The Queen’s Heart

by J.K. Jeffrey

Half-witch Percy Flores is beginning to feel comfortable in her role as the secret Soul Match and pet of vampire Princess Selene Borealis. But with jealous love rivals and the future of the Borealis Kingdom uncertain, Percy finds herself in more danger than she could imagine.

Genres: Fantasy, Lesbian, Romance, Vampires, Queer, LGBT, Witches

247 pages, Paperback

Published November 28, 2022

About the author

There simply isn't enough lesbian paranormal/fantasy romance fiction in the world. So, I write my own.

I'm a woman in my late 20's embracing my love of writing and story telling. I've only recently began to share my writing and published my first novel in April 2022.

Reviews

[Jacqueline Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was great to see the growth in Selene's character. In the first book it felt like Percy who is naturally submissive just tries to make the best of a rough situation. She saw good qualities in Selene that nobody else did. In this book you see real intimacy and genuine affection from their relationship as Selene tries to deny her growing love for Percy.

She still doesn't quite deserve Percy's devotion near the end and it was nice to see her acknowledge that and finally resolve to be the kind of partner she deserves. I look forward to the third book and also seeing Percy come into her power more. I also hope for continued world building. I love the new character Heidi.

Also if you get the chance J.k. Jeffrey. I think it would be nice for you to write a few of the beginning scenes from the Princess Pet from Selene's perspective as a bonus. Like finding out her Mom died and her choice to meet Percy. Her first impressions of her and the car ride. How Percy just fell asleep after Selena scaring her. Selene tries so hard to keep up her contempt but fails. :)

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed it

Really enjoyed it , I can’t wait for your next one 💕. . . . . . . . .

[Netgyrl (Laura) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars - continues giving impeccable “touch her and die” vibes.

[Hot Mess Sommelière ~ Caro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is a sapphic dark fated mates fantasy romance and it's pretty good.

There is a Vampire Princess and her Half-Witch Pet/Blood Slave/Soul Match and in the University Academic setting there are also lots of shifters.

I'm looking forward to the Crown Princess consolidating her power and zone of influence in the next book so she can marry her half-witch pet, have lots of cute fanged babies and ride into the sunset.

In a world where there are very few good ff romantasy books, this is a shining beacon of hope.

[wren4777 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ughhhh this was somehow even more adorable yet spicy than the first one. I lost count of how many times I reread the last few chapters just because of how sweet they were. I am seriously so excited for the third book, I cannot wait at all 😅😅

[Sky. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt like the ending was rushed, and honestly i doo waaant more of them 😭😭😭

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the 2nd book! Had a hard time with the first, but this second is so much better! It also give a little bit of open end, might there be a 3rd book?👀 I hope so!

[Anabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was better than the first for sure. Incluso tiña momentos nos que se volvía románticos e me facían pensar "Princess Selene *Gesto de Junior Healy*".

A Princesa (que aínda é princesa e non raíña, o título mentiume xd) segue sendo unha creída e sádica, pero agora tamén é unha cursi e cariñosa. Love to read! I'm in love with her, sí lo digo.
Percy... well... she's there... fai moito máis que antes iso si, e pódese valer por si mesma agora. Ben por ela.

Shout out to Heidi! A diva is born. Esta desvorganzada deulle a historia o que necesitaba. Literalmente son eu, pásase a historia flirteando coas protas cada vez que pode sabendo que non vai servir para nada.

A resolución foi moito mellor que do primeiro libro, nótase que hai improvement. Con ganas de ler a terceira entrega. Pero... por que acabas o capítulo final así??? PONME A ESCEA ENTEIRA COBARDE!!!

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow - ich liebe Selenes Entwicklung

[victoria alise · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

I enjoyed the book, the storyline, the “PLOT”😫. What I did not like and made it particularly hard to finish was the unhealthy power dynamic in the relationship. Percy (IMO) does not know herself without Selene and she does not wish to. Selene consumes her every thought, there isn’t one action that Percy has ever made since meeting Selene that she made on her own without thinking of Selene or being a direct order from her. She gives her the illusion (as stated in the book) that she is in control of even the smallest of things and Percy had come to realize she’s not. Selene does not have it in her (from what I’ve read) to allow Percy to become a person without her which will ultimately result in the collapse of this relationship (realistically. but this is fiction so this unhealthy dynamic will continue). What I’m trying to say here is while Percy is treated like she was made for Selene; This book does not give me the impression that Selene was made for someone like Percy.

