Cover Image: The Big Alpha in Town

The Big Alpha in Town

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Member Reviews

I honestly didn't finish this book. Even though I usually like shifter books and novellas, I guess I wasn't just in the b=mood and I couldn't bring myself to finish it, even though I did revisit it a couple of times to see if I could. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the writing-to use a completely cliche saying, it wasn't you, it was me
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Comfort reads have been the name of the game for me lately and there is no romance sub-genre that makes me happier than paranormals. This book, a trio of shifter novellas, was so very welcome in my life right now. 

Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais: The premise of this novella did give me pause since the hero impregnating the heroine's sister sounded messy, but I shouldn't have worried with Langlais at the reins. Ark and Jade's romance had all of the fated mates and opposites attract goodness I love in shifter books but it also was laugh-out-loud funny.

Owned by the Lion by Milly Taiden: Keir may have been a man-whore (or lion-whore as it was) at the start of the book, but once he meets his mate Ally he's all in. Of course, with a reputation like his all of his past conquests can't help but get an up-close look at the women he's chosen to be with long-term. Luckily Ally's got thick skin and the need for cash for her mother's medical treatments (which Keir can provide). I loved these two together and their rocky start only added to the emotional intimacy they shared. 

No Need Fur Love by Kate Baxter: When wood nymph Mia walks into a bar for a one-night stand she finds werewolf Owen and the two hit it off right away. On Owen's part, there is a definite reason the two connect instantaneously, Mia is his mate. Only Mia sneaks off after one night and Owen's werewolf edges towards feral in the search to find her and bring her back. Guy and dolls, this novella...it slayed me. I loved Mia, and Owen, and Mia & Owen together, and the plot, and the conflict, I could go on and on. I loved every piece of this novella and was a bit sad to find out Baxter doesn't have a ton of shifter books out there already. She does have vampires, though, so REJOICE!

Guaranteed HEAs are just the absolute best. 5 stars for this stellar collection of shifter novellas!
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I have gotten a little bored with shifter romances. They all seemed to follow the same storyline. So when the publishers approached me to review The Big Alpha in Town, I hesitated. I almost declined. But, since I like reviewing for this publisher, I gave this book a try. I am glad that I did because these stories were great!! Only one followed the typical storyline but it was written in such a way that I couldn’t help but like it.

Seeing that this book is made up of 3 full-length books, I am going to give a short review of the stories instead of my usual review. If I did this review my usual way, y’all would be sitting at your computers/phones for a while. So here goes nothing:

Bearing His Name:

I started off the book not liking it. I thought that Ark was stuck in the Stone Age with his attitude towards women. I couldn’t believe that he kept saying “Well I’m Greek“. Like that is supposed to excuse it. Jade was a raging witch with a B. I mean, she threw things when mad. Hello, can we say toddler? I also thought the storyline was a bit too much. But the more I read the book, the more I could see the snarky humor behind the characters. Ark’s obsession with food and honey was an underlying theme in the book. All that man wanted to do is eat….and not all of it was food. Speaking of that, the sex was great. Explicit but great. I loved the end of the book. Everyone got their happy ending.

Owned by the Lion:

I thought that this was a sweet book. Keir was a manwhore who was told by his father to settle down and marry. His mate? A prickly woman named Ally that he has known for years. The spark between Keir and Ally was red hot. I liked that the author kept if sparked through the book. Even after they had sex for the first time. Ally, I wasn’t a fan of. I could understand why she was so reluctant to give Keir a chance, but really? She took witchiness with a b to new heights. Of course, Keir having so many exes’s didn’t help. I would have had little faith in my man if his ex’s kept popping out of the woodwork. The end of the book was great. I love happy endings!!

No Need Fur Love:

I adored this book. Mia knew what she wanted when she went to town. She wanted a baby daddy and Owen was her top choice. I didn’t like the Instalove on Owen’s end. He came across as needy and stalkerish. Other than that, I loved the book. I thought the end of the book was fantastic. I also thought that Mia’s father got what he deserved. Just saying.

What I liked about all 3 books:

A) the humor in Bearing His Name

B) Keir’s sweetness to Ally in Owned by the Lion

C) Mia in No Need Fur Love. She was not someone you wanted to mess with.

What I disliked about all 3 books:

A) Ark’s chauvinism

B) Ally’s attitude towards Keir at the beginning of the book

C) Owen coming across as too needy

I would give The Big Alpha in Town an Adult rating. There is graphic (often inventive) sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

There are no trigger warnings in The Big Alpha in Town.

I would recommend The Big Alpha in Town to family and friends. I would reread this book.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Griffin, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Big Alpha in Town.

