviews177 followers
January 12, 2022
Exactly as it says on the tin: instalove, fated mates, fluff, cute.

I don't usually read instalove, but the very clear note saying it was instalove made it work for me. I knew what was coming and it honestly felt like the author was having fun with the tropes too, which always makes a read better.

Poor Talon was such a dingdong. Hilarious how he managed to mess up almost every single important moment.

Brandon was a cute character to pair with Talon. The art sounded neat.

And that first meeting scene? Perfection.

Overall, it was an amusing, easy read. I found the writing style enjoyable and solid.
Profile Image for Ellie.
790 reviews77 followers
July 2, 2023
4 stars

Bonkers instalove between a himbo lion shifer and a shy-boy cartoon artist

This was exactly what I thought it would be! Setting expectations is very important, and when I felt like something light and funny, this totally delivered.

I laughed out loud several times. I groaned at bad jokes and silly plot elements. I fell for the characters.

Just leave any expectation of logic or measured thought at the door, and you might have as much fun as I did.
Profile Image for Kaity.
1,982 reviews24 followers
Read
February 4, 2023
Less than 100 pages soo hard to rate accurately….

This book was cheesy and corny omg!

Hahahaha also the best scene was the way that Brandon first saw Talon, and the pepper spray 😂😂 I died!

They pretty much found each other, decided they were in love, and moved in together within 24 hours 😂 which might be a new record for instalove haha and don’t worry there was no questioning by Brandon on anything! Haha

And Jack Cameron’s narration was…not great, his voices for some of the characters like the twins sounded deranged haha. And I felt like he emphasized the wrong words sometimes haha.

Not sure if I will continue the series… but I might because some scenes that happen in the books make me laugh and love the characters while others make me eye roll because of the instalove.

I did like the characters from the pride, soo I might continue… 😂
Profile Image for bikemi.
98 reviews
January 28, 2022
This was really fun and made me laugh more than once. I liked the writing, it felt solid. I expected instalove and it totally delivered, without the super duper sweetness that I don’t enjoy as much.

Talon was too sweet and inadvertently funny - total himbo and the way he cocked up every moment was completely endearing. Brandon was a great match with his sincerity and tenderness and I loved the comics aspect.

Good stuff and I can’t wait to read more in this shifter world. The found family pack was a lovely touch.
Profile Image for Theresa.
3,566 reviews
August 15, 2021


OK, I went ahead and started reading. Jayda Marx is hit or miss with me. Yea, I was curious if the lion shifter would grovel enough for me to forgive his character reaching one of my hard limits of cheating. Well, both he and the human had no issues with hookups. Not sure which rules the shifter's possessiveness follow. Unfortunately, the shifter was so stupid and immature he rubbed me the wrong way. The human was a limp noodle himself. The relationship was beyond instant even for a shifter romance. Then JM's syrupy sweet love between 2 idiots made it worse. The book was too short for any character maturation, so I went ahead and DNF. Returned to KU @ 0%.
Profile Image for Janet (iamltr).
1,224 reviews85 followers
March 9, 2023
Omg yall...

Ok listen, this maybe the first time that I really thought that perhaps one MC was really tstl.

In here we have Talon, who I'm gonna guess, was not the brains of the pride, who is a lion shifter that finds his mate. That sounds lovely, however, his mate walks in as he is hooking up with someone else.

I want to stop here and point out how stupid it is to consider it cheating if you have sex with someone else BEFORE you meet your mate.

Anyways, in walks Brandon, an innocent human who is about to graduate college. He is dorky, shy, and is a ok with pepper spraying a lion.

After a incredible amount of stupidity, they finally talk. This was insta-everything. They met, lost a virginity, and mated in two days, and that's including the night they met.

I really liked this one for the pride.
Profile Image for Gaby.
1,333 reviews149 followers
April 5, 2025
I feel like it started off good and then just got weird. There’s way too much insta-love, and this book was definitely guilty of it. Also, it felt like every sentence had the word “which”, better editing would have made it a lot better.
Profile Image for Ed Davis.
2,888 reviews99 followers
March 14, 2023
This was a cute short read. In a hundred pages you have to get the story moving so things happen pretty quickly. It was still a fun read.
Profile Image for Amur Thera.
560 reviews75 followers
September 8, 2022
The good
+ Brandon pepper spraying Talon
+ How incredibly dramatic Talon was
+ How dramatic Brandon also turned out to be
+ Talon doing everything he can to get another chance with Brandon
+ Talon trying to get everything right, yet fucking everything up every single time
+ Brandon forgiving Talon for being an idiot again and again
+ The pack. These are real good people
+ Grady. I want his book please
+ Brandon's sweaters

