Bearing His Name
~ 3.5 Stars ~

It’s pretty much a done deal that anything written by Eve Langlais is a must read for me. I love her writing style, her humor and the cocky shifters she brings to life have all pretty much been a hit for me. When I need a sexy quick read to help unwind, I can count on EL to give me a pick me up.

Owned by the Lion
~ 2 Stars ~

Milly Taiden is a hit or miss author and this one was a miss for me. Together Keir and Ally were cute together and their chemistry is smoking hot, it was the constant mention of Keir’s playboy past that killed the mood for me.

I don’t consider myself a prude but my problem with Keir is that he had no control over his needs and obviously didn’t care that he was going to subject his mate (when he found her) with all his past lovers, he literally slept with every single female in his general vicinity. So much so that every time he takes the h out, he bumps into one OR MORE of his past sex partners. That right there is too OTT and not cool.

No Need Fur Love 
~ 3 Stars ~

This was the quickest of the bunch and I enjoyed it. A mating between a solitary wood nymph and a cuddly oh so possessive wolf was refreshing. The little crumbs of information about the wood nymphs were interesting and left me super intrigued. 

I loved Owen from the first and felt for him when he was so 100% down to embrace Mia right from the start. Even knowing that she didn’t feel the same pull he did, he was willing to wait and put his words to action to prove himself to her. He was amazing. 

This anthology was three shifter romances with heat, heart and some laughs. Would definitely recommend.

What a sizzling collection of three shifter novellas. Whether you like lions, tigers or bears (oh my!), you’ll find what you’re looking for with this shifter offering. 

I received an ARC of this book, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais is the first book in the anthology. Ark is trying to find a woman who is pregnant with his child. Then he finds out that there are six of his cousins who might be the father of this child. The search is really on now. He finds out that Ruby is the female who sent the post card announcing the baby so he goes looking for her. Hey, this is great because Ruby is his mate. But she’s not pregnant. This is so much fun with a little bit of drama thrown in. I loved it!
Owned by the Lion by Milly Taiden is the next book. Abby is going nuts over That man. The One Who Shall Not Be Named. The one she considers a manwhore. But he’s so hot! Keir has a lot going on in his life right now but he knows that he wants Abby. Now how to get it through her head that she could be the one? This was a great book. There’s a lot happening but it’s all going to come together in the end. I have to say that Milly Taiden writes a really entertaining book and I love to read them.
No Need Fur Love by Kate Baxter is the last book. Owen is at a bar feeling sorry for himself because he’s lonely and wanting what his Alpha has found in his wife. Not that he’s looking for a wife but he wants that feeling. Then Mia walks up to him at the bar. She’s looking for a baby maker so that she will be able to live her life on her terms and not her father’s. Things happen fast and furious in the bar and later in their lives. But it’s written so good that you have to finish it before you put it down. You are going to enjoy finding out what happens in the end.
I voluntarily read and reviewed and advanced copy of the book. All thought and opinions are my own.

The Big Alpha In Town is three great stories that fulfill all reader’s shifter needs. All three stories are sexy with lots of heated passion and sizzling chemistry with just the right amount of suspense and humor added to spice things up.

In Bearing His Name - Jade and Ark have a major complication to overcome in their search for happily ever after which means the story is one hot bed of snark, electrifying chemistry and thrilling anticipation. As usual, Eve Langlais combines quick witted dialogue and sexy shifters to make every reader chuckle and pant after her wonderfully fun characters.

In Owned by the Lion - Kier has to pull out all the stops in order to win Ally’s heart which has the reader humming with anticipation with every page while easily falling for these strong, delightful characters especially since Milly Taiden knows how to bring her worlds and characters to vibrant life.

In No Need Fur Love - Owen and Mia find that red hot lust sometimes has unexpected consequences and that their happily ever after can only be accomplished if they divert a war. Lots of excitement and romance keeps reader glues to the pages of Kate Baxter’s fascinating world full of vivid characters that capture the imagination. 