All opinions stated in this review of A Big Alpha in Town are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**
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This menagerie of stories were such a fun read. Each story was different and gave a fun taste of all the authors and their take of the Alphas. Love me shifter alphas.
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3 stories in one…

Eve Langlais -Bearing His Name: This story features Arkadios Pietro Matis (bear shifter) and Jade Cadeux. I freaking loved this story and I give it 5 brilliant stars!!! I could not stop laughing from the first page. The antics and fights that happened between family are all typical bear behavior and the honey? Ohhhhh the honey. Lol. I loved it. There is a brief mix up that is soon remedied and I just loved it. I really can’t say how awesome this read was for me and I am eagerly anticipating Stavros story next! *****

Milly Taiden-Owned By the Lion: This story features a lion shifter Keir and his mate Ally. This was about a once upon time lion shifter who slept around a lot, who meets his mate. Ally knows all about Keir’s past conquests and does not want to be the next one on his totem pole. Little does she know, that she is his fated mate and that he no longer sees anyone but her. Filled with mild angst, some OW drama, however Keir and Ally do get their HEA in the end. 2.5 stars **

Kate Baxter-No Need Fur Love: Owen Courtney is a werewolf shifter despondent that he may never meet his mate out in the wilderness of Stanley, Idaho, however fate has other plans in store. Mia, a wood nymph, comes strolling into the bar that Courtney is at, only wanting a one-night stand. What Mia gets is a mated shifter, her Father on the brink of war with the werewolves and finally her HEA with Owen. 3 stars ***

*****ARC provided by publicist with St. Martin's Press thru NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion*****
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You have three great stories by three great authors.  Each one has strong characters and a great story line to keep you entertained.  You just won't be able to put this book down once you start reading them. Bears, Lions and Werewolf''s oh my.  You will have a mixture of three different types of shifters to cure you shifter appetite and love.
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I received a free, advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

After a long while I have finally finished this book. It took time, but i enjoyed reading this book. 


Bearing His Name

Has this quality that you would like to be mad at the same time cry because of the events. Still it was a good way to follow after "Bearing His Sin". 

Owned by the Lion

Will make you say "I told you so..." and then some. The story was simple, the ending was so satisfying. I am actually looking forward to the next story of this anthology. 

No Need Fur Love 

I love the writer, but somehow, I feel something missing in this story. It was too fast and, there were parts that I long for something more. I would leave you guys to judge this one. 

Over all, it was a book worth reading. Each story continues the previous one, with out really being disconnected to it. The charm is there.
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The Big Alpha in Town is an anthology with three authors
I picked it to read for Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais 

This tale is set in the same world as Alphas Mate where only those with a Y chromosome are affected by the virus that allows them to shift in an animal. I did not notice any overlapping characters but it's possible they are there from books I haven't read.

We meet Ark and his family with a baby-maybe with some of his family. He goes to track down the mother-to-be and finds his mate along the way. The problem is his mate is wary, independent, and doesn't trust easily. He somehow needs to find out if he is about to be Daddy, convince his mate to give him a chance and figure out why there seems to violence following them. 
I thought this was a cut short story with a lot of action. Ark is a persistent suitor. The author tries to make it clear that he will respect it if she says no but there is a lot of pushy behavior and knowing she doesn't mean what she says. Some readers may find that distasteful.
I found this story humorous, in keeping with Mrs. Langlais' writing style and fans of hers will enjoy this.
To new readers of her work, I don't believe this is the best representation of her writing but it's still an enjoyable novella. 

Trigger Warnings: sex, m/f, kidnapping, determined suitor/knows she wants it, bear shifter, and a one night stand
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*Received ARC from NetGalley for a fair and honest review**
This book is a compilation of three stories by Eve Langlais, Milly Taiden and Kate Baxter. This was a fun, fast read. I will read anything by Eve Langlais, as I know that when I pick up one of her books there will be over the top silliness/craziness. And this book is no exception, and not to leave out the hot and steaminess! 
Bearing his Name by Eve Langlais
Ark is a werebear. When he gets a note in the mail saying he's a dad, he's stumped and is bound to get to the bottom of whatever is going on. What he wasn't expecting was to meet his mate, Jade. There's only one small problem, his mate happens to be the sister of the girl he supposedly impregnated. I enjoyed the characters, and the chemistry. It was a fun, fast enjoyable read. The only thing that I didn't like was the sisters tie in with her ex-bf. Don't want to say anymore or I would be giving away major spoilers. Overall, was a fun read.
Owned by the Lion by Milly Taiden
Keir is a lion. And a lion that likes to leave his options available. Not into relationships, just likes to constantly be around beautiful women. Little does he know that his lifestyle will come back to bite him in the backside. So when he meets his mate, she doesn't fall at his feet like most women. He has to work at getting her to go out with him. And what's worse are all the women that he knows that aren't ready to let him go. Not only that, but Ally is his best friends sister. Another fun, fast read. I really enjoyed the characters and their chemistry. What I had an issue with was, Keir is supposed to be really close with his best friend and the mother, yet he never knew there was another sister? Other than that, I really enjoyed the book.
No Need Fur Love by Kate Baxter
Owen isn't expecting to find his mate. He's at the bar when Mia walks into the bar he's at and he overhears her talking about needing to get pregnant and he's intrigued. This book fell a little flat for me. It felt rushed, and incomplete to me. I really struggled to get through this book. 