Also the end, still using “Pet.” Like can we be serious for a second. They are not equals— Selene wouldn’t have it any other way and Percy has been conditioned think in a way catered to meet the wants and needs of Selene and never herself. So yes author you are correct about that, Percy is a pet—one Selene owns and does with as she pleases, and finds peace knowing that her pet would never stray from the only thing it has ever known. Had it not been for the soul match (in love or not), Percy would still be rotting in Clara’s basement.

[Katu · Rating 4 out of 5]

i need another book..

[susely · Rating 5 out of 5]

heidi carried

[Juniper L.H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it! This was a surprisingly quick read for me. I don’t know if that was because I was so engrossed in the book, if it’s particularly easy to read, or what, but this thing went down smooth and was over before I could believe it. This was a great sequel to the first book that expanded on all of the details and plot points in the exact way that a sequel should. I like the fictional world that the author has created, and I feel that they provide exactly the right amount of information to immerse the reader in the world without overdoing it on exposition. The protagonists were delightful, better than the first book, and I absolutely love these two together. Their dynamic is something that I think would be difficult to stretch into 20 books, but if the author was able to do it then I would read them all.

The relationship dynamics in this novel were perfect to hit ALL the emotional beats. Ignore the relatively toxic dynamic of one of them essentially being a slave, of course, lmao. The love and affection, but also the jealousy and hurt, the reluctant vulnerability, were all very realistic and done so well I FELT it! Masterclass. The other relationships were also exceptionally well done; the friendships, the jealous rivals, the hopeless one-sided admirer who has good intentions but terrible execution.

The plotline(s) in this novel are fairly simple but satisfying. Somehow both a lot happens, and yet not very much at the same time. I walked away satisfied, so that’s all I feel I need to say on this point. There was definitely more going on than just a romance, although that was my favorite part.

[Dal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vampires, witches, and werewolves, oh my!

More plot driven in this one. Some minimal world building. The Dom/sub relationship is totally enthralling. Adding some additional side characters that I think will be important in book 3.

Do I think these books are amazing, ground breaking, works of art? Not necessarily. But I still have to give them 5 stars because I am enjoying them way too much to give them anything less.

[Rey Hawke · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Brittany Linn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this series

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

much more enjoyable read than the first one

[not ananya · Rating 5 out of 5]

idc what anyone says this was so good. and a lot better than the first!

[Vex · Rating 4 out of 5]

while i did think this sequel was better than the first book (mostly just because of the grammar) unfortunately i didn't enjoy the 80%-100% mark. personally, i just found the remy stuff boring? I didn't exactly find his plot interesting. didn't exactly like that clara was doing all that because she used to sleep with the princess (since i didn't get any tension from them previously) - and found myself during the very last half skipping to when they reunited. alas, that's just my opinion. other than that, both books were pretty solid. their chemistry - and actually having a possessive female in writing definitely helped my rating (as it's not only rarer, but i particularly enjoy the trope a lot, so i'm biased in that sense) - the erotica was really nice. mostly in book 1, but i did enjoy the book 2 plot with the jealousy from percy.
sure, i'll read another book if the author comes out with it. i think, with these two, their story is done now. shame about the ending - at least for me.

[stat shiv · Rating 4 out of 5]

➬➱➫➩➪【4.25 Stars】
This is the second book in the Soul Match series and I enjoyed the ending to Percy and Selene’s relationship. It felt like all the loose ends were tied and I was quite satisfied with the ending. I received this from Kindle Unlimited. I am so pleased that Jeffrey fixed the formatting. It’s so small, but I didn’t like the previous novel’s text format.

Going to reiterate this from my previous review:
This is heavily focused on sex. Like a lot of it. And it revolves around a power dynamic so if that’s not your cup of tea, you probably won’t enjoy this book.

TW: D/S dynamic

This story was well-written again and I’m really excited to read Jeffrey’s next novel.
➢Happy reading!

[kristy wilfong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another exceptional book

Again why do I love this book!! I was so glad to see I did not have to wait long for the second book in this series. Great storyline, great characters and great book. I want more! I hope I don’t have to wait long, I am hooked on this series already.