I just had to finish each of these stories in this Beast Sized Anthology, all three were captivating, thrilling and full of sexy shifters and the stories can be read one at a time during breaks or all at once for an enjoyable marathon read.  I can’t wait to read the next anthology by these wonderful authors.

I already knew I enjoyed reading Eve Langlais and Milly Taiden, but this was my first time reading Kate Baxter. I'll definitely have to look for more by her because I enjoyed all the stories in this collection. I like reading these quick romantic stories when I don't have time or desire to sink into a longer story. These lived up to my expectations with snappy, funny dialogue and interesting characters with low conflict.

Normally when I review an anthology book, I'll write separate reviews for each story in the book, but I am going to deviate from that this time, due to the sense of confusion I was left with at the end of the book. Each of the stories heavily referenced preceding stories, and while they did have a small standalone element, I often felt lost in the story because of all the references to what I assume is the stories in Thanks Fur Last Night. My favorite of the trio had to be Milly Taiden's story in the Mate for Hire series. I loved how funny it was! Kier was nuts, but in a good way, and his family was just as kooky! This book alone saved the entire anthology from a lower rating!

I definitely want to go back and see if I can find the preceding stories in each universe, but I'm not so sure I would read more in each universe.

3 amazing authors come together in this read with their own stories. All very well written and enjoyable by themselves.  Paranormal Romance at its best- 

Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais
what do you do when you get a postcard claiming you may have a little cub on its way. Well you set off on an adventure that will take you straight to your mate. Break-In's, running, train rides and kidnapping that is well written and exciting, 

Owned By The Lion by Milly Taiden
Milly is one of my favorite authors- She can never disappoint with her steamy paranormal romance reads. When Keir finds his mate but his reputation is keeping his mate at arms length. When trying to prove to his mate that he is it females from his past are proving to make it difficult. Great quick read that will have you hooked!   

No Need Fur Love by Kate Baxter
This story follows Owen finding his mate Mia. Their love is tested with this quick exciting read that will have you loving the characters a little more with each chapter. 

Overall- this anthology is a great read if you enjoy paranormal romance with characters that are funny, loving and exciting enough to keep you wanting more but for each story not to end.

To read the whole review, check here:  https://wickedcoolflight.net/2018/05/15/eve-langlais-milly-taiden-and-kate-baxter-have-hit-it-out-of-the-park-with-their-new-the-big-alpha-in-town-shapeshifter-romance-anthologycheck-out-fly-girls-review/

Ok, I got to say this is only like the 2nd anthology I’ve read all the way through and I am really glad I did.  I’m not sure why Kate Baxter doesn’t get more intro in the description on the sale sites and in the promo material.  She is really very good.  In fact, I loved her story the most in this one.  

Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais:  This was a good story.  For a novella it was well thought out and the ending wasn’t too rushed. I love the Paddington Bear vibe she gives Ark, but then makes him fierce like a grizzly.  I’m not sure about the train trip across the US, but it is fiction in a Shapeshifter world, so I’ll let that one go.  I did feel there wasn’t a great deal of resolution emotionally with the facts about Jade’s pregnancy.  I think this is why this isn’t my number one pick of the three stories.  It will be great to read some other stories about Ark’s gang.

Owned by the Lion by Milly Taiden:  This one had a good story line.  I love how it takes her awhile to figure out Keir has mated to Ally.  I also like how she portrays him from both a bastard to a really nice guy as Ally starts to figure him out.  The one part I don’t get is how he always is at the apartment at just the right time and I also think there are a lot of details missing about the back story between Keir and her brother the blurb makes it out that the brother is going to be pissed, but that never materializes.  I think it might have been better if they left out that in the blurb.  Finally, I love the mother in this one.