Overall I did enjoy the book, and I look forward to hopefully reading some of the secondary characters stories. Hope this helps. Happy Reading!!!
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The Big Alpha in Town (anthology)
A sequel to Thanks Fur Last Night. These stories can be read as stand-alone paranormal romance. 

Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais
Fated mates. A bear shifter, whose business is honey, finds his mate. Hilarious, irreverent and twisting word flow made this a super fun read for me. 

Excerpt:
“I’m your mate. You’re mine. All mine.
   Yes mine.
   Grawr.
   The realization hit Ark the moment the door opened. A vanilla-honey scent drifted out to him, the sweet fragrance wrapping around his limbs, stroking his skin. It even managed to ignite his taste buds. 
   Want the yummy thing.
   Bear and man wanted the same thing. The woman standing before him.
   The certainty that she was his mate hit him much like that baseball bat had in the third grade. It pinched the air out of him with an almost audible whoosh. 
   Unlike many boys, Ark didn’t mock the mating instinct. He knew, when it hit, a man was a goner. He didn’t stand a chance.”
Excerpt from Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais

Owned by the Lion by Milly Taiden
Fake mate for hire turns real. Sexy. A bit too real and sad with the heroine’s mother searching for successful cancer treatments. The unwavering certainty and commitment by Keir makes this a beautiful romance. 
It was amusing when Keir couldn’t decide what to wear to the party and made a mess of his bedroom with discarded clothes. Big strong lion in as much of a tizzy as a anyone getting ready for an important date.

No Need Fur Love by Kate Baxter
A wood nymph must get pregnant to attain status. She finds Owen, a werewolf, at a local bar and easily seduces him. Owen feels a mate bond and realizes she has tried to influence him with magic but he’s not affected and more interested in consummating their bond. 
I’m not a fan of lying storylines. In the end, she’s stronger for the bond and protects the werewolf pack.
Minor disjoint: a storm predicted that didn’t happen. 

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley. I also purchased a copy via Amazon to share.
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Lately I've been really wanting to read shifter stories. For some reason they are calling to me. So I was very happy to be able to read this second book by these authors. The stories go with Thanks Fur Last Night but can be read on their own. 

I think the stories are much better if read in order but that's only me. 

So I again started with Bearing his Name. I'm sorry to say that I can't get into this author. I liked the idea of her story but the writing just wasn't my cup of tea. This happened in the first group book I read too. I'm sure their are those out there who love her books. 

I went on to Owned by the Lion and read that next. When I review Thanks Fur the Night I mention how I wasn't feeling this author prior to read that story so I wasn't sure how I'd feel about reading her in TFTN. Turned out I really enjoy her story in that book and was looking forward to read this one. I loved Keir and his father. At times Ally made me roll my eyes but not often enough not to like her. As a whole this story was very good! 

The last story I read was, No Need Fur Love. I really love Kate Baxter's stories so I was looking forward to this one and it delivered all that I love her for. I so loved Owen and wanted him to be happy. Mia is perfect for him. This is a fun fast moving story. 

As a whole the book is very good. I enjoyed two out of the three stories so I like those odds. I'm looking forward to the next one, In the Mood for Fur which comes out October 2nd. You now have plenty of time to read the first two books to be ready for the third.
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Fun stories. Absolutely love the humor and the shifters. There is something so freeing about the paranormal world and this book is no expectation. Fun short stories
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Phew okay so. 

I'll start with I like romance... I like Paranormal Romance a lot. So it's hard when I need to give a little tough love on one of my favorite genre's, but here we go. 

Bearing His Name: 2 Stars 
Both of these stars are mainly for the plot point. It started out interesting enough but quickly for me became a little too much and really confusing.  
This was compounded by the hero being a little much. He didn't keep coming back and knocking on the door with flowers... nope... he ignored the heroine's 'no's' for time and space and instead broke in at one point... which was a little much for me to allow in a book. 