[Isha · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good 🔥🥰!

[nini ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Princess Selene Borealis and Persephone “Percy” Flores have my heart 🫶🏻 a future queen and her flower witch. :(

[Verechnaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sequel to The Princess' Pet is, in some ways, an improvement and a bit of a disappointment. The writing quality is markedly improved, showing better editing throughout, with only a few typos and awkward phrases here and there that didn't draw my attention as much this time around. The writing is solid, consistent, and this sequel is as much of an easy, enjoyable read as the previous one.

Story wise, the BDSM and the general smuttiness of the book take a back seat, which to me was a bit of an issue- removing the dominance fantasy left more space for their relation to develop, and and in turn it becomes too obvious that this is a very unhealthy relationship between a controlling vampire (both literal and figurative, as she's royalty) and her literal slave, whose jealousy borders dangerously on codependency. It doesn't help that the first book took great pains to essentialize Selene's particularly possessive and predatory behaviours as innate to vampires- even though none, save maybe one, of the over vampires of the story exhibit such behaviours.

It's a suspension of disbelief thing: I was willing to ignore the unhealthiness of it all when it was smutty bdsm, because this is unfortunately what I've come to expect from fantasy with bdsm themes- but I expect more from other, more vanilla fiction.

This particular corner the story wrote itself to is hard to escape: how do you deal with a relationship so imbalanced when you wrote a world where nobility (pureblood nobility, because yes, this is also about race) has literal right of life and death? Well, you bend the rules of the world. Obstacles are conveniently removed. Characters' personalities can be shifted, more or less discreetly, and more or less organically. It isn't particularly subtle, at least in this book, but the ending and, I guess, the development of their relationship throughout the story, presage improvement, if there's ever a sequel.

[Nyki Mancera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good Gawd…

…that was an awesome read. Most of the time sequels can be hard to top the initial story but you can tell right off, it was meant to be more than one novel. Percy and Selene deserved to have their story told and continued.

Percy was such a beautiful and rare gem. And at first, it seemed as Selene would tarnish the kindness and sweetness about her. And she did the opposite. Selene actually allowed Percy to be Percy. I know she didn’t start out that way. But before their first nightfall, things had changed. It was so subtle you may have missed it.

We saw the undoing of Selene once she came into contact with Percy. Everyone that came into Percy’s life was affected by her. They just couldn’t help it. And Selene knew the treasure she had found. It took her while to see what was right before her eyes all along, and even then, she acted in positive and loving ways to Percy as soon as she whisked her away. And she did not let anyone and not even tradition stop her from caring for, protecting, and then ultimately succumbing to the soul match. I don’t think either of them had a choice.

They were exactly what each of them needed. Selene never turned Percy away no matter what the request. And Percy couldn’t even dream of a life without Selene. She would take whatever Selene gave her, just to be near her. They were both honest and true to themselves no matter what they were facing.

This is one of the few books where I have read such good dialogue amongst all the characters. You really got to know them. And most importantly we witnessed countless heart to heart talks between Percy and Selene It is why their soul match was so real and believable. They actually talked to each other. And the passion between them was amazing. Selene was finally what she may have always wanted to be when she was with Percy. And she was always honest, at times brutally so.

I am in love with these characters and will read this series many times over.

[Sydney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep coming back to this series. This book was just as good as the first one. I can't wait for the third book to come out (please be soon). The uniqueness of the setting continues to delight. There is a strange mix of old and new technologies, morals, and behaviors. Combined with the way that the author portrays the various species makes for a fun new world worth exploring. This book is a lot more violent and graphic than the first book, though with it being a dark fantasy world and story that makes sense. The author does a good job of representing the internal struggle Percy deals with during this time and how it is slowly changing her opinion on what is and isn't acceptable.

The relationship between Selene and Percy continues to take center stage. It was just as explosive and dynamic as the first book. We get to learn a little about what Selene was like before Percy, and the changes Percy has inadvertently brought about in her is startling. She's not the only one changing though. Percy has become more pragmatic and less optimistic. She's more willing to condone violence for one thing than she was before Selene. We also get to explore a more developed D/s and power exchange dynamic. Kinks are very much present and on display in the intimate scenes.

Some of the side characters got more screen time and were fleshed out more. Mostly those who have acted as the antagonists for this book. It was nice to see Percy merging her friend groups from Borealis and her first friends at the academy.