The neutral
o Honestly, everything Talon said and did sounded like a serial killer trying to lure someone to his murder house, and Brandon ate it right up

The bad
- The start of the book didn't really work for me. Talon was feeling off, and his best friend encouraged him to get drunk and make bad decisions. And boy, did he make bad decisions
- Talon was very vocal on the fact that lion shifters were sexually promiscuous before mating, yet kept calling Brandon's virginity a gift. That felt so wrong
- Brandon was a virgin, at least partly because he was really shy and anxious. I would have preferred had they taken their sexual exploration a little slower for his sake


This book was ridiculous, but I enjoyed it a lot. The first quarter of the book was ridiculous in the wrong way for me, but the rest of the story had some great funny moments. I would probably recommend reading this, and I'm going to read the rest of the series and wait impatiently for Grady's book.
103 reviews
June 12, 2021
Hilarious!

I found this story super funny. Some people in the comments are taking this book way to seriously. A Himbo prideful alpha lion and a prudish human art student make a funny combination. Super funny and sexy.
Profile Image for Valerie ❈M/M Romance Junkie❈.
1,726 reviews435 followers
Read
January 4, 2023
Let me start by saying I’m not trying to offend anyone with this review, but this has been one of, if not THE, cheesiest corn-fest of a book that I’ve ever finished. Seriously. I truly can’t believe I finished. Any other time, I would have “noped” out when at the beginning. THEN I REALLY should have “noped” out when . THEN when Talon you see what I’m talking about? But I didn’t quit. Dear lord I didn’t quit. I’m shocked and amazed. My brain is fried 🤯😱🤪, but I didn’t quit. I can’t decide if that should be considered an achievement, or if I should feel sorry for myself. 🤷🏽‍♀️ There’s really nothing much else to say after all of that. Calling this “instalove” is the understatement of the year.

Read at your own risk. Though, I’m pretty sure I’m going to hate-read book 2 🤯🤯
Profile Image for peach.
563 reviews40 followers
September 10, 2021
Short, sweet and silly. Very much insta-love and fated mates, and not the kind of story that lends itself to deeper or more serious analysis, but enjoyable for what it is. Talon is just the type of himbo alpha character that I love, and I was very amused by his dumbassery.
Profile Image for ~BookNeeds~.
799 reviews16 followers
June 14, 2021
An automatic 5 stars because I can always count on Jayda writing a super sweet story!! Loved this one.
Profile Image for Smutty  Sully.
895 reviews251 followers
April 10, 2024
3.5 stars, rounded up for a fun, pocket-sized book!

Himbo lion-shifter bumbles his way around approaching his fated mate. It's a short story, so all the insta-love and steaminess is packed in there. Low-angst and no drama, just a fun shifter love story!
16 reviews2 followers
June 12, 2021
I loved that this was very low or no angst. Just a good time and lots of funny moments.
Profile Image for Jesslan Rose.
1,140 reviews50 followers
July 27, 2021
Redemption
By Jayda Marx

As soon as I saw the description of this book I knew I had to read it. I tend to love the sense of humor and romance in this authors books, so I knew there was a great chance I'd be thrilled with it.

It was a really cute story. Loved the MC's Brandon and Talon.

The book is in both Brandon and Talon's POV. The angst level is low.
Profile Image for Audi♡.
762 reviews77 followers
February 27, 2024
Dnf. Idc if it's not really cheating. IM HURT. Brandon's just like yeah ok no biggie, let's bang. ARE YOU KIDDING! The dude still had a poopy dick from his hookup 🙄
Profile Image for thosemeddlingkids.
796 reviews78 followers
December 26, 2022
This was a very fun little book!

Himbo shifter, instalove, fated mates. I really liked how low angst and go with the flow both leads were - totally fine to find your mate and be instantly in love with each other, super chill to meet a bunch of shifters. Lion shifters need lovers too.

Surprisingly hilarious moments - This was a good length too!
Profile Image for Maki.
20 reviews
August 11, 2024
I’ve been in a major book slump and as always Jayda’s writing cures my slump with her amazing writing. This couple was so sweet and talons found family warms my heart!
Profile Image for TJ.
240 reviews
January 19, 2025
"Is that why I felt the pull between us?" "Yes. Our souls know each other.”