No Need Fur Love by Kate Baxter:  This was by far the best one in the bunch.  It had so much tension in it that you just wanted to keep reading.  Also, it didn’t feel like the ending was rushed, almost as if she knew the ending and worked backwards to write the story.  It was totally believable in the Shapeshifter world too.  I loved the dynamics of a Werewolf and a Wood Nymph.  That was great.  And she made them so cute together.  When Owen was in his wolf form, I just wanted to hug him.  I’d love to see a full length novel about someone else in Mia’s band that also shows how she and Owen rule together.  Anyway, I loved this one.

Wrap up:  So, obliviously, I loved Kate Baxter’s story the most for the reasons in paragraph one.  I loved Eve’s story the next best because I loved Ark’s personality and the fact he was willing to protect his mate’s family so much he would have gone to war.  I just feel there was a few details rushed through.  Finally, I feel Milly Taiden’s story should have had less details to flesh out, or should have been a full length novel rather than a novella.  It seemed rushed at the end.  So for all those reasons I’m giving No Need Fur Love 5 of 5 Stars, but the anthology a 4 of 5 Stars.  Happy Reading!!!

This is a good collection of stories.  Goes along with Thanks Fur Last Night.  I read all of Milly Taiden's books and I can say she never disappoints and I would have read this book just for her alone.  I haven't read Eve Langlais as much in recent years but she still writes an entertaining story.

I picked The Big Alpha in Town to read because Eve Langlais is one of my favorite paranormal authors.   I loved Bearing His Name.  Ark is a total alpha.  They way he meets
Jade is definitely different and unique.   Ark has found his mate and nothing is going to keep him from her.  
Owned by the Lion is by Milly Taiden.  This one was my favorite.  Keir has a reputation of being a manwhore.   Ally is his mate but she wants nothing do with him.  It was a little funny when he was trying to prove he was worth it her but he's exes keep popping up.  
No Need Fur Love by Kate Baxter closed out the book.  This one was also a great read.

If you’ve already read Thanks Fur Last Night by these authors then you’ll recognize some locations or formerly secondary characters. (if you haven’t yet, I’d highly recommend it) The Big Alpha in Town lets us step back into those worlds once again for more sexy, steamy adventures with another set of mates.

I’ll be straightforward, I’ve never met a story by any of these ladies that I didn’t enjoy, and that truth stands for this newest anthology of stories. Sure, there are some stories that I enjoyed more than others, but overall The Big Alpha in Town was a delightful trip into the lives of some very interesting people with unique situations. I find it amusing when a guy’s reputation before he meets his mate gets completely in the way of winning that one perfect woman for him. Yeah, go ahead and sow those wild oats guys, just know some day it’s gonna come back and bite you where it hurts most… your heart.

I had fun with this group of stories from authors that I completely enjoy… and that is the whole point of reading Paranormal Romance. If you’re in the mood for some sexy shifters and their quest to win over their mate – then you’ll want to pick up The Big Alpha in Town. It’s funny, steamy, sad, sexy and will grab your attention. I’m looking forward to the next time these authors invite us into their intriguing worlds.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

Three shifter paranormal romance in one book. The first two stories were fairly entertaining; short, but steamy with interesting characters and easy to read storyline. First one, about a bear who accidentally meets his mate while he confronts a blackmailer of his family. The second one, about a match service that unwittingly match real mates to shifters. Unfortunately, the third story was not as interesting. I tried to read through, but didn't really finish. All in all, I'd recommend the book as at least 2/3 of the book was worth reading.

The Big Alpha in Town is 3 very touching, steamy shifter romances and continue relationships of friends started in the prequel book Thanks Fur Last Night. These stories pick up where the others stopped with friends of the last books characters finding their mate when they least expect to. Eve Langlais, Millie Taiden, and Kate Baxter to you on a journey of who's the father to redemption of a man who loves women, and of a man woman who must work together to save their clans. 

Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais 
Jade is trying to help her sister who's pregnant by mailing out baby announcements to the prospective fathers all of who happen to be mostly from the same family. When Ark and his cousin Stavros track down the two women. danger comes along also. As soon as Ark sees Jade he knows she's his mate. Jade is attracted to Ark from the beginning but since he's a potential father to the baby she tries to keep her distance. Ark can't keep away and when he comes for a late night visit while the women sleep they're surprised by an intruder. With danger looming, Ark takes the women to safety. When they are attacked on the train taking them back to his pack Jade and Ark cause a diversion, which back fires when Jade is captured by her sister's ex. Ark meets the plane when it arrives and gets Jade back. They seal their commitment and her sister takes off with the ex. They easily track her down and all is well. jade and Ark declare their feelings and get married. Jade gives Ark a big surprise after the birth of their niece.

Owned by the Lion by Millie Taiden
Ally has just moved to town and gotten back in contact with her brothers old friends. Keir is one of her brother's best friends but she doesn't want to have anything to do with him because he's got a different woman every night. Keir realizes that Ally is his mate but she resists her attraction to him. Every time they are some where together one of his former women shows up. Keir is trying to figure out how to change Ally's mind about him. When she needs help with her mother and her cancer, Keir is there to help along with another friend who grew up at her house. As Ally gets to know Keir she realizes he isn't what he thought he was. With the help of a dating app and friends and family Keir shows Ally another side to him. Keir also has a change of heart about working with his father after he visits him. They move Ally's mom to town and take her to a doctor offering a different treatment. It soon goes awry when Keir realizes that the man is lying. The police are called. They marry and vow to help her mother any way they can.

No Need Fur Love by Kate Baxter
Owen needed to get away from his pack for a little while and heads to the local bar. Mia is looking for a one night stand to fulfill her father's conditions for helping to run the clan. When Mia walks in and spies Owen she's immediately attracted but pushes down the strong feelings so that she can accomplish her mission of an heir. Owen's first look at Mia he knows she's his mate. He thinks that they're on the same page for being mates. But the next morning she's gone he realizes for sure they weren't. Going to his pack leader for help he waits a few days and then goes looking for Mia. Finding her at home, he won't leave until they talk. They come to a decision that she'll come to his house later after talking to her father to get information. When the talk doesn't go as she wants Mia heads to warn Owen and his pack. Mia arrives with bad news and they talk to the leader and make a plan. Mia and Owen make love which has a unusual affect on Mia. The attack starts and Mia tries to come to Owens aid but gets captured by her father. He makes her angry and that results in her using her heightened power to resolve the situation. Mia & Owen discuss the future for their pack and clan and Mia believes there is to be an heir.

I was thoroughly entertained by these stories as I was by the first book by these 3 authors and am anxiously awaiting the third one out later this year. These 3 authors had me laughing, cringing, and wondering what would happen next. Can't wait to read the next in the series and who finds their mate. The only thing is the stories weren't long enough.

Shifters, manwhores, and baby daddies, Oh My! Big Alpha in Town gives you 3 shifter stories by some of my favorite authors. First up, Bearing His Name. So, whats a guy to do when he finds his mate and also discovers he might have knocked up her sister?! Langlais, in her usual way keeps it light and not too angsty which I appreciated! However, I didn't really care much for Jade or Ark.

3 stars

Owned by the Lion is up next and again, a bit of a conundrum when a manwhore finds his mate. Keir wants Ally, but she has heard ALL about him and isn't going to put up with his games. My biggest struggle here was that not only was Keir a whore, every time I flipped the page, they were running into an ex of his! So, all the angst came from that drama-llama which I don't really enjoy.

2 stars

No need for love is the final entry in this anthology and I will give Baxter credit for originality! The heroine is a wood nymph! I think this really suffered from 'novella syndrome' and neither character felt really developed. But, Owen wasn't a manwhore like the other two heroes, so again, bonus points there. Overall, this was okay, but I think it could have been better.

3 stars

Three fabulous stories in one handy book by three great authors, these will surely get your pulse roaring.