There is no third act breakup. Selene's relationships with other royals and nobles continues to be the only thorn in the side of their relationship. There is still plenty of external drama and action taking place and driving the story though. I will continue to recommend this book, it is excellent.

[_kenzie_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 spice🌶️
•dark sapphic
•vampire x half witch
•forced proximity
•one bed
•soul matched
•fantasy
•touch and her die
•👊🏼ing….

i’m eating this trilogy up. it was great to see growth in both Selene and Percy. not just personal growth but also growth within their relationship. but i feel Percy still has a lot of growth to do. she let Selene get away with too much shit, especially in this book. I wanted to see more power from Percy, I wanted her to gain more confidence & truly stick up for herself & let Selene grovel more. I felt Selene didn’t deserve Percy’s devotion and I felt Selene finally realized that. towards the end we finally see Selene welcome her feelings for Percy and tell her how she feels. it sucks that it took Percy getting kidnapped and held hostage for her to tell her how she truly feels but hey, at this point whatever. i’m just proud of her. they said their i love you’s etc. you could really feel the genuine love & intimacy between them. i can’t wait to see their relationship grow even more. and im really hoping for more push back from Percy in the next book.
———I need a separate book for Heidi because i have a fat crush on her. i loved her character so much.

••••••••
fav quotes🩸⛓️🧛‍♀️

“No need to apologise. You can be happy when you experience something good. You don’t have to hide your joy, fearing it might upset me.”

“You are nothing less than delectable. If I didn’t know better, I’d accuse you of being a powerful enchantress, with how entirely I desire you.”

“I want to hear you scream my name in ecstasy. I want to hear you whisper my name in heated moments when you try so hard to be quiet. And I want to hear you speak my name freely when we talk together—-Because only you own any part of me.”

“You’re everything to me, my whole being. My soul belongs to you.”

“You are mine and I am yours.”

[Emily Pino · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most rewarding aspects of the second book is witnessing Selene's emotional growth even though she has a hard time getting there with Percy, things definitely improve for both of them in this book.
In the first book, Percy-naturally submissive but with a strength of will that can open hearts in the blink of an eye-seemed to be trying to stay sane in a situation beyond his control. However, he decided to see something valuable in Selene when others saw only cruelty. That subtle dynamic was compelling and in this book it is wonderfully deepened. i liked the way they both desperately needed each other even if Selene wasn't quite there.

Their relationship goes from transactional to genuinely intimate. Selene's internal struggle with her feelings for Percy is portrayed with shades of meaning: her denial, her vulnerability, and finally her acceptance. There is a tangible tenderness in the way she begins to care, even as she resists admitting it.

What is especially satisfying is that, in the end, Selene is honest with herself: she hasn't quite earned the loyalty and love that Percy so generously gives her. But her decision to change, to become someone worthy of Percy's trust and affection, feels earned and authentic.

[Chubsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The smut has taken a backseat this time in favour of world building and politics, which I quite liked. Percy meets a new friend, and suspicious folks abound! Due to what happened in the last book, the House Borealis is in a weakened state so there is a looming sense of danger.
As the title of the book suggests, we get to find out more about how Selene views their relationship through her POV chapters. I personally love her harsh nature, it would be nice to have some flashback chapters to see how she was like before she met Percy. I feel Percy has mellowed her out a bit while hardening out herself at the end of this book. There's been good character development all round.
And speaking of good characters I really liked Remy. The whole segment with him was the best part of the book imo! I hope we get to see him again?🥲
The story ends on a satisfying brutal note and it looks like Selene is planning on some sort of endgame with Percy. I look forward to book 3!

[Lucien St Clare · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rather liked this book and whilst it did not trigger me like the first book the author managed to maintain the same intensity of emotion the two protagonists feel for each other. There were also elements of adventure and some character development mainly of Selene not so much of Persephone. I liked the subtle way the author used constituents of Greek mythology in the story and it was only half way through reading it that I discovered this and started looking out for other little titbits she dropped. The story is still good and I liked the introduction of other characters and the way the author tied up the loose ends in the second book. In my opinion it is a good read but it did not trigger me like the first book did and whilst I am ambivalent about that I also recognise the place the author was leading us to so I give the book two thumbs up, a snickerdoodle and a nice cafe au lait.