Overall:
1st Person, Dual POV
3rd Act Break Up: No
Slow-burn: No
HEA: Yes
MC sex without other MC(s): Yes, it’s when they first meet
Spice: 2/5
Angst/Stress: 1/5
Fluff: 4.5/5
Structure/Format/Flow: 5/5
Overall: 5/5

Main Character Information:
Talon: Lion shifter, large, muscular, over 6 feet, dopey, sweet, dark hair & black eyes, rejected from pride for being gay
Brandon: Human, 22, sweet, small, virgin, artist/comic book creator, brown eyes & brown hair, about 5’8”, working on Bachelors in Visual Arts


My Notes:
This whole series is short, sweet, and to the point. We have lion shifters find their human fated mates and navigate how to explain who they are, what they are, proclaim their love, and bond with them for life all in the matter of less than one week. If you are not a fan of the mushy love and instant connection, you won’t like these. But that’s okay, just move on. My only complaint overall for the series as a whole is I wish they were longer. When I’m in the mood, the super fast feelings don’t bother me, but I want to be able to bask in it more.
Talon is a lion shifter kicked from his pride for being gay, along with his best friend, Hunter. They established their new pride in Locust Falls and had so much help from other shifters. They eventually accumulated four more members before they started getting their mates. Brandon is a sweet young guy who lost his grandpa and is struggling to complete his college degree. They meet under very unfortunate circumstances, Talon banging the shit out of a coyote shifter in the Pride Place bathroom. Awkwardddddd. Normally I don’t read books where the MC is intimate with someone outside of the MC(s), but this was very short lived and they did not know each other so I made an exception.
From here, everything was lightening fast from kissing, to saying I love you, to moving in with each other. For being as short as this is, Jayda was able to cover every well, just fast.
Ugh, when Brandon talked about the graduation & sweater? I thought that was just too cute and sweet. In the next story we have Cedric meeting his mate Asher, and it involves MPreg!


Mate Bond, Spirit Lights:


Quotes That Live Rent Free In My Head:


Side Characters:

Hunter: Lion shifter, Talon’s best friend, rejected from pride with Talon for being gay, dad Josiah was the Alpha of the pride, (Temptation, #3)
Cedric: Lion shifter, rejected from previous pride for being a male Omega, likes domestic chores, ‘Mother Hen’, (Submission, #2)
Enzo & Felix: Lion shifters, twins, rejected from previous pride for being caught sharing a partner, mischievous and bicker a lot, (Twin-tuition, #4)
Grady: Lion shifter, rejected from previous pride for helping Hunter & Talon create their home, largest at about 6’6” but a giant softy, sweet and well mannered, (Salvation, #5)
Rowdy: Cougar shifter, bartender at Pride Place, fun and wild, (Get a Little Rowdy, Collingswood Cougars #2)
Profile Image for mellismoodreads.
100 reviews5 followers
February 20, 2022
So, the human mate walks in on his shifter mate fucking an other guy, shifter follows him with his dick hanging out, gets pepper sprayed. Shifter guy follows human mate to his university and tries to get another student to Fake an argument with his human mate so he could come and save the day. Plan backfires and human mate is even more scared. Then the human guy lets him in his dorm room, where he is living alone, paints the other guy naked even though he is described as super shy AND a virgin, who didn't even kiss another person, proceeds to agree to live with shifter guy and THEN is having unprotected sex! After he just walked in on shifter guy a day ago with an other!! ????
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for BAG of Books.
1,099 reviews30 followers
December 6, 2022
The premise was a good idea. There was such a buildup to them meeting, and the way they met was so hilarious and DISASTROUS!! I was expecting some pretty hard work on Talon's part for Brandon to give him the time of day. I was really looking forward to the grovel. I thought he'd have to grovel HARD. But it took nothing at all for Talon to "redeem" himself. Brandon tried to avoid talking to him at first, but once they did talk, the forgiveness was instant, like the whole disaster hadn't even happened. That was a disappointment, to me.
1,002 reviews10 followers
July 28, 2022
Loved it!

I love Jayda Marx's books. I read this for the tenth time, and can't believe I never left a review. I liked this take on shifters and fated mates. She always puts a unique spin on each series.
526 reviews4 followers
January 5, 2025
The meet-cute fail at the beginning was hilarious.

This follows the classic fluffy insta-love Jayda Marx template, but sometimes that's all you're looking for.
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