I received a copy from Netgalley and I am voluntarily leaving my own honest opinion

The Big Alpha in Town is a PNR shifter anthology by Eva Langlais (Bearing His Name), Milly Taiden (Owned by the Lion), and Kate Baxter (No Need Fur Love). This is a great introduction into the writing styles of three fabulous authors. All of these stories are quick reads tied in to each author's individual series in some way. They can all be read as a stand alone. Each shifter story is unique and quirky so human rules don't apply. I can't really pick a favorite of the three because they were each equally entertaining and charming. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing a copy to review.

The Big Alpha in Town 
Three paranormal shifter romances in one volume

BEARING HIS NAME: Eve Langlais
Receiving a baby announcement sets Ark and others on the prowl to find out whether or not they are the baby-daddy of Ruby’s unborn child. More slapstick and comedic than deep but Ruby does find the daddy and Ark finds his mate. 

OWNED BY THE LION: MILLY Taiden
Part of a series with shifters finding their mates in this one Ally and Keir find out that their relationship is more than just business. 

NO NEED FOR LOVE: Kate Baxter
I think this was my favorite of the three stories…Mia, a nymph, has need of  man so sets out to find one not realizing that Owen, a werewolf, might be more than just a guy to scratch an itch. This story sizzles in more ways than one and provides a bit more depth than the other two stories. 

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review. 

3-4 Stars

I will not review these 3 novellas separately but, I will tell you that these three authors are all well-versed in their craft and, thoroughly enjoyable to read!!! All three novellas were a joy to read! Fast paced, steamy, cat and mouse love stories that keep you entertained from start to finish!!!

It started off weird but I finally got into it.I would read again Great authors love their books need more by them.

So what’s this book about?
This book is a collection of three original paranormal romance novellas from international bestselling authors Eve Langlais, Milly Taiden and Kate Baxter featuring various species of shapeshifters including werewolves and bear shifters.  I am already a big fan of Kate Baxter’s Last True Vampire series but Eve Langlais and Milly Taiden are still fairly new-to-me authors. The Big Alpha in Town can be read as a sequel to the authors’ previous collaboration Thanks Fur Last Night or be read as a standalone.

If you’ve read any of my reviews before, you’ll know that I don’t post spoilers or reveal plot twists in my book reviews, so I’ve included the official blurb for each story together with my review and individual rating:


Novella 1 Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais 
The blurb says;
Meeting his mate should have been cause for celebration. There’s just one teeny tiny problem. Jade thinks Ark might have impregnated her sister. He didn’t, but convincing Jade is going to take a bit of honey.

So, what did I think about this story?
Eve Langlais is still a fairly new-to-me author - I’ve only read one other story written by her in the box set Thanks Fur Last Night (read my review here) – and after reading Bearing His Name, I still don’t think that she is the author for me. I found the writing style less than sophisticated again, I got lost a couple of times during the dialogue in the opening chapter, having to go back to work out who is saying what. 

Those of you who have read my reviews before will know that I prefer my leading ladies to be intelligent, resourceful, resilient and have plenty of gumption, our heroine here, Jade, was disappointing. I had issues with the male characters in this story too; there's not much depth to them and the italicized inner dialogue actually highlighted how much Ark is the opposite of what I find hot. 

I tried to look at this story as just a fun simple romp and just go with the flow... but I struggled as my rating suggests. Having said that, I did like the fact that the end of this story is cliffhanger free; the romance between Jade and Ark is concluded before the end (there's a nice little epilogue too telling us "what happens next”) and the threat from Xavier to Ruby is also concluded - although I feel like this is not only rushed but a bit far-fetched and Disney-esque. There is also a little teaser about what will happen next for Ark's cousin, Stavros.
My Goodreads Rating For This Novella: 2 Stars (It was OK)

Novella 2 - Owned by the Lion by Milly Taiden 
The blurb says;
Keir’s been told to stop playing the field and settle down—difficult advice for a hard and hot man with a lion’s heart to follow. But his sights have always been set on Ally. She’s his mate, plain and simple. With her sweet and delicious curves, she’s nothing but sugar and trouble all rolled into one. But he’s known her and sparred with her for years. She’s his best friend’s little sister, and it’s going to take a whole new level of convincing that he’s the mate for her. 