Owned by the Lion: 3 stars 
This one I actually liked. It was a great little slice of life story with good development and plot. You of course had to take it will a grain of salt, being a shifter romance but it was well done. The first sexy scene for me read a little strange and then was a bit rushed at the end. 

No Need Fur Love: 3.5 Stars 
This one actually had an EXCELLENT story line and I would have liked more insight and slower development. If you read any of these - read this one. I also love the fact that it includes a paranormal character that doesn't get as much screen time. (nymphs/wood sprites)  

Overall 3.25 stars. 
~Ash
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This was a pleasant read for me. This book has three different stories by three different authors. Each can be read as a stand alone.  

Bearing His Name by Eve Langlais
This is such a funny book. Arik is down right hilarious. His banter and his actions with Jade are what make this book a fantastic read. You will love this couple. 

Owned by the Lion by Milly Taiden 
I love Milly and everything that she writes.  Ally and Keir story is just as amazing as you would expect.  Ally has the wrong impression of Keir and Keir is trying to convince Ally to give him a shot. A smooth read you will enjoy.

No Need For Love by Kate Baxter
Owen is trying to drown his bad mood in alcohol and he thinks that it might work. Until his sexy as sin mate Mia walks in the bar, looking for a fast fix to her problem. This was a fast and enjoyable read.
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“The Big Alpha in Town” is an anthology written by three awesome authors: Eve Langlais, Milly Taider and Kate Baxter. All three novellas are sexy and funny and in every one there is some fight: for love, for acceptance and for happily ever after.

First one, “Bearing His Name”, is a comedy by Eve Langlais, telling us story of Ark (a bear shifter) and Jade, who is a Very Concerned Sister and in order to help her pregnant sis Ruby, she does something certainly not conventional during her search for baby’s father. That’s leading to a string of mysterious and funny events that may (or may not?) guarantee a HEA for our heroes. Anyway you will absolutely enjoy it!

Second one, “Owned By the Lion” is a story from Milly Taiden in which Keir, an alpha lion, has to prove to his fated human mate Ally, that he is not a womanizer who sleeps around, but a man who will be faithful and a man who will make her purr. And let me assure you, that Milly Taiden yet again make a funny & smokin’ hot story that you won’t stop reading until the end!

The lat one is Kate Baxter’s “No Need Fur Love”. The main character werewolf Owen didn’t come to the bar looking for his mate, but he found her anyway. Unfortunately for him, Mia isn’t as thrilled by this fact as he. She truly has too much on her plate, to consider mating with someone! To find out if Owen change her mind, and even if he did, will they have their own HEA, you have to read these awesome anthology!

#TheBigAlphaInTown #NetGalley
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What's better then finding a great, sexy, steamy shifter story? Getting three all in one book!

I received this ARC copy of The Big Alpha in Town from St. Martin's Griffin. This is my honest and voluntary review. The Big Alpha in Town is set for publication May 15, 2018.

My rating: 4 stars
Written by: Eve Langlais
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin 
Publication Date: May 15, 2018
ISBN-10: 1250180481
ISBN-13: 978-1250180483
Genre: Shifter Romance | Paranormal Romance

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Alpha-Town...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-...

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Cute stories. I like all these authors. They all wrote in their normal style. (Damn Eve Langlais for her previews of her next story!) Very hot.
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Three good quick read in this anthology the only author I have read before is Eve Langlais but I will definitely check out other books from the Milly Taiden and Kate Baxter.  I enjoy anthologies because they give you a chance to find new authors and this one delivers on that.
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I received a copy of this e-book and am voluntarily leaving an honest opinion.

This book contains three novella's about Alpha shifters and their mates to be. The stories were good and the author's are pretty well known in the paranormal book world.

What I liked about it was since they were novella's, I could pretty much read a whole story and didn't have to worry about where I left off. The stories involved a bear shifter, a lion shifter and a wolf shifter. In one story, the mate to be was a wood nymph, a new entity to me.
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Kindly provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Three very talented authors.....

Three fairly quick, enjoyable reads that keep you dreaming about UBER HOT Shifter's and the women who were lucky enough to snag them.

My favorite's were stories Owned by the lion (Very Steamy) and No need Fur Love (Witty/Smoldering read). I did like Bearing his name but honestly Jade to stop being so paranoid and get with the programme !!! 

All in all great little compilation. Well done Eve, Milly and Kate. Many thanks for this opportunity x
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