So, what did I think about this story?
Milly Taiden is another fairly new-to-me author, again only having read one other story written by her in the box set Thanks Fur Last Night (read my review here). I am happy to say that I enjoyed Owned by the Lion much more than I did the story in that set - Bought by the Bear.

I found Ms Taiden’s story very easy to read and was impressed at the width of emotional responses she managed to get out of me while reading Owned by the Lion.   I got a lump in my throat and a few years trickling down my cheeks during a number of emotionally raw and sad scenes, I really enjoyed the humour - there's some great banter and I also really liked that although a shifter can recognise their mate instantly, they've still got to win their hearts and earn that love back. 

I loved our romantic couple in this story; they both have qualities that I look for in paranormal romance tales. Keir, the smoking hot playboy - he's never been a bastard to the many, many women in his life and most of them are genuinely happy for him when he finds his mate  and Ally our heroine, a fiercely loyal friend and daughter who’s got plenty of gumption!

In short, I really enjoyed this paranormal romance story; it had characters that I cared about, a good pace to the romance and plot development, some humour and banter, oodles of romantic gestures and had plenty of fire and passion. There's a HEA with no cliffhanger (Woohoo!) and a little epilogue to tidy any loose ends.
My Goodreads Rating For This Novella: 4 Stars (I Really Liked It)

Novella 3 – No Need Fur Love by Kate Baxter 
The blurb says;
Moving with his pack to the tiny town of Stanley, Idaho has Owen Courtney a little on edge. With literally no women in sight, Owen will be lucky to find a date, let alone his true mate. But you know the saying about a werewolf walking into a bar…
Gorgeous wood nymph Mia Oliver is on a mission: Find a suitable male to get her good ‘n pregnant and provide her with an heir. But when Mia decides to pick up a gorgeous and oh-so willing werewolf at the bar, she realizes she might be in over her head…

So, what did I think about this story?
I am already a fan of Ms Baxter’s books; I find her writing style very easy to read, her plots engaging and her characters intelligently written and full of depth, including the supporting cast. I was delighted to find the same level of care and proficiency in this novella, No Need Fur Love. 

First chapter and we're introduced to grumpy werewolf, Owen and wood nymph, Mia a strongly independent female. I haven't read many stories featuring nymphs as the lead female character and apart from being nature beings who are rather fond of sex, I don't know much about the folklore surrounding them so it was an interesting mix right off the bat. Unlike other PNR stories, our romantic couple get it on straight away with a powerfully erotic build up and sex scene and the rest of the story is the relationship building....

I loved the epic ending but I would have liked to find out exactly how and where Owen and Mia were going to live as a mated couple. So little is written about wood nymphs, thanks Ms Baxter for taking the plunge
In short, I laughed, I cried, I held my breath in anxiety and I felt the flutters of arousal; I was gripped from beginning to end.
My Goodreads Rating For This Novella: 4 Stars (I Really Liked It)

So, basically what I’m saying is... 
I think that this paranormal romance compilation is GOOD, I enjoyed reading it. Of the three novellas I really liked two and still thought the other one was OK. I felt that this book was a good opportunity for me to read another story from a  couple of authors who keep popping up on my Amazon and Goodreads “recommended book” feeds and read a new story from a firm favourite.  Having said that I think I would have felt a bit disappointed if I had actually purchased this for myself as the current Kindle selling price of £7.59 seems a bit steep to me considering my overall level of enjoyment.

Due to the sexual content in these novellas – they are definitely steamy - I’d recommend this book to adults who are not offended by content of this nature and enjoy relationship and romance stories with oodles of action and passion galore.